>> thank you very much. >> world news tonight, right here in new hampshire. the political bombshell on the eve of the big debate. bernie sanders under fire. a staffer accused of spying on hillary clinton's complain. and trump's controversial words about russia's president. and the winter storm and 80-car pileup. the tearful police chief, and the 15-year-old hero, killed as he saved others. and the fbi joining the hunt

did his mother help him escape? good evening. from new hampshire, it's great to have you with us on the eve of the democratic debate. just hours before greeting the candidates on the stage behind me, a major political firestorm. bernie sanders, it has been learned that members of his team got access to confidential information. and late today, hillary clinton's team weighing in. and cecelia vega right here in new hampshire with me tonight. >> reporter: tonight, accusations of political spy

bernie sanders' campaign on the defensive after staffers accessed hillary clinton's confidential voter files. >> in the heat of these campaigns, young people make misjudgments. >> reporter: the punishment swift. the democratic national committee cutting off the sanders campaign's access to its massive database. tonight, outrage from team sanders. that dnc database is the lifeblood of any campaign, a massive list of voters' names, addresses and past voting habits. each campaign can add their own data for their eyes only. how people might vote, whether they will vote at all, which voters they want to win over. but wednesday, a software glitch allowed up to four sanders staffers to access clinton's confidential files. and for 40 minutes, they searched through them 25 times using phrases like "turnout" and "primary priority," looking up clinton's information on crucial states like iowa, new hampshire and south carolina. while some say it's the equivalent of a football team ripping a page right out of the opposition's playbook, the

did nothing wrong. >> you're saying you never actually saw any of the data that belonged to hillary clinton? >> we didn't use it in any way that we felt could benefit the campaign. >> reporter: yesterday, he was fired. but the story doesn't end there. late today, the sanders campaign filed suit against the dnc, accusing the party of trying to help clinton by cutting sanders off from those crucial voter lists. >> this is unacceptable. individual leaders of the dnc can support hillary clinton in any way they want, but they are not going to sabotage our campaign. >> reporter: tonight, i spoke with dnc chairwoman debbie wasserman schultz. >> they say that the dnc is in cahoots with hillary clinton, and this proves it. and you say what? >> well, it's baffling that a campaign that accessed and took

another campaign, for what purpose i don't know, but it's baffling that they would say this to us. >> and what are you hearing from hillary clinton's campaign? >> they're firing back. the campaign chairman calling this an egregious breach. saying the data was stolen. you know it will come up on the stage tomorrow. >> thank you. and a little more than 24 hours from now, the candidates will be debating each other. and terror at home the number one issue. here's president obama. >> you have isil trying to encourage or induce somebody propaganda.

>> and i want to bring in martha raddatz, who will be moderating with me tomorrow. and as millions gather for christmas, they will be talking about terror on the home front. >> and both of us covered the terror attacks in paris and san bernardino. i've been on the front lines of the fight against isis. those subjects will come up tomorrow. >> a lot of questions ready to go. and we hope you'll join us tomorrow in new hampshire, 8:00 p.m. eastern, 7:00 p.m. central, right here on abc. on the republican side tonight, donald trump back in the headlines after his eye-opening response to russian president vladimir putin. trump making headlines with what he said. david wright on the trump campaign tonight.

political strongmen. [ speaking foreign language ] >> reporter: after vladimir putin praised donald trump as, quote, "undoubtedly a bright and talented person." >> when people call you brilliant, it's always good. especially when the person heads up russia. >> reporter: jeb bush tweeted, "a true freedom-loving conservative wouldn't be flattered by praise from a despot like putin. #chaoscandidate." >> at least he's a leader. unlike what we have in this country. >> but again, he kills journalists that don't agree with him. >> well, i think our country does plenty of killing also, joe. so, you know -- with a lot of right now, joe. >> reporter: that outraged the 2012 nominee mitt romney, who tweeted, "important distinction -- thug putin kills journalists and opponents. our presidents kill terrorists and enemy combatants."

>> if somebody is going to pay you a compliment, you take it. >> reporter: and that seems to david wright, abc news, new york. >> david, thank you. we move to other news. and a chilling line coming into focus after the terror arrest linked to the horror in san bernardino. enrique martinez, he and farook had allegededly planned to attack a community college. now, authorityies asking, what did their friends and families know? here's david ross. >> reporter: the san bernardino terror plots took shape in a place of american flags, shopping malls and this quiet residential block, where officials tonight say, as in almost every homegrown terror case, someone had to know what was going on. >> there were individuals in the community, who saw something

extremism and didn't say anything. >> reporter: the timeline to years ago when syed farook, then 22, got his then 17-year-old neighbor enrique marquez to convert to islam. marquez was known to friends as a hapless dupe, a big fan of this punk rock band, interviewed on local tv news after running to rescue a friend's dog. >> i'm really out of shape. >> reporter: beginning around 2011, farook began to radicalize marquez, using the videos of recruiter anwar al awlaki. >> we have chosen the path to war. >> reporter: in late 2011 and early 2012, farook got marquez to buy these two assault rifles. and then they hatched their plots to attack the community college they both attended, and open fire on rush hour traffic on the nearby 91 freeway. but they got cold feet and called off the attacks. still, farook kept planning to

and in 2013, he found a new partner in terror. his pakistani-born wife tashfeen. tonight, authorities continue to look at the statements of those two men, who say they had no idea about a terror plot. >> thank you. and we turn to the winter wallop, images coming from michigan, an 80-car pileup. traffic stretching to the horizon. and a landslide in oregon. the garage of this home swallowed whole. rob marciano has the forecast from new york. >> today's storm getting into the sierra nevadas.

rain. more landslides possible. and whiteout conditions across michigan. windchills on saturday, 8 degrees in chicago. and the cold won't last long. christmas eve, temperatures 25 to 30 degrees above average. >> rob, thank you. now to a tragedy in evening. a 15-year-old, a popular high school football player, risking his life to protect young girls as shots rang out. and the police chief fighting back tears. here's ron claiborne. >> reporter: police say a group of teenagers had gathered on the front porch of this house when several gunmen approached. the police chief became emotional describing how dobson dove to protect three friends.

fulton high school student and football player, was struck and killed after he jumped on top of three girls to shield them. >> reporter: at one point, the chief struggling to keep going. >> sorry. to shield them from the shooter. >> reporter: those others were not hit by the gunfire. tonight, the fulton high photo honoring their fallen teammate. >> this was a fine, fine young man, who is a success story. >> reporter: one of the alleged gunmen was shot and later died. one young man, killed trying to protect three friends. >> ron, thank you.

millions trying to flee the terror group. an american husband and wife, on a mission to save nearly 150 refugees in iraq. elizabeth vargas was there in iraq. >> reporter: 149 christians running from isis in iraq, leaving the refugee camp they've called home for more than a year. they're christian refugees living peacefully until their homes were seized. tens of thousands fled in chaos in one night. and now, it's finally time for them to start a new life in europe. largely thanks to this american couple that came to iraq to help these refugees. >> it's heart wrenching to watch

>> reporter: lining up to take a bus to the airport, while the families left behind watch tearfully. as the lights dim, they take off. 149 grateful souls, leaving behind the familiar and the fear for a new life ahead. elizabeth vargas, abc news, iraq. >> and we'll have much more of the gripping report, escaping isis, tonight on a special edition of "20/20." and wall street in a free fall tonight. the dow closing down 360 points. and still much more ahead on "world news tonight." the reward now offered for the most wanted teenager in america. skipping probation for a drunk

did his mother help? and lebron james diving into the stands. the woman taken out on a stretcher. and the filmmaker, getting some help from the master. who is our person of the week? have some degree of erectile dysfunction. well, viagra helps guys with ed get and keep an erection. ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain or adempas for pulmonary hypertension. your blood pressure could drop to an unsafe level. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away if you experience a sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. ask your doctor about viagra. available in single packs.

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already left the country. >> they could have chartered boats, planes. they have the money and wealth to get away. >> reporter: investigators say couch packed up this house and disappeared shortly after this video surfaced, purporting to show couch at a boozy party. that toussel-haired teen in that wanted poster and that video, so different from the clean-cut 16-year-old who pled guilty of killing four in a 2013 drunk driving crash. the judge bought it, giving him ten years of probation. >> when's the last time you recall disciplining ethan for anything? >> i don't remember. >> reporter: but it's now couch's mother who may learn about consequences. the sheriff telling me he plans to charge her with aiding and abetting a fugitive. when we come back, the major decision by pope francis.

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our own. legendary abc news radio broadcaster doug limerick, signing off for the last time today after 33 years. a voice known to millions. more than 100,000 newscasts under his belt. we wish him the best. if anyone has earned this retirement, it's doug. when we come back, a "star wars" dream come true. it's our person of the week.n. it comes when your insurance company says they'll only pay three quarters of what it takes to replace it. what are you supposed to do? drive three quarters of a car? now if you had liberty mutual new car replacement, you'd get your whole car back. i guess they don't want you driving around on three wheels. smart. with liberty mutual new car replacement, we'll replace the full value of your car. see car insurance in a whole new light. liberty mutual insurance.

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finally tonight here, our person of the week. the boy, the army brat that loved "star wars" and "indiana jones" growing up, then serving in afghanistan. now getting help from george lucas, likely saying to that young vet, may the force be with you. the wait is over. "star wars: the force awakens." but there's another movie getting critical acclaim with help from "star wars"' original creator. the short film "day one," written and directed by decorated platoon leader hank hughes, from the 173rd airborne. inspired by hank's own interpreter while serving in

>> this is my first job. >> reporter: hank has wanted to sit in the director's chair since one of his childhood favorites, the original "star wars." in college, he majored in film. putting it on hold for his country. two combat tours overseas. now getting help from george lucas. >> these guys are heroes. we need to help them. hey, how are you? >> reporter: lucas teaming up with abc news' standing up for heroes mentorship program. george lucas and the team at lucasfilm revealing their movie magic. hank knew what his first film would be about. >> we talk about brotherhood and the camaraderie between soldiers but her story had another level of pure inspiration. my interpreter was by far the strongest person i've ever met. >> reporter: a tribute to her and the heroes in all our lives choosing to do the extraordinary from "day one." >> george asked me once who i made movies for. and it was a tough question but what he was getting at is that

sublime moments beyond explaining, and i really hope that emotional journey comes through in the film of kind of what it's like to go to war. >> and so we choose hank hughes him. >> and tomorrow night on abc, the democratic debate from new hampshire. we're ready for the candidates, and martha raddatz and i will be sitting right here tomorrow night. 8:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m. central.