this morning on "world news now," dangerous disruptive and drenching. >> the back to back storms causing floods and mudslides across california and yet another el nino storm slamming the coast. get today's warning from accuweather. >> campaign conflict. ted cruz born in canada and getting heat from donald trump. the political battle and the explanation from cruz. football warnings. the wife of a 25-year-old college athlete, the victim of severe brain trauma has an important message about safety on field. first breaking news about the $524 million powerball drawing just hours ago. we didn't win. neither did you, by the way. the big news this morning, about the next jackpot. it's thursday, january 7th.

>> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." oh, good morning, everybody. it's thursday. i'm kayna whitworth in for reena ninan. >> i'm kendis gibson. and if you happen to be holding a powerball ticket like we are, then you might as well as just do what i'm going to do. how many numrs did we get right? >> we got zero. >> zero. it's worth about this much. i thought it would be a lot more dramatic than that. >> sitting next to you is kind of dramatic. i wish everybody could have witnessed the setup that this took. >> it's always bigner person. >> yeah. >> on tv, it just doesn't translate. >> i prosecutor appreciate your enthusiasm. >> we'll try again for saturday. >> don't pull a muscle. >> or a hernia. too late. yeah, i mean, $675 million the big jackpot. >> i'm buying another one. >> yeah, of course we will. >> so you get another chance saturday because the prizes he

said will be an estimated $675 million. the largest jackpot in u.s. history and up till last night's drawing players were out in force buying a shot at financial freedom hoping they would have the right combination of numbers for that winning ticket. it was just not to be. >> just so you know the wins numbers were 2, 11, 47, 62, 63 ran the powerball was 17. >> much more about our frustration in the lottery frenzy ahead. the numbers you should pick also and the ones you should skip when you buy your next ticket. we'll talk about that in the next half hour. >> our other major story. a lot of people on the west coast paying attention to this. a third el nino fueled storm blasting through southern california. >> the heavy rains triggered mud slides, flooded roads. multiple lanes of the 5 freeway in the san fernando he valley were closed for several hours. looked like they turned the

freeway into a canal. >> farther north, heavy rains in the bay area have been making driving treacherous. sand bags are on stand by and more rain on the way. abc's brandi hitt leads off our coverage this morning. >> reporter: a super soaking in southern california. >> we go around. >> reporter: heavy downpours flooding roads and entire freeways. >> it's down to just the left lane open. >> reporter: leaving drivers stranded many with the same story. >> i saw cars going through it. so i thought oh, i'm fine. >> reporter: look at this big rig rescue a smaller car. this driver got a push from the highway patrol. the back to back el nino storms delivering so much rain, water broke through the walls of this restaurant. the saturated ground toppling one tree after the next on to cars as emergency crews also rescue the homeless kicked out along fast rising rivers. >> we was overcome by water. waist to chest deep water and they were hypothermic. >> reporter: the concern now mud slides at recent wildfire burn

areas, sliding mud is threatening homes. many families hoping sand bags will save them. and while this cell tries to protect rescue dogs in ventura, others are using the heavy rain and mud to their advantage. and this region isn't out of the woods yet. more rain is in sore this week. a welcome sight for drought stricken california but too much too fast. and this is what happens, kendis and kayna. >> brandi, thank you so much. the system so powerful it actually unleashed waterspouts. >> one by one. look at this. the funnels were spotted off the coast of san diego but did not move ashore. there were several of them there. accuweather's justin povick has the latest storm warnings. good morning. >> kayna and kendis, thanks and good morning to you, as well. we're tracking more storminess. hard to believe in the southwest. again on this thursday. very active be storm track. tracking heavy rain in the valleys and very heavy snow continuing in the mountainous

terrain. lots of travel delays coming up. south plains and the gulf coast region looking at gusty thunderstorms, as well with soaking showers. kayna and kendis, back to you. >> justin, thank you. breaking overnight for the second time this week, trading has been halted on china's stock market. about a half an hour after the exchange opened the shanghai index down more than 7% triggering the shutdown and as was the case monday it was because of worries about china's economy. the central bank again devalued the country's currency and this morning other asian marks are down. >> north korea's claim of a nuclear bomb test doesn't seem to be a factor in the stock market slide perhaps because there are doubts it ever happened. the white house doesn't believe the claim. the uts u.s. immediately launched so the called nuclear sniffer planes to determine whether the claims are true. already many are skeptical. >> the reported size of the detonation is relatively modest, comparable to the tests that

north korea carried out in 2013 which i think led many experts to assume this is in fact probably a much cruder device rather than a fully fledged hydrogen bomb. >> the question now this morning, whether the north's chief backer china is willing to allow stiffer sanctions as punishment. a bill to repeal obamacare is heading for the president's desk where he's sure to veto it. it also blocks funding for planned parenthood. it was a straight party line pretty much. neither margin was enough to overturn the veto. however, democrats say it's political theater. >> moving to more political theater but on the campaign trail. donald trump is now shifting his focus for the moment 'away from the clintons and to his closest challenger, ted cruz. he's now asking the same questions of the texas senator that he once asked of president obama. here's abc's tom llamas.

>> reporter: donald trump saying his toughest challenger, senator ted cruz, has a, quote, cloud over his head. >> do you believe senator ted cruz is a natural born citizen? >> i don't know. to be honest. >> reporter: trump now warning democrats will make an issue of the fact that cruz was born in canada. >> he's got this cloud over his head. i don't think it's going to be possible for him to do very well. i don't think it's actually possible for the republicans to let it happen, because he'll have this cloud. >> reporter: in iowa, cruz, whose mother is an american citizen, firing back. >> the child of a u.s. citizen born abroad is a natural born citizen. people will continue to make political noise about it, but as a legal matter, it is quite straightforward. >> reporter: trump famously used the birther issue against president obama, challenging him to prove he wasn't born in kenya. but just last year, trump himself told abc news that cruz doesn't have a problem. >> it's fine. i hear that it was checked out by every attorney and every which way and i understand ted is in fine shape. >> reporter: but back then, cruz was trailing badly. some polls have cruz

leading in iowa, and we were one-on-one with him on his campaign bus, asking about trump. >> my view if others. >> if he sees you as a threat. >> you'd have to ask him that. >> cruz has tried his best to ignore trump's attack. the fiery texas senator energizing iowa republicans and his consecutive base. we were there when a woman broke down in tears just talking to him. >> but some republicans worry cruz is too bow lar rising unwilling to compromise with congress to win in a national election. >> donald trump says a judge could settle this whole issue but at the time cruz is not taking the bait. he says the issue is settled. if he's elected he can become president by law. tom llamas, abc news, spencer, iowa. >> on the democratic side all three presidential candidates turned out for a dinner in las vegas last night co-hosted by harry roid. however, it was not a debate. hillary clinton, vermont senator bernie sanders and martin o'malley each made their case to

a friendly audience about their plans to grow the middle class, protect medicare and social security and create jobs. >> the picks and snubs of baseball's hall of fame have sparked debate in the sports world. ken griffey junior picked up the highest total ever. 630 home runs, also voted in mike piazza, considered the game's greatest hitting catcher. not making it to coopers town this year, can barry bonds and then seven-cy young award winner roger clemens both tainted by steroid use. i saw a lot of congratulations for ken griffey junior. apparently he had to wait almost 30 call for the call. they have video of him sitting there wait for the call. >> sammy sosa got 31 more votes than the rest of us would have got. >> and also a good point. coming up "the mix," the

hidden stash of cash cleed up and the hungry dog in big trouble be. >> we're returning to our top story, the anticipation leading to last night's powerball drawing and the in ubs to pick for this week's jackpot. >> the wife of a college player who suffered from a brain disease seen in much older players is speaking out. >> and remember you can find behind the scenes pics on instagram an abc wwnabcwnn. you're watching "world news now." write down this number now. right now, people are receiving this free information kit for guaranteed acceptance life insurance with a rate lock through the colonial penn program. if you are on a fixed income, learn about affordable whole life insurance that guarantees your rate can never increase for any reason. if you did not receive your information, call this number now. your acceptance is guaranteed,

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fast-moving house fire in southern maine is thanking his lucky stars and fellow firefighters this morning. he was on that ridge pole. this is a three-story victorian and the roofing beneath him gaveway. nearly engulfing him. amazingly though he was able to scramble to safety. he didn't have a scratch on him thanks in part to crew mates who helped him on to a ladder and away from danger. that's incredible. that could have turned out so much differently. so differently. over the past year, we've been reporting on the dangers hated with football on the brain. we have seen young players suddenly die and retire pros from a degenerative disease called ct. >> it's not just professional players who can suffer from this serious disease. ryan smith with more. >> i didn't know why all this was happening to him. >> cassandra kek knows how

football can change lives. >> it hurt me to see him struggle so much. >> her husband michael died two years ago at just 25 years old of a congenital heart ailment. doctors announcing this week in a major journal that he suffered from cte, chronic traumatic encephalopathy a degenerative brain disease connected to taking hits on the football field. >> he was certainly the worst case i've seen with this disease under the age of 30. >> ann mcgee has studied over 1 0 brains including michael's. >> when you see this disease in a person that young, it's surprising even shocking. > cte identified only after death has been found in numerous nfl players like hall of famers frank gifford and junior seau and is rarely seen in amateur players like michael kek. but experts say moments like these show amateurs aren't immune to the perils of contact

football. look at this video. a hit michael told cassandra was one of his hardest. he flies at an opponent, slamming into him. colliding with such force, parts of his helmet break off. >> he had way more than ten concussions. >> cassandra says he abruptly quit college football after suffering one too many hard hits. >> he was seeing stars and had sensitivity to light all the time. he had a lot of anger. it was impulsive. >> they turned to doctors. but she says test results came up empty. >> i was so mad that nobody could help him. it was upsetting he felt so alone. >> her life now changed forever. her 5-year-old son too young to remember his dad. >> first thing i thought of when he decide, he won't get to ever meet him. >> but she says michael did not die in vain. >> letting people know that this disease is out there. you don't know how many hits or how many concussions away you are from getting a disease like there. that's whae what's so scary.

it could happen to anyone. >> ryan smith, abc news, new york. >> if it's happening to a 25-year-old, it could happen to anyone. coming up, more heartburn for chipotle. the restaurant now in the middle of a criminal investigation after hundreds of people were sickened last summer. what it could mean for the popular burrito chain. first a record payday. why your powerball dreams are now soaring to new heights and how we might be spending our millions. you're watching "world news now." >>

♪ i've got the power >> excellent song choice. >> oh, snap. nobody had the power last night. don't even look at your tickets. throw them out. shred them. there was no powerball winner. >> the worst attitude. >> there is good news though. the next drawing offers the biggest lotto jackpot in

history. >> luck be a powerball. now nice an extra 524 million bucks could be. 47, 2, 63, 62, 11, and 17 is the powerball. the cash payout worth a minimum of $306 million. in cold hard cash. even though it cops on a silly look oversize check. >> there you go. >> okay. it's crazy. >> just like the one julie leech from michigan received when he she won the jackpot last november for 23 years, she worked at a fiberglass factory. >> are you leaving your job? >> i quit automatically. i was done. >> that jackpot was worth just over $310 million. but the former factory worker opted for the lump sum payment and pocketed a mere 140,000 after taxes. >> was having a really bad night at work. thought i might, as well check

my numbers while i'm sitting here waiting for my lunch. that's when i realized i was the winner. i didn't believe it. >> what do you do with the wings? tackle the new year'sing ares for starters. if you want to get fit, maybe you want to look fabulous like grith paltrow or kate hudson, with $500 million you could hire celeb trainer to the stars tracey richardsonen for your family and friends for life. the powerball could get you nearly 25,000 trips around the world. financial experts say keep your purse strings tight by waiting six months or longer before buying anything. according to a 2015 study, 44% of winners spent their entire wings within five years and losing their riches is only one bad outcome for winners. ike abraham shakespeare who won $30 million in florida in 2006 was found murdered three years late per a woman who befriended

him is serving a life sentence. there is a next time. and a fine art to choosing the right numbers. don't pick numbers based on your kids birthdays or your wedding anniversary. in fact, don't pick the numbers at all an. 70 to 80% of powerball jackpot winning tickets have been computer picks. if you insist on picking numbers, try these, 8, 54, 14, 39, 13. those are among the most frequently drawn numbers in the past four years. the next drawing is saturday when the grand prize is estimated to be worth $675 million. the largest jackpot ever. >> i'm playing again. >> i'm playing again but i got some shocking news that there were 12 win in other words, are partial winners who got like a million bucks each. one in new york. no, and i shredded our ticket.

>> you blu it. >> you have a bad attitude. >> piece it together. >> all right. we'll be right back. >> i'm alex trebek. if you're age 50 to 85, this is an important message. so please, write down the number on your screen. the lock i want to talk to you about isn't the one on your door. it's a rate lock for your life insurance that guarantees your rate can never go up at any time, for any reason. but be careful. many policies you see do not have one, but you can get a lifetime rate lock through the colonial penn program. call this number to learn more. this plan was designed with a rate lock for people on a fixed income who want affordable life insurance that's simple to get. coverage options for just $9.95 a month, less than 35 cents a day. act now and your rate will be locked in for life. it will never increase. your coverage can never be cancelled as long as you pay

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all night... or all day. okay. i got to show nut mix here what was captivating tv in the uk and all across the world yesterday. you know, they've had a lot of rain lately in the uk. and this is what enthralled tens of thousands of people. this paris scope of a puddle in new castle in the middle of the country there in the north. it just how people would navigate this. this is gripping must see television. >> everyone's part of i like to watch people fall down club. >> no, they have different techniques. different people would run across it and jump across it. there's a particular guy who used a floatie to get across it. we have that photo. way to go. this was so popular and it was a surprise thato many people were tuning into this perry scope.

ben sherwood is now looking at this as a possible primetime show for abc come next year. >> i love that. i like the sign they put in the middle. so spouses out there, do you ever hide money from the other one? like cold hard cash? this guy in china tried to hide more than $500 from his wife. hid it in their couch. >> okay. makes sense. >> then they're taking care of somebody's dog. >> oh. >> and the dog got into the couch. and then destroyed all of the money. again, this is in china. so you're not looking at american dollars there. you're looking at $500 just shredded by this dog. i mean, maybe you shouldn't have covered it in peanut butter. i don't know. >> is that what he did? >> tells his wife about it by the way, and i guess she wasn't mad. >> i have one question about this. one. why did the -- why did he hide it from his wife? >> he didn't say. all he would say is that i hid it from her.

did not want to elaborate why. he was a smart guy, he would say he was saving to buy her something pretty. >> take a look at this 10-year-old prodigy. this young girl in the uk is now the youngest person signed to a classical music agency. shoo she's incredible. >> sounds pretty good. she's been playing the violin and the piano since she was 2 and 3 years old. way to go. good luck. >> also, move over grumpy cat. we want to introduce everybody to pearl. pearl is apparently the angry cat.care scary. those dark dark eyes. anybody watch trueblood out there? apparently she's adopted 6 years owed to a family that loves her. they say she's very sweet. can the cat garner the internet fame grumpy cat has. >> she doesn't look like that angry. looks like. >> that's scary.

breaking news on "world news now." record jackpot. nobody won last night's $524 million powerball prize. the eye-popping amount of money up for grabs this saturday. >> extreme weather flooding downpours drenching california from one end of the state to the other. now other parts of the country are bracing for el nino's worst. >> and new this half hour, chipotle in deep trouble. >> the norovirus outbreak linked to hundreds of illnesses. the investigation into chipotle could move now from the kitchen to the courtroom. and later in "the skinny," songs and tears from tough guy vin diesel. what led to emotional moments on stage at the people's choice awards. it is thursday, january -- oh, sing it, vin -- january 7th.