>> whit: tonight, the death of o.j. simpson. the former murder defendant, disgraced football star, and actor, dying of cancer. dangerous weather taking aim at the northeast. and the staggering sum shohei ohtani's former interpreter is charged with stealing. first, o.j. simpson dying of cancer.

the famous murder defendant at the center of the so-called trial of the century. simpson charged with the brutal murders of his ex-wife nicole brown and her friend ron goldman. the slow-speed chase watched by 95 million people on live television. his arrest, trial, and stunning acquittal all playing out before america. his later conviction and parole in 2017 in a separate case. a remarkable fall from grace. the goldman family reacting tonight. matt gutman in los angeles. dramatic home security video capturing the moment a tornado strikes in florida, sending debris flying in this backyard. tornado and flood watches from the midwest to the northeast. heavy rain and winds gusting up to 70 miles per hour. the system making its way from washington, d.c. to philadelphia to new york. rob marciano timing it out. u.s. officials tonight warning embassy personnel in israel to be on alert amid fears that an attack from iran on israel is imminent.

iran vowing to retaliate for israel's air strike killing several military leaders at its consulate in syria. mary bruce at the white house. the abortion battle in arizona. 24 hours after republicans blocked democrats from repealing the 160-year-old abortion ban, doctors already describing chaos and confusion. rachel scott in arizona. tonight, the former interpreter for the dodgers' shohei ohtani now accused of stealing even more than first reported. $16 million from one of baseball's biggest stars to pay off his own gambling debts. three castaways stranded on a deserted island in the pacific for more than a week. their resourceful signs for help finally getting them rescued. and "america strong" tonight. the family reunion. the dog missing for eight months, found more than 2,000 miles away. >> whit: good evening.

thank you for joining us on this thursday night, i'm whit johnson in for david. and we begin with the death of o.j. simpson. the not ball star and actor whose trial for the murder of his ex-wife and her friend riveted and divided the nation. the entire saga playing out on national tv. this is the moment in 1994 when o.j. simpson's life went global. police had just named him a suspect in those brutal murders. he then led them on a slow-speed chase. network tv breaking in, covering it for hours. 95 million people watching. the so-called trial of the century was also televised live, lasting 11 months. simpson's lawyers, known as the dream team, turning the tables on the prosecution and police, casting doubt on key pieces of evidence, including the bloody glove found at the scene. simpson's lawyers insisting over and over, if it doesn't fit, you must acquit. and that's what the jury did, finding simpson not guilty after deliberating for just four hours.

the verdict, a split-screen moment for america, exposing the hidden fault lines of race, celebrity, wealth, and justice that still resonate today. abc's chief national correspondent matt gutman leads us off in los angeles. >> reporter: tonight, o.j. simpson -- one of the most polarizing figures in american history -- dying of cancer at the age of 76. his family saying o.j. "succumbed to his battle with cancer. he was surrounded by his children and grandchildren." the news coming just two months after simpson told fans he was on the mend in this final video. >> my health is good. i mean, obviously i'm dealing with some issues, but i think i'm just about over it. >> reporter: o.j. simpson sprinted to the nfl hall of fame as one of the greatest running backs of all time. known as "the juice," he transcended sports, soaring to fame as a beloved sportscaster -- >> nobody does it better than hertz. >> reporter: -- hurdling obstacles as an actor and tv pitchman. but it all came crashing down in

1994 after the grisly murders of his ex-wife nicole and her friend ron goldman. >> today, mr. simpson has been charged with two counts of murder. >> reporter: the case transfixing the country. 95 million tuned in to watch the slow-speed chase along l.a. freeways. police tailing o.j. in his bronco. >> absolutely 100% not guilty. >> reporter: americans riveted by the gavel-to-gavel coverage of the trial, and simpsons' lawyers, dubbed the dream team, arguing he was framed by racist police. that unforgettable moment -- o.j. trying on those gloves. >> and the gloves didn't fit. remember these words, if it doesn't fit, you must acquit. >> reporter: prosecutors arguing simpson had physically abused nicole for years, playing her 911 calls. >> 911 emergency? >> could you get someone over here now to 325 gretna green? he's back. please. >> okay, what does he look like? >> he's o.j. simpson. i think you know his record. >> what is he doing? is he threatening you?

>> he's -- going nuts. >> reporter: but in the end, prosecutors unable to convince the jury. >> we the jury in the above entitled action find the defendant orenthal james simpson not guilty of the crime of murder. >> reporter: that not guilty verdict revealing an extraordinary split-screen across the country and laying bare a racial divide. crystalized here in the audience of the oprah winfrey show. many black americans saw simpson as a victim of racism. many white americans stunned that he could be exonerated. and two families left devastated. >> ron and nicole were butchered. >> reporter: simpson was found liable for the death in a civil suit, ordered to pay $33 million in damages, but he paid little. >> this is something that would be attached to me for the rest of my life. and no matter what happened, i truly to this day believe that the truth will come out. >> reporter: simpson even tried selling a manuscript titled "if i did it," which he called a hypothetical account of the very murders he had denied committing. the goldman family was outraged.

a judge awarding them the rights to the book, which they published under a new name, "if i did it -- confessions of a killer." years later, their pain still raw. has it lessened, more than 20 years later? >> not for me. he's a vicious double murderer. he's a narcissist. >> reporter: tonight, the goldman family saying in a statement, "the news of ron's killer's passing is a mixed bag of complicated emotions and reminds us that the journey through grief is not linear." 13 years after his acquittal for the murders, a jury convicting simpson in a different case -- an armed robbery in 2007, stealing his own memorabilia. he served nine years, finally granted parole in 2017, and settling down and mostly avoiding the limelight in las vegas. >> whit: matt gutman joins us now from los angeles. matt, we know the brown and goldman families fought for years to recover compensation from that civil judgment. where does that stand now? >> reporter: whit, the brown

family has been notably quiet over the years, hoping to maintain a relationship with their grandchildren. but the goldmans telling us tonight they have received very little of that $33 million civil settlement judgment, and despite simpson and those murders fading from the spotlight in recent years, they say they have never stopped fighting for accountability. whit? >> whit: remarkable case that has a lasting impact on this country. matt gutman for us, thank you. now to the other major news on this thursday night, the severe weather threats as we come on. this tornado here slamming st. augustine, florida, today. 14 confirmed in the past two days. and a flash flood emergency in tallahassee overnight leading to dramatic high-water rescues. and tonight, this storm is on the move, taking aim at the northeast. abc's senior meteorologist rob marciano tracking it all. >> reporter: tonight -- >> it's a confirmed tornado. >> reporter: -- a massive tornado ripping across st. augustine, florida. snapping trees like twigs. damaging homes south of jacksonville. >> initial units arrived on

scene, started triaging structures immediately, assessing any injuries. >> reporter: home security camera video showing the moment the twister tore through this backyard. sending debris flying into that pool. martin newman's patio furniture wrapped around a tree. >> just checking and making sure everybody's okay. >> reporter: millions on alert tonight for more tornadoes, damaging winds, and torrential rain. a flash flood emergency in tallahassee overnight leading to high-water rescues. watch as officers use a rope to guide this family to safety in rushing waist-deep water. >> oh, my god. >> reporter: the same deadly storm system that triggered 14 confirmed twisters from texas to florida over the past 48 hours, now barreling into the northeast. >> whit: so, let's get right to rob marciano, just back from the tornado zone in louisiana. rob, time out this storm threat right now. >> well, whit, the main severe threats have moved from florida

up to the north, and we've got flash flooding and tornado watches posted for ohio, eastern kentucky, and a big chunk of west virginia, which is really getting slammed, including charleston with heavy rain and flash flooding right now. the low itself is intensifying as it moves into the great lakes. that radar will be expanding and filling in. all that rough weather gets into the northeast tonight. d.c., philly, new york. overnight tonight. you'll hear it on your rooftops into boston as well. on and off rain showers throughout the day tomorrow. the winds are really going to kick up. look at some of these gusts. 30, 40, 50 miles per hour. and those will last all the way into saturday. whit? >> whit: and we know you'll be tracking it for us. rob, thank you. tonight, the state department issuing new travel restrictions for u.s. government employees and their families in israel. this warning comes amid growing concern that iran could retaliate for israel's attack on the iranian consulate in syria. abc's chief white house correspondent mary bruce joins us now, and mary, sources say an iranian strike could come any day now? >> reporter: whit, tonight, the biden administration is bracing for iran to strike israel, possibly, i'm told, in the coming days.

the president has warned that tehran is threatening a significant attack, and we have learned that tonight the top u.s. military commander in the middle east is now in israel to discuss this threat. the state department is also putting new travel restrictions on u.s. personnel in israel. iran has vowed to retaliate for the attack on its consulate in syria last week that killed several iranian commanders. this is exactly the kind of escalation that president biden has now tried for months to avoid. the big question now, how would the u.s. respond to an attack by iran? i have pressed the white house on this, and for now, they're being tight-lipped. >> whit: all right, mary bruce, we will stand by for news on that. thank you. now to the abortion battle in arizona after the state supreme court ruled a law from 1864 that banned nearly all abortions will take effect in a matter of weeks. state lawmakers left town without taking action. doctors already describing chaos and confusion. abc's rachel scott in arizona tonight. >> reporter: tonight in arizona,

doctors describing chaos and confusion after the state's highest court upheld a 160-year-old law banning abortion in all cases, except to protect the life of the mother. arizona's state legislature was expected to swiftly repeal the law, but republicans blocked that effort. >> shame on you! >> reporter: and dr. jill gibson at planned parenthood tells me the impact is already being felt. what have you been experiencing the last 48 hours inside of this clinic? >> patients are already saying that they're looking for means of getting abortions through other means. looking for pills online. >> reporter: arizona's democratic attorney general kris mayes says she won't enforce the law, but concedes she can't stop local prosecutors. >> i would urge arizonans who are pregnant to make a plan. and i can't believe i'm having to say that, but it's time to make a plan for 60 days from now, if something goes wrong, if you need an abortion, if you want an abortion. start thinking about california

and nevada and new mexico or colorado. >> reporter: voters could ultimately decide the issue in november, when arizona and as many as 13 other states could have abortion measures on the ballot. and the law has become a flashpoint in the race for the white house, where arizona is a key battleground. donald trump says he's proud to have appointed three of the five supreme court justices who overturned roe versus wade. but sensing political quicksand, he now says abortion should be left to the states. >> it was an incredible thing, an incredible achievement. we did that, and now the states have it. >> reporter: now trump says arizona went too far. but president biden says by appointing the justices who helped overturn roe, trump cleared the way for 21 states to ban or severely restrict access to abortion. and tonight in this state, these billboards going up -- "abortion is banned in arizona thanks to donald trump. he won't stop until it's banned nationwide." whit, there's a lot of uncertainty here in arizona. the supreme court put that ruling on hold for 14 days, but

tonight, the state's attorney general tells me that it could be an additional 45 days before that law goes into effect because of a separate lawsuit. as for the white house, they want to keep this issue in the spotlight. the vice president plans to visit arizona tomorrow. whit? >> whit: rachel scott in phoenix tonight, thank you. now to the biden administration taking action on gun safety, with a new rule requiring background checks on buyers at gun shows. here's abc's chief justice correspondent pierre thomas. >> reporter: tonight, the biden administration requiring more firearms dealers to be licensed by the federal government. closing the so-called "gun show loophole" that allows certain dealers to sell firearms without conducting background checks. >> today, the justice department is issuing one of the most significant gun regulations in decades. >> reporter: according to the white house, over 20,000 unlicensed weapons sellers do business online or at gun shows, potentially allowing domestic abusers or felons access to guns without a background check.

>> today's new action furthers the biden/harris administration's historic efforts to stop the illegal flow of guns and hold those who supply firearms used in crime accountable. but there's still much work to be done. >> reporter: whit, this is far from a done deal. doj and administration officials are expecting litigation to try to block this new policy. the nra saying tonight they are, quote, working to use all means available to stop this unlawful rule. whit? >> whit: pierre thomas tonight, thank you. we have new details from the federal charges against the former interpreter for major league baseball star shohei ohtani. prosecutors accuse the former interpreter of betraying ohtani's trust, robbing him of a staggering $16 million to cover his gambling debt. here's abc's victor oquendo. >> reporter: tonight, federal authorities charging the former interpreter for baseball superstar shohei ohtani with stealing more than $16 million

to pay off gambling debts, clearing the los angeles dodger of any wrongdoing. >> mr. ohtani is considered a victim in this case. there is no evidence to indicate that mr. ohtani authorized the over $16 million of transfers. >> reporter: authorities say ippei mizuhara committed "fraud on a massive scale," acting as ohtani's de facto manager, alleging he helped ohtani, who didn't speak english, set up a u.s. bank account, where his multimillion-dollar salary was deposited. the interpreter later impersonating ohtani to steal from that account. how do you think it is that shohei ohtani didn't notice that so much money had gone missing? >> mr. mizuhara took very detailed steps to make sure he had control of the account and that no one discovered what he was doing with the account. >> reporter: court records stating mizuhara placed approximately 19,000 wagers from december 2021 to january of this year, ranging from "$10 to $160,000 per bet."

the interpreter netting a loss of $40 million, but stating they do not reflect any bets on baseball games. mizuhara allegedly admitted to stealing from ohtani, texting his bookie, saying, "technically, i did steal from him, it's all over for me." he's expected to surrender to authorities tomorrow. whit? >> whit: just an incredible amount of money. all right, victor, thank you. when we come back, the amazing rescue in the pacific. three castaways found on a deserted island after leaving signs for help on the beach. and the couple accusing a tow truck driver of trying to hook their car while in traffic. . breztri gave me better breathing, symptom improvement, and reduced flare-ups. breztri won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. it is not for asthma. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. don't take breztri more than prescribed. breztri may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating,

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chihuahua-terrier mix went missing from her home in san diego nearly eight months ago. >> hi, sweetie! oh, my gosh, you're home! >> whit: the distraught family posting more than 1,000 flyers around the neighborhood. >> whenever it rained, it just broke my heart. wherever she is, i hope she was safe. that was scary. that really hurt my heart a lot. >> whit: but then, in late march, a surprise phone call from an animal rescue. >> we received a call from the police department, they had recovered a dog that was running in the neighborhood. the first thing we did was scan her for a microchip, and we had a bingo. she had a microchip. >> whit: little mishka had been found more than 2,000 miles away in a michigan suburb near detroit. how she got there -- still a mystery. >> so, we called them, and the wife answered the phone and started screaming and getting all excited and emotional, and we learned that the dog had been missing for seven or eight months. >> whit: the family on vacation in minnesota. mishka's dad jumping in the car to pick her up.

driving 20 hours roundtrip to complete this joyful reunion. >> mishka! >> how are you? how are you? happiness. just pure happiness. pure shock. we're still processing, i think, that she's here. >> whit: quite an adventure. good to see little mishka back home. thank you so much for watching tonight, i'm whit johnson in new york. have a great night. the human predicament. triumphs and tragedies. >> triumphs and tragedies. life and now. death for san francisco native oj simpson. good evening. thank you for joining us. i'm dan ashley and i'm diane lim. >> a life of fame and infamy. today we learned oj simpson died yesterday from prostate cancer. he was 76 years old.

>> simpson grew up in san francisco's potrero hill neighborhood. he went on to become an nfl star, actor and broadcaster. simpson's athletic achievements and fame were eclipsed by his 1995 trial and the killings of his ex-wife, nicole brown simpson and her friend ron goldman. a jury found him not guilty. a friend of the simpson family says the athlete had the business sense to make the most out of his notoriety. when his time on the field ended . >> it happened until oj uh- athletes were often referred to as dumb jocks. they were not viewed as having a career or life after their athletic pursuits. o.j. broke that paradigm. >> simpson died in las vegas, surrounded by his children and grandchildren. >> oj simpson evokes mixed emotions for bay area residents in san francisco. he was a standout athlete who became a true superstar. >> abc seven news reporter ryan curry went back to the neighborhood where simpson grew up and joins us now in the studio. ryan