this morning on "world news now," celebrations and terror tensions. >> from a suspected terrorist arrested in upstate new york to a threat on a big city in germany. to unprecedented security in times square. the mixed feelings as the world welcomes 2016. >> up in flames. the fire in a high rise hotel. fear and smoke spreading through the 66-story building. the injuries, evacuations and investigation. >> holiday misery. the mississippi river at record levels. the deadly and rare wintertime flooding. the property damage and the relief in the forecast. and later, airline hero. the pilot who didn't have to turn the entire plane around because he saw upset passengers in the terminal who missed his flight, but he did make a u-turn and he really saved the day. it's friday, january 1st.

>> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning on this new year's day. i'm lauren lyster. >> i'm phillip mena. happy new year. >> happy new year to you. >> absolutely. we spent this new year's hanging out here at work. >> we have the party favors to prove it. we should ring in the new year with 2016. >> that's right. did not stop the celebrations and it won't stop the celebrations us being here at work. >> let's keep it going. i'm sure there are plenty of people that had a wonderful new year still wanting to enjoy a little fun and some news. >> exactly. so if you just came home from partying, happy new year everyone. down in times square, we could hear the fireworks going off when it hit midnight. >> you have good ears. could you really? >> absolutely, up in the office there. >> i was watching the tv. watching the countdown. >> thankfully everything went off without a hitch. that is where we begin with those new year's celebrations

worldwide, the tensions and the unprecedented security. >> more than a million revellers watched the ball drop in times square right there. many waited hours unable to leave because of the security not even to go to the bathroom. there were also 6,000 police officers including members of a special counter-terrorism unit. >> and there were no public celebrations in rochester, new york, the state's third biggest city. the fireworks there were canceled after an alleged isis sympathizer was arrested. investigators say he planned a new year's eve attack on a restaurant and bar armed with knives and machete. he hoped the assault would help convince isis to let him join the terror group overseas. >> it was also subdued in munich, germany. police warned of a serious attack. they've been tipped off to five to seven suicide bombers. with munich's main train an station and another the primary targets. despite the warnings, thousands of people did ring in the new year with fireworks in munich's downtown. >> november's attacks did not keep parisians from celebrating the holiday in public. but there, too, the public fireworks display was canceled,

replaced by a five-minute video performance at the arc de triomphe just before midnight. police surrounded landmarks in paris to watch out for trouble after november's terror attacks left 130 people dead. >> new year's eve celebrations went on as scheduled in dubai despite a fire that engulfed one of the city's top hotels. it was a frightening scene as flames shot out of the skyscraper. abc's alex marquardt has the details. >> reporter: a towering inferno. one of dubai's most famous luxury hotels consumed by flames. >> yes, i can see a lot of debris coming down from the building and it's getting bigger and bigger. >> reporter: the fire started on the 20th floor of this 63-story hotel, and was visible from all around. the roar of the fire heard in video shot by eyewitnesses. it was just under three hours before dubai was to hold its famous new year's fireworks show, starting nearby at the world's tallest building. >> it kind of caused chaos here, some people ran, some people

were screaming, not knowing what was going on. >> reporter: hundreds of people were evacuated from the hotel, and remarkably, fewer than 20 were injured, according to officials. undeterred, they announced the new year's celebration would go ahead, and shortly after the clock struck midnight, fireworks burst in the air. a surreal scene with the hotel still burning in the background. there has been no mention of terror, arson or any other official cause, as investigators now dig into what ignited the massive blaze. alex marquardt, abc news, london. affluenza mom tonya couch is spending the new year in a los angeles jail on a million dollars bond. couch was returned to the u.s. from mexico yesterday. her attorney says couch did not violate any texas loss when she left the state with her son. she faces charges of hindering the apprehension of a felon and could be in jail for several days. >> put yourself in tonya's shoes. what would you do if you're a parent who has the son who is

the most hated boy in america? >> ethan couch remains in a mexican jail while he waits for a hearing on whether he will be forced to return to the u.s., a legal process that could go on for weeks or even months. the mississippi river and its tributaries are at or near record levels in much of missouri and illinois even as the flooding in the st. louis area does begin to recede. most of the fatalities have been motorists and hundreds of highways and roads are still closed. abc's indra petersons reports from the flood zone. >> floodwaters paralyzing parts of the midwest. as rivers crest and records fall, residents race to sandbag homes, hoping they'll be spared. >> we just need a lot of help. >> reporter: pets stranded where water's already rushed in, being rescued, too. this was the scene on interstate 55 before officials were finally forced to close it. traffic backed up for miles. these photos showing how quickly the flood waters rose in valley park. we rode along with the u.s.

geological survey. they are using doppler radar to monitor the rising mississippi. >> all the rivers that feed this area, the illinois river, the upper mississippi and the missouri, are all coming to where their flood crests right here today. and so, that's what's made this flood so large. >> reporter: this time of year, this stretch of the mississippi river should be five feet deep. now it's 42 feet. to put it all in perspective, there's about ten times the amount of water flowing here right underneath the eads bridge than you typically see flowing over niagara falls. this video from fenton, missouri, shows how powerful that can be. watch this house smash into a bridge. at least 22 deaths in missouri and illinois now being blamed on the flooding. at least four still missing, including two teenage boys in taylorville, illinois. indra petersons, abc news, sunset hills, missouri. in today's forecast, chilly again in the flood zone. lows could be in the single digits in some areas of the midwest. snow from wisconsin to upstate

new york. heavy rain from new orleans to jacksonville. it is going to be cooler though in the mid-atlantic. >> and 19 in salt lake city. 20s in minneapolis and detroit. 30s in denver and kansas city. 40s and 50s in dallas, atlanta and new york. downright balmy. all right. now it's time for some college football. are you a football fan? >> big-time fan. >> i'll hand it over to you in a minute. let's hope today's five bowl games are better or at least more competitive than the two playoff games we had yesterday. >> yeah, they were a bit of blowouts. we start with the nation's number one team. clemson, the tigers trailed oklahoma by a point at halftime before taking the lead with that short touchdown run. keyshawn watson struck with a 35-yard touchdown pass and another td in the fourth quarter putting the sooners away for good. clemson moves on to the national title game with a resounding 37-17 win. and then it was alabama and michigan state's turn. let's sum it up by saying the crimson tide absolutely dominated the spartans last night.

we'd love to show you a michigan state touchdown or even a field goal or a safety or something, but there weren't any. alabama quarterback jake kocher threw two touchdowns. heisman trophy winner derek henry ran for two more. mercifully it came to an end. alabama impressive in a 38-0 victory and now take on clemson for the national title on monday, january 11th. >> and in pasadena, people are focusing on a tradition i'm more a fan of. and that is the parade and then the big games. spectators began lining up on the five-mile parade route nearly 24 hours before the parade. they seemed unfazed by the cool temperatures and unfazed by potential security issues. >> the security this year is unprecedented with the fbi and homeland security assisting. some 44 floats are part of the spectacle. it took volunteers about 80,000 hours to put those floats together. the theme of this year's parade is "find your adventure." >> of course, those floats are so cool because they're made out of flowers and plants.

what i found unbelievable, i even had to double-check with one of our producers is that by one estimate, the floats each cost $100,000 to $150,000. they are six-figure floats for that one day, that one parade, phillip. >> well, that's why people like it so much because it's so well thought out. you know what, that is one of the best things to do on new year's. that's a hangover cure right there is to sit there, watch the parade and watch the rose bow games all new year's day. there's college football all day long. what else are you going to do? sit on your couch? that's how you welcome the new year. coming up "the mix," university researchers banning overused phrases or words for the new year. which ones would you ban? >> i'm going to think about it. also ahead, the airline pilot who spotted emotional passengers in the terminal who had missed his flight. his unprecedented decision to make a u-turn. >> later the sights and sounds of 2015 from scandals to celebrities to fear and disbelief. >> and what will you remember from 2015? join the conversation on our facebook page.

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oh...i'll put it back on the shelf... new from mucinex fast max. the only cold and flu liquid gel that's max-strength and fights mucus. start the relief. ditch the misery. let's end this. all right. take a look at that. you are looking at the largest cargo ship ever to visit the united states. it's called the benjamin franklin. it was launched from a chinese shipyard last month, and it arrived at the port of oakland, california, yesterday. this thing is a quarter mile long, longer than four football fields or even the empire state building laid on its side. it's going to make regular deliveries from china to the u.s. west coast. >> wow. >> if you can believe it. >> just made the clearance there. another rare sight yesterday involving a giant vehicle played out at the minneapolis st. paul international airport. >> the pilot of a delta airlines

flight made the nearly unprecedented decision to make a u-turn on the tarmac. isn't that unbelievable? he returned to the gate. but just wait until you hear why he did it. here's abc's clayton sandell. >> reporter: one of the most important flights of their lives, and the short family was about to miss it. >> i was just crying. >> reporter: they were traveling recently from phoenix to minneapolis. but their flight was late, and time to catch their connection to memphis ran out. the plane pushed back without them. >> the tower wasn't going to have them pull back in and my sisters and my mom were sitting there in tears and i'm sitting there screaming through the glass. >> reporter: that's when the captain saw the family. he radioed in and found out they were upset, because, for them, missing the flight meant missing their father's funeral. >> it would've been sad not saying good-bye. >> reporter: that captain, adam cohen, then made an extraordinarily rare decision to come back. "it was something we needed to do," he says. "this is something we'll take with us, knowing we made a difference." the family says cohen's gesture made all the difference. they arrived in memphis in time to say good-bye. >> it's very rare, someone stops

and does something so kind and we need more people like them in this world. >> reporter: an uncommon act of common decency. clayton sandell, abc news, denver. they would not have made it. that was the last flight of the day. >> incredible. >> kudos to delta for that. >> next, out with the old and in with the new. >> but before we say good-bye to 2015, we're going to take a look back at some of the year's biggest events to make the headlines. what do you think was the biggest story of the year? you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our abc stations.

♪ >> this is our favorite. because as millions of americans -- oh, look. everyone's in on it. as millions of americans do what

we just did, ring in 2016, we here at "world news now" would like to take a few moments to ring out 2015. >> what a year it has been for news. we've seen everything from natural disasters to terror attacks and from racial unrest to one of the most divisive presidential races in recent memory. >> a 7.8 magnitude earthquake centered in nepal. >> the death toll surging. >> this team has brought this young man out of this building. and he is alive. >> epitome of chaos hit mt. everest. >> the airbus a-320 crashed in the french alps. >> that young co-pilot had every intention to destroy that plane. >> tangible proof that mh-370 crashed into the indian ocean. >> prince george is now a big brother. growing outrage after a beloved lion was killed by an american dentist. >> mexico's most notorious drug dealer is now also its most wanted man. >> kayla mueller held by isis now confirmed dead. >> kayla touched the heart of the world. >> an attack on a packed train

foiled by quick thinking american passengers. >> the plane with more than 200 people on board went down in egypt. >> at least a dozen people were killed today during a staff meeting at the "charlie hebdo" offices. >> the greatest refugee crisis since the second world war. >> the people are coming quicker than we can load them. >> anger, frustration. >> and chaos. >> paris under attack. >> the terrorists hit six separate locations. >> at least 129 killed. >> if i live in fear, they won. >> the suspects are now cornered. >> abdel amin abboud is dead. >> the deadliest terror attack on our homeland since 9/11. >> several down in the conference room. >> farook and tashfeen malik had made their plans to attack well in advance. >> there's been a mass shooting in a community college in southern oregon. >> somehow, this has become routine. >> gunfire ripping through this louisiana movie theater. >> a gunman opened fire. >> police exchanging gunfire with a man inside this colorado

springs planned parenthood. >> horrific tragedy in charleston. >> these people were in church. >> 21-year-old dylann roof has been caught. >> we have no room for hate. we have to forgive. >> a historic moment set in motion by the killings. thousands gathered in selma to remember that day in 1965. >> it's become a very important day in my life. >> reporter: an ugly scene in baltimore. still searching for answers after the death of 25-year-old freddie gray. >> sandra bland's death in a texas jail is sparking outrage. >> police officer michael slager fires eight times at walter scott. >> he was my son. >> be on the lookout for two escapees from clinton county correctional facility. >> many comparing it to the plot of shawshank redemption. >> the massive manhunt finally over. >> an amtrak train derailed in philadelphia. >> going more than 100 miles per hour. >> verdict is in. the death penalty for dzhokhar tsarnaev. >> he wanted to go to hell and he's going to get there early. >> i sentence the defendant to

life imprisonment. >> james holmes received 12 consecutive life sentences. >> boston buried under snow. >> more than 25,000 firefighters battling 65 wildfires. >> this is a disaster. >> this pristine shoreline now an oily mess. >> it's the biggest break through yet. >> liquid water has been found on mars. >> the pope touching down. >> the land of the free. >> i would have gone anywhere to see the pope. >> pray for me. >> i will. >> a handshake five decades in the making. > former house speaker dennis hastert. >> guilty to a felony banking charge. >> i have been racking my brain about what more could have been done. >> an 11-hour hearing about the 2012 attacks on a u.s. diplomatic post. >> another big victory for president obama's health care law. >> our love. >> same-sex marriage now the law of the land. that does not mean everyone is on board. >> by whose authority? >> god's authority. >> the united states has reached a historic understanding with iran. >> what a stunning historic mistake. >> the u.s. is sending special operations forces to syria. >> this isn't a pipeline. it's a lifeline.

>> the keystone xl pipeline would not serve the national interests. >> it was the interview heard round the world. >> for all intents and purposes, i am a woman. >> the longest-running late night show host ever, taking the stage one last time. >> jon stewart signing off for the last time. >> the force has awakened. >> for a highly anticipated film. >> it was just magical. ♪ >> all right. as we say good-bye to 2015 and hello to 2016, you know where the tradition comes from to celebrate with friends and family? it's because that's supposed to be a harbinger of luck. so if you see enemies that's bad luck. i don't know what the -- >> i'm glad i got to be with good people. >> i know. amazing viewers, great fans of this show. very happy about that. that bodes well for the year. fake confetti definitely bodes well. >> we got off to a good start and so did you.

coming up the year's most overused phrases and words. >> and the year's monumental trash pile, "the mix" and the polka are next. monumental trash pile, "the mix" and the polka are next. but did you know there's a product that lasts for twelve hours? try delsym® twelve hour cough liquid. its advanced formula works by immediately releasing powerful medicine that acts fast while its extended release medicine lasts for 12 hours. in fact, delsym® lasts three times longer than the leading cough liquid. for all day or all night relief,

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with two medicines in one pill. start the relief. ditch the misery. let's end this. it is time for "the mix," and there are some overused words in our language. people trying to get rid of them at the university -- lake superior state university, they have released this list. so. >> bit of an annual tradition. >> actually, so is the first one. >> did you plan that or did that just happen? >> so is the first one. join the conversation is another overused and now banished word according to them, and break the internet. those three. >> the thing is, these are very valuable contributions to modern vocabulary. how would we do away with any of them? what would kim kardashian do without breaking the internet? >> there you go. i could not even get through

telling you that without saying so. >> quickly before we go, some million people were in times square to ring in the new year. one thing you may not think about, all of the trash. how much trash do you think they have to clean up? what would you guess, phillip? you know this. you know the answer. >> it's a whole bunch. >> it's a whole bunch. in one square mile, 50 to 52 tons of trash. all the confetti, all the food, all those revellers literally leaving behind tons of trash. >> good work. now it's polka time. >> broadway's lyric theater with cast members of "on the town." ♪ politics and foreign wars all the weather all the scores ♪ ♪ that's the world news polka take it siri. >> if you're an insomniac and a good night's sleep you lack, the world news polka. ♪ it's late at night you're wide awake and you're not wearing pants ♪ ♪ so grab your "world news now" mug and everybody dance hey ♪ ♪ have some fun be a pal every anchor guy and gal, do the world news polka.

♪ ♪ ♪ with spf 1000, you can lounge beneath the trees because with global warming it's a cool million degrees ♪ ♪ five whole days every week we're here with our tongues in cheek ♪ ♪ that's the world news polka ♪ i hear they watch us in the swamp and think that we're all right ♪ ♪ well, it sure beats croaking in the middle of the night ♪ yeah. ♪ five whole days every week we're here with our tongues in cheek and the world news polka ♪ one more time. ♪ do the world news polka >> have a great weekend everybody. with us for "good morning

america." have a great weekend. happy new year! making news in america this morning -- the new year arrives safely across the u.s. celebrations from coast to coast are carried out with tight security. for authorities 2016 is off to a successful start. towering inferno, the spectacular scenes from dubai as a luxury hotel is engulfed in flames. investigators now on the scene. quite an arrival on the west coast. some absolutely amazing facts about the largest cargo ship to ever arrive here in the u.s. it cleared the golden gate bridge with just 20 feet to spare. and starting the new year the right way. by being nice to others. a family, a police officer and the reason they came together in the first place.

good morning. i'm phillip mena. >> and i'm lauren lyster. our top story this morning, it was a tense but uneventful new year around the world. despite terror warnings, people turned out, not letting threats ruin their celebration. >> take a look at these live pictures of new york's times square. just hours ago, the crossroads of the world was packed with a million revellers and 6,000 police officers. >> three, two, one -- happy new year! >> it's finally 2016. and people around the world are ringing in the new year with those three familiar words. >> all: happy new year! >> happy new year! >> from a jam-packed times square in new york, all of the way to moscow, crowds cheered as colorful fireworks displays painted the night sky.

new zealand was the first to ring in the new year, with australia nipping at its heel. lighting up the famous sydney harbor. celebrations from hong kong to tokyo illuminating the night sky. one show in particular left the world watching in a different kind of awe. in dubai, even with a hotel fire raging nearby, the world's tallest building, the burj khalifa, 1.6 tons of fireworks carried on their display as scheduled. all across the globe millions crowded historic landmarks just to get a glimpse of the fireworks. cities around the world are in a heightened state of alert. paris canceling some events. and somber scenes in brussels where festivities were also canceled. amid security fears over a similar-style attacks. those fears nearly realized here at home. in rochester, new york, federal officials arrested a man

believed to planning a terrorist attack. leading to the cancellation of the city's fireworks display. and that alleged isis sympathizer planned a new year's eve attack on a restaurant and bar in new york's third largest city. he told an informant he had no problem with killing people. new year's eve celebrations were scaled back in several european cities because of worries about terror. in germany, police evacuated two munich train stations just hours before midnight, this, after getting tips from another country. it was believed five to seven suicide bombers were planning an attack. nothing happened and the two stations have reopened. as we mentioned, that fire in a dubai skyscraper didn't stop the city's celebration. a terrifying ordeal for those inside the hotel when it went up

in flames. abc's alex marquardt has the details. >> reporter: a towering inferno. one of dubai's most famous luxury hotels consumed by flames. >> yes, i can see a lot of debris coming down from the building and it's getting bigger and bigger. >> reporter: the fire started on the 20th floor of this 63-story hotel, and was visible from all around. the roar of the fire heard in video shot by eyewitnesses. it was just under three hours before dubai was to hold its %-p world's tallest building. >> it kind of caused chaos here, some people ran, some people were screaming, not knowing what was going on. >> reporter: hundreds of people were evacuated from the hotel, and remarkably, fewer than 20 were injured, according to officials. undeterred, they announced the new year's celebration would go ahead, and shortly after the clock struck midnight, fireworks burst in the air. a surreal scene with the hotel still burning in the background. there has been no mention of terror, arson or any other official cause, as investigators

now dig into what ignited the massive blaze. alex marquardt, abc news, london. affluenza mom tonya couch is spending the night in a los angeles jail. on a $1 million bond. she was returned from the u.s. from mexico yesterday. her attorney said she did not violate any texas laws when she left the state with her son. couch faces charges of hindering the apprehension of a felon, her son. she's not only spending the holiday in jail she could be in custody for days. >> put yourself in tonya's shoes, what would you do as a parent who has a son who's the most hated people in america. >> ethan couch waiting in a mexico jail. the floodwaters are starting to recede in missouri and southern illinois, but you wouldn't know it but looking at the devastation. at least 22 people have drowned. most of them were motorists. hundreds of roads are closed,

including part of an interstate, homes and businesses are under water with thousands of people displaced and all that water is heading south. coming up -- a rough year for stocks. wait until you hear how much america's most famous investor lost in 2015. plus, america getting back into the oil export business, the first shipment in decades on its way. and the alabama crimson tide rolling into college football national title game. highlights from both playoff semifinals coming up. from both playoff semifinals coming up next. jane didn't like restrictions. not in life. and not when it came to watching her calories. why settle on taste? jane thought. that's why jane loves light & fit greek nonfat yogurt. bursting with rich creamy awesomeness and 12 grams of protein. all for 80 calories. no settling here.

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from china last month and arrived in oakland, california, yesterday. it's a quarter mile long, longer than four football fields or even the empire state building laid on its side. it will make regular deliveries from china to the u.s.'s west coast. and for the first time in 40 years, the u.s. is back in the oil exporting business, a tanker left the port of corpus christi, it's hauling light crude from an oil field in south texas and heading to italy. the ban on oil exports was lifted last month. stocks have staggered to the end of a disappointing 2015. yesterday's final trading day of the year saw the dow drop nearly 179 points. the nasdaq was off 58. the s&p 500 slipped more than 19 points. for all of 2015, the dow dropped more than 2%, its worst year since 2008. the nasdaq was the only major average gaining ground, nearly 6

.. the s&p was off slightly 2015 was also a bad year for warren buffett, he lost $11 billion. shares of his company berkshire hathaway slid 11%. but he's still the world's third richest man, his personal fortune is estimated at $63 billion. and you may be feeling a little bit richer this morning after a year of low gas prices. 2015 ended with the national average price at exactly $2. aaa estimates each licensed driver saved an average of almost $600 over the past year and the outlook is good for 2016. because there's so much crude oil on the market. and a milestone, the world's largest mcdonald's has served its last big mac. located on international drive in orlando, the iconic structure was built to look like a giants box of fries. >> no worries for the millions

who eat at that restaurant, it's being replaced with an even bigger mcdonald's being built right next door. the new place is set to open in february with plenty of room, 19,000 square feet. when we come back -- a new legal battle stemming from the charges facing bill cosby. and hold those tigers, oklahoma couldn't. which is why clemson will pay for college football's top prize. sports is coming up next. next. coughing...sniffling... and wishing you could stay in bed all day. when your cold is this bad... ...you need new theraflu expressmax. theraflu expressmax combines... maximum strength medicines available without a prescription... ...to fight your worst cold and flu symptoms... ...so you can feel better fast and get back to the job at hand. new theraflu expressmax. the power to feel better.tm

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i had a lot of doubts going in. i was a smoker. hands down, it was... that's who i was. after one week of chantix, i knew i could quit. along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. chantix reduced my urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. some had seizures while taking chantix. if you have any of these, stop chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of mental health problems, which could get worse or of seizures. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you have these, stop chantix and call your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. tell your doctor if you have heart or blood vessel problems, or develop new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack or stroke. decrease alcohol use while taking chantix. use caution when driving or operating machinery. most common side effect is nausea. life as a non-smoker is a whole lotta fun. ask your doctor if chantix is right for you.

in seattle, revelers marked the entrance of the new year with a fireworks extravaganza at the city iconic space needle. >> it dazzled the eyes and lit up the night sky, hundreds of thousands gathered to watch the display. driving from seattle to just about anywhere in the west should be easy this morning. but drivers should watch out for wet roads along the gulf and southeast coast. roads could be slippery along the great lakes and upstate new york. next up this morning -- a new twist in the case against bill cosby, he's facing his first criminal charges of sexual assault after allegations made by dozens of women. >> now, there's a new legal battle, it involves cosby's wife. abc's mara schiavocampo has the story. >> reporter: the criminal case against bill cosby playing out in the court of public opinion. after the 78-year-old comedian appeared in court, facing a felony charge of aggravated indecent assault. >> reopening this case was our duty.

>> reporter: prosecutors saying cosby sexually assaulted andrea constand in 2004, after giving her pills and alcohol at his suburban philadelphia home. now, cosby's attorney making the media rounds, vowing to fight what she calls an unjustified charge. >> i have faith in the justice system. >> reporter: and some of cosby's other accusers, also reacting to the criminal charge. >> i just started to cry. i think they were tears of relief, tears of joy and tears of validation. >> reporter: more than 50 women have come forward, claiming cosby sexually assaulted, drugged or raped them, which he has consistently denied. his wife of 50 years, camille, always standing by his side. now, she may be the next one in the hot seat. though she launched a legal battle to prevent being forced to speak about her husband in a related civil case next week, abc news has learned that request has been denied. now, as for that criminal charge, cosby, who is reportedly worth approximately $400 million, is free on $1 million

bail. he faces ten years in prison if convicted of that charge. mara schiavocampo, abc news, new york. next week, president obama is expected to take executive action against gun violence. it could expand background checks for anyone buying guns. the white house may also impose tighter rules for reporting guns that get lost or stolen on the way to a buyer. but any move made by the president is likely to be opposed by gun rights advocates. the state department said portions of 2075 e-mails released yesterday from hillary clinton's time as secretary of state. have been newly classified. clinton said she didn't received or send information that was classified at the time. the state department also said it fell short of the number of e-mails it was ordered to release by a federal judge. so more e-mails will be released next week. 2016 begins with a tobacco crackdown in hawaii, where the

legal smoking age is now 21, it's the first state if the nation to take such action. the new law starting today also includes electronic cigarettes. stores could be fine up to $2,000. now some sports. there are five college football bowl games today, highlighted by ohio state versus notre dame in the fiesta bowl. as for college football playoff, highlights now from espn. happy new year, everybody. i'm chris hassell, new year's eve, college football playoff. let's go from four down to two. who is going to play for the college football national championship a week from monday? nick saban going to be a part of it. he took his former assistant mark dantonio to the woodshed. cyrus jones, big interception to end the first quarter. jones, waiting back at his own

43, all kinds of room and watch the moves from number 5, right there. alabama, 38-0, largest shutdown in cotton bowl history. so number two is in and so is number one. deshaun watson and the clemson tigers struggled for the first quarter of this game, watson certainly struggled with the arm early, not the legs. 145 rushing yards. most by a quarterback in orange bowl history. and then he got the arm going a little bit, too. clemson runs away in the second half and dabo swinney is going to face nick saban in the national championship game. a week from monday. on espn. "sportscenter" is live this morning, 7:00 a.m. eastern time. i'm chris hassel. happy new year. have a great one. all right, thanks chris. to entertainment now, the

end of an era in heavy metal music. motley crue performed the last time last night. at the staples center in los angeles. >> the band was a major influence on groups including poison and guns and roses. it's releasing a full length film of that performance. up next in "the pulse" -- the beautiful floats have to roll in pasadena, an early look at some of them. and the family that nearly missed their flight until a delta pilot took an extraordinary step. their story straight ahead. without it the virus spreads from cell to cell. only abreva penetrates deep and starts to work immediately to block the virus and protect healthy cells. you could heal your cold sore, fast, as fast as two and a half days when used at the first sign. learn how abreva starts to work immediately at abreva.com

don't tough it out, knock it out, fast. with abreva. hd 8. hd 8. working on my feet all day gave min my lower back but now, i step on this machine and get my number which matches my dr. scholl's custom fit orthotic inserts. now i get immediate relief from my foot pain. my lower back pain. find a machine at drscholls.com and i quit smoking with chantix. i decided to take chantix to shut everybody else up about me quitting smoking. i was going to give it a try, but i didn't think it was going to really happen. after one week of chantix, i knew i could quit. along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. chantix definitely helped reduce my urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts

or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. e e any of these, stop chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of mental health problems, which could get worse or of seizures. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you have these, stop chantix and call your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. tell your doctor if you have heart or blood vessel problems, or develop new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack or stroke. decrease alcohol use while taking chantix. use caution when driving or operating machinery. most common side effect is nausea. being a non-smoker feels great. ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. we start the first "pulse" of 2016 with some parades. because everyone loves a parade. first up, today's tournament of roses parade in pasadena,

california. >> dozens of floats all decked out and ready to roll along the five-mile parade route. today's the 127th annual parade. the theme is find your adventure. >> filmmaker ken burns is the grand marshal. volunteers spent about 80,000 hours putting those floats together and as always, they look amazing. and a different sort of parade has already passed in key west, florida. >> this was the annual weiner wonderland parade. the canine costumes ram the gamut from the sea creatures to star wars characters. next up, a classy move from the delta pilot. who was about to take off from minneapolis/st. paul airport. >> he made the nearly unprecedented decision to make a u-turn on the tarmac and return to the gate. abc's clayton sandell tells us why he did it. >> reporter: one of the most important flights of their lives, and the short family was about to miss it.

>> i was just crying. >> reporter: they were traveling recently from phoenix to minneapolis. but their flight was late, and time to catch their connection to memphis ran out. the plane pushed back without them. >> the tower wasn't going to have them pull back in and my sisters and mom were sitting there in tears and i'm screaming through the glass. >> reporter: that's when the captain saw them and he radioed in and found out the family was upset because missing the flight meant missing their dad's funeral. >> it would've been sad not saying good-bye. >> reporter: the captain, adam cohen, then made an extraordinarily rare decision to come back. "it was something we needed to do," he says. "this is something we'll take with us, knowing we made a difference." the family says cohen's gesture made all the difference. they arrived in memphis in time to say good-bye. >> it's very rare someone does something so kind. we need more people like them in this world. >> reporter: an uncommon act of common decency.

and finally, another simple example of people just being nice to each other. it happened during a trip to a restaurant in baton rouge, louisiana. >> steve taylor and his family were out to eat and that's when a police officer came over to where they were sitting. >> he introduced himself and, you know, he told me how well behaved my kids were. >> i just observed how they were well mannered. and that was unusual. >> he offered to pay for our meal. i said, no, man, you can't do that. there were eight of us. it was a real good feeling. nobody's ever done like that for me and my family before. >> taylor said he went to the media with the story because he wanted to sure that corporal freeman was recognized for his kindness. and as a thank you they bought him a dozen doughnuts. and we have more coming up after this. please, stay with us. coming up after this. please, stay with us.

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you checking our top stories -- the new year was welcomed in new york's times square and many other cities. but a few scaled back or canceled their events fearing terrorism. celebrations went on as planned in dubai despite a huge fire engulfing one of the city's biggest hotels. investigators now trying to figure out what sparked this fire. they have ruled out terrorism the floodwaters in missouri and illinois are starting to recede. but the disaster is far from over. roads and homes are under water and transportation through the region is a mess. looking at today's weather, lake-effect snow from wisconsin to upstate new york. otherwise, dry and cool across the midwest. rain along the gulf. mild and dry along the west. and finally on this new year's day, a reminder that

every year has 525,600 minutes. >> they go by so fast. let's take one last look back at how some of those minutes went by in 2015. >> a 7.8 magnitude earthquake. centered in nepal. >> the death toll now surging. >> a horrifying realization. >> that young co-pilot had every intention to destroy that plane. >> tangible proof that it crashed into the indian ocean. >> mexico's most notorious drug dealer is now also its most wanted man. >> an attack on a packed train foiled by quick-thinking american passengers. >> at least a dozen people were killed today during a staff meeting at the charlie hebdo offices. >> the greatest refugee crisis since the second world war. >> paris under attack. >> the terrorists hit six

different locations. >> the deadliest terror attack on our homeland since 9/11. >> somehow this has become routine. >> gunfire ripping through this louisiana movie theater. >> tragedy in charleston. >> these people were in church. >> dylan roof has been caught. >> we have no room for hate so we have to forgive. >> thousands gathered in selma to remember that day in 1965. >> still searching for answers after the death of 25-year-old freddie gray. >> the police officer fires eight times at walter scott -- >> he was my son. >> the pope touching down. >> the land of the free -- >> same-sex marriage now the law of the land, but that does not mean everyone is on board. >> the united states has reached a historic understanding with iran. >> the interview heard round the world. >> the force has awakened. >> for a highly anticipated film. >> it's just magical.

>> andhat is what's making >> andhat is what's making news in america th live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 2016 coming in with a bang. this is the view just at midnight from exploritorium camera. thousands celebrated new year's eve on the embarcadero. good morning, and happy new year. it is friday, january 1. i am reggie aqui. we will look at the wealth. our meteorologist is here. lisa, how does it look? >> happy new year. it is freezing cold. everywhere. again. we have a little bit of mixing. the san jose metropolitan area is in the upper 30s. everyone else will see temperatures dropping further into the 20s and our valleys and the 30s in some areas. look