big now to take your call. >> make the call if welcome to "world news." tonight sound and fury. inside the rolling line of monster tornados. tonight the heartbreaking first sight of a home destroyed. minutes later the joyous surprise of a little friend found alive. >> tee tee, buddy! >> amazing survival stories as our extreme weather team fans across the storm zone tonight. behind bars, george zimmerman arrested again, the call to police that landed him back in jail. into the deep, what went wrong for the fearless underwater athlete, what happened as he pushed his body to a new limit.

good evening to you on this monday night as we bring you stories of shock and strength after millions of americans braved a line of monster storms this weekend. 53 million people were in the zone as dozens of tornados descended. take a look at this image, one tornado randomly carving a path of destruction, between the lines of houses were pulverized. just outside those lines, safety. we have team coverage in the hard hit region tonight starting with abc's alex perez. >> reporter: standing on his back patio, chris lancaster watched as a monster zeroed in on washington, illinois. >> get in the house! oh, my god! >> reporter: within seconds the camera captures the debris swirling in that funnel. in less than three minutes after lancaster started recording, the tornado hits his house, uprooting trees, tossing furniture.

in the nick of time he dove into the blackness of his basement. >> what happened, chris? chris? what did you get hit with? >> i don't know. >> reporter: lancaster and his family miraculously survived. >> i'm still alive and my wife and kids. >> reporter: we walked down his block for the first time since he came face to face with disaster. >> are we coming up to your house? >> reporter: the heartbreaking moment that brought him to his knees. >> first time seeing it, huh? >> reporter: his dream home flattened. >> that's my door. >> reporter: lancaster is one of thousands left homeless after tornados tore through seven states sunday, more than 70 twisters reported. 8 people are dead.

>> i see everything gone. >> reporter: lancaster was looking for one thing, his cat tee tee. how could he possibly have survived? with were with him as he retraced his steps to his basement and then -- >> tee tee! tee tee! tee tee, buddy! it's daddy! come here, tee, where you at, buddy? tee tee? daddy got you, baby! daddy got you! >> reporter: one small miracle. >> i knew you would come home. >> reporter: tonight the lancasters and their cat will be spending the next few days with their in-laws as they figure out exactly what they will do next. as you look behind me here it will be some time before this area starts to look like a neighborhood again. diane? >> we wish him well tonight. thank you, alex. as a measure of the power of the storm look what families in

chicago found in their yard so far away, precious family photos crumbled and dirty, pieces of mail, sheet music and a church bulletin, a trail of belongings from the path of the tornado. those memories had traveled 120 miles on the wind. abc's meteorologist ginger zee shows us more about the rampaging tornados. >> reporter: the warning, the cries, the outright prayer. and from above, the big picture. this was washington, illinois before the tornado. and then that chilling image from today. a sickening scar stretching three miles, scouring everything in its path. a drone takes you in even closer. look at this neighborhood. these homes gutted but homes across the street seemingly untouched and the roads clear of debris.

unwelcome records were set sunday. this is the deadliest series of tornados illinois has ever had in the month of november. >> reporter: tornados in november are rare but far from unheard of. the nation typically sees an average of just over 50 twisters total in november, but yesterday we saw all of that and more in about 12 hours. so much of it had to do with the strength and position of the jet stream. powerful southwesterly winds transporting moisture up from the gulf of mexico meeting with cooler, drier air higher in the atmosphere, a recipe for this late season outbreak. for all of those horrible stories there are several of survival like marcie in indiana. she and 14 others including nine children crammed into a bathroom in her art gallery and barely survived. >> we could have been right here had it been seconds later, sooner. >> seconds. >> literally shut the bathroom

door and the roof peeled away. >> reporter: marcie telling me she felt so blessed not only to have survived but when she got home she hugged her sons even tighter than she ever has. you can hear the chain saws behind me, day one of recovery behind them. diane? >> ginger, thanks to you and to alex once again. we have two final images from this day, post cards from the storm zone, a young woman praying where her home once stood and a neighbor walking amid the wreckage, a tattered american flag right there in the distance. as we said, all of us with those families in the storm zone tonight. we move on now to a new headline about your health causing confusion and frustration for a lot of americans. last week the nation's top doctors said a lot more of us need to take statins for cholesterol and heart risk. now doctors from harvard medical school are saying not so fast. to clear up the confusion and the frustration, abc's chief

medical editor dr. richard besser right here. what's going on? >> if you are one of the tens of millions of people who is taking a statin right now, this controversy and confusion doesn't apply to you. there are problems with the guidelines in terms of figuring out who is in the highest risk. >> but they're saying specifically a lot more people should go on statins. one in three adults, is that still true? >> there is a lot they agree on in terms of who should be on these drugs. three groups, those people with a bad cholesterol greater than 90, anyone who has had a a heart attack or stroke or anyone with diabetes over 40, all of those people should be on statin. >> they do agree that some additional people should go on. where do they disagree? >> it comes down to figuring out other people who don't fit into those groups who are at high risk. the way they calculated it in the guidelines they don't think that's right. here's what you need to do. next time you see your doctor, say based on my age, sex, race, my blood pressure, whether someone in my family has had a heart attack, am i at high enough risk that i should be on

a statin, and then talk about it until the cardiologists sort this whole thing out. >> a pause for those people tonight. >> that's right. >> dr. richard besser, thanks to you. one more medical note tonight. we told you about that outbreak of a rare and possibly strain of meningitis at princeton university. tonight an update. princeton university has announced it's going to make a vaccine available on campus and this is a vaccine that is not officially approved for use in the united states. the university doing what it can to stop the spread of this strain of the disease. and next tonight we take you inside a private family feud playing out on the national stage, the two daughters of former vice-president dick cheney, both of them moms, both of them married. one is straight and the other is gay and now the sisters are squaring off over the meaning of family and marriage, even their parents are weighing in. abc's chief white house correspondent jonathan karl. >> reporter: it all started when liz cheney, the daughter of the

former vice-president, came out against same sex marriage in her campaign for senate in wyoming. that's not a surprising position for a republican in wyoming. but liz's younger sister mary is married to heather poe and the lesbian couple has two children. >> i love mary very much and i love her family very much. this is an issue on which we disagree. >> reporter: her sister mary spopd responded on fae facebook. "this isn't just an issue on which we disagree" responded heather poe, mary's wife, on facebook. you're just wrong and on the wrong side of history. "liz has been a guest in our home, has spent time and shared holidays with our children, and when mary and i got married in 2012 she didn't hesitate to tell us how happy she was for us. to have her say now she doesn't support our right to marry is offensive to say the least." mary cheney responded "i cooperate have said it better myself." >> i don't think we have ever seen the cheneys disagree like that. it's not just we respectfully disagree. it's personal. it's angry. >> reporter: public attitude on this has shifted dramatically

over the last decade. a strong majority now believe gay marriage should be legal. just this fall, former president george h.w. bush was a witness at a wedding of two women. we talked to former vice-president cheney shortly after mary and heather were married last year. >> lynn and i were very proud and happy and congratulated them. they've been a very important part of the family for a long time, provided us with two of our seven grandkids. >> you're proud? >> absolutely. >> reporter: in a statement the former vice-president and his wife said, "this is an issue we have dealt with privately for many years and we are pained to see it become public." jonathan karl, abc news, washington. tonight george zimmerman is back in the headlines and back behind bars. today he was arrested after police were called to his girlfriend's home, the newest round of legal trouble for the man acquitted of killing trayvon martin. abc's steve osunsami tells us what happened this time. >> reporter: another day, another mug shot for george zimmerman.

tonight he's in jail again, arrested for what police say was domestic violence, allegedly assaulting his current girlfriend who called 911. >> what's going on? >> he's in my house breaking all my [ mute ] because i asked him to leave. >> she alleged that he had broken a table and at one point pointed a long-barrelled shotgun. >> reporter: she said he shoved her and then pulled his gun. >> we believe it was some type of separation in the relationship. >> reporter: ever since his acquittal this summer in the shooting death of 17-year-old trayvon martin, florida's most notorious recent defendant keeps finding trouble. there was this outside his wife's home in september in the middle of a messy divorce. >> he continually has his hand on his gun and says step closer, threatening all of us with his firearm. >> do you think that he feels that perhaps after the trial he felt a little more invincible? >> in my opinion he feels more invincible. i just think he's making some reckless decisions.

>> reporter: his own lawyers have thrown up their hands. he's even been pulled over at least three times for a led foot. this time he's being held without bond. he'll appear in court tomorrow. steve osunsami, abc news, atlanta. and now we head north to the scandal-plagued mayor of toronto today stripped of most of his power. today the city council said it had enough of the embarrassing headlines, his admission of drunken behavior and drug use. abc's linsey davis on the political circus. >> reporter: a near brawl at the toronto city hall, with toronto mayor rob ford attempting to take a run at someone in the crowd and in the process almost bowling over a council woman. even in the midst of serious debate that could have left mayor rob ford more than a figurehead, the mayor mimed another council man driving drunk. >> mayor ford, please stop disrupting. >> reporter: in the end councillors voted to further

strip ford's power. >> there is going to be youth right war in the next election. >> reporter: reducing for to mayor of canada's biggest city in name only. rob ford is certainly making a name of himself. he was even mocked on nbc's "saturday night live." in recent weeks ford as admitted to smoking crack, but ford is making no apologies for his refusal to leave office. in fact, the embattled mayor is about to go prime time with a new television show, "ford nation," set to debut on the sun news network tonight. >> i know lawyers and doctors -- >> reporter: we certainly haven't seen the last of rob ford. linsey davis, abc news, new york. next tonight, testing the limits, tragedy in an underwater endurance sport, fearless athletes diving the length of a football field with just a gulp of air. and the oscar for best

selfie goes to steve martin and tom hanks, the story behind this picture when we see you again in just two minutes. if you do something today. and there's never been a better time because this year, devry university has $45 million dollars in need and merit-based scholarships and grants available to those who qualify. and this degree can make a difference. in 2012, 90% of devry university grads actively seeking employment had careers in their field within 6 months. now is your time. apply by january 6th. visit devry.edu. ♪ visit devry.edu. imany cold medicines may raisee your blood pressure. that's why there's coricidin hbp it relieves cold symptoms without raising blood pressure. so look for powerful cold medicine with a heart. coricidin hbp.

i remember thinking there's a lot i have to do... check my blood sugar, eat better. start insulin. today i learned there's something i don't have to do anymore. my doctor said with levemir® flexpen... i don't have to use a syringe and a vial. levemir® flexpen comes prefilled with long-acting insulin taken once daily for type 2 diabetes to help control high blood sugar. dial the exact dose. inject by pushing a button. no drawing from a vial. no refrigeration for up to 42 days. levemir® (insulin detemir [rdna origin] injection) is not recommended to treat diabetic ketoacidosis. do not use levemir® if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. the most common side effect is low blood sugar, which may cause symptoms such as sweating, shakiness, confusion, and headache. severe low blood sugar can be serious and life threatening. ask your health care provider about alcohol use, operating machinery, or driving. other possible side effects include injection site reactions. tell your health care provider about all medicines you take and all of your medical conditions. get medical help right away if you experience serious allergic reactions such as body rash,

trouble with breathing, fast heartbeat, or sweating. flexpen® is insulin delivery my way. covered by most insurance plans, including medicare. ask your health care provider about levemir® flexpen today. and next here tonight, a fearless athlete diving deep into the water with no equipment, just a powerful set of lungs and a lot of risk. abc's matt gutman on what happened in the extreme sport where he pushed his body to do more. >> reporter: nick mevoli had reached the pinnacle of free diving by plummeting the deaths, becoming the first american to break the 100-meter mark 328 feet down on a single gulp of air. by day he worked as a prop master on movie and tv sets. beneath the waves he was the star. >> when it came to being in the water, that is where i really shine. >> reporter: on sunday at the

dean's hole in the bahamas he was attempting another record, over 230 feet, deeper than the statue of liberty is tall, this time without fins. as he had done so many times in the past, this human fish tipped forward, elegant strokes like these, propelling him past the 200-foot mark. officials monitoring him with sonar say he seemed to hit trouble at 223 feet and seemed to turn back, but instead he dove down again into the darkness to reach his goal of 236 feet. after three and a half minutes, this photo shows him reach the surface, the distress evident. seconds later he lost consciousness and would never regain it. while increasingly popular, it's also considered one of the deadliest extreme sports. divers often have to be helped to the surface and revived. i got to try it in the cayman islands, first learning to hold my breath. see my body heaving? those are convulsions, my body demanding to breathe. divers learn to ignore the pain.

that's at the surface, diving to depths squeezes your lungs. at depths of 300 feet your lungs go from the size of a football to the size of a tennis ball. mevoli knew that at those depths any mishap could be fatal. >> never take a dive for granted. you don't know what dive is going to be your last. >> reporter: matt gutman, abc news, miami. still ahead when we come back right here, it's our "instant index." we have a surprise about a christmas classic. ♪ for auld lang syne >> the news tonight about "it's a wonderful life" when we come back. about "it's a wonderful life" when we come back. of 146 football fields... the length they can see the light of a single candle. your eyes are amazing. look after them with centrum silver. multivitamins with lutein and vitamins a, c, and e

to support healthy eyes and packed with key nutrients to support your heart and brain, too. centrum silver. for the most amazing parts of you. losing thrusters. i need more power. give me more power! [ mainframe ] located. ge deep-sea fuel technology. a 50,000-pound, ingeniously wired machine that optimizes raw data to help safely discover and maximize resources in extreme conditions. our current situation seems rather extreme. why can't we maximize our... ready. ♪ brilliant. let's get out of here. warp speed. ♪ her busy saturday begins with back pain, when... hey pam, you should take advil. why? you can take four advil for all day relief. so i should give up my two aleve for more pills with advil? you're joking right? for my back pain, i want my aleve. bob will retire when he's 153,

which would be fine if bob were a vampire. but he's not. ♪ he's an architect with two kids and a mortgage. luckily, he found someone who gave him a fresh perspective on his portfolio. and with some planning and effort, hopefully bob can retire at a more appropriate age. it's not rocket science. it's just common sense. from td ameritrade.

or treat gas with these after you get it. now that's like sunblock before or sun burn cream later. oh, somebody out there's saying, now i get it! take beano before and there'll be no gas. >> in our "instant index" tonight an early christmas gift, word that frank capra's classic "it's a wonderful life" is getting a sequel.

>> look, daddy, teacher says every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings. >> that's little zuzu talking. producers say the new movie will have the same spirit, focusing on george bailey's grandson and zuzu will be back because the actress who played her then was just 7 years old. she is now 76 and will be back as an angel, like clarence who said no man is a failure who has friends. there were echos of that insight this weekend when steve martin received an honorary oscar for his singular career presented by his friend tom hanks who took a moment to snap a selfie with his pal. martin gave thanks to his lifetime professional team and his beautiful wife. >> i knew i wasn't going to make it through this speech. i read it to my dog this morning and wept. >> and from the funny man something serious. >> working in the movies has also brought an amazing gift, friends. fascinating, funny and lifelong.

>> steve martin who has given a gift in return. it's an american classic, a boy and his dog, a modern take, meet beau, the 2-year-old toddler, and theo, the 3-month-old puppy napping together, mom snapping away, tonight everyone sharing a little of this nestled up puppy love. coming up next right here tonight, 50 years after the death of an american president, the film that captured that moment, showing us something in a whole new way tonight. in a whole new way tonight. getting the right nutrition isn't always easy. first, i want a way to help minimize my blood sugar spikes. then, a way to support heart health. ♪ and let's not forget immune support. ♪ but now i have new glucerna advance with three benefits in one. including carbsteady ultra to help minimize blood sugar spikes.

it's the best from glucerna. [ male announcer ] new glucerna advance. from the brand doctors recommend most. advancing nutrition for diabetes. from the brand doctors recommend most. help keep teeth clean and breath play close.fresh and close. with beneful healthy smile snacks. with soft meaty centers and teeth cleaning texture ...it's dental that tastes so good new beneful healthy smile food and snacks you really love, what would you do?" ♪ [ woman ] i'd be a writer. [ man ] i'd be a baker. [ woman ] i wanna be a pie maker. [ man ] i wanna be a pilot. [ woman ] i'd be an architect. what if i told you someone could pay you and what if that person were you? ♪ when you think about it, isn't that what retirement should be, paying ourselves to do what we love? ♪ wow...look at you. i've always tried to give it my best shot. these days i'm living with a higher risk of stroke

due to afib, a type of irregular heartbeat, not caused by a heart valve problem. at first, i took warfarin, but i wondered, "could i up my game?" my doctor told me about eliquis. and three important reasons to take eliquis instead. one, in a clinical trial, eliquis was proven to reduce the risk of stroke better than warfarin. two, eliquis had less major bleeding than warfarin. and three... unlike warfarin, there's no routine blood testing. [ male announcer ] don't stop taking eliquis unless your doctor tells you to, as stopping increases your risk of having a stroke. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily and it may take longer than usual for any bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures.

i've got three important reasons to up my game with eliquis. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor today if eliquis is right for you. america remembers president john f. kennedy, 50 years after the assassination. tonight we want to show you something new and that zapruder film, the 26 seconds that show the final moments of a president and by his side, his wife. abc's byron pitts. >> reporter: newly treated version done by history buff in new zealand. the images are clearer than ever. you can see the limo slowing down, bystanders frozen on the grass.

just 26 seconds, 486 frames, now the most infamous home movie ever made. 50 years ago a local businessman climbed up on this cement pedestal to get a clear view of the president's motorcade. he hoped to film a parade. what he witnessed was history. the cameraman, a russian immigrant, a dress maker who loved both his new country and his new hobby. minutes after the president's murder zapruder was live on the air at local station wfaa. >> i heard a shot and he slumped to the side like this. then i heard another shot or two and i kept on filming. >> reporter: it was poured over frame by frame by experts and amateurs. frame 228, president kennedy grasps for his throat. frame 359 mrs. kennedy begins a desperate crawl over the trunk. a photo lab tech at "life" magazine which paid zapruder $150,000 for his film

accidently destroyed four frames, only fueling conspiracy theories, theories that made it into motion pictures like oliver stone's jfk. but zapruder's film also led the government to conclude lee harvey oswald acted alone. after that fateful day, abraham zapruder never picked up his camera again. byron pitts, abc news, dallas. >> abc news will commemorate this anniversary all this week. thank you for watching tonight. don't forget "nightline" later and i'll see you right back here again tomorrow. good night. bay area students have second thoughts about their school mascot. >> live doppler seven shows rainfall approaching bait area. a look at when it will arrive and how much you can expect in just a moment. a 10-year-old school boy

tries to go after the girls he claimed bullied him by going after them with a knife. >> a marathon fund-raiser for the victims of typhoon haiyan. you can call to help. >> the mighty apatch yeez, is the school mascot a crib yut to native american spirit or offensive? good evening, i'm dan ashley. >> that is what the school board is debating. members will vote on wednesday whether the high school mascot needs to go. >> yes. there are some strong feelings about this. wayne? >> long ago, williams shakes spear posed a question, what is in a name? well, in vallejo, it's a battle between political correctness

and tradition. last week's vikt may be the other for apaches if american indian movement has its way. this activist has been wrenching up the pressure. >> we can't under play the fact this is an existing culture. they have told you it offends them we need to take note of that. >> reporter: which is why wednesday, the school board will consider changing the name of the mascot that represented the institution for more than 100 years >> i don't think. it's apaches everybody knows. it's vallejo. >> i don't believe it's offensism i think we're honoring apaches. >> to young people, i would say they're not aware of the