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thanks for being here. i'm stephen romo in for yasmin today. it's a busy final day of 2023. just hours before the ball drops, the security is tight in new york's times square. celebrations are set to get underway, despite the heightened threat environment, following the october 7th attack on israel. we are live on the scene with the latest. of course, in many parts of the world, it is already 2024. we will show you the sights and sounds and the hopes so many have for the new year. meanwhile, tensions are high across the red sea at this hour, as the u.s. navy sinks three houthi boats and downed ballistic missiles fired from houthi controlled areas. we will have more on that. legal action in donald trump's world is not stopping. we will reveal that question special counsel jack smith has for an appeals court that took

more than 80 pages to ask. and we begin this hour with a countdown to the new year. up to 1 million people are flocking to times square to witness new york's wor famous ball drop. this year, local law enforcement on high alert, giving days of nonstop protests over the war in gaza. earlier this month, the fbi warned that the war could push lone actors to commit acts of violence at large public gatherings. but with no known direct threats, new york city is carrying on with its celebrations as usual. and those who have come to see that ball drop, well, they say they're not worried. >> they said this is the safest place to be. >> the security inside, we've never really seen anything like this before. >> i do safe as secure around here. >> this crowd, i don't feel intimidated. i don't worry about my safety. i feel pretty relaxed. everything looks to be looking

moving smoothly. everybody is having a good time. i feel safe, yeah. >> nbc's antonio hilton joins me now from times square for more on this. what are the security measures like out there as the city gets ready for tonight celebrations and time is ticking down? >> reporter: steven, i can tell you that right now, the nypd is actually in the process of moving everyone from six to seventh avenue and broadway over to eighth avenue because everyone here wants to take part in the celebrations, and they have to go to a security checkpoint. there are thousands of officers both in uniform and in plain clothes here. there are canine dogs, drones, helicopters, boats on the water. and a huge effort on public transportation to be winding people, because of the concern that there could be protests or tensions in connection to all of the war related activities and protests that we have seen in recent months. also, there is a possibility of lone actors, connected or not

connected to the conflict in the middle east. i mean, last year, and then drove from maine here to new york city on new year's eve and attacked three police officers in a random attack. so, it's that kind of thing that it is really difficult for officers, you know, to prepare for. they have all kinds of counter intelligence of course. but they also have to strictly control movement from block to block. and that's what we are seeing right now, as several musicians are warming up behind me, getting ready for tonight's show, the big emphasis for the nypd right now is making sure everyone who is gathered, every family that's hanging out, they got their blankets and sweaters, that they are safe and going through security. >> and, antonia, on the discussion of the possibility of seeing these protests, we've heard discussions about pro palestinian protests in particular that could be planned in the city. is there any concern that that could interfere with the celebration in times square? >> reporter: there is some concern about that. the mayor has and recent days repeated that he thinks it's highly likely there will be some kind of action. what that looks like?

we don't totally know. and what i can tell you is that it's very unlikely to be able to be a large march going through times square because the nypd has control from block to block. i mean, even kind of coordinating people off on the signs of each street, and creating these small groups of revelers, much more manageable for them to check in with people, to walk dogs through. and so, it's not going to be easy for any group to walk in any part of the city. and just, you know, especially times square, this is under tight, tight control, even more than usual. so, what that actually might look like remains to be seen. but the goal from the and ypg is to try to stop it if there's any before it reaches the zone. there is a security perimeter that stretches for several avenues. and so it's gonna be incredibly challenging for any group of any cause to get through in large numbers. stephen? >> i can attest it's difficult for an individual to make it

anywhere through mid town right now. all right, antonia, thanks so much for that reporting. time now for a little bit of time travel. we're gonna see how the rest of the world is ringing in the new year. nbc news correspondent megan fitzgerald joining us now from london. it's already 2024 in lots of different places. can you tell us about the other celebrations, the other festivities we are seeing overseas? >> reporter: yes, steven, absolutely right. several countries have already brought in the new year as the united states and london, still counting down until midnight. but, you know, things feel a bit different this year. i can tell you several law enforcement agencies across europe, they are on this heightened state of alert. counter intelligence experts are concerned, just as antonia as mentioned, that the israel-hamas war could reignite extremist attacks across europe and the west. there are concerns that there could be attacks inspired by but not directed by hamas. so, let's start in france, for example, where they have deployed some 90,000 law enforcement officers. 1.5 million people are expected

to celebrate along the champs-élysées. the french interior minister says from 6000 police officers will be in paris tonight, citing, again, a very high terrorist threat. again, because of what's happening in the israel-hamas war. in germany, a similar situation. berlin is gearing up for what they are calling its biggest police operation in decades. the streets of the capitol are expected to see twice as many officers as last year, some 3500 police officers will be out in force, as we mentioned, as countries around the world have already brought in that new year. you can certainly say that countries across europe are on edge as we inch closer to midnight. stephen? >> exciting stuff. we will see most fireworks already, it's a whole brand new year. and it's honestly, very quickly -- megan fitzgerald, thank you so much. turning w the increased tensions in the mile east. the u.s. military retaliating against an iran-backed militant group after a series of attacks on commercial ships in the red

sea. this morning, the u.s. navy exchanged fire with houthi rebels sinking three of the militant groups small boats. joining me now from the u.s. virgin islands, nbc news correspondent erin gilchrist, who's traveling with the president. erin, what is the biden administration saying about these attacks? >> reporter: stephen, the white house tells us that president biden was briefed here on st. croix, this morning, about this incident, that really represents an escalation in the activities of these houthi rebels in the red sea. up until this point, we had heard about attack drones being launched from houthi controlled parts of yemen, as well as missiles. this is the first time, though, we've seen an incident of this nature where both approached a commercial ship, and there was an exchange of gunfire between the rebels and the security forces on board that ship before these houthis tried to board the ship, the u.s. navy responded to a distress call with helicopters coming into the area. and those rebels fired at those helicopters.

of course, the helicopters returned fire, sank three of those boats, and killed the rebels on board. the national security council spokesperson john kirby was asked about this incident this morning on abc news. i want to tear a bit of what he said about the incident today. >> we don't seek a conflict, wider in the region. we're certainly not looking for a conflict with the houthis. the best outcome here would be for the houthis to stop these attacks. and as we made clear, over and over again, we have formed an international coalition now of more than 20 nations in an operation called prosperity guardian. it ships aircraft from countries around the world, doing what we have to do to protect commercial shipping. it's one of the most important, most vital commercial waterways in the world. and we have an obligation where our allies and partners keeping the flow of commerce moving there. the houthis should stop these attacks. >> reporter: by our count, this is the 24thttk by houthi rebels on these international shipping lanes in the red sea

since november 19th. and you heard admiral kirby there talk about the fact that this could be a major issue economically. we know that the owners of the ship that was attacked today and yesterday, as a matter of fact, stephen, they have decided a 24-hour pause is appropriate now. you're not going to use ships going through the red sea for 24 -- 48 hours, i should say, as they did earlier this month. and that's a concern that these different nations don't want to see other companies do the same thing, and really clogged up shipping around the world. stephen? >> more reasons to be concerned about that region. aaron gilchrist, thanks so much. coming up later this hour, retired four star general mccaffrey joins me with his reaction today attacks in the red sea. his concerns about the war expanding and much more. meanwhile, coming up in 60 seconds, special counsel jack smith is urging an appeals court to reject the former president's claims of presidential immunity in his federal election interference case. the details of that, more than

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after indicting donald trump into cases in 2023, special counsel jack smith is now trying to make sure the former president stands trial in 2024. smith is urging an appeals court to reject trump's claim of presidential immunity in his federal election interference case. in an 80 page filing, smith rejects trump's claim that he was acting in his official presidential capacity when he allegedly conspired to overturn the 2020 election. writing, quote, separation of powers principles, constitutional text, history, and precedent all make clear that a former president may be prosecuted for criminal acts he committed while in office, including most critically here, illegal acts to remain in power, despite losing an election. joining me now is harry litman, former u.s. attorney, former deputy assistant attorney general, and a current legal affairs columnist for the

l.a. times. harry, thanks for being here. what do you think of the argument here in jack smith's filing? >> it's quite strong, stephen. it starts with the principal, no person is above the law. there are a couple of little situations when a private person suzette president for something she or he did in office, where you get a little bit of play in the joints. and jackson it is saying here, our criminal prosecution is much more important than that. so you should get none. but even if you got the same play in the joints, that will mean, there will be immunity for official acts. this is way outside official acts, trying to overturn an election, something that's more unofficial than that. , something thi think it's a veg filing and he is likely to prevail. and they are going in very, very fast motion here, the court of appeals. they are going to hear an oral argument on this case a week from tuesday, trump has a

little filing to do first. so, they are moving at a sort of warp speed for the court of appeals. >> it's important to remember here, the appeals court is hearing this case because the supreme court rejected jack smith requests for the high court to go and hear the case right away. do you expect this will still end up in front of the supreme court? >> i do, and not even eventually. i think the reason they rejected it for now is they knew the court of appeals was moving and moving very quickly. but i think as soon as the court of appeals issues an opinion, maybe around martin luther king day, the court will be again asked to do it, and do it quickly, and more likely than not it well. >> and martin luther king day, okay, i was gonna ask you when you thought that will be. sort of difficult to read the tea leaves for those schedules. but is that really the timeline we are sticking with? >> i think so because they are going to hear this argument on the 9th of january. now, a week from hearing an argument or an opinion, normally, it would be just breathtaking speed.

but that's the speed that they are now doing and that they've done in other instances when they are looking to go in to overdrive. i think they're probably already writing. i think if, around the 15th, 16th to issue an opinion, somebody will move very quickly to make it happen. now, there is a little bit of a wild card here, which is that trump, who's likely to be the loser, may not move quickly. but there are others who may, and in any event, i think the court is not going to wait the normal 90 days. and in fact, the court of appeals may even put in its decision that you only have, say, 14 days until you have to move. otherwise, there is no stay, and the order about no immunity that we are giving, you know, it now applies. that's the way to put some pressure on him. so, i would say around mid january, to ask the court around the end of january.

the court accepts with an expedited schedule would be my best guest. and that's a very, very fast timeline for the court of appeals and supreme court. >> there's likely even more business before the supreme court to decide if trump's name can appear on some state ballots, maine, colorado have both decided trump cannot appear on their primary ballots because of his actions leading up to and on january 6th. and colorado, it was the states supreme court that together made that decision, while in maine, it was just the secretary of state. different mechanics and how they actually made these decisions. can you talk to us about the differences and what can they mean moving forward? >> sure. i think the fact of the differences, stephen, it's what matters the most. from the supreme court's point of view, and by the way, i like that immunity case. i think they really need this one like a hole in the head, whichever way they seem to put their thumb on, one side or the other of the scale. the fact that there is now two, or more, although i should note that the maine case still has to wind its way through the

maine courts. for the supreme court, oh, man, they're gonna say, if we don't have some constitutional federal constitutional principle that covers every state, we can have this patchwork affect where he is on the ballot in some states not in others. i don't think there's a constitutional principle against that. but i think the supreme court will be loathed to endorse it. so, the possible options there are not so easy. i think this is totally new, coming at him like a freight train and a major, major headache. i agree, this one is also coming, and soon, to the supreme court. >> time is ticking down to the primaries. we will see how it shapes up. harry litman, thank you so much for your time today. >> thanks, stephen, happy new year. still ahead, we continue to keep our eye on new years celebrations around the world. this is downtown bangkok, thailand, ringing in the new year just a few hours ago. plus, as cities prepare for an increased number of migrants,

texas is facing a possible lawsuit if it implements a new state immigration enforcement law. more on that. first, and we see gary grant back looks at how democrats in areas affected by republican redistricting are gearing up to lose, but make sure voters still have a choice. we'll be back. >> they drew the district lines to ensure that they can maintain as much political power as possible with as little competition as possible. >> with the odds against her, she is running with the slogan, clear eyes, full hearts, can't win. ♪ ♪ ♪ 50 days!? and its refill reminder light means i'll never miss a day of freshness. ♪ (son) dad. you ok? (dad)eans i'll never miss it's our phone bill!ness. we pay for things that we don't need! bloated bundles, the reckless spending! no more... (mom) that's a bit dramatic... a better plan is verizon. it starts at 25 dollars a line. (dad) did you say 25 dollars a line? (sister) and save big on things we love, like netflix and max! (dad) oh, that's awesome

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grumbach. and, gary, joining me now, a fascinating look here at how this is not about just candidates or issues, but it's also about the voting districts as well. >> reporter: that's right, steven. north carolina drew district lines approved by the state supreme court back in october, which have led to congressional retirements, long shot candidates, and federal lawsuits in the months since. i took a trip this week to davidson, north carolina, to hear about the impact myself. >> reporter: kate barr is a mom, a behavioral scientist, and a loser in politics. >> we are super excited to run for senate district 37 in north carolina to be the senator for this district, but also that i will actually not when it. >> reporter: barr, a democrat who lives in davidson, north carolina, decided to run for state senate, after seeing the impacts of republican gerrymandering on her hometown. the previously safe blue district is now likely to be controlled by republicans. >> they drew the district lines to ensure that they could maintain as much political

power as possible with as little competition as possible. >> reporter: with the odds against her, barr is running with the slogan, clear eyes, full heart, can't win. >> voters deserve a choice. we have been gerrymandered out of having a choice about who can represent us. but we still need to have two names on the ballot. otherwise, when you show up to vote, all you have is one person. >> reporter: she is running an unusual campaign. >> you're not asking anybody to donate? >> no. >> you don't want their money? >> no. if you send me your money, i can spend it on something, sure. but i also will donate it to campaigns where people can win. i don't need the money. the whole point of this is to get the message out, that voters deserve a choice, and competition is the route for democracy. >> reporter: a republican opponent, incumbent state senator vicky sawyer, telling nbc news in a statement, shifting the blame to the so-called gerrymandered districts is just another attempt to divert the public's attention away from the problem within the democratic party

connecting to communities outside of big cities. doctor michael bits or, an author of progressive politics, says he's not shocked with district 37. >> it's certainly one of the most advantaged republican maps that we've seen in some time. >> reporter: bitzer says it's an example of why elections matter at every level. >> it's indeed to the victor goes the spoils, and the opportunity to draw these districts based on where people have already sorted themselves is very much within the game play of, we want our, we want to control political power, this is the best way to do it. >> reporter: but a federal lawsuit filed by the north carolina naacp this month alleges not just parts of gerrymandering are going on across the state, but racial gerrymandering too. >> people are losing their vote because they are black. in this state, it's nothing new. some people within this country

would not wish to recognize and validate the black vote to be what it is. >> reporter: but lawsuit alleges that republican controlled legislature redrew the district, quote, for the very purpose of diluting and diminishing the voting power of north carolina black voters. this lawsuit will impact the maps in the 2024 election. the north carolina naacp argues them up should be redrawn ahead of the 2026 midterms. nbc news has reached out to that republican state lawmakers named in this lawsuit and have not heard back. back in davidson, barr says this whole experience has been a learning opportunity for her children. >> to see what it's like to show up and work hard, and do something purely for the principle of the thing. >> so, what if you win, kate? >> i love that hypothetical oh so much. and i certainly wish that i could represent this district. it won't happen. >> some unusual dynamics in

play here, gary. and he told us now how north carolina's gerrymandered district, how they're expected to affect state races next year. but what can we expect from the congressional races? >> reporter: there are 14 congressional district in north carolina. right now, it's split, seven republicans, seven democrats. but because of this redrawing in lines, the three of the seven democrats have already said they are not going to be running for reelection, as jeff jackson, wiley nickel, and kathy manning. two of them had said they're trying to go for other officers because they still want to represent people, but just not within these newly drawn lines. stephen? >> gary grumbach, thank you so much, fascinating stuff. coming up, more reaction to the exchange of fire along the red sea trade route between the u.s. helicopters and into houthi both. plus, during international calls for an end to the war between israel and hamas, israel's prime minister, netanyahu, warning just how long that fighting may continue. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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needed aid. ships would arrive through a proposed corridor from cypress. joining me now from tel aviv, and with the news foreign correspondent josh lederman with more. josh, netanyahu told reporters today that the war is now, quote, at its height. we are do things stand with israel's goal to eliminate hamas as netanyahu is warning that this war will continue for a long time now? >> reporter: right now, the focus of israel's military campaign has really been in central and southern gaza, with additional airstrikes just in the last few hours targeting that area. and israel says that while it obviously wants to resolve this conflict as soon as possible, it's just not there yet. prime minister netanyahu telling the israeli public international address that the idf needs more time to accomplish that goal of eliminating hamas. so, this is going to continue for many months according to the prime minister. at the same time, israel is trying to make some adjustments to make this feasible for the israeli public going forward,

including starting to call back some of the reservists who have been a key part of this war. because when you think about it, there are some 300,000 people who have been called back into the reserves to fight in this war. those are all people who are not participating in the economy, not able to go to work, their normal jobs, not able to be there for their families. and so, we are seeing the government start to shift into a different phase of this war, that hopefully will rely less on these reservists, and at least, according to the u.s., hopefully will shift away from these large scale attacks that are killing so many palestinians, and more towards searchable targets, hamas targets. >> what about these aid ships? the effort to get them through, what do we know about that? >> reporter: yes, this is an effort to respond to what has been a real bottleneck and getting aid into the gaza strip at the quantities that humanitarian aid groups say are needed to address the crisis there. it started a couple of months ago with the rafah border

crossing. then, the kerem shalom crossing from israel into the gaza strip. and now, according to the foreign minister, israel is willing to allow ships to come to got a mediterranean sea coast with eight of those ships, coming initially from four european countries, including the united and the netherlands. they wouldn't stay in cypress where all that aid can be expected inspected, and then eventually brought to the gaza strip. steven, i think it's quite a ways away from that plan actually being put into place and that aid showing up on the shore because of how concerned israel is about inspecting and monitoring exactly what's going into the gaza strip. they don't want anything going in there that they feel could be diverted by hamas for military purposes. but this is a sign that israel not only understands the growing global pressure to allow more aid into the gaza strip, but is entertaining new ways to get that accomplished as we head into the new year. stephen? >> as you are speaking, josh, we saw images from rafah, the desperation, how badly that aid is needed. josh lederman, thanks so much

for that reporting. now, let's bring in retired four star general barry mccaffrey. he is an msnbc military analyst. general mccaffrey, thanks for being here. what do you make of netanyahu's timeline now, speaking of the long game, it said it could be, quote, many more months. is that enough time to dismantle hamas? >> that was really an excellent update by josh on the situation on the ground. look, i think the israelis are running out of time. i will but we've got less than a month of high intensity combat left before getting some kind of a cease-fire, not just for the hundreds of hostages that are there, but because the economic burden on israel's intense. and it's not just fighting hamas. we have maintained a better part of three idf divisions in the north guarding against potential incursions by hezbollah, 100,000 fighters. so, israel is losing the

information war and will soon be incurring economic costs if they won't be able to sustain that. the real question, stephen, though, who governs gaza when the shooting stops? and except for one egyptian proposal, there seems to be little public discussion on what mechanism would work to govern gaza after the shooting stops. >> that egyptian proposal, a lot of people had high hopes for it. but it doesn't seem to be mongnywhere. general, i want toasabout the situation also in the red sea. another ar that's seen conflict, the u.s. navy exchanging fire with houthi rebels today. what do you make of that escalation and what does that tell us about the potential for this spilling over even further to a wider conflict? >> one of the greatest tasks of the biden administration, secretary tony blinken, secretary of state, and lloyd austin, secretary of defense,

have been trying to keep the war from escalating. no one will benefit from a regional high intensity conflict. most of this is being masterminded by around. they fund both hezbollah, hamas, the houthis. they are the immediate potential threat to the persian golf also. but when we look at the houthi attacks, the drones and the ballistic missiles, now small boats, helicopters to thwart sea shipping, they have been 24 somewhat attacks. now, we have to thank god the u.s. navy is thankfully in there with an international coalition. so far, the brits and the french, and they're starting to respond, it is still low level combat. but the potential for serious escalation over there, a third of the global container traffic comes through the suez canal. that's what's at stake. >> what is the motive?

why would they be attacking the red sea? are they just trying to disrupt trade, are they trying to hurt the economies of these countries that ty don't like? >> of course, what they say is they're only targeting israeli shipping or israeli associated shipping. most of it turns out to be nonsense. it's not clear whether it's yemeni incompetence that can't distinguish between commercial container traffic headed for europe through the canal, or israeli ships. but and that is their alleged public posture that they're supporting their brothers hamas against israel. the next step up, obviously, for the u.s. navy and potentially that air force to go after the firing sites, the source of this combat intrusion by the houthis. that may signal the opening of a much wider war. >> many people have been

feeling that since the beginning somehow. the united states is being pulled and even more. retired general barry mccaffrey, thank you so much for your insights today. >> you're welcome. after the break, how texas newest immigration enforcement law could complicate an already complicated border situation. i would speak to former housing secretary and former mayor of san antonio, julián castro, joining us next. first, here's a look at how taiwan rang in the new year earlier from the capital city. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> [speaking in a global language] happy new year!

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crossings at the southern border reached record numbers this year. in december alone, the border patrol encountered more than a quarter million migrants with agents arresting up to 10,000 people each day. as for the asylum seekers granted entry into the u.s., many of them are now stuck in legal limbo. and we start center at syracuse university found an unprecedented 3 million cases pending in immigration court. here is what one law school dean had to say about the backlog. >> we've had several asylum cases that i've had to go through five, six, seven classes of students. they have had to have multiple different lawyers over the course of the years because the

cases drag on for just that long. >> and sanctuary cities are getting migrants sent to them by the busload. in new york, the mayor has started housing migrant families in tent city at an airfield. meanwhile, the biden administration is turning to mexico for help, both in addressing the root causes for the migration, and for strengthening enforcement at the border. joining me now is former housing secretary julián castro. he is an msnbc political analyst, and former mayor of san antonio texas. secretary, thanks for joining us. are there any signs now that migration could slow in the new year? >> it's good to be with you, stephen. well, it does seem to be cyclical. look, we've seen these surges in democratic administrations, republican administrations. it does go up and down. of course, the numbers that we saw in 2023 were larger than we've seen in a very long time. the thing is, we live in a neighborhood in the united states.

and in that neighborhood, these central american countries, there is a tremendous amount of strife. people are leaving their home countries for a number of reasons, deep poverty, threats of violence, political reasons. and as long as that's true, there's always gonna be some level of a number of people who want to come and seek a better life in the united states. it's good that the biden administration is trying to address the root causes. i think ultimately, that is the most important work that can be done. people need to be able to find better safety and opportunity at home, instead of having to seek it in the united states. in the meantime, making sure that our system, our asylum system, has the resources that it needs to be able to process peoples asylum claims more quickly so that if they get asylum, they can start their new life here. but if not, they can get away more quickly. i think that is what needs to be accomplished. >> the backlog is rather breathtaking. turning now to your home state

and my home state, the state of texas. they are facing a federal lawsuit for the new law that aims to allow texas to enforce border security. how could that fight further will complicate this already complicated situation at the border? >> stephen, this is a sort of a new old song. we've seen this kind of show me your paper's law in places like arizona before. the supreme court has said, and it said this to arizona in 2012, look, this authority of removal, this belongs to the federal government. the federal government has -- states do not have that. texas is determined to test that. governor greg abbott has said that if we get sued by the justice department four s, which is this show me your paper's law, and we're gonna take you to the supreme court. we will see what happens if the supreme court.

now, what has changed since 2012, the court has become a lot more conservative. it has upended decisions on abortion with dobbs and affirmative action with a harvard case most recently. could this be the next shoe to drop? to give states more leeway, more latitude, in what they can do on immigration enforcement. i hope that's not the case. but with a supreme court, you just can't tell. >> many people are trying to read those steely for what the court might do. i want to mention texas busing migrants to sanctuary cities like chicago and new york as well. but those cities have a new strategy. they are targeting the buses themselves, the arrival times for those buses. what do you make of that? could that end up helping or harming asylum seekers? >> well, this has turned into a tug of war. greg abbott, ron desantis, have cruelly sent over migrants without any coordination with places like chicago or new york or l.a.. they're sending them to those spaces. people are getting in the middle of the night, in the

cold, not having resources that charities can offer them. and so, these cities like chicago put their foot down and started finding but bus companies that were dropping folks off at hours in different locations. it's unfortunate that it's gotten to this. really what, needs to happen here is that there needs to be coordination. and governors like greg abbott should do this job and actually reach out to the mayors of chicago and new york and los angeles, because it's a political stunt that abbott and desantis and others have engaged in. and they should not be treating these migrants in this way. in the meantime, hopefully, the biden administration would be able to find greater resources for these cities, for these communities, so that they can better take care of these migrants and ensure that they are safe and they're treated humanely and compassionately when they get to these communities. >> and at the border itself, in order to free up more agents,

the u.s. border patrol, they have temporarily closed two of these railroad crossings in texas just for personal reasons. what would that mean for international trade? should that be a concern? >> that's a good point. most people, you know, when they see mexico in the news, and they think immigration, and obviously that is a huge issue, mexico and the united states on immigration. but every year, mexico is actually neck and neck with canada as our largest trading partner. there are billions of dollars at stake here. ensuring that every port of entry is open to commerce and that flow of goods, so that the united states and mexico economies can continue to thrive as much as possible, it's important. there are consequences to these ports of entry being closed. and i know that both sides are working to make sure that they're able to get that open as soon as possible, which is really the best interest of both countries. >> all right, secretary julián castro, thank you so much for your time today. >> thank you.

and coming up a little later in our next hour, i will speak to congressman and homeland security committee member robert garcia about how to move forward on these border issues, and legislation in congress once it reconvenes. plus, the looming government shutdown deadlines which are on their way. that, and much more. still ahead this hour, why so many couples are rushing to the altar to get married today? and it's not just because it's new year's eve. plus, why and new tiktok trend encourages people to stop vaping. why is this catching on? i speak to a young content creator about that humanitarian cost behind that trend. that's next. ♪ ♪ ♪ that's a bit dramatic... a better plan is verizon. it starts at 25 dollars a line. (dad) did you say 25 dollars a line? (sister) and save big on things we love, like netflix and max! (dad) oh, that's awesome (mom) spaghetti night -- dinner in 30 (dad) oh, happy day! (vo) a better plan to save is verizon. it starts at $25 per line guaranteed for 3 years and get both netflix and max for just $10/mo.

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to 3, 1 to 3. -- sold out tonight with up to 20% more weddings booked compared with the usual final night of the year. they've had the hire extra staff, secure surplus rises, and of course elvis impersonator. las vegas county has installed a papa marriage license tall -- can all grab their licenses and brides and brides, and get off that plane and head straight to their weddings. one wedding planner telling the washington post, her eldest impersonators will be working every 10 to 15 minutes because he can't have a vegas wedding without the elvis impersonator, of course. this year, there is been a big push to get young people to stop vaping. but a new online campaign is asking them to quit not for their own health, but to help workers in some dangerous cobalt mainz. i spoke to a young tiktok are taking part in an app wide trend highlighting humanitarian concerns tied to some of our

most widely used technology. >> reporter: a new trend on tiktok. >> i want to tell you one more reason you should stop vaping. >> reporter: encouraging people to stop vaping. but this time it is not about their health. it is aimed at helping workers in the democratic republic of congo's artisanal cobalt mainz. smaller scale operations where the work is often done by hand. these mines have dangerous conditions and even child labor, according to humanitarian groups like amnesty international. >> i'm quitting vaping. the reason it is still happening is because of which we consume. >> reporter: this tiktok writer heard about what happens in these mines and said she was so outraged she had to do something. >> they kept, saying don't buy the new electronics. i already do that, what else can i do? and then i found just to quit vaping. >> reporter: cobalt is a key element used to make lithium-ion batteries, which much of our technology depends on. things like smartphones, electric vehicles, and most

e-cigarettes. >> i would buy a vape pretty much once or twice a week. >> reporter: two thirds of the world's cobalt supply comes from the democratic republic of the congo, in central africa. but most of that is then sent to china, where it is refined before it is sold to battery manufacturers, and then brand name companies by those batteries. >> as branham companies, they have a share of responsibility for the entire value chain. clearly, if they make the ask for addressing humanitarian -- human rights concerns in the cobalt supply chain, even as deep down as an art is an all mine, that can really help to drive change. >> reporter: concerning because of the potential health risks that the mining process can bring. >> the cobalt dust has very sharp edges and can cut into lungs and cause chronic respiratory diseases. but beyond, that is the extraction method that brings most of the dangerous.

those tunnels can collapse and bury people alive. >> reporter: the u.s. department of labor has also raised the alarm on drc cobalt mining, saying children are often forced to work in, quote, terrible conditions. with lithium ion batteries powering more and more of our lives, and the problem is not look likely going anywhere soon, with many taking part in this trend hope the interest and attention can lead to concrete changes, like formalizing the operation of smaller mines and requiring safety equipment. >> i think it is fantastic that these users are raising awareness. instead of just quitting the vaping, i would love for this campaign to make the concrete ask for the formalization of artisanal mining. >> reporter: helping those who helped make our 24 century technology possible. apple telling nbc news it will use 100 percent recycled cobalt batteries by 2025. meanwhile, the expert we spoke