good morning. i am janai norman. >> i am kenneth moten. here's some of the top headlines we are following on "world news now." >> more than 20 people were killed by a strong tornado in eastern alabama. officials are worried they may find more victims in the wreckage once the sun comes up. complete coverage of the devastation in a live forecast, ahead. the senate has enough support to block president trump's national emergency declaration. rand paul was the fourth to republican to break ranks, but the president is ready to wield his veto power for the first time. democratic hopefuls and hillary clinton converged in soma, alabama. a 1965 voting rights march marked by a violent attack on demonstrators. clinton said we are living through a full-fledged crisis in our democracy. a snowmobiler in oregon is recovering this morning along

with his dog after the two were stranded for five days in the snow-bound wilderness. they managed to survive eating a few leftover packets of taco sauce. both are reported to be in good condition this morning. those are some of the top stories on this monday, march 4th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." happy monday. thanks for joining us to begin the week. we have a lot to get to. we begin this half hour with the deadly, extreme weather in the south. >> more than 20 people were killed by a strong tornado in beauregard, alabama, 60 miles east of montgomery. officials fear there may be more victims buried in the rubble. >> the sheriff's department caught this tornado an our outside savannah. that and other severe storms struck in other parts of georgia, alabama, northern florida and south carolina. >> meanwhile, it's snowing hard here in the northeast. as you can see from this live picture in boston, schools there

and in new york are closed today as are many other districts. abc's rob marciano has more on the powerful system. >> reporter: deadly tornadoes tearing across the south. >> oh, my god, the damage. >> reporter: in alabama, the national weather service declaring a tornado emergency for part of the state. calling it a particularly dangerous situation, urging residents to take cover now. in georgia, the first images of the tornado destruction now coming in from just east of columbus. homes knocked off their foundations. others completely ripped apart. vehicles overturned. trees snapped like toothpicks. people sheltering in the back of this bowling alley in georgia. this as the same system brings a ferocious blast of winter weather across the country. >> as you see here, we are experiencing pretty heavy snowfall. >> reporter: driving is treacherous across the midwest, and 30 miles per hour winds blowing snow sideways in kansas,

contributing to multiple accidents in wichita. this truck sliding down the embankment. another rolling over on its roof. similar scenes in missouri. this jackknifed semi stuck in its tracks. more than 130 million in the path of snow and extreme cold as the storm races across the country. the northeast corridor in its crosshairs -- >> we advise everybody to avoid all unnecessary travel. do not drive unless you have to, please. >> reporter: luckily, this is a fast moving storm. the severe weather threat will be done on monday. the snow here in new england will be ending in the morning, but we could see in some sports as much as a foot of snow. here in boston it's likely to be the biggest snow of the season with big-time january-like cold coming in behind this. so what does fall will stick around. rob marciano, boston. >> let's get the latest forecast from accuweather. >> joining us live with accuweather's paul williams. where is this powerful storm right now? >> kenneth, janai, where it is right now is pushing its way off

the coast. the problem is the backside of this, it's combining with the cold air already in place, so the residual affects of this will bring about the accumulation near a foot. we're looking at possibly 18 inches near portland, but boston and new york, we are looking at 6 to 12 inches of snow there, and some of the outlying areas, 3 to 6 inches. as far as the deep south is concerned, it's all about the recovery effort. we are going to have quieter weather and it's going to be colder and they don't have power and they need that for heat. it's going to be cold for the next few days in a row. >> paul, so you are saying cold for the next few days. tell us more about the arctic blast we keep hearing about? >> that's the next big story as far as the weather is concerned. take a look at this. we are looking at dangerous cold. ll feel like 40 30 below, below, in and around bismarck. temperatures are going to be 20 to 30 degrees below the norm. i'm going to show you something

quick. see this model? the deeper the purple, the colder it is, that's monday. look at this. tuesday, still over the same area. wednesday, further to the south. thursday, it just stays cold. i can keep on going on but i don't want to depress you. >> we appreciate that. paul, you have been with us all morning to give us the latest on these storms. we really appreciate it. i also say, when you are live, that means it's not good news especially during the winter. thank you, sir. we appreciate it. moving on now. sacramento's largest mall was shut down by a protest against the shooting of an unarmed black man by police. >> a day earlier a demonstration was held outside police headquarters after local prosecutors decided not to charge the officers involved. >> the victim's family now one the state's attorney general to look into that shooting. abc's zachary kiesch has more. >> reporter: the loud cries for justice in sacramento. no charges for the officers who his fiance saying it's

emblematic of a larger problem. >> the officers that shot my unarmed fiance won't face any charges, continuing the shameful legacy of officers killing black men without consequences. >> reporter: the district attorney saying when police open fire, killing him in march of 2018, their actions were justified. [ gunfire ] >> was a crime committed? when we look at the facts in the law and we follow our ethical responsibilities, the answer to that question is no. >> reporter: with the help of a helicopter, officers on the ground cornered the 22-year-old in his grandparents' backyard. he was suspected of vandalism. the officers say they fired 20 shots after mistaking his cell phone for a gun. during the incident, officers manually muted their cameras at times. >> i would like the attorney general to prosecute the officers.

i want justice and accountability. >> reporter: in an autopsy, paid for by the family, it says he was shot several times in the back. they have the independent authority to bring charges, and now clark's family filed a wrongful death suit against the city for at least $20 million. zachary kiesch, abc news, new york. we have a stunning update in a case of a baltimore woman fatally stabbed while giving money to a panhandler. police now say it was all a rouse and her family staged the attack. jacqueline smith's husband and her stepdaughter have been charged with murder. the tragic murder made national headlines last year. no word yet on a possible motive. in southern california, there's a deadly mystery at a famed racetrack. over the past two months 20 horses have died during on-track incidents at the santa anita park. the most recent fatality was saturday. authorities say the horses had a number of different fractures. at least one had a heart attack.

some say an unusually wet winter may be to blame. animal rights activists say the horses are overworks. peta wants that track closed. a group of migrant families made their way back to the u.s. border after they were deported without their children. abc news learned the 29 parents are now at a crossing in california waiting to reunite with the kids they have not seen in nearly a year. some of them say officers tricked them into signing deportation papers that they couldn't read because they were in english. first lady, melania trump, is kicking off a three-state tour to promote her be best initiative. today she is scheduled to visit a school in tulsa, oklahoma, and tomorrow she will be in las vegas. will smith's son is bringing clean water to flint, michigan. the actor and co-founder of the mobile water is partnering with a local church to deploy a mobile water treatment system.

the water disaster dates back to 2014, when the water source was switched to the flint river. it created a dangerous spike in lead levels and deaths related to legionnaires disease. we have been telling you about severe weather conditions all around the country this morning. >> here's a look at times square where the snow is winding down. just in case the snow didn't give you a clue about what season it is, a new york city woman named diane is here to tell you. >> it's winter. hello, it's winter. three or four weeks ago, it was 3 degrees. this is a heat wave out here, now. hello, it's winter, yes! i'm not surprised. i love it. it's winter. >> i love her brutal honesty. >> a heat wave. >> to be fair, she is right. it is winter. i mean, relatively speaking, you know that's how the new york accent sounds. >> we do know that's how it sounds. it's nice the rest of the

country gets to hear that. we always talk about, oh, my god, it's so cold, i can't believe there's more snow. it's winter, folks. >> when it gets warm you will have to remember, global warming, short term good, long term bad, for those who believe. coming up, what some analysts are calling a retail apocalypse. later this half hour we are checking in with will ganss on the progress -- >> is that will? >> out there in that winter storm that is gripping much of the northeast. you're watching "world news now." much of the northeast. you're watching "world news now."

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volunteers firefighters were met with this eerie glow as they drove through flames in a state park near melbourne, australia. more than 800 were called in to battle the wildfire. the flames reaching nearby homes and at least five were destroyed. the wildfires were sparked by lightning strikes on friday. they burned about 40 square miles. back here at home, experts are worried about what is being described as a retail

apocalypse. and then over the past few days hundreds of stores have closed and it could be the tip of the iceberg. here's our friend, diane. >> reporter: they are calling it retail apocalypse, four retail stores announcing 500 store closings in 48 hours, and experts say the rest of 2019 doesn't look better. according to business insiders so far this year, retailers already announced more than 4,300 store closures. >> when you see such a huge shift in the way people are shopping, it's bound to happen. >> reporter: like the victoria secret fashion show? despite the event, stores are closing. gymboree is closing 800 stores and filing chapter 11 bankruptcy. payless shoe stores announced it would close all of its 2,500 stores in what could be the largest retail liquidation in

history. even department store giants are struggling with jc penney's closing stores. gap inc. is closing stores, but turning old navy into a separate company where sales are actually up. diana macedo, abc news, new york. >> items owned by the all-time leading scorer brought in nearly $3 million, and included four championship rings with the lakers, and most of the money will benefit skyhook foundation. it brings s.t.e.a.m. opportunities to underserved opportunities. >> the rings he auctioned off was from '80,'85, '87, and '88. >> that '85 ring brought in big $3,000. >> a lot of money. coming up, a sneak peek at some of this year's hottest toys. >> comparing everything from barbie to spongebob. stay with us. >> comparing everything from

barbie to spongebob. stay with us.

♪ we all know the important part that toys play in a child's development but every so often a new toy comes along that changes the culture around it. joining us to check out the hottest new influence toys is ali, editor and chief of the pop insider. al grning. break it down for us. >> we will start with iconic brands that are being revamped this year. >> okay. >> we are going to start with doodle bear, which is a toy i had as a kid. it's the same kind of doodle bear, kids can wash on it with markers and stick it in the washing machine and get it clean. this year it will come with the doodle bear studio app. it will let kids take a picture of the bear. >> technology added. >> yes. and now we hav it's a whole new plush

collection from gunned. we have these in big plush. we have the blind pack little collection as well. it comes in seven different characters and then there's a mystery character as well for kids to find. >> who is the mystery character? >> i don't know. no spoilers. next up, we have barbie. she's celebrating her 60th birthday this year. this is the new line of career barbies that are coming up. we have an athlete, an astronaut, a pilot, a political candidate, a reporter and a fire woman. >> 60 years and barbie is a working woman now. >> she is a working woman. she is out there doing it all. she looks very diverse. she comes in different shapes, sizes, hairstyles and different ethnicities. she's awesome. >> okay. >> this is the lego, very iconic brand. lego movie 2 is coming up, and yh, and that's the insider. bl. instruction booklet.

this is quite the build. this is for kids 16 and up. this is more for lego collectors, and people who want to display it. as you can see, if you want to play with it, it has a full 360 degree play. there's huge details and figures, and lawn chairs and everything on every side of the play set. >> this is incredible. i am so fascinated with the 3-d. >> the detail is incredible, right? it's amazing. >> so, this little thing. >> megaman is coming back this year. it was an iconic video game, coming back at a tv show. this is the mega man mega buster arm cannon. just reach in dr. >> will i become a superhero? >> you will become a superhero. >> i'm ready. >> grab on to that. if you pull the button, it lights up. now you are full of super powers. you can fight any villain. >> that's cool. >> it has sound affects from the video game and the show. so a little bit of something for everybody. very powerful.

>> yeah, absolutely. >> last, but not least, sponge niversary this year.h >> oh, my gosh. 20 years. >> can you believe it? alpha group has a whole line of cool spongebob figures, they have everything from a farting spongebob, to slimies, and there's a meme masterpiece spongebob which are memes on the internet and turned into collectible figures. >> wow! >> there's sponge heads that are inflate blg. you can wear them on your head to become squidward or patrick. there's different types of movie styles. >> incredible to see how far many of the toys have come. especially how technology plays a role in the doodle bear and the memes. it's so 2019. check out thepopinsider.com. as well as our website, wwnfans.com. ali, thank you so much for joining us and bringing all of this back to life. we love it. you are watching "world news now." of this back to life. we love it.

you are watching "world news now."

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it is time for "this happened" on this monday morning. we're starting with paris fashion week. it was the tommy hilfliger show. you won't believe who made an appearance? >> who? >> the grace jones. >> that's grace jones? >> the grace jones who has never stopped being iconic. strutted down the runway, and the models were all black, and she was there showing off her black girl magic in a gold body suit and striped blazer. >> not that age matters, but did i hear she is 70? >> yeah. >> 70 years old and she looks incredible. >> killin' it. >> she could still work it and be one of the models there. >> seriously, like, she makes 70 look like 30. >> yes.

>> and we are here for it. other pioneering women included pat cleveland, beverly johnson and veronica webb, all black women that made huge strides for black women in fashion. amazing show there. >> amazing. also amazing, this festival here in italy where they were pelting each other with oranges. this three-day festival heand ts moment of pelting each other with oranges apparently dates back centuries where hundreds of people attended the event and a town in northern italy, it dates back centuries. they don't know exactly when. i hope nobody was harmed in the making of this. when you see oranges, it makes you feel like warmer weather, florida, where we used to work. we decided to send our own will ganss out to check out the temperatures. will, is that you? >> is that a terrible little snowman he tried to make? >> reporter: okay, i'm doing the very best i can.

it's hovering around 33 degrees here, so it's not the fun kind of fresh snow you can make snow angels in, but i did make a snowman and has been singing "frozen" out here by myself all morning long and nobody wants to play or sing or build a snowman with me. >> oh, my gosh, will, don't get mugged out there. >> we don't have security out there for him? >> no. no. >> we can't afford to get a cameraman out there for him, so definite can't get security. >> will, how about you help the people out there with those cars and clean off cars for us. >> will you, please. >> abc employees. it's near our studio. >> oh, my gosh. sir, sir, get away from my car! sir! >> you are vandalizing our vehicle -- sir, you are vandalizing our vehicle! >> come help me, why don't you. >> um, no. >> look at that. oh, splat. >> snowball fight. >> wow. your hands must be so cold, will. >> come back in, will. >> oh, happy monday morning.

martin luther king jr.: we hold these truths to be self-evident -- that all men are created equal. john f. kennedy: the torch has been passed to a new generation of americans. barbara jordan: the american dream need not forever be deferred. lyndon johnson: this is the richest and the most powerful country...

this morning on "world news now," breaking news overnight. tornadoes ripping through the south. >> more than 20 people have been killed after a monster tornado half a mile wide tore through alabama. there's catastrophic damage. all the debris is making it difficult to search for more victims. >> that same system is bringing heavy snow, rain and sleet to the northeast right now. many schools are closed this morning and hundreds of flights have been canceled. it's going to be a messy morning commute. accuweather is live with a full monday forecast. a story of survival. a pair of sisters that disappeared over the weekend have finally been found. how the two little girls survived the cold and rain. the wait is over. "american idol" is back, and our own will ganss spoke with luke bryant and ryan seacrest about what to expect for the season.

it is monday, march 4th. announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." should be on "american idol." right? >> we should. we would lose, but we should be on it. happy monday morning, everybody. thank you for joining us. we begin with breaking news. an intense ground search will resume at first light at tornado-ravaged alabama. >> looking at the radar, you can see the severe storm system stretching from the florida panhandle to southern new england. heavy snow is falling from maryland to maine. >> at least 22 people are dead in alabama after the f-3 tornado swept through lee county. search crews have been using drones with heat-seeking devices to search for survivors. the sheriff says the tornado appears to have been on the ground for a mile. >> at the same time the storm is doing this outside our studios in new york, and schools closed in new york city and boston, and

other districts. hundreds of flights have been canceled. accuweather is standing by live. let's start with abc's daria albinger. >> reporter: that fierce winter storm moving across the country, spawning devastating tornadoes in parts of the south. multiple fatalities reported in lee county, alabama. one tornado leaving extensive damage in its wake, bringing down trees and destroying homes. >> it went from dark to daylight. i watched it suck the clouds in and everything. >> reporter: residents stepping in to help with the cleanup. >> there has been bad weather come through in the past. me, personally, especially getting out and helping, this is the worst. >> reporter: all of alabama now under a state of emergency. tornadoes also touching down in georgia, drone images showing the damage near columbus, and east this large funnel cloud developed. that storm now moving to the northeast. many areas forecast to get more than six inches of snow. boston and new york city announcing school will be closed on monday.

the morning commute for millions from washington, d.c. to boston, likely to be a mess. >> avoid unnecessary travel. do not drive unless you have to, please. >> reporter: drivers in the midwest are dealing with treacherous road conditions all weekend. in kansas, 30-mile-per-hour winds and blowing snow contributing to multiple accidents. this truck sliding down an embankment. another rolling over. this semi jackknifed on a missouri highway. in colorado, an avalanche shutting down part of interstate 70, and several avalanche warnings have been posted throughout the weekend. daria albinger, abc news, new york. >> back to the deadly winter in the south. this shows how strong the storms were that tore through lee county, alabama, knocking down a cell tower right across the highway. >> that completely cut off all traffic on u.s. 280, one of the major roads in that area. let's get the latest on this storm. >> accuweather's paul williams joins us for more. paul, let's start in the south.

what is the latest? >> the latest is there's a need to try to continue with the recovery effort. what's going to happen is, we have a high pressure system stepping in now and it will hover over portions of florida, and we are looking for cold air to punch in with this high pressure system, and that cold air will hit when a lot of folks are out of power. they are going to need heat. monday into tuesday, the cold will linger, and by wednesday another blast of cold air that will drop temperatures ten to 20 degrees below the normal, and that will filter to the south as they are trying to recover from the catastrophic tornado. >> paul, help us take a look at the northeast, "a closer look" at the northeast when it comes to the system, how much snow are they going to deal with in the northeast? >> well, it's looking, kenneth, like we are going to be looking at 6 to 12 inches before it's all said and done and it's all finally tabulated. it was a smart move for the folks throughout the northeast to start closing schools because we are looking at possibly 12

inches of snow in boston and 18 inches toward maine. it's going to be problematic for at least today. >> paul, winter is not done with us yet. paul williams staying late into the morning to help us out. we appreciate it, paul. president trump is slamming democrats on twitter accusing them of hurting the country as they vow to open new investigations into potential obstruction of justice and a lot more. >> after hearing what michael cohen had to say, the house judiciary chairman is requesting documents from dozens of people, including the president's son. we have the details. >> reporter: house democrats preparing to launch a sweeping investigation, deep into the president and his inner circle. >> we will be issuing document requests, over 60 different people and individuals from the white house to begin investigations to present the case to the american people about obstruction of justice,

corruption and abuse of powers. >> reporter: jerry nadler, chairman of the house judicial committee that would lead impeachment hearings include donald trump jr., cfo allen weisselberg along with those who will be contacted. >> the president of the united states, thus wrote a personal check for the payment of hush money as part of a criminal scheme. >> reporter: democrats claiming the bombshell testimony of trump's former fixer, michael cohen, showed more evidence of potential criminal behavior. >> all of a sudden they are trying to take you out with [ bleep ]. >> reporter: in a two-hour marathon speech, trump vehemently denied the charges. >> there's no collusion. so now they go and morph into let's inspect every deal he's ever done. we will go into his finances and check his deals. we're going to check -- these people are sick. they're sick. >> reporter: the president's republican allies in the house, standing by him on impeachment.

>> i think congressman nadler decided to impeach the president the day the president won the election. >> reporter: according to the latest wall street journal/nbc news poll, the president has a 46% approval rating and within his own party, it's 90%. but it's all all positive. 60% disapprove with the decision to declare a national emergency to build a border wall. abc news, the white house. >> our thanks to tara at the white house. the senate appears poised to reject president trump's national emergency to build a wall at the southern border. senator rand paul told a kentucky newspaper, he cannot vote to give the president money that's not approved by congress. three other republicans are voting to block the declaration, and congress is unlikely to have enough votes to override the president's promised veto. and overseas venezuela's interim president has been touring latin american nations. maduro is vowing to arrest him once he returns. the u.s. and other nations have

warned maduro against that. jetblue has come up with a plan to save you green, but it will cost you one of your social media accounts. >> the airline is offering customers a chance to fly free for a whole year, but you have to get rid of all your instagram pictures in return. okay. ooh. upload a picture -- >> did y'all put mine up? i'm not looking. they didn't put mine up there did they? >> no. >> why didn't they? >> that was the show's instagram. upload one with a jetblue picture. that's the only one you can load until the contest is over. again, that was not my instagram, it was the shows. oh, we could have seen your ten-year challenge, and boy would that have started off the week -- >> could you do it? give up one of the social media accounts? so cute. look at her there. >> you know, it would be a challenge, but i think i could

be up for that challenge. we could all do without social media. >> you know how they had history books? >> a-ha. >> social media is the new history books. that's my legacy. you can't delete that. >> that's the legacy. legacy. >> i'll pay for my flight, jetblue. >> thanks but no thanks. coming up, the big night for "american idol." the brand-new crop of hopefuls are singing for katy, lione lerks and luke. the season we have never seen before. first, what's being called a miraculous ending for a desperate search for two young sisters in the california wilderness. you are watching "world news now." sisters in the california wilderness. you are watching "world news now."

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a gas explosion lit up the night sky about two hours outside st. louis. a natural gas pipeline ruptured in rural mexico, missouri yesterday morning. no one was hurt. the cause of the explosion is under investigation. that blast came a month after the pipeline's owner's parent company, energy transfer lp had potential permits suspended in pennsylvania due to an explosion we are learning new details this morning about two little girls from northern california

whose disappearance triggered a massive search over the weekend. >> the missing sisters have been found after surviving two nights in the cold and rain. here is abc's marci gonzalez. >> reporter: it's a miraculous ending to a desperate search, for the two young sisters. the girls 8 and 5 missing for nearly two full days after wondering from their northern california home, finally found safely. >> it was a huge relief. we are so thankful and elated that, again, they were found. to have an outcome, a positive outcome like this is absolutely amazing. >> reporter: search crews using k-9s and a blackhawk helicopter ng the tck woo near wrappers and footprints, following the trail finding them in a rugged area nearly a mile and a half from their home. >> it's an extreme environment. how they were out there for 44 hours is pretty amazing.

>> their mother talking briefly by phone to reporters from our local abc station, sharing her relief and gratitude. >> my girls are alive and i am going to them now. i can't speak. thank you for everything you did. >> reporter: we're told the sisters were cold and dehydrated when found but otherwise okay. they were being checked out by medics as a precaution. marci gonzalez, abc news, long long. -- los angeles. the emotional road back to baseball is complete for a pitcher that suffered a near fatal brain hemorrhage last year. >> he walked off the mound after his first appearance since last april. an aneurism ruptured in his skull when he was with the chicago white sox. after saturday's game, he said he was very happy to be back. i cannot imagine. >> quite a recovery, and a fast one. baseball fans like seeing him back. >> definitely. coming up in the next half hour, the young athlete who is inspiring millions. we told you last week about

8-year-old tommy who was born with one hand, and we take a closer look at how that is not stopping him from excelling in all kinds of sports. but first, last year's winner of "american idol" talks about the doors idol opened up for her. plus the deepening mystery surrounding her role in season 17. that's next on "world news now." her. that's next on "world news now." so now, i use heavy duty swiffer sweeper and dusters. for hard-to-reach places, duster makes it easy to clean. it captures dust in one swipe. ha! gotcha! and sweeper heavy duty cloths lock away twice as much dirt and dust. it gets stuff deep in the grooves other tools can miss. y'know what? my place... is a lot cleaner now. stop cleaning. start swiffering.

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season 17 of "american idol" premiered with a bang last night, with a whole new slate of auditions here on abc. >> it was jam packed and a crazy night of emotion, back stories and setting up a season that is promising to be the most exciting ever. joining us with the inside scoop, our own "american idol," will ganss. >> i hear this music and i come alive. >> yeah? >> this is the most wonderful time of the year, "american idol" season. a brand-new craft of hopefuls audition for their trip to hollywood, i scored a ticket of my own catching up to talk about 17 seasons of "american idol."

♪ >> from kelly to carrie, ryan seacrest has been there for all 17 seasons of "american idol." you have been doing this for almost two decades? >> gosh, yes. >> the results are coming up after the break. don't go anywhere. >> luke bryant joining the idol fam a bit later. >> you have been doing this for almost two years. >> yes. i have been watching for two decades. >> talk about what this season is bringing to "american idol" that we haven't seen before. >> he can talk about the talent, i'll talk about the judges. this year is another level. >> you're better. >> i progressed. >> which is saying something. last season they set a high and whacky bar. ♪ shut it ♪ shut it

♪ hey >> whoa! katy, what i love about her, it's her spontaneity. >> did you say wig? >> yes. >> i know, i feel that already. >> you know, she could be cinderella -- >> or snow white. >> or snow white. then she can hang with the boys, too. i mean, that's the cool thing about katy. >> hello. if it's lionel you're looking for. >> the guy has more energy than anybody i met in my life. >> when you meet lionel, he's everything you wanted him to be. >> we may not be but he is. >> yeah, we're a let down. >> no, i promise you are not. >> and somebody else who lived up to expectations, last year's winner, maddie poppy. ♪ there's a million little things reminding me of you ♪ >> she's returning in some capacity for the next season. >> it's kind of a secret. you have to tune in. i don't know if i am allowed to say, but -- >> but you are involved some. >> it's funny.

it's a funny thing. it's a funny thing. >> last season maddie leaving hollywood with more than the title of "american idol." she also met her boyfriend, caleb, her runner up. >> i feel like i made some of my best friends, you know, on the show. and hopefully, my huand,yo- ink, wk. >> life as an "american idol" has introduced her to other cool people. >> meghan trainor, and sheryl crow -- >> she says the best part is being at "idol" opened doors she never dreamed of. working with song writers like max martin, who made music with taylor swift and katy perry. so who will be this year's maddie poppe? who will follow in the footsteps of some of the most powerful alum? >> kelly clarkson, adam lambert, they are doing regular things, normal jobs -- >> phillip phillips. >> yeah, to see what they are doing and how they are superstars right now, that's what i love.

>> congratulations. >> 17 seasons later, i think it's safe to say that's what we all love about "american idol." >> you're going to hollywood! >> the next season, the next episode airs here on abc wednesday night at 8:00, 7:00 central. >> what was your favorite moment from last night? >> we'll talk about it in a little bit but there is a girl names myra i am excited for. >> there are people i saw last night, they are 17, and they were just born when "american idol" premiered. that makes me feel a little -- >> if i think about it too hard i will get emotional, but as somebody who grew up with idol, to be here with you guys talking about it, i'm so grateful to be here. >> oh, my gosh, will. >> i'm so grateful. >> "american idol" touches across this country and it's across the country, and --

>> even more than the oscars? >> oh, yeah. oh, yeah. >> this is huge. i am so glad you got to do those interviews. >> it meant a lot. >> fabulous. >> thank you, will. great job. great job. rviews. >> it meant a lot. >> thank you, will. great job. so dad slayed the problem with puffs plus lotion, instead. with lotion to soothe and softness to please. a nose in need deserves puffs, indeed.

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♪ it's time for "the mix" on this monday. we're starting with a robbery outside of a cracker barrel, which is sad news as it is. this rapper is not somebody either of us have heard about, but there is his blinged out dolphin. he has a lot of bling and it was in his mercedes benz suv in the parking lot of cracker barrel when thieves broke in and stole half a million dollars in jewelry and cash. not only is it a mercedes benz suv, it's custom paint camouflage, inside a diamond chain, another chain, some cartier sunglasses, and a glock firearm, an apple mac book. all of these things.

>> the juxtaposition of having that outside the cracker barrel where you get a dollar pancake and some eggs. >> sit in the rocking chair, yeah. >> that's crazy. a half a mil? >> yeah, got him for a whole bunch. >> maybe -- i'm not blaming the victim here, but that's a lot and it's not his fault and he probably is going to need time if he wants to go to vegas and spend money on a suite, because look at this. a newly renovated palms resort. $100,000 per night for this suite. designed by artist, damian hurst. >> with sharks. >> yeah, has a lot of his original artworks, with 90,000 square feet of decoration. the artwork alone apparently $10 million. they wouldn't tell us how much

it cost to build this suite here, but that's a beauty. a lot of times when i go to vegas, i am on, like, price line or hotel.com. >> me, too. if you are going to go to vegas, why spend that much on a hotel unless you are going to sit in the hotel. >> if you got it, you'll spend it. >> even if it's just sitting in the back of your mercedes-benz suv. how about an adorable moment from morehouse. a professor leapt into action, you know, it takes a village to raise kids. >> it does. >> absolutely does. a student came to class and could not find a babysitter for his daughter and the professor steps up and is, like, here, let me take care of baby while i teach this class. so nice. that way, the student could take better notes. he's just got the baby there -- >> looks good on him, too. >> absolutely. >> i don't know if he has kids of his own -- >> he's doing pretty well. >> yeah, it does take a village. also what takes a village is when a basketball coach busts a

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this morning on "world news now," death and destruction in the south. more than 20 people are dead after tornadoes touched down. the search for survivors is not over, yet. it's the same storm system bringing snowfall to the northeast. classes are canceled and there are major travel delays. developing now. an investigation into the president. the house is set up to request trump-related documents from more than 60 people within president trump's administration, family and business. what investigators are looking for. new this half hour, surviving on taco sauce. >> a man and his dog stranded in the snow for days survived on the condiments alone. you have to hear more of this survival story. is the rock the best son ever right now? the extra special message he had about his father and what he's getting dad for giving him tough, physical love. that's in "the skinny" on this

monday, march 4th. >> announcer: from abc news, thgongo you, everyone. we begin this half hour with breaking news. a disaster zone in alabama. >> at least 22 people are dead in lee county. officials fear the death toll may be higher. they will search for survivors after sunrise. the tornadoes ripped a swath about half a mile wide destroying homes and businesses and uprooting trees. smaller tornadoes have touched down elsewhere in the south. >> that same storm is bringing heavy snow to the northeast overnight. you can see the snow coming down in times square. >> the system stretches from florida to maine and will be offshore later this morning. we'll get the forecast in a moment, but first, a report from alabama. ashley from our birmingham station has the latest. >> this was bad. this was a shake-up. >> reporter: the tornado turned several worlds upside down. >> sucked the clouds in and

everything. heavy wind and everything, and we ran inside. after that it was just a lot of debris flying. >> reporter: several people quickly sprung into action as soon as it was safe to do so. for sharon pool it was an unforgettable experience. >> i was sitting there praying asking the lord to protect the people around us, that nothing came in the house or destroyed anything. i was just praying. >> reporter: after she heard the sirens she knew what to do. >> i grabbed my dog and sat in the closet and was sitting there holding the door because it didn't close all the way, and a few minutes later that's when i could hear all the wind and the house moving. the next thing i know i could smell pine so i knew something was in the house. >> reporter: if it's any indication of how powerful the winds are that came through, this tree is one of several massive trees that were knocked down very easily when the tornado came rushing through. >> our thanks to ashley from alabama there. in the northeast, the problem is the heavy snow falling overnight. >> about 80 million people in the region are under winter

weather alerts. >> schools are closed today in boston, new york and many other districts. others are opening late. >> hundreds of planes, trains and buses have been canceled today also. lucy yang of our new york station is in hard hit new jersey. >> reporter: 56-year-old edward weissman doesn't drive so here he was peddling home from work at the height of the storm. do you always ride your bike in the snow? >> yes, i do. >> reporter: and jones began digging out sunday night so her car is not completely buried in the morning. do you feel like by the time you do one side the other side is covered in snow again? >> yeah, it never fails. it always happens. >> reporter: then jeff graham who stocked up on -- >> cheese-its, and bread, and nutter butter -- >> reporter: oh, nutter butter. i love nutter butter. you got the good stuff. >> yeah. >> reporter: we all have our guilty pleasures when snowed in, in morristown they declared delayed openings for government

offices and most schools on monday morning. lucy yang, abc news, morristown, new jersey. >> thank you to a snow covered lucy yang. new jersey's governor didn't wait, declaring a state of emergency after the weather arrived. and then paul, did he get it right? >> oh, yeah, he got it right and right on time and just in time because we're looking at winter storm warning in effect for central and northern portions of new jersey alone. not only there. we will have problems with between 6 to 12 inches of snow from new york up towards hartford and boston up to portland. we could get, believe it or not, up to 18 or so. the storm will move out later today but leaving cold air for monday. on tuesday cold air will punch its way across the great lakes, we'll have snow showers around the great lakes regions and more lake-effect snow, and then on wednesday, oh, my goodness, cold, like 15 to 30 degrees below the norm in the northeast alone.

>> that is cold, definitely. going back down south, paul, so many, i'm sure they want to know who lost power, and they are dealing with so many issues there and we want to know what the challenge is for the south right now? >> there will be a noticeable change, kenneth and janai. we will have a high pressure system and that's the good news. high pressure and shine and clear weather on the side of the equator, but, however, lots of folks lost power along with their homes and unfortunately, several lives, but the problem is, that cold air. they will need the heat because the chill from up north that is 15 to 30 degrees below there will sink to the deep south by tuesday and then by wednesday we are dropping the temperature 20

degrees below norm in the deep south as well. >> oh, paul, this is not good news. march is coming in like a lion. paul, thank you so much for being live with us this morning. democrats are requesting documents from president trump and his family and business. house judiciary chairman is vowing to open investigation into the president for obstruction of justice, corruption and abuse of power. the people he is contacting today include donald trump jr., the cfo, allen weisenberg and others mentioned by former trump attorney, michael cohen, during his testimony. isis is fighting to the finnish syria as they struggle to hang on to its final stronghold. they have been getting pounded by air strikes from the u.s. the air strikes hit several targets on the tiny strip where hundreds of isis fighters are still believed to be holed up. hillary clinton and a new batch of democratic presidential hopefuls gathered in selma, alabama to demonstrate >> clinton marched to the bridge, along with jesse jackson and senators cory booker,

sherrod brown. bernie sanders attended a breakfast where clinton received a unity award. accused the white house of lifting racist views. its moral obligations. mardi gras weekend is getting off to a tragic start in new orleans. a suspected drunk driver plowed into a group of bicyclists. two were killed and a half dozen injured. erielle reshef that has report. >> reporter: the son of a new orleans police officer under arrest after authorities say he plowed his car into a crowd of bicycles, blocked from packed mardi gras celebrations. >> responding to a pedestrian struck by a vehicle. >> reporter: police tweeting, it's believed he was impaired at the time of the fatal incident, stumbling out of the car before loosing consciousness on the sidewalk. toney reportedly telling police officers, i have a drinking problem. i should have gotten help.i'gogi

the deadly accident ppening ons frch quarter. >> cpr is in progress on one of the victims. >> reporter: mangled bikes strewn across the city's largest park. investigators seen combing the wreckage, cataloguing evidence stretching three blocks. police now poring over surveillance video for clues. >> we will be looking for more information about this vehicle as it travels through the city. >> reporter: he is facing multiple charges, including two counts of vehicular homicide. his bond has been set at more than $500,000. erielle reshef, abc news, new york. it has been five years since a packed plane vanished. familipaen anniversary of the jet's disappearance with a candlelight ceremony. the plane vanished somewhere over the indian ocean with 239 people on board on march 8th. it was heading to beijing. the new jersey rehab has has

been fined. health inspectors say a system failure contributed to the rapid spread of the virus. more than 35 children became ill. kids at the center have life-long disabilities and need constant care to survive. this year's nfl combine has produced its speed star, but he's not a running back or even a wide receiver. >> this is defensive lineman montez sweat looking like he didn't break a sweat during the 40-yard dash. at 6'6", 260 pounds, he ran an eye-popping 4.41 seconds. >> that's the fastest time by a defensive lineman since 2006. he was also faster than 21 of this year's 23 running backs. a fun fact here, too, yesterday alabama defensive tackle williams, he weighs 303 pounds and he ran the 40 in 4.83. that's really fast. it's the second fastest by any defensive player that weighs as

least 300 pounds. that is moving quick. >> he was moving real fast. what was at the end of the -- what was waiting for him at the end? that's the only way i will run for something that fast. >> are you going to run that fast? what needs to be there? >> there's a saying about stuff like this. >> what?wathd sth th nfl. >> what needs to be at the end of the line for you to run that fast? coming up, how taco sauce saved one man's life after he became stranded in the snow. later in "the skinny," "american idol" kicks off here on abc. wait until you see what judge katy perry was up to. you're watching "world news now." ♪

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prestige creams not living up to the hype? one jar shatters the competition. olay regenerist hydrates skin better than creams costing over $100, $200, and even $400. fact check this ad in good housekeeping. olay. this is a driv this is a driver's eye view of an avalanche engulfing a highway in colorado. the snow swallowed up part of interstate 70 in an area called 10-mile canyon. no one was hurt. the area is under an avalanche warning until later this morning. >> that is scary. do you drive the opposite way? >> yes, you do. a test dummy made its way to the international space station. >> it was carried into orbit by

the spacex dragon capsule. it docked yesterday morning making it the first american-made spacecraft designed for a crew to reach the space station in eight years. spacex plans to use the capsule to send two astronauts to the station in the summer. tesla is unveiling its newest car on march 14th, so about a week and a half. the so-called model y is a crossover suv with many of the same features as tesla's cheapest vehicle, the model 3. ceo elon musk says pricing, styling and test rides will be available at the reveal. a story out of oregon. it provides a good argument for anybody that says takeout food can be good for you. >> deep snow kept jeremy taylor and his dog trapped in a forest outside eugene for five days. he didn't have any food except for taco sauce packets. he hasn't explained that one yet. he managed to ration them until searchers found him and got him a good meal.

>> he did what he had to do to survive. once we got him back out to the road and reunited him with family i'm sure something to eat was one of the first things on his agenda. >> taylor told reporters he only had three packets for five days. he wrote on facebook, taco bell fire sauce saves lives. >> i always ask for extra sauce, and medium. i can't do spicy. can't do the hot stuff. >> in case you get locked in your car? >> yeah, with all that taco sauce i hope he was able to lower the windows. >> why, because it gets hot? >> she'll get it. when we come back, the tears, the emotion and excitement as "american idol" kicks off a new season. >> "the skinny" is next. ny" is next.

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♪ skinny, ♪ skinny, just give me the skinny ♪ it's time now for "the skinny." it's starting with the excitement last night on "american idol." >> boy, there was a lot. season 17 kicked off with plenty of emotion, and our own "american idol" analyst, will ganss -- >> he has a new title every

morning. >> you watched every second of that thing, didn't you? >> yeah. plenty of emotion and we're not just talking about me. there was plenty on the show. american idol trending on twitter all night long. in case you missed it, i will go over the good and the bad, and the katy. let's start with the good. the 17-year-old from vietnam has been in the united states only a year. this girl was ready to prove to the judges he's "american idol" material. take a look at her audition. ♪ you really don't have the time ♪ ♪ you've got one night only ♪ one night only ♪ one night only >> listen, if you are going to cover jennifer hudson at an "american idol" audition, you better nail it. >> yeah. >> this girl did. she is through the hollywood. the other singers to keep an eye on, nick townsand, he's from

nebraska. and tiffany la may from los angeles. they both crushed it. we will see them once we get to hollywood. enough of the good. let's get to the bad. makes it fun, right? one singer appropriately named vo kills sent two judges dunking for cover during his performance. ♪ >> katy voted yes after that performance but it's only because she was afraid he would murder her. >> okay. >> yeah. that was the excuse she gave. >> got a beat, though. >> that's nice. constructive criticism. >> thank you. >> i love it. you're the paula abdul out of the three of us. speaking of katy, we have to talk about the katy hijinx. here's the highlights from episode one. >> oh, no.

>> let's do this. >> okay. >> i could be your mother. oh, my gosh, and you are a ginger? i didn't see that up close. i rebuke you, satan. okay, whatever, bring it. i just hate this. >> once again, katy proving she is my teenage dream all over again this season. next episode airs here on abc on wednesday night, 8:00, 7:00 central. i'll be watching. >> do you remember "pants on the ground" -- ♪ pants on the ground ♪ pants on the ground ♪ looking like a fool with nton groun >> that was a great one. >> yeah, that was a great one. >> she bang! >> we remember -- >> oh, my gosh. clearly you guys do remember. >> it's iconic moments. >> did you have a reference to lionel richie's "all night long?" ♪ all night long ♪ all night. >> all right. thanks, will. >> janai, name last year's winner. go! >> poppy. not champaign poppy.

the star took to instagram and got a bit emotional when he shared what he just did for his father. >> johnson told his 134 million followers that he called his dad on the phone and offered to buy him a brand-new house, wherever he wants to live. >> he went on to describe his father as a quote, old school tough guy that used to beat my blank. i hated it back then but i'm so grateful for it now. >> the rock says it feels good to get back to the ones who raised you. >> speaking of dads, our favorite daddy is showing off his dad bod. >> 47-year-old mark wahlberg looking neither 47 nor like a guy with a dad bod, and he stripped off his shirt on a tropical beach while giving his 15-year-old daughter a hug. >> besides being able to grate cheese on his abs, he's set to celebrate his tenth reunion with his wife.

all that time and he never found a shirt? at least he has his pants on. >> marky mark. still doing it. look at those abs. >> they are, like, hardly there. are, like, hardly there. like, hardly there. eally dirtys separately. remember -hard work builds character! new tide pods with upgraded 4-in-1 technology unleash a foolproof clean in one step. aww, you did the laundry! but you didn't fold it. oh, that wasn't in the note. should have sent a text. #1 stain and odor fighter, #1 trusted. it's got to be tide.

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try metamucil, and begin to feel what lighter feels like. ♪ snow already coming down in new york city. we told you last week about a young boy refusing to allow his physical disability to outshine his shear force of will or incredible talent. >> this morning he's sharing with us some of his inspirational words of wisdom. here's abc's tom llamas. >> reporter: that's 8-year-old tommy morsi in his baseball game in palm beach garden, florida. that's him again, hitting a monster shot off of a golf tee. >> he has been able to track a ball and hit it with accuracy since he was able to stand up. >> reporter: tommy was born without his right hand due to a

congenital birth defect. his parents refuse to let that slow him down. >> we do not allow him to say i cannot. >> reporter: that type of attitude coupled with a strong work ethic put tommy on the radar of some of the world's biggest golf stars, including tiger woods, arnold palmer and bubba watson. he really gained national attention when, at the age of 3, he hit a golf ball 100 yards. then he went on national tv and showed his skills to ellen. >> wow! >> reporter: now he's one of the top kid golfers in the u.s., nationally ranked, but he still plays other sports. >> his main sports are soccer, baseball, and golf. >> and tennis and basketball. >> and tennis and basketball. >> reporter: it's not just about winning, tommy is trying to help other kids who face challenges growing up. >> one day he'll be very, very proud, i think, of knowing that other kids kept their arms and legs because of his efforts. >> reporter: his hard work

paid off this season in the home opener after he hit that shot in the outfield. it was a home run. >> it was really cool. i was just hoping i would hit a home run, and i actually did. >> reporter: this inspiring athlete may still be so young, but he has words of wisdom for other kids. >> anything is possible with the right attitude. >> yes, it is, tommy. such an inspiration for not only kids with disabilities but with kids who do not have disabilities. across the board, his parents doing a great job of raising him knowing that even if he does have a disability, he can do anything. >> yep, you can embrace differences. incredible. an inspiration to everyone. watching him hit that home run, and he came within six inches of getting a hole in one last summer at the cradle in pinehurst, north carolina. tommy is incredible. >> i need tips, tommy, please. >> stay with us. more news after this. >> announcer: this is abc's "world news now," informing

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morning america." have a great monday. making news in america this morning -- deadly tornado outbreak. the damage across several state described as catastrophic. >> i was sitting there praying. >> homes and building leveled. the cleanup getting under way as the northeast gets pummeled with snow. we're tracking it all. new invest gags. congressional democrats purr suing president trump on mull. fronts, for possible abuse of power and obstruction of justice. the documents they want from 60 people with ties to the administration. demanding answers. protester gathering for another day after no charges are filed for the officer who