severe weather stretching from texas to ohio. the storm that buried the west in snow, now threatening the northeast with drenching rains. 56 million people under flood watches from virginia to maine. new york city, warning of flooding on highways and in basements. we're timing it all out. the historic abortion battle playing out in texas. the state supreme court steps in to stop a mother of two from having an emergency abortion. doctors say her fetus is not viable and carrying it to term could affect her health and fertility. why the attorney general says her case does not meet the s. she has been under pressure from donors and alumni. declining to say that a call for genocide against jews would violate the university's code of conduct. what we've just learned. to the middle east and fierce fighting in the streets of gaza. israeli forces battling hamas in the north. tonight, the new threat to shipping in the red sea. and why the u.s. vetoed a cease-fire resolution. countdown to iowa. with the caucuses a month ago, the cappndidates flock to the state. and what the polls are saying about the field catching up to trump. a high school cleheerleader found dead in her home. police revealing surveillance photos and looking for a person of interest. a woman suspected of trying to set fire to the birthplace of martin luther king jr. the good samaritans that stepped in to stp op it. baseball's $700 million man and the record deal. the life-saving lesson that turned a seventh grader into a hero. good evening. thanks for joining us on this saturday. i'm whit johnson. we're following breaking news as we come on tonight. 56 million americans are on alert for severe flooding, as a powerful storm system makes its way across the country and will take aim at the northeast. right now, that storm is hammering the south. multiple tornadoes touching down in the south, causing damage to homes and other structures. these images are from northern tennessee. a long track tornado later spotted in bowling green, kentucky, the same area where 17 people died after a different tornado hit almost two years ago. this is how the storm is expected to move into the northeast. high winds and up to four inches of rain in the forecast. the new york city area could see the worst of it. city officials already issuing a travel advisory from sunday into monday. a flood watch issued from 12 states from virginia to maine. >> oh, my god. oh, my god. this isn't happening. >> reporter: tonight, a powerful tornado touching down in northwest tennessee. homes and other structures damaged. >> are you guys okay? >> reporter: a fallen tree reducing half this house to rubble. the ceiling of this home collapsing, spilli iing insulat everywhere. down the road, power lines snapped. across town, first responders racing to rescue a family in their home. a powerful storm packing strong winds, heavy rain and lightning. the long-track tornado later spotted in kentucky. part of the same time set to hit the northeast sunday. >> let's get right to samarra theodore. where is the most dangerous weather threat hitting right now? >> the dire situation unfolding from the tennessee valley into mississippi, with a tornado watch remaining in effect. severe thunderstorms continue to bring damaging winds and heavy rain and tornado plus the crucial overnight hours. a life-threatening tornado just north of nashville has led to a tornado emergency. the same system is going to drive into cities like atlanta and charlotte early sunday morning. for those living along the i-95 corridor, if you had plans for your sunday, running errands, getting holiday shopping done, the earlier, the better. conditions will deteriorate by the afternoon. this storm is bringing rain and snow inland. lake-effect snow will enhance the snow totals west of i-95. the heavy rain totals we're expecting will be anywhere from 2 to 4 inches. and could lead to flooding in cities like washington, d.c., new york, boston and as far north as maine. >> we know you will be tracking it tomorrow on "gma." thank you. a new twist in a texas woman's challenge to one of the country's most restrictive abortion laws. the texas supreme court putting on hold a lower court ruling that would have allowed kate cox to end her pregnancy. doctors say her 20-week-old fetus has a fatale diagnosis. but the state of texas argues, she doesn't meet the degcriteri for an emergency abortion. the historic case is the first of its kind since roe v. wade 50 years. here's elizabeth schulze. >> reporter: tonight, a reversal in a historic case and access of abortion in the post-roe era. the texas supreme court blocking 31-year-old kate cox from obtaining an emergency abortion, after attorney general appealed to the court, writing nothing can restore the unborn child's life that will be lost as a result. time is of the essence. the state's highest court putting a hold on a lower court's ruling thursday that says cox qualified for an abortion, despite the state's near-total ban. how urgent is it for kate cox right now to be able to get access to an emergency abortion? >> time is of the essence. i mean, the clock is ticking. every day that goes by, the risk to her health and life and future fertility increase. >> reporter: cox, a mother of two from dallas, is 20 weeks pregnant. her doctor told her her fetus has no chance of survival because of a severe condition. they warn if she continues to carry the pregnancy, her health and future fertility could be at risk. >> there's no outcome here. you know, that results in us taking home a healthy baby girl. >> reporter: cox's suit was the first known case of a woman seeking a court order for an emergency abortion since roe v. wade in 1973. texas, 1 of 21 states enforcing restrictions on the procedure, since roe was overturned. under texas law, abortions are banned, except if the mother's life is at risk, or if it prevents irreversible damage to a major bodily function. the state arguing that cox does not meet that criteria. >> has not shown that will suffer an immediate and irreparable injury. >> elizabeth, with this mother arguing her health is in jeopa jeopardy, how quickly might the texas supreme court act on this? >> reporter: the court has given no sense of a timeline here, whether it will allow the lower court's decision to stand, permitting cox to have an abortion. this is just the beginning of cases appealing directly to courts for the right for an abortion in state where's it's banned. a woman eight weeks pregnant in kentucky has filed a similar lawsuit. whit? >> elizabeth, thank you. now, to the news coming in tonight. the university of pennsylvania president who had come under sharp criticism after her testimony on capitol hill on anti-semitism, has resigned. she had declined to say that a call for genocide against jews violat violated the university's code of conduct. >> reporter: days after her testimony before congress, embattled university of pennsylvania president, liz magill, has voluntariry resigned. saying, it has been an honor to work with faculty, staff, students to advance penn's vital missions. on tuesday, alongside the presidents of harvard and m.i.t., responding to questions on anti-semitism, it was this exchange that prompted calls for her to resign. >> i'm asking specifically calling for the genocide of jews. does that constitute bullying harassment? >> if it is directed and severe pervasive, it is harassment. >> the answer is yes. >> it is a decision. >> reporter: after that backlash, this apology. >> i was not focused on, but should have been, the irrefutable fact that a call for genocide of jewish people is a call for some of the most terrible violence human beings can perpetrate. >> reporter: since the october 7th hamas terror attack on israel, and israel's bombardment on gaza, tempers flaring on college campuses. since the start of the school year, the anti-defamation league says 73% of students report experiencing or witnessing anti-semitism on campus. >> phil, you're learning more about the department of education widening its investigation into anti-semitism on college campuses? >> reporter: exactly, whit. the department of education has opened up investigations into ten universities and colleges. now, the university of pennsylvania and harvard are among them. these are schools where students report high incidents of anti-semitism and islamaphobia. whit? >> phil, thank you. now, the war between israel and hamas. t tonight, the battle intensifying. these images by the idf, show fierce fighting in northern gaza, between israeli defense forces and hamas. tonight, the new aid package from the state department. >> reporter: tonight, intense combat in the gaza strip. firefights in northern gaza seen in videos released by israel's defense force and hamas. idf soldiers telling us the sfi fighting on the ground is intensifying. >> we understood that we are stopping the pressure from hamas terrorists will allow them to reinforce themselves, to get prepared, to get more ammunition. >> reporter: the death toll in gaza, over 17,000 according to the hamas-run health industry. almost 1 million children have been displaced amid the conflict. this family describing the conditions of the shelter in rafah. saying, we make food but it is limited because it is rare. our whole day is trying to live with what exists, even though there's nothing to live with. at the u.n., a resolution for a cease-fire was vetoed by the united states, the only country to vote against it. humanitarian organization doctors without borders calling it a vote against humanity. but the u.s. defends its decision, pointing to the lack of condemnation for the horrific terror attack on october 7th, including the violence unleashed by hamas. >> the united states wants a durable peace where israelis and palestinians can live in peace and security, we do not support this resolution's call for an unsustainable cease-fire that will only plant the seeds for the next war. >> reporter: the israeli prime minister responding by saying he greatly appreciates the correct stance the u.s. has taken. there's 137 hostages being held in gaza. the family of one of those hostages says he has died, after the idf special ops failed to rescue any hostages from a hamas hideout where they were being held. in tel aviv, israelis are mourning. many turning out for a vigil for those missing or lost after the attack on october 7th. they are also angry. only a few blocks away, other demonstrators accusing the government of ignoring warning signs the days leading up to the attack. >> week after week, we saw they are not going the right thing. we understand that we are going to a long war. we have to do it now. >> reporter: whit, tonight, the houthis are saying they will block aid into israel coming into the red sea, unless food is made available to gaza. the state department says it plans to sends $107,000 to equipment for israel and israel's security. >> thank you. and tune into "this week" tomorrow morning. martha raddatz speaks to antony blinken about the latest of the hamas war and the fallout. we move to iowa, until a month ago, and the first of the nation caucuses, that will help decide the republican nominee. former president trump is leading by double digits in the polls, as hopefuls scramble for late momentum. maryalice parks with the candidates in iowa tonight. >> reporter: tonight, the candidates sharpening their criticism of donald trump. telling iowans that voting for the former president, invig invigorates democrats. >> they need the negative partisanship to say trump, trump, trump and get people to come out. >> i want to choose someone that will unite the republican party and the country. >> reporter: but trump is leading iowa polls by 25 points, according to 538. and some think the nomination is his to lose. can any beat trump in iowa? >> i think they can. >> reporter: you hesitated more. >> yeah. >> he will get the nomination again. >> reporter: you say it with a sigh. >> yeah. there's worse guys for the job but better guys for the job. >> reporter: the youngest candidate in the race, bonding with college students through a push-up challenge. but he struggled to make friends wednesday at the fourth gop debate. >> nikki haley who thinks the government should identify every one of those individuals. >> reporter: the crowd booing him repeatedly, when he attacked his competition on stage. he avoids krcriticiziing trump. do you have a likability problem? >> sometimes the truth is uncomfortable. i'm a candidate that speaks the truth without constraint. >> reporter: and it wasn't just the candidates trying to win votes. governor desantis telling me that his wife, casey, flips voters and draws crowds of her own. >> she's a great vote-getter. we look forward to having her out there. >> reporter: and the desantis campaign has been playing cleanup, where casey desantis made comment where's she encouraged other women to come to iowa to caucus. the trump team jumped on the comments. saying she was embracing voter fraud. desantis had to clarify them and she was encouraging people to volunteer. >> thank you. the cdc is out with an advisory about the spread of rocky mountain spotted fever in people that return from mexico. the disease is spread by the bite of ticks. five people in southern california have been infected since july. all have traveled to mexico or lived there. three patients died. the disease is treatable if caught early. there's much more ahead on "world news tonight" this saturday. a high school cheerleader is burdened. now, police are looking for a person of interest. how good samaritans stepped in to stop an arson attempt at the birthplace of martin luther king jr. stay with us. i'm lea. and we live in north pole, alaska. - as i got older, my hearing was not so good so i got hearing aids. my vision was not as good as it used to be, got a change in prescription. but the thing missing was my memory. i saw a prevagen commercial and i thought, "that makes sense." - i observed the changes in steve's memory and i thought i should try that too. - after taking prevage, i just didn't have to work so hard to remember things. prevagen. at stores everywhere without a prescription. 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