this morni this morning on "world news now," tulsa tornado. the severe storm sending residents for cover as a twister touches down. as many other regions face extreme weather, as well. >> donald trump in the political crosshairs. this time over his statements regarding punishment for abortion. what this means for his currently em battled campaign. our political director weighs in just ahead. and new this half hour, a major homecoming for lamar odom. >> the former laker returning to the staples center for the first time since his near death experience. plus, warriors fans fall from the stands hoping to get a piece of superstar steph curry. >> casting call controversy. why the hottest show on broadway is being called racist. that story is ahead in "the skinny." it's thursday, march 31st.

>> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning, everyone. i'm kendis gibson. >> i'm reena ninan. let's get right to our top story this morning. the severe weather in the south. >> more than half a dozen people were injured one critically by a tornado in the tulsa area last night. at least one home was destroyed in eastern oklahoma and others damaged and the roof ripped off a church. >> the storms are causing problems for much of the south. more than 3.5 inches of rain in little rock marked the wettest day since the 1800s. all of it on the move right now. with more, here's abc's phil men . >> i hope people are taking cover. a man and his son running for cover in a hailstorm northeast of wichita. streets submerged in little rock. flash flood warnings, as these huge metal dumpsters float away. quarter-sized hail pounding morgan county, illinois.

all part of a massive storm system that brought blinding snow to the rockies. authorities searching for a utah father, missing since he left to get help for his family when their vehicle got stuck. in colorado, ten people injured after this suv crashed head-on into a bus. here in north texas, two hailstorms this month already causing an estimated $1 billion in damage. blue tarps, even umbrellas covering these homes in plano. insurance adjusters still processing claims for damaged vehicles. if you're ever caught in a hailstorm, to prevent damage like this, you can take the floor mats and use them to protect your vehicle. and in florida, dangerous lightning. one strike injuring three boca raton firefighters. here in dallas, we are still under the threat of severe weather. millions more are bracing for that storm system headed east. phillip mena, abc news, dallas. >> to politics now, donald trump

comments on abortion. trump reversed himself hours late area. but in a forum on msnbc, he initially said if abortion were illegal women who have the procedure should be punished. it put the gop front-runner at the center of a bipartisan firestorm. >> do you believe in punishment for abortion? yes or no. as a principal. >> the answer is there has to be some form of punishment. >> for the woman. >> yeah. >> ten cents, ten years, what? >> that i don't know. >> why not? you take positions on everything else. >> frankly i do take positions on everything else. it's a very complicated position. >> as trump walked back his comments, he said health care providers should be punished and he added that women are the victims, but the remarks are the reversal that triggered criticism from all sides pro-life activists, gop rivals and the democratic candidates all lashing out. abc's rick klein has more on what this could mean for trump's candidacy. >> reena and kendis, a major moment in the presidential campaign. this has the potential to have repercussions inside a primary campaign.

to many conservative voters the feeling that he doesn't speak their language, doesn't understand the policy, hasn't thought about it, putting out a position that is essentially far more extreme than anyone who considers them so-called pro-life would put out. in a general election, he practically wrote a campaign aid -- ad for hillary clinton and the democrats raising questions on the eve of the wisconsin primary about his readiness for office, how much thought he's given to major issues. >> thanks to rick. interesting timing for this. the controversy comes as ted cruz gains ground just days before the big primary in wisconsin. a new poll shows cruz with a 10-point lead over trump and john kasich much farther behind. the winner in wisconsin could win most or all of the state's delegates. a loss there could erode trump's path to clijing the gop nomination. on the democratic side, hillary clinton trailing bernie sanders by a few points in wisconsin, as well but she made a brief campaign swing through harlem weeks ahead of new york's democratic primary.

famed apollo theater discussing her plans for income inequality, national security and uniting the country and she made her rounds to lash out at trump over his abortion remark calling it horrific. >> a former student at mississippi state university faces up to 20 years in prison after admitting she tried to join isis. jaelyn young pleaded guilty tuesday. her fiance pleaded guilty earlier this month. federal authorities say they intended to use their honeymoon as a cover story so they could travel to join the terror group. >> there's new details about the foiled plot to attack paris. authorities in france say the main suspect has now been charged with planning the attack with what they call an unprecedented arsenal of explosives. abc's alex marquardt reports from paris. >> reporter: the chilling disclosure by french authorities. the imminent plot stopped before it could be carried out by reda kriket, a 32-year-old frenchman charged with preparing the attack. in the apartment, which he rented under a f

that the prosecutor called "unprecedented." five ak-47 rifles. seven handguns. tatp, the explosive used in the paris and brussels attacks. detonators, acid and ball bearings. kriket had known ties to the paris attacks, convicted last year in absentia with paris mastermind abdelhamid abaaoud for recruiting jihadists to syria. kriket himself known to have gone to syria, and now we know he made it back to france. also, new disturbing reports out of brussels that the attackers there may have been targeting the prime minister's office. a computer that was reportedly thrown away is said to have contained photos and details of his office and home. at least one of the suspects from those attacks is still on the run tonight. alex marquardt, abc news, paris. >> federal health officials now say that zika mosquitoes are living in parts of the midwest. and northeast. not just the south and discouraging news from

a new study says that ultrasounds done early in the pregnancy of women infected with zika did not find any signs of the birth defect that causes brain damage in the fetus. it wasn't till the 19th week of pregnancy that any signs of the birth defect first appeared on anty tra sound. and the u.s. city where mosquitoes cause the most health concerns during the summer months is atlanta according to experts who say the pests carry several diseases including zika. the rest of the top five worst cities include chicago, washington, d.c., detroit, and new york. so apparently many of us are giving up the soda habit. a new report indicates consumption of soft drinks is at its lowest level in 30 years. industry experts say there are a lot more options now. of course, the health issue with people looking to cut sugar as well as artificial sweeteners, it hasn't hurt the profits of big sodamakers like coke and pepsi because they've branched out to other drinks and they actually supply water, as we

was only a few days ago this scene at a baseball spring training game reminds us of an easter egg hunt. dozens of kids and their parents searching for a home run ball hit by a san francisco giants prospect. >> never mind the cultivated flowers and bushes. they want that egg. i mean the ball. even one of the kansas city royals broadcast joined in the hunt before one boy raised his arm in triumph with the ball. >> oh, by the way, the giants prospect who hit the ball was austin slater. >> good for austin. >> i wonder if maybe that's a good sign for him. >> it really is a beautifully manicured lawn. >> there's a garden right behind that wall. >> is that right? very nice. coming up, lamar odom's surprise laker reunion. also ahead, a real-life horror story for one new jersey family receiving mysterious letters threatening their children, now putting the so-called stalker house up for sale again. and holloo

never seen them before. gwyneth and cameron going unplugged. we'll explain in "the skinny." you're watching "world news now."

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and when i know she's into it, i get into it and... feel the difference with k-y ultragel. a sky diver who collided with another jumper in mid-air and was knocked unconscious now says he can't believe he's alive. a gopro rolling when sebastian leal spun out of control and struck the ground with a thud. he fractured his spine in four places and is paralyzed from the waist down. but doctors say they're hopeful leal says he would do it all over again and in fact, is determined to jump again. an injured man in britain

said that it took him about half an hour to realize who had helped him. the future king of england. can you imagine that? you can see prince william bending over the patient who had fallen out of a tree there. the second in line is a rescue helicopter. the patient later joked that willsy had better not be flying this. the prince pointed out he was the one coming to save him. can you imagine figuring that out? >> that's kind of cool. a great story. glad to see he's still doing that. >> back here at home, former laker lamar odom says he's feeling good after his near death experience. he attended last night's game against the miami heat. former teammate kobe bryant supplied the tickets for him. odom is still recovering from an overdose last october when he was found unconscious at a brothel in nevada. he reportedly suffered several strokes since then. at a game in salt lake city, this scene. fans trying to get steph curry's autograph were the injured when a railing gave wa

he had just finished his pregame routine and was heading back to the locker room. he stopped to sign autographs and pose for pictures. the three children and one adult fell about four feet and received minor injuries. curry later provided them with autographed souvenirs. good guy. an incredible story from alaska. authorities say that three students plotted to kill a classmate. those students are only in first grade. the three were suspended but not charged with any crime. the principal says they planned to use silica gel packets they thought were poison. school officials say the female student acknowledged that they planned to poison a girl. unbelievable. first grade. >> well, a poison pen is what caused one family to steer away from their american dream. >> they're selling their new home without ever having moved in because of what the house came with. that they say they were never told about. abc's gio benitez with the story. >> reporter: on a normal street in a normal neighborhood in new jersey, a mystery about one house.

children, bought the house in 2014 for $1.4 million. and say they immediately started receiving ominous letters from someone who called himself "the watcher." apparently threatening the children, writing, "do you need to fill the house with the young blood i requested? once i know their names, i will call to them and draw them to me." the new owners can't figure out who is behind those letters. so, they put what was to be their six-bedroom dream house back on the market, for a much lower price. they are suing the people who sold them the house for not revealing they, too, had received a letter. but those sellers say there was no threatening language in the one they received. not all conditions have to be revealed right away, right? they need to be something you ask for. >> correct. in new jersey, as the law stands right now, social conditions do not need to be revealed. that would be suicides in the home, murders in the home. >> reporter: the family says they're revealing the letters from the house stalker to every te

even though it makes for a harder sell. gio benitez, abc news, westfield, new jersey. >> good for them for doing the right thing. >> yeah, but it's a beautiful house. it's unfortunate. they're suing the former owners for what they say is basically fraud. >> when we come back, why the hottest show on broadway is being accused of racism. >> and the bombshell dropped on anderson cooper. "the skinny" is next. >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our abc stations.

♪ skinny, so skinny >> all right. time now for the skinny. topping our headlines this morning, the casting call controversy surrounding broadway's hottest show. i was surprised by this one. >> it is shocking. "hamilton" has been praised for its ground breaking multiethnic casting of actors portraying america's founding fathers. >> but the show has sparked controversy, posting on its website a call for nonwhite men and women for the broadway's upcoming tours. >> at least one civil rights attorney says that may have run afl

law, and the stage actors union says that language is a no-no. it's not in compliance with their rules. >> producer jeffrey seller is reportedly defending the diversity of the "hamilton" cast and the legality of the nonwhite casting notice. for folks who don't know it, it's the story about alexander shamt, but it's not played by traditional lightweight actors as you would think from that time period. the whole point is, it kind of turns the whole concept upside down. it is wrong is what legal experts are saying you can't say only nonwhite people can apply. >> if it was something that said only white people can apply, there would be a lot of uproar. of course, it makes sense. >> interesting controversy. >> next to gloria vanderbilt's bombshell. it was an admission that took her son "world news now" icon anderson cooper by surprise. >> former "world news now." he's not currently on the show. >> he's still an icon legend, you know. >> he might have missed a couple years in between there.

>> he has moved on. the two have written a book together and are now the subject of an upcoming hbo documentary. there are apparently some things they're still learning about each other. >> in a recent interview with people magazine, the 92-year-old family matriarch admitted to what she called a brief, so-called lesbian relationship when she was 13 years owed at boarding school. >> the cnn anchor replied "this is news to me. you didn't mention this in the book, mom." >> cooper and vanderbilt's relationship will be featured april 9th in that hbo documentary called "nothing left unsaid." >> i look forward to watching that. what i've admired about anderson cooper, he comes from this great family. his mother has built this entire empire. he's made such a name for himself, such incredible reporting and got his start right here. not his start but he spent time here. >> that was one of the things he wanted to do, that he did his own thing. >> certainly did. and speaking of aging well, cameron diaz wants us all to age better

instagrammed a makeup free selfie promoting her new publication, longevity book. the natural beauty says aging has gotten a bad rap. >> another 43-year-old old natural beauty also sharing a makeup free pic. you see her there on the lift? that's gwynneth paltrow cozying up to delphina blaquier, dy get that right? the wife of polo player gnaw cho figueras. >> paltrow calls her one of my most favorite women. and one of the world's most beloved musical artists will be honored with a pair of tribute concerts here in new york city. >> sadly the original plans had bowie headlining it. the day the plans were made public, the bowie died. >> the concert will take place tonight at carnegie hall. among the big name artists performing are heart, ann wilson, ex-rem front man michael stipe, cyndi lauper, the fie

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avoid a septic disaster with rid-x. ♪ if i had a million dollars, we wouldn't have to walk to the store foets if. ♪ if i had a million dollars >> wake up and sing that every morning. >> you do? >> never works out. a spur of the moment decision but a garage attendant in new york city changed his life forever. >> one of those beginner's luck stories that dreams are made of. the first time gregory velez buys a cash for life lottery ticket, he hits the jackpot. wabc's kimberly richardson has that story. >> it hasn't sunk in. >> reporter: that come monday morning a multimillion dollar direct deposit will appear in his account. it's why gregory's co-workers here at gateway garage are smiling. >> did you believe it? >> i didn't believe it. now i believe it. >> reporter: across the street

muhammad is also wishing him well. you see, this is where gregory bought what turned out to be the single winning ticket during the february 25th drawing of cash for life. it was the first time the 58-year-old had ever played the game. the jackpot was $7 million. >> 8:00 at night, i was kind of bored. and let me take a walk across the street and just see what they got to play for tonight. >> reporter: gregory left work, didn't watch the drawing. the next day word spread someone had bought the winning ticket at the shop. kwku looked up the numbers and asked gregory to see his ticket. >> gregory, you are the one who you won the numbers. he said what? i said yes. that's it. >> reporter: instead of $1,000 a day for life, gregory chose the lump sum. aftertachs just over $4.6 million. as for working here as a parking attendant. >> as of that day, i just looked at them, looked at my

leaving, aren't you? i said yes, i'm walking out. >> reporter: as far as an over the top purchase, he doesn't have anything in mind. he already has a house with a pool. he's actually considering downsizing, buying a two-bedroom condo. one thing for sure, he's staying in union, new jersey. >> i got a lawyer. he's a finance lawyer. set up my kids. >> reporter: his family a bit camera shy but thrilled they're all heading to disney world. as for gregory? >> just going to take each day as it comes. >> kimberly richardson, channel 7, eyewitness news. >> and despite the fact he actually works in a garage, he's not going to buy a car of his own, he said. >> he'll have a driver. >> i didn't think about it that way. so he got $7 million and wants a two-bedroom condo. he's about $7 million shy if he wants one in the city. >> don't miss our updates on facebook. wnnfans.com. >> announcer: this is abc's "world news now," informing insomniacs for two decades. "world news now," informing insomniacs for two decades.

making news in america this morning, breaking overnight, severe weather striking the heartland right now, tornadoes ripping apart buildings and tearing down trees. plus, severe flooding on a university's campus. the students swimming in buildings. sparking outrage from donald trump, the presidential candidate stirring controversy for his comments about abortion. first saying that women should be punished and back-tracking. the other candidates weighing in overnight. we're live with the latest. caught on camera. an argument in an suv ending when the woman is flown from the vehicle. a man plays the lottery for the first time in his life and hits it big. beginner's luck.