ABC World News Tonight Full Broadcast - March 30, 2024

tonight several developing stories as we come on the air the terrifying moments on board a United Jet hitting severe turbulence as it tried to land the incident coming as Millions pack airports for the Holiday Rush efforts now underway to clear wreckage from the bridge collapse in Baltimore cutting into the tons of mangled steel and authorities in several States intensify efforts to crack down on home squatters first Millions hit the skies and the roads the TSA already seeing its big iiest trave

l day of the year so far travel numbers reaching levels seen at the height of the Thanksgiving and Winter Holiday Rush amid the crunch of flight from Tel Aviv diverted as it tried to land at New York airport hitting severe turbulence several passengers treated for motion sickness the roads also packed despite higher gas prices our team tracking it all the weather expected to have an impact in the west more than 20 million Americans on alert for potential flooding as a powerful CrossCountry storm

hits Southern California winter weather alerts from the California mountains into parts of the Rockies creating hazardous driving conditions that system sweeping East expected to impact the Northeast early next week our weather team timing it all out the unprecedented aroundthe clock Salvage effort gets underway in Baltimore officials bringing in heavy equipment beginning the process to move millions of tons of wreckage from the Key Bridge our team talking to one of the last people to drive ove

r that bridge before it came crashing down his first television interview overseas the Urgent effort to bring Aid to Gaza three ships loaded with 400 tons of much needed food set off from Cyprus amid dire warnings of famine Brit clenet from Israel a determined Pope Francis prepares for Easter Sunday returning for services amid renewed concerns about his health the Crackdown on housing squatters New York Georgia Alabama trying to make it easier for homeowners to get their property back hoping to

join Florida in changing the law and criminalize the practice the Oregon man lucky to be alive a runaway saw blade coming too close for comfort and America strong tonight the Young baseball player what it took for him to reach his Field of Dreams his message to live every day to the fullest from ABC News world headquarters in New York this is world news tonight good evening thanks for joining us on this Saturday I'm Mary Bruce in for wit Johnson We Begin tonight with a terrifying air scare just

as Millions hit the roads for the busy holiday weekend several people becoming ill after a United Airlines flight headed from Tel Aviv to New York New Jersey encountered high winds and turbulence that flight diverted about 70 Mi northward to Stewart International Airport some passengers complaining of nausea moous sickness and chest pain that plane eventually refueling and landing at its original destination Newark International Airport all this coming as the TSA screens its largest number of pa

ssengers of the year so far more than 2.7 million on Thursday outpacing travel on the Friday before Christmas and the day before Thanksgiving and air travel is expected to get even busier as Millions take to the skies ahead of the solar eclipse ABC's Phil lipof Leads us off tonight from New York International Airport tonight Airport ports across the country packed with passengers a lot of congestion um at times the TSA is screening more than 2.7 million people Thursday alone heading into the hol

iday weekend making it the busiest day this year so far more passengers than the Friday before Christmas and the day before Thanksgiving last year what about the crowds a lot of people traveling with you yeah yeah our plane was definitely more packed than it was going out but the holiday weekend not without incident a United flight from Tel Aviv to Newark making an unscheduled stop diverting late Friday to Orange County New York after encountering heavy turbulence yeah it's quite Eary today um a

nd they said the flight was pretty rough coming in uh to Newark but uh we had multiple ambulances here from newor and multiple surrounding agencies in a statement United saying one passenger deed due to a medical incident and a few other customers were seen by medical personnel for possible motion sickness they advised our crew that had multiple people on the plane complaining of nausea some chest pain um from this the turbulence the plane eventually making it to Newark and if you're on the road

this weekend you will spend more on gas prices slowly Rising through the year with the average hovering around 353 a gallon that's up 19 cents from last month's average and up three cents from this time last year and Phil Lipoff joins us from New York International Airport and Phil even before this busy weekend is over the FAA now with a heads up for next week as well you're right the FAA predicting that next week will be the busiest of the spring break travel season and a reminder as you menti

oned there is a lot of excitement surrounding this total solar eclipse happening on April 8th many people making trips just for that so Travelers can expect some limited parking even delays at airports right along the eclipses path from Texas to Maine Mary it will be something to see Phil thank you we turn now to the weather and millions on Alert in the west as a major storm brings flooding and heavy snow this video capturing the swirling storm closing in on the coast and heavy snow is slamming

the San Bernardino Mountains in Southern California causing low visibility and stranding drivers let's get right to Britney Bell from our New York station WABC she's tracking it all Britney time this out for us well Mary parts of California will see heavy rain and heavy snow for the rest of the weekend let's look at the latest alerts a flood watch continues for Southern California also winter alert stretching from California all the way to the Rockies look at Arizona the entire State under a win

d advisory gusts over 40 mph are possible so still pretty messy on EAS or Sunday out west but nicer the farther east you go spots like Oklahoma City and Nashville high temperatures near 80 Dees and mainly dry but the severe threat also moves East on Monday numerous severe storms are possible stretch from stretching from Texas all the way to Indiana they could produce damaging winds very large hail and tornadoes Mary okay Britney thank you we move on now to the urgent Salvage and Recovery efforts

in Baltimore these massive cranes are now being used to remove wreckage from the Francis Scott Key bridge crews are working around the clock after the deadly bridge disaster and tonight we're hearing from a motorist who says he was one of the last to cross the bridge before it collapsed here's ABC's J obrien tonight 5 days after the collapse the first pieces of debris of the Francis Scott Key bridge blocking Baltimore Harbor now in the process of being removed the start of a grueling process di

vers and other Crews preparing to cut up pieces of the Tangled steel to be lifted out of the water that task made more difficult by dangerous debris sharp metal and electrical wires sent flying when that container ship lost power colliding with the bridge we're talking about wreckage we're talking about pieces of the Key Bridge that are in the water State leaders unable to say when the closed Port tied to 8,000 jobs will reopen saying their focus is on recovering the bodies of four missing const

ruction workers presumed dead that blocked off vital roadway leaving people like Larry DeSantis the head Baker at Herman's Bakery in the Lurch every day for 16 years Larry taking the Key Bridge back and forth commuting in the overnight hours between his two jobs Larry telling us he was one of the last people to cross that bridge just before its collapse what was it like seeing that video yeah it was it just it well like I said it makes me think you know I mean I'm I'm really lucky you're lucky t

o be alive no exactly no exactly I mean if I had been one minute later I wouldn't be here locals here still reeling Pam rig one of the several catching their first glimpses today of the Baltimore Skyline without the Key Bridge it's different from seeing it on TV then seeing in real life real right even though we're far away still f still feeling this collapse having such a huge impact on this community Jay O'Brien joins us live from the Francis Scott Key bridge and Jay what is the latest in the

search for the missing workers Mary the remains of two of those construction workers have been recovered but divers have had to temporarily suspend the search for the others because of how dangerous officials say conditions have been out here on the water right now clearing all of this remaining debris is essential to that ongoing search effort Mary and we of course are thinking of their families tonight Jay thank you and tune in to this week tomorrow morning Martha radit Speaks with Maryland Se

nator Chris Van Holland about those recovery efforts in Baltimore and overseas now in late word tonight that ceasefire talks are set to resume tomorrow between Hamas and Israel this as President Biden faces criticism for continuing to send billions of dollars in bombs and fighter jets to Israel as part of a long-standing agreement and as a three- ship Convoy heads to Gaza to deliver food and other supplies amid concerns of starvation in the region ABC's brick clenet in Tel Aviv Tonight Tonight t

he Biden Administration sending a new round of weapons for Israel despite a rift over an anticipated military offensive in southern Gaza President Biden reportedly greenlighting billions of dollars worth of weapons as part of a long-standing agreement The Washington Post reporting that the new arms transfer include 2,000 pound bombs linked to air attacks in Gaza causing Mass casualties some Democrats had been urging Biden to Halt US military support until Israel allows the delivery of desperatel

y needed Aid into Gaza where the UN warns famine is imminent it comes as a convoy of Aid ships set sail today for Gaza carrying 400 tons of food UNICEF spokesperson James Elder speaking to me by phone saying not nearly enough Aid is getting in malnutrition Ward like children that are paper thin yeah mothers and grandmothers and they are standing over these desperately emaciated children yet there is a Crossing 10 15 minutes away this is what's so frustrating on the streets of Gaza children sell

whatever they can to Stave off hunger sh Muhammad saying he's trying to make money so my brothers and I can eat speaking from a makeshift camp in Rafa Nima asha's family are among the 1.3 million displaced people who could be evacuated if there is an Israeli land Invasion the city already facing Israeli bombardment you don't know when you are going to be attacked our neighbors has been killed they were sleeping peacefully and they were killed so we each night we think we might be the next Mary I

srael says its goal is to destroy hamas's capabilities and we're told a delegation will leave for Cairo tomorrow for talks with Hamas again about releasing those hostages and a ceasefire Mary all eyes will be on those talks Brit thank you Pope Francis is back on the job today presiding over the Easter vigil that's after skipping a good Friday procession to preserve his health ahead of the busy Easter Sunday the 87-year-old pontiff has faced multiple health issues in recent months and now needs a

wheelchair or a cane to move around here's ABC's inz DEA Cera tonight Pope Francis presiding over the solemn Easter Vigil on Holy Night in Rome close to 6,000 people packing St Peter's Basilica the pope sitting most of the time early delivering a 10-minute homy and in the darkened Cathedral stepping back into the spotlight after skipping the way of the Cross procession at the last minute on Good Friday the Vatican says to preserve his health ahead of the weekend's events the pope shaking hands

smiling looking spritely as he left Saturday's service the pontiff is 87 years old and suffers from mobility and respiratory issues just last month he contracted the flu and was taken to the hospital for tests but the pope maintains he has no serious ailments this week he appeared to be in good health reading his prepared remarks in full on Wednesday and washing the feet of women prisoners on Holy Thursday performing the ritual of service from his wheelchair an earlier Friday leading a 2hour ser

vice at St Peter's Basilica and we're also expecting to see the pope deliver a message of Hope and peace at Mass tomorrow for Easter Sunday he's set to offer His blessings to a packed St Peter Square into over a billion Catholics around the world Mary okay Enz thank you back here in the US a growing crisis in America squatters versus homeowners it's prompting some states to crack down Florida now the first state to criminalize squatting the question will others soon follow more now from ABC's ja

cqulyn Lee tonight the growing Crackdown on squatting New York Georgia and Alabama working on legislation to join Florida in criminalizing the Brazen act this week you are not going to be able to commandeer somebody's private property uh and expect to get away with it nationwide squatter laws VAR state- to state with no Nationwide enforcement directive if a homeowner discovers a squatter law enforcement's hands are tied because it's considered a civil matter if you touch me again two moms in Los

Angeles found this out the hard way after a squatter Commander this $3 million property down the street you know it's a constant problem there around they're helping themselves to neighbors packages in New York City under state law a squatter is considered a tenant after 30 days and because it's a landlord tenant dispute the homeowner is forced into a lengthy court process to evict them one squatting incident in New York turned into a murder investigation a 52-year-old woman found in a duffel b

ag after discovering squatters in her late mother's vacant Department squatters are self-entitled criminal type people flash Shelton who calls himself the squatter Hunter says he helps homeowners across the country get rid of squatters by moving in with them and out squatting the squatter I own a home and you're telling me someone can just come in and set up shop and they don't have to leave yeah I've had many cases where the people are just on vacation you call the police and they just say look

I live here and you have a civil matter on your hands Mary when a homeowner takes a squatter to court it can take years and thousands of dollars just to get them evicted what the new Florida law does it distinguishes between a tenant and a squatter allowing law enforcement to remove the squatter immediately it goes into effect July 1st Mary such a challenge to address this growing problem Jacqueline thank you now to an emotional day here in New York thousands of mourners gathered to pay their f

inal respects to Fallen NYPD officer Jonathan Diller he was gun down earlier this week during a routine traffic stop in Queens NYPD officers joining the procession to a church in Long Island Diller a 3-year NYPD veteran leaves behind a wife and a one-year-old son there is still much more ahead here on World News Tonight this Saturday the dramatic rescue in the Gulf of Mexico the Coast Guard pulling Al lone kayaker to safety and the terrifying near Mist captured on camera why one Oregon man is lu

cky to be alive next tonight a dramatic rescue in Northern Florida the Coast Guard locating a missing kayak in the Gulf of Mexico after an exhaustive hours long search crew members repelling from a helicopter to reach him friends and First Responders aiding in the search for Chris smelly a former South Carolina quarterback and father of four who is expected to recover and staying in Florida 10 people were rescued when their airboat flipped over in Everglades National Park officials say the boat

turned suddenly causing the passengers to fall into the water the boat then landing on its side one person was treated at the scene for minor injuries the Airboat operator was arrested officials say he lacked the proper certification and an Oregon man is shaken but alive after a really close call take a look a surveillance camera shows the man walking into a convenience store just behind him a massive 4ft long saw blade violently rolling in his path the impact so powerful That Shook the store a

local natural gas company says the blade appears to have come loose during a repair quite a close call and when we come back nearly a billion dollars up for grabs as tonight's Powerball lottery jackpot Soares and will Superstar Caitlyn Clark and her Iowa Hawkeyes keep dancing the news just coming in straight ahead to the index now in the march to the final four this afternoon the number three LSU lady Tigers pulling off an upset of number two UCLA coming from behind in the game's thrilling final

minutes and just before we came on the air Caitlyn Clark's Iowa hawkey dominating number five Colorado to keep dancing Clark playing in her final Collegiate season hoping to avenge last year's loss in the title game and who wants to be an almost billionaire tonight's Powerball jackpot is a cool $935 million no one has matched all six numbers since New Year's Day time to get those tickets and when we come back The Young first baseman's return to his team Wyatts about more than just baseball and

finally tonight americ America strong the young man who's faced the toughest of challenges returning to his Field of Dreams since he was a young boy Jacob fagundes has loved baseball the field like a second home to him it's kind of like my comfort place it's a place where I feel understood I feel like I belong this week the 17-year-old was back on the field playing for the L damante High School miners that hit an extraordinary feat for the past four years jakee has been fighting for his life aft

er being diagnosed with a rare blood cancer I took it hard but my goal the entire time was just to get back on the ball field Jacob's coach has nothing but admiration for him Jacob's a warrior he's been through more than any of these boys can even consider or think about I just told myself I'd rather it be me than someone I love after half a dozen rounds of chemotherapy Jacob went into remission but then another curveball came his way I got rediagnosis I'm going to get back out there to beat the

cancer this time doctors told Jacob he needed a bone marrow transplant luckily for him his older brother Joey turned out to be a perfect match my brother got to save my life and he's a big reason why I get to come out here every day after four years keeping his passion for baseball and hope alive he returned as first baseman I'm grateful for the opportunity to be able to wake up and play this game every day tonight Jacob sharing this message something I learned from this journey is to never tak

e life for granted you got to live every every day like it's you last cuz you never know when it will be and keep swinging for the fences keep swinging for those fences Jacob thank you for watching I'm Mary Bruce have a great night thank you for making World News Tonight with David mure America's most watched newscast