. good morning, america. breaking overnight, christmas storm. >> wow. >> a wall of tornados slams the into a nightmare. not backing down. hundreds of demonstrators take to the streets, ignoring police for a break in protests until the two slain nypd officers are laid to rest. developing overnight, former president george h.w. bush sent to the hospital after experiencing shortness of breath. the 90-year-old admitted as a precaution. the details ahead. and an amazing rescue, two people lifted up by a helicopter and dropped back to safety. how they managed to hold on just in time before being lifted to shore.

good morning. i'm tai hernandez, welcoming kendis gibson to abc news. >> it's great to be here on this christmas eve. it's a busy holiday morning. one major storm after another, a nur new one reaching the west coast today. >> another one dumping heavy snow in colorado and kansas yesterday, and bringing heavy rain and maybe even snow to the east today. but brought death and destruction to the deep south. our coverage begins with abc's elizabeth hur. >> reporter: businesses destroyed, streets littered with debris, and signs like these no match for mother nature. leaving parts of mississippi under a state of emergency. >> i have been praying all my life. i'm 64 years old. i prayed like i never prayed. >> oh, man, it is storming. >> reporter: the deep south taking a beating from twisters and hail. and winds so strong blowing

cars, including this ambulance, on to its side. >> the wind was blowing real hard, and the wife was hollering trying to get the dogs inside. looked out in the yard and stuff was flying everywhere. the trampoline and shing the flying off the house. >> reporter: in the midwest, snowplows are working overtime from south dakota to minnesota and colorado with near whiteout conditions shutting down some interstates, stranding commuters and holiday travelers. >> yeah, it looks like you might have touched that american. >> okay. >> reporter: delays were inevitable, even for those flying. in this case, two planes colliding and clipping wings on the tarmac meant these passengers at new york's laguardia weren't getting anywhere fast. >> delay the flight going there and back. >> reporter: the flight tracking service, flight aware, is reporting nearly 5,000 delays and nearly 600 cancellations yesterday. and with the storm still brewing, experts say expect disruptions to continue today. elizabeth hur, abc news, new

york. more miserable weather on the way for millions of americans this holiday. >> our coverage continues right now at accuweather where meteorologist justin povick is tracking it all. >> thanks. thankfully, not dealing with severe weather in the mid-atlantic and the northeast. but one thing that we will have a whole lot of is rain. coming down in buckets along the interstate 95 corridor from d.c. to philadelphia to new york city. right in boston, a steady, soaking rain further inland. and a little bit of snow on the backside of our storm around chicago. potentially as far south as indianapolis. so a lot of travel delays there. and equally as many travel delays here in the pacific northwest with another major storm. rain at the coast. snow further inland. so poor traveling conditions in the northwest, and along the eastern sea board. and rather chilly on christmas day in the north. kendia and tai, back to you. thank you. we're following a developing story from texas.

former president george h.w. bush spent the night in a houston hospital after experiencing shortness of breath. his office says the hospital stay is a precaution. he's 90 years old. he spent seven weeks there last year where he was treated for complications from bronchitis. and the protests in new york resuming despite calls for a cooling off period after the deadly attack on two police officers. hundreds of demonstrators marched across manhattan last night, calling for an end to police brutality. the mayor and other city officials had asked for a pause in the rallies until the officers are laid to rest. but protesters say their cause has nothing to do with the ambush. >> and more tributes for the two slain nypd officers around new york city. lights were dimmed for five minutes at the empire state building, one world trade center and other landmarks. new york mayor bill de blasio led city in a moment of silence

for officers ramos and liu. the mayor laid flowers in the memorial in brooklyn where the men were killed. and breaking news from missouri about a police shooting there. authorities say a teenager who pulled a gun and pointed it at an officer has been killed. the st. louis suburb of berkeley, this is where this took place. that's about two miles from ferguson where michael brown was killed in august. dozens of people have now gathered in the parking lot of the gas station where that shooting took place. new details about an elaborate gun smuggling operation usesing commercial flights from atlanta to new york. five men are under arrest. a former delta airlines employee seen on surveillance was able to sneak the guns on to at least 20 flights after they were passed to him by a delta baggage handler in an airport bathroom. >> they put guns on this time, could have put a bomb an those planes. >> some were loaded. the men were caught when they tried to sell the weapons to an

undercover police officer. actor james franco is celebrating what he calls a victory. adding that the people and the president have spoken. >> that's his reaction after sony pictures reversed course and decided to release the movie, "the interview." it will be shown at a select number of theaters across the country tomorrow. tom llamas has the story. >> hello, north korea. >> reporter: the film that survived hacks, threats, and possible cyber warfare will finally hit the silver screen at independent theaters in dallas, atlanta and cleveland. and that slis growing. >> when the picture hits the screen on christmas day, i think the people of the united states are the ones that really won. >> reporter: movie goers trying to buy tickets. >> kim jong-un is not going to tell us what to watch. >> i'm not worried about my safety. >> reporter: the stars of the film taking to social media. james franco posting this video on instagram, victory. seth rogan tweeting, freedom has prevailed. last week sony would not release the film because theater owners

were worried about violent threats from guardians of peace, the group that claims to have hacked sony's computers. sony said we are proud to have -- to make it available to the public and to have stood up to those who have attempted to suppress free speech. >> want to go kill kim jong-un? >> totally. >> reporter: the fbi said that north korea directed the cyber attack, upset by the plot, a fictional assassination of kim jong-un. the president vowing the u.s. would respond. tom llamas, new york. attorneys for the boston bombing suspect want to delay the trial again. that trial for dzhokhar tsarnaev is set for january 5th, but they want to push back to september. they want more time to review evidence and research the case. the trial has been delayed once. it was originally scheduled to start in november. elsewhere in the country, authorities are monitoring the memphis arkansas bridge after a terror threat. the fbi received word that isis issued an order to blow up the bridge.

agents say the threat was not substantiated. local police were notified. plans are under review to reroute traffic over the mississippi river. the bridge connects tennessee and arkansas. the navy s.e.a.l. who said he shot osama bin laden is now under investigation for possibly revealing classified information. robert o'neill talked to several journalists last month about his role in the bin laden raid. another navy s.e.a.l. is under investigation after writing a book about the takedown. disgraced new york city congressman michael grimm insists he will hold on to his seat even though he's now a convicted felon. the republican pled guilty in federal court yesterday to a single count of tax evasion. grimm apologized for his actions, saying what he did was wrong. he spoke to abc's david wright. >> if i can close this chapter. and move on -- >> reporter: doesn't accepting responsibility mean resigning? >> absolutely not. >> but there's pressure from democrats for him to step down before he's sentenced in june.

president obama is making plenty he vacations with his family in hawaii. >> he went on a scenic hike with first daughter malia and a bunch of friends. property aappropriately, or maybe not so, shorting bermuda shorts. they took a trail offering sweeping views of the oahu coast. he carved out time for his morning workout and, of course, a game of golf. well, coming up the race is on. the christmas eve sprint to the retail finish line, you can call it. the stores open right now to help you wrap up your shopping. and starbucks' new policy. it's not about coffee, it's abou

today the final push by retailers before christmas. a major chain, including toys"r"us and kohl's are open right now for shoppers looking for deals. retailers expect sales for the holiday season to be up more than 4% this year. the government reported that consumer spending rose at the fastest pace in three months. and positive economic news that sent wall street into record territory. the dow jones industrial average opens above 18,000 for the very first time ever. the index has gained nearly a thousand points in just five days. the latest good news, economic growth and consumer spending. and starbucks is making a change to its food policy. the coffee chain wants to phase out eggs from caged chickens. it will no longer use poultry and pork from animals raised in gestation crates. the seattle-based coffee maker will also urge suppliers to stop using hormones on livestock.

no word on when starbucks customers will see a difference. and a new law in california could cause egg prices to go up. starting january 1st, chickens must have nearly twice as much space to move around. the cost of the extra space will most likely be passed on to consumers. egg prices could increase by as much as 20%. and there are concerns about a possible egg shortage. step away from that coffee machine. that's the advice from keurig until it can send you a free repair kit. 7 million of the single cup mini cup brewers are being recalled. they can overheat and spray hot water. there have been dozens of injuries. until you get the repair kit, don't stand too close, and no more than two cups in a row. okay. a fight is brewing between giants of the tech industry and hotel industries. google and microsoft are opposing a bid by major hotel

chains to block guests' personal wi-fi hot spots. internet access can cost $12 a day and up. in convention centers it can cost hundreds of dollars. now the hotel push is being led by marriott. it's now up to the fcc to decide. >> uh-oh. that'd be trouble. >> yep. when we come back, lifted to shore. how two stranded boaters held on before a helicopter rescued them to safety. and a bizarre twist in the mystery of an abandoned armored truck left running. and the driver still missing and believed to be armed and i've always loved exploring and looking for something better. that's the way i look at life. especially now that i live with a higher risk of stroke due to afib, a type of irregular heartbeat, not caused by a heart valve problem. i was taking warfarin, but wondered if i kept digging, could i come up with something better. my doctor told me about eliquis...

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splenda® lets you experience the joy of sugar without all the calories. think sugar, say splenda™ an amazing rescue by the california highway patrol. the police helicopter pulled two people from their boats which were stuck on a diversion dam in the sacramento river. they had gone fishing, but the boat's motor could not start. fire fighters could not get to them. a chopper was called. the man and woman are fine, but hoping the boat will be found downstream. >> there's a chance it will float free. there's rain in the forecast for california. and slippery further inland and michigan. and wet for the eastern third of the country. >> if you're flying, airport delays possible in miami, charlotte, chicago, washington, philadelphia, new york and boston.

back to the news now. and authorities in texas think a driver of an armored car made off with $200,000. the driver was nowhere to be found after the truck was found running. they have issued an arrest warrant for the driver, 24-year-old trent michael cook. his father was arrested for tampering with evidence. call it a christmas miracle. the lava has stalled. it stopped about 700 yards from pahoa marketplace which includes a supermarket, gas station and other stores. bracing for the worst, several shops were shut down. it's unclear if the lava has stopped or just stalled. a quick-thinking passer by in suburban chicago is being called a hero. ed suarez managed to help an elderly woman from her car as it was stuck on the train tracks. he saw an oncoming commuter

train bearing down on them. >> we went to the back of the vehicle, over one set of tracks, by the time i got her to this side of the tracks, i think i fell. >> and another passer by dragged the woman to safety. the train struck her car door. she was checked out at the hospital and sent home. a utah man is fully recovered from health problems caused by chugging eggnog. he downed it in 12 seconds at an office party. he began coughing and gasping. doctors told him he had gotten some in his lungs. he was put on oxygen as well as antibiotics. the eggnog was non-alcoholic. an ohio man earned a place in the naughty list for putting up a haunting christmas display. >> jason dixon has been ordered to take down the christmas scene

with life-size zombies and a baby jesus. he says dozens stop by to take pictures. >> they say it's not about the zombies, but the size and location violates town ordnances. to the guys at espn. sharpen your skates. this is "sportscenter" from los angeles. he's stan, i'm neil. the tree is real. >> say happy holidays. >> happy holidays, ebenezer everett here. ♪ you're a mean one arizona won 39-straight games, looking for 40. missed opportunity for arizona to take the lead. arizona trailing by one. just over ten seconds to play. brandon ashley, no good. 6.6 seconds to go. patrick made the first free throw, missed the second one. johnson, bringing it up court,

and turns it over. 21 for vaughn, unlv with the upset of the number three team in the country. seattle -- i mean, oklahoma city hosting portland. two great guards for 40. but the best one was that one, damian lillard. final seconds, ties it. and russell wilson would have missed the free throw. do you know what time it is? >> what time? >> it's time for russell westbrook -- it's time for overtime. in overtime it was all portland. miller, aldrige got in a wrestling match. that was kind of interesting. blazers won by four. >> that's all we have. ♪ oh christmas tree >> lord. >> someone cut him off, i don't know who. up next in the pulse, the moment enor raj fans have been waiting for. they're back and getting a peek at the movie.

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confusion or abnormal behavior. the most common side effects are mild to moderate nausea and vomiting. ask your doctor about tamiflu and attack the flu virus at its source. thanks for inspiring me to be as good as you think i am. with petsmart's holiday bonus bucks, it's even easier to give thanks! spend $35 on any dog & cat food, treats and more, and get a $5 coupon! petsmart®. mom? dad? big uncle wayne?nut. hot chocolate. green tea. uh, decaf, cuz. wow. i'm dying for an herbal tea. the all new keurig 2.0. . time to check "the pulse."

stories you'll be talking about today. after three years the wait is almost over for fans of even or raj. >> and we are. after eight seasons on hbo, vince, e, drama and turtle are making the jump to the big careen. and fans got a glimpse of the crew from queens in this trailer released yesterday. the regulars are back, including ari gold, now a studio head. the movie expected to hit theaters in june. and a dubious distinction for adam sand her, for the second year in a row he is named by forbes as the most over-paid actor. and they looked at the last three films, calculated what they were paid and what the movie earned. in second place, johnny depp. he had block busters and recent flops. and ben stiller was third, the watch and tower heist were misses.

but the happy part is they were overpaid. >> that means they got double digit millions. doing all right. >> they are. how about a dress that's not only stylish, but keeps you safe. it's the robotic spider dress, if someone approaches too quickly, the ten that kls spring into action. >> didn't beyoncé wear that in conce concert? it detects when she starts to breathe rapidly. the artist says that those tentacles can becken someone closer suggestively. i'd run. and in the pulse -- >> just posted to youtube. the joys of modern bathroom technology. it features one of those, you know, high-speed hand dryers and a waste basket at just the right height. the machine stays on as the used paper towels cycle around the

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live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. >> good morning at 4:28 on wednesday, christmas eve. that means december 24. if the new path is right. i am eric thomas. >> i am here for kristen sze. meteorologist mike nicco is off. we have leyla gulen doing double duty today. how does it look weather and traffic? >> a little more like christmas. the temperatures are cooling down. we will start by looking at live doppler hd with clouds moving in over the bay area this afternoon bringing light rain. we have another round of wet weather through the bay area. from the roof camera, gorgeous sight at the embarcadero center lit up in the holiday glory. we have areas of dense fog this morning. cooler today. afternoon showers. it will be sunny and cool for

christmas day. the seven-day forecast is ahead. we will talk about traffic. switching gears we look at the golden gate bridge. the drive is moving along without any problems. you can see clear conditions. certainly in accidents. it will be holiday lite i venture to say. we have construction in progress. northbound 680 you will find crews so slow for the cone zone. thank you, leyla gulen. >> breaking news from missouri: protesters clashing with police overnight after an officer shot and killed a young man outside ferguson. a device went off when officers tried to break up a crowd outside of berkeley near ferguson when an officer approached two men at a gas station. the officer shot at one after

the man point add happened gun. a woman claiming to the era of mother identified him as 18 years old. >> his girlfriend saw him dead. he was going to run but he was trying to get up and run and they started shooting him. >> other man ran away. investigator say they found a gun at the scene. police are specific to hold a news conference at the top of the hour. we will bring it when it happened. the shooting follows weeks of protest over the officer involved deaths of michael brown and eric garner with demonstrating marching through manhattan despite a request by the mayor for a cooling-off period after murder of two new york police department police officers. that shooter said hes with avenging the deaths of brown and garner and took his life shortly after the shooting