tonight, the president's profane attack. president trump in the oval office, talking about immigration, suddenly asking why are we having all of these people from blank countries? using an expletive we cannot repeat. tonight, the outrage already. also breaking at this hour, the massive winter storm. 120 million americans, heavy snow from the midwest to the east. and a very dangerous day tomorrow. freezing rain and black ice on the roads. the stunning video tonight, the sheer force of the deadly rain and mud smashing into those homes. were there no alerts until after the mudslides began? the republican governor on the rise, now under fire tonight. the former

admitting to being unfaithful, but denying something else. the deadly flu. tonight, a mother of two now dyi dying. from the 19-month-old to the 21-year-old, the aspiring trainer. why so deadly this year? what you need to know tonight. and tonya harding back in the news. the movie depicting an abusive mother. and tonight, for the first time, we hear from harding's mother. good evening. and it's great to have you with us here on a thursday night. and we begin with the president's comments in the oval office today, using an expletive and setting off a firestorm. a bipartisan group of senators with him during talks about immigration. the president told of a plan to allow immigrants from haiti and several african countries, then asking, why are we allowing all of these people from blank countries to come here, using a profanity we won't repeat. word of his comments spreading through washington tonight, sparking outrage. and abc's mary bruce, leading us off from the hill. >> reporter: after dizzying nego

today, lawmakers thought that had a plan to protect dreamers. deal or no deal? >> we have an agreement. >> reporter: lawmakers took that agreement to the president, but when they returned -- >> no deal yet. there's got to be one, because we're running out of time. >> reporter: sounds like we have an agreement and he's not onboard. >> we have no agreement with the president. >> reporter: tonight, the reason the president isn't on board is shocking even some lawmakers. sources briefed on the meeting tell abc news that when president trump learned the plan would restore protections from immigrants from haiti and several african countries, his response? "why are we having all these people from expletive countries come here?" instead, trump suggested the u.s. should bring in more people from countries like norway. the outrage, swift. in a tweet, elijah cummings calls the comments demeaning for the presidency. and from cory booker, "let me be clear. donald trump does not speak for

dreamer talks. earlier this week, the president sat down with lawmakers, and, at time, even seemed to agree with democrats. >> what about a clean daca bill now, with a commitment that we go into a comprehensive immigration reform procedure. >> i have no problem. i think that's basically what he's saying. we will come up with daca, we will do daca and then we can start on the phase two which would be comprehensive -- >> would you be agreeable to that? >> i would like that. >> mr. president, you need to be clear. i think what senator feinstein is asking here, when we talk about daca, we don't want to be back here two years later. you have to have security as the secretary would tell you. >> i think that's what she is saying. >> reporter: the president said he would sign whatever lawmakers could agree to, but yesterday, he made clear he has one firm condition. >> we need the wall. we have to have the wall for security purposes. >> reporter: there are a provision in the new agreement to deliver on some kind of a wall, in the form of beefed up

but tonight, that no longer seems to be the president's main objection. >> so, let's get to mary bruce live on the hill tonight. and mary, this evening, the white house does not deny mt. trump made those comments? >> reporter: in a statement, david, the white house says president trump is fighting for permanent solutions that make our country stronger, by welcoming those who can contribute to our society, grow our economy and assimilate into our great nation what the white house is not saying tonight, david, no denial that the president made these comments. >> mary bruce leading us off tonight. mary, thank you. we're going to turn next to the powerful winter storm moving across the country right now. the same one that unleashed that deadly mudslide in california, now bringing snow, freezing rain to 120 million americans in the midwest and here in the east. triggering whiteout conditions already in salina, kansas. snow trucks clearing the roads. tonight, barrelling all the way to the east coast, making for a very treacherous friday on the roads. let's get right to rob marciano, tracking this all for us. you've got the time out for us? >> repte

with this, but we're really worried about the ice. tonight, 7:00, we bring the maps forward. arctic blast, below 32 and where that moisture meets that subfreezing air, that's where the trouble is going to be, louisville, indianapolis in the morning for the rush. up the ohio river. cincinnati, pittsburgh, back through nashville, as well. then sliding up east of buffalo in through albany. heavy rain, by the way, for the evening rush tomorrow for the big cities with that melting snow. new york included. snowfall generally less than five inches, but anywhere from a coating to a quarter inch of ice in that inning area. that's going to make driving very dangerous. >> be very careful out there. rob, thank you. new images continue coming in of the devastation, the force of the deadly mudslides in california. and the moment the mudslides first appeared. take a listen. >> oh, my god. mom. >> one family twriing intrying. you can see the mud and the rocks just as they are crashing into the home. the rain turning this road into a river. the driver still inside that

and tonight, this question now. where there no alerts until after the mudslides began? abc's matt gutman in california again tonight. >> reporter: tonight, the asless kuehlers and k-9s trudge through the sludge, the third straight day, time is running out to find the seven people still believed missing. that series of mudslides destroying or damaging more than 500 holmes and businesses. >> see this area here with this home and this pool, as we fade back to what's left there now. absolutely nothing. >> reporter: tonight, from burbank to montecitmontecito, t images of the harrowing first moments. >> oh, my god. mom. marco farrell recorded the wall of water as he rushed to get his family to safety. >> get ready to go out. wake dad up! we literally have a torrent of mud going through the house. >> reporter: 17 people killed and teams working through endless mud plains to find the missing. >> okay, over here. >> reporter: w

be alive here? >> sure. >> oh, yeah. >> reporter: that is what robert riskin had hoped when we found him tuesday. and with a bigger search party wednesday. searching for his mother, rebecca riskin. her death confirmed today. and now, they turn to the grim task of salvaging keepsakes from a home invaded by mud, rocks and death. the family accepting all the help it could get. >> you know, i know at least -- i hope that she knows that i was giving everything i could to find her. >> reporter: santa barbara officials only issued the first emergency alert nearly 20 minutes after the mudslides began. many did not heed the voluntary evacuation warnings. given the freak nature of the downpour, it might not have mattered anyway. >> they screwed up big time. they should have -- they should have said anyone in the floodplain should get the hell out. >> and matt gutman with us tonight. those conditions are so grueling, we know rescuers still haven't been able to search the entire area

david. what you're seeing behind me is basically ground zero for these mudslides. just one of them came tearing through here, steamrolling through that bridge, it severed a gas main down there. that ignited those two houses behind me, all that debris going downstream. and the terrain here remains so treacherous that we're told 25% of the debris field still hasn't been searched. david? >> matt gutman with us again tonight. thank you. and next this evening, the mixed messages from president trump today on a key security surveillance law. in an early morning tweet, the president suggested he opposed the law, saying it was used to abuse and surveil his campaign. two hours later, an apparent reversal. so, what happened in between? abc's senior white house correspondent cecilia vega on that tonight. >> reporter: a morning of confusion began with this comment on one of president trump's favorite morning shows. a direct message to the president about that controversial surveillance program congress was set to reauthorize today. >> i don't understand why donald trump is in favor of

his woes began with unlawful foreign surveillance and unconstitutional domestic surveillance of him. mr. president, this is not the way to go. >> reporter: minutes litter, the president took to twitter using the exact language that appeared on "fox and friends." house votes on controversial fisa act today. he said, "this is the act that may have been used to so badly surveil and abuse the trump campaign by the previous administration and others?" the president's tweets seemed to contradict his own policy. the white house supporting reauthorizing fisa, the program that allows the government to conduct warrantless surveillance on suspected terrorists oversapps and on u.s. soil. cue the chaos on capitol hill. a flurry of calls between the president and confused lawmakers. speaker paul ryan spent half an hour on the phone with him. after those calls, the president appeared to backtrack. in a followup tweet, "today's vote is about foreign surveillance of foreign bad guys on foreign

we need it. get smart." >> the bill is passed. >> reporter: ultimately, the house did vote to reauthorize the law. >> did he not understand what bill you were voting on today? >> we just has concerns about other parts of fisa. i think everybody knows that, too. >> reporter: and the top democrat on the senate intelligence committee went on the attack, saying the president endangered national security and that, quote, fisa is something the president should have known about long before he turned on fox this morning. many people are interpreting that first tweet from the president to mean he didn't actually know how fisa works and for that matter that he wasn't familiar with his own administration's policy. does he know fisa? was he familiar with the policy? >> he does, which is why he issued a presidential memo last week expressing concerns and he has a full understanding. >> cecilia vega with us from the white house. and cecilia, another headline tonight, the president raising eyebrows now with some surprising new comments about north

jong-un? >> reporter: he had an interview with "the wall street journal" and said he probably had a good relationship with kim jong-un. he refused to say if he had spoken to un. david, it would be hard to imagine these two men being friendly, given that president trump has called kim in the past depraved, twisted and a mad man. >> cecilia vega, thank you. next, the trump administration rewriting the rules for medicaid. the health care program for low income people, allowing states to impose work requirements now. saying ten states have already requested permission to require able-bodied adults to have a job or equivalent activity to keep their benefits. their justification, that working people are healthier. critics say people need health care in order to work. the change potentially affecting some 10 million americans. we're going to turn next here to the sex scandal swirling around a rising republican star, missouri's governor, and a bombshell report, alleging he had an extramarital affair and that he threatened the woman into silence. the former navy s.e.a.l., husband and father s

admitted to being unfaithful, through his attorney, but he denies the rest. here tonight, abc's david wright. >> reporter: tonight, missouri governor eric greitens, a former navy s.e.a.l. and rising republican star, admits that about the time he announced his run for office -- >> but most importantly, i am a very proud husband and father. >> reporter: -- he was cheating on his wife. that admission comes after audio was released of a woman describing a sexual encounter she says she had with the politician in 2015. in the audio, recorded secretly by her now ex-husband, she claims greitens tied her and blindfolded her. quote, "i saw a flash through the blindfold and he said, you're never going to mention my name, otherwise, there will be pictures of me everywhere." the governor insists he never tried to blakemail her. the 43-year-old governor switched parties just before kicking off his campaign. >> this

>> reporter: tonight, his wife stands by him. "we have a loving marriage and an awesome family. anything beyond that is between us and god." tonight, the governor insists any allegation of violence is completely false. it never happened, he says. meanwhile, the woman on those audio tapes isn't commenting. david? >> david wright tonight. david, thank you. we're going to turn next to the deadly flu outbreak. a mother of two has now died outside boston. in the last 24 hours here, we've reported on that toddler, now a mother and that 21-year-old aspiring physical trainer. here's abc's dr. jennifer ashton with what you need to know about this year's flu. >> reporter: the startling images. lives taken by the flu. massachusetts mother of 2, jenny ching, thought it was just a bad cold. >> she had the flu and she also developed a bacterial infection. it just was really

caused severe pneumonia. >> reporter: word of her death coming just 24 hours after we learned about that 21-year-old, kyler baughman, the picture of fitness, succumbing to complications from the flu. his mother outside of pittsburgh saying he got sick and waited too long to get help. and that than y'all downey, 19 months old, from toledo, ohio, who started coughing suddenly, and within an hour, couldn't breathe. tonight, as nearly every state in the country gaples with a severe through season, one school in matthews, north carolina, canceling classes for the rest of the week after more than 160 students were out sick. >> taking action in north carolina, so many parents are seeing this. jen ashton with us now. and from that mother outside boston to the 21-year-old son. it's a reminder how unpredictable the flu can be, and for even to take the similar p somes seriously. >> reporter: absolutely, david. so far, the deaths in the flu this season have been mostly in

mostly those with pre-existing medical conditions. heart disease, lung disease. but the victims in this piece remind us, it can affect anyone, the symptoms have to be taken seriously. some good news. the anti-viral medications lie tamiflu, there appears to be no resistance with this particular strain that is circulating. >> that is good news. jen, thank you. there is still much more ahead on "world news tonight" this thursday. the accident at a construction site, the crane collapsing. a cable snapping. construction workers racing to get out of the way. word on the injured tonight. then, a close call on the runway. the landing aborted. it was the wrong runway. and the abc news exclusive tonight. tonya harding back in the news. the movie depicting a troubled relationship with her mother. and tonight, for the first time, we hear from harding's mother, after the break. scheming against a top insurer for no reason? nah. so, why don't we like flo?

but why? why don't we actually do any work? why do you only own one suit? it's just the way it is, underdeveloped office character. you're right. thanks, bill. no, you're bill. i'm tom. you know what? no one cares. anyone ever have occasional constipation,diarrhea, gas or bloating? she does. e does. help defend against those digestive issues. take phillips' colon health probiotic caps daily with three types of good bacteria. 400 likes? wow! try phillips' colon health. but when we brought our daughter home, that was it. now i have nicoderm cq. the nicoderm cq patch with unique extended release technology helps prevent your urge to smoke all day. it's the best thing that ever happened to me. every great why needs a great how. when you have a cold, stuff happens. ♪ { sneezing ] shut down cold symptoms fast [ coughing ]

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mother. tonight here, amy robach, and the interview with tonya harding's mother. and tonya harding herself on whether scenes like this one are accurate. >> stop talking to her. yeah. that girl is your enemy. >> reporter: tonight, tonya harding, her story depicted in the new film "i, tonya", talking about her difficult relationship with her mother. how would you describe your mom as a mother? >> not a good one. i know she probably did the best that she probably could. >> if there's no "you can't do it" type of thing, she won't do it. she'd be nothing. >> reporter: her tough parenting captured in this 1986 documentary. for years, harding has accused her mother of abuse. >> she's a good mother, but she's not a good mother. she hits me and she beats me. >> reporter: and tonight, we're hearing from harding's estranged mother, lavona, a former waitress. >> i was working right around the clock, morning, noon and night, trying to get the money for her

lessons. >> reporter: tonya's mother insists she was no child abuser. >> i didn't abuse any of my children. spanked? yes, spanked. absolutely, positively. you've got to show them right from wrong. >> reporter: but that's not how tonya remembers it. >> when i was young, i remember she dragged me into the bathroom and beat me with a hairbrush. literally. >> reporter: what had you done that made your mom go off on you with a hairbrush? >> oh, i wasn't landing my jumps perfect. and, if i -- that was it, that's it. >> one time i spanked her once with a hairbrush at a competition. >> stop that. >> reporter: but harding says actress allison janney's portrayal of her mother is spot on. >> i made you a champion, knowing you'd hate me for it. that's the sacrifice a mother makes. >> oh, my god. yes.

she was fabulous. >> amy tells us that tonya harding is a mother herself now, happily married with a 6-year-old boy that she's now teaching to skate. the abc documentary "truth and lie lies: the tonya harding story" airs tonight, 9:00 p.m. eastern right here. coming up tonight, the landing aborteds it was the wrong runway. and the construction crane that came crashing down. we have news on the injuries tonight. we'll be right back. but when your psoriasis is bad, does it ever get in the way? embrace the chance of 100% clear skin with taltz. taltz is proven to help people with moderate to severe psoriasis achieve completely clear skin. with taltz, up to 90% of patients had a significant improvement of their psoriasis plaques. in fact, 4 out of 10 even achieved completely clear skin. don't use if you're allergic to taltz. before starting, you should be checked for tuberculosis.

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sisters and his step-mom. rye land ward shot five times, but he survived. tonight, a remarkable moment. the sound of fire trucks, but this time, no emergency. in the front seat, rylan, coming home from the hospital. the vowlunteer firefight whole saved him, us aredy duncan, in the driver's seat. he remembers pulling that 6-year-old to safety. >> we know we're there to help people, that's what i went in to do. help whoever i came across and it just happened to be rylan first. >> reporter: he's been visiting rylan in the hospital ever since. his father right by rylan's side, too. and an idea from that firefighter when it was time to leave. >> when i told him i could bring him home in a fire truck, he was excited. >> reporter: today, the town gathering along the road, signs in hand. and we remember when they told us there this entire town is a family. >> the whole community, i mean, these are friends, these are family. >> reporter: and tonight, the

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welcome aboard! it's disney sea & shore week. wheel... of... fortune! ♪ ♪ ladies and gentlemen, here are the stars of america's game -- pat sajak and vanna white! -frightened me there. -whoo! [ chuckles ] thank you. thank you, jim. thanks, everybody. appreciate that. that was very nice. hi. good to see everybody.