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we're back with two brawls at the mall this week, both in connecticut. at least one teen was arrested after this massive fight. mall officials may have now banned unsupervised teens. about 50 miles away, four teens were arrested after fights broke out in this mall. authorities say hundreds of teens were involved. one boy had a gun. >> wow. turning now to the sexual assault case against kevin spacey and the newly-obtained audio of his lawyer in court. >> spacey's lawyer took aim at the young accuser in the case. abc's matt gutman has the latest. >> reporter: we learned that days before kevin spacey ended his year of silence with this cryptic video -- >> and my confidence grows each day that soon enough you will know the full truth. >> reporter: -- his attorneys argued in a massachusetts court that there wasn't enough evidence for the former "house of cards" star to be charged with indecent assault on an 18-year-old man. abc news has obtained a recording of that hearing. spacey's attorney, alan jackson,

questioning the officer who took the testimony of the accuser, who claims that spacey groped him in a bar in 2016. >> if we were to stand and count off three minutes, you wouldn't agree, trooper. that's an incredibly long time to have a strange man's hands in your pants, correct? >> i would agree with that, yes. >> reporter: the attorney questioning why the accuser didn't walk away and instead was texting and even snapchatted video of the alleged incident. >> what the video shows is a person's hand made contact with the shirt, correct? >> yes. >> okay. not the -- any body part. >> correct. you don't see any body parts. >> reporter: the defense attorney pointing out that the accuser told spacey he was 23 when he says spacey bought him multiple drinks. that accuser did not immediately report the alleged incident, but according to that police report, he did tell family and friends right away. now, spacey denies the allegations but faces up to five years in prison if convicted. matt gutman, abc news, los angeles.

>> and remember, spacey is still facing other investigations in los angeles as well as in england. >> yeah. dramatic fall for him, right? >> yeah. when we come back, actor ben stiller is fighting back. >> why the actor turned director is defending his new tv series, "escape at dannemora," from some fierce criticism. you're watching "world news now." dannemora" from some fierce criticism. you're watching "world news now."

the night sky in new york back to normal after that big explosion. >> a beautiful shot. >> yeah. actor turned director ben stiller is finding himself on the defensive this morning over his hit tv series "escape at dannemora." >> the show's based on the real life story of joyce mitchell, a prison worker convicted of helping two inmates escape. but now from behind bars, mitchell is slamming stiller, calling him a liar. >> i said lights out. now. >> reporter: critics are raving about "escape at dannemora," the show chronicling the infamous 2015 prison break in upstate new york that is already up for two golden globes, including best actress for patricia arquette's dramatic transformation into prison worker joyce mitchell. >> i didn't do anything wrong. >> reporter: but the real-life joyce mitchell is fighting back at the showtime series calling director ben stiller a liar. mitchell pleaded guilty to helping convicted killer david sweat and richard matt escape and was sentenced to seven years. >> please allow me to start by saying how sorry i am.

>> reporter: mitchell claimed the inmates threatened to kill her husband if she didn't help them, admitting she smuggled in tools inside hamburger meat, including hacksaw blades, chisels, a punch and a screwdriver that matt and sweat used to cut their way through their cell walls. but in the series, the then 51-year-old is portrayed as a more willing co-conspirator. drawing mitchell's ire. in a recent interview slamming stiller saying, "he doesn't care about the truth. all he cares about is making millions off me. he's an idiot." mitchell takes particular exception with how the hit series portrayed her as having sex with both inmates, something she and sweat both deny. but stiller is fighting back, defending the series, telling "deadline," -- "my guideline was to try to tell what i thought happened. she disputed it, but the reality is she was kicked out of the tailor shop for inappropriate contact for going in the back room with david sweat." the director told variety how he

personally convinced governor cuomo permission to film at the 2 facility. >> "escape at dannemora" was a real commitment for ben stiller as a director. he devoted about a year of his life to filming the project. inevitability in any of these true life, true crime stories, there are going to be people that come and say, no, no, no, that's not my version of events. >> so stiller also said he was trying to tell the story in as real and hopefully entertaining a way as possible without exploiting. he said it can't be fun to be in prison so definitely seems like there is no love lost between the two of them, him and joyce mitchell. i did that story for "gma" yesterday and i learned a lot about it. so stiller actually almost passed on this, but after reading the inspector general report from the state of new york, he said that it was really the details of the escape, it lasted almost three weeks, cost millions of dollars. that as well as the human relationships outlined in it,

that changed his mind and made him think, let's do it. >> it was captivating and it just went on and on and on. it was incredible. >> absolutely. coming up, one of our most touching christmas stories. stay with us. touching christmas stories. fshs

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empire state building still dressed up for the holiday. and despite our empire state building still dressed up for the holiday. and despite our best efforts, the holidays don't always turn out perfect. >> yeah, and this morning we're checking out some spectacular holiday fails, including this moment caught on camera of a woman who stepped right through her own ceiling as she pulled decorations out of the attic. >> this was a sad sight after someone slammed their new hover board, oh, right into the oven. they're okay. >> but this one might be our favorite. captioned, "every year our aunt in maine sends us a little handmade chocolate lobster." >> oh, cool. >> "this year, they're soap. guess how we found out." >> holiday fail. meanwhile, christmas day was

quite emotional for one family in lancaster, pennsylvania. >> yeah. our tom llamas shows us why. >> 11-year-old carter wyles is about to get the christmas surprise of a lifetime. >> this is from all of us. all of us. >> reporter: that's his aunt, leah kiphart, offering him a final gift to open on christmas morning. inside, this family photo of the kipharts, showing carter's aunt, uncle and cousins along with a very special letter. >> carter, this is our most recent picture of our family. all of us would love for you to be in the next picture and to be part of our family. carter, would you like to be a kiphart -- >> what do you think, buddy? >> yes! >> reporter: his aunt and uncle surprising him with an adoption. >> we're going to adopt you, carter.

>> thank you so much. >> reporter: his aunt tells us carter's adoption status was nearing a deadline. about to change so someone outside the family would be able to adopt him. >> this might have been the last time that we were ever going to see carter and felt that it was really important for us to keep him in the family. a lot of people talk about how lucky he is, and we're just as fortunate to have him join our family. >> reporter: and here's carter describing that magical moment. >> for me it was very emotional. it made me feel good that other people can enjoy other, like, my happiness and my family's happiness. >> reporter: tom llamas, abc news, new york. >> magic of the holidays. >> yeah, i love hearing somebody say in the background saying, what do you think, buddy? it made me feel good. >> as he's crying. that just does make you feel good. good holiday stories. don't miss our updates on wnnfans.com. >> more news next. stay with us. this is abc's "world news now" informing insomniacs for

two decades.

good friday morning. i'm janai norman. >> and i'm zachary kiesch. here are some of the top stories this hour on "world news now." the secretary of homeland security kirstjen nielsen is traveling to the southern border today to visit facilities in el paso. nielsen has been under fire after is second migrant child died while in custody. customers from new york to california reported outages. 911 service and some atms were affected. verizon also reported disruptions because of centurylink's issue. a massive transformer explosion rattled new yorkers overnight when it turned the sky bright blue. the fire at a substation in queens delayed subway service and briefly shut down laguardia airport. no one was hurt and everything

is back up and running. and the ball that rings in the new year is all dressed up for the big night. the 6-ton device will be sporting some sparkling new waterford crystals as 2018 ends and 2019 begins. those are some of our top stories for this friday, this last friday, december 28th. from abc news, this is "world news now." thank you for joining us. the end of this holiday week as we get ready to roll into another one. we begin this half hour with the government shutdown dragging on now for seven days and counting with neither side ready to blink. >> president trump now says the standoff is not about the border wall, claiming it's really about democrats denying him a win. as the funding fight rages on, hundreds of thousands of workers are caught in the crossfire. abc's kenneth moton has more. >> reporter: capitol hill a ghost town with 800,000 federal workers in limbo. department of justice worker tanya via says with two kids in college, uncertainty hits hard.

>> tuition starts back up at the end of january for two children. so yes i was saving, but i am saving a little more. >> reporter: the senate adjourned thursday after four minutes. the house not scheduled for votes the rest of the week. negotiations between democrats and president trump at a standstill. >> whatever it takes. i mean, we're going to have a wall. >> reporter: back from a warzone, the president is back to battling with democrats, tweeting, "have the democrats finally realized that we desperately need border security and a wall on the southern border?" adding without evidence, "do the dems realize most of the people not getting paid are democrats? the vice president reportedly asked to $2.1 billion countering top senate democrat chuck schumer's $1.3 billion offer. the white house said thursday it's received no response from democrats. schumer and leader nancy pelosi fired back, saying they've offered republicans three options. pelosi promising to fund the government but not the wall when democrats take control of the house next week.

anthony bouldin who works at the usda is not confident a deal will come quickly. >> for me it's just total uncertainty in terms of knowing how to budget for the upcoming months. >> reporter: the senate and the house are now scheduled to reconvene next week. if there's a deal to end the shutdown, lawmakers have been told they will receive a 24-hour notice before having to return for a vote. janai? zachary? >> our thanks to kenneth there in washington. here in new york, wall street is wondering what the final friday of the year will bring after thursday's roller coaster ride. the dow sank more than 600 points early but ended the day up 200 points thanks to a late rally. the volatility hasn't scared off the foreign exchanges. most asian markets showed gains overnight. while consumer confidence is ony., surveys showe xteafoth >>hey rain with ssle

flash flooding is moving into conditio ithe plnd twrs floodnditio irgnotaausethir and down in houston, gusty winds toppled a billboard, sending it crashing into a nearby building. let's go to accuweather's paul williams for today's forecast. paul, good morning. >> good morning, janai, zachary. we have snow that's lingering throughout the north central part of the country. now biting wind is going to push through in such a way that it's going to drop the accuweather real feel to 30 below zero throughout the dakotas and portions of minnesota. now for the northeast, an icy mix in vermont, new hampshire, maine. heavy rain from boston down to d.c. with flight delays expected with that and heavy showers throughout the deep south. a combination of rain and thunderstorms will bring about downpours and concern for local flooding. snowstorm going into friday night with blowing and drifting snow, difficulty traveling and blizzard near albuquerque.dsl p we could see snow some 6 to 12 inches in some areas.

now to the manhunt for a cos about the spenk saying he is in the country illegally. here's abc's marci gonzalez. >> reporter: investigators in northern california searching h. >> reporter: investigators in northern california searching for this man considered armed and dangerous. on the run after police say he killed newman police corporal and k-9 officer ronil singh early wednesday morning. the sheriffs saying they believe they've identified the gunman but they aren't releasing his name. >> it would be irresponsible for us to issue that information without absolutely knowing, without any doubt, that we have identified the right suspect. >> reporter: the sheriff saying the suspected killer is in the u.s. illegally and is seen in this surveillance video just before the shooting buying beer and cigarettes then driving off. >> as he left, my friend came inside and was like, oh, officer singh just followed him and pulled him over right down the street.

>> reporter: he says it was during that dui stop that corporal singh was shot and killed. >> corporal singh absolutely tried to defend himself and stop this credible threat. >> reporter: singh's chief and friend called him an american patriot who moved to the u.s. from fiji with the dream of becoming a police officer. the seven-year veteran of the force spending his final hours before going into work celebrating christmas with his wife and 5-month-old son. >> he doesn't get to hold that little boy, hug his wife, say good night anymore because a coward took his life. please help us find this man and bring him to justice. >> reporter: the sheriff says he believes the suspected killer acted alone and that he is still likely somewhere in that county. zakaria, janai, back to you. >> marci, thank you. the coast guard has

suspended its search for a missing cruise ship entertainer. the 20-year-old performer went overboard about 200 miles from puerto rico on christmas day. he was last seen entering a deck area of royal caribbean's "harmony of the seas." crews searched for more than 80 hours and covered 3700 square miles. now to the custody battle in colorado for a baby whose father is accused of killing her mother. abc's clayton sandell has details. >> reporter: patrick frazee appeared in a colorado courtroom. the man accused of killing his fiance, kelsey berreth, now in a battle over the couple's daughter. frazee coming face to face with berreth's parents during a closed hearing. they left court after a judge granted them temporary custody of their 14-month-old granddaughter kaylee. 29-year-old berreth was last seen shopping with kaylee thanksgiving day. erstriy on ahaofdon't you talk first-degreeurr. rorter: falso facing a charge of solicitation to

commit murder, suggesting police believe he did not act alone. >> patrick, did you have an accomplice? did somebody help you. >> reporter: thursday's emergency custody hearing was scheduled shortly after frazee was arrested for berreth's murder. he'll be back in court for those charges monday. clayton sandell, abc news, cripple creek, colorado. now to a big story from an ohio police officer during a traffic stop. he was shocked to find scooby roo, the kangaroo in a pickup truck. >> huh? >> the driver doesn't own the marsupial. he was simply transporting it from missouri to its new home in columbus, ohio. despite the cuteness, the officer issued a warning to the driver because scooby wasn't properly restrained. why was he in missouri? why is he going to ohio? baby roo. where is his mama? next, what's being called a miracle rescue. a 12-year-old boy survived after being trapped under an avalanche in the french alps for 40

minutes. he was dragged by the force of the snow. >> that boy was eventually found by a sniffer dog. authorities say one reason he was able to survive, his airways weren't blocked by the snow. he was rushed to the hospital and is expected to be okay. wow. many people have bucket lists but a man from france has a barrel list. >> the 71-year-old is somewhere in the atlantic right now inside, inside this big orange barrel. he set sail or really set float from the canary islands off northwest africa wednesday. >> his goal is to reach the caribbean by the end of march only using the power of the ocean currents. he says he's doing it to prove that he's still got it. >> okay. so let's start with the basic questions. is he going to be sleeping? he's got >> what's he eating? what are the facilities like?

the restroom facilities. >> that's a long ride. >> yeah, i know. so questions that need answers. that barrel is about 65 square feet. >> yeah. >> inside. it's like living in new york. >> he said he's got an office and a sleeping area and a kitchen. yeah, it is tight quarters. >> best of luck to him. coming up, "holmes & watson," will ferrell and john c. reilly team up as the detective duo with a comedic twist. why the critics are giving it one of the lowest ratings of the year. but first, the close call for a police officer caught on camera at this railroad crossing. you're watching "world news now." jirngs

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whoa. >> so check this out. an illinois police officer had some luck riding with him in his patrol car. video shows his car's near miss with that commuter train right there. check that out. the warning lights and barrier at the crossing activated just seconds before he was about to cross. and you see him veer off and, wow, what a close call. >> the officer later posted this message on facebook saying, "every lottery ticket was a loser.

i just thought i wasn't born with luck at all. little did i know, i had luck, i was just saving it all for the perfect time." he certainly was. speaking of luck, this the $294 million powerball jackpot. i've got a new family member, though i don't know who he or she is. >> what we do know is just one lucky ticket was sold in new york and wabc's nina panetta went looking for the winner. >> why wasn't it us? >> i wish it was me who hit the lottery. >> good for them. a little jealous but it's all right. >> reporter: if it couldn't be them, they're just hoping the powerball winner is from their neighborhood at least. >> everybody wins. all the places. it's about time somebody from brooklyn won. >> oh, yes. i think it's great. finally somebody in the neighborhood won something.drm o uld tting l five numbers and the powerball. and they don't have to share that almost $300 million jackpot with anyone.

>> well, someone in this kind of area, that's up and coming, it's up and on the rise, they get an opportunity to do something like that or to win something like that, you kind of get to see a little bit more of what's happening. >> i think it's great. i hope they become a regular customer here in the future as well. >> reporter: businessowners and residents around east new york, which is a mix of public housing, modest apartments and emerging new retail and housing developments say they welcome brooklyn's newest millionaire and hope it will be someone who gives back. >> they always talk about the bad things, but there's a lot of good things happening in east new york. a lot of new development, as you can see outside the window here, a lot of new malls and a lot of new restaurants. >> reporter: there were two employees working the shift in the timeframe the new york lottery says this winning ticket was sold. they remember selling about 37 tickets and have already checked 20. they're hoping the winner is one of their regulars who they say come in and play the numbers all the time hoping for a break like this. nina panetta, channel 7, eyewitness news. >> and that new york city winner won't have to share that jackpot with anyone.

cash payout, $177 million. >> you're taking the cash payout? >> yeah, whatever. i don't care how you give it to me, just give it to me. whatever. three second place winners, one in florida, illinois and wisconsin. >> i didn't know they did second place in the lottery. >> maybe those people didn't either. but nice surprise. >> cha-ching, cha-ching. coming up, financial advice for the rest of us that didn't win the lottery. >> five tips that can help you save big in the new year up next. lottery. >> five tips that can help you save big in the new year up next. ybut life...can throw them off bbalance.of bacteria, (vo) re-align yourself with align probiotic. and try align gummies with prebiotics and probiotics

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welcome back. so the holidays are great. they really are. but reality comes in january when we all start to get those bills. so how can you find a little financial breathing room? well, vera gibbons, financial expert and founder of nonpoliticalnews.com is here to help us out with her top tips of saving big in the new year. we all need them. >> we do. >> now is the time after that holiday shopping. more than 500 million americans have a 401(k). so let's start there. >> right. so you've got to increase your contributions every year. a lot of people get into a habit of putting a certain amount in and that's it. it's a good idea to get into in general to up the ante every single year. also as you near retirement age, too, the power of compounding interest is not as effective with the new investments so it's a good idea to ramp it up. >> as much as you can early on. okay. so one thing we can all do, open a high-interest savings account. >> great idea. because we're in a rising interest rate environment right now so the rates are actually up and they're up nicely. you know, i went and took a look before i came on.

some of those rates on the cds are upwards of 3%. >> what's the best way to find one of those accounts? >> you can look online and see. some of the online banks like ally bank and other ones offer the best rates because they're online -- virtual banks as opposed to brick and mortar. check them out. >> cool. good to know. a lot of people have all these bills every month, but you say review those costs. >> take a look at those costs, your monthly, your daily, your annual and see where you can actually cut the fat. i would also take a look at the different savings tools out there. one we used over the holiday, a browser extension, great way to save money on your online shopping. you just go online and if you land on a product where price waiter can negotiate a better price. it negotiates the rest for you. so there are tools out there like that that people used over the holidays that they should continue using going into 2019.

i know price waiter saved a lot people money over the holidays. those are resources people need to take advantage of in 2019 if they want to save money. >> any time you get a good deal is a good time for everybody. >> yes, everybody's happy. >> and finally, one that some people may not have thought about is to get a side gig. you hear so many people talking about side gigs. >> great year to actually get a side gig. i mean, in 2019, because there are so many opportunities out there. we're in the share economy right now. you can get a gig with a driving uber or lyft. you can, you know, do some airbnb type stuff. a lot of people of all different ages, not just young kids are doing this now. you're seeing it across the board from millennials to pre-retirees to post-retirees they're finding great side gigs in this great economy. 2019 is going to be the perfect year to do it. >> what the perfect way to start the year. lots of things to think about. thank you so much. check out nonpoliticalnews.com for more tips. you're watching "world news now." for more tips.

you're watching "world news now."

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time n time now for our "insomniac theater." previewing two movies opening at the box office this holiday weekend. >> this morning we're checking out two sets of classic duos starting out with "holmes & watson." the famed detective team who tries to figure out who has threatened the life of queen victoria with a comedic twist. >> your majesty, would you mind if we had a picture together? >> watson. >> who is going to take the photograph? >> i will take it. you see, it's sort of a self-photograph. >> he's a real fan. >> i swear, i never do this. >> hey, girl. >> hey, girl. >> i don't know what you think, but the critics, they aren't laughing. in fact, they're giving "holmes

& watson" a dismal 6% splat on rotten tomatoes. dennis schwartz describes it as an hour and a half of different versions of the same gag. what if insert modern thing existed in modern time. josh spiegel calls it a "desperate, sweaty mess." tough crowd. next to a biographical drama about the world's greatest comedy team. john c. reilly opening a second movie this week, hopefully has better luck. the film focuses on their -- the twilight of their fame in 1953 as long tensions threatened both their partnership and friendship. >> you could have said good-bye oliver a long time ago. >> we had a good thing going but you had this big chip on your shoulder because i did a picture with someone else. >> i couldn't sleep for days when they told me what you did. you're just a lazy ass. you're lucky you met me. >> lucky?

>> you betrayed me. you betrayed our friendship. you're hollow. >> the critics are loving "stan & ollie" giving it a solid 89% on rotten tomatoes. take your grandparents. they'll enjoy is just as much as you. lindsey barr calls it "simply terrific." that's good news. people like that one. >> that's it for this half hour. we've got more news coming up next. stay with us. go to the movies. you can see john c. reilly in either one of those. looks like one's good, one's not. >> not so good. >> that first movie holmes and watson was like 4%. now it's up to 6%. maybe it's warming on critics a little bit. >> this is the time of year i feel like a lot of people are going to check out new films, right? >> hopefully not bad films. i thought you were going to say this is the time of year for bad films. >> they're getting a lot of attention for not being good. maybe that's part of the plan. >> oh, maybe.

that would be genius. i'm not going to see it. >> check them out.

and i take my job seriously. while i'm busy watching the game, i need your help keeping an eye on the stands. if you see something that doesn't look quite right, tell a law enforcement official. we all play an important role in protecting our communities, and you can help. if you see something suspicious, say something to local authorities. [ crowd cheering ]

this morning on "world news this morning on "world news now," an explosion lights up the night sky over new york. >> new video of the massive blue flashes. a transformer explosion interrupts service at one of the nation's busiest airports. also this morning, a powerful winter storm unleashing flooding across the south before targeting the major cities of the east coast while the upper midwest digs out of blizzard conditions. the travel delays expected today. plus dramatic video from the french alps. a boy buried alive by an avalanche spending 40 minutes under the snow. how he was rescued just in time. and the little girl doing the macarena in church because why not? it's friday, december 28th. ♪ ♪ from abc news, this is

"world news now." >> where else would you do the macarena. >> it's been a long timeyot e ly th's wt you do. more on that later. we begin this half hour with a massive transformer explosion that lit up the night sky over new york city and shut down a major airport. >> the explosion at a substation in queens turned the night sky bright blue, disrupted subway service and triggered scattered power outages. >> there was a brief ground stop at laguardia airport forcing inbound flights to be diverted for about 45 minutes before power was restored. the blue flash seen for miles left new yorkers speculating that it was everything from fireworks to visitors from outer space. >> it looked like it was daytime. you looked in the sky and it was bright blue. it was insane. it was a really weird blue color, too. i was like aliens are here. >> we were at our gate. >> and all of a sudden lights started flickering. lights went out and everyone

runs. everyone out now. >> that blue color was intensified because of the cloud cover. officials say an electrical fire caused what's known as a transmission dip. no injuries have been reported. a deadly bitter blast of winter is tearing its way across the country this morning. severe storms have spawned twisters and triggered flash flooding across the south. authorities have warned people to stay off the roads in parts of mississippi because of flood danger. later today, parts of new england and upstate new york will see snow and ice. >> blizzard conditions in new mexico and the dakotas made travel treacherous with trucks and cars spinning off roads and highways. storms also caused transformer explosions in the new orleans area. leaving thousands in the dark. abc's victor oquendo has more. >> reporter: holiday travel chaos as that powerful storm races across the country. in the north, blizzard warnings and whiteout conditions. watch this tractor trailer nearly slide off the road in fargo. in kansas, a state of emergency. 150-mile stretch of interstate 70 shut down in both directions.

>> probably three-foot drifts. >> reporter: these truck drivers hunkered down. >> trucks are coming in and parking but none are leaving. >> reporter: whiteout conditions all the way to the texas panhandle. the storm moving east, stretching from canada all the way to the gulf coast. and with it torrential rain and lightning. in new orleans, transformers exploding. >> that's crazy! >> reporter: in houston, high winds snapping all six poles holding up this billboard, sending it into this building. in austin, flash flooding. julie butler had to be rescued after her car got pushed a quarter mile off the road by flood waters. thanking the firefighters who got her to safety. >> all those firefighters were like angels in heaven. they're not tiny things that sit on your shoulder. they're huge with wings. >> reporter: first responders rescuing a sheriff's deputy nearby. it's already raining here in

atlanta and a lot more is on the way, messing up the commute for these folks behind me. that plus wind gusts over 30 miles per hour could be looking at flooding and downed trees from the storm. victor oquendo, abc news, atlanta. >> more showers, thunderstorms and possible flooding are on tap for the south. >> let's go to accuweather's paul williams. paul, good morning. >> good morning. biting winds combined with leftover snow and a mix over the great lakes region makes for a dangerous combination. with the winds watching out for it to feel more like 30 below zero. stormy throughout the northeast with heavier showers, an icy mix as you go into northern portions of the northeast and heavy downpours cause for concerning for localized flooding and downpours in the southeast. albuquerque watching out for a snowstorm in surrounding areas. zachary? janai? turning now to the funding fight in washington showing no signs of letting up one week into the government shutdown.

the house and senate quickly adjourned without taking action. president trump is holding out hope for his border wall while democrats accuse him of using scare tactics. abc's kenneth moton has more. >> reporter: capitol hill a ghost town with 800,000 federal workers in limbo. department of justice employee tanya via says with two kids in college the uncertainty is hitting hard. >> tuition starts back up at the end of january for two children. so, yes, i was saving but i am saving a little more. >> reporter: the senate adjourned thursday after four minutes. the house not scheduled for votes the rest of the week. negotiations between democrats and president trump at a standstill. >> whatever it takes. i mean, we're going to have a wall. back from a warzone, the president is back to battling with democrats, tweeting, "have the democrats finally realized that we desperately need border security and a wall on the southern border?" adding without evidence, "do the dems realize most of the people not getting paid are democrats?" the vice president reportedly asked for $2.1 billion, countering top senate democrat

chuck schumer's $1.3 billion offer. the white house said thursday it's received no response from democrats. schumer and leader nancy pelosi fired back, saying they've offered republicans three options. pelosi promising to fund the government but not the wall when democrats take control of the house next week. anthony bouldin, who works at the usda, is not confident a deal will come quickly. >> for me it's just total uncertainly in terms of knowing how to budget for the upcoming months. >> reporter: the senate and the house are now scheduled to reconvene next week. if there's a deal to end the shutdown, lawmakers have been told they will receive a 24-hour notice before having to return for a vote. janai? zachary? >> thank you, kenneth. homeland security chief kirstjen nielsen is heading to the southern border today after the death of a second migrant child in u.s. custody. nielsen is expected to visit facilities in el paso after ordering more complete medical screenings for all migrant children held by the u.s.

and the mother is urging authorities to return her child's body. he died at a hospital in new mexico after suffering from the flu. his family says the boy's father came to the u.s. because he was in debt and was seeking a better life for his son. on wall street, the big question right now, what does the market have in store for us today. a frantic thursday saw the dow plunge more than 600 points then post a dramatic rebound late in the day. the end result, a gain of 260 points to close above 23,000. abc's rebecca jarvis has more on that big swing. >> reporter: by 2:00 p.m. thursday it looked like those gains from wednesday, that 1,000-point increase, was something of a distant memory, but in the span of just 90 minutes you saw the biggest comeback in stocks in a decade. so what's taking place here? well, this is not normal. these wild swings are not average but there is a tug-of-war taking place between those who believe the selloff we've seen earlier this year was far overblown and those who believe things are slowing down next year so the selloff makes sense.

that's reflected, that tension, reflected in a consumer poll we just received showing that consumers, americans, feel pretty good about where things stand today but are much less certain about where things are heading next year. add to that the fact that most people here on wall street are on vacation, there is light trading volume. that creates much more pronounced moves in the stock market. rebecca jarvis, abc news, new york. it's beginning to look a little more like new year's eve in times square. >> yeah, the giant ball that drops from 1 times square to ring in 2019 is all dressed up and ready to go. workers yesterday added 192 new waterford crystal triangles to the six-ton sphere. >> the design reflects this year's theme, which is the gift of harmony. more than 2 million people are expected to gather in times square to watch the ball drop in just a few days. 2018 winding down. around times square, there is a two-mile perimeter which easily makes it nypd's most complicated annual event.

as you can imagine, lots of security. lots of people. >> i had no idea. 2 million people out there? >> yeah, i mean, i guess when you look at video. i would have guessed a lot. >> that's incredible. and real crystals up there, too. i had no idea. >> there are no bathrooms nearby. all types of problems to ring in the new year. >> that's a long day. coming up, the dramatic rescue in the french alps. the 12-year-old boy buried under an avalanche for 40 minutes. what authorities say may have saved his life. but first, the viral video showing a new york city police officer fighting off five men. this morning that cop tells us in his own words what was going through his mind. and remember, you can find us on facebook, wnnfans.com and twitter @abcwnn. you're watching "world news now." now."

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he was dragged at least 110 yards by the force of the snow. the boy was eventually found by a sniffer dog and authorities say one reason he was able to survive is his airways weren't blocked by the snow. he was rushed to the hospital and is expected to be okay. back here at home, we have new details about that viral video showing a new york city police officer fighting off five men who were attacking him. >> this morning that police officer tells us why he never pulled out his gun during the fight. here is abc's gio benitez. >> stand back. stand back. >> reporter: you're watching an nypd officer doing everything he can not to draw his weapon. nearly 5 million watching this online. >> i don't want to hurt you. >> officer saeed aly says a woman told him in the subway these men were harassing her. when he approached, he says they became aggressive. instead of pulling his gun, officer aly kicked one man. at one point, one man jumps on to the tracks but survives. >> life is precious and going to

that weapon is not necessarily the first thing that we should be thinking about. >> reporter: the officer had no idea someone was recording. >> what was going through your mind? >> just the safety. safety was number one for myself and then when i saw that guy trip over, i was like holy cow, let me try to grab him. >> so you were thinking about their safety? >> i had to, right? that's a life. >> reporter: three of the men have been arrested. they're facing several charges but officer ali says he's just glad it ended with nobody getting hurt. gio benitez, abc news, new york. >> incredible props to that officer. he served time in iraq and afghanistan. he's dealt with a lot more than just these -- just these guys. >> right. you know, a lot of other countries are a little bit less likely to pull out a gun in some cases. obviously this was a -- one of those where a gun wasn't needed and he took care of business out there so good for him. >> kudos to him. >> absolutely. coming up in our next half hour, a new development in the sexual assault case against actor kevin spacey. you'll hear the audio recording of his lawyer in court taking aim at spacey's 18-year-old accuser.

but first, remembering an american hero. the oldest veteran of world war ii dies at the age of 112. his secret for a long and happy life next on "world news now." life next on "world news now."

he may not be a household name but this morning we're looking back on the remarkable he may not be a household name but this morning we're looking back on the remarkable life and sacrifice of richard overton who passed away thursday at the age of 112.

>> 112! he was by no surprise america's oldest man and he was the nation's oldest veteran of world war ii. kita culpepper from our austin station has his story. >> reporter: there are plenty of photos. >> any kind you want to see. >> reporter: and proclamations that help tell the story of his life, but his own words paint a sobering picture in a war where as many as 80 million people died. >> but i come back and didn't get a scratch on me, not a scratch one. >> reporter: in world war ii, he served four years in the u.s. army. private first-class overton arrived in pearl harbor weeks after the bombing. >> every window that was in those houses was shot out. and so when we was got over there, that's the way it was. and the ships were just, some of them floating, some of them still smoking, still burning. >> reporter: between 1940 and 1945, mr. overton was sent to guam, palu and iwo jima. he said what he saw there

haunted him for the rest of his life. >> you heard that in iwo jima, that water turned to blood? it did. sometime you ain't got no legs, no arms and no heads. and flies was as big as bees. they keep your dog tags. you keep them on and they send one for your family and they keep the other and put it on the grave. talking about the stuff we had to go through, i never want to go through it again. >> reporter: he left the u.s. army in 1945 as a technician fifth grade. settling back down in his beloved austin, texas home. mr. overton worked at local furniture stores and with the texas department of the treasury before he retired. his time was filled with friends and family. afternoons spent sitting on his front porch but he also liked to stay busy. >> keep living, too.

you got to keep moving. you don't sit down and watch tv all the time. you got to move around. >> reporter: in 2013, the nation took notice that this member of the greatest generation was alive and kicking. a whirlwind of publicity brought lawmakers to his front porch and sent him out into the world to meet celebrities along with his brothers and sisters in arms. the oldest living world war ii veteran was also honored by then president barack obama. overton said it was one of the proudest moments of his life. in november of 2015, mr. overton battled pneumonia and recovered, but by 2016, the soldier had grown more frail and was in danger of having to leave his beloved home of more than 70 years to stay in a nursing home. a gofundme campaign raised close to $200,000 to help pay for in-home care for the proud veteran. ♪ happy birthday to you >> reporter: in may 2017, overton turned 111 years old.

the city and the nation celebrating along with his friends and family. austin mayor steve adler declared the day richard overton day. the city also renamed the street he lives on, richard overton avenue. we honor and remember a man who had a life well lived filled with love, laughter, bravery and courage who loved his family, his country and hoped that we would all learn to love one another. we say good-bye to mr. richard arvin overton, a warrior who has earned his rest. >> so many thanks to him for his service. overton grave credit to god for his longevity as well as being surrounded by good friends. as you may have seen in the video, he said he has a cigar every day and the occasional whisky also helped him. 112 years old. so what kinds of things has he seen over 112 years? which is incredible to wrap your mind around. he's seen the invention of the radio, the introduction of

electricity and running water into homes. imagine that. >> incredible. incredible life. >> 21 presidents. >> 21 presidents. obama as well. coming up, a special edition of our friday polka. >> stay with us. >> stay with us. edition of or friday polka. >> stay with us.

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 welcome to tide pods talk with gronk. i'm gronk! these are tide pods. this is not. even this entire bottle can't beat tide pods. to recap: ugh... tide pods. if it's clean, it's got to be tide.

it is time for "the mix." we're going to call this one "the hot pickle kid." you got to check this one out. apparently this youngster was begging his aunt to take a little bite of this hot pickle. check what happens. too hot to handle. >> ooh. >> are you all right? >> oh, my god. >> the spicy pickle was too much for big man and he went down. took a tumble. check this out. >> that's like the video of the kids who try the lemons and they're all like, ooh, this one's even worse. >> the delayed reaction is great. >> he just can't take that. i don't blame him. how about this one? a little girl in church, church is a place for contemplation and prayer to get your mind right and, of course, dance out to the greatest dance hits of the '90s.

that's exactly what this little girl is doing. ♪ >> hey, macarena, girl. that's what happens when you get the holy ghost. you just dance it out in church. go ahead. she's in her own little words. do you know the words to this? >> i do not. >> all i got is hey, macarena, aye. ♪ ♪ ♪ we've been with you through thick and thin ♪ ♪ through laughter and through tears ♪ ♪ can you believe we're doing this for 27 years? ♪ ♪ politics and foreign wars, all the weather, all the scores ♪ ♪ thas good nht's sleep you lack ♪ ♪ do the wod news polka on new year's eve go whoop it up

and party to the max ♪ ♪ i'll be home assembling papers for my income tax ♪ ♪ "world news now" is something rare ♪ ♪ no one knows we're on the air with the world news polka ♪ ♪ it's late at night, you're wide awake and you're not wearing pants ♪ ♪ so grab your "world news now" mug and everybody dance ♪ ♪ have some fun, be a pal, every anchor, guy and gal ♪ ♪ do the world news polka ♪ when headlines hammer at your head and interrupt your sleep ♪ ♪ here's a simple remedy that sure beats counting sheep ♪ ♪ lock your laptop in a drawer, smash your smartphone on the floor and do the world news polka ♪ ♪ 2019, let's polka yeah! >> a big thanks to barry for that very special polka. to takt to thank a longtime member of our "world news now" team vlado

saric. >> vlado has been an editor with the show for more than 25 years.

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because even one attack is one too many. this morning on "world news this morning on "world news now," the urgent manhunt for a suspected cop killer. authorities in california releasing new details, announcing the suspect is an undocumented immigrant. what the officer did just moments before the fatal shooting. the college student accused in a poison plot to kill his roommate is back behind bars this morning. what he's accused of trying to do to escape from authorities. and new this half hour, the recordings that are shedding new light on the kevin spacey sexual assault case. >> what his lawyer said in court about the then 18-year-old accuser and what the video evidence allegedly shows. and insta-outrage, the glitch that caused an uproar on instagram and what's to blame. it's friday, december 28th. from abc news, this is "world news now."

it is the final friday of 2018. >> day five. we made it. >> and we are all -- slow clap for that, jack. yes. >> i love it. >> we are all still trying to calm down after fuming over those instagram updates. >> oh, man. >> right? >> you open up your phone, what? >> people were going crazy. nuts. yeah. all day. >> so we'll get to that later. but we begin this half hour with the hunt for a cop killer in california. >> the suspect is on the run after gunning down corporal ronil singh during a traffic stop 50 miles outside of san jose. the local sheriff saying a, quote, coward killed the husband and father. >> the investigators also say the suspect is in the country illegally, sparking a response from president trump on the need to fortify the southern border. here is abc's will carr. >> you have to understand this was not supposed to happen here. >> reporter: heartbreak while authorities hunt for an alleged cop killer. a california community now mourning the loss of one of its own. >> i did not know christmas

morning at 4:00 in the morning when i said good-bye to him and sent him off to his family that it would be the last time that i saw him. >> corporal and k-9 officer ronil singh seen here in uniform with his family in a facebook post from his wife wishing everyone a merry christmas. just hours later, authorities say singh pulled the man in this picture over for a suspected dui in a dodge ram. >> it's a traffic stop gone bad, turned into a gunfight. >> reporter: the suspect's truck later found, ditched next to a mobile home. >> and your investigation has found out he's in the country illegally. >> he is. >> reporter: in response, president trump tweeting about an illegal immigrant accused of shooting and killing a police officer. time to get tough on border security. build the wall. but in newman, those who knew him best are remembering officer singh for being a proud immigrant from fiji who came to the united states to be a police officer. >> please remember the man. please remember the husband. please remember what he was,

what he came to this country to do. >> reporter: the newman police department only has 12 officers, all of whom are now mourning. so they're receiving a lot of support from surrounding departments for patrols. and as for officer singh's last partner, his k-9, sam, she's being retired. she'll go to live with the singh the chief saying he's not about to take another loved one away from that family. in newman, california, will carr, abc news. >> thank you, will. democrats are vowing to re-open the government once they take control of the house next week. >> but president trump is doubling down on his demand for a border wall after returning from iraq. thursday's congressional sessions lasted just a few minutes before adjourning so the shutdown will likely stretch into the new year. >> this as hundreds of thousands of workers make due without a paycheck. abc's mary bruce has more. >> reporter: capitol hill is a ghost town and with no end in sight, 800,000 federal workers are now in limbo. >> who wants to go to work and not know if they're going to get paid or not? >> reporter: with two kids in college, department of justice

employee tanya via says the ard. >> tuition starts back up at the end of january for two children. >> reporter: anthony bouldin works at the usda and is worried, too. budgefothe upcom months. >> reporter: with negotiations at a standstill, both sides are digging in. >> how long do you think the shutdown will last, mr. president? >> whatever it takes. i mean, we're going to have a wall. >> reporter: back from iraq, the president is back to battling with democrats tweeting, "have the democrats finally realized that we desperately need border security and a wall on the southern border?" adding without evidence, "do the dems realize that most of the people not getting paid are democrats?" the president is insisting on billions to fund his border wall, blaming the shutdown on, quote, democrat obstruction. >> they all know you need the wall or whatever you want to call it, but the one who is calling the shots is nancy pelosi. >> reporter: the democratic leader tells "usa today" the president is using scare tactics to build support for his wall and she's mocking him, saying, "now he's down to, i think, a

beaded curtain or something." pelosi is standing firm, promising to fund the government but not the wall when democrats take control of the house next week. for now it is all quiet here on capitol hill. there are no more votes scheduled for the rest of this week, which means that we aren't likely to see any action or progress to try to end this shutdown until next year. mary bruce, abc news, capitol hill. >> pelosi saying a beaded curtain or something. a chinese national accused of poisoning his college roommate in pennsylvania is now charged with trying to get himself deported to avoid prosecution. yukai yang was being held by immigration officials after posting bail on the attempted murder charge against him. then prosecutors say they realized that the former lehigh university student was trying to get himself sent back to china but i.c.e. agents returned him back to local officials. yang is also accused of poisoning another student. breaking overnight, a transformer explosion turned the night sky over new york city bright blue. the flash of color could be seen

for miles as the transformer erupted in flames at a power plant in queens, knocking out power, disrupting subway service and briefly grounding flights at laguardia. new yorkers flocking to social media. many wondering if it was an alien invasion. meanwhile, inside laguardia airport, this video shows the chaos the moments the lights went out, but power was restored with no reports of injuries. officials say it was all caused by what's known as a transmission dip at a local substation. now to that dangerous and bitter blast of winter weather stretching across the country and wreaking havoc on holiday travel. storms are moving into the northeast after causing twisters and flooding in the south and blizzards in parts of the plains. authorities in minnesota are searching for a truck driver who fled the scene after hitting a trooper's squad car. that officer wasn't injured. abc's victor oquendo has more on that storm. >> reporter: already raining and a lot more is on the way. messing up the commute for these folks behind me as that powerful storm races across the country. holiday travel chaos.

in the north, blizzard warnings and whiteout conditions. watch this tractor trailer nearly slide off the road in fargo. in kansas, a state of emergency. 150-mile stretch of interstate 70 shut down in both directions. >> those are probably three-foot drifts. >> reporter: these truck drivers hunkered down. >> trucks are coming in and parking but none are leaving. >> reporter: whiteout conditions all the way to the texas panhandle. the storm moving east, stretching from canada all the way to the gulf coast. and with it torrential rain and lightning. in new orleans, transformers exploding. >> that's crazy! >> reporter: in houston, high winds snapping all six poles holding up this billboard, sending it into this building. in austin, flash flooding. julie butler had to be rescued after her car got pushed a quarter mile off the road by floodwaters. thanking firefighters who got her to safety.

>> all those firefighters are like angels in heaven. they're not little tiny that's . i mean, they're huge with wings. >> reporter: first responders rescuing a sheriff's deputy nearby. here in atlanta we're expecting some wind gusts over 30 miles per hour. could be looking at flooding and downed trees from this storm. victor oquendo, abc news, atlanta. >> for more on where those deadly storms are heading let's go to accuweather's paul williams. >> paul, good morning. >> good morning, janai, zachary. biting winds a big problem with blowing snow throughout the north central part of the country. we're looking at an accuweather real feel of 30 below zero in some areas with hypothermia a big time risk factor. as far as the northeast is concerned, a bit of icy mix in vermont, new hampshire, maine, but we're looking at heavy rain throughout most of the southern new england states and throughout the southeast as a whole with a concern for localized flooding. watching out for snowing and drifting snow or a snowstorm in and around new mexico as well as the surrounding four corners region. janai? zachary? >> our thanks to paul there. overseas, indonesia has

raised its alert level as new volcanic eruptions intensify. that volcano triggered a tsunami that killed at least 430 people nearly a week ago. authorities have expanded a so-called no-go zone along the coast. island communities are being warned to stay about a mile away from the coastline. heavy rain and stormy seas have caused new fears that the volcano's slopes could collapse again. flights are also being rerouted away from the area. now to the big story on social media. instagram users were not happy after they had their worlds turned sideways, literally. >> this was a big deal. the app was testing a tap to advance feature instead of scrolling as a way to advance through the posts. now, it was as confusing as it sounds when you first saw it, but horror of horrors, many users lost it when vertical swiping wouldn't allow them to move through their main feed. >> instagram says the problem was caused by a bug and it's now been fixed. restarting the app should return things to normal. thank god because folks were

just not having it. >> yeah, no. >> it's a big deal. >> twitter -- i mean, people were not happy, to put it lightly. they literally were like change this. >> i woke up and people were going crazy about this thing. >> to attest to that, then instagram fixed it. >> yeah. >> so if you're on instagram today, all is well. >> don't mess with a good thing. >> you know people don't like change. i was thinking when i saw it, that is how they could get us off of our phones and off of social media, make it so un-user friendly that we're like, throw it away. trash. >> you can have it. >> when i got it, i was like, i may be going away from instagram. but i'm not. they changed it. >> didn't last long. >> i'll be double tapping today. coming up, the terrifying moments at the mall this holiday week. the riots caught on video and what authorities found at one of those locations. also ahead, the courtroom audio that we're now hearing in the kevin spacey sexual assault case. why his lawyer claims there is not enough evidence to charge spacey. you're watching "world news now."

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after this massive fight. mall officials may have now banned unsupervised teens. about 50 miles away, four teens were arrested after fights broke out in this mall. authorities say hundreds of teens were involved. one boy had a gun. >> wow. turning now to the sexual assault case against kevin spacey and the newly-obtained audio of his lawyer in court. >> spacey's lawyer took aim at the young accuser in the case. abc's matt gutman has the latest. >> reporter: we learned that days before kevin spacey ended his year of silence with this cryptic video -- >> and my confidence grows each day that soon enough you will know the full truth. >> reporter: -- his attorneys argued in a massachusetts court that there wasn't enough evidence for the former "house of cards" star to be charged with indecent assault on an 18-year-old man. abc news has obtained a recording of that hearing. spacey's attorney, alan jackson, questioning the officer who took the testimony of the accuser,

who claims that spacey groped him in a bar in 2016. >> if we were to stand and count off three minutes, you would agree, trooper. that's an incredibly long time to have a strange man's hands in your pants, correct? >> i would agree with that, yes. >> reporter: the attorney questioning why the accuser didn't walk away and instead was texting and even snapchatted video of the alleged incident. >> what the video shows is a person's hand made contact with the shirt, correct? >> yes. >> okay. not the -- any body part. >> correct. you don't see any body parts. >> reporter: the defense attorney pointing out that the accuser told spacey he was 23 when he says spacey bought him multiple drinks. that accuser did not immediately report the alleged incident, but according to that police report, he did tell family and friends right away. now, spacey denies the allegations but faces up to five years in prison if convicted. matt gutman, abc news, los angeles. >> and remember, spacey is still facing other investigations in los angeles as well as in england.

>> yeah. dramatic fall for him, right? >> yeah. when we come back, actor ben stiller is fighting back. >> why the actor turned director is defending his new tv series, "escape at dannemora," from some fierce criticism. you're watching "world news now." now." dannemora" from some fierce criticism. you're watching "world news now."

the night sky in new york back to normal after that big explosion. >> a beautiful shot. >> yeah. actor turned director ben stiller is finding himself on

the defensive this morning over his hit tv series "escape at dannemora." >> the show's based on the real life story of joyce mitchell, a prison worker convicted of helping two inmates escape. but now from behind bars, mitchell is slamming stiller, calling him a liar. >> i said lights out. now. >> reporter: critics are raving about "escape at dannemora," the show chronicling the infamous 2015 prison break in upstate new york that is already up for two golden globes, including best actress for patricia arquette's dramatic transformation into prison worker joyce mitchell. >> i didn't do anything wrong. >> reporter: but the real-life joyce mitchell is fighting back at the showtime series calling director ben stiller a liar. mitchell pleaded guilty to helping convicted kid chtt esc and was sentenced toev years. >> please allow me to start by saying how sorry i am. >> reporter: mitchell claimed the inmates threatened to kill her husband if she didn't help them, admitting she smuggled in

tools inside hamburger meat, including hacksaw blades, chisels, a punch and a screwdriver that matt and sweat used to cut their way through their cell walls. but in the series, the then 51-year-old is portrayed as a more willing co-conspirator. drawing mitchell's ire. in a recent interview slamming stiller saying, "he doesn't care about the truth. all he cares about is making millions off me. he's an idiot." mitchell takes particular exception with how the hit series portrayed her as having sex with both inmates, something she and sweat both deny. but stiller is fighting back, defending the series, telling "deadline," -- "my guideline was to try to tell what i thought happened. she disputed it, but the reality is she was kicked out of the tailor shop for inappropriate contact for going in the back room with david sweat." the director told variety how he personally convinced governor cuomo permission to film at the facility.

>> "escape at dannemora" was a real commitment for ben stiller as a director. he devoted about a year of his life to filming the project. inevitability in any of these true life, true crime stories, there are going to be people that come and say, no, no, no, that's not my version of events. >> so stiller also said he was trying to tell the story in as real and hopefully entertaining a way as possible without exploiting. he said it can't be fun to be in prison so definitely seems like there is no love lost between the two of them, him and joyce mitchell. i did that story for "gma" yesterday and i learned a lot about it. so stiller actually almost passed on this, but after reading the inspector general report from the state of new york, he said that it was really the details of the escape, it lasted almost three weeks, cost millions of dollars. that as well as the human relationships outlined in it, that changed his mind and made him think, let's do it. >> it was captivating and it just went on and on and on. it was incredible.

>> absolutely. coming up, one of our most touching christmas stories. stay with us. with us. touching christmas stories. fshs

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 tand, our adulte children are here. so, we save by using tide. which means we use less. three generations of clothes cleaned in one wash. those are moms. anybody seen my pants? nothing cleans better. put those on dad! it's got to be tide.

empire state building stil empire state building still dressed up for the holiday. and despite our best efforts, the holidays don't always turn out perfect. >> yeah, and this morning we're checking out some spectacular holiday fails, including this moment caught on camera of a woman who stepped right through her own ceiling as she pulled decorations out of the attic. >> this was a sad sight after someone slammed their new hover board, oh, right into the oven. they're okay. >> but this one might be our favorite. captioned, "every year our aunt in maine sends us a little handmade chocolate lobster." >> oh, cool. >> "this year, they're soap. guess how we found out." >> holiday fail. meanwhile, christmas day was quite emotional for one family in lancaster, pennsylvania. >> yeah. our tom llamas shows us why.

>> 11-year-old carter wyles is about to get the christmas surprise of a lifetime. >> this is from all of us. all of us. >> reporter: that's his aunt, leah kiphart, offering him a final gift to open on christmas morning. inside, this family photo of the kipharts, showing carter's aunt, uncle and cousins along with a very special letter. >> carter, this is our most recent picture of our family. all of us would love for you to be in the next picture and to be part of our family. carter, would you like to be a kiphart -- >> what do you think, buddy? >> yes! >> reporter: his aunt and uncle surprising him with an adoption. >> we're going to adopt you, carter. >> thank you so much. >> reporter: his aunt tells us

carter's adoption status was nearing a deadline. about to change so someone outside the family would be able to adopt him. >> this might have been the last time that we were ever going to see carter and felt that it was really important for us to keep him in the family. a lot of people talk about how lucky he is, and we're just as fortunate to have him join our family. >> reporter: and here's carter describing that magical moment. >> for me it was very emotional. it made me feel good that other people can enjoy other, like, my happiness and my family's happiness. >> reporter: tom llamas, abc news, new york. >> magic of the holidays. >> yeah, i love hearing somebody say in the background saying, what do you think, buddy? it made me feego >> as he's crying. that just does make you feel good. good holiday stories. don't miss our updates on wnnfans.com. >> more news next. stay with us. this is abc's "world news now" informing insomniacs for two decades.

[female narrator] foods rich in folic acid like white bread and leafy greens can help prevent some birth defects before you even know you're pregnant.

have a great day. making news in america this morning, new travel trouble as a massive storm takes aim at the east coast with delays on the road and in the air and in new york -- >> it was earn insane. a weird blue color too. i was like, aliens are here. >> an explosion scare as a blue flash lights up the night's sky bringing one of the nation's busiest airports to a halt. the urgent search for a cop killer. >> we are struggling through this. >> the suspect allegedly in the country illegally. the president weighs in on the case as we learn more about the officer's final moments. honoring a hero. america's oldest living world war ii veteran dies at the age of 112 but not before sharing the lessons he learned about life, loss and love.