sessions with experts from around the bay area. world news tonight, breaking news. the sweeping arrests on campuses, the dramatic images tonight from ucla. and from new york city to portland, oregon, how many of these protesters are outside agitators? the new numbers tonight. president biden this evening saying violent protest is not protected. also tonight here, in the northeast, the crash and tanker truck explosion shutting down a key part of i-95 in both directions. and severe storms tonight across several states. the disaster just declared. >> get back! first tonight, police in riot gear clearing the campus at ucla. flashbangs echoing across the university.

the overnight operation into today, removing barricades, dismantling the pro-palestinian encampment. in new york city, the new images just out, and tonight, authorities now say half the protesters arrested at columbia and elsewhere were not affiliated with schools in the city. also tonight here, on i-95 in the northeast, that fiery crash shutting down the interstate. the tanker truck carrying gasoline exploding into flames. how long will it be shut down? tonight, the deadly plane crash into a neighborhood. authorities now saying the pilot swerving in between homes on his way down. they believe he must have been trying to save lives as the plane was descending. the severe storms and life-threatening flash flooding. a disaster just declared in texas. we'll time this out. this evening, the dramatic testimony at donald trump's criminal trial, and trump at the end of the day leaving court, telling reporters, he cannot testify. but legal observers saying he certainly can, and for weeks, he said he would. the race for president, and

tonight, president biden saying take donald trump at his word, after trump refused to commit to accepting the results of the november election. tonight, the desperate search under way for an american and two friends, brothers, who are now missing while on a trip to mexico. there is news coming in, several people now detained in connection with their disappearance. tonight, the safety of ground beef. the usda testing ground beef for possible traces of bird flu, and the results coming in so far. and tonight, the photo of a rare bird seen right here in the u.s. the beauty, and you'll see it. it has bird watchers and scientists tonight asking, could this be the first time ever? good evening and it's great to have you with us here on a thursday night. that crash and explosion here in the northeast on i-95, closing down the interstate in both directions.

we're over the scene tonight. but we begin tonight with the dramatic new images of the crackdown and arrests on campuses across the country. president biden speaking out for the first time, defending peaceful protest, saying violent protest is not protected. the dramatic images tonight from ucla. hundreds of protesters defying orders to leave. police moving in overnight, and right into today, firing flashbangs to break up the crowds. confrontations turning physical in the chaos and smoke there. officials tonight say at ucla many than 200 arrested. in portland, oregon, tonight, officers taking back the library. police releasing images of makeshift armor and what they called improvised weapons. in new york city tonight, new images from inside columbia, and this evening, police now say of the nearly 300 arrests at columbia and nearby city college, nearly half were outside agitators. abc's trevor ault leading us off, starting with the dramatic images from ucla.

>> reporter: tonight, the dramatic images of authorities moving in during the overnight hours, cracking down on protesters at ucla and driving them out, doncontinuing their effort to oust them as the sun came up. the university declaring this pro-palestinian encampment an unlawful gathering, calling in outside help. >> get back! >> reporter: hundreds of officers arriving in riot gear. firing flashbangs and nonlethal ammunition. protesters spent all of yesterday putting up this barricade. we're watching law enforcement tear it apart, firing these projoke tills here as this encampment is basically slowly coming down. >> we're not leaving! >> reporter: protesters donning hard hats and gas masks, at timing, spraying fire extinguishers, asking police not to shoot. officers then moving in. law enforcement basically pinned these demonstrators up against the building here. they are being walked away in zip ties.

they have been taken into custody, peacefully so far. >> reporter: more than 200 people arrested at ucla. in portland tonight, the dramatic clashes there just today at portland state university. >> you're under arrest. if you resist, we will use force. >> reporter: as officers cleared the library where anti-war protesters had barricaded themselves inside. police releasing photos of ball bearings and diy armor they say were homemade weapons. >> resisting arrest may result in use of force and criminal charges. >> reporter: and tonight, authorities reveal what they say has become all too common. outside agitators. of the 12 people arrested in portland, police say just four were actually students. and tonight in new york, authorities releasing new images from inside the nypd's raid at columbia university, making the same point, that much of this is being driven by outside agitators. police in new york say of the 282 people arrested at columbia and nearby city college, nearly

half of them, 134, were not affiliated with the schools. and tonight, after days of protests across the country, president biden now speaking out, saying order must prevail. >> destroying property is not a peaceful protest. it's against the law. vandalism, trespassing, breaking win does, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduations -- none of this is a peaceful protest. >> reporter: the president condemning anti-semitism and threats of violence against jewish students. he also spoke out against discrimination against arab americans. >> there is no place for hate speech, or violence of any kind. it's simply wrong. >> reporter: and president biden said the national guard should not intervene in these protests. he did specify the demonstrations have not swayed his policies on gaza, and david heeshgs at ucla tonight, the only thing left of this

encampment is this dumpster filled with debris, but you can't rule out the possibility of new can demonstrations popping up. david? >> david: trevor, thank you. we turn next tonight to that fiery crash north of new york city, shutting down i-95 in both directions. a gassen thattinger truck carrying thousands of gallons of fuel colliding with a car and a flat bed truck under an overpass on i-95. this is in norwalk, connecticut. this explosion that followed, and tonight, word that traffic could be shut down for days. erielle reshef over the scene tonight. >> reporter: tonight, a crucial stretch of interstate 95 just north of new york city shut down in both directions after this fiery crash involving a gasoline tanker truck carrying 8,500 gallons of fuel. norwalk fire officials say it happened around 5:30 this morning. >> one car cut off a tractor trailer. this one here, the gasoline tanker, swerved to avoid it. it ripped open the back, gasoline ran down the road. he ended up stopping under the bridge.

>> be advised, the fairfield ave overpass is completely engulfed on the southbound side, spreading over to the northbound side. >> reporter: firefighters took three hours to put out the inferno, and the overpass is so badly damaged, it will have to be torn down. >> thank god, no serious injuries. but it has resulted in the closing of i-95, north and south. >> reporter: more than a 160,000 vehicles cross this stretch of i-95 every day -- including tractor trailers hauling goods from florida to maine -- now forced to detour on side streets, creating a traffic nightmare. >> i'm coming from new haven. stuck out here for six hours so far. >> reporter: david, you can see that crews are still very much on the scene. public schools in this area will be closed tomorrow because of all of this. this stretch of i-95 in both directions expected to be closed at least until monday, as crews work to bring down that bridge. david? >> david: until monday. all right, erielle reshef

tonight, thank you. we turn now to the deadly plane crash in augusta, georgia. the small plane going down in a heavily populated neighborhood, and authorities say the pilot was swerving in between homes and the way down. and tonight, they say it is clear, he was trying to save lives on his way down. abc's faith abubey in georgia. >> reporter: tonight, the pilot who lost his life in this fiery crash hailed as a hero. avoiding homes as his single-engine plane went down in this augusta, georgia, neighborhood, preventing an even greater tragedy. >> it's definitely a miracle just by looking at it. the pilot was experienced. otherwise, he could have landed that plane on a house, on top of a car. >> reporter: around 7:15 this morning, jason mckenzie taking off alone from nearby daniels field airport. turning back to the airfield and hitting a tree, his plane weaving between two homes before bursting into flames just before 8:00 a.m. debris raining down. a propeller on the curb. part of a wing caught in branches.

mckenzie did not survive. >> we heard a pop, and kind of knew instantly, like, hey, something's wrong. and then just heard this crash. >> reporter: at the time of the crash, community members would have been leaving for work, getting children ready for school. authorities saying they were lucky. >> very lucky. and we can only credit that pilot for that situation, for having the where withal to not involve audio structure. >> reporter: and david, tonight, family and friends are remembering that pilot, saying when you met jason, you liked jason. and, quote, the community is sad. in the meantime, the faa and the ntsb are investigating what caused that crash. david? >> david: authorities praising that pilot tonight. faith, thank you. tonight, a disaster has just been declared in texas, amid life-threatening flash flooding in several states. that disaster declared north of houston, after days of severe weather, tornadoes, and up to eight inches of rain now. abc's mireya villarreal in texas with the extraordinary images tonight. >> reporter: tonight, dangerous

storms triggering life-threatening flash flooding and evacuations in the south. drivers stranded on flooded roads near houston. authorities just issuing a disaster declaration. >> in 25 years that i've lived here, i have never seen it flood like this. >> what are you doing? you're driving into the creek! no, no, no, stop! >> reporter: onlookers screaming as rushing water swept this car away in college station, texas, northwest of houston. that driver escaping, clinging to a rail. up to eight inches of rain falling in some areas. watch as a monster ef-3 tornado, packing 140 mile-per-hour winds, sent debris flying on tuesday. that terrifying funnel swirling overhead. at least one person killed, nearly two dozen homes destroyed.

and david, our weather team is tracking another round of severe weather that is expected to hit central texas, bringing with it hail and the possibility of more tornadoes. that weather system expected to hit the austin area, and right here in dallas, score night. david? >> david: watching into the overnight hours. thank you very much, mireya. in new york city tonight, the dramatic testimony at donald trump's criminal trial today. jurors hearing about donald trump's alleged efforts to keep stormy daniels quiet, allegedly well into his presidency. and tonight, what did donald trump mean when he said late today, "i cannot testify." aaron katersky at the courthouse. >> reporter: tonight, donald trump off the campaign trail and right back in front of a judge. jurors hearing testimony that his efforts to keep stormy daniels quiet about their alleged affair lasted well into his presidency. the porn star was paid $130,000 12 days before the 2016 election, so voters wouldn't hear her story. the money came from trump's former fixer michael cohen, and trump then paid him back.

prosecutors charge the former president illegally falsified business records to make it look like a legal expense. trump claims cohen acted on his own. but in court, prosecutors played a recording of a phone call between cohen and daniels lawyer at the time, keith davidson. cohen telling him trump often complained about paying the hush money. >> i can't even tell you how many times he said to me, "i hate the fact that we did it." and my comment to him was, "but every person that you've spoken to told you it was the right move." >> reporter: davidson testified that after the election, cohen kept in touch, making sure stormy daniels was keeping quiet. when stories about trump and daniels began bubbling up in 2018, davidson says cohen had him draft multiple statements in the porn star's name. one denying a "sexual and/or romantic affair with donald trump." davidson insisting the letter was "technically" true, because no one "ever alleged that any interaction between she and mr. trump was romantic."

>> stormy daniels! >> reporter: but stormy daniels was done playing along. >> did you sign this letter that was released today? >> i don't know, did i? >> wait a minute, that you can say, right? >> that looks like my signature, doesn't it? >> reporter: davidson testified daniels was eager "to talk about her life and reinvigorate her career." and at that point, neither michael cohen nor donald trump could stop her. trump has repeatedly said he would testify in his own defense, but today, on his way out of court, he made this false claim. >> well, i'm not allowed to testify, i'm under a gag order. i guess, right? i can't even testify or nothing. >> reporter: the gag order does not prevent trump from testifying. as he has said on at least three different occasions he would. every criminal defendant has the right to testify in his or her own defense, that includes donald trump. david? >> david: aaron katersky, thank you. meantime, in the race for the white house, donald trump refusing to commit now to accepting the results of the upcoming november election, and president biden tonight saying, "take donald trump at his word"

on this. here's mary bruce. >> reporter: tonight, the biden campaign is calling donald trump a danger to the constitution and a threat to our democracy, after the former president refused to say he would accept the results of the election. trump telling "the milwaukee journal sentinel," "if everything's honest, i'd gladly accept the results. if it's not, you have to fight for the right of the country." tonight, president biden saying, take trump at his word. our karen travers asking him -- >> are you worried that trump says he won't accept the election results? >> listen to what he says! >> reporter: earlier this week, when trump was asked by "time" magazine if he's concerned about violence if he doesn't win, he said, "if we don't win, you know, it depends. it always depends on the fairness of an election." biden has been ramping up his warnings. >> he promises quote, a bloodbath, if he loses. this guy denies january 6th. listen. listen to what he says.

because you know he means it. >> reporter: the president urging voters to take this seriously, as some on trump's language echoes what he said in the runup to the january 6th attack on the capitol. the biden campaign concerned that trump supporters may be listening closely. david. >> david: mary bruce, thank you. when we come back here, the desperate search for an american and two friends, two brothers missing while on a trip to mexico. there is news coming in tonight, several people detained in connection with this disappearance. and tonight, take a look at this image. an or rang tang, and what scientists say he used to heal himself. something never seen before, in a moment. : cidp disrupts. cidp derails. let's be honest... all: cidp sucks! voices of people with cidp: but living with cidp doesn't have to. when you sign up at shiningthroughcidp.com, you'll find inspiration in real patient stories, helpful tips, reliable information, and more. cidp can be tough. but finding hope

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finally tonight here, bird watchers and scientists are very excited about an image captured on a beach in oregon. one beautiful bird. tonight, in oregon, west of portland, an incredible and perhaps first of its kind image here in the u.s. you're looking at what bird watchers believe is a blue rock thrush. a species never before documented here in the united states. native to europe and asia, known for its unique colored blue back and chestnut front. the image captured by amateur photographer and middle school teacher michael sanchez. he was there at sunrise, taking photos of the beach, when all of

a sudden, he spots the beautiful bird. and right here tonight -- >> hello, david. >> david: that teacher telling us he shared the images, hoping to officially identify the bird. >> before i knew it, i had folks from birding associations getting in touch with me, asking me about this bird. it has been a wild ride. >> david: the discovery sending bird watchers flocking to that state park. the photo now being studied by scientists. and joining us tonight -- >> hi, david. >> david: the bird alliance of oregon. >> it's probably the rarest bird that's ever been recorded in oregon. it's also a first for the united states. >> reporter: tonight, bird watchers everywhere excited. >> the leading theory is that this bird was migrating, encountered a storm, got blown out to sea, and potentially found a passing ship headed to the united states. >> david: this evening, that middle school teacher and amateur photographer proud of his find. >> what i'm mostly happy about is this brings a little bit of joy and a little bit of beauty to everybody's lives. >> david: a lot of beauty. and we thank you. i'll see you tomorrow.

good night. free palestine. free palestine who did >> you had uh- fire extinguishers thrown at us, smoke. thrown at us, water bottles. >> looks like these explosive fire sticks, i think that are designed just to strike fear for us. they're not needed. >> and they seemed determined to stay here. >> these protesters really look like they were prepared for to be here, possibly for weeks. >> the senate is essential to democracy, but dissent must never lead to disorder.

>> hundreds arrested. and now, at least at ucla, the cleanup is underway. good afternoon, and thanks for joining us. i'm larry beil and i'm kristen sze. >> dramatic scenes overnight as police move in to clear out encampments. more than 200 people arrested at ucla. >> now, here in the bay area, we saw a violent clash between pro-israel and pro-palestinian demonstrators at the uc berkeley encampment. abc seven news reporter ryan curry joining us live now from berkeley with the latest ryan. >> yeah, larry. kristen. good afternoon. things were very peaceful on campus today. the encampment is about the same size as it was earlier in this week. campus was very busy with students preparing for finals. but what happened last night is of concern for people on both sides of this issue. when pro-israeli protesters arrived in front for the palestinian encampment thursday, tensions began to build. someone grabbed an israeli flag out of the hands of a counter protester, and a fight began today. those at the encampments say they had nothing to d