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tv   ABC World News Tonight With David Muir  ABC  April 19, 2024 5:30pm-6:01pm PDT

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>> david: tonight, breaking news in donald trump's criminal trial. the jury is now seated. who is the first witness? and the scare outside today. the man who set himself on fire. also tonight, the two united pilots suspended this evening after who they let sit in the captain's seat midflight.
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and tonight, the botox scare widens. in new york city this evening, hospitalizations from this. first tonight, the disturbing images outside the trump trial here in new york. the man setting himself on fire. witnesses looking on in horror while inside that courtroom, the jury fully seated now. when do opening arguments begin? and what prosecutors are saying about the first witness. tonight, israel striking back against iran and the new images just in tonight of the damage. retaliation after iran's first-ever direct attack on israel. the showdown over ukraine aid right here in the u.s. with speaker mike johnson's job in jeopardy over this, moving forward now with votes on aid for ukraine and israel. preventing an attack at school. tonight, authorities say an 18-year-old student was plotting a mass shooting at his high school and elementary school. pierre thomas standing by with late reporting on this. those two united pilots suspended after video showing who they allowed to sit in that
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captain's seat while the plane was in flight. tonight, that botox concern widening. counterfeit botox. 22 people affected in 11 states. and in new york city tonight, authorities are now reporting some patients have been hospitalized. the alarming video tonight. authorities investigating a group of people here in the u.s. appearing to pull a bear cub from a tree, all for a selfie. tonight, what taylor swift has now done and what no one was expecting with this release. and this evening here, we remember the "american idol" contestant who became a grammy winner, who has died now at just 47. >> announcer: from abc news world headquarters in new york, this is "world news tonight" with david muir. >> david: good evening, and we begin tonight with the breaking news on donald trump's criminal trial. the jury fully seated. opening arguments begin monday. questions now about the first witness. also tonight, the awful scene outside court today. a man nearby setting himself on
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fire. witnesses seeing it all. the man engulfed in flames. emts with fire extinguishers rushing him to the hospital. he's in critical condition tonight. meantime, inside the courtroom, the judge declaring, "we have completed jury selection of this case." 12 jurors and six alternates all sworn in. they will hear this case, they will determine donald trump's fate. abc senior investigative correspondent aaron katersky leading us off outside the courthouse again tonight. >> reporter: tonight, the jury of 12 is set, six alternate jurors picked, and opening statements set to begin in the historic first-ever criminal trial of a former american president. but this afternoon, as donald trump sat before the judge, a major security scare playing out just steps away from the manhattan courthouse. chaos and horror as a man hurled pamphlets into the air, then set himself on fire. an eyewitness speaking with abc's olivia rubin. >> i heard someone screech,
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looked in the corner, and there's this -- this guy who just starts dousing himself with -- with fuel and immediately just lit himself on fire. >> reporter: the man, who police identified as 37-year-old max azzarello, a resident of florida, swarmed by law enforcement who put out the flames and transported him to the hospital where tonight he's in critical condition. police say he posted a host of bizarre antigovernment conspiracy theories online under this headline -- "i have set myself on fire outside the trump trial." any evidence of political motivation here? do the pamphlets give you any clues as to why this occurred? >> the pamphlets seemed to be propaganda based, almost like a conspiracy theory type of pamphlet. >> reporter: while all this was going on, donald trump was never in any danger. the former president safely inside watching, as lawyers wrapped up jury selection. the panel composed of seven men and five women. there are six alternates, five women and one man, any of whom could jump in if needed. and with this case, that's not a stretch. today we saw the stress even potential jurors were facing. one woman telling the court, "i have really bad anxiety.
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more and more people in my life know that i'm here without me even telling them just by putting the pieces together." she was immediately excused. another woman dismissed after she broke down in tears. trump, whose eyes were closed, opening them to look at her as she said, "i feel so nervous and anxious right now. i'm sorry. i thought i could do this." 174 prospective jurors were dismissed since the trial began. trump, a lifelong new yorker, listening for days on end, as dozens of people told the court what they thought of him. some had praise. one man calling trump "a family man" and "a businessman" who "brought a lot of value to the economy." another man was confronted with social media posts where he had described the former president with the words "sociopathic incompetence," adding "i do believe that he is actually the devil." with trump watching intently, judge juan merchan asked the man if those posts still reflected his opinion. "it's not far off base," he responded and was immediately excused. and with jury selection now
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over, trump's lawyers made one last-ditch effort to delay the trial, but an appeals court turned them down. >> the trial starts on monday, which is long before a lot of people thought. the judge wants this to go as fast as possible. that's for his reasons, not for my reasons. >> david: so let's get right back to aaron katersky, live outside the court again tonight, aaron. opening statements on monday. we still don't know the first witness? >> reporter: we don't, david, because prosecutors refuse to reveal the names, fearing if they do, trump would only go on the attack. and the judge said, under the circumstances, that's understandable. he said, there's nothing else to clarify, nothing else to argue. the judge was plain, david, opening arguments starting monday. david? >> david: aaron katersky reporting all week long for us, aaron, thank you. meantime tonight, there are new images just in after israel has now retaliated after iran's first-ever direct attack on israeli soil. tonight here, you will see the new satellite images of the damage inside iran. and where does this go from
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here? abc's matt gutman in israel again tonight. >> reporter: tonight, israel striking back inside iran, retaliating for tehran's first-ever direct attack on israel. the pinpoint strike happening shortly before dawn, videos circulating online appearing to show explosions in the distance. a senior u.s. official telling abc news israeli fighter jets firing at least three missiles from outside iranian airspace, destroying an air defense radar site that protects the natanz nuclear facility in central iran. but that nuclear facility, not the intended target. new satellite images released today showing damage near this iranian air base. the strike meant to send a message to tehran that israel is capable of penetrating even iran's most sensitive sites, analysts say. >> we're not just going to go after the tentacles of the octopus. we're going to go after its head. >> reporter: abc news learning that israel notified the u.s. shortly before its attack. secretary of state antony blinken making it clear today the u.s. had nothing to do with the strike. >> the united states has not been involved in any offensive operations. what we're focused on is our
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work to de-escalate tensions. >> reporter: iran also appearing to de-escalate, drawing a curtain of secrecy over the attack, saying there was no damage, no casualties, and blaming it on "infiltrators," not directly pointing the finger at israel. and israel also projecting business as usual, with not a single official comment from the government or the military. but sources say the limited nature of israel's response signaling an effort to avoid a wider war after weeks of escalating tensions. israel's air strike on iran's consulate in syria that killed some of its top commanders, and then iran's response, that unprecedented barrage of 300 drones and missiles into israel. so what happens now? do israel and iran not attack each other directly anymore? >> i think this round is over. both fighters are going to leave the ring. but they'll be back. >> david: we will see. matt gutman with us live from tel aviv again tonight. matt, of course, back to that senior u.s. official who said
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today israel destroyed that site near the iranian nuclear facility. the u.s. official saying this is clearly meant to send a message. i'm curious, do u.s. authorities believe this is it for now? >> reporter: they do. but remember, analysts are telling us if they've learned anything over the past couple of weeks, it's how unpredictable this conflict can be and how quickly it can change. remember, when that strike happened, there was concern over an all-out war between israel and iran. both sides now downplaying it, de-escalating, and there's now a real sense of relief here. david? >> david: matt gutman right there in tel aviv for us. matt, thank you tonight. back here in the u.s., meanwhile, the battle over aid for israel and aid for ukraine with house speaker mike johnson's job in jeopardy. the votes now coming on this. abc's selina wang on capitol hill with late reporting tonight. >> the resolution is adopted. >> reporter: after months of delays, tonight a victory for speaker mike johnson, with the house finally on the cusp of passing tens of billions of dollars in critical aid to ukraine and israel. >> look forward to final passage
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on the bill tomorrow. this is the best possible product that we can get under these circumstances. >> reporter: in a rare move, democrats voting to save johnson's plan after dozens of rebel republicans opposed the legislation. the stage now set for the house to pass the bills on saturday. democrats blasting republicans for failing to back a package crafted by their own speaker. >> we're willing to lead. we're willing to govern. we're willing to do the people's business. ronald reagan would roll over in his grave if he saw what's going on here with the republican party. >> reporter: that bipartisanship making far-right republicans even angrier, as a third joins calls for johnson to step aside. in a statement tonight, arizona's paul gosar saying, "our border cannot be an afterthought. we need a speaker who puts america first." they want tougher border security before any more aid goes to ukraine. but just weeks ago, some of those same republicans blocked tough border security measures in a senate deal supported by both democrats and republicans
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after coming under pressure from donald trump. but johnson brushing off those threats. are you worried about your job? >> i don't worry. i just do my job. >> reporter: and david, the house is expected to pass this tomorrow afternoon. from there, it goes to the senate where chuck schumer says he's got senators on standby, as they prepare to tackle these bills next. now, the president is emphasizing that there is no time to waste here. he's ready to sign these bills as soon as they get to his desk, stressing that ukraine and israel desperately need this aid. david? >> selina wang up on the hill for us tonight. selina, thank you. this vote comes amid more deadly russian area strikes. new strikes killing at least 25 civilians. ukraine unable to deflect every missile that struck the city of dnipro but claiming to have destroyed a plane that took part in that attack, downing a russian strategic bomber for the first time seen in video reposted by the ukrainian military. tonight russia claiming the plane suffered a "technical malfunction."
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back in the u.s. tonight, and the fbi says it has stopped a potential disaster. a school shooting at a high school and elementary school. they have arrested a teenager in maryland who they say had detailed plans to target both his high school and where he went to elementary school. here's our chief justice correspondent pierre thomas now. >> reporter: tonight, the fbi along with state and local authorities in maryland say they thwarted 18-year-old alex ye's plans to shoot up his high school and his former elementary school after authorities discovered what they called a manifesto with detailed plans to commit mass murder. >> ye writes about targeting his former elementary school because little kids make easier targets. he strategized on how to access the easiest classrooms in his high school and how he would be able to sneak a gun into the school. >> reporter: ye, whose legal name is andrea but uses male and female pronouns and goes by alex, was known to authorities as having a history of mental health issues and an obsession with school shootings.
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issues that led him to be removed from school and placed into virtual learning last year. last month, ye allegedly shared the 129-page google document with someone he knew, calling it a work of fiction. but police say when that person read it, they immediately called the police. >> ye also wrote that he wanted to become a serial killer instead of a mass murderer, because serial killers are romanticized a lot more. >> reporter: ye was taken to a psychiatric hospital and is now being held without bond on one count of a threat of mass violence. police say ye is obsessed with the columbine high school massacre. david, tomorrow is the 25th anniversary of columbine. authorities clearly taking no chances. >> david: hard to believe, 25 years. pierre thomas tonight, thank you, pierre. we turn next to two united airlines pilots who have been suspended after flying a major league baseball team from denver to toronto. the suspensions come after video
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showed one of the coaches actually in the captain's seat while the plane was mid flight. gio benitez covers aviation. >> reporter: tonight, alarming video from inside a united cockpit in midflight. >> i'm going to land the plane tonight. >> reporter: major league hitting coach hensley meulens traveling on a colorado rockies charter to toronto, seen sitting in the captain's chair of that 757 in violation of strict faa rules put in place after 9/11. >> i'm going to start descending pretty soon and just press this button. >> reporter: meulens even mimicking pushing down the flight controls. when this video was posted to social media, it triggered an faa investigation. tonight, two united pilots are suspended and facing possible termination for the incident. united telling abc news, "we're deeply disturbed by what we see in that video, which appears to show an unauthorized person in the flight deck at cruise altitude while the autopilot was engaged." the cockpit is an incredibly sensitive area. just last month, a latam 787 dreamliner plunged after
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what a preliminary report found was an "involuntary movement forward" in one of the pilot's seats. what triggered that move hasn't been determined. but more than 50 passengers were injured in the jet's sudden drop. and david, the faa doesn't comment on investigations, but federal laws do severely restrict who can be in that cockpit. and to be honest with you, most of the pilots we spoke with today about the story were simply shocked this happened at all. david? >> david: gio benitez back with us tonight, gio, thank you. when we come back here, we're tracking severe storms moving into the easton night. also, the botox scare widening in this country. in new york city, hospitalizations now, 22 people in 11 states. the alarming video tonight. authorities investigating a group of people appearing to pull a bear cub from a tree all for a selfie, and you'll see it in a moment. ess asthma. and can help you breathe better in as little as two weeks. dupixent is an add-on treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma that's not for sudden breathing problems. dupixent can cause allergic reactions that can be severe.
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in the southeast, above normal temperatures in the 80s and 90s will bring record highs to florida this weekend. when we come back tonight, that disturbing video. a group of people appearing to pull a bear cub from a tree for a selfie. and we remember a former contestant from "american idol" who won a grammy and has now died at just 47 years old. if you have chronic kidney disease you can reduce the risk of kidney failure with farxiga. because there are places you'd like to be. farxiga can cause serious side effects, including ketoacidosis that may be fatal, dehydration, urinary tract, or genital yeast infections, and low blood sugar. a rare, life-threatening bacterial infection in the skin of the perineum could occur. stop taking farxiga and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of this infection, an allergic reaction, or ketoacidosis. ♪ far-xi-ga ♪ some people just know there's a better way to do things. like bundling your home and auto insurance with allstate. yeah, she knows. and some people... don't.
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♪ i keep on falling in ♪ >> david: known as mandisa, authorities say she was found dead in her home in nashville. she was just 47 years old. no word on a cause of death tonight. she was featured on season 5 of "american idol," finishing in the top ten. finding success as a christian music singer, she won a grammy in 2014. when we come back here tonight, taylor swift. fans knew an album was coming at midnight, but the second part of the surprise they were not expecting and the records set already tonight. (vo) it's shrimp your way. choose three flavors for just $20*.
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>> d >> david: finally tonight here, taylor swift's overnight surprise. forgive the swifties if they're a little tired today. tonight, it's here and it's already breaking records. taylor swift's 11th album, "the tortured poets department," released at midnight. ♪ you left your typewriter at my apartment ♪ ♪ straight from the tortured poet's department ♪ >> david: the first single with singer post malone called "fortnight." ♪ and i love you it's running my life ♪ ♪ i love you it's ruining my life ♪ >> david: then the surprise from taylor swift, at 2:00 a.m.
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releasing 15 more songs, an unexpected double album, 31 songs in all. the cheers from fans listening late into the night. "rolling stone" tonight calling the album "wildly ambitious and gloriously chaotic," going on to say, it might be her most personal album yet. on heartbreak -- ♪ you swore that you loved me but where were the clues ♪ ♪ i died on the altar waiting for the proof ♪ >> david: on her life as a pop star. ♪ breaking down i hit the floor all the pieces of me shattered ♪ ♪ as the crowd was chanting more ♪ >> david: her take on florida. ♪ florida can i use you up ♪ ♪ florida ♪ >> david: tonight, the records already shattered. amazon now saying it's the most-streamed album in its first day ever on amazon music, breaking two records already on spotify, the most pre-saves for an album ever. this year, the most-streamed album in a single day. tonight, the fans studying every
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lyric, even looking for clues on her relationship with nfl super bowl champ travis kelce. ♪ trying to be the greatest in the league ♪ ♪ where's the trophy ♪ ♪ he just comes running over to me ♪ >> david: the power and the talent of taylor swift. whit and linsey are both here this weekend. and of course, i'll see you right back here on monday. from all of us here, have a good evening. good night. y are both here this weekend. from all of us here, have a good evening. good night. and happening now as we take a live look. this is a gathering and a moment of grieving. three years after the death of mario gonzalez, an alameda police custody. and now those officers face charges. good evening. i'm ama daetz, and i'm dan ashley. >> thanks for joining us. it's been about 24 hours since we learned those police officers will be charged, a reversal of the original assessment of the case is mario gonzalez died
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after he was pinned face down by alameda police officers for several minutes. one autopsy found he died from toxic effects of methamphetamine. in a second cited restraint, asphyxiation. gonzalez was 26 years old and left behind a son who is now seven. an independent investigation investigation cleared the officers and they faced no charges. but shortly after taking office, newly elected alameda county district attorney pamela price created the public accountability unit. now, just over a year later, its review has resulted in involuntary manslaughter charges against the three police officers involved. >> those officers, eric mckinley, james fisher and cameron leahy, had been restored to full duty today. alameda, as chief of police said leahy and mckinley have been placed on leave. fisher transferred and now works for the contra costa county sheriff's office. >> it's been three years to the day since mario gonzalez died and right now his family and