i'm marci gonzalez in for diane. >> i'm kendis gibson. here's the top headlines. bitter cold and snow disrupted preholiday festivities and travel this weekend. that arctic weather is moving no northeast as cold temperatures linger in the midwest. many areas have wind chill advisories this morning as well. a full forecast >> a shooter remains on the loose in a heart breaking case of road rage in arkansas. a gunman kills a 3-year-old boy in little rock. the child was riding to the store with his grandmother. four-day ban on drinking water in corpus christi has been lifted. test results show no contamination. due to a chemical leak.

and fans are recalling style and glamour of zsa zsa gabor. >> those are some of our stories on this monday, december 19th. from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good monday morning, everyone. we start this half hour with hundreds of traffic accidents caused by this weekend's extremely cold weather. >> baltimore alone had three major accidents within an hour on i-95. one a firey 67 vehicle crash leaving two people dead. >> dramatic scene in baltimore. take a look again. >> goodness. >> incredible. throughout the midwest, bitter cold forced people to bundle up. the mercury sank in bismarck, north dakota to a new record low, 31 degrees below 0. >> ouch. this is not an ice sculpture, but a lighthouse on lake michigan. >> reporter: temperatures

freezing roads across the u.s. leaving 14 dead. >> check this out y'all, check this out, y'all. >> reporter: this tanker crash in baltimore caught on camera, part of a nearly 70-car pileup. >> yo, what is going on? >> a stranded motorist watched helplessly. >> stop, stop, top! god, god, jesus. >> reporter: as truck after truck unable to stop. >> the whole 95 is on fire. >> reporter: skidding right into the flames. >> more tractor trailers. >> reporter: two dead, 20 more injured. at chicago's o'hare airport, a terrifying landing after a plane slid off the runway sliding into the grass. no one injured. airports taking a hit. the winter weather blamed for

10,000 delays and 3700 cancellations this weekend. >> i'm not spending another night here. >> reporter: a strong cold front pushes east triggering a temperature crash, 50 degree drop in texas catching many off guard. >> it's so cold this waterfall almost completely frozen, coldest december morning here in minneapolis in 20 years. the sub zero wind chills did not stop the nfl.chills did not stop the nfl. players and fans bundled up in chicago, denver, and kansas city. the coldest game, 2 degrees in arrowhead stadium. the roads look clear, with temperatures like this, there's a concern for an invisible threat, black ice. authorities urging caution. eva pilgrim, abc news, minneapolis, minnesota. cold weather is on the move. >> details from accuweather's paul williams, good morning, paul. >> good morning to you as well, marcy, kendis.

high pressure system in the south central part of the country allows for sun because it's high pressure system, but it tugs on the cold air bringing a cold flow throughout the entire northeast. ironically enough, by the time tuesday rolls around, the same rotation brings in winds and milder air stepping in as early as tuesday. the northeast, we have zonal flow with arctic air to the north, chilly air to the south, but staying cold. a high pressure system pulls cold air from the north, kendis, marcy? >> checking out the temperatures in minneapolis overnight, 1 degree there where eva is, ouch. thank you, paul. >> the electoral college is expected to make donald trump's victory official. members cast vote likely in line with the results of their states. since hillary clinton won the popular vote, republican electors have been bombarded with pleas to vote against trump. meanwhile, intelligence officials have turned down a request for a briefing on russia's pre-election hacking.

trump and his team are asking the intelligence community for evidence of its claim that russia tried to meddle in the election to help trump win. the russian government is also calling on the united states to prove the hacking allegations, and ordinary russian citizens and russian media are not buying it either. here's reaction from moscow. >> reporter: on the streets of moscow sparkling with holiday cheer, few russians believe the hacking allegations. >> i don't believe it. >> you don't believe it? >> no. >> why not? >> it's stupid. >> reporter: russian media openly mocks the u.s. accusations. >> there you go, that's how you prove it was the russians. >> reporter: and kremlin insiders like andre, deputy chairman of the russian senate foreign affairs committee say clinton, obama, and the democrats are just looking for scapegoats with these hacking charges. >> you reject it? >> absolutely. it's really -- it's american fictions.

it is very convenient explanation. >> reporter: russians now expect warmer relations with the u.s. under a president trump, and they point to his pick of exxon mobil's ceo rex tillerson as secretary of state with decades of business links to russia and putin as proof. >> appointment of rex tillerson as state secretary is regarded in kremlin like christmas present. >> reporter: inside the kremlin, there's glee, but they're bracing for retaliation from president obama. >> that's an issue we have to wrestle with, and we will. >> reporter: the options for president obama range for more economic sanctions on russia to crippling cyber attacks on russian intelligence agencies, but the worry is putin already showed he can play the game to win. terry morran, abc news, moscow. the united nations is set to take an important step towards limiting the carnage in syria. today, the security counsel votes on a resolution to put more than 100 monitors on the

ground in eastern aleppo to ensure safe evacuations. this after busses used to evacuate civilians were attacked and set on fire by rebel fight ers. there's been reports of evacuations disappearing after being pulled off busses. it is believed some are being killed oratortureded. there's a red alert in china because of the pollution. for the next five days, drives restricted, schools closed, and factories have been all but shut down. one major city even cancelled airline flights. china's air pollution is blamed on reliance on coal and emissions from its older cars and trucks. red is the most severe of the four pollution warning levels. uber driver shot and killed a would-be robber this weekend in the miami area. police say the driver was taking a passenger to the airport early sunday morning when he was cut off. an armed man jumped out of the

driver's seat and threatened to rob the uber driver. the driver then fired back, killing that other driver. the uber driver had a permit for the gun, but it is against uber policy to carry a firearm while driving. >> wild scene there. the university of minnesota's head football coach backing his players who plan to boycott a bowl game. they threatened to skip the game in response to a sexual assault allegation involving ten of they are teammates who are now suspended. the head coach clay says the players planning the boycott felt the investigation was unfair. >> the boycott was around the due process. period. how it all happened. that operation. that's what the boycott was about. >> well, the players calling for the boycott said they would not play unless their teammates were reinstated. the suspensions are still in place, but the boycott has now been called off. rescuers located seven adventurers trapped in a cave system in western kentucky. they were missing for 24 hours after going underground saturday

afternoon. heavy rains hit the area, and they failed to emerge from the binkley's cave early sunday morning. high water levels inside the cave hampered efforts to find them. those cavers who have reached the service are now being treated for hypothermia and exposure. investigators trying to figure out what caused a freight train to derail in rural kansas. coal spilled from some of the cars, but there was no threat to public safety and no one was hurt. some hard feelings near albany, new york, after an attempted rescue of a person exposed to the bitter cold. >> passersby thought an elderly woman had frozen to death in the front seat of the car, so the police broke into the car. turned out, that was a mannequin wearing clothing, glasses, a wig. >> what? >> the car's owner was not happy about the damage. he says his company makes equipment for medical training, and it appears the dummy may have been used for cpr practice. no word on why it was wearing a seat belt, though, and police

are not happy about wasting their time on a false alarm like this, but say they would do it again in an instant. but the scare. imagine the people who passed by and saw that and think -- >> just -- just imagine their reaction once they got there -- break everything and get in, and try to save the woman, and it's a mannequin. >> awful. >> yikes. coming up, the dangers of hacking when it comes to children's toys. >> hi how all of those high tech gadgets may be an a invitation for cyber thieves to enter your ho home. we'll tell you what to look out for. and it's the sound of the season, and whether you're intoes christmas classics or original holiday music, we have something for everyone. our music industry insider has the latest to get you in the spirit. "world news now" weather brought to you by febreeze. er? .

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exploding manhole covers created quite a safety hazard in massachusetts sunday. after the explosion, you see big flames shooting up from underground followed by thick black smoke. businesses and apartments evacuated. officials blame an underground electrical fire. so we've seen animals in wildlife parks, to lick vehicles? >> oh. >> this moose at a park in alberta, canada seems to think the vehicle is a giant mobile lollipop. the passengers decided to stay very, very still in case bullwinkle here decided to take a nibble. >> moose kisses. >> yeah. >> they don't kiss often. it's usually attack mode. >> right. wow. okay. >> even in canada. proves even the moose are nicer in canada. >> right. well, a consumer alert now about smart toys that connect to the internet.

>> yeah. those toys that you may have already purchased for children, well, could be hacked. rebecca jarvis tells us how. >> reporter: some of the hottest gifts this season, but a new warning about so-called smart toys. >> it's bedtime. okay. >> reporter: a report cautions some of the toys that connect to the internet can be vulnerable to hacking. compromising sensitive information like security questions and birth dates. >> send text and voice messages. >> reporter: last year, a data breach in v-tech electronics expotioned information of more than 6 million children. >> found treasure-trove of data including parents' names and home addresses, passwords as well as kids' names, pictures. >> reporter: vtech made changes to enhance security of customer data, and in the last year, a security firm found flaws in the fisher-price bear and heros gps watch. both companies say the problem was quickly fixed. to protect yourself, read the device's privacy policy to learn what personal information the

toy collects and be sure to change the default passwords right away. abc news, new york. >> really something you have to watch for. >> not if you buy legos. >> do something easy and simple that cannot be hacked. >> right. what's new when it comes to music? >> our man for music has new offerings that just might be the next christmas classic. stay with us. "world news now" continues after this from our abc stations.

♪ ♪ >> dug deep in the vault for that one. >> i know. >> old christmas song. >> who knew. i love christmas music, but it seems like most of the songs are, like, 50 years old. they are not like kiley, but every holiday season, new tunes compete with our classics. >> we asked a music expert for picks of the best new songs of the season, and he's in miami. bruno, happy holidays. >> reporter: happy holidays to you too. it's the most wonderful time of the year with the kids jingle belling and everybody telling you to be of good cheer, and, yes, there's several new albums

out that are vying to become classic standards. they are charting on people's play lists for 2016. pentatonix is back with the fifth holiday album release in five years, and haunting rendition of cohen's "hall lieu ya" is the most streamed song, a great try butte to the legendary recently deceased richard cohenu ya" is the most streamed song, a great try butte to the legendary recently deceased richard cohl . lieu ya" is the most streamed song, a great try butte to the legendary recently deceased richard cohen. ♪ hallelujah ♪ hallelujah >> reporter: sadness is part of the holiday season, and 2016 is no exception. casey's christmas includes new songs featuring "christmas makes me cry" the saddest holiday song since elvis sang about having a blue christmas.

♪ home for christmas ♪ it always makes me cry >> reporter: baby, this christmas, my gift to you will be me, sings r. kelly in "home for christmas," one of the funkiest tracks featured on the holiday release, "12 nights of christmas," this one is for adult ears only. ♪ i'm coming home for christmas ♪ ♪ home for christmas ♪ and i'll bring you the gift of love ♪ >> reporter: everyone's favorite band from las vegas, the killers, released a christmas album including the ten holiday theme songs they've been releasing throughout the years. don't waste your wishes features

a brand new rendition of "i'll be home for christmas" that's nothing like the original. we couldn't expect anything less from brandon flowers and company. ♪ i'll be home for christmas ♪ you can count on me >> reporter: will any of the tracks become classic songs heard year after year? only time will tell if we have this generation's white christmas. all the best to you this holiday season. >> i'm still with the mariah carey crowd from years. >> i like elvis's version of "i'll be home for christmas" better than the killers, i don't know. >> and whams. i don't know. do you know it's never hit the top ten on the charts? >> that's too bad. >> just absolutely wrong. >> yeah.

coming up, another christmas classic, the nutcracker.

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stop right there. >> "rogue one" from our parent company disney living up to expectations in the debut at the box office bringing in $155 million. >> just for perspective, it was the second best opening for a movie ever in december. disney "moana" was second with 12 million, and "office christmas party" opening last week was third. we know plenty of people seeing movies over the weekend. >> playing to a packed house was a rhode island production of the nutcracker. its cast is one of a kind. abc's david wright with the charming details.

>> reporter: as the curtain rises on chie cough ski's christmas classic, this production by the festival balance lait lay of rhode island features something special. among the mice and little toy soldiers, the nutcracker, the snow flakes -- >> you're a beautiful princess, right? >> yes. >> reporter: 9-year-old gabriella has a place, helped by her friends, sammy shore. >> we've become good friends, like, gabby. >> reporter: this 18-year-old in the cast too, practices with one of the principle dancers, he and gabby have down syndrome. >> he's a ham bone, loves to dance on be on stage. >> reporter: star students in the adaptive dance program for kids with special needs, and tried it out for "the nutcracker" this year like everyone else. >> the students in the production took them under their wings. it's special. it's warm.

it gives us a warm, very warm feeling. >> reporter: as the party scene begins, gabby is beaming. >> good job! >> reporter: her mother, too. >> it's emotional, to be honest, when you have a child with special needs, you are very hopeful that she will be included, and be a participant. >> reporter: the nutcracker is all about a christmas dream come true through the magic of ballet, here in a way never imagined. david wright, abc news, new york. >> gave me chills, so sweet. >> that is a beautiful thing. great to see they were able to include those kids in that. >> absolutely. >> well, that's the news for this half hour. >> follow us on facebook at wnnfans.com

did you know that people born from 1945 through 1965 have the highest rates of hepatitis c, but most don't know they're infected? people can live for decades without symptoms, but over time hepatitis c can cause serious health problems. if you were born during these years, the cdc now recommends that you get a blood test for hepatitis c. so talk to your doctor and find out if you have hepatitis c. it could save your life. know more.

this morning on "world news now," for roughly 500 americans, it's election day. >> the electoral college is set to cast ballots today, but as they vote on president-elect trump, new questions are emerging regarding russia's effort to influence the election, including how the trump administration might handle vladimir putin. desperate measures under way in syria as many try to escape from aleppo. and while so many opposing sides fight on the ground, women and children are being pulled from cara vans, killed and tortured as pawns of the war. the cold kept millions inside this weekend as snow, sleet, and ice turned the country's highways into dangerous ice rinks. while nfl fans got creative to try to enjoy the day in arctic conditions, and it's not even technically winter yet. if you have not finished or started shopping, it's okay.

it's all right. you still have plenty of time. >> really? >> yeah. but if you're looking to ship, you better get on it. we're going to break down the timeline for you, including ways to save yourself some time. the new science behind gift returning on this monday, december 19th. from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning morning, i'm kendis gibson. >> and i'm marci gonzalez in for diane macedo. we begin with the electoral college poised to make it official. 538 members voting to make confirm the election of donald trump as the 45th president of the united states. >> the vote comes as trump and his team continue to refuse to accept u.s. intelligence findings that found russian hackers tried to meddle in the election under the personal orders of vladimir putin. abc's mary bruce with what we're learning. >> reporter: trump's team asks,

where's the proof that russia interfered? >> where's the evidence? >> reporter: with the electoral college set to vote, trump's aides push back that the win was influenced by russian hackers. >> there is an conclusive opinion among intelligence agencies, issue a report and stand in front of a camera and make the case. >> reporter: many publicly concluded in october that russia was behind the hacking, and now they agree. russian president vladimir putin was directly involved, but trump continues to deny u.s. intelligence and question if russia played any role at all. >> they have no idea if it's russia or china or somebody. it could be somebody sitting in a bed someplace. >> reporter: but the clinton camp says there's no debate. russia affected the election. >> i think it was distorted by the russian intervention, let's put it that way. >> reporter: "saturday night live" joked putin is like santa delivering trump christmas gifts.

>> this is elf on the shelf and put it here next to the internet router. >> reporter: electors wanted more information, 80 of them asking for a briefing on russia before casting their vote, but intelligence officials declined. republican electors reportedly bombarded with pleas to ditch trump. on twitter, trump saying, if my many supporters acted and threatened people like those who lost the election are doing, they would be scorned and called terrible names. trump once blasted the electoral college as a disaster for democracy, but now he's praising the process. >> never appreciated it until now. how genius it was, but they had in mind. >> reporter: and trump is facing another foreign policy challenge as tensions rise with china. trump quick to blast china after it seized a u.s. drone. later when they agreed to return it, the trump's spokesman gave the president-elect credit, but trump tweeted china should just

keep it. more mixed messaging from the trump team. mary bruce, abc news, washington. the head of the democratic national committee is contradicting president obama's claim that the russian cyber attacks stopped after he warned putin in september. interim dnc chair said russia came after them every day until the end of the election repeatedly trying to hack into their system. she told martha radditz on abc this week that was dnc did not know what was coming next. >> we were fighting a foreign adversary in a cyberspace. the democratic national committee. we were not match, and yet we fought constantly. that's why i think it's important that congress takes a very open approach to looking at what happened, how it evolved, what was russia's motives. you're sending a letter to congress? >> yes. the democratic party would like to see an open, independent bipartisan investigation. >> speaking of which, you see congressman peter king calling

for investigation whether the head of the cia leaked the agency's findings about the hacking to the media. a new york republican suggesting cia director john brennon shared the new information with the "new york times" and washington post while withholding it from congress. united nations set to take an important step in limiting the carnage in syria. they vote on a resolution to put 100 monitors on the ground in eastern aleppo to try to ensure safe evacuations. the plan is a compromise brokered by france and russia. thousands of civilians and rebel fighters are trapped in subfreezing temperatures. the u.s. ambassador to the u.n. says there have been reports of evacuees disappearing after being pulled off buses. it's believed some have been killed or are being tortured. a retired teacher from canada among the dead after a gunman opened fire in a tourist attraction. 62-year-old linda vatcher is among ten people killed in a series of attacks in iraq.

seven police officers and two jordanians died. security forces say at least four gunmen were killed after a standoff. back in the u.s. over the week, police in little rock, arkansas, are still trying to find the gunman in a road rage case leaving a 3-year-old boy dead. the shooter was apparently upset the child's grandmother did not move fast enough after stopping at a red light saturday night. they honked at each other, and the shooter got out of his car and fired at the woman's vehicle, one shot hitting her grandson. the boy's younger sibling was in the vehicle, but was not injured. at least three people dead after weather-related accidents on interstate 95 in baltimore. nearly 70 vehicles were involved in a pileup that began when a gas tanker skidded off the runway. there were two other accidents on i-95 in the city within an hour. nationally, more than 1,400

flights cancelled with chicago's airport the hardest hit by the weather. but the chicago bears say the cold weather was no excuse for their loss to the pammers. game time temperature was 11 degrees, not too bad for a bears/packers matchup. more painful for the fans was the 60 yard pass that set up the winning field goal just as time expired. green bay 30, chicago 27. >> close game at least. fans this morning mourn the death of zsa zsa gabor who died at her los angeles home after a heart attack. abc's linsey davis has a look back at the woman famous for being famous. >> reporter: known for larger than life personality and a former ms. hungary, she was in films in the 1950s. >> i be what i want them to be. >> reporter: she also developed something of a cult following as the star of the movie "queen of outer space." >> i came here the to tell you that your lives are in great danger. >> reporter: but it was as a

professional celebrity that gabor shined. perfectly dripping with diamonds, she called everyone darling on and off the screen. >> darling, a girl can't make a success on instincts alone. to understand a man takes a lifetime of study. >> reporter: and study she did. gabor watts was married nine times. i've never hated a man enough, she once said, to give his diamonds back. in 1990, she made headlines for slapping a police officer after being pulled over for a traffic violation. gabor was sentenced to serve 72 hours in jail. >> thank you, darling. >> reporter: she later spoofed the cop-slapping incident on screen. in her later years, she suffered health problems, a car accident leaving her partially paralyzed. and at the age of 89, she had a stroke. this is the zsa zsa fans remember, glamorous, regal, and always a bit outrageous. >> and that was linsey davis reporting.

meanwhile, it is safe to drink the tap water again in corpus christi, texas. the ban lifted after the test found no contamination due to a chemical leak. they were warned not to drink, cook, or bathe with the water. gasoline prices are are still headed upwards. the national average for a gallon of self-serve regular is up 9 cents to $2.25. a year ago it was an even $2.00. the reason for the increase is something that hasn't even happened yet and may not happen at all. opec called for a cut of production at the first of the year. as millions of us watch our home heating bills go up, this is something we can relate to. talking about this kitten loves this light. not base it's beautiful or soft or cuddly, but just because it's warm.

>> undoubtedly as soon as someone turns off the power, the affection is switched off too. cats are fickle like that. >> yes, they are. >> i'm feeling that cat. in this weather? >> half of the country can understand that right now. >> yes. exactly. holding on tight. coming up, why time is running out if you like to shop online. >> for many retailers, the deadline is fast approaching. we'll tell you what you need to know before you point and click your way through your shopping list. and how about a return policy like the poor teenager who found herself overloaded with socks that her boyfriend -- see what happened. >> find us on facebook, wnnfans.com, and on twitter @abcwnn. you're watching "world news now." twitter @abcwnn. you're watching "world news now. kwlgts " which means, " kwlgts " " now." joking with beth...

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mexico's kalima volcano putting on a show, and another one there you can see, sending three eruptions in the space of a few hours, spewing ash and vapor more than a mile into the air. the eruptions cap ten days of activity at the volcano, one of mexico's most active. i'd say. now to what's being called a ruthless and bizarre case back in this country. a wealthy businessman at the center of it. >> he's charged of being involved in a brutal kidnapping as well as several others. he's the star of his commercials

and online promotional videos. >> president and ceo of massage luxe. >> reporter: todd buckman is also accused of taking a leading role in a chilling kidnapping case. the plot ripped out of the hollywood action movie "pain and gain." >> what do you want? >> you have to call home. >> reporter: beckman described as bringing three days of absolute terror. beckman accused of plotting with another suspect to kidnap the victim claiming he stole money. prosecutors say the men and three other suspects confined him in a basement, bound with zip ties, handcuffs, and duct tape and repeatedly beat, tased, and threatened to shoot him, called the worst kidnapping case ever seen. >> they could hear their son in the background screaming from the torture. >> reporter: on the second day, investigators say the victim was moved to a shipping container on beckman's property where beckman allegedly put a handgun to the victim's head and threatened to kill hill. investigators say the alleged ordeal only ended after the victim's mother drove from florida to missouri with $27,000 in ransom money and accused attackers released him in a strip mall parking lot.

they were arrested in december indicted on federal kidnapping and weapons charges. beckman's attorney says the 52-year-old business leader is innocent telling kmov it's completely out of his character. everyone who knows him knows this is not who he is. and blake lovinger's lawyer told abc news he'll plead not guilty promising more details not included in the grand jury indictment in this case. >> it's going to be evident to anyone examining the facts of the case that blake and his brother were manipulated by mr. beckman. >> we reached out to lawyers for other three suspects, but did not get a response. the most serious charges carry a sentence of life in prison. absolutely chilling to read the court documents. we didn't get to mention in there, but according to the court documents, these suspects made the victim sign a document acknowledging that he'd be killed if he told anyone what he'd been through.

just this is after three days of being tortured, put in a shipping container, quite -- >> a strange case. >> bizarre case. >> all five will be in court tomorrow morning. >> yeah. >> all right. coming up in the next half hour, what happens when hard hits happen in really, really cold weather. hello logo, beware. but first, the clock is ticking and the holiday shopping season is in its final stretch. we've got a strategy for all of you procrastinators out there. and you know who you are, kendis. stay with us, you're watching "world news now." "world news now" continues after this from our abc after this from our abc stations.ar music playing ) - ( snaps, clatters ) that sounds awful. ( music stops ) but a lot better than last week. ( rock music playing ) ♪ we weren't born to follow. ♪

♪ city sidewalks busy sidewalks dressed in holiday style ♪ ♪ in the air there's a feeling of christmas ♪ lighten up. too sweet? where is the christmas spirit? >> it's not here yet. maybe it'll arrive a week from now. >> that's why we're p >> that's why we're playing this music, trying to wear you down. >> not happening. of course, you know, a week from today we'll be together and christmas will be all done. means at least one thing, you still have a lot of time to do some shopping. >> a lot of time?

>> yeah, i think so. plenty of time. >> here i am stressed out about my -- >> are you? >> yes. >> just amazon everything. >> i have been, yes. there's always scrambling by those last minute shoppers. we asked linda lopez for some help. >> reporter: it's go time. for all you procrastinators out there, time is running out. you can get it all done, but only if you get organized. >> come to the store with a list. you could buy too much or the worst is you forget someone. >> buckle down, get it down today. >> reporter: now that you have a strategy, here are some of connie's dos and don'ts as you go on your shopping list. she disagrees that gift cards are the way to go. although fast and easy -- >> it's money only spent in one place, right, and sometimes when i get mine, i think, like, what do they say about my lifestyle. >> reporter: what if you have a sister or bff to cross off the list? make your own beauty pack. start with an attractive cosmetics bag and make one high end makeup item the centerpiece,

saving money by filling up the rest with more affordable odds and ends. >> i love the idea. the general rule is to have one really nice thing, and then fill up with whatever. >> reporter: as for the colleagues, consider pretty and practice call trays. >> i put business cards, paper clips, just random coins on them. >> reporter: your significant other using ear buds that came from the phone until they are frayed? order a sturdy pair online for as little as $10. but wang says you can really send a message by splurging on deluxe brands that will be music to a love one's ears. >> they are top of the line. fairly new brand, but they make the best sounding headphones. they are pricey. they are $120.

>> reporter: last minute gifts can be great ones and have them rocking around the christmas tree. >> so who knew. >> who knew. >> coming up, the science behind gift returning. we're going the opposite correction. take mucinex dm. it'll take care of your cough. fine! i'll text you in 4 hours when your cough returns. one pill lasts 12 hours, so... looks like i'm good all night! ah! david, please, listen. still not coughing. not fair you guys! waffles are my favorite! ah! some cough medicines only last 4 hours. but just one mucinex lasts 12 hours. start the relief. ditch the misery. let's end this. [ that's a good thing, eligible for medicare? but it doesn't cover everything. only about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. so consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans, they could save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. call today to request a free decision guide.

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♪ >> yes. that's my big hanukkah dance. everybody, hanukkah dance because hahn cow, of course, is december 24th this year. big celebration, we are celebrating hanukkah by enjoying some latkes. >> i'm happy about this. >> interesting take. a big festival here in new york city to celebrate latkes. >> do i have to wait for you? >> no, go ahead. it's from burger and lobster, lemon garlic butter poached lobster latkes with of chives creme fresh. how's it taste? >> really good. >> marci, try this one as well. just take a bite. it's a sweet potato.

>> take a bite. >> come on, help out. >> no, no, it's all yours. >> sweet potato. dig in. >> this is great. salsa.topped with queaso. just being welcoming to, you know, our guest, and here's another one. this is the bourbon sweet potato with smoked goat cheese. >> wow. >> and cream. >> oh, really good. >> that was amazing. i have the proof. i have the proof. >> he totally cheated. >> i have the proof. all right. we move on. >> okay. the science behind gift returning. >> yeah. >> what is the science? >> so one out of three people returned at least one gift in 2013. so they've done this study to

figure out the main reasons why people return gifts. the first one is threats to self-concept, so i guess if you give a gift to someone, trying to change who they are. maybe the gym membership christmas gift is not the way to go. >> okay. >> buying a gift that's for yourself. so if i buy you a really cute dress for christmas, you know what's going on there. >> put it with the others in the closet. >> the other is buying a gift for the sake of giving it. buying one to show off. showing how much money you spent. >> let me get to this one guy in the meantime who is going to have -- his girlfriend is going to return a lot of gifts. this 18-year-old from georgia tried to give his girlfriend, you see there, 12 pairs of socks. instead, by accident, this big box came, and they were sent 144 pairs of socks. whoops. >> in this weather, she might need them. >> try returning that. let's dig in on this one.

let's dig in on this one. >> who a toxic chemicals and carcinogens are leaching into the environment. it's happening right where we live, work and play. everywhere. cigarette butts are toxic waste. let's stop the toxic litter. learn more at rethinkbutts.org

this morning on "world news now," the weekend of miserable weather stretching into the workweek, and parts of the country that may have escaped the arctic blast, well, they better bundle you. the forecast is coming up. there are concerns over russian involved hacks within the electoral colleges as members cast ballots for donald trump today as members of the president-elect's transition team shrug off any notion that putin pushed for trump to win. details ahead. new this half hour, the harrowing moments of a completely out of control car. >> the driver smashes into a street light and keeps going, even riding on blown out tires. dozens of good samaritans jump into action. mum's the word. it's the new portrait that's showing a gleeful prince charles with his mum, the queen, who seems to be very, very serious.

why so serious? >> because she's the queen. >> all right. we'll dig into this. is there a hidden meaning? we will decipher in "the skinny" on this monday, december 19th. from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning, everyone. >> he's hiding the pain. he's like, wow, i've been waiting 60 years to get to the throne. >> we'll get into it all. >> i'll keep smiling here. >> and she's like, not over my dead body. >> only then. >> i'm marci gonzalez in for diane this morning. >> i'm kendis gibson. nice of you to join us on a monday. hopefully you're staying warm. that arctic blast is now moving into the northeast. temperatures last night dropped 20 degrees in a matter of two hours, but the nation's midsection has been in the grip of the frigid weather all weekend long. >> millions of people affected by the cold and windchill advisories remaining in effect for participants of the upper

midwest this morning, but tailgaters still turned out for football games in cities like minneapolis using a little ingenuity to keep the beer flowing. abc's richard cantu has more on the story. >> reporter: for 50 million americans, this is another brutal round of bone-chilling, sub zero wind and cold. >> it feels like i'm in the antarctic. >> reporter: in minneapolis, it's minus 2 degrees. air travelers frozen out, more than 3,000 flights grounded, stranding so many trying to get home for the holidays. >> got through security, then my flight was cancelled. >> reporter: in chicago, this plane slid off the runway in bad weather landing in the grass, no injuries. at soldier field, the tailgate partiers were bearing up -- >> we have frozen guacamole and hummus. >> a quick drink, and then it'll freeze. >> reporter: giving new meaning to the term "cold brew", but it could not throw the nfl for a loss. players and fans bundled up in chicago, denver, and kansas

city. the coldest game at 2 degrees. the dangerous cold is a call to action for good samaritans. these two women passed out sleeping gear to the homeless. >> the way they held the sleeping bags and smile on the faces. >> thankful, man, thankful. it's going to help out a lot tonight. >> reporter: with millions digging out and weather related wrecks still cleared away, another bitter cold blast comes monday for millions. richard cantu, abc news, new york. >> it is not just the midwest and northeast having nasty weather. >> and it is not just the midwest and northeast. >> winter arrives on the 21st. we have the details from paul williams at accuweather. good morning. >> good morning. watching out for more snowfall in the northwest. darker blue is 12-24 inches of snow expected. travel on 84, 90 going to be tricky throughout the northwest. now, we're going to look for a mix here. possibility of localized

flooding along the coast and gusts up to fair-60 miles per hour, higher in the rockies. in the middle parts of the week, there's a zonal flow of the jet stream allowing for mild air to eventually take over the country. kendis, marci? >> thanks, paul. california's historic drought and last week's heavy rain could have contributed to a tragedy this weekend in a wedding party. a 100 foot tall tree uprooted and fell during the celebration killing a woman and critically injuring a child. the family gathered for photographs when the large tree came crashing down. >> we've seen it happen throughout southern california with both the drought conditions, that trees are stressed, and then we did have a large amount of rain. so there's some reason that tree failed. >> a tree expert will inspect the scene today or tomorrow to find out exactly what led to this accident. members of the electoral college gather in every state today to formally confirm donald trump's election. republican electors have been inundated with pleas to vote against trump.

and 80 have asked for more information on russia's hacking before they cast their votes today. intelligence officials have declined the request. in the meantime, donald trump's transition team refusing to accept the u.s. intelligence on the hack demanding the intelligence community show proof of any russian involvement. >> there is this conclusive opinion among all of these intelligence agencies that they should issue a report or stand in front of the camera and make the case. >> reince priebus there saying democrats need to face the reality that they lost the election. and in a tweet last night about the pressure on members of the electoral college, trump said if his supporters threatened people like that, they would be called terrible names. authorities in los angeles are looking for a nigeria national behind a phishing scam exposing personal information for 750,000 who came in contact with 13 county departments.

so far there is no evidence information was made public. detectives don't know if the suspect is in the u.s. or overseas. there is anger in arkansas's capital after a 3-year-old was killed during a road rage incident. the child was shot while riding to the store with his grandmother saturday night in little rock. the killer is still on the loose. police say the shooter was upset that the woman did not move her car fast enough after being stopped at a red light. the killing left police stunned. >> just probably one of the most frustrating things you'll encounter in year career when it involves children. we're asking if there's anyone who has information pertaining to this case, please come forward and help us with this investigation. >> this is the second time in less than a month a child has been shot to death inside a car in little rock. a 2-year-old girl was killed in an apparent drive-by thanksgiving week. a frightening moment on a florida highway and it was caught on camera. a car hitting objects as it

speeds down a street at high speeds there. the driver was apparently having a medical issue. other drivers tried to help. amazingly, the cadillac's driver was taken to the hospital and is expected to be okay. authorities on new york's long island looking for a man who broke into a restaurant and went, well, went bananas. surveillance video from the restaurant which was named sexy salad, shows the burglar helping himself to more than a dozen bananas. the man then passed out, but he did, however, manage to leave behind a big clue for police. his license. come on, man. >> really? must be really good bananas. >> all the insomniacs, wow, so bananas is the key to passing out. sexy salad. >> i like that name. have to check that out.

it's not every day you get to prank the leader of the free world. but that's one of the perks, apparently, of working in the white house. >> this came out over the week. staffers decided to give the president some frosty surveillance treatment. they set up the white house snowman in different windows so they'd look like they were keeping an eye on him. >> lucky for the staff, the boss has a sense of humor and have a shot of him looking surprise by the new friend. >> since the white house photographer posted it, twitter has been loving it. one user took things a step further adding putin's face to one of the snowman's heads. i love it. >> i love it. >> people have been creeped out since the photos came out, they've been creeped out by them, as well. >> i think it's funny. >> like a skier in a horror flick. >> you can see it that way. but i think it's funny. coming up, busy and cold day

around the nfl. >> and for fans who stuck it tout at two of the coldest games, well, they got an icicle through the heart. all the lowlights just ahead. and later in "the skinny," the bizarre pr stunt by a singer hoping to turn his image around. but is staging an explosion really the way to do it? you're watching "world news now." "world news now" weather brought to you by breathe right. . hashtag "stuffy nose." hashtag "no sleep." i got it. hashtag "mouthbreather." yep. we've got a mouthbreather. well, just put on a breathe right strip and ... pow! it instantly opens your nose up to 38% more than cold medicine alone. so you can breathe ... and sleep. shut your mouth and say goodnight mouthbreathers. breathe right.

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in the second quarter of last night's game, elliot runs in a touchdown, celebrating by? donating himself to the salvation army. the cowboys star vaulted into the charity's big red kettle. 15 yards for that. come on. and that entry into the touchdown celebration hall of fame, but nice job. you can do the lambeau leap, why not do that? >> that was not the only touchdown scored in the second quarter last night against tampa bay. dak strolled into the end zone. >> so easy. >> really? >> looked like it. >> i don't know. i know nothing about football. so if you say so. that put the cowboys up by two touchdowns.

>> tampa bay answered in the third quarter with two touchdown passes from quarterback winston. those put the buccs ahead, but it was the cowboys who owned the game's final 15 minutes hitting three field goals, dallas wins 26-20. good sunday night game. >> what was an inevitable is now a reality. gus bradley fired by the jacksonville jaguars announced yesterday after losing in houston by blowing a nine point lead in the fourth quarter. he led the team to a 2-12 record. jacksonville was 14-48 over his four seasons in charge. that is the worst winning percentage of any nfl coach with at least 60 games under his belt. speaking of blowing a game late, tennessee was down by ten going into the 40 quarter. kansas city and they made it close with the touchdown and two-point conversion, and then as time expired, the titans's kicker hit a 53 yard field goal to win it all. tennessee 19, kansas city 7. temperature, 2 degrees.

ouch. more late drama in chicago where aaron rodgers connected with jody nelson there. 60 yard pass play. they set up mason's game winning field goal as time expired, sealing green bay's fourth straight win keeping them just a game back of detroit in the divisional race. and check this out from the second quarter. the bears running back gets hit and then the logo flies off his helmet. that's what happens with a hard hit and minus 15 degrees windchill. wow. >> he posted the photo of the helmet later. it just looked beaten up. so the browns are still the league's worst team. >> sorry. >> they were beaten by buffalo, 33-13. for those counting, cleveland is now 0-14. >> ouch. >> on the season.

they have two games to go to avoid a winless season. the browns host san diego on saturday and then they finish their season off at pittsburgh. >> yeah. i don't know. i don't know a lot about football, but that's pretty bad. >> let's just put it this way, if you and i were on a football team, and all of us were part of a football team playing the cleveland browns in the nfl, our record would be tied with them. >> painful, sorry, guys. when we come back, heart felt thoughts for zsa zsa gabor. >> the queen gets a guest star. wonder who that is. the skinny's next. "world news now" continues after this from our abc stations. our family was drifting apart... ...until we found a connection. you have the power to change your child's life. the boys town national hline can help. (tdd# 1-800-448-1433)

♪ skinny so skin snee ♪ your monday morning skinny starting with the passing of a woman who was truly one of a kind. zsa zsa garor passing away after suffering a heart attack in her home in los angeles. she was 99 years old. >> such an original, minor tv and movie actress gaining widespread fame really just for being famous. she was well-known for calling everyone darling. >> among all those darlings were nine husbands. one of them hotel mogul conrad hilton, remember, and she was the great aunt of paris hilton.

>> interesting. gabor's long time friend larry king tweeted, there will only be one zsa zsa gabor. and i liked her a lot. rest in peace, my dear. piers morgan says, 99 years old, nine husbands, ms. hungary and hollywood star, what a life. >> and miley cyrus tweeted what a long and beautiful life. i've been beyond inspired by your style and grace. we love and miss you. >> that connection to paris hilton east interesting as she's the original being famous for being dripping in diamonds and just fabulous, darling. >> came out at a time when we

wanted that fabulousness in life. >> i loved the quote. she said she never hated a man enough to return his diamonds. >> so all those nine husbands never got their rings back. next up, real royalty of the british type. queen elizabeth getting company in a new portrait. >> here she is joined by her son and royal heir prince charles. he's clearly enjoying himself. and she's pretty much playing it straight. >> i don't find this surprising. some people are trying to read into the shot, though, wondering if it's some sort of sign indicating looming succession or something, but that doesn't seem to be the case. sources say the picture was taken just after prince charles cracked some sort of joke, and that's why the queen is seemingly struggling to hold back. there's a slightness of -- >> really? >> of -- >> i -- >> she's kind of smiling,

smirking a little bit. >> that's what she looks like when she is holding back a laugh? okay? >> let's hope that's what she's holding back. moving on. now to a rather bizarre incident after a very bizarre comment from over the weekend involving -- >> i didn't say anything. >> -- ceelo green. it all started with what was supposed to be a surveillance video from inside a studio. >> did you see this this weekend? there's green appearing to talk on the cell phone when the cell phone appears to explode in his hand. green falls to the floor. >> now green came clean about it saying he's fine and the video was part of a new project. uh-huh. green is thanking those who offered their support. >> there were a lot of people concerned about his well being over the weekend. 42-year-old green explained in the facebook mea culpa the clip was from a smaller video that they were shooting for a new project that he's doing called gnarly davidson. no word on when the project comes out. >> what a way to promote. okay. finally, we can't do this morning's "skinny" without

mentioning "rogue one a star wars story." the film dominated this weekend at the box office taking in $155 million. >> here's a different take on it. ♪ that's part of a short stop action film featuring figures from a company called hot toys. those who've seen "rogue one" now how the fight between that character and the storm troopers work out. >> no spoilers here, don't worry. great going on that film. pretty cool. >> a lot of people still going to check out "rogue one" throughout -- >> $155 million. >> can you believe it? >> amazing. a new take on an old classic. >> what's behind the reworking of "baby it's cold outside." answers straight ahead. you're watching "world news now."

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♪ i really can't stay but baby it's cold outside ♪ >> dean martin there singing the original version of "baby it's cold outside." it is a christmas classic. >> yeah. as we take a look at the cold conditions out there in times

square at these early morning hours. now it's been reworked to make it, shall we say, a little bit more acceptable in today's day and age. abc's byron pitts with the details. ♪ baby it's cold outside >> reporter: a holiday favorite. ♪ i ought to say no no no ♪ mind if i move in closer ♪ at least i'm going to say i tried ♪ ♪ what's the sense in hurting my pride ♪ ♪ i really can't stay ♪ oh, but it's cold outside >> reporter: covered dozens times, by times have changed. >> don't look at me, get out! >> reporter: a new version telling women, you don't have to stay. lydia and jaseyla putting a modern spin on a classic. ♪ i really can't stay ♪ well you don't have to >> reporter: penned in 1944, the couple felt the verses don't hold up, replacing lines like -- ♪ i ought to say no, no, no -- >> reporter: with --

♪ you ought to say no, no, no >> reporter: working consent into the carol. >> we think in our generation, the lyrics are just read completely differently than they were originally intended. ♪ my mother will start to worry ♪ >> reporter: while it's cold outside, the reception is anything but. the song reaching number one on spotify's viral 50, a timeless holiday jingle with a modern age. >> drive safe, please. >> reporter: byron pitts, abc news, new york. >> interesting take on it. >> it is. i always thought the original song was a little bit creepy. >> i never actually paid attention to what the words were. >> really? >> beyond the overall meaning of it. now -- >> but the other version goes a little too far the other direction. like, let's get real here. >> made me not like the original now. i don't know. this is abc's "world news now" informing insomniacs for two decades

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making news in america this monday morning -- blistering cold, tracking subzero temperatures. already setting records. the luggage piling up, as flights are canceled across the country. and football fans braving the cold. the last vote. it will likely be official today as electors are expected to confirm donald trump's victory. could the electors go rogue and block his win? wedding day tragedy. a large tree falls on a group taking photos. killing one person. and injuring several others. this morning, we're hearing from witnesses for the first time. and highway emergency. a car smashing through a pole and still not stopping. how good samaritans jumped in to help the driver.