that was linzie janis reported.ing up, the president of the american heart association suffers from a heart attack. adrianna: the first family is spending the week at the present's resort -- president's report -- resort in florida. in a series of tet mandate in obamacare and call the fbi tainted. >> president trump ready to get back to work after a christmas celebration at his luxurious mar-a-lago resort. the president attending mass, surrounded by family. the first lady even posting this festive selfie. pres. trump: melania and i are delighted to wish america and the rest of the world a very merry christmas. a the president tweeting merry christmas, but over the weekend, more attacks. he teed off on the golf course and fbi director andrew mccabe, who he is accusing of bias during the hillary clinton email investigation. gop tax planlion signed into law. trump turning his attention to infrastructure, wall on the southern border, and immigration. this after "the new york times" reports the president allegedly immigra

was not aware of any of nassar's abuse until those first media reports in 2016. >> all right, linzie janis with us tonight. linzie, thank you. >>> we move onto other news, and there are developments tonight about the high school soccer coach accused of running off with a teenage girl. rian rodriguez pleading not guilty at today's court appearance in lake city, florida. he is accused of having sexual activity with a minor. authorities launching a massive search when the two disappeared last month. police arresting him in syracuse, new york. the girl was returned to her parents. >>> to the developing headn ne warning from the senate floor involving the president and any talk of firing robert mueller. the top democrat on the senate intelligence committee issuing a strong defense of special counsel robert mueller against critics trying to shut down the russia investigation. and after recently being questioned for nine hours, donald trump jr. now suggesting there is a conspiracy against his father. here's abc's senior justice correspondent pierre thomas on that tonight. >> reporter: tonight, th

here's abc's linzie janis tonight. >> reporter: tonight, olympc gold medalist mckayla maroney says usa gymnastics silenced her with a confidential settlement to keep her quiet about the sexual abuse she suffered by former team doctor, larry nassar. maroney, who agreed to the settlement in late 2016, today filing a lawsuit against usa gymnastics and michigan state university, where nassar worked for decades. >> by insisting that as a condition of paying her money for therapy, and the suffering she has incurred that she has to keep larry nassar's secret, and she has to keep usa gymnastics secret and can never speak of this again and can never criticize them or she could be sued for $100,000 or more, is repugnant. >> reporter: 21-year-old maroney broke her silence on twitter in october, saying nassar abused her for years, nassar now in prison, after pleading guilty to child pornography and criminal sexual misconduct. he's being sued by more than 140 women. maroney's suit argues the usoc and usa gymnastics concealed its knowledge of nassar's sexual misconduct with niminor childre. >> in 20

>> linzie janis for us.hank you. >>> when we come back, the popular christmas eve fireworks tradition taking a dangerous turn. where this happened. >>> plus, 220-year veteran flight attendant with one way to make holiday travel enjoyable. ♪ if only in my dreams >> not bad. the reason why she sings, when we come back. moking with chanti. i tried, um, cold turkey. i tried the patches. i was tired and i was fed up. i wanted to try something different. along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. chantix reduced my urge to smoke. compared to the nicotine patch, chantix helped significantly more people quit smoking. when you try to quit smoking, with or without chantix, you may have nicotine withdrawal symptoms. some people had changes in behavior or thinking, aggression, hostility, agitation, depressed mood, or suicidal thoughts or actions with chantix. serious side effects may include seizures, new or worse heart or blood vessel problems, sleepwalking or allergic and skin rea

abc's linzie janis in florida. >> reporter: standing side by side, clinging to their daughter, the parents of 17-year-old kate lynn frisina relieved she is back home in florida, after disappearing with a soccer coach from her high school. very merry christmas and an extremely bright future for caitlyn. >> reporter: the coach, rian rodriguez, who once gave frisina private soccer lessons, now awaiting extradition on felony charges of interfering with the custody of a minor. >> there are indicators that there was a relationship that started in august or september. >> reporter: according to a police affidavit, before the pair disappeared, friends of frisina say she texted them saying rodriguez "wants her to leave the country with him" and she was "scared." frisina later climbing out her bedroom window after erasing her phone. her father telling police he took the sim card from that phone and discovered lewd snapchat messages she exchanged with rodriguez. the pair on the run for nearly a week, spotted twice on surveillance cameras in south and north carolina, before being detained friday in new

>> linzie janis, thank you. >>> next, to that proposed mega merger that could bring major changes to health care for many in this country. cvs drugstores offering to buy aetna health insurance company for $69 billion, in a bid to become a one-stop shop for americans' health care. mean egg, you could get a checkup from a doctor there and your prescription right there at the store. federal regulators tonight must still approve that merger. >>> next, winter weather alerts in eight states at this hour. a storm heading east across the country. plunging temperatures for much of the country this week. blizzard conditions tonight in the northern plains. snow and wind closing schools in grand forks, north dakota. we knew it was coming. behind it, that bitter cold later this week. meteorologist rob marciano tracking it all for us. hey, rob. >> reporter: hey, david. nearly everybody east of the rockies going to deal with a massive temperature swing. right now, we've got those blizzard conditions up in minnesota and parts of the dakotas, and severe thunderstorms along the cold front, from record

linzie janis, new york. >> you mean i can't just order them online anymore? >> no, and it's also in line. no, you can't just order them anymore. but that's a pricey gift. a pricey thing to get out there at this point. >> wait, does that mean you are that's not what you're getting me? >> no, but it's on my list for you to get me. if you have amazon prime, you still get two-day shipping. >> there's always a way. >>> coming up, our chief entertainment officer is here to help with your party and has some hacks to ensure you enjoy the festivities too. >> also ahead, an early addition of "insomniac theater," including some who got their start on the disney channel. y h. ...bounce, to dry. he would be a less wrinkly, winning guy. ♪ >> welcome back. and during the holidays, we never seem to have enough time, especially if we're having people over. so here with his tomorrow time saving tips is tim. that's a lot of ts there. our chief entertainment officer. >> the holidays are here. i have some great ideas for you. ice is very important when you're entertaining. it rea

once again, linzie janis. >> now to new developments in that father/daughter murder trial so many areer: three weeks ago, tom martens and his daughter molly walked in a north carolina courtroom facing charges of second degree murder. tom martens took the stand and told jurors he was going to save daughter. you were defending your daughter. >> i was. i'm going to do everything that i had to do to save her life. >> reporter: and did you think that he would kill you? >> yeah. once it starts, it's -- it's what it is. it's a fight. you either fight and lose or you fight and win. >> reporter: but prosecutor allen martin immediately started chopping at his story like the trunk of a carolina pine. >> there was so much that didn't make sense. the physical activity that he had described between he and jason would flip from him being come mro completely overpowered, to seconds later, overpowering that same man. >> reporter: prosecutor greg brown honed in on his wife, sharon. where was she during that violent struggle? >> i asked him questions about the noise that was taking place. when the baseb

linzie janis, abc news, new york. >> and the federal government apparently takes too long to recall unsafe food products. that's the finding of a government study that says it can take up to ten months to remove unsafe products from store shelves even if people are getting sick. but the head of the food and drug administration says that's no longer true. the study analyzed recalls from previous years. he says many improvements have been made since then. >>> don't quit your day job yet, well, go ahead, quit it. there was no jackpot winner in the megamillions last night. >> that means it jumps to $306 million. there were three people who each won $4 million prizes last night, not bad. >> as we always caution, money will not buy you happiness. >> so you can give it to us. >> the powerball is at least $337 million, but it won't buy you happiness. >> pretty nice combo. >> it's no surprise that two men from hawaii are best friends. they've been friends for 60 years, grew up together, played football together in prep school. as adults they have the same interests and a lot in common. >> wralter n

with your gma first look, i am linzie janis. larry: a deadly end to the christmas holiday.t adrianna: trump takes to twitter over the holiday. issues he is taking on in 2018. a busy shopping season even busier. the rush to return. plus, we are on your side with ways to help you save. before we get you out the door, it is cold out there. just talking about how cold it is going to be around new year's. there is the possibility some could be stuck with highs in the teens and 20's. we are starting off in the upper 20's to low 30's. compared to this time yesterday, the wind is lighter. tracking some clouds, buno it is going to be dry today. our high temperature, only about 38 degrees. we will get late day sunshine. today is going to be able to day for travel. the big story to come for us locally is colder temperatures. here we are at the beltway. it looks great riding past 66. heading to the airports, it looks fantastic. along 270. ride frederick to the capital beltway, it is easy. here are some of your drive times. if you're heading from cost you six minutes. a clear ride from

linzie janis has the answer. >> reporter: in this morning's gma first look, the future of miss america up in the air as the organization reels from an e-mail scandal in its upper ranks. that scandal beginning when "the huffington post" published leaked e-mails from ceo sam haskell, exposing crude and demeaning comments about contestants. like 1998 miss america kate shindle. >> right now there is an opportunity for a graceful transition. >> reporter: and 2013 miss america mallory hagan. >> miss new york. er >> who was belittled about her love life and weight. >> having someone bully you, belittle you, demean you in any way is not okay. >> reporter: the fallout for the 96-year-old pageant has been fast and furious. coming up at 7:00 a.m., more on who is stepping down at miss america. with your gma first look, i'm linzie janis, abc news, new york. >>> a legal fight has emerged after atlanta police gave a woman a ticket for feeding homeless people in a city park. >> all charges were dismissed, but her case has actually sparked many questions about whether or not feeding people for free is

here's linzie janis. >> reporter: standing side by side, clinging to their daughter, the parents of relievedhe is back home in florida after disappearing with a soccer coach from her high school. >> we are looking forward to a very merry christmas and extremely bright future for caitlyn. >> reporter: the coach, 27-year-old ryen rodriguez who once gave her private soccer lessons, now facing charges of interfering with the custody of a minor. >> there are indicators that there was a relationship that started in august or september. >> reporter: before they disappeared. friends of frisina say she texted them saying he wanted her to leave the country with him. she climbed out of the bedroom window after erasing her phone. her father took the sim card from that phone and discovered lewd snapchat messages. they were spott surveillance cameras in south and north carolina before with being detained in new york less than 100 miles from the canadian border. the police investigation isn't over. he could face additional charges. abc news, orlando. >>> coming up, weight watchers is upping the diet game a

here's abc's linzie janis. >> reporter: tonight, houston authorities stepping up their hunt for this man. an alleged serial robber, impersonating a police officer. the suspect, caught in these surveillance images, wearing what looks like a gun and a shirt with the word "police" on it. he's believed to have hit at least half a dozen drugstores in the houston area since september. when he walked into a pharmacy flashing a gun and demanding controlled substances. cameras picking up a star tattoo on his neck. authorities tonight warning residents to exercise extreme caution if they spot the suspect. david, police say, if you question the authenticity of an officer, look for identification, like a department name, a badge or even a name tag. investigators in this case say the suspect had none of those. david? >> linzie, thank you. >>> when we come back tonight, the major head call headline about birth control and cancer. >>> and there is also news tonight from u.p.s. and what it means about when your packages will arrive. we'll be right back. re. ♪ so probably take it at night. and if you

here's abc's linzie janis. >> reporter: with just five full days until christmas, it's crunch time for gift givers. that online shipping window shrinking quickly and some of the best bargains can be found in the stores. >> brick and mortar stores are offering massive discounts just to get people into the doors. >> reporter: the deepest discounts on clothing, homewares and jewelry. this engagement ring slashed by more than $4,000 at kohl's. this kitchenaid mixer, half off at macy's. best buy's doorbuster. $200 off select macbooks today only. another option this week? buy online and pick up in-store. dick's sporting goods and walmart offering discounts on some items. >> waiting until the last minute is good if you know exactly what you want and you know exactly where it is and you can get in and get out. >> reporter: these popular air pod headphones sold out on many sites, but we found them still available for in-store pickup at some apple stores. and david, the big discounts aren't just on holiday gifts. it's travel, too. jetblue launching a flash sale today with one-way fares as low as

he could face additional charges, linzie janis, abc news. >>> weight watchers is upping the diet gamet. on "world news now." dramatic changes, next. on "world news now." the bug st. lysol kills over 100 illness-causing germs and viruses, even those that may cause stomach bugs. lysol. what it takes to protect. ltry align probiotic.n your digestive system? for a non-stop, sweet treat goodness, hold on to your tiara kind of day. get 24/7 digestive support, with align. the #1 doctor recommended probiotic brand. also in kids chewables. ♪ ♪ >>> so, that's "schoolhouse rock" teaching kids the importance about zeros -- >> yeah, zeros are important, too. >> yes, that's what i tell the ladies all the time. it's okay that i'm a zero. the number is back in the headlines. >> no, you're not. did i take too long with that response? >>> weight watcher has just added 200 foods to its zero points east as much as you want category. but is there a catch? here's abc adrienne bankert. >> reporter: weight watchers is blowing it up again. in 2016, oprah announced she's lost 40 pounds on the popular meal plan

abc's linzie janis explains. linsey: record online purchases have shippers working around-the-clock to meet the fast-approaching holiday deadline. ofh more than one-third shoppers waiting to the week before business to the bulk of the shopping, hackers are taking advantage. the fbi issuing a warning, telling consumers to be on alert for phishing scams, emails saying packages cannot be delivered and you need to click a link. >> don't fall for it. it will either introduce malware do to another site where they say we need more information -- can you give us your credit card? linzie: what do you do -- fedex says it does not send unsolicited him in spirit delete the emails immediately and do not clank -- click the links. scammers are looking for people at bonomo times. when they are buying products and tried to ship them to loved ones in a short time, it leaves them vulnerable. roughly 20% of online scams occur in december. if you are expecting a package, check directly with the shipping service. if you believe you ar

linzie janis has more on that. >> reporter: the flu virus on a rampage.doctor, got tested or i felt like i had a sinus infection. >> reporter: vince and his son both suffering from the flu. the pair spent christmas quarantined in bed, away from their family. >> it's the best thing for everybody. >> reporter: they didn't get flu shots. doctors say getting the shots could have helped. but this year's vaccine has been disappointing. >> this year's flu vaccine may be only 10% effective. better than 0%, but still i have, i have poor. >> reporter: according to doctors, the virus can exist in the air, three to six feet away from an infected person. ten states already exhibiting high flu activity, most in the south and southwest. with the peak of the misery expected sometime in the coming weeks. doctors warning it's not just the vulnerable who are at risk. >> sometimes the flu really affects people who have no underlying medical condition, who are young and healthy. and those patients can get very sick and can die of influenza complications. >> reporter: doctors

linzie janis is digging into the relationship between the two. linzie: the 17-year-old is back home in florida, reunited with her family after going missing with a soccer coach from her high school. >> we are just thrilled to death to be together again. 27-year-old ryan rodriguez now behind bars, awaiting charges. new details emerge about the lead up to the pair's disappearance. according to a police affidavit, friends of the teenager said she told them she hooked up with rodriguez and he wanted her to leave the coun she did not know how to get out of it. the document also stating the school told police it have handled a rumor that kate and ryan were in a relationship in august, that concluded it to be false after the person who reported it took it back. last sundayred after erasing her phone and climbing out her bedroom window. she and rodriguez had not been seen since monday, when they were spotted at various gas stations and a pawn shop along the east coast. on friday, more than 1000 miles away from her hometown, police captured them during a t

linzie janis has the story. >> reporter: for the first six months of his life benny was a healthy baby his head up right and wasn't sitting by himself which he should have started to do at that point. >> reporter: parents gary and jenny landsman seeing countless specialists over the next several months desperate for a diagnosis for their son. finally learning he had rare canavan disease. >> canavan's disease is a rare genetic disease that affects the ability of the brain to send and receive messages. >> clap, clap, clap. >> reporter: by the time the landsmans learned what was afflicting their son they had 2-week-old baby boy josh who also tested positive for how do you cope with that kind of news, that new reality. >> minute by minute. >> right. we are taking life day by day right now because when you think about the big picture it's -- i don't want to go on. i don't. and thinking about things day by day they're beautiful babies. very happy baby, beautiful baby, josh at about 4 months is starting to smile and starting to become happier and they're fun. >> one more. >> reporter: symptom

abc's linzie janis has the latest. >> reporter: thisiii offrged by grand jury with four counts of premeditatedwe har in the investigation of the case and helping us to prepare the case to be brought before the grand jury. >> reporter: donaldson's now alsoacing charges if answer investigators' questions. on thursday a judge ordering rosita and howell donaldson jr. to comply with a prosecutors by january 5th held in contempt. >> they did noto refuse to testify. we are seekingmony that would mrs. dona and ledge.had been vocal in the days following their song's arrest.e love our son. we support we - we pray strengt them famido the. >> devast w death penalty now say the pair won't anions about their son's developmental history, gun possession, and state of mind before his arrest. details that might help an alleged motive in the murders. >> what wou doo tell you that you had to y t i don't know. >> reporter: but his parents' lawyer says forcing them to testify against their own son is an attack on the american family. >> when there's a valid subpoena and an order by a judge compelling them to testif

abc's linzie janis is here now with the details. ning. >> reporter: good morning, tom. she says she signed that after years of sexual abuse and psychological trauma. her lawyer says it was illegal and she will no longer stay silent. she is the gold medal-winning gymnast famous for her near-perfect vaults at the olympics. >> unbelievable! >> reporter: mckayla maroney along with fierce five teammates ali raisman and gabby douglas have said they were abused by former team doctor, larry nassar and this morning maroney is suing her saying they gave her a settlement to keep the sexual abuse quiet. >> the truth is my client was molested by him not once but 50 or 100 times by insisting as a condition of paying her money for therapy and the suffering she's incurred that she has to keep larry nassar's secret and she has to keep usa gymnastics' secret is repugnant. >> reporter: she signed it reportedly worth more than a million dollars in late 2016 but her lawyers now say its nondisclosure clause is illegal in california because it involves the

linzie janis hasr: she signed that after years of sexual abuse and psychological trauma.gal and she will no longer stay silent.e was famous for her near perfect vaults at the olympicsunbelievableckayla maroney fierce five teamma ali raisman and gabby saysbused by nassar a this m maroney saying molested by him n b as a condition of forauf and she's incurred that she has tket andgymnastics' i repugnant. >> reporter: she sig worth more than a illion late 2lawyers now saytslause is illegal because it involves the sexual abuse of a minor and she auses usa gymnastihe u.s. olympic committee and others of covering up his culture and atmosphere that conceals known and suspected when usa gymnasticsy became aware moles y didn't call child services. was to stay in the treatment room and treated dozens and dozens of little girls over the next year. >> reporter: maroney's teammate ali raisman spoke but the abuse. >> i'm still trying to put the pieces together today. you know it impacts you for the rest of your life. >> reporter: maroney was in court when he was sentenced to 60 years. >

now we'll talk to mallory hagan standing by in her home in alabama but first abc's linzie janis joins linzie, good morning to you. >> reporter: those leaked e-mails, some of which are too vulgar to share used demeaning and misogynistic group of them demanded resignations. the ceo and two others have stepped down but that may not be enough. ♪ there she is miss america >> reporter: there she is, or there she was. this morning the future of miss america up in the air. as the organization reels from an e-mail scandal in its upper ranks. that scandal beginning when the huffington post published leaked e-mails from sam haskell exposing crude and demeaning comments about contestants like 1998 miss america kate shindle. >> right now there is an opportunity for a graceful transition. >> reporter: and 2013 miss america mallory hagan. >> miss new york. >> reporter: who was belittled about her love life and weight. >> having someone bully you, belittle you, demean you, degrade you in any way is not okay. >> miss virginia. >> reporter: at least one former miss america didn't find the scandal shock

. >> yeah, abc's linzie janis has tips to surviving the mad mall dash. >> reporter: with just five fulltmas, it's crunch time for gift givers. that online shipping window shrinking quickly and some of the best bargains can be found in the stores. brick and mortar stores are offering massive discounts to get people into the stores. the deepest discounts on clothing, home wears and jewelry. this engagement slashed by more than $4,000 at kohls. this kitchenaid mixer half off at massey's. best buy's door buster, $200 off select mac books. another option this week, buy online and pick up in store. dick's sporting goods and walmart offering discounts on some items. >> waiting till the last minute is good if you know exactly what you want and you know exactly where it is and you can get in and get out. >> reporter: these popular airpod headphones sold out on many sites, but we found them still available for in-store pickup at some apple stores. linzy janice, abc news, new york. >> you mean i can't just order them online anymore? >> no, and it's also in line. no, you can't just order them anymo

shipping company and say you have an undelivered package but could lead to a lot of trouble and linzie janis. >> good morning, guys. last-minute shoppers feeling the pressure. so imagine an e-mail lands in your inbox. you're panicked. telling you there is an issue with your shipment but clicking on that could cause you problems. >> reporter: record online purchases this year have shippers working around the clock to meet that fast-approaching holiday deadline, and with more than a third of shoppers waiting until the week before christmas to do the bulk of their holiday shopping, hackers taking advantage and telling consumers to be on the lookout for phishing scams saying e-mail packages can't be delivered. and you need to click a link to pick it up. >> don't fall for it because what will happen is it's either going to introduce malware to your computer or they'll lead you to another site where they'll say we need more information can you give us your credit card. >> reporter: what do you do? fedex says it does not send unsolicited e-mails, so delete those e-mails immediately, and don't click

abc's linzie janis has the latest. >> reporter: this morning howell donaldson iii officially chargedtated murder for the killings that terrorized one tampa neighborhood for nearly two months. >> we thank tampa police department for their hard work in the investigation of the case and helping us to prepare the case to be brought before the grand jury. >> reporter: donaldson's parents now also facing potential charges if they continue to refuse to answer investigators' questions. on thursday, a judge ordering rosita and howell donaldson jr. to comply with a subpoena from prosecutors by january 5th or be held in contempt. >> they did not have a right to refuse to testify. we are seeking testimony that would only be within mr. knowledge. >> reporter: they had been vocal in the days following their song's arrest. >> we love our son. we support our son and we just -- we pray strength for the family members and ask them to do the same for us. we all are devastated. >> reporter: prosecutors who said they'll seek the death penalty now say the pair won't answer questions about their son's deve

abc's linzie janis is here with those details. d morning, robin. that manhunt ending near syracuse, new york, when a state trooper recognized their car. now details are emerging about the couple's secret romance and there are questions about whether the school did enough to look into a report about inappropriate -- about an inappropriate relationship. this morning, 17-year-old caitlyn frisina is back home in florida, reunited with her family after going missing with a soccer coach from her high school. >> we are just thrilled to death to be together again. >> reporter: 27-year-old rian rodriguez now behind bars awaiting charges. as new details emerge about the lead-up to the pair's disappearance. according to a police affidavit friends of the teenager say she told them she hooked up with rodriguez, and that he wanted her to leave the country with him, but she didn't know how the get out of it. the document also stating that frisina's school told police it handled a rumor that caitlyn and rian were in a relationship in august, but c

winfreylowers on social media that someone is using her name and image to try to scam them for money and linzie janisr: oprah is determined not to let the scammers steal christmas from any of her fans and reported a warning to her followers not to fall for the scams that in some cases ask for your credit card or bank account details. the woman known for her giving now warning people about a fake giveaway. >> it's a fraud, it's a fraud. it's a fraud. >> reporter: oprah winfrey taking to twitter and instagram after online oprah impersonators advertised free cash like this bogus screen shot appearing to be from t superstar's since christmas is less than 10 i'm giving away $5,000 each to the first 100,000 followers that follow own christmas on instagram and a similar post claiming to be from her own tv network and the real oprah fighting back with this message. >> hi everybody. i just wanted you to know that somebody out there is trying to scam you using my name and avatar on social media asking for money if you sign up for an own account on instagram. >> oprah is the perfect because sh so generous in th