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making easy work of tough messes. dawn takes care of tough grease, wherever it shows up. scrub less, save more... with dawn. check out this wild scene at a gas station in russia. check out this wild scene at a gas station in russia. a robber wearing a mask attacked the attendant with pepper spray. another worker walked in, and he tries to spray her. the second worker fought back and went after the robber with a dust mop. the thief ran off, got away with about $100. the worker is okay. a tragedy here in new york is shedding light on a nationwide problem. it's the danger of crumbling infrastructure. >> a manhattan architect was killed after she was hit by

debris that fell from a building that was more than a century old. and it happened months after that building was cited for dangerous conditions. here's wabc's lucy yang. >> god help us and protect us. we don't know why things happen. >> reporter: anna rodriguez works on this corner and any other day would have taken the exact same path as the victim. it does not escape her how she was spared. >> this is very, very scary. >> reporter: shortly before 11:00 tuesday morning, while countless pedestrians were pounding the sidewalk, officials say a piece of building facade fell and landed on the victim's head, killing 60-year-old erica tishman, a prominent architect and trustee of central synagogue. she lived on park avenue. >> oh my gosh. >> oh wow, horrible. >> reporter: emergency crews immediately closed off 49th street while engineers from the department of buildings zeroed in on 729 seventh avenue.

records show that back in april of this year, the building was cited for quote damaged terra cotta at areas above 15th floor in several locations which poses a falling hazard for pedestrians. ominous words. the buildings department followed up with this statement, quote, no pedestrian should be at risk from dangerous facade conditions. the owners of the building told us quote we are saddened by this tragedy and our hearts go out to the family, the company will fully cooperate with the city. meanwhile many paused at the tragic scene noting how we are all surrounded by tall, old buildings. >> i am like without words. i really don't know how something like that could happen in the city where so many tourists are, you know? i feel so bad for the family. >> reporter: we're waiting for

exact confirmation from the city as to what fell. i'm lucy yang for channel 7 eyewitness news. >> poignant point, not only here in new york, so many cities around the country where so many pedestrians and tourists are surrounded by old, tall buildings. it's terrifying that could happen. coming up, looking back to the last impeachment of a sitting u.s. president. >> we're opening up the abc news vault up next. causing it harm. his ordinary tise they left his nose raw, with each wiping motion. so dad extinguished the problem, with new puffs plus lotion. puffs now have more lotion to soothe through the blows... and more pillowy softness, to cushion your nose. don't get burned by ordinary tissues. a nose in need, deserves puffs, indeed.

♪ ♪ that right there is a live picture this morning, capitol hill, all eyes will be back on capitol hill as they have been so much over the last few weeks. >> because we know the house of representatives is just hours away from voting on two articles of impeachment against president trump. >> it is almost 21 years to the day that the house voted to impeach bill clinton, and we are opening up the abc news vault back to december 19th, 1998. >> on "world news tonight" this saturday -- >> article 1 is adopted. >> for the second time in our nation's history, the house of representatives impeaches the president. the president reacts saying he'll stay focused on his job. >> it's what i've tried to do for six years. it's what i intend to do for two more. until the last hour of the last

day of my term. >> good evening. i'm charles gibson. president clinton has been impeached. the house of representatives today approved two of the four articles of impeachment accusing him of perjury and obstruction of justice. the issue now goes to the united states senate for a possible trial. in the house today it was a partisan vote, and it will have repercussions not only for this president but for the presidency itself and for the house of representatives. president clinton was with his pastor while the house was impeaching him. abc's sam donaldson has reaction from the white house. >> reporter: house democrats came down to the white house to rally round their leader.

mrs. clinton walked arm in arm with her husband as they came to the lawn below the oval office where surrounded by his backers the president made his case to the american people for avoiding a long senate trial. >> i have accepted responsibility for what i did wrong in my personal life. and i have invited members of congress to work with us to find a reasonable, bipartisan, and proportionate response. that approach was rejected today by republicans in the house. but i hope it will be embraced by the senate. >> reporter: the strategy now is to be very conciliatory toward the senate, including senate republicans, let house democrats continue to bash house republicans the president now wants a censure deal in the senate if possible to avoid a senate trial. >> cokie roberts, give us the thought on this day, how about this trial to come in the senate? do we get to trial? >> the trial is likely to come, yes, charlie. you know the institution of congress well, you know that some of its players insist on the prerogatives of the institutions, and in the senate that would include senator robert byrd of west virginia,

the historian of the senate, who will insist that the senate go forward, at least for a while. obviously the pressure will now be on to try to bring that to a short conclusion. but the pressure was on the house as well. and an election intervened and the house has impeached the president. >> when you first learned this story back in january, ever think we'd get to this day? >> oh my gosh, charlie, no. the one constant of the story over the past year has been its utter unpredictability. even though over the past few days everyone had widely expected these articles of impeachment to pass, sitting here, it was still a shock. it was just a shock to hear the speaker pro tem in the house floor announce that the first article of impeachment had passed. and so no, i don't think anyone could have predicted that we would find ourselves here on this night talking about what we

are. >> always incredible to look back at the past. so many people are comparing what happened during the clinton impeachment to the trump impeachment as well. >> really incredible it's been almost 21 years to the day. so nice to see cokie roberts. roberts. . . . . 6

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what about rob's dry cough? works on that too. and last 12 hours. 12 hours? who studies that long?! mucinex dm relieves wet and dry coughs for 12 hours with 2 medicines in 1 pill. ♪ ♪ welcome back. we're starting a new segment called "winning wednesday." it's in honor of wednesday when i'm back and kenneth is winning the week. >> winning wednesday, there it is. >> not just k-mo winning wednesday. a 5-year-old girl is completely winning wednesday. she sold cookies and cocoa to help pay off the lunch debt of 123 students at her elementary school. >> her name is kaitlin hardy, a kindergartener in vista, california, she heard people were having financial trouble and she said, i'm going to help. we've seen this case happen in the past, happened in

pennsylvania a few months ago. someone tried to pay off the debt and there was a little pushback, then ultimately it was paid off. >> kaitlin's mother said she wanted to turn this into a teachable moment and she actually really did. good job, mom, good job, kaitlin, winning wednesday. >> also winning this wednesday, a 70-year-old woman by the name of lynn salvo. she is riding her bike around the country and she's making the peace sign. but i think it's not that peace sign, it's actually the war peace sign. >> she's doing it in the name of peace. she lost her brother in vietnam in 1970 and the brother never got to meet his son. and she feels like, if she can prevent that from happening to one family, she'll be satisfied, so all about peace. >> she's on the last leg of her trip, about 2,000 miles. >> 12,500. >> she's up the california coast there but she's done a lot, 12,500. >> lynn is in good shape.

winning this wednesday. also winning this wednesday, some little boys who wanted a dog for christmas but their parents would tell them santa doesn't bring pets. until this year. 12-year-old orrin, 5-year-old ollie, walked into their room in dublin, ireland. >> so happy. they're like, you got us a puppy? 8-week-old king charles spaniel and poodle mix. >> look how excited he is. >> they definitely -- >> it's been a long time -- that is a very cute puppy, too. >> the doggie is also winning wednesday. >> teddy, perfect name. >> speaking of dogs on this winning wednesday, a service dog was at disney recently, animal kingdom, and he decided to meet the characters right there. that is henry from nashville. he has more than 100,000 followers on instagram because he's a service dog and he's there for a little one in need there. >> he met doug from "up!" how cute, doggy meets doggy.

this morning on "world news now," the countdown to the house impeachment vote. >> as house lawmakers get ready to vote, trump is lashing out. senting nancy pelosi a scathing this morning on "world news now," the countdown to the house impeachment vote. >> as house lawmakers get ready to vote, trump is lashing out. senting nancy pelosi a scathing letter accusing democrats of attempting a coup. what to expect ahead of today's vote. bitter blast. as a dangerous storm system that brought dozens of tornados, heavy rain, and ice clears out, temperatures are falling quickly leaving millions of people in a deep freeze. also this morning a wedding day takes a tragic turn. police say the groom was murdered by a pair of wedding crashers. plus a wrestler who makes daily sacrifices to be an athlete, sacrificed a win for good sportsmanship. what he did for his opponent

will warm your heart this wednesday, december 18th. good wednesday morning. thank you for joining us. it's that time of the week where your favorite two are back together again. >> back together. you know, we like to bring -- >> thanks, jack. >> -- the insomniacs into what's happening around here for us. >> yeah. >> if the eagle-eyed insomniacs can slightly tell something's a little different. we're not talking about anything going on with janai. we have been talking about a new

set that they've been constructing here at abc news headquarters. they put us in a different room. >> see this? >> we are just surrounded by not a newsroom, but monitors. >> yep. >> let me go over here to this little office space over here. >> oh, right? oh! don't you touch that monitor. >> can i just -- i should go back here, just have -- >> that will cost you, sir. >> can i have a seat right here? oh, okay -- no -- >> there you have it. >> there it is. the room is smaller. >> it looks spacious. >> jack? jack anywhere? >> yes, i'm here. >> the voice of jack is back. >> yep. >> there he is. >> you're seeing what's going on. >> a lot of changes. >> a nice walk and talk. >> local news days. >> local news did you good. this morning we do begin this half hour with a new chapter in american history. president trump is just hours away from all but certain impeachment. >> house democrats believe they have enough votes to approve two articles of impeachment against the president and lawmakers have set the terms for the full house, agreeing to six hours of debate divided evenly between democrats and republicans. the president sent an angry letter to speaker nancy pelosi railing against the impeachment as an attempted coup. abc news has learned that white house lawyers were cut out of

the process of drafting that letter. >> meanwhile thousands of protesters turned out last night for pro-impeachment rallies across the country, chanting that no one is above the law. abc's mary bruce has more from capitol hill. >> reporter: on the eve of his impeachment, president trump incensed, lashing out with fury and frustration. >> do you take any responsibility for the fact that you're about to be impeached? >> no, i don't take any, zero, to put it mildly. >> reporter: the president ranting in a scathing six-page letter to nancy pelosi. dear madam speaker, trump starts, i write to express my strongest and most powerful protest against the partisan impeachment crusade. he accuses pelosi and the democrats of declaring open war on american democracy. you are the ones bringing pain and suffering to our republic for your own selfish, personal, political, and partisan gain, he writes. the president calls the charge he abused his power a completely disingenuous, meritless, and baseless invention of your imagination. he even takes issue with the

fact that pelosi often says she prays for him. >> i was raised in a way that is heart full of love and always pray for the president. and i still pray for the president. i pray for the president all the time. >> you are offending americans of faith by continually saying i pray for the president, trump writes, when you know this statement is not true unless it is meant in a negative sense. and trump warns democrats will pay in 2020, saying voters will not soon forgive your perversion of justice and abuse of power. with the house set to impeach, the fight over a trial in the senate is well under way. senate republican leader mitch mcconnell rejected the democrats' request to call four witnesses the white house has blocked, including acting chief

of staff mick mulvaney and former national security adviser john bolton. >> the house chose this road. it's their duty to investigate. if they fail, they fail. >> i listened to the leader's speech. i did not hear a single sentence, a single argument, as to why the witnesses i suggested should not give testimony. what is leader mcconnell afraid of? what is president trump afraid of? the truth? >> reporter: mcconnell called the house investigation slapdash and is promising to work in total coordination with the white house. >> i'm not an impartial juror. >> reporter: but mcconnell still refuses to say if he approves of the president's actions. do you believe that the president acted completely appropriately when he asked ukraine to investigate his rivals? >> all of those issues will be argued here in the senate in the coming days, and my assumption still is that we'll turn to this after the first of the year. >> reporter: pelosi is responding to the president's letter, calling it ridiculous and really sick. and in her own letter pelosi writes to her democratic colleagues quote if we do not act we will be derelict in our duty, saying in america, no one is above the law. mary bruce, abc news, capitol hill.

>> our thanks to mary bruce there. turning to the weather, temperatures are plunging in the upper midwest and soon in the northeast. >> it follows a system that brought more than two dozen tornados to the deep south this week, killing at least four people. >> they're still getting snow in places like potsdam in northern new york about the most of that system moves out. abc's gio benitez says the danger in the northeast is its slippery roadways. >> reporter: freezing rain and black ice are making travel treacherous for millions in the northeast. in north haven, connecticut this multi-vehicle crash shutting down part of i-91 for a time. this pickup truck colliding with a tree in cape cod, two teens taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. sheets of ice all over the place. when this is on the road, it's almost invisible. the same system bringing more than two dozen reported tornados in four states. west of huntsville, alabama, a frantic search for survivors. two people killed. and in louisiana, this twister

killing one and prompting a tornado emergency in alexandria. it left behind a damage path more than 60 miles long. this church school taking a direct hit. our alex perez is there. >> if you look around you'll see school books all over the place, you see some toys. underneath all of this the students' desks. students scrambling to get to a safe location just moments before a huge part of this building collapsed. >> reporter: teacher stacy kudd helped get the students to safety. >> all of us tried to get under the pews to take cover. >> reporter: many families left with nothing just before the holidays. the forecast calls for more freezing rain, then the temperatures just plummet. that means you'll see ice on the roads well into the morning. gio benitez, abc news, yonkers, new york. let's get a handle on just where those icy roads are most likely. >> accuweather's adam del rosso

has the forecast. >> we're done with the widespread snow and ice across the northeast but spotty snow showers can drop a quick bit of snow, reducing visibility, making for slick spots, making for tricky travel across the region for our wednesday. also plenty of colder air spilling in. we're talking accuweather real feel temperatures in the single digits in blue pittsburgh to burlington and detroit and milwaukee as well. you make your way into the southeast, we've got some chillier air working in here as well. a couple more spotty showers across south florida as that front exits the area. another storm making its way onshore bringing rain and mountain snows wednesday, thursday, friday as well. in other news here in new york, new details about the murder of college freshman tessa

majors. >> police say a 13-year-old who is charged in connection with majors' death claims he and two other teens intended to rob a man, but they wound up grabbing majors from behind instead. the teen also reportedly told police he saw one of the other teens stab majors in the chest area. authorities are still searching for a 14-year-old who bolted from a car while on his way to turn himself in. thousands of police officers from around the country were in northern new jersey to honor one of their own. jersey city detective joseph seals was slain last week in what's being called a domestic terror attack. seals leaves behind a wife and five children. three other civilians were also killed in that attack. the two suspects were killed in a shoot-out with police. if you've gotten a call from social security demanding money or else, it's a scam. the callers say u.s. marshals will break down your door if you don't pay up. not so, says the marshals service. neither they nor the social security administration make calls. the ftc says the number of these calls is skyrocketing. some people even report as many as nine calls in a single day. >> that's just uncle sam that

will breakdown your door. >> they won't call you, they'll surprise you. good sportsmanship going viral. >> shane hansen is one of california's top-ranked high school wrestlers but he was losing big in the championship match of a recent tournament. that's when his opponent dislocated his shoulder. hansen was awarded the title, but during the medal ceremony he swapped his gold with his opponent's silver. hansen said it wasn't his match to win. >> wow. >> that's nice to see that in these young people. he tried to forfeit but he wasn't allowed. >> yeah. >> it says a lot about that young man there. >> the opposing coach sent a letter to hansen's school saying, i've never seen such an amazing display, hansen brought me to tears with his act of sportsmanship. >> you were a student athlete. i'm pretty sure you most likely would have taken the medal and said, see ya. i won. >> see you next year. coming up, pastor joel osteen talks with robin roberts

about teaming up with kanye west. first the outrage about an on-duty officer drunk. why he was never investigated for dui. the tragic turn at a wedding. the bride left in mourning after wedding crashers killed the groom. stuffy? ell that's because your home is filled with soft surfaces that trap odors and release them back into the room. so, try febreze fabric refresher febreze finds odors trapped in fabrics (bubbles popping) and cleans them away as it dries. use febreze every time you tidy up to keep your whole house smelling fresh air clean. fabric refresher even works for clothes you want to wear another day. make febreze part of your clean routine for whole home freshness. ♪la la la la la. about the colonial penn program. here to tell you if you're age 50 to 85, and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget,

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and you'll also get this free beneficiary planner. and it's yours just for calling. so call now. an investigation has begun into a uniformed police officer found drunk in aurora, colorado. >> he was found unresponsive behind the wheel of a police car in march, but there was no dui investigation at the time. here's abc's will carr. >> reporter: newly released body

camera video sparking outrage of an alleged double standard. the video shows this aurora police officer in uniform passed out drunk behind the wheel. >> a little intoxicated. >> reporter: after smashing the car window, first responders removed the officer's service belt and gun. >> yeah, we got you. >> reporter: officer myer unresponsive as they pull him from the car and put him in an ambulance. but he was never tested for a dui, leaving the city manager to demand an independent investigation. according to the "denver post," the officer allegedly later admitted he'd drunk vodka while on duty and blacked out. in a statement the aurora police department says the officer took immediate responsibility for his actions. the police chief in an internal email writing, i know cops are human beings, you are not perfect. in that email the police chief, who retires at the end of the year, stands by his decision not to fire the officer, adding that members of law enforcement deal with suicide and substance abuse linked to their jobs. in los angeles, will carr, abc news.

friends and family mourning a southern california man killed on his wedding day. >> police have arrested two brothers they say crashed the wedding in the city of chino. the groom had asked them to leave and the argument turned physical. police say he was beaten to death. two other guests at the wedding suffered minor injuries. >> the suspects have no known link to the wedding party. witnesses say they just came looking for free alcohol. they're now charged with murder. >> horrific. coming up next half hour, a brother and dismissing for two days have been found safe. the mayor calling it a christmas miracle. but first, robin roberts' interview with pastor joel osteen. they touched on his new book and his next big collaboration with kanye west. surfaces? rs onto your soft then they get released back into the air so you smell them later ew. right? that's why febreze created new small spaces.

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♪ welcome back. televangelist joel osteen is known to millions. he's pastor of the nation's largest church in houston. >> he has a new book out "the power of favor." robin roberts sat down for a one-on-one interview about that new book, his collaboration with kanye west. and their next new collaboration. >> god has put something on you that gives you an advantage. something that will open doors you can't open. something that will make you stand out in the crowd. it's called favor. >> "the power of favor," your 12th book. how do you define favor? >> favor is defined to me as god's empowerment. a blessing on your life that takes you where you can't go on

your own. i believe talent can take us so far and education and what family you come from. then you reach limits. with god's favor he'll take you places you never dreamed. that wasn't a coincidence, that was the favor of god. >> having faith, having favor, doesn't mean we're not going to have obstacles to overcome. when you know you have god's favor, when you know he's breathing on your life, that gives you power to overcome. >> something i refer to that you have said, get ready for your suddenly. you really feel that everyone is just one good break away. >> you never know when god's going to open a door, when he's going to turn something around. one touch of god's favor will take you further than you can go in your lifetime. >> let's welcome mr. kanye west today! >> here comes the kanye question. collaboration. because he's collaborated with rihanna, jay-z, the list goes on and on, now joel osteen. >> god is love. >> how did this all come about?

>> kanye's had a turn of events the last year or so. i got a text from him, we struck up a conversation, a friendship. he was going to be in houston for an event, hey, come by the church. it all came together. it just felt right to me. i'm a believer in people. i found him to be very genuine and just a fantastic person. >> has he asked for your advice? >> he asked me for advice because this world is new to him. >> that slight difference of wording, i got that from joel. >> i just share with him to keep god first place, keep listening to his heart. >> you and kanye are going to be at yankee stadium next year. anything you can tell us about that? >> i'm excited, it's going to be 50,000 people in the stadium, he's bringing his couple hundred member choir, it's going to be one of our nights of hope with kanye in the choir. it's our third time back at yankee and it really feels right. ♪ i believe when you have favor, god brings the right people to you. never dreamed in a million years kanye and i would be at lakewood together but here you are so you never know what god can do. >> he reaches a lot of people.

the grandfather charged in the death of his 18-month-old granddaughter seems ready to fight for his freedom. >> salvatore anello appeared in court facing negligent homicide charges for the death of chloe wiegand who fell to her death on a cruise ship in july. anello doesn't want a plea deal because he is quote firm that he is innocent. the girl's family is suing royal caribbean for its alleged role in the girl's death. coming up, holiday stress. do you have it? and that wrapping hack that's breaking the internet? >> oh, right, with the -- >> we're going to try it out. >> we're going to get into it, we're going to "mix" it up. t into it, we're going to "mix" it up. and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three p's. what are the three p's? the three p's of life insurance on a fixed budget are price, price, and price. a price you can afford,

a price that can't increase, and a price that fits your budget. i'm 54. alex, what's my price? you can get coverage for $9.95 a month. i'm 65 and take medications. what's my price? also $9.95 a month. i just turned 80. what's my price? $9.95 a month for you too. if you're age 50 to 85, call now about the #1 most popular whole life insurance plan, available through the colonial penn program. it has an affordable rate starting at $9.95 a month. no medical exam, no health questions. ♪ so your rate can never go up for any reason. so call now for free information. and you'll also get this free beneficiary planner. and it's yours just for calling. so call now.

all right, time for "the mix" on this wednesday. i'm so glad to be back for "the mix." kenneth tries to play me like, oh, this is what we do next. >> i have so many guest coanchors i want to make sure she knows what camera to look at, how the segment starts. >> we're start with a holiday stress study. nearly 80% of americans find it hard to relax during the holiday season. >> so stressful. >> can you relate? listen to this. one of the top concerns that americans reported was financial concerns. 56% saying that that was one of their issues. >> i refuse. refuse to get stressed about it. >> completely.

family events, 35% of people stress about those. decorating the house. wanting to have the perfect christmas. 59% said they would define the holiday season as chaotic. you know, when i heard this, i thought, these are really easy fixes. one, don't spend money you don't have. two, don't go places you don't want to go. meaning events, anything with family if you're not into it. and -- i don't know, just -- >> just don't be stressed. >> just don't be stressed. >> i'm sure people are probably stressed when it comes to buying gifts and gift wrapping, but there is a video that's been online recently that has people saying, head blown, mind blown, everything blown. >> head blown, mind blown. >> because they're like, how do you wrap a gift if it has -- the paper's too short? you're like, oh. you see the video. people are like -- they saw this happen. >> that's really easy, too. >> we have this nice little box here. this way, it's too short here, whatever.

if i move it this way. >> diagonally. do you have your tape ready? >> go here, go here, then do this, oh my god, it works, oh my goodness. >> why does yours still look like trash? >> because it's for you. merry christmas. >> head blown, mind blown, everything blown. okay. so there are toddlers who just can't stand when mom leaves the room because moms are life. so this couple came up with an idea to get cutouts of mom so that baby boy never has to miss mom again. there's one of her standing up and one of her kneeling down like she's playing with him. so he never has to be sad again when mom has to leave the house for whatever mom thinks she has to do. >> did you say baby boy? >> i did. ♪ baby boy you stay on my mind fulfill my fantasies ♪ ♪ i think about you all the time ♪ ♪ i see you in my dreams >> do we have some other cutouts around here? >> we have a lot of cutouts. >> oh, right there. >> those aren't cutouts. >> what do you think about the snowball fight here?

>> oh, adorable, right? >> duking it out. >> a little boy. >> in a smal

this morning on "world news now," a historic day on capitol hill. the house is set to vote to impeach president trump. but ahead of the vote he sent an angry letter to house speaker nancy pelosi. also this morning the russian spy ship off the southeastern coast of the u.s. the military is warning ships in the area saying it's creating a hazardous situation. new this half hour a deadly accident. a woman killed when debris fell from a building. plus the rescue that's being called a christmas miracle. two children safe and sound after triggering an amber alert. where they were found. live in front of a studio audience, it's viola davis, kevin bacon, tiffany haddish, and so many superstars joining forces with norman lear and

jimmy kimmel's live saming of "all in the family" and good times." a sneak peek at tonight's big show, and it's dynamite on this wednesday, december 18th. talking about some good times. >> sold it. >> janai norman is back and we are live in front of -- no one. that's not the way it works around here. >> good wednesday morning. thanks for joining us. >> we do have a lot of news to get to because it is a big day, especially in washington on capitol hill. we begin with history in the making, the house on the brink of voting to impeach president trump for abuse of power and obstruction of congress.

>> so here is the latest. protesters calling for impeachment took to the streets last night. they rallied in cities from coast to coast demanding that the president be removed from office. abc news has learned that a blistering the letter the president sent to nancy pelosi was drafted with the help of only a handful of aides. white house lawyers were cut out of the process. >> and the timeline today, the impeachment vote is expected to happen around 7:00 p.m. that's after six hours of debate on the house floor. abc's trevor ault has more from capitol hill. >> reporter: with the house of representatives set to vote on his impeachment, president trump lashing out formally, writing a scathing six-page letter to house speaker nancy pelosi. dear madam speaker, trump starts, i write to express my strongest and most powerful protest against the partisan impeachment crusade. the president accuses pelosi and the democrats of declaring open war on american democracy. you are the ones bringing pain and suffering to our republic for your own selfish, personal, political, and partisan gain, he writes. >> it's a hoax, it's a witch hunt, it's just a continuation,

it's been going on now for almost three years. >> reporter: the president went on in the letter to insist, more due ocess was afforded to those accused in the salem witch trials, a time when people were executed. >> i haven't really fully read it, we've been working it. i've seen the essence of it, though, it's really sick. >> reporter: the president's onslaught coming as the house rules committee spent the day hammering out the terms of the impeachment debate. top senators are already sparring over the expected senate trial. minority leader chuck schumer continuing to call for four administration officials including chief of staff mick mulvaney and former national security adviser john bolton to testify. >> what is leader mcconnell afraid of? what is president trump afraid of? the truth? >> reporter: majority leader mitch mcconnell, who says he is not an impartial juror, all but shutting that suggestion down. >> if house democrats' case is deficient, this thin, the answer is not for the judge and jury to cure it over here in the senate. >> reporter: impeachment is still a heavily divisive issue with the american public. the latest abc news/"washington post" poll shows 49% in favor, 46% opposed. the democrats have the majority in the house and today are likely poised for the third time in american history to impeach

the president. janai, kenneth? >> all right, our thanks to trevor. a federal judge in new york has allowed one of rudy giuliani's indicted business associates to remain free on bail despite a new revelation that he received $1 million from a ukrainian oligarch. >> lev parnas is awaiting trial on campaign finance charges, and giuliani said he assisted him in investigating former vice president joe biden and his son. prosecutors say parnas failed to disclose the payment from the oligarch who is aligned with russia and fighting extradition to the u.s. in a bribery case. the house has passed a spending package to avert a government shutdown. the bipartisan legislation includes increases for domestic programs favored by democrats as well as a boost in military spending, a priority for republicans. it's separated into two bills which the senate and president trump are expected to approve before friday's deadline. the u.s. military says it's keeping a close eye on a russian spy ship that's been sailing off

the southeast coast. they say the ship has been moving south for days while operating in a way that is considered unsafe. abc's martha raddatz has the details. >> reporter: the russian spy ship "victor leonov" spotted in international waters. sailing down the coast of the southeastern u.s. its behavior erratic and dangerous. sailors from charleston to savannah to the port of jacksonville warned to use extreme caution because the ship is operating in an unsafe manner. the russians now east of the bahamas failing to respond to calls from commercial vessels trying to coordinate safe passage and failing to use running lights even in low visibility. the u.s. has been tracking

increased russian activity in international waters, while overseas in the eastern mediterranean, u.s. navy rear admiral william houston telling david the u.s. is aware the russians are trying to send a message. >> they absolutely are. and we're watching them very, very closely. >> you are? >> yeah. there's really not a day where we're not watching them every single day. >> reporter: the u.s. has a navy destroyer, "the uss mahan," shadowing the russian ship off the u.s. coast. the "leonov" also made headlines in 2017 when it was spotted near a u.s. submarine base in connecticut then docked in havana, cuba, for a week then reappearing at another submarine base off the coast of georgia. the biggest concern with this ship is there will be a collision at sea. it was just last june in the philippine sea that a russian ship almost collided with a u.s.-guided missile destroyer, coming within about 100 feet. martha raddatz, abc news, washington. >> our thanks to martha there. turning to the weather, a

major new storm system is about to move onto the west coast. >> strong winds in southern california's inland empire gusted as high as 70 miles per hour and knocked over trucks like the one you see there. farther north, states will see heavy rain and possibly snow. >> and the northeast is still suffering from effects of a storm that brought heavy rain, ice, and snow. bitter cold arrives later this week after hitting the midwest. former trump campaign chairman paul manafort is in the hospital. he's been serving a federal prison sentence related to his lobbying for ukraine. his attorney says manafort is in stable condition and that his family is being kept in the dark. sources say the 70-year-old manafort is suffering from a heart-related condition. meanwhile manafort's former deputy has been sentenced to 45 days in jail and probation, also for his work for ukraine. the judge admitted rick gates has been extremely cooperative with investigators, but the crimes were too serious and some time behind bars is necessary. gates will serve the jail time on weekends during the three years of probation. reality tv stars teresa and joe giudice are reportedly going

their separate ways. "people" magazine reports after 20 years of marriage they're now separated but quote there are no plans for divorce. both served prison sentences and joe giudice has been dealing with a deportation battle. he's living in italy right now awaiting a final decision in his case. police in southern california say an artist appears to have sketched the man who stole his money. >> detectives say this is a caricature of the suspect in a robbery at riverside's festival of lights. this month the guy asked the artist to make the drawing. when it was done the suspect grabbed a bag with about $500 in it and ran off but left the picture behind. police posted it on facebook with the message, do you recognize this caricature? no, we are not kidding. the message went on to say the caricature is one of the suspect, but of course there are exaggerated characteristics and features. well, that's an understatement there. >> you want to act like i'm new now and tell me how to handle this one? i'm not stepping in that.

>> then read the tease. coming up, the terrifying amber alert for two children, but this one has a happy ending. plus the dramatic moment a pop singer jumps into action to help a driver who was pushed sideways down a busy road by a mail truck. and where you can watch "the simpsons" for 15 days straight. that's in "the skinny." you're watching "world news now." s now." ♪ i'm alex trebek, here to tell you about the colonial penn program. if you're age 50 to 85, and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three p's. what are the three p's? the three p's of life insurance on a fixed budget are price, price, and price. a price you can afford, a price that can't increase, and a price that fits your budget. i'm 54.

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♪ singer ellie goulding stepped up to help a driver in distress in london. you see a volkswagen being pushed sideways on a highway by a mail truck. the trucker didn't know the car was on his grille. goulding had her driver pull alongside the truck to alert the driver. no one was hurt. goulding took to instagram to criticize other drivers for verbally abusing the trucker. a woman is dead after a sidewalk tragedy here in new york city, and it's shining a spotlight on a nationwide problem of aging buildings. >> the 60-year-old woman was hit and killed by debris that fell from a building that was more than a century old. her death comes eight months after the building's owners were

cited for failing to maintain exterior building facade. city investigators are determining whether scaffolding should have been in place. a young brother and sister missing for days in florida are safe and sound this morning. >> 6-year-old braxton and 5-year-old sister bria vanished while playing in front of their home. the jacksonville mayor is calling it a christmas day miracle. abc's victor oquendo is there. >> we have both kids. we're heading out of the woods. >> reporter: a wave of relief in jacksonville, florida, after 6-year-old braxton and his 5-year-old sister bria williams were found alive nearly three days after vanishing from their yard. >> it's a miracle, christmas miracle, it's a blessing. a lot of hard work been done. that's all i want to say, just thank god for it. >> reporter: for days rescue teams searched, and finally heard the sound of a child's voice. >> one of the rescue team members heard a voice, thought it was a child's voice.

so they fanned out, started looking, actually found them, heard them talking. >> reporter: the siblings found in an old pump house in thick, swampy woods where they'd taken shelter, just a quarter mile from home. >> both are in very good condition. >> reporter: for the family it was an agonizing wait that's now over. >> they're alive and they're well. >> right before christmas? >> right before christmas. right before. so this is an awesome christmas gift for everybody. >> reporter: at this point authorities believe the kids just wandered off and they were by themselves the entire time. they're at this hospital, a little dehydrated but happy. when they were rescued they asked for two things. candy and a cheese pizza. victor oquendo, abc news, jacksonville. >> so thankful. >> very relieved. >> at this time yesterday there were so many concerns, people expected maybe possible foul play, because a neighbor or someone just minutes before saw a car speeding away, they thought they saw children in the back of the car. obviously that turned out not to be the case. these kids were in the woods, thankful that they have been found. >> glad they're home waking up at home with family. when we come back, even the empire state building cannot get enough of mariah carey around the holidays. our favorite moments from the last 30 years of "the

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♪ the simpsons it's "skinny" time. it's "skinny" time. it's "skinny" time. it's "skinny" time. >> that's hilarious. >> do you get it? >> i do get it. >> i'm bart writing on the chalkboard. we start with a huge milestone for "the simpsons. >> that show is 30 years old. that's three decades of the antics of homer, marge, bart, lisa, maggie. it's also predicting the future. >> among many things "the simpsons predicted smart watches, video chat, trump as president, the 2016 nobel prize in economics. the cable channel fx has already started a 15-day marathon playing all 661 episodes. you can also watch every episode on disney plus from abc's parent company. all 661. that's a lot. >> 15 days straight, it's a

whole lot of tv. >> i think in 15 days we're going to do a story about someone who did it and how long it took them. >> i know, like what they learned. >> did they do 15? >> some secret things in there. >> did they go to the bathroom, did they eat? >> how few friends they have. mariah carey is adding new meaning to merry and bright this holiday season. she flipped the switch on the empire state building light show in honor of the 25th anniversary of her smash hit "all i want for christmas is you." which also just reached number one on the billboard charts for the first time ever. >> mariah glittered in a platinum gown on tuesday night kicking off the building's light show set to the music of her christmas classic which will play every night at 8:00 p.m. from now through christmas day. look at that glitter reference in there. >> i was just going to say, mariah would probably rather we didn't reference glitter. >> we showed her with billy eichner running around the streets in "the skinny" yesterday and there was a glitter reference, she laughed,

she chuckled. >> that's good. >> i'll show you the video later. >> okay, good. >> i'm surprised you didn't see it on the show. >> i'm not an insomniac when i'm at home. believe it or not. >> make sure you get the proper rest for the human you're growing. >> thank you very much, who happens to be kicking right now. >> because of mariah? >> i guess because of "all i want for christmas." >> and uncle k-mo's voice. when it comes to christmas the only person bigger than santa claus is shaqa claus. >> like actually. the 7'1" athlete is gearing up for his 28th season of giving toys to children in need this holiday season. shaq has said he knows what it's like to not get anything on christmas morning and he doesn't want that for any other kids. >> on top of that shaq says he won't accept any presents of his own this year. as well as he says, you know me, you show me a movie where santa receives gifts and i'll take one. can i do it in my shaq voice? roll that prompter back, roll it back, here we go. hey, i'm shaq. you show me a movie where santa receives gifts and i'll take one. hey, i'm shaq. >> you guys go ahead and give

that -- rate it. 0 to 10 on twitter. we'll see how many zeros he gets. >> absolute zero. >> is that jack? jack, where are you? >> absolute zero. >> jack, where are you, jack? >> yeah. >> hey, dwayne "the rock" johnson is known for his sculpted physique and rock-solid showings at the box office. this morning we're seeing a softer side of "the rock" sharing a sweet photo of his daughter jasmine on her 4th birthday. >> the actor writing, i can't promise i'll be here the rest of your life, but you have my word i'll love and care for you the rest of mine, and thank god you've got your mama's good looks. so precious. >> so sweet. >> very sweet. can you believe he's the man who used to say, can you slay with the rock? i shouldn't have done that after you did your awful shaq impersonation. >> let's go ahead and rate that. >> no, no, i stopped myself, i don't need you to weigh in, thank you. >> that was a perfect 10.

>> yes, thank you, jack. >> jack, that's not a 10. >> thank you, jack. >> that's a 10. >> jack the man. >> jack, would you please stick to analyzing "the bachelor" and "the bachelorette"? just when we thought we'd seen the last of that actress in the peloton ad, things continue to work out, get it, for monica ruiz. following that now infamous commercial for peloton, ruiz starred in a spoof commercial for ryan reynolds' aviation gin. >> we're learning her next big acting gig will be on "the bold and the beautiful." ruiz filmed her scenes for the soap opera in which she will play a doctor, and her episode arc will air at the end of january. what about the husband, the peloton husband? nothing for him. >> nothing for him? many people would say that's how it should be. >> these soap operas, with all the impeachment stuff that's going to happen today -- >> is that what you're watching right now? >> we're probably going to be preempted by all these soap operas that weren't shown. just take us all in right now, right now. something that also is not

impacted, coming up, "all in the family" live tonight on abc. >> we've got a preview coming up after the break. >> we've got a preview coming up after the break. just between us, you know what's better than mopping? anything! at the end of a long day, it's the last thing i want to do. well i switched to swiffer wet jet and its awesome. it's an all-in-one so it's ready to go when i am. the cleaning solution actually breaks down dirt and grime. and the pad absorbs it deep inside. so, it prevents streaks and haze better than my old mop. plus, it's safe to use on all my floors, even wood. glad i got that off my chest and the day off my floor. try wet jet with a moneyback guarantee

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that's why more dishwasher brands recommend cascade platinum... ...with the soaking, scrubbing and rinsing built right in. for sparkling-clean dishes, the first time. cascade platinum. ♪ good times any time you need a payment ♪ ♪ good times any time you need a friend ♪ ♪ not getting hassled not getting hustled ♪ ♪ temporary layoffs good times get ready for some good times tonight on abc and some "all in the family." the network is bringing us an episode of each of the hit shows with a-list stars. >> abc did this in may with an episode of "all in the family" and "the jeffersons." like in may the actors will perform live. abc's george pennacchio has a preview from l.a. >> is it easier the second time around? >> so far, decidedly no.

>> reporter: woody harrelson returns to the role of "all in the family's" iconic character archie bunker in a second episode of "live in front of a studio audience." marisa tomei is back as edith. so are ike barinholtz as mike and ellie kemper as gloria. justina machado joins the cast in an unnamed role. >> these are icons who played these originals. you don't ever want to -- i think it's a fine line to sort of toe, because you want to make it your own, but these people did such a splendid job of creating them in the first place. >> a different take, but those words are still the same and the message is still the same. it's just us as actors interpreting it our way. >> i think it's the strength of the comedy that just made it withstand all these decades. >> reporter: another classic comedy from writer/producer norman lear will be featured. "good times."

taking over the roles, viola davis and andre braugher. >> working opposite her is just a joy. to see it come together, to see it burst into flame, you know what i mean, to finally ignite. i'm looking forward to this live thing we're doing on wednesday. >> reporter: jay pharoah tackles the iconic part of their son j.j., originally played by jimmy walker. >> there might be a few dynamites, there may be, i don't know, not like i've seen the script. >> how will jay pharoah's dynamite compare to jimmy walker's? >> it's going to be good, trust me. >> you'll see "live in front of a studio audience" tonight at 8/7 central tonight on abc. >> thanks, george. this has all been done again by jimmy kimmel. he on his show last night, he interrupted their rehearsal -- there's the whole cast right there, and norman lear as well. >> remember the one back in may was a hit.

>> so funny. >> it went so well.

>> have a great day. this morning, impeachment day in washington. [ crowd chanting ] overnight rallies and protests across the country. americans divided. the vote now just hours away. what we can expect at the capitol this morning, plus, what we've now learned about president trump's fiery six-page letter to nancy pelosi taking issue with her praying for him. spy games off the east coast. the new warning about a russian spy ship sailing off the u.s. coastline. why americans in the area are being urged to use extreme caution. wedding day tragedy. >> he was happy that night.