>> david: tonight, breaking news as we come on the air. sources telling abc news mass firings are now under way at multiple federal agencies. also at this hour, this third major winter storm this week already hitting tonight, from the west, all the way to the northeast again. massive pileups already in blinding snow. first tonight, this breaking news as we come on.

reports of those mass layoffs at multiple government offices. and it all comes just hours after elon musk said at a global conference, we have to, quote, delete entire agencies. and tonight, 24 hours after new inflation numbers show prices on the rise in the u.s., president trump tonight revealing his new plan for tariffs. the president acknowledging prices could go up. also tonight, the images coming in, the major storm slamming the west, then racing across the country. the midwest, the northeast in the path. the major pileups already. dozens of vehicles crashing in whiteout conditions. there are reports tonight of multiple injuries. lee goldberg times out the storm. tonight, the driver ramming his car into a crowd in munich. at least 30 people injured. a 2-year-old child among the victims. it happened just hours before vice president vance was to arrive for a conference. what police are saying tonight about the suspect. here in the u.s. tonight, the senate confirming robert f. kennedy jr. as the new secretary

of health and human services. what one republican senator said right after about holding rfk jr. accountable on vaccines. 24 hours after president trump spent 90 minutes on the phone with vladimir putin, the president telling reporters today that he does trust putin when it comes to ukraine. the u.s. aircraft carrier tonight colliding at sea with another ship. the u.s. carrier with two nuclear reactors onboard. the stunning new images tonight emerging of that military jet crash. the jet in a nose dive, plunging from the sky. tonight, the new report, have some americans had bird flu without even knowing? what this report reveals tonight. in new york city, the incredible moment on the new york city subway. a mother giving birth, passengers helping to deliver the baby girl. and tonight, the images now being seen around the world. a kayaker briefly swallowed by a humpback whale. how he escaped unharmed.

>> david: good evening. we begin tonight with the breaking news. we're tracking this fast-moving storm. the third major winter storm this week, from the west, coming right to the northeast again. already tonight, horrific accidents, the pileups. lee goldberg standing by with the forecast. but we do begin here with the mass firings at multiple federal agencies at this hour. sources telling abc news tonight that the layoffs have begun. just hours after the offer from president trump ended. that offer to take a buyout or risk getting laid off. tonight, the firings have begun. and it comes just hours after elon musk said at a global conference, we have to, quote, delete entire agencies. and tonight, 24 hours after new inflation numbers show prices on the rise here in the u.s., president trump signing a new executive action warning that he will put tariffs on any country that places tariffs on america. the president was asked, will this raise prices even more? abc's chief white house correspondent mary bruce on the tariffs and the firings now under way tonight. >> reporter: after threatening

tariffs on mexico and canada, slapping new tariffs on china, and expanding tariffs on steel and aluminum, tonight, president trump putting the whole world on notice. the president laying out a plan for sweeping new tariffs on countries who tax american goods. a move that could upend global trade and threatens to spike inflation here at home. >> whatever they charge us, we're charging them, so it works out very well. it's very -- it's a beautiful, simple system. >> reporter: the president says it's a matter of fairness, directing his team to come up with a system of tariffs, declaring, whatever countries charge the united states of america, we will charge them. no more, no less. but economists warn higher tariffs on imports are paid by american companies, who pass the costs along to consumers in the form of higher prices. and the president's announcement comes just 24 hours after that new report showing inflation on the rise, now up 3%. americans paying more for food, energy, medical bills, and car insurance. the president acknowledging

prices could go up in the short-term. >> there could be some short-term disturbance, but long-term, it's going -- it's going to make our country a fortune. >> so, americans should prepare for short-term pain? >> you said that, i didn't say that. >> if prices go up -- >> let's see what happens. >> reporter: the president adamant his new policies will leave america flooded with jobs, even as he slashes the federal work force. the effort spearheaded by elon musk, who told an international conference, entire federal agencies will be on the chopping block. >> i think we do need to delete entire agencies, as opposed to leave part of them behind, because if you leave part of them behind, it's easy, just kind of -- if you don't remove the roots of the weed, then it's easy for the weed to grow back. but if you remove the roots of the weed, it doesn't stop weeds from ever growing back, but it makes it harder. >> reporter: 75,000 federal workers have accepted the administration's buyout offer to

get paid until september or risk being laid off. about 3% of the federal workforce. less than the 5% to 10% the administration was hoping for. that offer now closed, and tonight, we're learning mass layoffs for those who didn't take the offer have begun, with thousands of people expected to be let go. the department of education yesterday firing 40 employees hired over the last year. in a letter, telling them, the agency finds based on your performance, that you have not demonstrated that your further employment at the agency would be in the public interest. meanwhile, musk, who also runs spacex, tesla, and the social media platform x, and has billions of dollars in federal contracts, today sitting down with indian prime minister modi at blair house, even before his visit with the president. musk there with his young children, sitting opposite visiting indian diplomats. the president asked, was musk meeting modi as a private citizen or as a member of the administration? >> i would imagine he met possibly because, you know, he's

running a company. >> does modi know whether he's meeting with a ceo or meeting with a representative of your company? >> well, he's meeting with me in a little while, so, i'm going to ask him that question. >> reporter: now, david, elon musk said that entire agencies will need to be deleted, and tonight, we have learned that people at several agencies have now been told they've been fired as part of these mass layoffs. people that worked at the education department, the epa, the office of personnel management, the small business administration, and other agencies tonight being told they no longer have a job. and david, thousands more are expected to be impacted. >> david: mary bruce on the breaking news, the mass firings now under way. mary, thank you. we're also following this third major winter storm of the week hitting at this hour. it will move from the west all the way into the northeast yet again. at this hour, winter storm warnings in the west. up to eight feet of mountain snow. flood watches for much of california. the storm sweeping east with severe weather to the south, and snow, ice, and rain in the northeast by week's end. washington, philadelphia, new york city, all in the path again. tonight, dozens of vehicles in a

massive pileup in whiteout conditions already. this is i-84 near portland, oregon. part of the interstate shut down tonight, reports of multiple injuries. lee goldberg standing by with the forecast. and matt gutman with the dangerous pileups already tonight. >> reporter: tonight, the third storm to race across the country this week already hammering the west coast, unleashing havoc on the highways. >> requesting assistance on an -- pileup. 28. i-84 eastbound. >> reporter: dozens of vehicles piling up on snowpacked interstate 84 outside portland, oregon. multiple crash scenes in the area. thankfully, so far, no reports of fatalities. in northern california, west of lake tahoe, wheels spinning in vain. other drivers stranded. the avalanche danger there growing as some areas could get up to eight feet of snow. that same system now soaking southern california. families battered by devastating wildfires now bracing for mudslides.

in l.a. county, more than 45,000 people are now under evacuation warnings or orders. police officers going door-to-door, warning families whose homes survived the eaton fire that their homes now could be demolished by mud. these fires don't just burn the vegetation, they actually cook the soil, making it water repellant. as a result, if there's enough rain and it's steep enough, those mudslides can come down at 35 miles per hour, carrying truck-sized boulders and trees with them. the system barrelling east, right on the heels of reported tornadoes, causing damage in mississippi and alabama. and more than a foot of snow in parts of virginia. the east coast now bracing for more. david, you can see what's left of the homes that have burned here in malibu, and across the way, that mud coursing down the hillside. and that threat right across the country. snowstorms and more treacherous

driving all the way to the east coast, david. >> david: yeah, real concerns in california, and the storm as you say, matt, ripping right across the country, as well. thanks, matt. let's get to chief meteorologist lee goldberg from our station wabc here in new york. lee, of course, the third storm this week. so, time it out for us. >> reporter: david, that storm is pummeling the west coast tonight. ice and winter storm warnings for oregon. it's heavy rain in southern california. the mudslide threat will continue into the overnight. now, that storm moves east toward the weekend. we're talking the second time in a week a tornado threat for the deep south. in fact, enhanced threat from louisiana all the way into parts of alabama. to the north, it's a flood threat from memphis all the way up to pittsburgh. we'll see snow into the great lakes. by saturday afternoon, it's snow in new york. saturday evening, snow in boston. it goes to rain here in new york, but an icy mix in boston. we're concerned about icing from the hudson valley into central new england. going to be a rough weekend for the east, and already blustery here for valentine's day here in new york city. david? >> david: no question about that. so, tonight, right through saturday night with this storm. lee, thank you. tonight, a horrific car

attack in munich, germany, just hours before vice president vance arrived for a major security conference there. a suspect speeding toward a crowd in the street, injuring at least 30 people, including a 2-year-old child. now, tonight, the driver has been arrested. police say he was a 24-year-old asylum seeker. abc's tom soufi burridge on the scene in munich for us. >> reporter: tonight, at least 30 people injured, including children, after a car slammed into a crowd of protesters in munich. the carnage unfolding in broad daylight. first responders treating victims in the street, wheeling them away on stretchers. a crushed stroller, shoes and debris littering the roadway. officials say a 2-year-old child among the victims. police swarming the scene, opening fire on the driver of that mangled mini cooper, its windshield shattered. the roof caved in. a man seen getting arrested in this video that authorities say is part of the investigation. german officials say they've taken a 24-year-old afghan asylum seeker into custody.

investigators say the driver went around one of their vehicles that had been protecting a demonstration over working conditions. then, it accelerated into the crowd. it happened less than a mile away, and just hours before vice president vance arrived here for a major security conference. and it comes just two months after a car-ramming attack at a christmas market attack in magdeb magdeburg, germany, that killed six and injured hundreds more. david, today's attack comes just days before national elections here in germany. immigration is said to be a key issue. david? >> david: tom soufi burridge, in munich for us tonight. tom, thank you. back here in the u.s. tonight, the senate now confirming robert f. kennedy jr. as the new secretary of health and human services. he was sworn in at a ceremony in the oval office today, and tonight, what one republican senator said right after the vote to confirm after holding rfk jr. accountable on vaccines. here's jonathan karl. >> mr. kennedy, are you pro-choice? >> reporter: robert f. kennedy

jr., a lifelong democrat turned fierce trump supporter, widely accused of spreading misinformation on vaccines, was confirmed today by the senate as the next secretary of health and human services. >> the yeas are 52, the nays are 48, the confirmation is confirmed. >> reporter: not a single democrat voted for kennedy, and only one republican voted against him. former leader mitch mcconnell, who said kennedy has a, quote, record of trafficking in dangerous conspiracy theories and eroding trust in public health institutions. >> do you trust him on vaccines? do you trust he's going -- >> we're going to hold him accountable, and that's how we will get the trust. >> reporter: kennedy's rise marks a defeat for many members of his own family who publicly denounced him, including caroline kennedy, daughter of president john f. kennedy. >> i've known bobby my whole life, we grew up together. it's no surprise that he keeps birds of prey as pets, because bobby himself is a predator. >> reporter: kennedy was sworn in today in the oval office.

after kennedy endorsed him on the campaign, president trump pledged to let him, quote, go wild on health. >> a lot of people told me that i couldn't trust president trump, i better get it in writing. >> reporter: today, kennedy praised president trump for dismantling usaid, which was created by his uncle, president john f. kennedy. >> and we want to do the same thing with the institutions that are stealing the health of our children. we need a revolutionary figure, and you are that figure. >> reporter: during his confirmation hearing, kennedy repeatedly reassured senators in both parties that he would not take any action to oppose the use of vaccines. he said his primary focus would be on fighting chronic disease in america. david? >> david: jon karl back with us tonight. jon, thanks as always. now, to president trump and vladimir putin tonight, 24 hours after the president spent about 90 minutes on the phone with putin. the president today telling reporters he does trust putin when it comes to ending the war with ukraine. and tonight, this question, how big a role will ukraine play in

these peace talks? here's martha raddatz tonight. >> reporter: tonight, 24 hours after his 90-minute phone call with russia's president vladimir putin, suggesting the two men could negotiate an end to the war in ukraine, president trump insisting the russian president can be trusted. >> i know him very well. yeah, i think he wants peace. i think he would tell me if he didn't. >> do you trust him? >> i'd like to see peace. >> do you trust president putin? >> i believe that -- yeah, i believe that he would like to see something happen. i trust him on this subject. >> reporter: the trump administration already saying ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy would have to give up some territory, and joining nato is likely out of the question. but zelenskyy, who president trump spoke to after his call with putin, saying tonight -- "we, as a sovereign country, simply will not be able to accept any agreements without us." tonight, the president trying to

calm zelenskyy and u.s. allies in europe, indicating ukraine would have a seat at the negotiating table. >> of course they would, i mean, they're part of it. we would have ukraine, we would have russia, and we'll have other people involved, too. a lot of people, a lot of -- a lot of forks in the -- a lot of forks in this game. >> reporter: even though president trump says ukraine will have a seat at the table for negotiations, the president has also said that he will meet alone with president putin at some point in the future. david? >> david: all right, martha raddatz right here in new york tonight. good to have you here in person. in new york city, the acting u.s. attorney for the southern district of new york resigned today, just three days after the justice department ordered the bribery case against new york city mayor eric adams be dropped. danielle sassoon resigning without complying with the order to dismiss. the justice department saying it planned to move the mayor's case to washington, to the justice department's public integrity section, but tonight, the two top officials of that department have also resigned. all after the department's push to drop the case. tonight, the u.s. aircraft

carrier "harry s. truman," carrying two nuclear reactors, has collided with a large merchant vessel near egypt in the mediterranean. the navy reporting there were no injuries to its 5,000 sailors or to the two reactors onboard. the incident, of course, now under investigation. the carrier and its strike group have been in the region to help thwart houthi attacks on shipping vessels there. when we come back here tonight, in new york city on the subway, the remarkable moment. a mother giving birth. passengers helping to deliver the baby girl. and the images are quite something, here in a moment. and then, the video being seen by the world tonight. a kayaker briefly swallowed by a humpback whale, and how he escaped unharmed. this is incredible. in a moment. so this is better. and this. dupixent is an add-on treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma. it's not for sudden breathing problems and doesn't replace a rescue inhaler. it's proven to help prevent asthma attacks. severe allergic reactions can occur.

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tonight, dramati >> david: tonight, dramatic new images emerging of that military jet crashing into san diego bay. surveillance showing the growler in a nose dive right there, plunging into the water. the two pilots safely ejecting. rescued by a fishing boat that was nearby, just moments later. tonight, a new cdc study finds some americans have been infected with bird flu without even knowing it. researchers testing about 150 veterinarians. results showed three of the vets specializing in cattle were recently infected. they never had symptoms. two of the vets were unaware they'd even been in contact with infected animals. when we come back tonight, you'll see the images right here, that kayaker swallowed by a humpback whale. how he survived this. oh, no! bye, bye cough. later chest congestion. hello 12 hours of relief. 12 hours?!

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bernie mackowsky at the eisenhower schoolgirl's basketball game. with just seconds to go, northwestern's team calling for a time-out. >> ladies and gentlemen, can i have your attention, please? >> david: it wasn't some play for the last shot they had in mind. >> mr. mackowski, we did not need a time-out. >> david: it turns out, after 51 years wearing those black and white stripes, thousands of games, this is mr. mackowski's last varsity game as referee. >> tonight, mr. mackowski officiates his last varsity game after 51 years of officiating. [ cheers and applause ] >> david: the cheers from the crowd. and the players on that court. >> thank you for all your years of service. it's been a pleasure, sir. >> david: bernie grateful, moved. as the other refs come to shake his hand. northwestern's coach stephen sullen behind that surprise. >> i've called time-outs for many reasons. a time-out to celebrate someone else has never been one of them. >> david: northwestern high school principal natalie heron here tonight. telling us, mr. mackowski doesn't like calling attention to himself, and he was moved by the honor. >> i had no idea that our small impromptu gesture that unfolded

in under three minutes would provide such a bright spot to so many. >> david: tonight that principal with a message to that dedicated referee. >> we wish you all the best as you hang up your whistle. thank you for serving the student athletes in erie county, pennsylvania, for so many years. go cats. >> david: go cats. congratulations, bernie. 51 years. i'm david muir. i'll see you tomorrow. good night. but this stormy weather is not dampening the spirits of fans. >> i'm meteorologist sandhya patel. we are not done with this storm yet. i'll show you how much longer to go and what you can expect coming up. we. >> you know that sound? it is messy work and someone here is doing it tonight. a live update on the team. effort to keep the roads safe and clear.

>> always live. abc seven news starts right now. >> it is not over yet. today's strong storm has been punctuated by gaps of sunshine. i even saw a rainbow. small breaks from the downpours and gusty winds that have done damage to the bay area. good evening. i'm ama daetz. >> and i'm dan ashley. thanks for joining us. live doppler seven is tracking today's storm, which ranks at three on the exclusive abc seven news storm impact scale. >> and that is why we have live team coverage to see the impact it's having where you live. abc seven news reporter suzanne phan and anser hassan have been out in the rain all day long. >> we'll get to both of them in a moment. but first, let's hear from abc seven news meteorologist sandhya patel. sandhya, what more will this storm bring? >> dan and ama, you know the storm could produce some more flooding on the roadways now that the ground is saturated. but look at this picture. it is absolutely saying winter. this is from the sierra. the snow is coming down right now. chain controls on all roads leading u