Telling the jury that trump said, just do it when talking about paying Stormy Daniels for her silence. Michael cohen saying he took out a Home Equity Loan on his own home to pay for it. He says trump promising to pay him back. The jury listening intently. Just a short time ago, the explosion, the demolition of that remainder of the bridge in baltimore. With the massive cargo ship still there. And with the crew of that step still onboard 48 days later. The harrowing moments inside a church. Dozens of families and children. A 16yearold boy armed with a gun interrupting mass. The priest ducking behind the altar. Tonight, the severe storms, possible tornadoes and damaging winds. Ginger zee with the new forecast. And now the smoke moving in from the fires in canada yet again. The race for the white house tonight. And President Biden taking aim at china, announcing major new tariffs he says to protect american industry and jobs. And tonight here, the new polls, where this race stands in the key battlegrounds, where donald trump is ahead. Overseas the fierce fighting in Northern Gaza tonight, as Israeli Forces also move deeper into the Southern City of rafah. And the american doctors trying to get out. Back in the u. S. Tonight, authorities searching for a boater wanted for killing a 15yearold girl while she was wakeboarding with friends in the water. The boater never stopping. In New York City tonight, the wellknown actor steve bu she my randomly attacked while walking in manhattan. Lighting up the skies over the u. S. The beautiful images from viewers from spokane, washington, all the way to portsmouth, new hampshire. And where youll get another chance tonight. Why judge judy is suing the Parent Company of in touch weekly. And we remember a musician that famously performed with david bowie and the rolling stones. Good evening and its great to start another week with all of you have at home. We do begin tonight with the high stakes testimony in Donald Trumps criminal trial today. His former attorney and fixer Michael Cohen testifying donald trump told him to just do it when they were discussing paying Stormy Daniels for her silence. Cohen leaving his home this morning to face his former boss in court. Cohen telling the court today that at trumps election, he helped make stories from women go away. And just weeks before the 2016 laek, election, cohens surprising testimony about what he says was melania trumps suggestion how to handle it. Michael cohen testifying he took out a Home Equity Loan on his own home to pay Stormy Daniels, and that trump promised he would then pay cohen back. Heres our Senior Investigative correspondent Aaron Katersky leading us off from the courthouse tonight. Do you have any messages for donald trump today . Reporter he once said hed take a bullet for donald trump. But today, Michael Cohen heading to court to testify against his old boss as the prosecutions star witness. Hes got no evidence and im innocent. Reporter inside, the two men who spent a decade attached at the hip didnt even look at each other. Cohen telling the jury that as the 2016 campaign got under way, trump warned him, be prepared. Theres going to be a lot of women coming forward. The first, former playboy model karen mcdougal. When cohen informed trump that mcdougal was shopping her story of their alleged affair, he says trump responded, shes really beautiful. Make sure it doesnt get released. Trump has denied the affair, but cohen testified that at trumps direction, the National Enquirer bought mcdougals story. The jury hearing this secretly recorded conversation between trump and cohen allegedly discussing the deal. When it comes time for the financing, which will be listen, what financing . Well have to pay him something. Pay with cash. Reporter as the election approached, the crises piled up. First, the Access Hollywood tape, trump bragging about groping women. When youre a star they let you do it. We can do anything. Reporter cohen said trump told him to spin it as locker room talk, words allegedly suggested by his wife melania. Days later, cohen testifying he received word Stormy Daniels was trying to sell her story of a tryst with trump. Cohen felt it would be catastrophic for the campaign, and he testified trump agreed. He said to me, this is a disaster. A total disaster women will hate me. Guys may think its cool, but this is going to be a disaster for the campaign. Cohen testified trump ordered him to make sure the story didnt get it out, saying, push it out past the election, because if i win, it has no relevance. And if i lose, i dont even care. Cohen telling the jury trump didnt seem to care how it would affect his marriage, saying, how long do you think ill be on the market for . Not long. He wasnt thinking about melania, cohen said. This was all about the campaign. Trump claims he never had sex with the born star, but cohen insisted trump gave him clear directions pay daniels to keep quiet, saying, theres no reason to keep this thing out there. Just do it. Cohen said he took out a Home Equity Line of credit to cover the 130,000 payment and told trump, i was going to front the money for it, to which he was appreciative. He stated to me dont worry about it. Youll get the money back. and cohen testified he fully expected to be reimbursed, saying, i would not lay out 130,000 for an Nondisclosure Agreement needed by somebody else. On the very day he wired the money to daniels, 12 days before the election, he said he called trump for final signoff. I wanted to ensure that he approved what i was doing because i required approval from him on all of this, cohen testified. Everything on top of that, i wanted the money back. As soon as they got off the phone, cohen walked across the street and wired the money. Jurors today seeing Phone Records showing the moment that call took place. Prosecutors said trump did reimburse cohen, and illegally falsified Business Records to cover it all up by making it look like a legal expense. David, cohen is the only witness who can affirmatively tie trump to the crime, so, his recollections about things trump said are key. When it became evident Stormy Daniels was going to come forward, cohen said trump told him, just pay it, just do it. Cohen fronted the money, he said he fully expected to be paid back, and he took out a Home Equity Line of credit so his own wife wouldnt find out. He told the jury she would not understand if 130,000 went missing from their joint bank account. David . David Aaron Katersky leading us off tonight. Aaron, thank you. We turn now to the controlled explosion just a short time ago at the site of that massive and deadly bring collapse in baltimore. It was late today they demolished the remainder of the bridge. With that massive cargo ship still right there in the shadow. And the crew of that ship, still onboard, 48 days after the collision. Terry moran on the scene again tonight. Reporter tonight, in baltimore, a spectacular feat of demolition engineering. Using scores of small precision explosives, crews cut apart the largest remaining section of the key bridge that crashed down on that cargo ship, the dali. Those giant steel trusses plunging into the water in a massive plume of smoke. Its actually the safest and most efficient way to achieve this number of cuts and then have that wreckage fall out and away from the vessel. Reporter that ship has been trapped ever since it rammed the bridge and brought it down nearly two months ago, killing six construction workers. For 48 days now, the ships crew has remained onboard, including during todays demolition. They are necessary to keep the ship safe and operational. If something were to happen, theyre the in the best place to actually fight a fire on board the ship. Reporter authorities are now planning to move that ship and clear the remaining debris. Was it a success . Yes. Absolutely. Today was an important step. Reporter david, Officials Say they will move the dali back into the port of baltimore within 48 hours, and reopen the entire channel to all shipping by the end of the month. And david, during the weeks of this very dangerous salvage operation, not a single worker has been injured. David terry, thank you for your continued reporting. We turn now to the harrowing moments inside a louisiana church. Dozens of families and children were inside when a 16yearold boy armed with a gun interrupted mass. The priest then ducking behind the altar. Heres abcs Mireya Villarreal tonight. Reporter tonight, this Church Livestream capturing chaos inside the sanctuary after a first Holy Communion ceremony was disrupted by a 16yearold gunman. The incident unfolding on saturday at st. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in abbeville, louisiana. Dozens of families in attendance. Video showing a parishioner approaching the priest in the middle of mass, the priest then urging everyone to sit and join him in prayer. While the suspect never appears in the video, the church says he opened a back door. Parishioners confronting him quickly and calling police. As officers race to the scene, panic erupting in the church. Parents fleeing with their children. Calm down and just get next to your child and go slowly. Reporter clergy crouching behind the altar. No injuries reported, and that 16yearold suspect arrested and taken to a Mental Health facility for evaluation. David, so far, police have not released a motive in this case, but we do know the suspect is being charged with terrorizing and possession of a firearm by a juvenile. Meanwhile, the church says they will continue to have Uniformed Police officers at all their future masses. David . David mireya, thank you. At this hour, were tracking severe storms, possible tornadoes, damaging winds across several states. Also at this hour, smoke from more than 1340 wildfires from canada. All of minnesota in the red category, Parts Of Wisconsin and iowa also on alert tonight. Lets get right to Chief MeteorologistGinger Zee Tracking It all for us. Hi, ginger. Hi, david. Weve got an uglylooking line moving across southern louisiana, toward baton rouge, lafayette going to get hit next. This has imwbedded Tornado Warnings in it. And weve seen a Severe Thunderstorm Warning pop up, as well. Going to be a wbig night. Its going to be late night in new orleans. Were going to end up with severe thunderstorms with winds in excess of 65 miles per hour. It marrs right across the panhandle of florida. Mobile, watch out, too. And then charleston by 11 00 a. M. Tomorrow. Lets talk smoke quickly, because weve had air quality alerts now sink into away, and that includes fort dodge, mason city, but look what happens, it sides down into topeka, up to sioux falls. David dealing with it all over again. Ginger zee, thank you. Now to the race for president tonight, and the new move from President Biden, taking aim at china, announcing major new tariffs, he says to protect american industry and jobs here. It does come amid new polls in the key Battleground States that show donald trump leading President Biden in several of those states. Lets get right to mary bruce on this move, when it comes to china tonight. And mary, it comes amid these new numbers. Reporter and david, the Biden Campaign is certainly aware of these numbers. Donald trump now leading President Biden in several critical battlegrounds among registered voters, including arizona, nevada, and michigan. Donald trump leading in michigan by seven points. The president trying to send a message on the economy, that he, too, is tough on china. The president tomorrow expected to announce he is quadrupling Tariffs On Electric Vehicles from china from 25 to 100 . Also solar panels and batteries. The president is vowing to protect American Workers from foreign competition and hoping to gain ground on the economy in the process. The issue also pivotal in states like pennsylvania and wisconsin, where those polls show trump and biden are much closer, david. David mary bruce with us tonight. Thank you. Overseas tonight, there is fierce fighting now in Northern Gaza, as Israeli Forces also move deeper into the Southern City of rafah. Tonight, we have learned there are american doctors trying to get out. Abcs marcus moore from tel aviv. Reporter fierce battles in gaza, tonight as idf troops fight to re capture a Northern Territory where they believe hamas may have regrouped. The assault in the north, where aid groups say famine has taken hold, comes at the same time Israeli Forces are expanding their operation in the Southern City of rafah. Images show tanks moving into the city, and new numbers reveal the staggering exodus of nearly 360,000 people fleeing the area since the first evacuation orders a week ago, many of them families. The white house, whos against any large scale invasion of rafah, adamant israel does not have a plan to protect the more than 1 Million People there, even suggesting israel has no Exit Strategy for this war. If israels military efforts are not accompanied by a political plan for the future of gaza, the terrorists will keep coming back and israel will remain under threat. Reporter and david, there is word tonight that a number of american doctors and medical staff are stuff in gaza because the Rafah Crossing is closed. Its one of the many reasons the u. S. And other countries are urgently trying to get that crossing reopened. David . David marcus moore in tel aviv for us. Thank you, marcus. Theres been a major move in the war in ukraine. Russian forces attacking and now retaking some villages in the northeast. The warning tonight from president zelenskyy about where this war stands now, and tonight, the major news from moscow. Vladimir putin has replaced the man who was running the war. Abcs James Longman back in kyiv for us tonight. Reporter tonight, Ukrainian Forces are desperately trying to stop russias new offensive in the northeast. Launching a drone strike on Russian Troops taking cover along this tree line. But the bitter fighting leveling the town of vovchansk just three miles from the border. Rescue crews pulling out victims, thousands fleeing towards nearby kharkiv, ukraines secondlargest city, now at risk. More than a million still there. President zelensky today with a stark warning russia is stretching Ukrainian Forces thin, he says, with offensives on multiple fronts. Ukraine says some 50,000 Russian Troops have been massing on the northeastern border for months and that 30,000 are now deployed to fight. And pressure also building tonight in other key areas across the country, like chasiv yar in the east. We were at this Community Center in july last year. Now look. Almost completely destroyed. The new russian onslaught comes as President Putin shocked kremlin watchers by replacing his defense minister of 12 years, sergei shoigu. In his place, an economist with no military experience, perhaps a signal of putins concern over russias war economy. Vladimir putin changing his defense minister suggests he knows his military is in bad need of modernization and improved economic efficiency, but it also shows his confidence. Russia is fully committed to this war. Putin knows the same cannot be said of the west. David . David James Longman inside ukraine for us tonight. Thank you. Back here in the u. S. Tonight, authorities in florida are searching for a boater who is wanted for killing a 15yearold girl while he was wakeboards with friends. She was floating in the water, Authorities Say the boater hit her and never stopped. Victor oquendo in florida. Reporter tonight, the search for a South Florida boater wanted for killing a 15yearold girl on the water. Authorities say ella adler was wakeboarding with friends off the coast of key biscayne saturday afternoon. She was in the water with the board attached to her feet when she was fatally struck by a Passing Boater who never stopped to help. Were hoping that Somebody Saw Something and would come forward with some information. Reporter witnesses describing the boat as a light blue, Center Console with two to fo