the first big idea revealed. shall we say, a tip of the hat? good evening. and it's great to have youith us here on a tuesday night. and we begin with the fear that began early today on both sides of this country. for millions of school children and their parents. amid this climate of concern over terror.. two threats, including bombs, assault weapons, grenades. one in los angeles. of course, san bernardino not far away. authorities there taking no chances, closing more than 1,000 schools. some children were already on their way, turned away at the doors. the other threat, right here in new york city. a bomb threat, also targeting schools, but authorities leaving schools open here. tonight, the very tough call made by authorities in both cities. how do you decide when to close, when to stay open? abc's matt gutman leading us off from los anges. >> reporter: the threat leaving a seaa of school buses silent. shuttering nearly 1,100 schools. 650,000. some parents turned away. >> oh, my goodness. >> i as superintendent am not going g take the chance witit the life of a student. >> reporter: l.a. superintendent ramon cortines saying this city still rattled in the wake the san bernardidi terrorist atatck two weeks ago. the fbi still investigationeing why one of the attackers there, syed farook, had pictures of a high school on his phoho. the first alert at 5:00 a.m. that threat emailed to a school board commissioner. by 7:00 a.m., the decision had been made. the district issuing these robocalls. abc news learning the letter invoked allah and threatened attacks with bombers, automatic new york city, got an almost identical note. >> we do not see that as a credible terrorist threat and we are investigating it as a hoax. >> reporter: making the opposite decision, chchsing not to cancel classes. in los angeles this afternrnn the lapd andndheriff's office combing every single school for suspicious objects. >> they have to take into consideration for the children of los angeles. i think it's irresponsible, to base on facts that have yetet to be determined, t t criticici that decision at this point. >> reporter: the cancellations wreaking havoc. parents taking the threat seriously. so, you mad the decision to pull him from school? >> his day care is not necessarily closed, but i decided to just keep him out. >> so worrisome for the parents. matt gutman with us live and they are still searching the schools at this hour? >> reporter: that's right, david. even t tugh investigators are telling me they are leaning towards this being a hoax, they are searching and clearing all the schools. they say they should be done by this evening and schools should be reopened tomorrow. david? >> let's hope so. matt, thank you. as you point out, the fbi clues. and as you heard matt just report, they're leaning towards and the one here in new york city had clues early on leading them to believe this was not the real thing. abc's chief investigative correspondent brian ross tonight with what was said in the threat and what led authorities to ave schools here open instead. >> reporter: the first tip-off for new york police today was that the alleged threat, involved a secret jihadist terror cell, nerve gas agents, high. powered weapons and mass casualties, seemed remarkably similar to the plot line of the >> the instigator of the threat basically watching "homeland" episodes that it mirrors a lot of recent episode on "homeland." >> reporter: police said the message sent to new york read in part, kwl "somethingngig is going down. there are nerve gas agents set to go off at a specific time. during launch hour." new york officials said they snew immediately it was a hoax, >> it t s so generic, so outlandish and posed to numerous school systems timesimultaneously. >> reporter: the message continued, with a glaring typo. me, and my 138 comrades will die tomorrow in the name of allah, with a lower-case "a," at least in the new york rsion. >> it would be incredible to ththk that njie hadany jihadist would not spell allah with a capital "a." >> reporter: los angeles got a similar message, with the sender the attacks. attack in both cities. so they realized right then and there that it didn't have credibility. >> reporter: cut-and-paste job? >> definitely. >> reporter: but with the pain of the san bernardino attacks still fresh in california, there was broad support for the decision made by los angeles schools to play it safe today. >> and brian ross is with us. this is so tricky, because what do you do? close down every school now and if you leave it open, you have the other concern for parents. the fbi still investigating both casese closely tonight. david. hoax, e-mails comically inept, for the people involved, there was nothing funny about the threat. under federal law, a conviction for the two bomb threats, if hoaxes, could mean up to 20 years in prison, david. >> brian ross with us tonight. brian, thank you. now, to the race for 2016. it's fight nig for the republicans. all eyes on donald trump, of course, walking onto that debate stage with his poll numbers now reaching a new high. the new abc news/"washington post" poll showing trump with 38% gtstionwide. the polls taken after his proposed ban on muslims coming to america. next to him tonight, ted cruz. abc's cecilia vega in las vegas. >> reporter: just how heated is the republican race? just watch donald trump's las vegas rally. >> black lives matter. muslims matter. >> reporter: trump repeatedly interrupupd by protesters. >> do i hear some noise over there? yes, i do. bye, bye. >> reporter: things taking an them. one n in the crowd shouting a nazi salutut another saying someone should burn. >> rorter: this dump trump sign torn to bits and thrown in the air. today, with the debate stage set, trump on the vegas strip, at his own hotel, tweeting, "hope i get treated fairly." this is the first debate since he proposed that controversial babaon muslims entering g e u.s. >> until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on. >> reporter: tonight, will his rivals pounce? another big question that ted cruz/donald trump match, with the texas senator gaining on the billionaire, will the two friends intensify theirir attacks on one another? >> we may see a few thoughts coming in our direction and i suppose, in a sense, that's a backhanded comeplimentcompliment. >> reporter: on conservative already choosing sides. >> a genuine conservative, even in the republican field, would not go after cruz this way. so, that's -- that just raised a red flag for me. >> reporter: but cruz and trump, not the only show in town. marco rubio today, surveying the debate stage, hopingnge can emerge as an establishment alternative. >> and cecilia vega with us live from inside the hall. and cecilia, as we know, donald trump was dominating the headlines with his proposed ban on muslims coming to america. but today, ben carson and something he said. >> reporter: that's right, he isis. in it, he calls a prominent muslim civil rights group, the council on american/islamic relations a supporter of terror. carson left the spin room momentsago, he's still standing by those comments. >> seal see ya, thank you. let's get right to abc's chief white house correspondent jonathan karl with us here tonight. let's tell everyone at home where everyone will be standing tonight on that stage. donald trump.p. neck in iowa. you told me earlier, jon, they all face the same challenge when it comes to this proposed ban on muslims and m!ny americans supporting trump on this. >> reporter: every single one of the kmds on stage besides trump that can't change. criticize donald trump on this. he knolls that the majority of republicanoters support the idea and certainly a majority of trump voters support the idea trump's support. tonight. jon karl watching right here with you. > meantime, o o the democratic side, their big debate, right here on abc, just days away now. tonight, hillary clinton laying out her new plan to beat isis, saying the u.s. needs to, quote, ep up our game, just as porn foreign policy, the number one issue for americans. bernie sanders with tough talk on isis, as well. abc's tom llamas with the terror on the minds of voters, hillary clinton, out to prove she'll take on isis and protect the homeland. >> it is not enough to contain isis. we must defeat isis, break its momentum and then its back. >> reporter: the former secretary of state is pledging to target is' efforts to cruit online, but also, slamming republicans for fear mongering. >> bluster and bigotry are not credentials for becoming commander in chief. >> reporter: clinton heads into saturday's new hampshire debate dominatiti national polls. but it's senator bernie sanders, who is the one ahead in the granite state. and, he's toughening his stance on isis, while telling his loil supporters who pack those massive rallies, there are other issues, as well. >> obviously isis and terrorism are a huge issue we have to address, but so is poverty. so is unemployment, so is education, so is health care, so is the need to protect working families. >> reporter: and david, next clinton to worry about. tonight, we've learned that chelsea clinton will play a bigger role in the campaign, headlining two fund-raisers and she's off to the early primary states. david? >> tom llamas with us tonight. tom, thank you. and we hope you'll join martha raddatz and me as we moderate the new hampshire democratic debate this saturday night, december 19th, 8:00 p.m., 7:00 central. we turn now to the breaking headline out of baltimore tonight. the jury deadlocked in the freddie gray case. gray's death making national headlines. his spine nearly five lyly severed after an alleged rough ride in the back of a police van. william porter is theirst of death. tonight, the judge telling those deadlocked jurors to get back to work, to keep deliberating. we are also following, tonight, the extreme weather. a winter blast out west. ten states nowow under winter alerts from colorado to minnesota. and look at this. crippling the denver airport tonight. hundreds of flights canceled. and on the highways, a treacherous comemute home on i-76 in denver. abc's clayton sandell from colorado. >> reporter: in denver, planes are touching down on icy runways in whiteout conditions. more than half a foot of snow putting the chill on travelers, forcing airlines to cancel more than 400 flights, delays running four hours. >> it's a bit of heather. >> reporter: the weather is also shutting down schools and entertainments ainter interstates across the west. in utah, knocking out power and snarling traffic. on the slopes of this new york ski resort, the grass is growing, but business is dead. high temperatures are also melting sales of winter clothihi. in just the first two weeks of december, retailers have already lost $158 million compared to last year. here in colorado, it's a much different story. skiing is a nearly $5 billili industry here and lately, dollar signs in every snowflake. david? >> a tale of two countries tonight. clayton, thank you. let's get right to chief meteorologist ginger zee, because this storm is stiti causing problems. >> reporter: and that same storm that dropped more than half foot of snow in denver is now on the move tonight, david. from wyoming up to the arrowhead of minnesota, we've got winter weather advisories and warnings. we t te it out for you. places like interstate 94, that's going to be a wreck tomorrow morning. visibility low. overall. when that gets out of here, that storm, i want tourn your attention to the turning colder. by thursday morning, a reality check. rapid city, 7. minneapolis, 15. look at chicago, 24. that's a slap in the face after what we've had. it's all relative, but back to average. d.c., sub-freezing by saturday morning. >> 34 instead of 65? >> reporter: we have to deal. >> it was coming meantime, that storm you talked about in the middle of the country, the airport chaosos comes just a week before the massive rush on the roads across this country. just how many people will be on more than ever before. and abc's chief business correspondent rebecca jarvis tonight. rebecca? >> reporter: david, nearly 1 in 3 americans, that's more than 100 million of us, expected to travel this holiday season. and when we do, gas prices wl be below $2 a gallon for most of the country. the national average for a gallon of gas this christmas expected to drop to $1.98. that is the lowest level since 2008. and a gifif for the flyers, too. 87% of flights are coming in on time. and that is the third best rate in more than 20 years. david? >> we'll take it. rebecca, thank you. there is still much more ahead on "world news tonight" this tuesday. the lawsuit making headlines tonight. the american plumber who sold his pickup truck to a texas dealer. the company name and the phone number right there on the door. so, how did his truck endnd up in the hands o o isis? he is now suing tonight. does he have a case? there is also news this evening about that driver crashing his truck into a hotel. set him off and how much damage he caused. and, "star wars" and stars on the red carpet. from rob lowe to sofia vergara. some rearriving in costume. do you recognize that face? 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okay, mostly prepared? it doesn't sound likikmuch, but saving an additional 1% now, could make a big difference over time. i'm going to be even better about saving. you can do it, it helps in the long run. prudential bring your challenges next tonight, imagine seeing the pickup truck you sold to a texas dealer show up overseas, being driven by isis. a plumber from texas, suing after receiving his truck, only to have it, along with his logo and his phone number, end up in the hands of terrorists. here's abc's david wright. >> reporter: a plumber's truck is his buildboard, so, what happens when that billboard turns up on the front lines of a war zone? >> my secretary c cled me, said, you can't believe this. >> reporter: mark ober holdser of texas city, texas, was out deer hunting a year ago when he got the call from the office that isis fighters in syria were ford f-250, now sporting a serious new gun rack. >> i was shocked. >> reporter: he says when he sold the truck in november of 2013, the dealer told him they'y' remove the decal so not to risk scratching the paint. but evidently, they never did. according to carfax, the vehicle was auctioned off a month later in houston. from there, it went to turkey before ending up in aleppo, syria. those photos turned up on his yelp page. the plumber says he got death threats and suffered a serious loss of business. he's suing the dealer. >> i believe i've lost that much work. >> reporter: the dealer blames the auction house, noting it's unfortunate that the customer had to go through this. david wright, abc news, new york. >> david wright, thank you. when we come back here tonight, new reporting what was behind that crash, right into an american hotel lobby? you'll remember the debate, we covered it here. the football players taking out the referee. who was responsible? the new turn in the case tonight. and, of course, the new "star wars." we have the reviewing coming in tonight from some very fair mouse faces, as we take you right to the red carpet.lare was almost always on my mind. thinking about what to avoid, where to go... and how to deal with my uc. to me, that was normal. until i talked to my doctor. she told me that humira helps people like me get uc under control and keep it under control when certain medications haven't worked well enough. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have bloooo liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. well your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are commomo and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. raise your expectations. ask your gastroenterologist about humira. with humira, control is possible. you both have a perfect driving record. perfect. no tickets. noccidents. that is until one of you clcls a food truck, ruining your perfect record. yeah. now you would think your insurance company would cut you some slack, right? 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[sfx: yeti noise] we are farmers bum - pa - dum, bum - bum - bum - bum city. but this one would include more than just your typical sports. and we'll fact check one of hillary clinton's latest ads - this one on gernment profit and student loans. see you at 6. tonight at 6. tonight at ten. finally tonight here, the great made in america christmas is back. so many of you sending ideas. tonight, our trip to find and american origil. the countdown is on until christmas. the most wonderful time of the year. asked for years now. will anything under the tree be merry christmas. the double decker tour pulses are back. see the christmas lights. the viewers have always been a step ahead. >> "world news tonight"? >> this year, viewers sending in their ideas. >> hi,, david. connecticut. janice from sacramento. >> i bought these candles from washington. >> hi, david. >> and nancy,rom virginia. >> we've got a bacon maker, olive oil dispenser from north carolina. >> and tonight, our trip to texas to find a true american classic. stetson hats. 150 years old this year. 400 workers on the line, and proud to be there. >> we have it made right here in the usa. we're proud of that fact and we sticker the boxes, made in usa, and the hats themselves. >> the line has changed just a bit from those early years. buffalo bill, will rogers, annie james dean, roy rogers, president reagan. indiana jones, too. and in the shadow of the empire state building back in new york, the name right out front. stetson halts. hey, shawn. >> niceeo meet u. >> tip of the hat. >> yeah. >> the logo stamped inside. and the old ad. it's a stetson. merry christmas. and buying one, bill gallo. is this your first t? >> this is not my first. >> how many now? >> i have about 30. >> 30? >> maybe 35. >> his 35th and my first. molded right before my eyes, shaping it with steam. >> and it turnsns an openn crowd hat into a fedora. >> he sizes me up and puts on the stetson. we hope it's a good made in america holiday for you. >> we hope so, too. >> merry christmas. >> merry christmas. >> made in america! >> and keep sending us your ideas. thanks for watching on a tuesday. i'm david muir. we'll see you tomorrow. good night.you're watching kcrg-tv9. now, from your 24 hour news source, a holiday hecoming trip to iowa turned into one man accusing the state patrol of an illegal search and seizure tim callahan of reno, nevada, says a state trooper seized his computer and other electronics after stopping him for speeding on friday. the traffic stop happened eaea of council l uffs on i-80 while he was on his way to the cedar rapids area to visit family. he says the trooper called for a drug dog before handing him the ticket. that same day, e iowa supreme court decided another case that seems similar to this one. us now. dave, that wait for a drug dog during a sisiple traffic stop was a big part ofofhe supreme court case. that was a key part in the 2012 traffic stop of robert pardee in poweshiek county. traffic wasn't allowed unless there was other evidence to call for a search of the vehicle. tim callahan says what the court