this morning on "world news now," winter misery and severe storms impacting millions of americans. the trapped motorists and the dangerous conditions as a major system threatens several states. outrage in cleveland. no criminal charges are being filed against a white officer who shot and killed a black boy who was holding a toy gun. the controversial legal decision. new this half hour, cries for help after a bear attack in new jersey. >> just released, the boy scout master's call to 911, the badly injured man and the moments leading up to the rescue. and later in the "skinny," a big decision for tom cruise and it is not about a blockbuster movie script. it's about his personal property and his wealth. this is tuesday, december 29th. >> announcer: from abc news,

this is "world news now." good morning on this tuesday. i'm reena ninan. >> i'm kendis gibson. we're going to get started with the winter weather. winter just kicked in about a week ago. it has been brutal though. severe weather in so many parts of the country. snow, sleet, freezing rain making travel treacherous across the upper midwest and great lakes. >> many of those areas already have several inches of snow and are expecting more this morning. tens of thousands of people without power. with more, here's abc's clayton sandell. >> reporter: the midwest is in a blinding weather bullseye. in iowa, visibility is near zero. drivers in des moines are sliding off icy slick pavement on interstate 80. those managing to stay on the road, and the plows, are fighting heavy snow. sleet and snow, snarling traffic from kalamazoo to kansas. wichita looks like an icy junkyard. >> people off in the ditch. a couple just stuck on the side of the road.

>> reporter: in oklahoma, the governor has declared a state of emergency for all 77 counties. there's flooding in the east, and farther west -- an ice storm is causing big rigs to slide, wedging cars on the highway. nearly 200,000 homes are without electricity. power lines everywhere, including these, are dead. there are so many power outages here in oklahoma, because freezing rain came in and deposited these heavy icicles on all the power lines. you add in the high winds, and these poles were no match for that kind of weather. in amarillo, texas, along interstate 40, snow drifts buried big rigs, and in new mexico, entire houses. near clovis, a 12-foot snow drift trapped betty and jimmy anderson in their car as they delivered newspapers, entombed for 20 hours until rescuers broke the windshield to free them. >> this is interstate 40 just west of oklahoma city. you can see behind me here, one of many wrecks.

two trucks pulling two trailers went sliding off this icy highway, rolling several times. luckily nobody here was seriously injured. but it gives you an idea of just how dangerous driving conditions are in a lot of places. clayton sandell, abc news, el reno, oklahoma. >> in the southern plains, evacuations could happen because of floods. at least three people drowned in oklahoma's floodwaters. the latest victim a motorist who never made it to a family luncheon on sunday. her body found still in the car under six feet of water. texas cleaning up from devastating tornadoes from the air, you can get an idea of the destruction caused by an ef 4 tornado in garland. 11 people died eight of them while driving on highways. one official warns people will be displaced for months. and it's not over yet. the big concern right now at this hour, snow, ice, as well as downpours. >> the storm system moving north and east and the northeast getting the first snowfall of the season as paul williams at

accuweather, morning to you. paul? >> thanks, kendis, reena. north central part of the country looking for significant snow throughout south dakota going into minnesota and covering a good portion of northern wisconsin and that arrowhead of michigan. but keep in mind, down towards the southeast, cooler but not cold conditions for the deep south as they recover from the storms there. but record challenging warmth still playing hard for us in the carolinas and down towards florida. kendis, reena? >> paul, thank you so much. u.s. backed iraqi forces have re-entered the city of ramadi in a key strategic victory. the takeover came after a fierce battle with isis forces in control of the city since may. defense secretary ash carter congratulated the iraqi prime minister on the hard-won victory. a new york police officer one of six u.s. troops killed in a suicide attack in afghanistan is back home. joseph lemm's family, new york

plefrs and members of the new york national air guard were among those attending the solemn ceremony. he was a technical sergeant and a 15 i year veteran of the nypd. >> breaking news now in the international manhunt for the so-called affluenza teen, ethan couch and his mother are in mexican custody this morning awaiting transfer to u.s. officials. the pair had been the subject of an intense manhunt since disappearing earlier this month. couch was found responsible for a drunk driving crash that killed four people but his lawyers successfully argued he was too affluent and spoiled to understand he did anything wrong. we're learning more about the bear attack on a new jersey scout master. the 911 call has been released. the attack was in a wooded recreational area about 30 miles northeast of new york city. the leader said the bear pulled him into its cave and mauled him. he told the operator he was too injured to move. >> i'm sorry about this. >> what's that? >> i'm sorry about all this.

>> no, no, no, listen, there's nothing to be sorry about. let's get you taken care of. okay? forget the apologies. that's the last of our concerns. >> the 911 calls showed the three boys were not only prepared but they also stayed calm and probably saved the life of this man. they also called for help. rescuers pinpointed their location and waved to the helicopter as it approached. an ohio grand jury decided not to bring charges in the shooting death of tamir rice. now rice's family is criticizing the prosecutor in cleveland for how he's handled the case and even the ohio governor says the decision will leave many wondering whether justice was actually served. here's abc's mara schiavocampo. >> reporter: prosecutors announcing a cleveland grand jury's decision not to file charges against officers in the shooting death of 12-year-old tamir rice. >> given this perfect storm of human error, mistakes and miscommunications by all involved that day, the evidence did not indicate criminal conduct by police.

>> reporter: tamir was fatally shot outside a recreation center in 2014 by rookie police officer timothy loehmann. >> he had reason to fear for his life. >> reporter: among the mistakes that prosecutors say led to the shooting, while the 911 caller indicated tamir was probably a child, playing with a toy, that crucial information was never given to officers. and they say at 5'7" and 170 pounds, they didn't realize he was a child. >> it was so clear from the prosecutor's behavior that he was trying to lose the case, that he was trying to exonerate the officers. >> tamir's family is reacting to the decision, saying they are saddened and disappointed, noting surveillance video shows the boy was shot in less than one second. accusing the prosecutor of manipulating the grand jury process. the department of justice has also announced they have been monitoring the investigation and will continue with an independent review. mara schiavocampo, abc news, new york. well, whole foods paying a hefty fine to settle claims it

overcharged new york city customers for prepackaged foods. the grocery chain is paying $500,000. it's also expanding policies to prevent mislabeling and incorrect pricing. city regulators had initially demanded $1.5 million. wow, anyone who has been to a tailgate party probably familiar with corn hole, the popular parking lot game is now part of a hype surrounding thursday's college football playoffs semifinals. >> this happened at the goodyear blimp base in south florida. a giant corn hole board was set up. it measured 64 feet by 32 feet. >> and cheerleaders from michigan state and alabama took turns tossing that giant bean bag from the window of a blimp. we're talking 200 feet above the board. the game ended tied at one. mascots also there. school's football teams play on thursday night. big game. >> big game, big playoffs coming on. the commish had his picks.

we'll get to that at another point. >> coming up in "the skinny," the network anchor who fainted on air and went right back on tv. >> also ahead, little hands getting into grown-up medications. an alert to parents and grandparents about special pill containers that are not child proof. >> and later sports with reena and three memorable moments of 2015, including -- we're not going to tell them now. we're giving away the farm before we even get to the segment. you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: "world news now" weather, brought to you by rid-x septic cleaner. brought to you by rid-x septic cleaner. a fabulous garden party for her birthday. so i mowed the lawn, put up all the decorations. i thought i got everything. almost everything! you know, 1 in 10 houses could get hit by a septic disaster, and a bill of up to $13,000. but for only $7 a month, rid-x is scientifically proven to break down waste, helping you avoid a septic disaster.

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a car slammed into a pole, and the unconscious driver was trapped inside the burning car at the time. within seconds, york township fire chief nate tracy was out of his truck pulling the driver out of the vehicle to safety. the chief didn't put on his firefighter jacket before racing into action. you see him dragging that person from that burning vehicle. >> incredible to see there. >> absolutely. a warning to parents how easy it is for young kids to get their fingers into prescription drugs. >> it's not from pill bottles. it's those pill organizers that are really popular with people who use them to try to keep track of multiple prescriptions. here's dr. richard besser. >> reporter: it's a sound no little kid should be making clicking open a pill box. child reese sissent caps are designed to help keep ids under 5 from getting into medications. what about pill boxes and organizers?

in 2012, more than 65,000 children under 5 went to emergency rooms for medicine poisoning and in many cases it belonged to a parent or grandparent. with the help of montclair children's school in manhattan, we got some little kids together to see if they could open medication containers, child resistant and not. not one toddler is able to open the child resistant bottles. >> how do you open these? >> yeah, i'm not going to tell you. but getting into weekly pill organizers meant to be easily opened by the elderly is a different story. 3-year-old margot opened this pill box in nine seconds. experts say the eye catching boxes look like toys. >> we use them for storage of you know, toys or small trinkets or for arts and crafts. when they see that, they're curious and put things in their mouth. >> 4-year-old kai got into a child resistant medicine bottle >> get one open, kai? >> and every 4-year-old in our group opened the pig organizers

in under 15 seconds. parents were shocked. >> i guess i'm surprised he could open this one. i didn't think about it. >> i definitely thought maybe we should make sure that pill box goes on a higher shelf at her grandparents' place. >> reporter: but t kids caught on fast. >> if you find something like this medicine boxes at home, who should you tell right away? >> your mommy. >> your mommy, that's right. your mommy on your daddy or some grown-up. right? >> you don't take it out of your mommy and daddy's room. >> no, you don't take it out of their room. >> don't touch. >> you don't touch. >> dr. richard besser, abc, news, new york. >> dr. besser also gives us this tip to always store those medications up and away so that kids can't reach it but of course, a lot of people don't remember to do that. >> it's hard when you're taking your daily pills you don't remember to put it up and away. >> the most dangerous drugs kids get their hands on, pain relievers like acetaminophen and cough and cold medications and antidepressants.

not good. >> coming up, the news anchor who fainted on air. >> and a special surprise for fans of "the x files." "the skinny" is next. >> announcer: "world news now" >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our

♪ skinny, so skinny ♪ skinny, so skinny it is time now for "the skinny" and a big fear shared by all of us who work on camera.

>> it happened yesterday live on cnn. some fright nipping moments played out for anchor poppy harlow who is six months pregnant, by the way. she apparently fainted while reporting on a story about america's war on isis. >> bad news for the obama administration. we have this new cnn/orc poll which is quite a -- quite a turnaround in -- >> it's hard to listen to. >> it is. absolutely. the network quickly cut to a commercial while the twitterverse exploded over the news. but harlow was back relatively quickly reassuring viewers. >> for all of you on twitter who are asking if i'm okay, thank you so much. i got a little hot and i passed out for a moment. i am fine. we're going to take a quick break. we'll be right back. >> late last month, harlow and her husband announced they're expecting their first child. the baby is due this spring. >> all right. >> next to some big real estate news for tom cruise.

>> the hollywood heavyweight has reportedly put his english estate on the market. the palatial property is in west sussex, believed to be the house he bought with his third wife katie holmes in 2006. the 14-acre estate boasts six bedrooms, eight baths and is listed for just over $7 million. >> making us wonder why cruise has apparently been on a tear to shred those properties. last year he sold his hollywood hills mansion at a loss for $11 million and he's put his beverly hills home on the market for $50 million. there's also his 300 acre colorado compound for $59 million. >> where is he living today? he's selling all these houses. >> yeah, maybe in another house. >> yes. speaking of men of mystery, let's talk about fox mulder and while we're at it, dana scully. >> fox is bringing back "the x files" back for a six-episode mini series next month.

while fans have been titillated by photos, teasers and trailers, series creator chris carter has given us a real whopper. we're talking a 21-minute featurette. >> it was really putting the band back together. the people you're going to see doing these episodes are the people who actually helped to create "the x files" series. >> well, this preview sets up the new episodes by refreshing viewers where the show left off in 2002. can you believe how long it's been? and hints at what the new series is all about, but be warned, it is loaded with spoilers. i'm sure you're a fan. >> i love "the x files". >> yeah, do you believe the truth is out there? >> the truth is always out there. >> winter is coming. >> winter is coming. you like that? >> say everything i say? >> i'm going to repeat you like a parrot. >> since we're on the subject of new releases, pop star iggy azalea posted a short clip of her new song on twitter.

>> it comes two days after she announced the lead single from her upcoming album called "team" and now we're getting a taste of it right from apparently her bathroom. ♪ >> azalea hasn't said when the song will be released only that it won't be released in january and that it won't be available on itunes but on sound cloud. youtube and other online platforms. so take that, steve jobs. what's that about, huh? >> i don't know. but you know, when most of us sing in the bathroom, it's not the sort of songs that you want anybody else to hear. and dare i say it, it kind of sounds like that with iggy's song there. >> what? >> i think she's always great. i look forward to this. i was in the apple store on the weekend and i have to say taylor swift had the dustup with apple. then they patched things up.

she's everywhere in apple. >> all over apple. no more bad blood. >> coming up, sports with reena. coming up, sports with reena. i pinky promised my little girl a fabulous garden party for her birthday. so i mowed the lawn, put up all the decorations. i thought i got everything. almost everything! you know, 1 in 10 houses could get hit by a septic disaster, and a bill of up to $13,000. but for only $7 a month, rid-x is scientifically proven to break down waste, helping you avoid a septic disaster.

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finally this half hour, a year end edition of can you spot the panda between reena's dress and all of that graphic? actually not. sports with reena. we've been fascinated with her take on sports throughout the past year. howard cosell would love this. now is her chance to take one final swing at the best sports moments of 2015. reena, over to you. >> thank you, sir. what an introduction. let's start with the remarkable moment from college football. they call this the miracle in ann arbor. >> okay. >> it was a sports signature play of 2015, michigan state had a disaster of a punt attempt by arch rival michigan. the spartans jalen watts-jackson a freshman recovered the ball and returned it for the game-winning touchdown. the play leading to this kid's 15 minutes of fame. he struck the so-called

surrender cobra. >> wolverines ahead by two. do you remember that? only ten seconds on the clock when it happened. they had gotten the punt off. they were likely to have won the game but the final score spartans 27, wolverines 23. watts-jackson suffered a dislocated and fractured hip by the way. he's on the mend just starting to walk the past few days. he's going to miss the cotton bowl against alabama. you know what? this was probably a lifetime highlight. >> you even know what bowl they're in. >> i boned up on this. another moment came in september at the u.s. open tennis championship. it was supposed to be serena williams crowning achievement winning every grand slam event in the calendar year but she lost in the semifinals to italian roberta vinci. vinci went on to lose to another italian. her tennis partner flavia pennetta. then a remarkable moment, pennetta announcing she would go out on top. she had already decided months ahead she was going to retire at

the end of the season and she left the game ranked as the number six player in the world, great way to go out. never doubt the italians. >> serena is the sports woman of the year. >> she's going to come back next year. 2016. and finally, you know i did say 2016 was the year of the woman, the female athlete. u.s. women's national soccer team went into july's world cup final against japan expecting a tough battle. it was close till the match started. that's when u.s. captain carli lloyd started her one-woman assault, scoring a hat trick. that means three goals in the first 16 minutes of the game. >> good to know. >> her third goal remarkable, struck from near the halffield line. at that point the party was on. the final score u.s., 5, japan, 2, abby wambach final world cup match also. come back, abby, come back. >> this is abc's "world news now."

making news in america this morning, winter weather. snow and ice finally hitting parts of the u.s. after record-breaking december warmth. the massive system on the move right now. we're tracking it all. breaking overnight man hunt over. ethan couch and his mother taken into custody. his new look, darker hair. the so-called affluenza teen back on his way to the u.s. a drone hovering over the president's motorcade. secret service stepping in. the pilot's explanation. gigantic game in the record books. dropped from a blimp, the supersized version of a tailgating tradition. good tuesday morning. afr