tonight, a deep freeze gripping america. subzero conditions for millions. dangerous wind chills from the plains straight through the northeast. residents desperate to dig out after record-smashing snow. arctic air even causing flight cancellations. high alert. the tightest security ever to stop an attack around new year's. tonight, the abc news exclusive. how police are watching the crowds and now the biddings towering over times square. the apple apology. facing several class action lawsuits, the company admitting a problem related to battery life on iphones. the deep discount they're now offe

and fake cop. a suspect caught on his own dashboard camera, stopping cars, even handcuffing a driver. how police finally busted him. and good evening. welcome to "world news tonight." i'm tom llamas, in for david. and we begin with that dangerous chill taking hold of half the country tonight. more than 200 million americans feeling the bite. it comes after that record snowfall, parts of pennsylvania and new york still digging out from under five feet. and take a look at this. it's hard to make out with all that snow and ice, but this newly released noaa satellite image is showing the great lakes and those thick clouds from minnesota to new england. and now, the arctic invasion across most of the lower 48 states. this found dane, you see it right there, behind the new york public library. mostly turned to ice. and take a look. the forecast for new year's eve, the coldest in more than 50 year

square, the wind chill could be minus 4. and for millions feeling the cold, there is much more snow in the forecast, as well. abc's alex perez starts us off from erie, pennsylvania. >> reporter: tonight, 200 million americans bundled from head to toe, that dangerous cold snap gripping more than half the country. from the northeast, where temperatures are 15 to 30 degrees below normal, freezing fountains in philadelphia and new york. to chicago. at midway airport, it was coo cold to fly. more than 80 nights canceled. >> nobody offered any answers, no solutions, anything like that. >> reporter: officials warning, the cold could be deadly, especially for the very young and very old. >> extreme weather is more than an inconvenience, it remains a serious and potentially life-threatening event. >> reporter: shelters overflowing with people trying to escape the frigid temperatures. the arctic temps shattering record after record. 17 below zero in in

32 below in in watertown, new york. and in cotton, minnesota, an unbearable 41 below zero. >> it feels like your skin is on fire. >> reporter: tonight it is colder in cotton than in parts of siberia. meanwhile, along the great lakes, plow drivers trying to clear a path through five feet of snow. dave spiegel had to hire a plow to unbury his car. he says it's the first time he's been able to leave his house in three days. how massive was it? >> it was bad. you couldn't see nothing. it was a blizzard. blizzard conditions. >> reporter: heavy snow packed on rooftops, icicles nearly everywhere you look. backbreaking work for chuck chernicky, the day spent pushing his snowblower, clearing his home, the sixth time this week. >> getting snowfalls like this are not that uncommon, but its just the quantity that we got this time was just completely unexpected. >> and alex joins us live now from erie.

massive snowmaker, and more snow is on the way. with all those people digging out, you found the one spot where they're putting all that snow? >> reporter: yep, right here, tom. crews have been working hard to clear the snow. all day, truck after truck. we've seen them come in here, dumping their loads. some of these piles are 12 feet high. and now another winter storm watch. some spots could see an additional foot of snow on top of all this. tom? >> alex perez reporting from the tundra tonight. all right, alex, thank you. dangerous cold and we mentioned now more snow in the forecast. abc's senior meteorologist rob marciano tracking it all. rob, how low will it go? >> reporter: well, easily below zero in some of the big cities, as far as the wind chill is concerned. right here in new york, this biting wind feels like 0 degrees. t below zero in chicago. minus 13 in albany. and we're looking at another system as alex mentioned that will bring in about o

three inches of snow from chicago, cincinnati, cleveland, columbus, pittsburgh, getting in there philadelphia, new york city by saturday afternoon. and then that will release the next arctic invasion. this stuff is even colder new year's eve. minus 30 in minneapolis. minus 13 in boston. and minus 4 in new york city, potentially the coldest new year's eve in the big apple since 1962. tom? >> all those revelers are going to have to bundle up. rob, thank you. and despite the freezing temperatures, a million visitors, as we mentioned, are expected here in new york city this new year's eve. and they will find the tightest security ever in place. in addition to a huge police presence on the ground, they will also be monitoring the crowds and because of what happened in las vegas, extra attention on those buildings from above. abc's gio benitez on what the nypd and police across the country are doing that they've never done before. >> reporter: tonight, the nypd taking unprecedented steps to protect the 1

closing off a wider perimeter this year than ever before, heavily armed police at multiple checkpoints. >> we have cop cars all over the place. there you go, there you go. >> reporter: the police commissioner in giving us a rare look at some of the 10,000 cameras keeping a watchful eye. from the ground to the air, helicopters lazering in on the grounds. what are your pilots going to be looking for on new year's eve from the air? >> they're going to be able to provide an overwatch for the decision makers, the commanders, and the ground, to give them a strategic view. >> reporter: and on these high rises, snipers ready to act with pinpoint focus. >> instead of just counting floors, there's a system in place where we'll be able to identify quickly if we're on the 12th floor or the 22nd floor or the 32nd floor of the building. >> reporter: crime in new york city is at its lowest level since the 1950s. but police aren't taking that for granted. the truck attack in the new york bike lane and the bomber in the subway keeping them on high alert. from coast to coast, securit

in the wake of the las vegas attack that killed 58 people, authorities there adding these barricades and doubling police. >> in previous year, we had spotters in elevated positions, but this year, they will be accompanied by snipers to ensure safety, if a threat is recognized. >> all right, we just heard there, police snipers in las vegas for added protection, and gio benitez joins us live from the heart of times square. and gio, tonight, police are telling you they're taking an extraordinary measure with hotel guests in times square? >> reporter: that's right, tom. police say they're actually going to be at those hotels. they're going to be wanding people down. this is the first time they do that, tom. >> checking all those guests. all right, gio, thank you so much. next, to new developments in that contentious senate race in alabama. a last-minute lawsuit filed as election officials were getting ready to certify democrat doug jones the winner. republican roy moore claiming there was widespread voter fraud and getting lawyers involved. and tonight, noton

here's abc's stephanie ramos. >> reporter: tonight, republican roy moore is still digging in to voter fraud claims, even after democrat doug jones was officially declared the winner in that contentious alabama special election. >> this has been a very close race and we are awaiting certification by the secretary of state. >> reporter: moore didn't concede after the december 12th race, and he's not nowing, saying "election fraud experts across the country have agreed that this was a fraudulent election." but even republican election officials debunking that claim. >> that question has been eliminated from anyone's thought and mind. period. >> reporter: and a judge agreeing, tossing out moore's last-ditch lawsuit to stop today's certification. in that complaint, moore also claims he passed a polygraph test about those sexual misconduct accusations that derailed his campaign. however, the campaign offering no details to cnn. >> he didn't know any of these women and he never conducted, engaged in sexual misconduct. what a surprise to those who know

>> reporter: u.s. senator-elect jones, who won by more than 21,000 votes, is set to be sworn in january 3rd. and this isn't over yet. moore now has less than 48 hours to file an 0 fish petition to contest the election. he would, though, have to pay for it himself, and that could cost more than a million dollars. tom? >> a lot of money for that recount. all right, stephanie, thank you. next, to confusion over the next tax law, signed into law just last friday. thousands lining up at city halls across the country, paying next year's property taxes before the end of this year because the new law limits the property tax deduction to $10,000. but now, the irs is warning you will only be able to deduct those prepayments if your town has already assessed that 2018 property tax. and from mar-a-lago today, president trump tweeting an attack on china, for providing north korea with fuel, despite u.n. sanctions. the president saying that china was caught, quote,

disappointment. the tweet coming after a south crkorean newspaper published the images, claiming a ship back in october. chinese officials inu.s. is they comply with those u.n. sanctions. next, a major announcement from apple tonight, after admitting some iphone batteries slowed down without their customers' knowledge. the company facing multiple lawsuits because of it. and tonight, apple is apologizing, and revealing plans, they say, will make it right. here's abc's senior national correspondent matt gutman. >> reporter: tonight, apple with that rare apology, following a surge of customer backlash and multiple class action suits. the company saying, "we know that some of you feel apple has let you down. we apologize." apple, the world's most valuable company, has been under fire after acknowledging it intentionally slows down all but the newest iphones. it now says its sole aim was to preserve them. apple chalked it up to a

miscommunication, it says, about a year ago, it quietly installed software that would slow functionally turning peak workloads to avoid unexpected shutdowns. the problem? the company didn't clearly inform consumers. the lawsuits have come from at least three multiple states. agencies in south korea, france and israel are also examining claims against the tech giant. one suit alleges customers were never given the option to bargain or choose whether they preferred to have their iphone slower than normal. apple says all rechargeable batteries lose charge over time. the slowdown mostly applies to iphone 6s and 7s. >> matt gutman joins us live in pasadena. and the company offering a big discount to fix the aging batteries? >> reporter: that's right. the company is saying that it will discount replacement out of warranty iphone batteries, reducing the price from $79 to $29. now, apple insists it never intended to slow down its old

go out and buy newer products. tom? >> matt gutman for us tonight. matt, thank you. next, to a tucson man under arrest, accused of pulling over drivers while impersonating a police officer. the suspect even recorded dash cam video of the drivers he pulled over. tonight, investigators are looking for other victims as they hunt for his motive. here's abc's marcus moore. >> reporter: this dashcam video released by tucson police looks and sounds like a real traffic stop. >> what are you guys doing here? no drugs or anything in the vehicle? >> reporter: but police say the man you see and hear on this video is no cop. >> just watching the video on this one, he's doing a lot of stuff that we do, which makes you think he's been watching what police do. >> reporter: in this video recorded last week, you can see him putting a driver in handcuffs, but police say the suspect couldn't find the key, telling the victim they'd have to go to police headquarters to get them removed. that's when they called 911. police later arresting the suspect. finding a white, unmarked sedan with a red and blue light r

installed near the visor, a dashcam, expandable baton and portable scanner. police charging him with impersonating a police officer and kidnapping. >> why did you do it? >> reporter: it's not the first time police have arrested alleged impersonators. this 32-year-old man is accused of posing as an officer houston to rob drugs stores for prescription medications. tom, police in the arizona case are now looking for more potential victims, and say, if you were pulled over and are suspicious, ask for i.d. or call 911. tom? >> marcus, thank you. and there's still much more ahead on "world news tonight" this thursday. the standout college some more murdered. police releasing shocking surveillance video showing how he was gunned down. tonight, authorities asking the public for help. plus, the out of control van striking pedestrians in a major american city. what police are saying tonight about the driver. and, are you ready to make a deal? why right now may be the perfect time to buy a new car and save your family thousands. cars up to 40% off in some cases. stay with us. whoooo.

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next tonight, your money. and why right now may be the perfect time to buy a new car and save big. abc's adrienne bankert on how you can stretch your family dollar. >> reporter: if you're in the market for a new car -- >> we're trying to move every car out of the inventory, especially 2017s. >> reporter: -- now may be the best time to score a deal. >> this holiday, treat yourself to a mazda. >> reporter: experts say this year's discounts are deeper than ever. some up to 40% off. >> so, you'll see some deals, anywhere from $6,000 to $8,000 off a new car. >> reporter: right now, you could get $8,000 in bonus cash on a 2017 buick lacrosse. and save $4,000 on a 2017 ford expedition. jeep, with a redesign for its 2019 cherokee, now offers up to $5,500 cash allowance on 2017 models and $4,000 on 2018s. at this new jersey area

dealership, they're looking to strike a deal. >> that's with $2,000 down. >> reporter: good news for buyers like cal. to make sure you're getting the best deal, do your homework. arrange financing beforehand. search your zip code for regional rebates. and if for rebates for veterans, recent graduates and loyalty programs. prices for the same car at competing dealerships could vary. use that as leverage, and negotiate the best price. tom? >> adrienne with some good tips tonight. all right, adrienne, thank you. when we come back, a major change in how you use your credit card. also, that deadly shooting, a college student killed. authorities releasing this surveillance footage, asking the public to help find his killer. and what prince harry said about fiance meghan markle that has at least one of her family members firing back. stay with us. blem for me. i'm also on a lot of medications that dry my mouth. i just drank tons of water all the time. it was never enough.

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the van jumped a curb before striking several pedestrians and slamming into a gap store during the lunch hour rush. six injuries reported, including the driver, who police say suffered some kind of medical emergency. authorities say there is no relation to terror. in baltimore, police on the hunt for two suspects in the killing of a college sophomore. the baltimore police department releasing this surveillance video, showing the trigger man and an akccomplice in what they say was a robbery that turned deadly. the victim, 19-year-old onthan toba tobash. his mother calling the crime senseless. there have been more than 340 homicides in baltimore in 2017, the most on record. at least one family member taking exception with something meghan markle's royal fiance said. after prince harry told a radio interviewer that the royals are the family the american actress, quote, never had, her estranged half sister,

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finally tonight, from stage and screen stars to changemakers who helped shape history, we remember the lives lost in 2017. ♪

♪ go johnny go ♪ i found my thrill ♪ on blueberry hill >> i just talk to the people, made fun of them. not mean-spirited. as i think you can tell, but -- ♪ if you still kiss your girl ♪ that's amore ♪ don't you know >> what is the first thing an angel says? fear not, be not afraid. ♪ ♪ like a rhinestone cowboy ♪ riding out on a horse and a

star-spangled rodeo ♪ >> taking charge of the fight. ♪ ♪ >> my name is bond. james bond. we'll be meeting again sometime. >> i don't want you in this house anymore! i don't want you. >> there he is. american heartthrob. >> i can't help it if i'm so sensational. ♪ i think i love you

♪ i think i love you ♪ and i'm free ♪ free falling ♪ who can turn the world on with her smile ♪ >> now i feel i represent women everywhere. ♪ you're gonna make it after all ♪ >> thank you so much for watching. i'm tom llamas. i'll see you right back here tomorrow. for david and all of us here, have a great evening. good night.

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