world's largest christmas maze. >> we have an exciting new story driven theme. it's called reindeer games, so it's all about finding the reindeers missing bells and the beautiful, larger than life forest animal sculptures. and of course, the 100 foot tree that you can't miss simply driving around and from the sky, you can see it. it's absolutely gorgeous with the over 4 million lights on display. >> enchant christmas opens tomorrow and runs through december 29th. you can get tickets at enchant christmas dot com. it's very festive. thanks for joining us. world news tonight with david muir starts now. i'll see you tonight, breaking news. president-elect trump's pick for attorney general matt gaetz abruptly withdrawing his name, and what abc news has learned tonight. also, the major storms on

both coasts. they're not over. and the american husband and father of three accused of faking his own death. tonight, he has sent police a video. first tonight, 24 hours after sounding confident, matt gaetz withdrawing as attorney general. president trump has been working the phone on gaetz's behalf, so, what happened? what was the turning point? jonathan karl standing by with new reporting. also tonight here, we're tracking these powerful storms hitting both coasts. heavy rain and in some cases, snow in the northeast. the system from philadelphia to new york to boston. it's not over. and the major system slamming the west at this hour, turning deadly. lee goldberg at the forecast. for the first time, vladimir putin firing an intermediate range missile capable of carrying nuclear weapons into ukraine. authorities say it did not have them, but it was destructive. and what the u.s. is saying about this tonight. back here at home, that american husband and father of three accused of faking his death on a lake.

authorities spending weeks searching for him. tonight, he has sent authorities a video, and now, investigators and their message for him right here tonight. the nfl with a new and urgent warning for its players tonight. the list of break-ins. patrick mahomes, patrick actor jussie smol leth's conviction has been overturned tonight. the idaho college murders. the major ruling on whether bryan kohberger should face the death penalty. a nationwide ground beef recall tonight. we'll have it. and the couple married 58 years, and the discovery at a thrift store. the buyer thought they bought a vintage jazz record, and what they heard instead. we'll play it for you right here tonight. good evening and we begin

tonight with president-elect donald trump's pick for attorney general, matt gaetz, suddenly bowing out today. gaetz issuing a statement saying his nomination was becoming a consideration. just 24 hours earlier, gaetz was on capitol hill, appearing confident, escorted by vice president-elect jd vance to meet with republican senators. gaetz had been the subject of an ethics investigation in the house over allegations he paid young women for sex, including a minor, a 17-year-old girl. gaetz denies it all. sources telling abc news it became clear in these last 24 hours that at least four republican senators would not support gaetz. he could not afford to lose that support. abc's jonathan karl with new reporting tonight on matt gaetz, on president-elect donald trump, and who next for attorney general? >> reporter: just this morning, matt gaetz was still pushing hard to get confirmed as attorney general. phew but tonight, he is out of the running, withdrawing from consideration, saying he didn't want to be a distraction to the new administration.

24 hours ago, he was sounding confident. >> it's been going great. senators have been giving me a lot of good advice. i'm looking forward to a hearing. folks have been very supportive. >> reporter: gaetz dropped out shortly after speaking to president-elect trump late this morning. his nomination rocked by allegations he used drugs and paid young women for sex, including a 17-year-old girl -- which gaetz strenuously denies. but sources say at least four republican senators privately made it clear to the trump transition team they would not support gaetz, making his confirmation all but impossible. "it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the trump/vance transition," gaetz said in a statement. "there is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted washington scuffle, thus i'll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as attorney general." shortly after, trump posted his own statement, saying, "i greatly appreciate the recent efforts of matt gaetz in seeking approval to be attorney general. he was doing very well, but at

the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the administration." at least some senate republicans expressed relief. >> well, i mean, there's a sense of relief about it, of course. i mean, simple math, i think, was made clear that there's not a path. and if there's not a path, you could just have political capital toward losing cause, and it wouldn't have been worth it. >> reporter: as this was happening, another embattled cabinet nominee was meeting senators on capitol hill. trump's pick for defense secretary, pete hegseth, an army veteran and weekend fox news anchor, engulfed in his own controversy. a police report released hours earlier spelled out in graphic detail allegations hegseth sexually assaulted her in 2017. >> we take absolutely nothing for granted, and we hope to have the opportunity to talk to any senator that wants to talk to us. >> reporter: in the police report from monterey, california, a woman who met hegseth at a conservative conference told authorities he cornered her in a hotel room, took her phone and

"blocked the door with his body" preventing her from leaving. she said he sexually assaulted her, and that she "remembered saying 'no' a lot." hegseth denied the allegations and told police what happened in the hotel that night was consensual. >> i'll keep this very simple. the matter was fully investigated, and i was completely cleared. and that's where i am going to leave it. thank you. >> reporter: but according to the report, police recommended this case be forwarded to the local district attorney for review and possible prosecution. hegseth was never charged with a crime. but his attorney says he later paid a settlement to the woman to keep her from going public with the allegations, because he feared they would hurt his career as a television anchor. sources say trump was unaware of this case when he nominated hegseth to lead the pentagon. today, some of the senators hegseth met with expressed support for his nomination. >> i think he's going to be in pretty good shape. >> reporter: republican senator markwayne mullin of oklahoma

seeming to brush aside the allegations in that police report. >> you read it, you can clearly see that it was two people flirting with each other. >> well, it also said she couldn't get out of the room. >> well, that's one person's opinion. >> david: well, from president-elect trump's pick for the head of the pentagon back to attorney general tonight, because with matt gaetz bowing out, job, there's some breaking news at this hour about the president-elect's new pick for the job? >> reporter: yeah, we are literally just hearing this, david, pam bondi, the former attorney general for the state of florida, trump says he will nominate her to be his attorney general. pam bondi is somebody who has been part of trump's inner circle for a long time. in fact, he was on the defense council, one of his defense lawyers in his first impeachment trial, and now, she is his choice to be attorney general. >> david: jon, thank you, as always. we're going to turn to the major storm slamming both coasts tonight. rain, and in some places, snow intensifying in the northeast. while in the west, what's called a bomb cyclone and atmospheric

river have been deadly. lee is standing by with the forecast for us, and matt gutman has the images of the storms from both coasts tonight. >> reporter: tonight, that desperately needed rain finally soaking the northeast. umbrellas out in force in new york city. for the first time in months. >> wet again tomorrow. but we're getting the most rain today. right now, it is soggy area-wide. >> reporter: the rain will ease the fire danger plaguing the northeast, but it's not enough to end the drought. overnight, this storm spawning a confirmed tornado in pittsburgh. the powerful winds knocking down trees. >> i got up, and as i was coming to the back, i saw out our side window the black cloud. >> reporter: that massive swirling system also ushering in the first snow of the season for millions, from the midwest to the northeast. the conditions treacherous. multiple crashes outside chicago. meanwhile, in the west, after knocking out power to hundreds of thousands in washington state, killing two people, that

other swirling system now funneling a firehose of rain into northern california. flooding fields and homes, swamping roads. six inches of water moving this quick little can knock you off your feet. >> absolutely. >> reporter: and along the burn scars across california tonight, the risk of mudslides. david, they're clearing up this mudslide. there have been many small mudslides around roads like this across this part of northern california. sonoma airport getting more rain than on any day in 25 years, and this system is going to basically sit and spin right off the pacific northwest, dumping more rain through the middle of next week. david? >> david: a real mess on both coasts. matt, thank you. let's get right to leewabc. a second round of rain and winter weather alerts right here in the northeast tonight? >> reporter: david, a rare and welcome soggy scene here in new york. we have a fresh inch of rain and counting. and this wet weather is going to

turn wintry inland. winter storm warnings are out. advisories go within 25 miles of new york city. we could get up to a couple inches additional rainfall along the coast, but up to 12 inches of snow could actually fall above 1,500 feet in the poconos and catskills. out west, that bomb cyclone is still going strong. it's reeling in that atmospheric river into the west coast. that high risk flood event goes into friday morning, an additional six inches of rain in the mountains of northern california. maybe an additional foot. david, basically, the storms are just at halftime. >> david: lee, thank you. and tonight here, an ominous new escalation in the war in ukraine. for the first time, vladimir putin firing intermediate range missile capable of carrying nuclear weapons into ukraine. authorities say it did not have them, but it was destructive, and what the u.s. is now saying about this tonight. ian pannell from inside ukraine again tonight. >> reporter: tonight, in a defiant warning to the world, russia carrying out an unprecedented attack with an

intermediate-range ballistic missile fired against ukraine. those ominous streaks of light falling from the night sky over the eastern city of dnipro, targeting a military industrial complex. a u.s. official confirming that new missile containing multiple warheads capable of striking several targets at the same time. >> this was a new type of lethal capability that was employed on the battlefield. >> reporter: but vladimir putin tonight saying the attack was a response to strikes by ukraine using american and british long-range missiles against russia. the latest attack wounding a senior north korean general. the u.s. says it was alerted by russia shortly before today's launch. military analysts telling abc news each one of those streaks of light could have been something even far more dangerous. >> putin wanted the world to see these incoming flashes of light, these individual warheads that could have been armed with nuclear weapons. clearly this is a nuclear threat to the u.s. and its european allies. >> reporter: tonight, president

zelenskyy saying the world must now respond. david, after a week of escalation, putin now also appearing to directly threaten the u.s., saying russia could attack any country allowing ukraine to use their missiles to strike russia. david? >> david: ian pannell in kyiv for us. ian, thank you. back here in the u.s. tonight, and to the case of that wisconsin husband and father of three accused of faking his own death on a lake. they searched for weeks. tonight, he has now sent authorities a video, confirming he is alive, and investigators here at home now have a message for him. here's abc's stephanie ramos. >> reporter: tonight, authorities saying the wisconsin father who faked his death is living in eastern europe. 45-year-old ryan borgwardt sending investigators this proof of life video. >> i'm in my apartment. i am safe, secure. >> reporter: in august, he vanished from this lake in wisconsin.

authorities finding his kayak, car, wallet, keys and license. search and rescue volunteers searching for weeks. but authorities later learning the father of three faked his death to convince his wife and children that he had died so he could start a new life in europe with a woman he'd met online. >> he paddled his kayak in a child-sized floating boat out into the lake. he overturned the kayak and dumped his phone in the lake. he paddled the inflatable boat to shore. >> reporter: then riding an e-bike overnight to madison, where he boarded a bus and went to detroit, and then the canadian border. he continued on the bus to an airport and got on a plane. authorities now communicating with borgwardt daily, pleading for him to return home for the holidays. >> christmas is coming. and what better gift you could give his kids. >> reporter: he could face a state obstruction charge. he may also have to pay for the time and money spent on the search. david? >> david: stephanie, thank you. tonight, the nfl with a new warning for its players after

break-ins at players homes in four states now. the list is growing. is this all coordinated? here's our senior investigative correspondent aaron katersky and what he's learned tonight. >> reporter: after a rash of recent burglaries targeting the homes of sports superstars like chiefs quarterback patrick mahomes and tight end travis kelce, tonight, the nfl is warning players to protect themselves. >> kelce again! >> reporter: this memo obtained by abc news says the burglars are "organized and skilled" and "appear to exploit team schedules and target athletes' homes on game days." >> this is going to be for all the super bowl trophies. >> reporter: mahomes and his wife showed off their home for the netflix documentary series "quarterback." >> do you think this fits all my shoes? >> reporter: now, the nfl is urging players to avoid posting images of their residence or expensive items. sources tell abc news, police in four states are investigating the possibility a south american crime ring was behind the string of break-ins that also targeted pro basketball players mike conley and bobby portis. >> i am now offering a 40k cash reward.

>> reporter: south american crime rings have been blamed for a growing number of burglaries targeting not just athletes, but luxury homeowners in several states. david, i spoke tonight to the security director for one of the teams who said these burglars know where to go, they know where to look, and they're in and out of these homes in less than 15 minutes. david? >> david: aaron, thank you. now, to a major turn in the case of actor jussie smol let, who was convicted of living about being the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in chicago. well tonight, five years later, the conviction has been thrown out. alex perez from chicago. >> reporter: tonight, the stunning reversal in the alleged hate crime hoax that made headlines around the world. actor jussie smollett claimed he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in 2019. authorities accusing him of staging the assault. a jury finding him guilty. but tonight, the illinois supreme court ordering that conviction be overturned, because an earlier deal should have barred him from being prosecuted. the court saying, "a second prosecution under these

circumstances is a due process violation, and we therefore reverse defendant's conviction." in 2019, smollett -- then a star in the hit show "empire" -- alleged he was attacked by two men, who hurled slurs and tied a noose around his neck. >> jussie, what about an apology? >> reporter: investigators later charging smollett, accusing him of hiring his alleged attackers and masterminding the incident. >> i have been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one. >> reporter: smollett reaching a deal with prosecutors, agreeing to a fine and community service. but after that initial deal, following public outcry, a special prosecutor charged smollett in the case and a jury convicted him. he spent six days in jail. and david, tonight, the special prosecutor who took this case to trial saying in a statement, today's decision does not clear his name, adding, very bluntly, he is not innocent. david? >> david: alex perez in chicago for us. alex, thank you. when we come back here, the news after that slashing attack in new york city on the upper west side. also, a major ground beef

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finally tonight here, america strong. one incredible find at the thrift store. tonight, the story of a woman who bought this vintage jazz record, but inside, look closely at the vinyl record label. it says phil's and donna's wedding, august 21st, 1966. this wasn't jazz. it was someone's lost treasure. that shopper, katie, right there with her family, found the record near austin, texas, at a thrift store. she played the record at home and they were all moved by what they heard instead. >> to donna and phil, we have assembled here today so that you

two may be united for life as husband and wife. >> david: then, the wedding song. ♪ that shopper, katie, was determined to find the couple, telling friends, family, the thrift shop, the local news. and incredibly, a family friend who knew of donna and phil got in touch with the family. they knew that donna and phil now live in denver. and right here tonight -- >> hi, david. >> david: donna and phil, married 58 years. >> thank you for inviting us to talk about the kindness of strangers on america strong. i love this feature. >> david: it turns out they accidentally sold the recording when they moved from austin. and we've learned tonight that next week, both of these families are getting together over thanksgiving to give that wedding recording back. right here, too -- >> hi, david. >> david: the shopper who bought the record, thinking it was jazz -- getting a handful of new

friends, instead. >> thise amazing part of this story is the new friends we've made along the way. >> we are so grateful. have a good evening, everybody. bye-bye. >> david: and they're going to get that record over thanksgiving. i'm david muir. starts right now. >> all this, this, this drainage here was clogged. and within five minutes, my our yard was two feet deep. >> cornell, bernard and santa rosa, where it's been an epic day of heavy rain and flooding. these cars are stuck. >> i'm tim jonze in marin county, where the bad weather is

impacting some of the most vulnerable members of our community. >> from helping the homeless to flooding, cleanup and accidents, all across the bay area due to the wet roads like these on highway 24. good afternoon. thanks for joining us. i'm larry beil and i'm kristen z. >> today's storm is a two on our storm impact scale in the north bay. but more is coming tomorrow. and that could lead to more problems. >> we have team coverage for you this afternoon on the storm and the impact across the bay area. abc seven news reporter cornell bernard and tim johns are in the north bay, but let's start our coverage with the forecast. and lisa argen. hi, lisa. >> hi there. and you know, we do have a flood warning in sonoma county. so you've heard about all the rain in the north bay. it is flooding from sonoma creek to boyes hot springs and will continue to see flooding right on through tomorrow as our atmospheric river sinks to the south and the east bay and the south bay get into the act. so right now we do have the flooding and the very gusty