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tv   ABC World News Tonight With David Muir  ABC  April 23, 2024 5:30pm-6:01pm PDT

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tonight, several breaking stories. the donald trump trial, the major testimony today. the relationship between donald trump and "the national enquirer." how this all worked. campus protests turning violent tonight. students and riot police. the images coming in. and the vintage plane that
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just went down. images of the crash just in tonight. first, donald trump's criminal trial. the former publisher of "the national enquirer" on the stand, testifying about how this worked before the 2016 election. buying stories and then killing them to protect trump. and the story the former publisher admitted today was made up. tonight, the dramatic images coming in, student demonstrators face-to-face with police in riot gear. chairs and bottles thrown at police during a protest at nyu. protesters occupying buildings, clashing with riot police at cal poly. officers sweeping through campuses, hundreds arrested during pro-palestinian demonstrations. tonight there is breaking news just coming in as we come on in the west on this urgent manhunt for a former police officer suspected of killing two people including his ex-wife and another victim believed to be on the run with his 1-year-old son. there has been a dramatic late turn in this case. trevor ault standing by with breaking news. tonight, the justice department agreeing to a massive
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settlement with victims of disgraced gymnastics doctor larry nassar, after the fbi mishandled allegations from dozens of women. president biden hoping to put florida in play this november. biden's major abortion rights speech in florida today, with that state's new six-week abortion ban going into effect. biden arguing this is all happening after donald trump's picks for the supreme court helped overturn roe and a woman's right to choose. tonight, the arrest after the harrowing video. a woman pleading for help as she was kidnapped. >> please, help me! >> david: tonight, the video showing the suspect picking her up, carrying her away. also, those images just coming in, the fiery plane crash, and what we've learned. and tonight here, we take you deep under the sea. the secrets of the octopus. how they survive, how they communicate, even with humans. >> announcer: from abc news world headquarters new york this
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is "world news tonight," with david muir. >> david: good evening. it is great to have you with us here on a very busy tuesday night. we have several developing stories as we come on tonight. campus protests now turning violent tonight. students face-to-face with police in riot gear, and you'll see it. also, this vintage plane that just went down tonight. the images coming in, as well. but we do begin tonight with donald trump's criminal trial. jurors listening intently today as the former publisher of "the national enquirer" testified about the confidential arrangement made with trump in 2015 to help his presidential campaign. publishing flattering stories about trump and hit jobs on his opponents. agreeing to be trump's, quote, eyes and ears for potentially damaging stories. one of them involving a former "playboy" model karen mcdougal who claimed she had a year-long affair with trump. a claim trump denied. but her story was bought and never printed. abc's senior investigative reporter aaron katersky at the courthouse again tonight. >> reporter: today, as donald trump listened intently, the former publisher of "the national enquirer," for the
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first time laying out the extraordinary relationship between candidate trump and the sordid supermarket tabloid, describing what he called the confidential arrangement he made with trump and trump's former fixer, michael cohen, to protect trump during the 2016 campaign. david pecker grinning widely as he pointed out trump in the courtroom, the former president smirking back. the two men had been friends for years. but pecker told the jury their relationship changed in 2015, after trump launched his run for president. pecker was summoned to trump tower that august and in a 20-minute meeting he said trump and cohen "asked me, what can i do and what my magazines can do to help the campaign." pecker testified he pledged to run flattering stories about trump and hit jobs on his opponents, and he offered to be the campaign's eyes and ears to alert cohen if he caught wind of any potentially damaging stories. pecker said he told trump he'd try to kill those stories so they'd never see the light of day. as pecker described that trump tower meeting, jurors were rapt, taking constant notes.
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pecker then laid out how he worked with trump and cohen to publish attacks on rival republican candidates. cohen would tell him who to go after, and the tabloid would do it. one target, senator ted cruz. on the witness stand, pecker admitted "the enquirer" fabricated a story falsely linking cruz's father rafael with the kennedy assassination. they even faked a photo. pecker testifying they took a picture of rafael cruz and a picture of lee harvey oswald, and matched the two together, adding "that's how the story was prepared, created, i would say." trump, having planted the seed, then running with the fake story about cruz's father. >> what was he doing with lee harvey oswald shortly before the death, before the shooting? it's horrible. >> reporter: pecker told the jury he was convinced women would come forward with salacious stories to sell because trump was the most eligible bachelor and dated the most beautiful women. trump perking up at that description. and then visibly perturbed, pursing his lips and crossing his arms and pecker started to detail one example. the story of former "playboy" model karen mcdougal, who claims to have had a year-long affair with trump, which he denies.
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when he learned mcdougal was trying to sell her story in june 2016, pecker said he immediately called cohen. he said he and cohen were already talking a couple times a week, but after pecker brought up mcdougal, their calls became a lot more frequent. "michael was very agitated," he told the jury. "it looked like he was getting a lot of pressure. he kept on calling, and each time, he seemed more anxious." pecker said he assumed trump was asking cohen, did we hear anything yet? finally, pecker testified he and trump got on the phone. he said he told trump to buy the rights to mcdougal's story. trump's response, "i don't buy stories. anytime you do anything like this, it always gets out." ultimately, pecker's company paid karen mcdougal $150,000 for the rights to her story, but never published it, all to protect trump. pecker's testimony resumes thursday. trump today complaining he's stuck in court, while president biden is out on the campaign trail. >> they're keeping me in a courtroom that's freezing, by the way. he's out campaigning, and i'm here in a courtroom, sitting
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here, giving -- sitting up as straight as i can all day long, because, you know what? it's a very unfair situation. >> reporter: before today's testimony, prosecutors accused trump of repeatedly violating the judge's gag order, attacking witnesses, even potential jurors. and they said it's posing a very real threat to the trial. the defense insisted trump is complying but the judge interjected "you're losing credibi credibility." no immediate ruling from the judge but prosecutors said, david, it's almost as if trump is daring the judge to hold him in contempt and throw him in jail. and tonight, sources tell abc news the secret service is preparing for that possibility. david? >> david: aaron katersky leading us off here tonight. aaron, thank you. we turn now to the violent scenes breaking out at campus protests across this country over the war in gaza. the dramatic images tonight. mass protests at columbia, nyu, m.i.t., yale, the university of minnesota, berkeley, and several more campuses. at nyu new york city's mayor blaming outside agitators for
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tossing bottles and chairs at officers. at cal poly humboldt in northern california, protesters clashing with police in riot gear trying to get them to leave. abc's stephanie ramos at columbia tonight on the scenes playing out across this country. >> reporter: tonight, these images show protests turning violent, as police struggle to control students at cal poly humboldt. demonstrations spreading from coast to coast. protesters facing off with police in riot gear. using furniture to barricade themselves inside this academic building, as officers with shields try to move in. one protester bashing police with an empty water jug. it comes after more than 150 students and faculty were arrested at nyu overnight, when police moved in to clear pro-palestinian protesters who refused to move. ♪ we will free palestine ♪ the crowd then marching to police headquarters. new york's mayor eric adams blaming outside agitators for a violent turn in campus protests.
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pointing to this video he says shows bottles and chairs thrown at officers. >> people who peacefully protest for an issue are not throwing bottles and chairs. the chair dented the helmet. can you imagine if he didn't have a helmet on? >> reporter: today, nyu ramping up security with a new barricade. protesters are now digging in on cam from berkeley to the university of michigan to the university of minnesota where police today took down tents and made arrests. colleges struggling under a new wave of solidarity protests inspired by the movement at columbia university. the encampment here at columbia university is at the center of this campus. demonstrators are studying and sleeping here, all while workers try to set all of this up for graduation just three weeks away. protesters are demanding colleges divest from companies they say profit from ties to israel. >> we're not planning on packing up and going home. we are here because people in palestine are going through so much worse. >> reporter: columbia offering virtual learning for the last
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week of classes, after some jewish students said they felt unsafe on campus. like aiden hunter, who tells us he understands why people are protesting. >> i don't mean to diminish that, but i'd say the majority of my friends, especially jewish friends, feel a sense of insecurity at this time. >> reporter: but among the pro-palestinian protesters here are also some jewish americans like professor alex wolf. >> anti-semitism and anti-zionism are not the same thing. and that is one thing to have beliefs -- beliefs of the jewish religion, and it's another thing to support the policies and the actions of the israeli state. >> reporter: columbia university says they are still in talks with protesters, adding that work continues in good faith. david? >> david: stephanie ramos again tonight. stephanie, thank you. we turn now to breaking news as we're on the air here in the west. the urgent manhunt for a former police officer suspected of killing two people including his ex-wife and another victim.
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and then abducting his 1-year-old son. there has been a dramatic late turn in this case, and here's trevor ault with breaking developments tonight. >> reporter: tonight a desperate manhunt and nationwide amber alert is over after authorities say a former school resource officer committed an onslaught of violent crimes. s.w.a.t. teams racing to wiley elementary school in southern washington monday where they say 39-year-old elias huizar shot and killed his ex-wife, 31-year-old amber rodriguez. it was the same day the former police officer was due in court on a child rape charge to which he pleaded not guilty. investigators then searching huizar's home monday, saying they then discovered a second body. >> no information about the second victim's identity is being released at this time as it is still an active investigation. >> reporter: huizar fleeing with his 1-year-old son, believed to be armed and considered dangerous and likely to commit more crimes. then late today oregon state patrol reporting they'd
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huizar heading south on i-5 near eug eugene, oregon saying their pursuit ended with huizar kieg from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. the child safely taken into custody by state troopers. huizar previously worked as a police officer in yakima, washington. photos posted by the department showing his first day as a school resource officer. tonight the department saying huizar resigned in 2021 after, quote, receiving discipline. david, huizar had been in custody on those previous rape charges but he was released on $250,000 bail. and officials had feared he was going to try to flee to mexico. david? >> trevor ault with us tonight. trevor, thank you. this evening the justice department has now agreed to a massive settlement with the victims of disgraced gymnastics doctor larry nassar. here's pierre thomas. >> reporter: tonight, a measure of justice for some of america's best-known female olympic gymnasts and other young women and girls, as the justice department agrees to pay more than $138 million to victims
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after the fbi failed to protect them from dr. larry nassar. doj agreeing with 139 victims who blame the fbi for woefully mishandling reported allegations of sexual assault against the now disgraced and convicted former usa gymnastics doctor, saying flatly, "these allegations should have been taken seriously from the outset.” the settlement comes more than two years after the country's top gymnasts testified in front of congress, slamming the fbi. >> what is the point of reporting abuse if our own fbi agents are going to take it upon themselves to bury that report in a drawer? >> reporter: a doj report found after first hearing of the allegations in 2015, fbi agents failed to flag local authorities who could have taken action, effectively allowing nassar to continue his abuse for more than a year. >> nassar found more than 100
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new victims to molest. it was like serving innocent children up to a pedophile. >> reporter: the failure so profound, it led to an extraordinary apology by the fbi director. this was a dark chapter for the fbi, david, a truly dark chapter. >> david: pierre thomas live in washington. pierre, thank you. we turn now to president biden tonight, hoping to put the state of florida back in play this november. tonight, the president's major abortion rights speech in florida, with that state's new six-week abortion ban just days now from going into effect. mary bruce in florida. >> reporter: president biden today traveling to florida, just days before the state's strict new abortion law goes into effect. banning the procedure at just six weeks, when many women don't even know they're pregnant. >> there's one person responsible for this nightmare, and he's acknowledged and he brags about it, donald trump. >> reporter: it's biden's first major campaign speech on abortion, an issue he's putting at the center of his re-election bid. florida one of 21 states to ban or severely restrict abortion since the supreme court overturned roe versus wade.
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trump boasts of appointing three of the justices who struck roe down. >> we broke roe v. wade, and we did something that nobody thought was possible. we gave it back to the states. and the states are working very brilliantly. >> reporter: today, biden calling trump out. >> individual state laws are working, in his words, brilliantly. brilliantly. it's a six-week ban in florida. it's really brilliant, isn't it? even before women know they're pregnant. is that brilliant? >> reporter: biden is counting on the issue to energize voters, especially women. he was introduced today by kaitlyn joshua of louisiana. she was almost 12 weeks pregnant when she suffered a miscarriage. when she showed up at the hospital bleeding, doctors refused to treat her, afraid of running afoul of louisiana's near total abortion ban. >> another hospital basically just told me they'd send me home with prayers, but were not able to medically diagnose miscarriage. >> reporter: they said they would send you home with prayers, but couldn't give you medical advice? >> that's correct.
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>> reporter: her message to women tonight -- >> so abortion is absolutely on the ballot this year. if this is not a topic that you think is going to touch you or doesn't touch you currently, it absolutely will. >> reporter: and florida is one of 14 states where abortion could be on the ballot in november. the biden campaign hoping that could put this state in play for them. they know every time the issue's been on the ballot, even in red states, abortion rights have won. david? >> david: mary bruce traveling with the president in florida. mary, thank you. tonight, the harrowing video here showing a woman in desperate need. police have arrested a suspect in oregon. doorbell video shows the suspect picking up the victim and carrying her away. here's kayna whitworth. >> reporter: tonight, this terrifying doorbell camera showing the moment police say a man kidnapped a woman in oregon. >> please help me! >> reporter: around 10:45 p.m. sunday night, a woman seen panicked, ringing the doorbell in a portland suburb and screaming for help, when a man runs up from behind and grabs her, pulling the woman back to the street and out of the frame. a mother and daughter who live in the home say they saw the
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woman's fear captured on the camera. >> she looked scared, and her voice, you could tell she was frantic and she needed help. right as i see it, i was like, this is bad, we've got to call 911. >> reporter: she says they don't know the people in the video, but authorities tonight say the woman in dire need knew the man who was after her. and tonight, she's okay. authorities taking mark anthony fredrickson into custody, charging him with kidnapping and harassment. hillsboro police saying they are not releasing the identity of the woman or their relationship, but that she is now safe. and david, authorities say that the suspect and the victim knew each other, that this wasn't a random attack, and there's no ongoing threat to the public. david? >> david: we're just glad she's okay. kayna, thank you. overseas tonight, "wall street journal" reporter evan gershkovich has been ordered to remain jailed in moscow until at least the end of june after losing an appeal of his pretrial detention. he was arrested more than a year ago now on espionage charges
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that he and the u.s. both, of course, deny. when we come back here tonight, the images just coming in, the fiery plane crash. a vintage plane going down. we're also tracking severe storms across several states, in a moment. frizz. dryness. breakage. new dove 10-in-1 serum hair mask with peptide complex. fortifies hair bonds
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well invested, well protected. finally tonight, the secrets of the octopus. tonight, an extraordinary and never-before-seen view into the
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life of an octopus. a new national geographic documentary series "secrets of the octopus" spent two years and 1,500 hours underwater, documenting octopuses from five countries. marine biologist dr. alex schnel following this octopus in australia's great barrier reef for weeks. incredibly, gaining the octopus's trust and forging a bond. >> when she reached out her arm and put her suckers on my hand, it just felt like a life-changing moment. >> david: documenting behavior never before captured. the octopus grabbing a shell for protection. >> grabbing that shell to use it as a shield, it was such a beautiful example of really complex intelligence. >> david: taking cover in a coconut. the three-part series from our partners at nat geo shows how the octopus survives, camouflaging themselves from predators, sharks. >> their brain is connected directly to muscles in their skin.
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the octopus can produce an endless array of patterns and colors. >> david: tonight, dr. schnel says they hope the series, its groundbreaking discoveries, will help in conservation efforts, revealing that the octopus even communicates with humans. >> to my surprise, she responded. she had an understanding of what i was trying to communicate to her. it just felt like magic. >> david: "secrets of the octopus" now streaming on hulu and disney+. good night. night and day in the tenderloin. people say the difference is as clear as well, night and day. and that's what's now being targeted. good evening. >> i'm ama daetz and i'm dan ashley. thanks for joining us. will an overnight curfew cut down on crime and drugs in san francisco's tenderloin? that's what mayor london breed wants the county supervisors to approve. to find out. >> yes, it could help build a better bay area, which is part
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of our mission here at abc seven. and that's why we have team coverage on the topic tonight. >> abc seven news insider phil matier is here to give us some big picture perspective on this. but first, we want you to hear from abc seven news reporter suzanne fawn with details on what the mayor is proposing here. suzanne. >> so, dan, this proposed curfew would not apply to restaurants, bars or event halls. supporters say the proposed curfew could help crack down on people who gather outside retail stores or smoke shops late at night and engage in drug related crimes. this is what the tenderloin looks like during the day. >> the daytime is relatively safe for people that are working here and living here. >> many people say the tenderloin looks dramatically different at night. mayor london breed wants to impose a curfew on some small businesses selling prepackaged food or tobacco products between midnight and 5 a.m. that would affect convenience stores and smoke shops and part of the tenderloin. the curfew would impact this area between o'farrell and mcallister from polk to jones. some say when people gather