captioned by los angeles distribution and broadcasting, inc. >> right now on america this morning with christmas three days away, law enforcement on alert are exclusive live interview with the top official at the justice department reporting an unprecedented increase in terror threats this holiday season. what agents are responding to and what's fueling

the increase? >> americans hitting the roads and taking to the skies. heading home for the holidays. the extreme weather on the west coast. what to expect today and the new investigation into airline. frequent flier programs are they unfair? >> officers acquitted. no justice, no peace. the verdict in the trial of three police officers charged in the death of an unarmed man who was beaten, tased and placed in a spit mask. what's next for the officers? >> actor vin diesel sued, accused of sexual battery. how he's respond. >> breaking overnight, the big deal in the big leagues just days after their $700 million deal with one star, the dodgers strike another massive historic deal with time running out, the big bargains for last minute shoppers on super saturday. >> tomorrow. >> and no, they're not working for santa's pulling his sleigh. we'll explain why these deer were flying through the air.

>> from abc news in new york. >> this is america this morning. good morning everyone i'm andrew dymburt. >> good morning to you. i'm rhiannon ally. we begin with law enforcement on alert due to a sharp increase in the number of threats this holiday season, during an exclusive interview with abc news, a top official in the justice department explained the war in the middle east and the current political environment are posing a major challenge to us security officials. it comes as the justice department s special counsel, jack smith, urges the supreme court to move quickly in a case involving former president trump. abc's justin finch is here now with details on that. justin. good morning. >> rhiannon. good morning. top justice department official tells abc news the recentrillionise in threats is unprecedented. and this morning, with three days before christmas , law enforcement on alert reporting the most challenging threat environment since nine over 11, many of the threats tied to the ongoing war between

israel and hamas since october 7th, the fbi has received more than 1800 reports, reports of threats or other types of tips or leads that are somehow related to or have a nexus to the current conflict in israel and gaza, officials also reporting an unprecedented surge in threats to public officials, including election officials and judges. agents now investigating violent threats against the colorado supreme court after its ruling disqualifies former president trump from running for office, citing his alleged role in the january 6th insurrection. trump is expected to appeal thatrillionuling to the u.s. supreme court as soon as next week. meanwhile the justice department has filed new documents in one of the criminal cases against trump in which special counsel jack smith argues the supreme court should quickly take up the case over whether trump is immune from charges. in the january sixth

election interference case. >> they want to silence me because i will never let them silence you. and in the end, they're not after me. they're after you. on the campaign trail, former south carolina governor nikki haley, enjoying a bounce in recent polls, appeared to be sharpening her attacks on trump. >> everybody knows four more years of chaos. we won't survive it. >> in iowa yesterday, haley took issue with trump's character, saying, we need a president who's a role model. >> i don't like the discourse that we have. i don't like the chaos and the insanity we feel like we're in. i don't like the rhetoric he gives. >> as for that spike in threats to public officials, the deputy attorney general says in just one week they have looked into threats to fbi agents, a supreme court justice and three presidential candidate s andrew. >> all right. justin, thank you. the weather is making news as well on this busy travel day. some areas of southern california received a month's worth of rain in one hour

yesterday, stranding cars northwest of los angeles and causing mudslides. the heaviest rain overnight was near san diego and it's now moving into arizona. as for the rest of the country, no other major weather related travel delays are expected today. we'll check your full forecast in just a few moments. >> well, those of you who are flying today may be interested in this. the federal government is taking a closer look at those frequent flier plans. the transportation department will be investigating airline loyalty programs for potential deceptive or unfair practices, including lack of transparency when booking award tickets. the dot will also look at customer complaints about miles being devalued over time. >> we turn now to the rampage at one of the oldest universities in the world, a gunman opening fire from a rooftop in the heart of a european capital. more than a dozen people killed. this morning, authorities investigating a rare mass shooting in europe say the gunman was inspired by a similar shooting in russia. authorities in the czech republic say the

shooter was a student at charles university in prague, where the 24 year old went on a rampage at a school faculty building not far from the famous prague christmas market packed with tourists. >> that building there is the arts faculty, a scene of horror. earlier, officials here calling this rare mass shooting unprecedented and insane. >> this video shows people clinging to the side of a building, hiding during the massacre, which left at least 14 dead and dozens injured. >> it was a couple of banks i didn't even realize. >> it's a it's a shooting. then, uh, suddenly there were students and teachers running out of the building 20 minutes after the first reports of gunfire, the shooter was found dead on the sidewalk. >> they say earlier he had killed his father and may have plotted a far bigger massacre, considering the large number of weapons and ammunition found. officials say the gunman was an excellent student with no criminal record and described the shooting as well. thought out, it was just, you know, ready to admit that something like that could happen in

prague? the president of czech republic, describing the massacre as the most tragic in the country's history. police say the shooter was also a suspect in the killing of a man and his daughter last week. a motive for the shootings remains unclear for the white house, says president biden and the president of mexico have agreed to additional information on actions to slow the surge of migrants that are crossing into the us. >> hours after the leader spoke by phone, mexico added several new measures, including new migrant checkpoints and more resources to send migrants in mexico back to their home countries. meanwhile, house speaker mike johnson is now urging president biden to take executive action to address the crisis after congress failed to reach an agreement on the issue. this month. >> now to washington state, where three police officers have been acquitted in the death of an unarmed man in their custody. reaction coming in overnight. here's abc's andrea fujii justice for many. >> crowds gathered in tacoma, washington, last night demanding justice after three officers on trial for their involvement in

the death of an unarmed black man were found not guilty. no justice, no peace. the case dates back to 2020, when prosecutors say manny ellis, who was walking to a friend's house, died after a confrontation with police in which he was restrained, beaten and tased and placed in a spit mask. he can be heard on video saying he couldn't breathe. >> he agreed. >> witnesses say they yelled at officers to stop and say ellis was not fighting back. oh my god, stop hitting him! >> i'm hitting him! just arrest him. >> the medical examiner ruled ellis death a homicide due to hypoxia from physical restraint. meth was found in his system, but the coroner says it did not contribute to his death. a tacoma jury yesterday found the three officers not guilty on various charges. >> the verdict today does not lessen our commitment to ensure that the city's power is used to protect and serve, and that the

essential services provided by all city employees are delivered equitably and fairly. >> the officers were not wearing body cameras. they claimed ellis was trying to open car doors and said he started the confrontation. the defense, pointing to ellis's history of drug addiction, saying when hi, he was violent. the attorney for one of the officers, matthew collins, saying there were no winners in this case. he has maintained that he did everything in his power to prevent this death, this trial was the first under a new state law designed to make it easier to prosecute police accused of wrongfully using force. the tacoma police department still has to determine whether those officers will be disciplined. rhiannon andrew. >> andrea, thank you. the new year will bring a new increase in the price of postage. the post office has announced the price of mailing a first class letter will go up by $0.02. that's to $0.68 on january 21st. it will be the fifth price hike

in less than three years. the postal service lost $6 billion in the last year. >> time now for your friday weather. >> good morning. widespread flooding will continue today and tonight across southern california and spreading into arizona. flash flooding mudslides and road closures. be careful out there. that storm will move on to the rockies this weekend and put down significant snow between denver and rapid city. looks like a white christmas for those areas. meantime, the weekend weather shows a nice mild air mass across the eastern half of the nation. very wet from texas northward and a snowy weekend from denver to the high plains. very wet with flooding concerns. meantime, late this weekend, dallas down to the gulf coast could see some flash flooding there. here's your christmas day outlook. very wet from the gulf coast up to the great lakes. and that snowstorm is winding down on the plains. looks good in the northeast though. i'm accuweather meteorologist kevin coscaron.

ship stranded in the north sea. >> also ahead, deliveries delayed. ikea the latest company to sound the alarm about shipping problems overseas and actor vin diesel is sued. >> accused of

brandy this morning on gma. >> we're back with deliveries being delayed. ikea is the latest company raising concern about tensions in the middle east attacks on ships in the red sea by rebels protesting israel's war in gaza are forcing cargo ships to reroute around the southern tip of africa, adding up to four weeks to their journeys from asia and dramatically raising ocean freight prices. the us and 19 other countries have now formed a naval patrol coalition to protect ships, but arab nations have not joined the group. >> hundreds of people have been stranded on a cruise ship in

northern europe. the ship is based in norway. it lost power during a powerful storm off the coast of denmark in the north sea. about 400 people are on board that ship. another vessel is now trying to tow the crippled ship back to port. >> new developments in the idaho college student murders case. prosecutors are now pushing for a summer trial date, arguing it will allow the expected six week trial to happen while nearby schools are closed. brian coberger is charged with killing four university of idaho students in an off campus house, which is set to be demolished next week. the family, for one victim, argues the house is a critical piece of evidence which could be helpful at trial. >> i think the world agrees with them, but the home also has a significant emotional value to it. >> but another victim's family says the bare land will resemble closure, telling abc news they support tearing down the house where the students were killed. actor vin diesel is reportedly being accused of sexual battery by a former assistant. >> vanity fair says a lawsuit

against diesel claims the incident happened back in 2010, while diesel was working on a film in atlanta. his attorney says diesel category denies the allegation, saying there is clear evidence to refute it. >> dancing with the stars judge derek hough says his wife's second brain surgery was a success. he posted an update along with a picture of him sitting at hayley ebert's bedside. ebert had emergency surgery this month. after a blood vessel in her brain had burst. the couple has been married since august. coming up, a bombshell in major league baseball overnight. but first, the georgia woman who allegedly tried to hire a hit man to kill her husband in the bahamas, her husband in the bahamas, scores a small sfx: [alarm clock ringing] sfx: [thunder] sfx: [email notification] ♪ ♪

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thousands of snow geese at their winter home in northwest washington state. the massive flock arrives there every year. experts say they spend their summers 3000 miles away in russia. >> we turn now to the georgia woman accused of trying to hire a hit man to kill her husband during a family vacation. she has now won a small victory in court this morning, the georgia mother of three accused of plotting to kill her estranged husband is headed back to the u.s. to see her kids. what's it mean to be going home? >> lindsay back in july, lindsay shiver was arrested in the bahamas. >> prosecutors say she and her boyfriend tried to hire a hit man to kill her husband, robert, while they were on vacation. a tense court hearing yesterday brought shiver face to face with robert over zoom for the first time since her arrest, robert telling the court i fear for my mental and physical safety. and he said he worries for the safety of his kids. but the judge allowed lindsay to travel

home to alabama. she'll be required to wear an electronic monitoring device and must stay at her parent's home unless attending a divorce or custody hearing. >> given that she is a mother of three small children. given that the courts have a way to monitor her, it's not likely that she is going to be a flight risk. >> her lawyer saying lindsay is thankful the court has agreed to let her return to the u.s. so she can see her children. she is innocent. investigators say the shivers divorce has been contentious. police. body camera video captured this argument at their home less than a week before lindsay's arrest in the bahamas. >> she turned the message, saying that she's going to change her plans and now get on the airplane with me and the kids to go to the bahamas. but i can tell by the way she's going to go to her boyfriend elsewhere , and me and the kids are going to her house. >> lindsay was released on $100,000 bail. she is due back in the bahamas in february ahead

of her trial in sports. >> another big deal for the los angeles dodgers. they've reportedly signed japanese pitching star yoshinobu yamamoto, according to espn, he's agreed to a 12 year, $325 million deal, the largest deal for a pitcher in major league baseball history. yamamoto would join shohei ohtani and dodger blue l.a. will pay more than $1 billion combined for the pair over the next two decades. that's because most of ohtani's $700 million deal is being deferred. >> coming up, all she wanted for christmas mariah carey visits the white house. >> plus, the new trend at bars. >> plus, the new trend at bars. no alcohol ♪ i was looking at my ancestry traits the other day. i figured it out why i never actually made the football team. yeah, because you're 5'8”. wait robbie, go look at the sprinter gene. i wonder if you have it or that's why you didn't make the team. let me see. let me pull it up. don't have it. yup, i knew it. what else does it tell you? no, hold on, i'm going to find some athletic gene in here. endurance, no. speed, average. i would say below average.

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are popping up at a growing number of cities. a new one is opening in raleigh, north carolina on new year's eve. >> so this trend comes amid the growing popularity of nonalcoholic drinks. half $1 billion worth of them were sold in the first half of this year, and those nonalcoholic bars should probably do pretty well for dry january. >> that's the spirit. >> next, the holiday shopping crunch. >> retailers are hoping to cash in on last minute shoppers on super saturday. tomorrow. target is offering up to 60% off toys from brands like hot wheels and squishmallow at best buy, you can pick up an hd chromebook plus for $249. that's half off an estimated 142 million people are expected to finish their holiday shopping tomorrow. >> we are expecting to see more deals from those retailers that do have a physical footprint, whether it's in a mall or shopping center, you're looking to attract those customers who are out there hunting for those last minute items. >> experts say the deepest discounts will be in toys and

winter apparel next, a man who proves age is just a number, a pro hockey player is still hitting the ice and he's 51 years old. >> jaromir yakurr has started his 36th season, been playing for a team in the czech republic. he played 234 years in the nhl and is second on the all time scoring list. now. he does own the team that he currently plays for, so that probably helps get him in the lineup every now and again. >> speaking of hockey, there was a blizzard of teddy bears during this game in nevada. nearly 15,000 stuffed animals were thrown onto the ice at the henderson silver knights game, all to benefit charities that help local children. last year it was just 5000. >> this year, 15,000. bravo >> way up and next. santa's reindeer are getting ready to fly again. but some other deer have been flying through the sky. >> this video. oh, this was in utah, where scientists each year capture and tag about 1200 deer. they're flown to a staging area for health checks, and they're collared so that scientists can

study their migration during the trip, the deer are fitted with blindfolds and officials say the short period of stress does not affect them in the long terme. finally, the queen of christmas, you know, we're talking about at the white house, mariah carey took her 12 year old twins to washington this week. >> the family visited president biden in the oval office and even took pictures by the white house christmas tree. mariah also helping hang some ornaments. >> the tree just looks extra special once she added her special touch, i wonder if she special touch, i wonder if she gave t i know what it's like to perform through pain. if you're like me, one of the millions suffering from pain caused by migraine, nurtec odt may help. it's the only medication that can treat a migraine when it strikes and prevent migraine attacks. treat and prevent, all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur, even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. relief is possible. talk to a doctor about nurtec odt.

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subject 1: st. jude has helped increase the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to 80%. subject 2: we're helping kids grow up to be whatever they want to be. subject 3: like emmanuel, who's chasing quarterbacks. subject 4: tina, the star of her quinceanera. subject 1: and hayley, who's an astronaut. subject 2: or maggie, who's a doctor. maggie: a doctor saved by st. jude doctors. subject 5: give thanks for the healthy kids in your life and join us to make a difference that could last a lifetime.

why did you get vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia? i help others. but i need to help protect myself. honestly? i couldn't afford to get sick. i want to be there for this one. i can't if i'm sick. pneumococcal pneumonia is a potentially serious bacterial lung disease. you may be at risk if you're 19 to 64 with certain chronic conditions. or if you're 65 or older. don't pause a moment longer. ask your doctor or pharmacist about getting vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia today. ♪baby don't forget it's the holidays♪ ♪give me something sweet let's celebrate♪ ♪a little bit for me, a little bit for you♪ ♪no need to be greedy there's enough for two♪ ♪a little bit for me, a little bit for you♪ [distant music] ♪oops, oh, it's gettin' late♪ ♪and i almost forgot to celebrate,♪ ♪invite everybody, yeah, you're coming too♪ ♪i've been waitin' all year to get down with you♪

♪we snackin'♪

get basic stuff. >> yep. retail theft in oakland now at five. how police are adjust ing tactics to reprioritize safety during the holiday shopping season. and why not? everyone thinks it's enough . plus. boats in oakland estuary. >> the reason for the ct