know what turns me on? my better half, hors d oeuvres and bubbly. and when i really want to take it up a notch we use k-y yours & mine. tingling for me, warming for him. wow! this holiday season get what you want and there it is, the christmas season ushered in in new york city. the massive 75-year-old norway spruce is lighting up manhattan's rockefeller center this morning with five miles' worth of multicolored l.e.d. bulbs. the tree lighting marks the unofficial start of the holiday season. a traditional ceremony that goes back some 87 years.

they even brought the choir out. we'll have more from there in "the skinny." but another holiday light display is igniting controversy in a neighborhood in new jersey. >> for 15 years the apruzzi family has put on a multimedia show that's attracted hundreds of spectators, but that apparently is at the heart of the dispute between the family and their township. >> i love putting smiles on people's faces. >> reporter: but not everyone is smiling in old bridge, new jersey, which is threatening to shut down thomas apruzzi's famed holiday light display. he and his wife kris have been told they will have to fork over thousand of dollars a night for security or the town will shut them down. >> they're asking me to pay for the police at approximately $2,000 a night, and they want me to bus people in and out so they don't have to worry so people won't park on the road and that's totally wrong. >> reporter: old bridge officials say police last year received many complaints about the traffic congestion caused by apruzzi's display. and the increased crowds and parked cars compromise public safety.

the apruzzis have been putting on their display for more than 15 years. it includes more than 70,000 lights synchronized to music. apruzzi says there's never been any problems in years past but this year he's blaming a couple of neighbors that he says started complaining to the town. now he says the mayor is playing politics. >> this could have been taken care of many months ago and then they decide to -- they tried to strong arm me in october, knowing that i wasn't going to have a lot of time to do what i had to do. they tried to do stipulations with this and that and everything else like that. >> reporter: still, apruzzi insists he's not paying a dime for anything. he's hired a lawyer, he knows his rights and says this year the show will go on. >> joy and smiles. that's what the christmas holiday is all about. >> owen henry, the mayor of old bridge, new jersey, tells abc news overnight that, quote, there is a lot of misinformation out there. all we're trying to do is make sure the event is safe. >> all right. so that's it. that's what they're doing.

when we come back, william shatner takes on rudolph. >> and someone we talked about in "the skinny" yesterday was watching apparently. we have a viewer. one viewer. "the skinny's" next. viewer. the skiny's next.

♪ skinny ♪ just give me the skinny it really is an action-packed "skinny." >> yeah, this one's going to be good. >> we're going to start with william shatner who was featured in one of our most popular "world news now" polkas. but now he's singing a new song. >> just in time for christmas. check out the official music video for william shatner's rendition of "rudolph the red-nosed reindeer." >> the video features billy gibbons, the legendary guitarist for zz top. you really have to see it to believe it. ♪ hey rudolph with your nose so bright won't you guide my sleigh tonight ♪ ♪ then all the reindeer loved him as they shouted out with glee ♪ ♪ rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, hey, man, you're gonna go down in history ♪

>> shatner there, seen inside of a snow globe, is 87, by the way. that track part of his new christmas album titled "shatner claus." >> trying to be the new king of christmas. i like it. next to the queen of christmas herself, mariah carey helping her kids get in the game. >> she posted this video showing off her twins, moroccan and monroe, doing the backup vocals to her holiday classic. take a listen. ♪ i just want you for my own more than you could ever know ♪ ♪ make my wish come true >> and what? ♪ all i want for christmas is you ♪ >> y'all, those kids know better. >> if you're mariah carey, you only have kids to have your own backup singers. >> backup singers.

it's the most, of course, downloaded holiday single of all time, but those kids are like -- mariah's like you'll walk if you dare sing my line. >> hands off mommy's line. >> mariah might be getting some stiff competition for the whole title of queen of christmas. >> so she was conspicuously absent during last night's rockefeller christmas tree lighting concert extravaganza. stepping in to highlight the night, none other than diana ross. >> supreme. ♪ snuggled up together like birds of a feather would be ♪ >> diana sang a medley of christmas favorites including a few samples from her new album, "wonderful christmas time." she sounded great. >> looked fabulous. >> looked amazing. it was a cold and windy night there in rockefeller center. looked good, no? all right. some shade off camera right now.

next to something that's a little trippy that's sure to blow your mind. it did for us. >> yeah. so yesterday we mentioned our friend of the show gayle king copying her niece's poses while on vacation. >> it turns out gayle was actually watching. >> good morning, gayle. >> good morning, guys. >> showing the world her sense of humor. >> must be a slow news day. getting up now. >> gayle posted these -- >> this is so funny. >> so that made our day. >> completely. >> completely made our day. so to make it even more weirder, this is then me watching gayle watching us. >> this is way too meta. >> way too meta. >> so weird. so cool. >> i need some decorations up in the house, too. >> yeah, you do. >> so cool. >> that would be even more trippy if gayle watches us

watching her watching her. >> we can keep this going. coming up, the world is waking up to a brand-new champion this morning. >> stay tuned. >> is it football? this is mega. g. >> stay tuned. >> is it football? this is mega. r. [darrell's wife] uh, honey, isn't that the dog's towel? [dog sfx] hey, mi towel, su towel. more gain scent plus oxi boost and febreze makes gain flings our best gain ever. gain. seriously good scent. there are so many toothpastes out there... ...which one should i use? choose one that takes care of your gums and enamel.

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and when i really want to take it up a notch we use k-y yours & mine. tingling for me, warming for him. wow! this holiday season get what you want we get a lot of heat sometimes for having "world" in our name and not necessarily covering the world sometimes. >> but every now and then we'll mix it up, right? >> yes. every time. >> so today's one of those times because there is a new world champion this morning. >> yeah. not like baseball world champions. >> no, no, this is real world. >> this is real. >> and it wasn't handed out in a team sport. >> mmm-hmm. in this sport only one person could come out on top. >> badminton? >> reporter: this is huge. the scene, london. the event, chess world championship. the defending champion, 27-year-old magnus carlsen, nicknamed the thor of chess.

more like chess bae, he's a former fashion model. >> the night. waiting. >> reporter: all right. back to chess. the challenger, american fabiano, 26-year-old from miami, these guys are the best in the world. they've been playing for three weeks. some games lasting seven hours. this is the final lightning round. molly hunter right there. >> sound-proof, totally black, totally silent room where the game is actually happening. out here we're all watching. >> i mean, the quality of play has been ridiculously high throughout the whole thing. people have called it boring but it's just what happens when the two greatest players come into one game. they play on such small things that most top players wouldn't even understand. you look at it and say, i probably wouldn't have done that and ten minutes later you see why. >> reporter: the american cheering section, fabiano's parents. not worried at all. >> he is handling himself beautifully. i'm very proud.

>> he seems to be holding his own. we're not nervous and he's calmer than we are. >> reporter: back in the room the rapid tiebreaker games are magnus' specialty. he takes game one and two and three, giving the norweigian rock star another world title. >> i mean, yeah, everything kind of went perfectly. >> reporter: humble brag much? fabiano? >> it's a great learning experience. >> reporter: chess bae? >> he is the best one i've played. he has just as much right as i to call himself the best in the world. >> so there you have it. ladies love the chess players. >> do they? >> espn has been fighting for the rights for that for years. they have not been able to get it. >> one day, though. >> one day. >> it's coming. >> so the winner gets $600,000. second place, $500,000. >> bobby fischer was the last one. remember bobby fischer? 1972.

this is abc's "world news now," informing insomniacs for two decades.

good morning. i'm kendis gibson. >> good morning. i'm kendis gibson. >> and i'm janai norman. here are some of the top headlines we're following this morning on "world news now." president trump is making it clear that he is not ruling out a possible pardon for former campaign chairman paul manafort. it follows the revelation that manafort has been feeding trump information about the russia probe. west coast residents are preparing for heavy rain and snow as well as the possibility of flash flooding and mud slides. wildfire devastated areas are at risk. a massive storm is coming ashore overnight. life expectancy in the u.s. is down again, largely because of suicides and drug overdoses. we're in the first downward trend since world war i and the flu epidemic a century ago.

and it's lit. the national christmas tree, that is, in washington. 96th consecutive year the president has taken part in the lighting ceremony, but it was the first lady this year who threw the switch. those are some of our top stories on this thursday, november 29th. from abc news, this is "world news now." she threw the switch. >> throw the switch. >> throw the switch. yes. okay. very aggressive way of doing it. all right. let's begin with some breaking news. authorities have found a teenage girl who went missing in north carolina on monday. >> the fbi says 13-year-old aubrey was found safe and alive in oklahoma late last night. that's more than 900 miles from her home. she was found with a 23-year-old man from albuquerque, new mexico. he's now facing child abduction charges. >> unfortunately the news about another 13-year-old girl who also disappeared from her home in north carolina is not nearly as positive. abc's steve osunsami reports.

>> reporter: north carolina investigators in rural robeson county are now looking for a killer. with heavy hearts they're sharing that after a three-week search, the body they found off this lonely road is this 13-year-old middle school student. >> we are absolutely devastated. i wish we had a different outcome for hania's family. >> reporter: hania aguilar was kidnapped from the front yard of her home while waiting to go to school on november 5th and police believe she was forced into this stolen suv captured on security cameras driving away after the kidnapping. a witness reported seeing a man forcing the girl into the truck dressed in all black and wearing a yellow bandana that covered his face. police found the suv abandoned three days later and found the girl's body in a body of water about seven miles from her home. >> we have to find out how she died, who did this to her and we have to bring the person or

persons responsible to justice. >> reporter: police had been looking to speak with the grainy figure seen here near the girl's home before she disappeared but they say there is no person of interest and shared no information about a possible suspect. >> there are so many unanswered questions, it's not clear at this point police even know who they are looking for or how long the girl was in the water. at her school system they're calling on grief counselors for students who need them. steve osunsami, abc news, atlanta. >> just a terrible story there. well, the big weather stories this morning are on the coasts. >> a major storm is now arriving in the west with heavy precipitation. snow in higher elevations and rain everywhere else. >> and on the other side of the country they're getting ready for another blizzard this weekend and cleaning up from the last one. places like south of buffalo on the shores of lake erie already have as much as 35 inches of snow. heavy snow in northern new york and new england. isn't that frightening. >> the new west coast storm is

coming after the devastating wildfires. sandbags are being filled. storm drains cleared to prevent any sort of flooding. mudslides, debris floes and flash flooding are all possibilities and very likely. let's get the forecast from paul williams. good morning, paul. >> good morning, kendis, janai. flash flooding, that's just one of the problems throughout california now that we finally got the rain in here, reaching all the way down towards los angeles. we're concerned about burn scar mudslides. that's going to cause drought relief but gusty winds, travel disruptions and dangerously rough seas as well. in addition to that, we're also concerned about wide spread snow as well. as well as upstate new york, vermont, new hampshire, maine, icy mix towards the ohio valley region. we're looking for that problematic situation for us around the entire great lakes region for thursday. that's not all. saturday a monster of a storm kicks in.

blustery winds across the northwest and heavy showers throughout the ohio valley region and the deep south. kendis? janai? >> get the sense that paul williams is just trying to keep himself employed? all this is happening. the locusts are coming. thank you, paul, is what i meant to say. president trump is again slamming the russia investigation, firing off a late-night tweet calling it a discredited witch hunt and a hoax. hours earlier he made it clear that pardoning campaign chairman paul manafort is a very real possibility. abc's daria albinger has more on that and the pushback in the senate over saudi arabia. >> reporter: secretary of state mike pompeo and defense secretary james mattis briefed the senate for over an hour on the war in yemen, saudi arabia and the murder of "washington post" columnist jamal khashoggi, an american resident. >> we have no smoking gun that the crown prince was involved. >> reporter: urging lawmakers to maintain ties with the saudis, but "the washington post" reported the cia has a high degree of confidence that the crown prince ordered khashoggi's

murder. so the absence of cia director gina haspel at the briefing angered some. >> it's outrageous that the senate can be stonewalled from hearing from the cia director. >> how can i make an informed decision if i don't have access to the intelligence i read about in the paper. >> reporter: senators unhappy with the president's lukewarm response to khashoggi's murder at the hands of the saudis. >> the way the administration's handled the saudi arabia event is just not acceptable. >> reporter: also on wednesday, more developments in special counsel robert mueller's investigation. former trump campaign manager paul manafort's deal now falling apart. manafort's lawyer telling abc news manafort was cooperating with trump's legal team all along. in an interview with "the new york post," the president saying a pardon for manafort is not off the table but the top democrat on the senate intelligence committee, senator mark warner, taking to twitter saying that would be an abuse of power,

adding, the pardon power is not the president's personal tool for protecting himself and his friends". daria albinger, abc news, new york. authorities have searched a houston area archdiocese office in connection with the investigation of a priest accused of child abuse. two people say lopez fondled them two decades ago when they were teenagers and the local cardinal did not take their allegation seriously. that cardinal is now leading the u.s. response to the sexual abuse scandal playing the catholic church. sales were down at dick's sporting goods after the retailer decided it would no longer sell guns to people under 21 or assault-style guns to anyone. that affected not only its hunting department but also other areas, including electronics and outdoor clothing. but this was the fifth consecutive quarter in which sales at dick's declined. walmart made a similar decision after the florida school

shooting but has not said whether it affected their sales. a new report is alleging the social media giant once considered selling access to user data. times still hard at facebook. "the wall street journal" says it viewed sealed court documents from internal e-mails showing that facebook considered charging companies for user information. they ultimately decided against it. >> they're having the best year ever. >> yeah. honda is recalling more than 100,000 odyssey minivans over concerns about the power sliding door that can open while the vehicle's moving. the recall involves minivan models from 2018 and 2019. honda is offering owners a free fix. a southwest airlines gate agent is taking some heat this morning after openly mocking a little girl's name then posting a picture of her boarding pass online.

>> so the girl's name is spelled a-b-c-d-e, the alphabet, and pronounced "ab-suh-dee." the girl's mother says the agent had no right to publicly name shame the 5-year-old. >> the gate agent started mocking my child's name, laughing, pointing at me and my daughter, talking to other employees so i turned around and said just like, hey, i can hear you. so if i can hear you, my daughter can, too. i'd appreciate it if you'd just stop. >> southwest is apologizing, saying it's followed up with the employee involved and noting that the agent's behavior does not reflect the civility expected from all employees. >> we can't say it? what can you say. also, i have a name -- i'm a guy with the name kendis.

>> apple, north west, there are other names out there that raise your eyes. >> i used to think that people named their kids after airlines. like lufthansa. air italia. >> that poor girl, though. to post it online, that's just not nice. a-b-c-d-e, abcde, that's creative. it really is. abcde. >> what do you think about that, quantas? coming up, the christmas fail. the crane, the clock tower. things really didn't go as planned. first, bruce springsteen in his own words about his struggle with depression and mental illness. you're watching "world news now."

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st for calling. so call now. this 17-year-old you see here in the striped shirt has a lot of explaining to do after he and his friend broke into a deserted bank in hollywood, florida. so they not only broke in but mr. striped shirt there managed

to get himself locked inside the bank's vault and was trapped for hours. oops. it took several emergency crews and at least two vault technicians to free him. >> wow. >> lucky for them, they were allowed to go home with their families. >> with no money. >> and now face public shaming. >> yeah, they do. speaking of, there's been an arrest in the vicious attack on a southern california mcdonald's manager. >> typical let me see your manager. the woman was seen on video choking the manager and slamming her head against the soda machine. the suspect had walked in the back door to ask for ketchup. that suspect charged with assault. >> wow. must have wanted some ketchup. so bruce springsteen is opening up about his struggle with depression and mental illness. >> the interview comes as the rock and roll hall-of-famer closes his show on broadway and opens up on netflix. here is abc's david wright. >> this is what i have presented

to you as my long and noisy prayer. >> reporter: bruce springsteen finally seems to have made peace with his muse. >> when i was a young man and looking for a voice to tell my stories, well, i chose my father's voice. my father was my hero. and my greatest foe. >> reporter: springsteen has been open about the fact that one thing he inherited from his dad was mental illness. the boss at times crippled with depression. >> it's like this thing that engulfs you. >> reporter: revealing in a new "esquire" interview, "i know i'm not completely well myself" but that a variety of medications keep him on an even keel. "otherwise i can swing rather dramatically, and just the wheels can come off a little bit." springsteen coming to terms with who he is and who he wants to be. >> i'm mr. born to run. i currently live ten minutes

from my hometown. >> reporter: that broadway show is about to close but it opens the very same night on netflix. springsteen hoping to share his life's journey with all the fans who couldn't make it to broadway. david wright, abc news, new york. >> so we'll still be able to see it, at least. our thanks to david there. now to the story of a man in california who lived up to his word. antonio reza was the getaway driver in a string of robbery seven years ago. >> he did some time and told the detective he would clean up his act. so he did. reza will be the valedictorian of his university of san francisco class next month. congratulations. >> he wants to go to law school but his criminal record would have blocked him from taking the bar. so that police detective and a prosecutor asked the judge to reduce reza's charge to a misdemeanor. that process was just approved. >> oh, cool. >> i want to use my story to tell other people it's true, that anything is possible.

i turned my felonies into 4.0s. >> yeah, that's good. >> that will be the title of his book. >> reza says once he gets his law degree he wants to use it to help reform the criminal justice system. felonies to 4.0s. >> nice. congrats to him. all right. coming up, ivanka trump in her own words. >> she answers questions about using private e-mail for her work in the white house. you're watching "world news now."

beautiful washington, d.c. beautiful washington, d.c. there. ivanka trump lives in d.c. nowadays and she's talking about those comparisons with hillary clinton using private e-mail for official business. >> she talked with abc's deborah roberts about it. >> hi, everyone. >> hi. >> how are you? >> good. >> reporter: ivanka trump in wilder, idaho, teaming up with apple ceo tim cook, celebrating technology in the classroom. >> you look at all different industries -- >> reporter: but she knows it's her own e-mail that's made

headlines, using private e-mail for her work in the white house. >> it has come to light that early in the administration you used your private e-mail for white house business. your father had taken hillary clinton to task for this. so how did you wind up in a similar situation? >> well, there really is no equivalency. all of my e-mails that relate to any form of government work, which was mainly scheduling and logistics and managing the fact that i have a home life and a work life, are all part of the public record. >> but your father hammered hillary clinton on this, said that it was criminal. she should be locked up. >> i think she's pathetic. i think she should be in jail for what she did with her e-mails, okay? >> so the idea of "lock her up" doesn't apply to you? >> no. >> we asked about tear gas used at the border. her father has defended it. >> gassing families, children, how have you responded to those images? >> i think like any other person

with a heart it's devastating to see the images and seeing children put at risk. it makes me angry that we haven't been able to come together as a nation and change our laws. >> reporter: but like her father she warns of criminals among the migrants. >> he has said that there are criminals in that caravan, how do we know this? >> it's well-documented there are criminal elements within the caravan. >> reporter: as for her father's controversial policies, she says she does speak up privately. >> so you do disagree with him from time to time? >> oh, frequently. and i share with him my thoughts but i wasn't elected as president of this country by the people of this country. >> ivanka trump taking on a number of challenging questions, including one about divisions in this country and critics who say her father is adding to a hateful climate. she disagrees and says she knows what's in his heart. deborah roberts, abc news, new york. >> and she says "lock her up" did not apply to her. >> that, she says.

coming up, the deepening mystery. >> why authorities are asking, who stabbed frosty? who did it? that's next on "world news now." frosty? who did it? that's next on "world news now." there's a lot to love about medicare. there's also a lot to know. part a that's your hospital coverage, part b is all the doctor stuff... the most important thing to know? medicare doesn't pay for everything. and guess what that means... yep...you're on the hook for the rest. that's why it's important to consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. a plan like this helps pay for some of what medicare doesn't. so you could end up paying less out of your own pocket. that's nice. and these are the only medicare supplement plans endorsed by aarp. selected for meeting their high standards of quality and service. it feels good to have someone looking out for you. want to find out more? call unitedhealthcare insurance company now to request this free decision guide, with aarp medicare supplement plan options

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"this happened." >> this happened. what happened? >> well, somebody stabbed frosty. >> don't snitch. >> okay. not the way you want to start the christmas season. somebody runs up, gashes him across the stomach and takes off like a coward. frosty crippled there. look, the person just drives away. so police are looking for who did this because they say this is a real crime. the hotel this happened at in tennessee, they're taking it, you know, happily. taped him up. >> yeah. >> they started a gofundme. that money's going to be donated. but what kind of savage runs up and stabs frosty and then just runs away like that? >> the grinch.

>> oh, could be. >> that's who it is. >> either that or global warming doing in frosty. but, you know, frosty, don't be -- >> fooled by that top hat. >> exactly. >> that grin. that pipe. what's in that pipe, frosty? >> don't be tattling on people. that frosty has been telling when people are parking in the handicap spot illegally. >> frosty had it coming. >> frosty had it coming. indiana, purdue university. let's put up a new face to the clock there. >> okay. oh! look out! what had happened -- so it almost looks dangerous. do you see where the white part of the clock -- or the tower stops? there are two people right there. >> oh! >> so it hits the ledge that they're on and then continues down.

>> wow. >> they're on top of the crane. >> wow. >> another crane -- yeah. purdue had said -- purdue sent out a tweet that said, don't worry. the clock face will return shortly. i saw a video on facebook saying the clock face got yeeted. >> is that what the kids are saying? >> yeeted is to throw. >> spell it. >> y-e-e-t-e-d. or your cousins would spell it, y-e-e-t-d. >> i cannot stand you. hockey players. heads it. back. back. okay. took them like 20 tries to get this right. >> yeah. >> they got it.

>> yes. in the meantime, while frosty is melting, santa is causing a whole lot of mad

this morning on "world news now," new developments i this morning on "world news now," new developments involving the president and the russia probe. >> president trump is not ruling out a pardon for paul manafort, the former trump campaign chair whose deal with the mueller team fell apart. but have the president and manafort ever talked about a pardon? that's what investigators and democrats want to know. dangerous storms with torrential rain take aim at california along with the threat of mudslides and flash flooding in areas already devastated by those deadly wildfires. plus outrage this morning after the washington redskins sign a player just days after he was arrested for domestic violence. hear the head coach's explanation. and they're the christmas decorations that some say make the white house seem more like a haunted house.

but the first lady isn't letting the haters win. she's defending her red trees. what is she saying about them on this thursday, november 29th? from abc news, this is "world news now." the first lady's saying, haters gonna hate, to quote her exactly. we'll break that down a little bit later on, but we're starting with that stunning acknowledgement from president trump. it would be stunning from any president, for that matter, declaring a pardon for his convicted former campaign chairman is not off the table. >> the president continues to rail after the russia investigation after it came to light all along that he was receiving secret information from inside the probe from paul manafort's lawyer. we now have some of the answers the president admitted to robert mueller. here is terry moran. >> reporter: we thought paul manafort flipped on president trump as part of his plea deal with robert mueller. now the president's lawyer tells us manafort was cooperating with

team trump all along. and the president seems to be openly dangling the possibility of a pardon, telling "the new york post" it's not off the table. "it was never discussed, but i wouldn't take it off the table. why would i take it off the table?" he said. for months, he tried to minimize his relationship with his former campaign chair while at the same time expressing sympathy. >> he worked for me for a very short period of time, but you know what? he happens to be a very good person, and i think it's very sad what they've done to paul manafort. >> reporter: now we know that after manafort cut his deal with mueller his lawyer briefed the trump legal team on what mueller's prosecutors were asking, giving the president a direct view into the investigation. as manafort was feeding the president's lawyers information, trump was working on his own written responses to the special counsel's questions. abc news has learned about some of his answers. sources tell abc news trump

wrote he did not know about the now infamous trump tower meeting where donald trump jr., son-in-law jared kushner and manafort met with a russian lawyer they were told had negative information about hillary clinton. trump also wrote he does not recall his longtime associate roger stone telling him he was in contact with wikileaks, which published the hacked democratic e-mails. stone himself has denied discussing wikileaks with the president. paul manafort's decision to have his lawyer brief president trump's legal team after being questioned by the prosecutors, that's unusual. it is allowed. it's risky for manafort. and if president trump and manafort had any conversations about a trump pardon in exchange for manafort holding back, that for sure would be trouble for manafort and president trump. terry moran, abc news, the white house. >> and a big thanks to terry there in washington. in defiance of president trump, the senate is moving to punish saudi arabia over the murder of journalist jamal khashoggi. senators voted in favor of moving forward with legislation calling for an end to u.s. involvement in the saudi-led war

with yemen. secretary of state mike pompeo briefed senators behind closed doors then told the press there was no direct reporting connecting the saudi crown prince to the killing, but many republicans weren't buying it and they're demanding to hear directly from cia director gina haspel. >> if that briefing is not given soon it's going to be hard for me to vote for any spending bill. >> the cia is denying claims by a number of senators that the white house told haspel not to attend the briefing. nancy pelosi is one step closer to retaking the title of speaker of the house. the california democrat was nominated by her house colleagues to be their leader when the new congress begins in january. now, to guarantee her second stint as speaker, pelosi will need the votes of at least 15 more democrats when the full house considers her nomination. pelosi now has a few weeks to try to win over those votes. emergency crews have recovered the bodies of four

children and two adults from the rubble of a burned out house in a rural area north of indianapolis. the house was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived and with no fire hydrants in the area, they had to carry in water to battle the flames. alex perez has the details. >> reporter: a massive fire with several family members trapped inside just weeks before the christmas holiday. the cold weather and the lack of fire hydrants making it difficult for firefighters as the fast-moving flames engulfed the home. emergency calls going out. >> there are children in the residence. we're going to need multiple ambulances. >> reporter: police recovering six bodies, a man, a woman and four children. the youngest just 3 months old. two people managed to escape. >> these are investigators that are asking some questions and knocking on some doors, trying to find some answers. >> reporter: firefighters battled the blaze for more than

five hours in those windy, bone-chilling conditions. the home in a rural area of indianapolis and no hydrants nearby. teams running out of water at one point. the fire so devastating, even hours later investigators could not enter the smoldering wreckage. >> we're going to consider it a criminal investigation until we find out otherwise. >> reporter: and as authorities investigate the cause of this fire, officials in a neighboring county are investigating the death of the father of some of the young victims killed here and whether that death is connected to this fire. alex perez, abc news, logansport, indiana. >> if it isn't connected, it would be a strange coincidence. interesting story. we do have severe weather on both coasts this morning. communities near lake erie, upstate new york and new england are digging out from as much as two feet of snow and now another blizzard is on the way this weekend coming in from the midwest. >> in the meantime, a disruptive major storm is now arriving on the pacific coast, bringing heavy rain and snow.

>> residents are ready in case that causes flash flooding and mudslides in areas stripped by the wildfires. accuweather's paul williams has the detailed forecast. paul, good morning. >> good morning, janai, kendis. this low pressure system is going to pick a serious fight on the west coast with flash flooding burn scar mudslides, heavy showers, dangerous rough seas, gusty winds, travel disruptions and thunderstorms. just about anything bad you could ask for. how about one to three feet of snow above 6,500 feet? in the northeast it's cold with more snow showers particularly coming out of buffalo, new york, with yet another foot of snow. icy mix and spotty showers in the ohio valley region. kendis? janai? so it's beginning to look a lot like the christmas season in washington, d.c. >> three, two, one -- >> that's a pretty one. the president and mrs. trump lit the national christmas tree near the white house last night. the first lady actually throwing

the switch. it was the 96th consecutive year for the presidential tradition. the event featured a number of country and christian musicians. a little different from the obama days. you'd have, like, chance the rapper there. >> mixing it up some. back at the white house, the first lady is defending the look of some other trees. >> you know those trees. >> those ones. >> she chose to include all red trees as part of the white house christmas decorations. they line both sides of a long hallway in the east wing. well, the internet is undefeated and had a field day with these trees. >> so here's one that compared the row of trees to a car wash, understandably so, with big red brushes. >> uh-huh. another said they look like yip yip aliens. >> oh, yeah, from "sesame street." >> man, people are clever. we can't forget the trees wearing the hats from "the handmaid's tale." the first lady not letting critics spoil her christmas

spirit. >> we are in the 21st century and everyone has a different taste. i think they look fantastic. >> grinch on, grinches. >> there you go, she likes it. she also said that the trees look even more beautiful in person. it's one of those things you have to see in person. >> you think? >> she said she hopes everyone will come over and visit and maybe see them themselves. >> you know, it is a nice way to mix it up. >> i like it. >> right? the white walls. >> for contrast with the red trees. >> is that green carpet? that's what people should be mad about. >> that's -- that says christmas. >> or is that there all year long? because that's hideous. the carpet, not the trees. >> you've been in these halls. coming up, the half christmas tree. you think that was bad. would you pay $50 for only half of an artificial christmas tree? we're checking it out later and

the reason for why they did this. but first, the red-hot controversy surrounding the washington redskins. why so many fans are angry over the team signing this player who had just been dropped from the 49ers. you're watching "world news now." 49ers. you're watching "world news now."

here's here's some stunning video. a man seen throwing a woman out of a bar in napa, california. right there. that woman was briefly unconscious when two men with pool cues tried to help, one of them was also knocked to the ground. this happened nearly two weeks ago. since then one of the suspects has turned himself in. the other still being sought by police. a coroner in canada is confirming that a grizzly bear killed a mother and her infant daughter in canada's remote yukon territory. >> investigators say the husband was returning from a walk when the bear charged him. the man was able to shoot and kill the grizzly, only to discover the bodies of his wife and baby girl. the washington redskins are facing growing outrage just days after signing a player. >> the redskins made their move immediately after another team

dumped him over the incident. here is abc's david kerley. >> reporter: just days after appearing in an orange jail jumpsuit accused again of domestic violence, the washington redskins are offering to put reuben foster in a burgundy uniform. he was released by the 49ers after this weekend's latest incident. >> the ex-boyfriend what? >> took my phone and broke it and slapped me in my face. >> reporter: claiming foster is a controversial move for the redskins. as the police and the nfl investigate, he can't play for now. >> there is no guarantee he will ever play here. he's got a lot of work to do personally, with the team, with the nfl, before he ever thinks about playing again. >> reporter: the nfl has been plagued by bad behavior of some of its players. >> we recognize that domestic violence and sexual assault exist everywhere. >> reporter: with the commissioner pledging in 2014 to make those players more accountable.

>> foster met with players and had a physical but he will not be putting on a uniform until the commissioner lifts the ban on him playing. david kerley, abc news, landover, maryland. >> and foster's arraignment was pushed back to january 3rd so it's unlikely he'll play in the regular season. >> why sign him if he can't even play and he has this sort of baggage? >> when the coach says he has a lot of work to do. >> in the meantime, colin kaepernick is sitting somewhere because he got down on a knee. >> yeah. all right. coming up, in the next half hour the latest holiday light fight. why the owner of this house is being charged $2,000 a night by his town. but first, the white instagram model accused of darkening her skin to appear black in order to gain followers and endorsements. she's defending herself. that's next on "world news now."

taxi count, one. >> ooh. >> oh, no, i see another one. >> a white instagram model is facing growing outrage, accused of pretending to be black to rack up followers and endorsements. >> it's reignited a fierce debate online with critics saying she adopted black culture for her own profit. here is abc's juju chang. >> hey, guys, i'm emma hallburg. >> reporter: she attracted followers by posting sultry selfies and beauty tips. many assumed that the 19-year-old was biracial. >> so this is the finished look. >> reporter: the self-proclaimed model and instagram influencer now under fire, accused of pretending to be black to gain followers. >> i don't actually really know why they are upset because the

things they have been accusing me of are natural on me. >> reporter: the controversy igniting after a twitter user posted these two photos of her online. one showing her with much lighter skin and straight hair. though the swedish teen says she is white many of her features appear culturally ambiguous. people on social media quick to accuse hallberg of blackfishing. a term used to describe someone who is pretending to be black. the images triggering an internet frenzy, the latest headline in a string of explosive stories surrounding the delicate issue of race and cultural appropriation. one person on twitter writing, "taking deals made for black girls and posing as black to manipulate followers is a big deal. blackface is a big deal when black people are being murdered because of our skin color. >> people who are responsible for popularizing and creating these looks aren't getting the same monetary advantages and getting modeling opportunities and things like that.

>> reporter: but emma denies the accusation, saying this was never her intention and that her looks are natural. >> i haven't done anything to make myself look darker. i get the tan naturally when i've been in the sun. whenever somebody has asked me, i've always answered that i'm white because i've never seen myself as anything else. >> reporter: the left picture was taken two years ago right before summer with barely any makeup and my hair straightened. she's not the first insta celeb to come under fire. last year jaden apologized for perpetuating a culture of appropriation after posting this photo of herself online accused of wearing blackface after appearing visibly darker in photographs. >> the internet that is, you know, wonderful and diverse and great, but is also part of the wider world where race and socialization and culture and all these things matter. >> reporter: she says this isn't about shaming any one person but about sparking a much-needed

conversation among everyone. >> if a large group of people are telling you that something that you're doing is ultimately part of a racist legacy in history, she should listen to that. >> i cannot change the way i was born because the things i've been accused of and the things people are mad about are things that are natural on me. like, my hair, my lips, my nose, my face. >> our thanks to juju chang. remember the rachel dolezal incident. >> absolutely. >> more than three years ago in the sacramento area. she was the head of an ncaa chapter. not sacramento, in washington state. >> she was asked by a reporter if she was black and she said, i don't understand the question. >> can you form it in a sentence? i don't know about this. do we give blac chyna heat because she doesn't look black? >> i have to say, black twitter

on the rachel dolezal thing still the best thing that happened to twitter. >> it really is. it's what brought black twitter into being. >> so awesome. >> "the mix" is next. >> "the mix" is next. s. it's what brought black twitter into being. >> so awesome. >> "the mix" is next. ♪ unstopables in-wash scent booster ♪ downy unstopables about the colonial penn program. here to tell you if you're age 50 to 85, and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three p's. what are the three p's? the three p's of life insurance on a fixed budget are price, price, and price. a price you can afford,

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it's time for "the mix" on this thursday. perhaps this is the solution for it's time for "the mix" on this thursday. perhaps this is the solution for many pet owners around this time of year. >> and little kiddos. >> exactly. you want to have a big christmas tree but you know that your cats or your dogs. >> rascals are going to mess it up. >> can be a bit of a mess. so should we introduce you to the half christmas tree? >> jeez. >> yeah. so the first part is just like a pole. and the top part is the tree. it's -- it retails for about 50 bucks. there are two varieties. yeah, there you go. >> all right. >> the frosted one. each one stands about 6 feet tall. only contains branches and leaves from the top half there.

so there. >> more room for presents. >> it would work. it would work. >> though some would argue the cat would still get up there. >> i mean, cats -- cats would have gotten on the banister and just jump all over the place. it's good marketing at least. moving on in "the mix" to payless. you know the shoe store payless. they opened a fake luxury store to see how much people would pay for their $20 and $40 shoes. boy, would you be surprised. they called it paylessi and invited fashion influencers over. get this. >> some fabulous fashion influencers. >> these real people agreed to pay between $200 and $600 for payless shoes that are between 20 and 40 bucks and even commented on how sophisticated their purchases were or how they were made with high-quality materials. >> oh, my gosh. really? >> yeah. obviously payless not something

you would typically associate with high-fashion. a reminder to customers, they are affordable. >> as they say, why pay more when you can payless? next to a $44,000 playhouse. >> why pay more when you can payless. >> a $44,000 playhouse? >> what? >> this is awesome. so it was built in mansfield, texas. it's sort of like a miniature version of the actual house. >> chip and joanna came over to decorate. >> it has a living room. >> oh, my gosh. >> i'm gonna move in, donna. it has a porch. flower boxes. i've been looking for a place. this might be great. >> throw a little ship lap up in there. >> subway tile. >> a 10 by 12 foot living area. >> can kids tell time on that

clock. >> farm sink? >> you've got to see these stable mates.

eight years into the disease was when all the light went out. for me, it was heart-wrenching. look into the eyes of somebody with alzheimer's sometime, you just don't see -- the person's soul is, like, gone. bea: and it takes a toll on everyone. i mean, it's -- it's a depressing disease to watch unfold before your eyes. she actually thought those of us who were caring for her and who loved her most were her worst enemies. more and more responsibilities fell on my shoulders. lisa: this disease just ravages a family. it changes your life. the magnitude of it is indescribable. my mother taught me to be in the moment. we have to live in the moment with them. and i'm going to be with that person right now, in this moment, wherever she is. art: now is the moment. if we work together,

we can stop this epidemic. grace: contact brightfocus and learn more. this m this morning on "world news now," dangerous storms on the move. fear of mudslides and flash flooding as torrential rain takes aim at california in areas already decimated by deadly wildfires. preparations are in full gear. new developments in the urgent hunt for a killer. a young girl kidnapped in front of her own home while waiting to go to school. her body found this week. the fbi revealing new details. and new this half hour, a little boy in the spotlight and stealing the show. >> while under the watchful eye of the vatican's swiss guards and pope francis himself. what his mother had to say.

and dueling divas. mariah carey, a mainstay at the rockefeller christmas tree lighting notably absent this year. in her place, the legendary diana ross. could diana now be the new supreme queen of christmas? >> what? >> our full investigation ahead in "the skinny." it is thursday, november 29th. ♪ ♪ from abc news, this is "world news now." things are getting interesting. >> there is somewhere mary wilson is like, she's kind of like, yeah, i go with mariah. let's begin on the west coast. we begin with the fears of a new weather disaster in california as a new major storm hits the west coast. >> residents fear flash flooding and mudslides like what hit montecito last winter. at least 20 people died in the area which had been stripped of vegetation by wildfire.

>> and it could happen again. we've had the wildfires and now this storm. it is bringing heavy rain to coastal communities and snow in the mountains further inland from washington all the way down to southern california. >> in southern california, residents near areas burned out by the woolsey fire are filling and stacking sandbags. emergency crews are also on alert, including a swift water rescue team. >> okay. so let's find out how bad things will get with this west coast storm. >> accuweather's paul williams has the details. paul, good morning. >> good morning, janai, kendis. flash flooding, that's one of the residual effects of this low pressure system swinging in violently throughout portions of central california. with burn scar mudslides, gusty winds, travel disruptions and thunderstorms. if that's not enough, how about 1 to 3 feet of snow in the upper elevations along with strong winds pushing through as well.

for the northeast it's about the brisk winds and widespread snow showers with heavy snow showers in western new york and an icy mix throughout the ohio valley region and spotty showers. that's going to happen throughout the entire great lakes region, reaching down into the ohio valley region with cold air staying very persistent throughout portions of minnesota going into iowa as if they need any additional cold air. kendis? janai? >> our thanks to paul williams there. there is an urgent hunt for a child killer in north carolina, but police say they don't have a suspect in the murder of eighth grader hania aguilar. abc's steve osunsami has details. >> reporter: police in north carolina made a gruesome discovery. they have located the body of 13-year-old hania aguilar. she was the eighth grader who went missing on november 5th outside of her lumberton, north carolina home. she walked outside to go to school. she started her aunt's green suv. her aunt was going to take her to school. then witnesses saw a man dressed in black with a yellow bandana covering his face force her into the car and drive away. that car, that suv is seen driving away on surveillance

video. for weeks now police have been searching the area, hoping to find this young girl. and unfortunately they reported they found her body. a state lab will verify it officially but all indications are this is the young girl. there is now a manhunt for the killer. there are so many unanswered questions. it's not clear at this point that police even know who they're looking for or how long the girl was in the water. at her school system, they're calling on grief counselors for students who need them. steve osunsami, abc news, atlanta. >> such a tough story overall. thank you, steve. to washington now where a number of republican senators are breaking with president trump over his refusal to punish the saudi crown prince for the murder of that american resident jamal khashoggi. now the senate voted to move forward with legislation calling for an end to u.s. involvement in the saudi-led war with yemen. here is abc's emily rau. >> reporter: secretary of state mike pompeo and defense

secretary james mattis briefing the senate wednesday for over an hour on saudi arabia and yemen. pompeo urging lawmakers not to limit u.s. involvement in the war in yemen and maintain ties with the saudis. but also playing defense. >> there is no direct reporting connecting the crown prince to the order to murder jamal khashoggi. >> reporter: senators on both sides unhappy with president trump's lukewarm response to jamal khashoggi's murder at the hands of the saudis and angry at the absence of cia director gina haspel at the briefing. "the washington post" has reported her agency has a, quote, high degree of confidence that the crown prince ordered khashoggi's murder. >> it's outrageous that the senate can be stonewalled from hearing from the cia director. >> reporter: republican lindsey graham even making this threat if he doesn't hear directly from the cia. >> if that briefing is not given soon, it's going to be hard for

me to vote for any spending bill. >> reporter: when asked why haspel wasn't there, pompeo repeatedly declining to explain. >> i was asked to be here and here i am. >> reporter: and this assertion from mattis -- >> we have no smoking gun that the crown prince was involved. >> reporter: -- not enough for some senators in the president's own party. >> whether there is a smoking gun, i don't think there is anybody in the room that doesn't believe he was responsible for it. >> the cia says the notion that anyone told director haspel not to attend the briefing is false but that directly contradicts multiple senators who say it was the white house that told her not to be there. kendis? janai? >> our thanks to emily rau there in washington. the pentagon has released the names of three american troops killed by a roadside bomb in afghanistan this week. army captain andrew ross of virginia survived by his wife. boston native army sergeant first class eric emond, a married father of three on his

seventh deployment, and staff sergeant dylan elkin, just deployed and was engaged to be married. nancy pelosi has some work to do even though she's been nominated by her fellow democrats to be the next house speaker. 32 of them voted against her. so that means pelosi needs to find another 15 votes to reclaim the speaker's gavel when the full house takes up her nomination in january. >> our ranking members in a matter of weeks will be madam and mr. chair, and that is a great thing for the american people. we have been deputized to be a check and balance on the president and the other branches of government and we will do that with dignity. >> the full house vote on pelosi's nomination to be speaker is scheduled for january 3rd, that's five weeks from today. pelosi has said that she expects

to have enough votes by then. overseas, stock markets are mostly higher overnight following a powerful surge on wall street. all three major stock averages soared more than 2% after comments from the fed chairman indicated that interest rate hikes may not rise much farther. those gains were the market's largest in six months. despite the fed chair's comments, analysts are still expecting another interest rate hike next month. new numbers released overnight show we're not living as long as we used to. the cdc blames suicides and drug overdoses. the suicide rate last year was the highest in at least 50 years. more deaths were also reported last year and it's not just that the population is growing and aging. cdc says that we are losing too many americans to conditions that are preventible. >> wow. >> lack of sleep and, you know, such, contribute to it. turning to much lighter news. >> yeah. >> pope francis may be one of the most powerful people on the planet but that didn't stop a

cheeky little boy from stealing the show. >> this 6-year-old bolted away from his parents and climbed on stage during the pope's general audience at the vatican. the swiss guard didn't even flinch when the boy grabbed his sleeve. >> his mom scrambled to corral him. explained to the pope that the boy is speech and hearing impaired. as you can tell, not always easy to control. but clearly he had no intention of giving up the spotlight. >> nope. as the pope -- as for the pope, he seemed delighted by the antics, explaining to the crowd that despite his impairments, the boy has no trouble expressing himself. >> yeah. >> indeed. he just kept running around. that swiss guard, that's -- they're not necessarily gonna stop any sort of incidents for the pope, are they? >> i wouldn't imagine anyone dressed like the joker is going to do too much. his dad said he basically had a lot of energy to get out. you know, little kids -- they

had driven like 300 miles from their home in verona to see the pope, waited in a long line. the kid had a lot of energy. >> i'm going to be free. i'm a swan. >> live your best life. #yolo. >> yolo. all right. coming up, the holiday light fight involving a homeowner who has been charged $2,000 a night by his local government just to keep his annual holiday light display up and running. >> and that's just the electric bill. and our friend william shatner gets in the spirit with rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. just wait until you see how wild it really gets. you're watching "world news now." >> and you would even say it glows. if you're age 50 to 85, and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three p's. what are the three p's? the three p's of life insurance on a fixed budget

are price, price, and price. a price you can afford, a price that can't increase, and a price that fits your budget. i'm 54. alex, what's my price? you can get coverage for $9.95 a month. i'm 65 and take medications. what's my price? also $9.95 a month. i just turned 80. what's my price? $9.95 a month for you too. if you're age 50 to 85, call now about the #1 most popular whole life insurance plan, available through the colonial penn program. it has an affordable rate starting at $9.95 a month. no medical exam, no health questions. your acceptance is guaranteed. and this plan has a guaranteed lifetime rate lock, so your rate can never go up for any reason. so call now for free information. and you'll also get this free beneficiary planner. anit's yours just for calling.

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know what turns me on? my better half, hors d oeuvres and bubbly. and when i really want to take it up a notch we use k-y yours & mine. tingling for me, warming for him. wow! this holiday season get what you want and there it is, the christmas season ushered in in and there it is, the christmas season ushered in in new york city. the massive 75-year-old norway spruce is lighting up manhattan's rockefeller center this morning with five miles' worth of multicolored l.e.d. bulbs. the tree lighting marks the unofficial start of the holiday season. a traditional ceremony that goes

back some 87 years. they even brought the choir out. we'll have more from there in "the skinny." but another holiday light display is igniting controversy in a neighborhood in new jersey. >> for 15 years the apruzzi family has put on a multimedia show that's attracted hundreds of spectators, but that apparently is at the heart of the dispute between the family and their township. >> i love putting smiles on people's faces. >> reporter: but not everyone is smiling in old bridge, new jersey, which is threatening to shut down thomas apruzzi's famed holiday light display. he and his wife kris have been told they will have to fork over thousand of dollars a night for security or the town will shut them down. >> they're asking me to pay for the police at approximately $2,000 a night, and they want me to bus people in and out so they don't have to worry so people won't park on the road and that's totally wrong. >> reporter: old bridge officials say police last year received many complaints about the traffic congestion caused by

apruzzi's display. and the increased crowds and parked cars compromise public safety. the apruzzis have been putting on their display for more than 15 years. it includes more than 70,000 lights synchronized to music. apruzzi says there's never been any problems in years past but this year he's blaming a couple of neighbors that he says started complaining to the town. now he says the mayor is playing politics. >> this could have been taken care of many months ago and then they decide to -- they tried to strong arm me in october, knowing that i wasn't going to have a lot of time to do what i had to do. they tried to do stipulations with this and that and everything else like that. >> reporter: still, apruzzi insists he's not paying a dime for anything. he's hired a lawyer, he knows his rights and says this year the show will go on. >> joy and smiles. that's what the christmas holiday is all about. >> owen henry, the mayor of old bridge, new jersey, tells abc news overnight that, quote, there is a lot of misinformation out there. all we're trying to do is make sure the event is safe. >> all right. so that's it.

that's what they're doing. when we come back, william shatner takes on rudolph. >> and someone we talked about in "the skinny" yesterday was watching apparently. we have a viewer. one viewer. "the skinny's" next. "the skinny's" next. viewer. the skiny's next.

♪ skinny ♪ skinny ♪ just give me the skinny it really is an action-packed "skinny." >> yeah, this one's going to be good. >> we're going to start with william shatner who was featured in one of our most popular "world news now" polkas. but now he's singing a new song. >> just in time for christmas. check out the official music video for william shatner's rendition of "rudolph the red-nosed reindeer." >> the video features billy gibbons, the legendary guitarist for zz top. you really have to see it to believe it. ♪ hey rudolph with your nose so bright won't you guide my sleigh tonight ♪ ♪ then all the reindeer loved him as they shouted out with glee ♪

♪ rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, hey, man, you're gonna go down in history ♪ >> shatner there, seen inside of a snow globe, is 87, by the way. that track part of his new christmas album titled "shatner claus." >> trying to be the new king of christmas. i like it. next to the queen of christmas herself, mariah carey helping her kids get in the game. >> she posted this video showing off her twins, moroccan and monroe, doing the backup vocals to her holiday classic. take a listen. ♪ i just want you for my own more than you could ever know ♪ ♪ make my wish come true >> and what? ♪ all i want for christmas is you ♪ >> y'all, those kids know better. >> if you're mariah carey, you only have kids to have your own backup singers. >> backup singers. it's the most, of course, downloaded holiday single of all

time, but those kids are like -- mariah's like you'll walk if you dare sing my line. >> hands off mommy's line. >> mariah might be getting some stiff competition for the whole title of queen of christmas. >> so she was conspicuously absent during last night's rockefeller christmas tree lighting concert extravaganza. stepping in to highlight the night, none other than diana ross. >> supreme. ♪ snuggled up together like birds of a feather would be ♪ >> diana sang a medley of christmas favorites including a few samples from her new album, "wonderful christmas time." she sounded great. >> looked fabulous. >> looked amazing. it was a cold and windy night there in rockefeller center. looked good, no? all right. some shade off camera right now.

next to something that's a little trippy that's sure to blow your mind. it did for us. >> yeah. so yesterday we mentioned our friend of the show gayle king copying her niece's poses while on vacation. >> it turns out gayle was actually watching. >> good morning, gayle. >> good morning, guys. >> showing the world her sense of humor. >> must be a slow news day. getting up now. >> gayle posted these -- >> this is so funny. >> so that made our day. >> completely. >> completely made our day. so to make it even more weirder, this is then me watching gayle watching us. >> this is way too meta. >> way too meta. >> so weird. so cool. >> i need some decorations up in the house, too. >> yeah, you do. >> so cool. >> that would be even more trippy if gayle watches us watching her watching her.

>> we can keep this going. coming up, the world is waking up to a brand-new champion this morning. >> stay tuned. >> is it football? this is mega. g. >> stay tuned. >> is it football? this is mega. r. [darrell's wife] uh, honey, isn't that the dog's towel? [dog sfx] hey, mi towel, su towel. more gain scent plus oxi boost and febreze makes gain flings our best gain ever. gain. seriously good scent. there are so many toothpastes out there... ...which one should i use? choose one that takes care of your gums and enamel.

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and when i really want to take it up a notch we use k-y yours & mine. tingling for me, warming for him. wow! this holiday season get what you want we get a lot of heat we get a lot of heat sometimes for having "world" in our name and not necessarily covering the world sometimes. >> but every now and then we'll mix it up, right? >> yes. every time. >> so today's one of those times because there is a new world champion this morning. >> yeah. not like baseball world champions. >> no, no, this is real world. >> this is real. >> and it wasn't handed out in a team sport. >> mmm-hmm. in this sport only one person could come out on top. >> badminton? >> reporter: this is huge. the scene, london. the event, chess world championship. the defending champion,

27-year-old magnus carlsen, nicknamed the thor of chess. more like chess bae, he's a former fashion model. >> the night. waiting. >> reporter: all right. back to chess. the challenger, american fabiano, 26-year-old from miami, these guys are the best in the world. they've been playing for three weeks. some games lasting seven hours. this is the final lightning round. molly hunter right there. >> sound-proof, totally black, totally silent room where the game is actually happening. out here we're all watching. >> i mean, the quality of play has been ridiculously high throughout the whole thing. people have called it boring but it's just what happens when the two greatest players come into one game. they play on such small things that most top players wouldn't even understand. you look at it and say, i probably wouldn't have done that and ten minutes later you see why. >> reporter: the american cheering section, fabiano's parents. not worried at all. >> he is handling himself beautifully. i'm very proud. >> he seems to be holding his own.

we're not nervous and he's calmer than we are. >> reporter: back in the room the rapid tiebreaker games are magnus' specialty. he takes game one and two and three, giving the norweigian rock star another world title. >> i mean, yeah, everything kind of went perfectly. >> reporter: humble brag much? fabiano? >> it's a great learning experience. >> reporter: chess bae? >> he is the strongest opponent i've played. he has just as much right as i to call himself the best in the world. >> so there you have it. ladies love the chess players. >> do they? >> espn has been fighting for the rights for that for years. they have not been able to get it. >> one day, though. >> one day. >> it's coming. >> so the winner gets $600,000. second place, $500,000. >> bobby fischer was the last one. remember bobby fischer? 1972.

this is abc's "world news now," informing insomniacs for two decades.

the rain is easing up across the bay area. the latest storm still causing trouble this morning. you can expect a challenging commute as you head out. >> good morning. it is 4:00 a.m. yes, we are on a little early. we usually don't come to you until approximately 4:27. we figured we would warn you with what happens with the rain this morning. it's coming back. >> we are in a bit of a lull right now. we even have some thunderstorms out there. live doppler 7. northeast of vallejo, a few thunderstorms and the entire map lit up in green. as we go