good morning. i'm reena ninan. >> and i'm kendis gibson. here are some of the top headlines we'reing on "world news now." fireworks on the democratic debate stage as hillary clinton and bernie sanders went head to head with just two weeks until the iowa political experts take just ahead. five americans have been freed from iranian prisons after secret negotiations with u.s. soner swap brought four of them home. we'll have much more on the developments straight ahead. if you've been in northern michigan yesterday, you could have filled up for cents a gallon. it was a brief price war, but

the market, you may get another >> and peyton manning and the denver broncos one step away from the super bowl after defeating an the pittsburgh steelers last night, 23-16.l host new england on sunday in the nfc. it's carolina hosting arizona. those are some of our top stories on this monday, january 18th.er: from abc news, this is is "world news now." we do say good morning to you. we're going to get started wemocratic debate before the iowa caucuses. it's now just two weeks away. >> hillary clinton, bernie sanders, martin o'malley sharing the stage in south carolina. abc's deputy political director walshe joins us now with the night's most memorable moments. >> reena and kendis, good morning. this final democratic debate before the iowa caucuses w fiery exchanges with hillary clinton and bernie sanders quickly taking the

one of the night's earliest clashes was over gun control. on the stump, clinton has blasted sanders for what is his opposition to strong gun safety measures. last night, he responded. >> well, i think secretary clinton knows what she says is very i have a d minus voting record from the nra. >> i have made it clear, based on senator sanders' own record that he has voted with the un lobby numerous times. >> another powerful exchange was over health care. clinton accusing sanders of wanting to undo obamacare. >> we finally have aiversal health care. we've accomplished so much already. i do not want to see the republicans repeal it and i don't want to see us start over again with abate. >> no one is tearing this up. we're going to go forward but what the secretary neglected to

still have no health even more are understand insured with huge copaymentses and deductibles. >> just hours before the debate, sanders surprisingly unveiled care and tax plan. it's $1.3 trillion a year price tag. but he downplayed that during the debate. and in another big moment, sanders was also asked aboutll clinton's past. but seemed to be annoyed with the question. >> yes, his behavior was deplorable. have i ever once said a word about that issue. i'e senator clinton on the issues facing the american people, not bill clinton's personal behavior. >> of course, there was another person on that stage, former maryland governor martin o'malley repeatedly pleaded for but was drowned out either by his competitors or the moderators. reena, kendis? >> thank you so much.

>> shocking that he would do that. he's telling abc's george stephanopoulos that cruz is a nasty guy and pounded cruz for disclose loans he got from big wall street banks, cruz calls it an oversight. trump says he intends to spends more on televisione says he's running millions of dollars ahead. >> the morning's other top story, five americans are tasting freedom after being released from prisons in iran. theevelopment comes after secret negotiations between the two nations that have been enemies for decades. abc's elizabeth hur has more. >> good morning to you. says this is certainly a reason to celebrate knowing that at least four out home. and abc news also learning that this was the result of 14 months ofns. three americans held for months even years behind bars in iran landing first in switzerland,

>> this is a goodans are freed and reunited with their families that's something we can celebrate. >> reporter: the wife of saeed abedini tweeting he just landed in geneva. he's getting ready to leave toi should talk with him in just a few hours. thank you for your prayers. the father of two was imprisoned another of the released, jason rezaian detained for 18 months charged with sponge in a closed door trial. once he with his wifeis side was safely out of iran, "the washington post" released a statement saying we are relieveded that this 545-day and his family is finally over. also on board, amir hekmati, detained the longest, four years. the former u.s. marinen while visiting his grandmother.

spent time at iran's notorious evin prison allegedly subjected to beatings and psychological abuse. president obama remaining stead fast in his message that it was diplomatic negotiations that led to their release, that deal quietlyside of the international nuclear deal negotiated had past july. >> we've achieved this historic progress through diplomacy. without resorting to another war in the middle r: as for the two remaining ex-prisoners one is believed to be still in iran and an american student who wasly has already headed home. kendis and reena? >> one american who went missing in iran eight years ago was not among those released. robert levinson is a former was working as a private investigator when he disappeared after meeting with an islamic militant. he hasn't been heard from since his family was devastated that he was left behind. the iranians say they don't know where he is.

florida resumed rebuilding t two tornadoes struck within minutes of each other just before 4:00 in the morning. the first picked up by a mobile home and smashed it into the e that lived there died. their son and grandchildren who were visiting were injured. the second twister for the roof off of an apartment building and damagednxious hours for some passengers rushing for flights as the newark airport. air train services were suspended suns evening after a power ere evacuated and buses arrived to pick up stranded passengers. the power company says that the outage was due to a tripped power line. service was restored just at a manhunt is on in philadelphia for a suspect in the murder of a homeless shelter employee. police say the man had been kicked out of the shelter and then returned with a gun. he killed one worker andother. residents say they were stunned to learn that one of the beloved shelter workers had been murdered.

part of our abc family popular producer at our station in chicago strangled while on vacation in belize. this morning, the hunt is on for her killer. more now from abc's marci gonzalez.eporter: k-9s searching the area in belize where an american tourist was found dead friday. as police try to figure out who killed 39-year-old journalist anne swaney, and why. has lost an amazing person. >> the executive web producer from our abc stationing in check wls, was on a return trip to this retreat.sday, she volunteered to stay behind from a group horseback riding trip. instead, practicing yoga alone at this waterfront deck. by the time the group returned she was gone. >> we did a quick search and she wasn't around, and we notified the police. >> reporter: police searched for hours.dy the next day in this river.

neck and on either side of her head there was lacerations.tors are questioning a guatemalan fisherman who was in the area at the time and interviewing staff where swaney was staying. also looking into took swaney's cell phone. her family saying it was missing from the scene. a possible clue -- friends ago, hope could lead to the killer. marci gonzalez, abc news, new york. >> an honor for the late david bowie. for the first time one of his albums has reaped the toparts. "black star" was released two days before his death. it sold the equivalent of 181,000 albums knocking adele off the top spot. bowie died earlier this month afterancer for 18 >> congratulations to david bowie there. >> we said this would probably be a big hit, right? >> yeah, absolutely. apparently it's critically a very, very good

i mean like really knows how to get some attention for himself. we're talking about will forte. one of the stars on the fox show "theearth." >> one of his most recognizable features is his long hair and bushy beard. guess what, not anymore. >> now his most recognizable fact that half his head has been shaved completely, hair, mustache, beard even his right eyebrow gone. he debuted the new look at ay night and getting strange looks ever since. >> what's the deal? why did he do it. >> i have no idea. it answers a debate about my own little personal hair growth. shave half the do the other half. >> that would make for an interesting -- >> exactly. >> you have not decided what you're going to do with your hair. are you going to shave it all off by i don't know. might shave half of it. look at all those grays. >> you look young and youthful to me, kendis gibson.

>> coming up a close call from down under. >> then angry words about the water in one michigan city. some critics even calling for the state's governor to be arrested over the whole thing. >> and later in the half hour, the big debut at the zoo in washington over the weekend. everyone excited about beibei. how did the new panda react to fans. the answer coming up on "world news now." >> "world news now" weather. brought to you by resolve. (ugh.) does your carpet ever feel rough and dirty? don't avoid it, resolve it. our formula with a special conditioning ingredient, softens your carpet with every use. it's resolve, so you know it cleans and freshens. but it also softens. resolve. a carpet that welcomes you. and to clean pet messes,

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it clearly is. >> real impact, huh? oo in michigan, at least two the people are dead after a series of pile-ups on interstate 94. police pla blame the second pile-up on the first. vehicles were travel too fast and too close. they weren't able to stop due to limited visibility. there were more than a dozen injuries some serious. >> a new twist in the water crisis in the city of flint. >> amid high profile calls for the arrest of governor rick snyder over the city's contaminated water there are also new questions whether there was a cover-up. here's abc's eva pilgrim. >> reporter: angry residents demanding answers during a town hall in flint, michigan. reverend jesse jackson there to lend his support. >> people of flint have been betrayed. >> reporter: filmmaker and flint native michael moore even calling for the arrest of the governor. >> he committed a crime, he knew what was he was doing. >> reporter: president obama declaring a state of emergency over the contaminated water.

investigation after it changed its public water source exposing its 100,000 residents to toxic levels of lead. families like the horns forced now to drink and cooke with bottled water being trucked in daily. but lisa and her four kids and niece are still bathing in that water. >> it's hard to make sure everybody's been bathed properly, because we're really not supposed to use this water. >> reporter: water researchers point to this memo from the epa to city water officials back in june, saying it shows that officials knew that testing showed "high lead results" but didn't publicly admit it for another three months. >> it's a manmade tragedy that was completely preventable. >> reporter: professor marc edwards says for about $100 a day the city could have made the water safe. instead, he claims they manipulated data and testing methods to make it look safe. so many families like the horns expoetsed to lead for more than a year, which can cause neurologic damage. local doctors are working to screen and help those children affected.

of the elevated lead levels. eva pilgrim, abc news, new york. so president obama declared a federal emergency but didn't declare a -- make a disaster declaration which would have allowed more funds. people say you only do that during a natural disaster. >> this was clearly a manmade disaster. and one that will continue. many politicians in the sunday night debate were calling for more action by the governor there including senator sanders calling for the governor to resign entirely. >> a lot of angry people. rightfully so. >> understandably. coming up, the lunch lunch emergency that put 911 on hold. >> the 911 dispatcher who got into trouble over forcing callers to wait while she place add order for pizza. oh, boy, that's next.

okay.

to dial 911, it's usually during an extreme crisis. and the last thing you would expect is no one picking up on the other end of the line. >> but that's exactly what happened in florida because the dispatcher on duty was apparently too busy trying to order pizza. here's abc's aditi roy. >> let me have one slice of cheese pizza. >> okay. >> let me have a lunch special. >> reporter: a broward county, florida, 911 dispatcher taking heat after calling a pizzeria while on the clock. while she's ordering lunch for the office. >> doctor couldn't hold him up, he dropped to the floor. >> reporter: an emergency at this optometry office. multiple employees try calling the dispatch center after a patient faints, but no one answers. >> first they called, from their office, no answer. i called from my cell phone, again, no answer. other people in the store tried calling and nobody picked up. >> reporter: the dispatcher, still on her eight-minute call, putting in her long order. >> everything on those.

>> reporter: five and a half minutes in, she's asking for final orders from her coworkers. >> no one else? okay, can you hold on for me one second, please. >> i'm so sorry. >> reporter: and seven minutes in, she seems distracted. >> poppy's? poppy's? i'm so sorry, i'm so busy. >> that's okay. >> reporter: the sheriff's department telling abc news the dispatcher violated policy and was disciplined. experts say don't let the phone keep ringing. call the nearest police station. you can also try texting. >> thank you for being patient with me. >> no problem. >> reporter: so those urgent calls don't get overlooked. aditi roy, abc news, san francisco. >> so her punishment, what was it? >> it was a letter of reprimand after all of that. an official letter of reprimand. i have put in an order for all of us here. and it's never taken that long to put in an order. and get seamless. get an app. >> you could do that. >> exactly.

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first responder, so you can be a business boy wonder! fix stomach trouble fast with pepto. oh, we love our pandas around here, don't we? >> of course. >> kind a bit of pandemonium in weekend. there's a reason. >> we're talking about bei bei at panda named after beyonce. >> no, it's not. >> in my mind. >> in your mind it is. >> yes. the national zoo's new pride and joy made his big public debut, of course, on saturday to thousands of eager fans. and abc's gloria riviera was

>> reporter: this was the moment. a panda cub making his public debut to squeals of delight. the first thing a sleepy baby bear does, shy away from the spotlight. meet bei bei, the national zoo's five--month-old panda. >> my heart is like -- >> since his birth, bei bei has enjoyed babyhood in private. >> okay. >> but thousands from all over the world waited for hours in line to see him for the very first time. >> it's a pandemonium. >> reporter: bei bei's name means precious treasure in chinese. the endangered bear is only the third cub to be thrive at the zoo. less than 2,000 surviving in the wild. like any superstar worth his bamboo, bei bei is a social yamidia darling. 5 million hits and counting on the zoo's giant panda cam since he was important. >> he is immensely popular. >> said to be a charmer and a bit of rascal, he spent most of

his back making his fans wait. >> we're waiting for him to wake up. >> we really want him to wake up. >> reporter: after all, beinging that adorable has got to be exhausting. gloria riviera, abc news, washington. >> you know, bei bei had a brother, twin brother who passed away unfortunately. it's so hard for them to get pregnant and then for the child to survive. this is a really big deal. >> we've both been to that little enclosure at the national zoo. while it's really cute, it's really smelly folks. it's a little secret. they're smelly animals. >> they are. they are. >> what always drove me nuts was you can't tell with female pandas if they're pregnant or not. >> there's no mood swing or anything like that. apparently they withdraw a little bit. maybe they have swollen feet. i don't know. >> no morning sickness. >> no craves of pickles and ice cream either. >> okay. >> that's the news for this half hour folks. >> do remember to follow us on

this morning on "world news now," hillary clinton and bernie sanders face-off on the debate stage in south carolina. arguing over gun control, health care, and the economy. the clock ticking down now, just two weeks before the first official votes are cast. and a group of americans now enjoying their freedom after captivity in iran. some are receiving care in germany, another is already back on u.s. soil. and new concerns about another american missing for nearly a decade. then who can forget this encounter. a passenger drunk in the back seat attacking his uber driver. well, they're at it again. their new fight that's bound to wind up in court. then going viral for the

patients in the target checkout line. we'll explain ahead of the mix on this monday, january 18th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." and we do say good morning and it is mlk day. you have to remember that is a national holiday for his birthday. >> absolutely right. things shut down today. >> a lot of people going to be celebrating i guess his legacy. and that was part of like the pivotal moment in last might's debate. they wanted to get across, you know, minority rights and black folks were part of the topic constantly during the debate. >> it was a fascinating debate. you always enjoy these debates. it began really with the final showdown before the iowa caucuses is what we're looking at just two weeks away. >> hillary clinton and bernie

care, gun control and clinton's past. martin o'malley pleading for more time. elizabeth hur joins us with the highlights. good morning. >> reena and kendis. good morning to you. going into this debate, hillary clinton and bernie sanders were locked in a virtual tie florida iowa. and so it was clear they both came prepared to try to stay on top. just two weeks before the voting starts in iowa. the three democratic presidential candidates sparred on stage in south carolina. hillary clinton and bernie sanders are now in a tight battle to win the first democratic contest. on this night, the first issue tackled, gun control. >> he has voted with the nra with the gun lobby numerous times. he voted against the brady bill five times. >> secretary clinton knows that what she says is very disingenuous. i have a d minus voting record from the nra. >> reporter: the exchanges

>> i want us to defend and build on the affordable care act and improve it. >> my proposal provide health care to all people get private insurance out of health insurance. >> reporter: but the two the also remaining sivl finding common ground on other issues. >> there needs to be a concerted effort to address the systemic racism in our criminal justice system. >> whenever anybody in this country is killed while in police custody, this should had had automatically trigger a u.s. attorney general's investigation. >> reporter: and so now it's onto the iowa caucus where the race is still tight between hillary and bernie. but nationally, a new poll shows hillary still ahead by 25 points. reena and kendis? >> all right, elizabeth. thank you. we're going to have more debate coverage later in the half hour, of course, when we sit down with our deputy political director shushannah walshe.

the battle heats up between donald trump and ted cruz. trump telling george stephanopoulos cruz is a nasty guy and a hypocrite for railing against big banks even those he tookes loans from him to fund a senate campaign and for failing to report those loans. >> for his part, cruz is sticking with his claim that trump represents new york values. his campaign tweeting out an old interview in which trump says he's pro-choice in part because of his new york background. >> but we move onto the diplomatic high wire act that ended in the release of five measures from captivity in iran. this small plane right here you see arrived in switzerland on sunday with three of those americans on board. perhaps the most high profile, "washington post" bureau chief jason rezaian. this morning, he and two others an ex-marine and a pastor are at a medical facility in germany one step closer to home. a fourth american ho had been studying in iran is back in

man chose to stay behind in iran. but one american mo went missing eight years ago in iran was not among those released. robert levinson is a former fbi agent working as a private investigator he disappeared after meeting an aislamic militant. he hasn't been heard from since 2011. his family says they are devastated he was "left behind." the iranians say they do not note where he is. >> in the meantime in iraq, u.s. officials confirm media reports that three american contractors baghdad. they are civilians, not military. and they were last seen two days ago. the case is being treated as a possible kidnapping although no one has claimed responsibility. in hawaii, conditions are expected to improve today in the waters where teams are looking for 12 missing marines and two helicopters. crews have been fighting waves as high as 32 feet. the two helicopters appeared to have crashed during night exercises on thursday. the marine corps has now identified the missing who range

come from nine different states. >> an american missionary is among those killed in a terror attack in a luxury hotel in burkina faso in after. mike it will rittering and his wife ran an orphanage. he was at a coffee shop when the terrorists struck. at least 28 people were killed. an al qaeda group claimed responsibility. >> one police officer is dead, another wounded after a traffic accident in the salt lake city area. they were chasing a man who had been in a serious crash. the suspect had fled the scene. officer doug barney was shot in the head when he found the suspect. a gun battle erupted when other cops later encountered the suspect. he was killed. another officer was wounded. >> noud to central florida where two residents are dead after a pair of deadly tornadoes struck within minutes of each other in

abc's phillip mena is there. >> reporter: gulf coast communities reeling after a rash of tornadoes. this is all that's left of this mobile home ripped from its concrete foundation and strewn across the road. 3:45 a.m., the ef-2 tornado touching down in the town of duette. a couple in that home, steven and kate wilson lost their lives. their son and four grandchildren injured but managed to climb to safety. when neighbors heard of the tornado alert they tried but couldn't reach the wilsons. >> devastation. woke up this morning and lost a family friend and neighbor. >> my neighbor told me steve was already gone. he's gone but he will never be forgotten, let me tell you. >> reporter: friends are picking up the pieces. about 25 miles away, another twister in sarasota county. the second floor of this $1.8 million property collapsing under the force of more than 130-mile-per hour winds.

home. >> reporter: rescuers reaching that family stranded inside. now safe, suffering only minor injuries. the homeowner was up here on the second floor trying to escape when the tornado collapsed the house on her. firefighters had to lift the wreckage to pull her to safety. and she is out of the hospital with only minor injuries. phillip mena, abc news, sarasota, florida. >> incredible scene there. now to the growing outrage over the contaminated water in flint, michigan. speaking at a sunday church service, reverend jesse jackson said there should be tape around the city because it's a crime scene. his comments came a day after president obama signed an emergency declaration to clear the way for federal help. the contamination after flint switched to a different water supply to save money. oil prices are sliding overnight as the industry braces for even more crude on the market now that iran's sanctions have been lifted.

signs like this one a common sight. wait, is that right? 47 cents a gallon? this apparently is in northern michigan at one point yesterday. other stations were also below $1. it's the first time anyone's seen gas that low in ages. but the price war didn't last very long and gas there right now is about $1.50 a gallon. nationally it's $1.90. >> i wouldn't complain about that. >> we're celebrating. >> next sunday's nfl conference championship games are all set. let's start in the nfc. >> the top seeded carolina panthers, that guy he's got a future. looked the part yesterday during a dominating first half against seattle. the panthers took a 31-0 lead into the half. >> then it was seattle's turn to dominate the seahawks rallied closing to within a touchdown but a little too late. carolina hanging on, 31-24. they host the cardinals sunday. >> okay, so for the c, the

in the game against the broncos when fitzgerald to you saint if you mean bes and recovers by denver. peyton manning drove his team down the field and anderson gave the broncos the lead for good scoring the time's only touchdown. >> and they tacked on a two-point conversion for good measure. both teams kicked field goals from there and denver taking it in the end. the score was 23-16. the broncos will host the patriots next sunday. we're partying because it's next sunday. >> party. championship sunday next week. >> who is going to go to the super bowl? >> peyton and tom together. all right. we'll see. coming up, a new battle between the former taco bell executive and the uber drive whose fight was caught on camera. what they're claiming now. >> but first more about last night's democratic debate straight ahead with our deputy political director. >> and do remember to find us on facebook, wnnfans.com and

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tt0w!t^)hw! %4@-=6, tt0w!t^)hw! el@-71@ tt0w!t^)hw! ed@-13$ tt0w!t^)hw% )8h-qmx tt0w!t^)hw% kzh-l"$ tt0w!t^)hw% n-h-9k( tt0w!t^)hw% 0ph-',0 tt0w!t^)hw% s"h-7^p tt0w!t^)hw% ueh-4< tt0w!t^)hw% 7hh-(>t welcome back. well, it's crunch time on the campaign trail, 14 days till votes are cast in iowa. several polls show the race is tightening. >> joining us political direct ker shushannah walshe. good morning.

debate. there were some heated exchanges over gun control as well as health care. did we expect that? >> those wrestle definitely account most fiery exchanges. hillary clinton has really been hammering bernie sanders on those twos issues but it was the first time we've seen them next to each other on the debate staining. >> another powerful moment was bernie sanders was asked about bill clinton's past indiscretions. it comes back again. here's how he responded. >> yes, his behavior was deplorable. have you ever once said a word not. i'm going to debate secretary clinton and governor o'malley on the issues facing the american personal behavior. ground? him. i think he can keep up the higher ground but he's going to continue to be asked the question likely. not just from reporters but at town halls. so i think it's up to him if he decides to continue not trying to make it an issue in the

>> reena was mentioning the races are tightening. yes, they are. does bern can i really have momentum right now? >> it seems like he does now. if you look at the polls he's been lead ing innew hampshire for quite awhile. now even the polls are tightening in iowa. we have still two more weeks to go. and this is when people start paying attention. we may have been paying attention for a long time but voters are starting to pay attention now. things can change. it seems like right now he has the momentum. >> talk about the republicans on their side, donald trump really increasing the attacks on ted cruz. particularly this comment we saw on sunday with "this week." >> nobody in congress likes him. nobody likes him once they get to know him. he's got an edge that's not good. you can't make deals with people like that. it's not a good thing for the country. very nasty guy. >> so is the bromance over? >> the bromance is 100% over.

this bear hug strategy till now. really refusing to attack each other even though both would go go against the republican rivals. everybody else. but now, they're really going at it with the obviously these comments but also with in ads. so i think this is really going to be the showdown to watch in the final days. >> we have so many of our abc colleagues who are out there embedded with the campaigns. what are they seeing out there that we're not learning from tv? >> well, i think what they're seeing which is just fantastic is being able to talk to voters every day. getting to hear what they think. and in iowa and new hampshire, these voters are very clued in. they know that they're important role in this. >> is the trump thing real? >> well, thousands of people go to his rallies. other thousands of people try to wait to get in. i think what we have to see is the in iowa especially, this is a different type of voter. will those people caucus?

but there are thousands of people going to see him. >> i find this the most exciting time in the race. happen. >> lots of people will see bernie sanders, too. he's getting huge rallies, as >> two weeks to go. hard to believe it. >> it is hard to believe. shushannah walshe. >> of course. >> and we'll be right back.

well, as the dashcam video that went viral shocking millions. now former taco bell executive violently attacking his uber driver from the back seat. >> but now if you can get this, that former executive is suing the driver claiming he was the

just wait till you hear why. it's incredible. ron claiborne. >> the manmade famous for doing this, and then apologizing says he is a victim, too. former taco bell executive benjamin golden now filing a $5 million lawsuit against the uber driver he allegedly attacked in southern california last fall. he admitted that he was drunk at the time. days later going public with this emotional apology on kcbs. >> because i've been trying not to read what's being said but you know, i'm not that person. >> reporter: but now he's claiming the driver illegally videotaped the altercation. >> get out of my car or i will call the police. >> golden's attorney declining to comment but the lawsuit saying at no time did he consent to be video recorded or viewed by anyone else. golden who was fired afterward by taco bell is seeking damages to severe emotional distress, humiliation, anxiety, fear and pain and suffering and the loss

golden was charged with assault and battery. he pleaded not guilty. those charges still pending. he was also you'd by the uber driver for unspecified damages. >> i didn't expect it to get violent to be honest. it came out of nowhere. >> the heart of golden's counter suit is his claim that california law prohibits recording the conversation of someone without their consent. the lawyer telling abc news the lawsuit is bogus. so the two men in that now famous video may face off again in court. ron claiborne, abc news, new york. >> call the police. >> what you don't see on video is actually the uber driver was able to use pepper spray to eventually get away from this whole situation. >> just imagine how much he he would sue if he found out the uber driver only gave him a one star rate. it's important, the star ratings. >> they are important, right. >> for drivers and for clients, as well. got to make fun of a really

>> coming up, what a target cashier did that's going viral. >> and the martin luther king day a cappella tribute about the mix" up next. so how ya doing? enough pressure in here for ya? ugh. my sinuses are killing me. yeah...just wait 'til we hit ten thousand feet. i'm gonna take mucinex sinus-max. too late, we're about to take off. these dissolve fast. they're new liquid gels. and you're coming with me... wait, what?! you realize i have gold status? do i still get the miles? new mucinex sinus-max liquid gels. dissolves fast to unleash max strength medicine. start the relief. ditch the misery. let's end this. but the omega-3s in fish oil differ from megared krill oil. unlike fish oil, megared is easily absorbed by your body. megared. easy to absorb. olay total effects a skin transformation that rivals the leading department

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we enjoy it even more. and i enjoy it. feel the difference with k-y ultragel. happy mix. a lot of happy stories here. you remember alex from target who went viral because he was just cute. >> that was a big one. >> now there's ismaaiyl from target. 19 years old. he's from indiana target. this photo is going viral. here's the deal. the story right now. you're all in line waiting and then there's this one elderly woman who is charging all of her groceries and paying for them with. >> kenny:s. that would annoy some people. but ismaaiyl there behind the counter decided to be patient with her and allowed this woman to pay for each of her groceries. >> she bought all those groceries and paid in. >> kenny:s? >> she was paying in coins

and people didn't get upset because he was being hey, big up brother. he was being nice and helping her through and the woman who saw this happening posted it on facebook and it has now gone viral. >> kudos to him. i would be very frustrated with that. >> exactly. >> you know, martin luther king day today. what better way to celebrate his life than having two a cappella groups, two rival a cappella groups get together and do james taylor "shed a little light." there was the jewish group maca beats and the black group naturally 7. both known in their own right. take a listen. can't get no life from a dollar bill don't give no life from the tv screen when i open my eyes i want to drink my fill

i know you know what i mean >> they sound great. >> i love how they gel together. they should come out with an al bim for something. >> they were doing this from the lincoln memorial steps away from where king did his "i have a dream" speech. another nice thing. championship sunday. cam newton is a new dad and proud to be a dad. so as he was practicing for yesterday's came, this is him doing showing a father and son t-shirt and also he also on his cleats there, his son's name. shows it. >> oh, wow. >> so he's very proud to be a dad. his first playoff game. by the way, do we have the t-shirt to hold up for a second? i had to research exactly what the dab was. apparently it's a new dance craze. it's described as one leans into their elbow like they're

so can you dab? >> show me do you know?

this morning on "world news now," they're out of iran and now a group of americans once again enjoying freedom. their long ordeal in iranian custody is over. but questions remain about another u.s. citizen who is still missing. > at last night's democratic debate hillary clinton and bernie sanders took off the gloves and went after each other. on several hot button topics. arguments over gun control and health care and one candidate defending the choice to keep the campaign about the issues. and new this half hour, what one firefighter saw after arriving at the scene of a raging blaze. a life-saving moment first responders coming to the rescue of residents with just seconds to spare. and "spotlight."

choice awards last night, but it wasn't the big winner by a long shot. and guess who ended up stealing the show? we're going to have a full rundown in "the skinny." it is monday, january 18th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning, everyone on this martin luther king holiday. we thank you for joining us. >> happy mlk day to you, everybody. of course, dr. king would have been 87 years old over the weekend. we're going to get started though this morning with the head-spinning developments after 35 years of open hostility. >> in the past 48 hours, the two nations have signed off on a landmark deal limiting iran's nuclear program and agree to a prisoner exchange that has a group of captive americans on their way home. abc's jonathan karl has the story. >> reporter: that first image of freed "washington post" reporter jason rezaian greeted in geneva by a state department

his release. also on that flight out of iran, amir hekmati, the former marine held for more than four years in the notorious evin prison. his sister and brother-in-law were all smiles on their way to meet him in germany. and pastor saeed abedini, who's been separated from his wife for years. >> i've been a single mom for three and a half years, and the kids uniting with him will be a precious moment. >> reporter: at the white house president obama celebrated the prisoners' long overdue release. >> today, we're united in welcoming home sons and husbands and brothers who in lonely prison cells have endured an absolute nightmare. >> reporter: the washington post's tehran bureau chief was jailed in july of 2014, just six weeks after discussing life in iran on anthony bourdain's "parts unknown." >> i love it and i hate it, you know, but it's home -- it's become home. >> reporter: his mother and wife, now reunited with him, made this tearful plea during his imprisonment.

last year. he and his wife, who is also a journalist have not been able to -- she's not able to speak to the press. >> reporter: his extended family is in germany. the dramatic days the culmination of 14 months of negotiations, mostly in switzerland. u.s. officials calling the discussions very intense and until a few weeks ago no one knew how it would end up. the obama administration also agreed to pay $1.7 billion in -- to settle an old financial dispute with the iranian government. not included in the prisoner swap was former fbi agent robert levinson. the 67-year-old disappeared in iran in 2007. >> even as we rejoice in the safe return of others we will never forget about bob. >> reporter: the three longest held american prisoners are now at the american military base in landstuhl, germany, where reunited with their families they are getting some much needed medical attention. they hope to be on their way home soon. jonathan karl, abc news, the white house.

officials confirm media reports that three american contractors have gone missing south of baghdad. they are not civilian -- they are civilians, not military and they were last seen two days ago. the case is being treated as a possible kidnapping although no one has claimed responsibility. okay. the three democratic presidential candidates have debated for a final time before the iowa caucuses. which is only two weeks away. >> it was by far the most confrontational meeting between hillary clinton and bernie sanders clashing over gun control, wall street, even bill clinton's legacy. martin o'malley was very nearly an afterthought. >> he voted to let guns go on to amtrak, guns go into national parks, he voted against doing research to figure out how we can save lives. >> i don't get personal speaking fees from goldman sachs. you've received over $600,000 in speaking fees from goldman sachs in one year. >> you raised a lot of money on wall street when you were the

association. >> but i haven't gotten a penny this year. somebody please, go on to martin o'malley.com, send me your checks. they're not giving me zero. >> it is beyond my comprehension how we can elect a president of the united states somebody like trump who believes that climate change is a hoax invented by the chinese. >> you called bill clinton's past transgressions, "totally, totally, totally disgraceful and unacceptable." senator, do you regret saying that? >> i was asked a question. you know, one of the things, andrea, and that question annoys me. yes, his behavior was deplorable. have i ever once said a word about that issue? no, i have not. i'm going to debate secretary clinton and governor o'malley on the issues facing the american people, not bill clinton's personal behavior. >> and as for the republicans,

attacks on ted cruz. >> trump told abc's george stephanopoulos that cruz is "a nasty guy." later on cnn, trump again raised the question whether cruz was eligible to run for president since he was born in canada and was a canadian citizen until only 15 months ago. trump also says that he's going to spend more on tv ads since he's $35 million under budget. >> must be nice. two residents of central florida unfortunately are dead after a pair of deadly tornadoes both came within minutes in the middle of the night. the first twister picked up a mobile home and smashed it. the son and grandson who were visiting were injured. the sheriff says he's amazed that anyone got out alive. the winds topped 125 miles an hour. incredible devastation there. and west coast storms are bringing high surf and dangerous rip currents to southern california beaches. there's a high surf advisory in effect through tomorrow afternoon. people are advised to stay out of the water. lifeguards have already rescued

>> a georgia psychiatrist is behind bars accused of operating a pill mill. the dea raided the offices of dr. narenda nagareddy and then searched his home. prosecutors allege 36 of his patients died while having prescriptions for controlled substances. autopsies confirm 12 of those were overdoses. the doctor is accused of prescribing pain medications which are outside his profession as a psychiatrist. his lawyer says he is innocent and will fight the charges. a firefighter's helmet camera captured a dramatic rescue in fresno, california. a desperate mother handing her baby through the window to the firefighter on the ladder and then she climbs out and then her husband, as well. the fire broke out before dawn saturday morning trapping eight adults and the baby as they slept. one man escaped and called the fire department to the rescue. >> the tulsa, oklahoma sheriff's department has launched an investigation after a

off duty officers and nascar the off duty officer apparently at the time. here's abc's mary bruce. >> reporter: it's the kind of drama racing fans expect to see on the track. nascar superstar tony stewart storming into the stands. caught on tape in a heated clash with a heckler. the three-time sprint cup champion is notoriously hot-headed. in 2014, he was fined $25,000 and placed on probation for slamming into a competitor in this post-race skirmish. >> one of the requisite skills to be a public figure is to develop a thick skin and ignore this kind of criticism. but tony's never been that kind of guy. >> reporter: this latest outburst comes as stewart faces a wrongful death lawsuit. he's accused of losing his temper and driving recklessly before striking and killing fellow driver, 20-year-old kevin ward jr. >> i know in my heart that it

>> reporter: stewart has yet to comment on this new incident. but the fan involved, an off-duty law enforcement official, is being investigated by his department to determine if he acted inappropriately. mary bruce, abc news, washington. all right. it takes years of practice to make a topnotch surfer or skate boarder. and at age 5, quincy simmons still has a way to go and time to get there, but that's all right. she's not embarrassed by all the wipeouts. >> in fact, she loves the spills, thinks they're very funny and is known as the flying squirrel. the australian girl compiled some of her favorite wipeouts and then put them on youtube. she also has popular accounts on facebook, twitter and instagram. looks like she's doing well. >> yeah, she is. >> better than i am. i could never do this. are you kidding? >> i can't do that as an adult. >> you could. >> no, not at all. breaking your back or something. coming up in "the skinny," another big occasion for one of our favorites. betty white, what she's been

>> love that woman. and not the best end to a spacex mission. it's pretty clear what should not have happened here. the details coming up. you're watching "world news now." details coming up. you're watching "world news now." music throughout " forget about the cowboy walk because of a saggy diaper" " it's time to dance freely" " thanks to new pampers cruisers" " the first and only diaper that helps distribute wetness evenly into three extra absorb channels." " so it doesn't sag and stays dryer" " so wiggle it" " jiggle it" " and do, whatever that is, in new pampers cruisers"

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but the omega-3s in fish oil differ from megared krill oil. is easily absorbed by your body. megared. the difference is easy to absorb. here's the latest attempt by spacex to land its reusable rocket on a ship in the ocean. well, it failed. the images posted by founder elon musk show that the rocket setting down softly but then toppling over and you see it there exploding on impact.

leg locking mechanisms failed perhaps due to ice buildup. the rocket was able to launch and land on solid ground. oh, everyone was so hopeful and then this happened. >> so close but still fairly successful. i mean, just got to do a little tweaking there to that. good for them overall. >> just a little tweaking. > it's not rocket science into to the folks. >> i guess it is. >> in the meantime, 249 miles above the earth, it was mission accomplished. but only after a bit of high anxiety. >> that's true. a space walk outside the international space station had to be cut short over the weekend when one of the astronaut's helmets actually began to fill with water. abc's sara haines has the story. >> reporter: what do i do? >> in hollywood, block busters like "gravity" show how space walks can turn disastrous in an instant. but that silver screen rush of chaos may have nothing on the real life havoc. just a tablespoon of water caused astronauts friday on the international space station. >> we know it's a small amount

we already got the location and the quantity. >> reporter: american astronaut timothy kopra and his british partner tim peake on an extra vehicular repair mission when kopra noticed a cooling loop in his space suit was leaking. > if there's any way to get a temperature of the water, i don't know try to drink it and note the taste. >> water's cold. >> reporter: that small amount of water prompting mission control to end the pair's five-hour space walk early. >> start opening your cuff checklist to page 7. we are going to terminate case. >> fearing a repeat of this 2013 mission which almost saw italian iss engineer luca par m.i.t. ano drown when half a gallon of water flooded his helmet during a space walk. > it is wet. >> luca went out twice. the first time he went out, he had water in his helmet then. and i don't think we quite hammed it the right way. >> reporter: according to nasa, he was never in that degree of director brought the duo back in as a precaution.

board the station and surely waiting to collect on this promise from houston. >> that was perfect. we'll buy you a drink a soda when you get home. >> reporter: sara haines, abc news, new york. you know what i found so amazing was he says at the end, we'll buy you a drink or a soda. i was like what? >> i don't think he wants to go anywhere near any sort of liquid substance after all of that. you're absolutely right. but very scary moments though. it is surreal. >> and nasa saying that the latest incident wasn't particularly unnerving because they were only some 200 feet from the exit. >> oh, my gosh. >> but yeah. >> when we come back, the big winners of this year's critics choice awards. >> we do have to say happy birthday, betty white. wait till you see how she steals the show in her latest commercial. "the skinny" is next. >> she really did. >> yeah. "the skinny" is next. >> she really did.

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but the big winner was "mad max: fury road" winning nine awards including best director and best action movie. >> so best acting winners include presumed oscar favorite leo right there for revenant" and brie larson for "room." easily stealing the show last night was 9-year-old jacob tremblay accepting his award for best young actor. >> this is super cool. this is the best day of my life. i also want to thank my parents and i love them very much. and i know where to put this. right on the shelf right beside my millennium falcon. >> very cute. >> he totally stole the show. >> the many in canada say that his dad is the hottest police officer in all of vancouver. >> oh. >> google him. >> sorry we didn't see him. >> we'll pull him up. all right. to the oscars now and fresh criticism from african-american actors over the lack of

of nominees. >> last week, academy president sherrill boone isaacs expressed her disappointment and now some other hollywood heavyweights are weighing in, as well. actress jada pinkett smith took to facebook questioned whether people of color should refrain from praying in the oscars all together. >> this year's oscar host comedian tweeting out a promo captioning the video saying the white b.e.t. awards. >> next, putting it all on the table with steve harvey. >> so it's been what, like a month now since harvey famously announced the wrong miss universe winner. and he since tried to apologize. miss colombia was giving him the cold shoulder for weeks. now he's set to sit down with both miss colombia ariadna gutierrez and the real winner, miss philippines pia wurtzbach. >> the most embarrassing thing you've done on the stage?

from me. that was really embarrassing. >> oh, that interview a two-day special airs tomorrow. today and tomorrow on harvey's syndicated daytime talk show. it will be fascinating to watch. let's say happy birthday to our favorite nonagenarian. actress betty white. >> yesterday she turned 4 years old. she's stealing the show in a tv ad for bandwagon net in which she stars with comedian rob riggle. >> this year bandwagon.com is not only helping fans, our crack staff is finding new teams for >> actually, marvin, they still haven't fired you. i know. it's crazy. don't worry, dez. i'll put in a good word for you with jerry jones. i'm seeing him later at a swingers party.

johnny manziel? oh, no, [ speaking foreign language ] adios. i'm not touching that one. >> so good. she's so cute. betty white at a swingers party. figure that. yeah...just wa . bps a take mucinex sinus-max. too late, we're about to take off. these dissolve fast. they're new liquid gels. and you're coming with me... wait, what?! you realize i have gold status? do i still get the miles? new mucinex sinus-max liquid gels. dissolves fast to unleash max strength medicine. start the relief. ditch the misery. let's end this. choose to move freely. move free ultra has triple-action support for your joints, cartilage and bones in one tiny pill. move free ultra. get your move on. and now try move free night. the first and only 2-in-1

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keeping dark clothes looking like new for 30 washes so your love for dark clothes will never fade. woolite darks. it's that time. nfl news and the nfl's conference championship games are all set. of course, you know reena, in the afc, it will be denver hosting new england. >> and in the nfc, carolina got off to a fast start against seattle on jonathan stewart's four-yard touchdown run. the youngster in the front row wound up with the ball. look at her. she was thrilled with that and she was also thrilled no doubt that her team wound up winning 31-24. they host arizona next sunday. >> how cute. okay, that said, some overly

arrogant panthers fans have been giving a young seahawks fan quite a bit of a hard time. lives in north carolina. bullied but now some of his seahawk heros are coming to his defense. here's abc's gloria riviera. >> reporter: a big dream coming refused to back down. >> what do you want the score to be? >> 1,000-0. >> reporter: 7-year-old ade lewis, a die-hard seattle seahawks fan, on the field with his team. this third-generation seahawks fan lives in panther territory, charleston, south carolina. when ade started wearing his new seahawks hat to school every day, he got bullied. >> they were kind of all saying the same thing, like boo seahawks. that made me feel kind of sad. >> reporter: to show ade he's not alone, his mom went to facebook asking seahawk fans to like her post saying, every day

how many kids have booed him. after just one day -- >> so, guess how many likes you >> 50? >> more. 200,000 likes and counting. from the seahawks star linebacker bobby wagner. >> if anybody try to pick on you, we got your back. >> reporter: to coach pete carroll, sending seahawks gear and tickets to the game in charlotte against the panthers. the hawks lost, but for this little boy, the day was a win. gloria riviera, abc news, washington. oh, he's too cute. >> very cute. so by the way, i know you're looking forward to championship sunday as it's called. the patriots are favored 3 1/2 points on the road against denver. >> so is carolina too, right? >> exactly. so possibly it might be a carolina/new england, massachusetts super bowl. >> i'm excited about the vegetarian sliders sunday night. >> what was that? >> football food. >> football food? the white castle?

>> this is abc's "world news now." informing insomniacs for two decades.