this morning on "world news now," facing a judge. bill cosby accused by a long list of women of sexual assault. the case that brought the comedian to court after so many years. flood emergency. the overflowing rivers in missouri and illinois. the human toll. today's evacuations and who is sending help on a miserable holiday. >> and new this half hour, what may be an advance in robotics. >> developers say this robot may look and act more like a human than previous creations. is this innovative or just creepy? >> interesting. in "the skinny," leonardo dicaprio explains why he passed up a role in one of the biggest movie franchises ever. it is thursday, new year's eve, december 31st. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now."

>> good morning. it's new year's eve. >> we made it to new year's eve. >> through another year. i'm lauren lyster. >> i'm kendis gibson. thank you for being with us on new year's effective. >> i'm so happy to be here. >> we're going to get started this half hour on a sad note for many people and really a serious one, the first criminal charges against comedian bill cosby for sexual abuse. for the first time, the frail looking 78-year-old appeared in court. >> yeah, he did. >> he was then fingerprinted, photographed and released on bail. abc's marci gonzales reports from pennsylvania. >> god bless you, brother. >> thank you. >> reporter: bill cosby walking into court. >> how do you respond to the charges? >> reporter: he was arraigned on a felony aggravated indecent assault charge, allegations brought by a woman here in pennsylvania, re-examined by police, leading to the comedian's arrest. the charges coming just a month before the statute of limitations expired on the accusation made by andrea

constand, the former temple university employee claiming cosby, her former mentor and friend, sexually assaulted her in 2004 in his pennsylvania mansion. >> mr. cosby urged her to take pills that he provided to her and to drink wine. the effect of which rendered her unable to move, respond to his advances. >> reporter: when constand first made the accusations, prosecutors decided there wasn't enough evidence to pursue the case and constand later settled with cosby in civil court. but prosecutors say incriminating statements cosby made in a recently released deposition in that case led them in part to reopen the criminal investigation, cosby admitting that he had given quaaludes to women but saying the pills he gave constand were benadryl insisting what followed was consensual. cosby's been accused of drugging and assaulting dozens of women over decades, but this is the first time he's been criminally charged. and cosby is scheduled to be

back here in court on january 14th. kendis and lauren? >> of course, there's going to be a lot of coverage of that. the "new york daily news" has really taken on this topic. this is the headline for tomorrow by the way. in an editorial the daily news calling him a predatory step uncle. bill cosby there. and in it, you can see one he said and so many she said, she said, she said, making a point there. >> those she saids representing the multiple women, more than 55 accusations against bill cosby asserting he said versus all of those she saids. but the paper certainly pulling mo punches in that one that will hit newstands today. >> it's going to be quite a trial. the other big story this morning, ethan couch's deportation has been delayed by a judge in mexico. 9 so-called affluenza teen is seen here being moved from a detention center in guadalajara to an immigration facility in mexico city. once returned to the u.s., couch faces charges of violating his

parole from a drunk driving accident which killed four. >> his case is still under juvenile law. as messed up as it is, he'll probably only be able to sentence him to 120 days actually in jail. >> couch's mother tonya is returning to u.s. soil. she's being turned over to federal marshals in los angeles. we turn our focus to the weather disaster taking place in the midwest right now where entire communities are underwater. >> residents ordered to evacuate or await rescue from the floodwaters and several interstate highways are closed because of flooding. abc's elizabeth hur is in st. louis. good morning, elizabeth. >> reporter: kendis and lauren, good morning to you. here in st. louis, you cannot get far without running into one of these road closure signs especially along the mississippi river because if you can believe it, that river is still rising. >> near the iconic st. louis arch, the mighty mississippi river has spilled over its banks. residents have been evacuated and others say they haven't seen a flooding like this in more

than 20 years. >> back in '93, we had a week's notice that it was going to get bad. this time it popped up in two days. >> reporter: throughout the show me state, nearly 600 roads and highways are closed. entire neighborhoods cutoff. in union, this mcdonald's surrounded by floodwaters almost to its roof, and this gas station nearly submerged. similar sights seen across the state. businesses and homes underwater. >> the water's come up really fast. >> some store owners tried to save whatever they could but they were no match for the rising waters. >> brutal. we just are working to get everything out. didn't get it all but got what we could. >> reporter: it's a race against time where the rivers haven't crested yet. >> we're all going to get through it. just got work together as he he community and get through it. >> reporter: north of st. louis in austin, the river is expected to crest today 17 feet above flood stage. officials say several rivers

will reach their highest level in decades. more's governor has called in the national guard. what we have behind me arere actual streets and walking trails that are completely underwater and so with the water level so high, it is hard to believe, but again the mississippi river has yet to crest. kendis and lauren? >> thank you, elizabeth. that's pretty incredible. >> incredible scenes there. >> and in today's forecast, a cold blast in the mississippi river valley flood zone. heavy snow possible around the great lakes. downpours from new orleans to charlotte. dry and windy in the southwest. >> temperatures in the teens in the twin cities. 20s in great falls, montana and chicago. 30s in portland and kansas city. 40s in new york and boston. 50s in dallas and washington, d.c. to new york city now and a solemn good-bye for the police detective and soldier killed four days before christmas in a suicide bomb attack in afghanistan. thousands lined the streets of new york city for joseph lemm also known affectionately as superman.

in a touching scene, his 4-year-old son gave his dad a final salute as the coffin walked before him. the mayor and police commissioner were among those paying their respects at st. patrick's cathedral. five others were also killed in that attack. in chicago, major changes coming to the city's police department. this follows several controversial and deadly shootings. mayor rahm emanuel says officers must be better trained and less confrontational. the police department will boost the number of tasers available. every patrol car will be equipped with a taser by june 1st. protesters have been demanding the mayor's resignation. >> okay, let's move to presidential politics now and a major shift in strategy for jeb bush campaign. bush has canceled planned advertising in the key states of south carolina and iowa. staff members from the miami headquarters are being sent to those states. bush once considered the front-runner failed to gain traction in the crowded republican field. yeah, the actual front-runner donald trump continues his attacks on bush

and on hillary clinton. speaking at a rally in south carolina, trump said he viewed both of his rivals as enemies and described the campaign as war. and trump hurled his harshest words yet at bill clinton. >> the husband wants to come and she wants to accuse me of things and the husband is one of the great abusers of the world, give me a break. > ted cruz who has been gaining in the polls against trump announced he's raised nearly $20 million since october. okay, now to a health alert giving birth at home may be more risky than going to a hospital. more and more women are opting for birth centers or at home deliveries. those babies are at greater risk we're told of complications but the differences in the oregon study were very slight. out of hospital births were also less likely to involve c-sections so there are no advantages either way. all right. you might say some medical marijuana now answers to a

higher calling, so to speak. the medical marijuana products of a new york company have been certified as kosher. the largest group that decides such matters. the company's ceo says this should remove the stigma of using pot to relieve pain and nausea not only for jews but for other people, as well. >> it is kosher now. >> it's kosher. >> i'm sure there's organic pot somewhere out there. >> you seem to know a lot, kendis. to singapore and the world's most -- >> research. >> all right. let's move on to a robot. how about that? this is the world's most human-like robot, already hard at work as a receptionist. ♪ >> oh, wow. so this is nadine, a receptionist as the university where she was developed. she remembers visitors smiles, shakes hands. she can even know the words to pop songs as you can see there. it's not just her appearance that's life-like.

> no, nadine's software is similar to that used by apple's siri and microsoft's cortana. her developers say it's just a matter of time before these so-called social robots can become a nanny or a companion for the elderly. >> i don't know about leaving your kids with a robot, kendis. even one that can sing. >> speeven rolling in the deep? it's adele. >> you can have them sing lullabies to your kids. >> what is that sound effect? oh. >> frankenstein? >> i see. it's like a robot. >> they're coming for our jobs i think is the point. >> yes. coming up in "the skinny," the stars getting ready for high profile roles in the "finding nemo" movie sequel. >> also ahead, the new tv trend telling stories about real life crimes. but there's something missing with this new breed of programming and critics are speaking up. >> real life drama in alaska

involving a mysterious plane crash and the possible conflict between a husband and wife. you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: "world news now" weather, brought to you by airborne dual action. 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

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this sad scene from miami. five people killed after a driver sped the wrong way on the interstate. authorities say the 23-year-old california woman side swiped one vehicle. she then hit another one head-on killing all four people in that car and herself. three family members were among the victims. police are trying to find out why the woman was driving the wrong way. at least 21 passengers were injured after severe turbulence hit an air canada flight from shanghai to toronto. the flight was diverted to calgary so the injured could be

treated. among those hurt three children. paramedics met the 777 jumbo jet as it landed. more than a dozen were taken to nearby hospitals. one passenger described the ordeal as hellish. >> it was just like you were in a roller coaster. the plane was just go down like very straight like go down and lots of screaming. >> luckily, no one was seriously injured and most were treated for neck and back injuries. there were 332 passengers along with 19 crew members. now to alaska and new details after that deadly small plane crash that took place in anchorage that killed the pilot. >> investigators say he may have intentionally slammed the plane into his wife's office building. abc's david kerley has the latest. >> reporter: this fiery crash into an office building. >> just total shock. you don't think that could happen in downtown anchorage. >> reporter: -- stunned residents. but was it an accident? the fbi leading the investigation is saying very

little. but as crews removed the wreckage of the small cessna, some unusual clues or coincidences. the pilot, doug demarest, a member of the civil air patrol, which is an auxiliary of the u.s. air force, took the plane around 6:00 in the morning without authorization. and he struck the building, where his wife, katherine demarest, works as a lawyer. she was not in the building at the time. from the damage, it appears the plane flew in from the west, hit that first building where the wife works, then crashed into a second building, bursting into flames. also, neighbors say police and medics were at the couple's home the night before the crash. authorities say no one was taken to the hospital, and no crime had been committed. an aviation investigator is quoted as saying evidence warranted bringing in the fbi, but no one is saying what that evidence is. david kerley, abc news, washington. next to a major hollywood snub. >> and finding two new voices for the "finding nemo" sequel. "the skinny" is next.

>> announcer: "world news now" >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our

♪ skinny, so skinny it is time for "the skinny" and topping our headlines this morning, new details behind why leonardo dicaprio said no years ago to george lucas.

>> the revenant" recently opened up to a british magazine that george lucas offered him the role of anakin skywalker soon to be darth vader in star wars 2 and 3. >> having been recently off his high profile role in titanic, he said he turned the role down uneasy with his new status as an international heartthrob. not ready to dive back into another block buster. >> poor guy. >> it is so tough. he even rejected the lead in spider-man instead opting for more artist mick roles in "the beach" and "the man in the iron mask." we have him to blame for hayden christenson. >> since "finding nemo" dory has made no friends. the new creatures will have familiar voices, as well. of course, with dory voiced by ellen degeneres. >> don't cry, mommy. don't cry. >> i remembered something. that's not possible. is it? is it like a picture in your head? >> disney sharing new concept art of the upcoming sequel

featuring the new friends bailey and destiny. >> bailey is voiced by ty burrell ty burrell and destiny has the voice of "it's always sunny in philadelphia"'s kaitlin olson. "finding dory" swims into theaters june 17th. of course, we have this important disclaimer about the movie. >> disney is the parent company of abc news. >> uncle walter? >> i don't know who that is. >> speaking of disney and our parent company fresh off its phenomenal success with "star wars" "the force awakens" comes a hint of more exciting news also involving harrison ford. >> during an interview with bloomberg, disney ceo bob iger chatting about what's on the horizon for lucas film dropping the hint that indiana jones will be coming back. >> earlier this year, a release date rumored for the movie. steven spielberg, harrison ford have been open about reuniting.

and again, this important disclaimer. >> disney is the parent company of abc news. >> where is that coming from? >> you should know. this is your studio. >> micky? >> all right. and staying tuned maybe a little too closely to the kardashians. >> she's arguably the social media superstar of the family. now 1-year-old kylie jenner has revealed to elle uk that she plans to quit instagram some day. she has 46 million followers and has received more than a billion likes to her posts this year alone. >> that's incredible. a billion. she says, once she has a kid, she'll "probably delete my instagram account and i don't know, live my life." . she's 18. when is she going to have a kid? anytime soon? >> to think we celebrated 20,000 followers on instagram. >> there are a lot of followers for those young ladies. >> coming up, one of the hottest new trends on tv is a new kind of crime story. >> leading the pack is netflix's

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rid-x. the #1 brand used by septic professionals in their own tanks. ♪ of course, who could forget that theme song? television crime dramas have delighted generations of tv viewers over the decades but there's a new breed of true crime series taking tv and the internet by storm. >> of course, it's generating a lot of controversy with authorities saying these shows are responsible for a miscarriage of justice. here's abc's david wright. >> reporter: netflix "making a murderer" unravels the case of steven avery, a wisconsin man who served 18 years behind bars for a sexual assault he didn't commit only to be rearrested for murder. the series sows serious doubts about the murder case. >> it rolls out almost like a

soap opera, gets people truly invested in the story and clearly, feeling incredibly passionate about it. >> reporter: so much so, local authorities say they have received hundreds of messages from people who support avery. bombarding them with hostile tweets, even scathing reviews on yelp. the former prosecutor practically accused of framing avery for murder sent us a point by point rebuttal of the filmmaker's case calling the series irresponsible adding netflix should either provide an opportunity for rebuttal or alert the viewers the series was produced by and for the defense of steven avery. >> we feel our process was very thoughtful. we were always concerned with accuracy and fairness. ♪ >> true crime stories have been popular for years starting with "dragnet." but this new wave of true crime is different with story tellers taking sides. hbo's "jinx" resulted in new murder charges being brought against millionaire robert

durst. for better or worse, these series are trial by media. >> social media is a double-edged sword. on the one hand, it can be very powerful in forcing government officials to act. on the other hand, it can lead to overreactions depending on the situation. >> reporter: david wright, abc news, new york. and so many newspapers including "variety" have that particular series "making a murderer" among the top ten lists of the best tv series of this year. it's a docu-series, of course. >> you were just talking about it, all the buzz surrounding it. >> a lot of people are looking forward to it. >> oh, hey. >> hello, officer. >> at least i'm in the driver's seat. i like it. >> that's the way we like it. hello, officer don't miss our updates on facebook. >> announcer: this is abc's "world news now." informing insomniacs for two decades. " informing insomniacs for two decades.

making news in america this morning, taking no chances on this new year's eve security tightening as the nation and the world begin celebrating the arrival of 2016. we're live in washington with the latest. dangerous, deadly flooding in the middle of the nation. rivers cresting, the warnings for everyone across the flood zone. bill cosby now awaiting his next court date. his attorneys promising a vigorous defense against sexual assault charges. >> on a lighter note president obama hanging out with jerry seinfeld. >> what's your most embarrassing president moment? >> the revealing answer and a little drive-around coming up.