hi, everyone. i'm zinhle essamuah. off today and "nbc news daily" starts right now.

today thursday december 28th, 2023. soaked by storms. millions across the country under flood alerts just in time for one of the busiest travel weeks of the year. places hit hardest, what you'll face if you're about to head out. new battlefronts. growing concern the israel-hamas war could expand to lebanon. the new attacks by a separate militant group and what it means for the fights in gaza. better safe. just days ay way from ringing in 2024 in new york's times square. security is priority number one. what police are doing to make sure they don't drop the ball. teachers pets. why one instructor says bringing puppies to her classroom helps her students learn. can't wait to get to that story but we begin with a weather mess right as people are heading back home from the holidays. i'm talking about a nasty line of storms turn their way up the coast rain falling from the midwest to great lakes, new england and the southeast. the west is soggy, too.

in one northeastern, one northern california town residents are cleaning up after a large swell of the pacific caused widespread flooding and racing in the hours to come for more. happening on one of the busiest travel days of the year. drivers facing clogged highways and roads. airline passengers facing flight delays and many facing more messy weather. joining me now, nbc news correspondent marissa parra in a restaurant in pompano beach, florida, a rest stop. also, air travel the big story now. millions of people traveling by air today. i was one of them just this morning. what's the situation in the sky right now? >> reporter: well, you can lucky zinhle. this weather is not helping anything or anyone when it comes to travel right now. probably see a slowdown or delay. it's largely what south florida travelers taking to the skies have been seeing. when you look at the flightaware misery map, so-called misery

map, conditions let than desirable for people trying to make flights, we know south florida leading this several hours. miami international airport as well as fort lauderdale. we also see delays coming from other airports especially as that weather makes its way around the country. we know we'll hear about in a moment. listen, it's not just the skies. majority of holiday drivers take to the road pap record number of florida drivers across the holiday weekend, across the holiday, rather, christmas and new year's included in that. we had a chance to catch up with a aaa spokesperson saying why today in particular is busier than normal. >> thursday's busy because a lot of people are coming back from christmas vacations or getting ready to go out for the long new year's eve weekend. keep in mind, we've had two back-to-back holiday weekends with both holidays falling on monday. that means even people who have to work during the week, maybe just taking off on a friday,

they're taking that long weekend. >> reporter: so calling it a perfect storm of bad holiday travel conditions, if you will. maybe an extra strong coffee and maybe a neck pillow, too, to prepare for the stress of traveling on a day like today. >> can't go wrong with extra strong caffeine and a neck pillow. thanks. and michelle grossman, where's the storm headed. >> hi, there. not driving or flying and could use both of those things right now. headed to new england, the storm. rain in florida, where marissa was. in the rain throughout the day. that extending into later parts of today. rainy in new england, as i said. northeast also mid-atlantic faring out-from-overnight rain but misty and foggy. low clouds and dreary in portion of the northeast. snow falling in the midwest. we can see snow extending down to the tennessee vaem and northern parts of alabama and georgia tonight. not amounting to much. still could cause troubles on

roadways. mild for december in northern plains. look going in south central states and portions of the southwest and dreary conditions also in the pacific northwest. another storm system moving onshore later today bringing a wet friday as well. >> michelle grossman. thanks. today also keeping an eye on the weather and security preparations for new year's celebrations. three days away from the crystal ball dropping in times square and as usual police are on high alert nationwide for potential threats. nbc news correspondent kathy park reports from new york city. >> reporter: days away from saying good-bye to 2023. preparations are well under way to bring in the new year here in times square. organizers are saying that we can expect roughly a million revelers come sunday, but ahead of this big celebration officials are concerned about potentially large protests coming from the israel-hamas war. in fact, in recent days there have been clashes between pro-palestinian protesters and

police nationwide. yesterday as jfk and l.a.x., large groups that blocked traffic and some travelers were stuck. had to rush out of their cars to catch their flights. officials in both cities are saying there were dozens of arrests. back here in new york, there are no credible threats at the time on new year the eve celebrations but mayor adams said they'll ready if something happens. >> you're seeing a small pocket of people now becoming part of the protests who are really trying to rile up the crowd and we can not tolerate that and can't sthaep. >> monitor the chatter and so we can be prepared. >> reporter: meanwhile, officials concerned about lone wolf attacks. major cities like new york and boston are gearing up, staffing up patrols with those in plain clothes and officers in uniform as well and encouraging members of the public to report any suspicious activity. ending on a much lighter note we learned the new year's eve ball will showcase 2, 600 crystal

panels. look closely. the panels are bow ties. >> can't go wrong. kathy park, thank you. time for today the cnbc "money minute" scoring good news about gas prices in the new year. cnbc's steve kovac joins me now. >> reporter: apple restarted sales. ultra 2 watches in stores an online. this after a u.s. appeals court temporarily block at government ban on the popular apple watch models following a patent dispute with a health tech company. apple able to sell 9 the watches until redesigned versions of the watches still infringe on massimo's patents. a judge dismiss add lawsuit over allegedly selling counterfeit versions of the children's coy squish mellows. the sale of these counterfeits

continued despite six previous lawsuits to stop it. the chinese emersion economy has not commented on the lawsuit. really good news. a new gas buddy forecast predicts gas prices are expected to drop to thes 3.38 per gallon on average next year. that's down from this year the average of $3.51 a gallon. positive projection comes even as the war in ukraine and the conflict in the middle east continues putting pressure on oil prices. back to you. >> good news. especially ahead of the new year. steve kovac, thank you. coming up, in the market for some new wheels? well, we'll tell you why 2024 may be the best year to get a new car. plus a woman plotting to kill her mother in a case that sparked a frenzy. an aspiring tv series as well. she's now out of prison. why, we'll tell you. you're watching "nbc news you're watching "nbc news daily."

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trading fire with israel from its post in lebanon since shortly after the war began. what's different now at this moment that's causing new tension? >> reporter: well, it's different, there seems to have been quite an escalation over the last few days with some 30 rockets launched by hezbollah towards israel's northern-most city, and yesterday there have been dozens more. today as well as drones that israel's military says it's intercepted from lebanon. now the israeli government is saying that the time for diplomacy to avert a second phase in this war is quickly running out. in the international community doesn't get rid of hezbollah in southern lebanon israel will do it itself. you mentioned that american citizen now confirmed dead. 70 yard julie weinstein believed to be held hostage in the gaza strip since october 7th. now saying she was actually murdered with her husband in israel on october 7th and her body brought to gaza where it's

still being held by hamas with that confirmation, sinnclay, a number of american citizens held hostage in the gaza strip has fall ton six. >> devastating development there, josh. the israeli military says christmas weekend strike on a refugee camp "likely caused unintentional -- unintended harm to civilians." how significant is that admission? >> reporter: very significant. military almost never acknowledges mistakes that are this big and now are saying they were targeting hamas sites, but that nearby buildings were accidentally also hit in that strike. which, by the way, hamas-run palestinian health ministry says killed at least 70 people. there's also another admission of error by israel's military today saying that that friendly fire incident that involved israel shooting three of its own hostages could have been avoided. >> and, josh, of course, one of

the biggest obstacle in the war. media ax. you got a look at the largest hamas tunnel discovered. notably, the israeli military invited us, nbc news to record this video, however, did not review or enforce restrictions on the footable, but talk to me about exactly what you saw. >> reporter: we saw a massive tunnel. some ten feet tall. israel says it goes two and a half miles into the ground and built in a way with a declines slope to actually drive a vehicle through. it all part of israel's effort to corroborate it says is the reason it has to bomb these areas where civilians are necessarily are located, but i asked an israeli military spokesman just outside that tunnel in northern gaza whether they were showing this to the media in an attempt to justify these incredible numbers of palestinian deaths we're seeing. listen to what he had to say. >> i think this is an effort to

justify the fact that we have no choice but to be in gaza fighting hamas, and that those civilians were condemned the moment that hamas built these tunnels underneath them. >> reporter: you talk about media access. we should point out. the only way any journalist who's not already in gaza is getting in there right now is through the israeli military. the border is closed and requests from journalists to go int sbaza to be able to report on the ground themselves have all been denied by the israelis, egyptians or both. so there are real limitations right now to be able to understand exactly what's happening with the gaza strip. >> a really important disclaimer. of course, journalists based in gaza facing unimaginable conditions there. josh, briefly, i wonder what's the most striking thing in terms of your visit now with this tunnel? >> reporter: what was most striking to me was the fact that this tunnel, whiched israel say is the largest one discovered so far, was barely a quarter mile

from the israeli border. i asked the idf how did you not know it was there? they said, well, we knew about the entrance. no idea how extensive it was. it's clearly a sign that this underground infrastructure is really all over the gaza strip, really up to just several hundred feet away from where israel controls the border at the arab crossing. >> strong reporting. josh lederman. appreciate it. here in the u.s., along the southern border bracing for a large caravan to arrive any day. that group of men, women and children traveling through mexico now. experts worry think arrival will add more stress to an immigration system already the brink. cities along the border and further north say they're running out of space to shelter people. it's why secretary of state antony blinken made an emergency trip to mexico meeting with the country's president. morgan chev chesky joins me now.

what kind of consensus did the u.s. and mexico land on? >> reporter: well it was a closed-door meeting. and so while we don't know the specifics of what the positive outcomes are as a result of this sitdown between secretary of state blinken and mexico's president we have an idea to at least some of the topics broached by these two leaders. ongoing migrant crisis. among those include the u.s. committing to repatriate more migrants and mexico promising to crack down more on the smugglers who take advantage of so many men, women and children making that far journey from far southern mexico to those border locations. often very remote at the both, at the expense of both personal and financial expense of the migrants there. those were just some of the things discussed in that

meeting. interesting to see what comes in the next weeks and months following this record-breaking week, where we saw 12,000 migrants illegally cross the u.s.-mexico border last week prior to christmas. regarding that migrant caravan you mentioned, we've heard conflicting numbers. we know earlier this week organizers of that caravan seen near guatemala had swelled to about 8,000 people. since then heard from both the mexican president and u.s. federal officials. mexican president saying that group dwindled to about 1,600. federal officials the number is closer to 3,000. either way, take that to assume that it is definitely dropped significantly within the last week or so. chesky. thanks. beginsy rose blanchard released from prison after

serving seven years of a ten-year sentence for murder of her mother. it was turned into a hulu series starring patricia arquette. a lot of twists and turns in this story. can you help us back up and remember what this case is all about? >> reporter: yes. gypsy rose blanchard accused and ultimately convicted in a murder plot along with her then boyfriend back in 2015 for the stabbing death of her mother. her mother, going on for years, claudine "dee dee" blanchard accused of suffering from mental illness, also a form of child abuse, in which she was allegedly forcing her daughter gypsy to, for years, use a wheelchair, eat through a feeding tube, take seizure medication that destroyed her teeth. shaved her head so it looked

like she is leukemia. doing all kinds of things, putting her through surgeries all for medical conditions she did not suffer from. this is something clearly quite disturbing that got a lot of attention and continues to be at the center of a media frenzy. on the eve of her release today, blanchard did an exclusive interview with "people" magazine. here's part of what they shared. >> i'm ready to expand and i they goes for every facet of my life. no one will ever hear me say i'm proud of what i did or i'm glad that she's dead. i'm not proud of what i did. i regret it every single day. so that is gypsy rose blanchard on the eve of her release. again, now released from custody in missouri. so after spending years behind bars and years before that as an alleged victim of her mother, she is now finally walking free. again, walking back into a media frenzy she's been at the center of for years between documentaries and dramatized

series as well, and we continue to wait to see if she will speak out more. we reached out for comment but not yet heard back. >> a case that truly captured the nation's attention. pretty significant day. jesse kirsch, thanks. and crewed demolished the home where four idaho college students were murdered. why the victims' families wanted to keep that from happening. don't go anywhere. you're watching "nbc news daily."

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hi, everyone. this is "the fast forward." i'm janelle wang. we are tracking big waves and rain this afternoon. the impact is triggering some evacuations. marin county is issuing evacuation orders for areas near stinson beach due to high surf and storm surge. the areas are -- a temporary evacuation site is set up at the community center. the strong waves made things dangerous in pacifica.

ginger conejero saab reports. >> reporter: it's not hard to see why people would be concerned about someone in the water with these conditions. take a look at what we have been seeing pretty much all morning. the nws saying these conditions, the high surf, can be deadly. stay off rocks and jetties, stay out of and away from the water. officials also reminding people, beachgoers, not to turn their backs to the water. around two hours ago, as mentioned, there was a scare out here when someone called in to report a surfer possibly in distress. the north coast fire authority responded and the coast guard was called in as well. fortunately, the surfer and another surfer who was not as far out made it back safely to shore. the north coast fire authority telling us, this serves as the perfect reminder to leave the surfing to the experienced or the professionals with these conditions. professional surfers and people

wanting to watch are here. we caught up with some of them before they made it out to the water this morning. >> we are down here. we have guys from france who flew in to film with hbo for the 100-foot wave series, surf mavericks, huge swell. >> biggest swell of the year. it was a dream for when i was a kid to surf in mavericks. >> reporter: there was action at the pier. waves broke over the seawall, the water towering over and crashing sometimes even across the street close to people's homes. when we were talking to the north coast fire authority, he was also saying that it's very important for people not to turn their back on the water. even if it looks like the water

is further out, you never know if there's going to be a big wave that will actually make its way all the way to shore and carry something or someone out. really stay safe and be careful on these days. ginger conejero saab, nbc bay area news. >> a good reminder. thank you. here are other stories. the holiday travel rush is on at airports in the bay area. a power outage in marin county. a court appearance for the owners of a south bay daycare where two toddlers drowned. it happened in san jose at happy happy home daycare in october. two toddlers died. the owners are facing felony child endangerment charges. the pool was fenced off. one of the owners left a gate, a door gate propped open to water plants. both owners are expected in court for the arraignment. nearly 100 people are without power in fairfax after a tree fell on a power line.

this is video of the aftermath. the roads are expected to open up later tonight. pg&e estimates it will restore power by 9:00 p.m. meteorologist kari hall is tracking it all. >> we have already had quite a bit of rain moving through parts of the bay area. now we are just seeing lingering showers. the next storm system is off the coast. that will be set to arrive by tomorrow. we are getting sunshine today. temperatures warmer in parts of the east bay as well as the south bay. upper 60s for this afternoon with low 60s in the north bay. we will have a mild day tomorrow. for some of us, it's going to be mostly cloudy and a chance of rain in the forecast that will continue. as we look at our forecast, not a lot of rain. most will be fairly light, then the heavier rain will arrive tomorrow evening and continuing into saturday.

we do have more storms ahead. we will look at that coming up in our seven-day forecast in 30 minutes. >> thanks. that does it for "the fast that does it for "the fast liberty mutual customized my car insurance and i saved hundreds. with the money i saved, i started a dog walking business. oh. [dog barks] no it's just a bunny! only pay for what you need. ♪liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty.♪ are you tired of clean clothes that just don't smell clean? downy unstoppables in wash scent booster keep your laundry smelling fresh way longer than detergent alone. get 6x longer-lasting freshness plus odor production with downy unstopables. try for under $5. depend keeps you drier than ever... so you can say yes to more than ever.

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missouri ozark mountains in 2015. people looking into the case with a team. via drone happened upon something in a pond where irwin was last seen. turned out to be irwin's vehicle containing his remains. he's happy to bring closure to irwin's family. republican candidate nikki haley facing serious heat over a recent comment made about the civil war. at a town hall in new hampshire the former south carolina governor asked about the cause of the civil war. this is how she responded. >> i think the cause of the civil war was basically how government was going to run. the freedoms and what people could and couldn't do. >> haley made no mention of slavery and when asked to clarify today haley said "of course the civil war was about slavery" added also about "individual and economic freedom." wouldn't you like to start 2024 with a few extra $1 hrn million in the bank? no one won last night's powerball drawing means the jackpot ballooning to estimated $760 million with an m dollars. the six largest jackpot in

powerball history. the next drawing, folks, is saturday. which is the last day for 2023. and the home from would your university of idaho students were murdered has been demolished. crews tore the house down despite objections from the victims' families. the owner donated it to the university earlier this year. prosecutors want the trial to start in the summer. dana griffin joins me now, our correspondent. what are the victims' family saying now that demolition is done and remind us why they did not want the house torn down? >> reporter: zinhle, we reached out to families now that the house is demolished and we're waiting to hear back. the main reason, they want the jury to go in if they had questions during the upcoming trial to kind of leave no stone unturned. bus prosecutors have said they've gotten everything they

want from the house, 3d renderings. and even if the jury wanted to go tos hout because of the state's code they wouldn't be authorized. where could kohberger look inside that home if parked outside and what could the roommates see from different vantage points in a statement released to nbc news. part of that statement reads in part, we all along have just wanted the king road home to not be demolished until after the trial. for us to have a trial date so we can look forward to justice being served. is that really too much to ask? obviously the school decided to move forward with it, and we are still waiting for a judge to set a trial date. we know the state requested a six-week summer trial and we're waiting to find out if that will happen. >> dana, what are the plans now for that space? once the first home was demolished? >> reporter: the loot will sit

vacant until we decide what to do with it. there is a memorial built on campus to honor the four victims, but as you can see, that home is flattened and a lot of debris already moved out, and maybe it will be a comfort spot for people to come and pay respects to those victims, but some students that nbc talked to on campus say they're kind of relieved that it's gone, because it's a reminder of the pain that happened inside that home, as this is part of their way to heal. zinhle? >> obviously, that healing comes in time. thank you. turn now to today's consumer confidential. good news for potential car buyers in 2024. experts predict the market will be revving up in the new year with shoppers back in the driver's seat. "nbc news daily" reporter vicky nguyen explains. >> reporter: in 2023 buying a car was no easy ride. supply shortages, record-high prices and low inventory left many consumers with few options.

>> three dealerships that we thought we could work with in our area and one of three had a van on the lot for us to look at. >> reporter: andrea smith, mom of four in upstate new york, purchased this minivan over the summer, but says it wasn't easy. >> we felt pressured to make a purchase right away, because there were so limited options, and we didn't want to wait a couple months or three, four months for one to come on the lot. >> reporter: then, sticker shock. >> the price we ended up paying a third of the price what we purchased our home for. >> reporter: but in 2024 a possible silver lining. >> what is 2024 going to look like? >> 2024 will look a lot more normal to the average shopper. >> reporter: this is executive editor of kelley blue book with factories coming back at full production, he says, inventory has been recovering. while still below pre-pandemic levels boost in availability means more options on the lot. >> in 2024 there's an abundance of both new and used cars.

so customers should be able to find what they want for a reasonable price. >> reporter: in november, price of new and used cars reduced slightly from 2022. new cars averaging $47,000 and used cars at 26 grand. consumers will see the biggest savings thanks to increased incentives offered by automakers. these perks are up 136% in december compared to 2022. >> what are some of those incentives we've forgotten about because it's been so long since we saw them? >> always look for the low apr. low interest rate. the most bang for your buck. we see cash back and some subsidized leases meaning may be little down payment and low monthly payment for a car that might work for you. >> reporter: when shopping compare prices and inventories both online and in-person at the dealership and know your credit score, which say which you qualify for, and consider insurance rates calculating the

price. for a used car check the vehicle's history report and get an independent mechanical inspection especially if it's sold as-is. >> you're not going to get the best deals on big, full-size truck-based suvs. everybody wants those. if you really want a deal look for a sedan and hatchbacks. cars like the toyota corolla or honda accord. >> reporter: if you're thinking of making the switch to electric, there's good news. brands tesla and nissan offering discounts. states also offer additional discounts. >> the lesson if you always wanted an electric car but too expensive, this is the time to re-assess that and go back and look. >> reporter: vicky nguyen, nbc news. >> 15 years ago today president richard nixon signed the endangered species act credited with saving many animals from the brink of extinction. no other than the bald eagle. visiting one wildlife sanctuary to see how the national enthem has fared.

>> reporter: whether up close or personal or from a distance dancing across the sunrise, a glimpse of bald eagles never ceases to amaze. especially this presidential pair with an irresistible love story. >> amazing to see bald eagles flying over the nation's capitol every day. >> reporter: tuckedness the capitol aptly name mr. president and lotus, even laid an egg on valentine's day last year. >> they fly together. hunt together, and hopefully raise more chicks together here. >> reporter: decades ago sightings like this were nearly impossible. in the early '60s less than 1,000 bald eagles in the lower 48. since then the bird population soared to more than 300,000, and america's bald eagles are no longer considered endangered. >> iconic white head against the dark body. >> reporter: remarkable comeback at the wildlife refuge in

maryland. home to the largest breeding area north of florida. >> does it ever get old? >> nerve does. always have to stop and watch. >> reporter: as we did. >> we can't forget hour successriological the recovery successful it was. >> reporter: and banning of insecticide that contaminated eagles food and passage of the food safety act 50 years ago protecting plants and animals and their habitats. >> a small handful of species have gone extinct. no turning back when it reaches that point. >> every time you reach a species what in the dna of that species maybe could have helped cure some disease? >> what can our country do better to bring more of those names off the list? >> i think it's preventive work we can shift towards.

>> reporter: clashes in congress over some species listed as restricted but everyone can agree on the endangered species act overall mission. the growth of the alligator, falcon and grizzly populations is a sign of hope. >> when we give nature a chance, it has the ability to heal itself. >> reporter: as luck would have it -- >> there he is! >> wow! >> reporter: two bald eagles even graced our interview. >> how lucky are we? >> so lucky. >> reporter: emily ikeda, nbc news. >> love that story. thanks. speaking of love, we could all use puppy love every now and then. right? one teacher believes in the power of man's best friend so much she's bringing them sbool her classroom. peter alexander found out it's having a positive impact on her students.

[ laughter ] >> reporter: it's not exactly your normal school greeting but at this elementary school in delaware it's just the way brooke has for first graders lives. after fostering several puppies during the pandemic a light bulb went off. >> what did you school say when you said, i have an idea. i want to bring puppies to the classroom? >> right. a lot of questions, but they said, after i kept telling them all the research, how puppies and dogs can increase productivity and mental health, they said, all right. one day. >> reporter: that one day turned into the rest of the school year. the beginning of foster-tailed puppy therapy. a program hughes created she says has changed how her students learn. >> we've seen a benefit in reading scores, because if they have puppy time, puppies are asleep, you have to read to them. reading confidence soared. and -- kids are, like, hesitant to pick up a book and read. they couldn't wait to read to

the puppies. >> reporter: these days these first grader classmates include a pair of 8-week-old husky pit bulls, kelsey and graham, a tribute to the favorite philadelphia eagles players not far away. hughes brings kelsey and graham home every night but during the day they taught these kids to do more than cuddle and play. >> emphasis each other and patience with each other. i've seen that being a huge growth since before we had these puppies. every morning they have to do a check-in. how are you feeling today? this year almost every day, excited and how are you feeling? excited to come to school see the puppy and to see you. >> as a teacher, you can't ask for more than that. >> you can't. learning is fun and the rest. >> reporter: it's coming quick. just look at the posters made. >> can you read it for me? >> okay. adopt a dog, because they are playful and they like to chew

and they like naps. >> they do like naps. >> reporter: puppies in the classroom before finding their forever home. >> lincoln, why do you want the puppies to be adopted? >> so they can find a home. >> reporter: this picture of puppies and kids bonding went viral, with nearly 3 million views. >> people lost their tiktok minds! >> yeah. i had no idea. >> why do you think it resonated? >> i think seeing the joy that the kids had, and -- they fell in love with reading, of course. >> reporter: that puppy love helped all of her students including logan, mostly non-verbal, and uses this device to communicate. >> i like to read to chelsea. >> came out of his shell. >> came out of his shell and also taught us that he knows more than we knew.

he was reading above grade level books to the puppies. >> good dog. >> good job! >> reporter: it's not just the kids that benefit but the puppies, too. >> if they weren't here they would be in a cage most of the day at the shelter. and here they're being socialized, learning all kinds of different sights and sounds and smells. >> socialization for the puppies -- >> oh, yeah. >> -- learning for the kids -- >> yep. >> and who wouldn't want to learn like this? >> it's hard not to the love adorable puppies. right? are you adorable? adorable. >> oh! oh, a french one. ooh! [ laughter ] >> love that. peter alexander, thank you. coming up, who runs the world? girls. how 2023 became, you guessed it. the year of the woman. time for today's "daily snapshot." a sculpture made of snow and ice. 33rd snow expo in northeastern china. the expo is largest of its kind

and draws crowds from around the

my name is caron and i'm from brooklyn. i work for the city of new york as a police administrator. i oversee approximately 20 people and my memory just has to be sharp. i always hear people say, you know, when you get older, you know, people lose memory. i didn't want to be that person. i decided to give prevagen a try. my memory became much sharper. i remembered more! i've been taking prevagen for four years now. prevagen. at stores everywhere without a prescription. 2023 has ban remarkable year for women. our christine romans looks back. >> reporter: women were absolutely on fire this year. whether you want to call it the

she-conomy or "barbie" corps, undeniable. global phenomenons pluscontribuf billions of dollars. ♪ who won the world ♪ >> no questions asked. in 2023 women are returning the economy. >> hi, barbie. >> to a blockbuster success from not one but two major stadium tours. female touring artists drove 72% of overall sales at stubhub and swift "eras tour" biggest in stubhub history. taylor and queen bey pumps billions. the number one movie -- >> hi, barbie! >> hi, ken! >> reporter: "barbie" grossing $1.4 billion worldwide. >> beyonce, taylor swift and "barbie" may have saved the economy in q3. >> and infiltrating the nfl.

new-found love with travis kelce increasing ticket prices for some games 4%. ♪ diamonds ♪ >> it wasn't just mega stars. women workforce participation over 77% of women in prime working years looking for or finding employment. >> while everyone was going to concerts they were also doing a lot of work especially women. >> reporter: notable gains but still make 20% less than men for the very same jobs. and women of color remain underrepresented. >> i want to take a victory lap but you often caution about the hurdles that can keep women from full participation? >> in closing that big gap, hoping along with other things that inhibit women like child care costs, melted costs, having to be that person for their family, looking both after

children and working. >> no question, women are eager to take their shot. female entrepreneurs receiving $5 billion in loans. 59% higher than 2020. >> opportunity in the workforce have gotten wider. women have been a beneficiary of high demand in the workplace. women's progress can't be taken for granted. it has to be nurtured. >> reporter: one shiny success at a time. ♪ make the whole ♪ >> another bright spot for working women studies show representation in senior leadership positions currently at its highest rate ever at 28%. back to summer concert back to summer concert craze, guinness [music playing] subject 1: cancer is a long journey. it's overwhelming, but you just have to put your mind to it and fight. subject 2: it doesn't feel good because you can't play outside with other children. subject 3: as a parent, it is your job

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it makes all the difference in the world. interviewer: when you call or go online with your credit or debit card right now, we'll send you this st. jude t-shirt. you can wear to show your support to help st. jude save the lives of these children. subject 6: st. jude is hope. even today after losing a child, it's still about the hope of tomorrow, because. childhood cancer has to end. interviewer: please, call or go online right now. [music playing] we used to struggle with greasy messes. now, we just freak, wipe, and we're done! with mr. clean clean freak, conquering messes is that easy. clean freak's mist is three times more powerful, and it works on contact. clean freak, just freak, wipe, done.

this is "the fast forward." i'm janelle wang. we are tracking dangerous conditions at the coastline. there are coastal advisories in place in santa cruz county because of the high surf and flooding. here is tom jensen. >> reporter: high surf pounded the community once again today. this is bringing back memories when businesses were damaged and the downtown was flooded and the historic wharf was ripped in half. waves today are crashing against

the wharf with heavy equipment on top of it. workers have been trying to clear a path to get the pier off of the wharf. trying to move it. maybe they have given up for a short time. don't know if they will continue to do the work. at 10:00 a.m., the santa cruz county sheriff's department issued an evacuation order for the dunes area. no evacuation orders here. police here and city workers from public works have been clearing the streets since early this morning. you can see a lot of vehicles are stuck in the water here. people are actually stuck in their apartments in some buildings we have heard and not able to get out. they are just waiting for the water to drop. the focus right now is on the storm system here in the streets as they try to get those storm drains opened up and get the water to drop. it came up so fast today.

then also, on the wharf, where the waves are crashing against it and they are hoping that a lot of the work that has been done over the last several workweeks to restore the piers, the entire wharf area is not undone. >> fingers crossed. thank you. let's check in with kari hall now for a look at our forecast this week. >> we are going to be mostly cloudy today. the big waves along the coastline will definitely be keeping a lot of people away from those areas. then we get back to the rain in the forecast for tomorrow with a new storm system arriving during the afternoon to the evening. the rain continues at least into early saturday. sunday at this point is looking dry. our temperatures will be cool as we wrap up the year. going into next week, we will be watching more rain coming in on wednesday and thursday. we will also see some off and on rain in the forecast for the next few days. for san francisco, the high surf

warning continues. on saturday, watching out for a slight chance of thunderstorms. otherwise, we will see w weather etin

today is the third day of kwanzaa. celebrations continue. the village project is holding a candle lighting service at 2:00 this afternoon. later tonight, catch a performance by the mary jane girl at the bay view operahouse. bart installed any gates at the oakland station. it posted photos. they are more than seven feet ball with transparent doors. the change is a part of bart's $90 million project to replace all of its gates by 2025 to try to stop the fare evaders. we will watch our weather in the newscast all day today. more live team coverage from san mateo county where waves are high. a look down at santa cruz county where an evacuation warning has been issued due to flooding and

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i'm craig melvin. and this is dateline daytime on nbc. reagan: i couldn't believe it. the first thing out of my mouth was there's no way he did this. there's no way. they have the wrong guy. craig melvin (voiceover): her mother was nearly killed by a bomb. connie hoagland: i remember coming out to the truck, put in the key and then kaboom. and the police told me this bomb was meant for you.