timate gillette shaving experience. the best a man can get is gillettelabs. what's up, you seem kinda sluggish today. things aren't really movin'. you could use some metamucil. metamucil's psyllium fibre helps keep your digestive system moving. so you can feel lighter and more energetic. metamucil keeps you moving. and try clear fibre, with no grit and no flavor. >> whit: tonight, the urgent investigation after another unticketed passenger is found on a delta flight just before takeoff. millions brace for severe weather and a major winter blast. and a russian anti-aircraft system is now suspected in the deadly crash of a passenger jet. first, that stowaway caught on a flight bound for hawaii

during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year. the jet returning to the gate. the passenger without a ticket then arrested. the tsa and local law enforcement now trying to find out how this could happen again, just weeks after another stowaway was found on a different delta flight. and as people head home from the holidays, the dangerous weather threats impacting 15 million americans in the west. a parade of storms on the move, bringing snow and avalanche alerts and possible tornadoes taking aim at the south. our weather team tracking it all. a chaotic scene at phoenix sky harbor airport. three people shot, one stabbed yards away from a security checkpoint. new details in that deadly christmas day plane crash killing dozens overseas. survivors rushed to local hospitals. some incredibly walking away from the wreckage. why a u.s. official now says there are early indications that a russian anti-aircraft system shot down the plane. president-elect donald trump threatens to retake the panama canal.

the president of panama responding tonight. and what trump is also saying about canada and greenland. terrifying collision here in new york. a taxi cab jumps the curb, slamming into pedestrians at an iconic christmas landmark. the emotional message from king charles, thanking health care workers who looked after his family this year, as princess kate continues her return to public duties. the surge in holiday sales brings holiday cheer to retailers. what it could also mean for the overall economy and your money. and the countdown to the new year is on. robin roberts and the team look back on the breakout stars of 2024. a preview of her special on a most memorable year. >> whit: good evening. thanks for joining us on this thursday night, i'm whit

johnson in for david. and we begin with the growing questions tonight after another unticketed passenger was discovered onboard a delta flight just before takeoff. it comes as millions are on the move during the busy holiday travel week, and a blast of winter weather is bringing more disruptions. officials say that stowaway managed to board a flight from seattle to honolulu and was taken into custody, causing a delay of more than two hours. it's the second stowaway incident on a delta flight in recent weeks. severe weather also delaying or canceling hundreds of flights out of dallas. multiple tornado warnings issued for the houston area. a massive sinkhole, you see here, closing a portion of a major interstate in wharton, new jersey, that's about 40 miles outside of new york city. and out west, a parade of potentially dangerous storms could impact some 15 million americans. our weather team is standing by with the forecast. but first, abc's mola lenghi leads us off from denver. >> reporter: tonight, an unticketed stowaway on a delta flight causing a holiday travel headache.

a christmas eve flight from seattle to honolulu delayed more than two hours after the stowaway was discovered as the plane taxied for takeoff. delta saying in a statement its employees followed procedures to have an unticketed passenger removed from the flight and apprehended. the tsa adding the passenger was screened at a security checkpoint but bypassed the identity verification and made it through without showing a boarding pass. it comes as severe weather threatens wider disruptions to the busy holiday travel period. damaging winds and hail moving into the south. houston placed under tornado watch. hundreds of flights out of dallas canceled or delayed. meanwhile, in the south, an atmospheric river sending waves of moisture across the region, prompting wind, snow, and avalanche alerts. downed lines in portland, oregon, leaving more than 20,000 households without power. while in the rockies, some areas could see up to three feet of snow, increasing the already high avalanche risk. in cache county, utah, two

brothers narrowly avoiding disaster after being caught in this avalanche while out snowmobiling. one of them carried 150 yards and buried in the snow. officials say fortunately, the men were equipped with avalanche safety gear. well, that stowaway was the second unticketed passenger found on a delta flight just in recent weeks. this woman here was confronted by crewmembers back in november for not having a ticket on a flight from new york to paris. together, as you can imagine, these two incidents raising some significant security questions and concerns. in the meantime, major travel hubs like here in denver bracing themselves for the busiest travel time of this holiday season this coming weekend, whit. >> whit: all right, mola lenghi, thank you so much. let's get right out to meteorologist dani beckstrom from our new york station wabc. and dani, you're tracking multiple severe weather threats tonight. >> reporter: whit, yes, let's start with the ongoing severe threat in the south tonight. one tornado confirmed

in elcampo, texas, with multiple warnings issued. damaging wind and hail a threat as the line moves east through arkansas and louisiana tonight. in the west, our next major winter storm. an atmospheric river in northern california. but it's not just heavy rain and snow. dangerous waves up and down the west coast and high avalanche danger from washington to utah. that heavy snow combined with wind gusts to 70 miles per hour will create treacherous travel in higher elevations, where feet of snow will fall. as for the rain, an additional 4 to 8 inches forecast along the oregon and california coasts. that could cause flooding. this is a really active pattern that will last through sunday, whit? >> whit: all right, we'll brace for more. dani beckstrom, thank you. next tonight, a chaotic scene at phoenix sky harbor airport. three people shot, one person stabbed during a family gathering at a restaurant within the airport terminal, but outside the security checkpoint. multiple people taken into custody. here's abc's zohreen shah. >> reporter: christmas chaos at phoenix's sky harbor airport wednesday night, as police respond to an incident that left three people shot and another person stabbed.

it happened right before 10:00 p.m. at the terminal 4 food court just yards from where passengers enter the security checkpoint. that's when authorities say a family fight escalated and shots were fired. tonight, police say three men are in stable condition and a fourth victim, a woman, sustaining life-threatening injuries. >> all five individuals that are involved in this incident are all known to each other, no community members or visitors were injured outside of this group of individuals. this incident has been resolved, it was resolved very quickly. there's nobody outstanding. >> reporter: bystanders making the best of a bad situation. >> people are outside for 30, 45 minutes until they said it was all clear to come back in. >> reporter: and some passengers were stuck outside, but it did not lead to any major delays or cancellations. whit? >> whit: a frightening scene. zohreen shah, thanks so much. overseas tonight, and a russian anti-aircraft system now suspected of causing the deadly christmas day plane crash in kazakhstan. and this new video of the plane

flying erratically seconds before descending and then bursting into flames. 38 people killed, but dozens surviving the disaster. abc's ines de la cuetara with late details just coming in. >> reporter: tonight, mounting questions for the kremlin about what may have caused the christmas day crash of azerbaijan airlines flight 8243. the commercial jet taking off on wednesday morning from baku, the azerbaijani capital, en route to grozny. new video showing the plane flying erratically, rapidly losing and regaining altitude. the plane's wing visibly damaged before crashing in a city in kazakhstan across the caspian sea. of the 67 people from four different countries onboard, 38, including both pilots, were killed. miraculously, 29 survived, some pulled from the wreckage, others appearing to walk away unharmed. local officials initially suggested the crash was caused

by a bird strike, but a u.s. official casting doubt on that narrative, telling abc news there are early indications that the plane may have been hit by a russian anti-aircraft system. prompting comparisons to the 2014 downing of malaysia airlines flight mh-17, which an investigation later determined was shot down by russian forces in ukraine. the kremlin saying this morning it would be wrong to speculate before the investigation is complete. >> there have also been indicators that point toward a shootdown of that aircraft. >> reporter: i spoke with andrew nicholson, who runs a company that advises carriers flying in the region. he pointed to images of the plane's wreckage that appear to show what he says is damage consistent with surface-to-air fire. >> there are no scuffs or bumps or dents that would indicate birds hitting the aircraft fuselage. and also, the direction of the shrapnel, which looks like it's coming from below and towards the front. >> reporter: whit, the plane's black boxes have been recovered. an investigation is now under

way. meanwhile, israel's flagship carrier el al, one of the few international airlines still flying to russia, has suspended its flights from tel aviv to moscow, citing developments in russian air space. whit? >> whit: and still so many questions about this crash. ines, thank you. turning now to politics, and president-elect trump threatening to expand u.s. territory. suggesting in a series of christmas day social media posts that the u.s. could take control of canada, greenland, and the panama canal. tonight, what's behind the threat? and how some of our allies are responding. here's abc's white house correspondent mary alice parks. >> reporter: tonight, the president of panama jose raul mulino calling president-elect donald trump's claims that chinese soldiers are running the panama canal nonsense. trump wednesday writing on social media, quote, merry christmas to all, including the wonderful soldiers of china who are lovingly, but illegally, operating the panama canal. "there's not a single chinese

soldier in the canal," mulino wrote, adding it would be more appropriate to have direct conversations with trump once he takes office on january 20th. mulino reminding trump every inch of the canal is panama's sovereign territory. for the last few days, the president-elect has been railing against the canal, suggesting the u.s. seize control, arguing panama is ripping off american businesses. he nominated miami-dade florida county commissioner kevin marino cabrera, a longtime ally, for ambassador to panama. trump also suggesting once again that canada should become the 51st state and that the u.s. should somehow annex the danish territory of greenland. greenland's prime minister in a statement writing, "greenland is ours. we are not for sale and will never be for sale." president-elect trump also blasting president biden for his decision to commute the sentences of 37 of the 40 inmates on federal death row to a life in prison. trump himself saying that he

will vigorously pursue the death penalty when he takes office. whit? >> whit: mary alice parks for us tonight, thank you. now to that emotional and personal christmas message from king charles, reflecting on a year marked by medical challenges for the royal family, thanking the health care workers who cared for him and princess kate after they were both diagnosed with cancer. here's abc's lama hasan. ♪ >> reporter: the king's christmas day address. >> i wish you and all those you love a most joyful and peaceful christmas. >> reporter: reflecting on a difficult year for the royals, with both the king and princess kate diagnosed with cancer. this year, the monarch's message is a personal one. >> i offer special heartfelt thanks to the selfless doctors and nurses who this year have supported me and other members of my family through the uncertainties and anxieties of

illness. >> reporter: king charles announcing his cancer back in february, saying it was discovered during an operation on his prostate. the palace not revealing the type or stage of cancer for either royal. we know kate has completed her chemo, but that the king is continuing with his cancer treatment into next year. >> i am deeply grateful, too, to all those who have offered us their own kind words of sympathy and encouragement. >> reporter: the royal family together over the holidays, and out in force, walking to church. the king and queen followed by prince william, princess kate, and their children, george, charlotte, and louis. greeting the hundreds of well wishers. whit, as for the king's cancer treatment, while we know that the king does have a busy schedule next year, including overseas trips, so, potentially a positive sign of his progress. whit? >> whit: encouraging signs.

lama hasan, thank you. back in the u.s., and the holiday shopping surge, as millions are spending the day making returns, others are seeking those post-holiday sales. a new report finding that spending exceeded expectations, increasing almost 4% over the previous year. here's abc's elizabeth schulze. >> reporter: tonight, as shoppers flock to stores to make returns and take advantage of post-holiday sales, a positive sign of strength in the american economy. consumer spending this holiday season surged nearly 4% from one year ago. fueled by purchases online, in categories like apparel, jewelry, and electronics. >> i am doing some shopping. some winter clothes. >> some jewelry, watches for him. >> reporter: retailers offering steep discounts to consumers weary of high prices. those deals helped entice last-minute shoppers, with spending from december 20th through 24th accounting for 10% of all holiday retail sales. >> i just tried to capitalize as much as i could on the holiday deals.

>> reporter: with consumers powering the u.s. economy, the federal reserve now in less of a hurry to lower interest rates to stimulate spending. mortgage rates are now at the highest level since july and it could be awhile before credit card interest rates come down, too. whit? >> whit: elizabeth, thank you. here in new york city, some chaotic moments on christmas day when a taxi cab plowed into several pedestrians outside macy's flagship store in harold square. a mother and her 9-year-old son, tourists from australia, were pinned under that taxi. a group of good samaritans jumping in to free them. at least six people were hurt. police say the 58-year-old cab driver suffered a medical emergency. when we come back, the new voluntary recall after traces of the bird flu were found in some packages of raw cat food. and 2025 arrives early in times square. to severe rheumatoid arthritis symptoms... ...with my psoriatic arthritis symptoms. but just ok isn't ok.

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settling in. bao li and qing bao arrived from china this fall. the 3-year-olds make their public debut in just a few weeks. large crowds are expected. and 2025 has arrived in times square. the number 5 joining 2-0-2 for the big ball drop on new year's eve. all of the numerals and the current ball will be retired after this new year's eve. they will go on display in times square in the new year. when we come back, a preview of tonight's robin roberts special, "the year," and the breakout stars of 2024. doesn't. but shingrix protects! only shingrix is proven over 90% effective. shingrix is a vaccine used to prevent shingles in adults 50 years and older. shingrix doesn't protect everyone and isn't for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients or to a previous dose. tell your healthcare provider if you're pregnant or breastfeeding. increased risk of guillain-barré syndrome was observed after getting shingrix. fainting can happen so take precautions. most common side effects are pain, redness, and swelling where injected, muscle pain, tiredness, headache, shivering, fever, and upset stomach.

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breakout stars that left their mark. here's abc's deborah roberts. >> reporter: for glen powell, 2024 was the perfect storm. part rom-com, part true story about a hitman. >> this is serious. >> reporter: well, undercover hitman. >> we got to go, we got to go. >> reporter: and, of course, part thriller sequel, "twisters." >> it's a movie i loved as a kid. i rewatched that movie until the vhs broke. >> my next guest was born in new zealand, raised in japan, and is getting rave reviews for her performance in "shogun." please welcome anna sawai. >> i would advise against speaking out of turn. oh, and -- you will please address me as mariko-sama. >> reporter: not only did her breathtaking portrayal earn anna a lead actress emmy win, but the series also walked away with outstanding drama. >> "shogun." >> reporter: and lead actor for

hiroyuki sanada. >> we can create a better future together. thank you so much. >> reporter: and a new to the scene country artist, shaboozey, sampling and revamping a decades-old rap. ♪ everybody at the bar getting tipsy ♪ >> reporter: "a bar song (tipsy)" now tied with lil nas x's "old town road" as the longest-running number one hit in the history of the billboard hot 100. >> kind of, yeah, kind of crazy, like, everyone is like, how do you feel? i'm like, it's an explosion in my head. >> reporter: as shaboozey celebrated his best new artist grammy nomination, simultaneous celebrations were happening for teddy swims. >> called my dad and, of course, my dad cried, made me cry, and first thing he said, well, hot dog, son. ♪ i lose control ♪ >> i think this was the first

album that i really started kind of talking specifically about myself and for myself and using it as a form of therapy to heal myself. it saved my life, truly, in so many ways. >> reporter: if 2024 has proven anything, it's that music really was -- ♪ h-o-t-t-o-g-o ♪ >> reporter: chappell roan is redefining what it means to be a pop star, with her album, "the rise and fall of a midwest princess." >> it's all about the girls. it's about chappell, it's about sabrina. i mean, it's amazing. these girls are killing it. >> whit: a year to remember. our thanks to deborah. you can catch her and david as they join robin roberts for "the year 2024," the all new abc news special, tonight at 9:00 eastern on the abc network. and then streaming later on hulu. thank you so much for watching tonight. i'm whit johnson. hope to see you right back here tomorrow night. good night.

santa cruz, the part of the pier that fell off and washed ashore. but getting a glimpse of it could be dangerous. >> and the rain and wind increased tonight. plus, the high surf danger that continues through this weekend. >> how local scientists are helping federal authorities deal with exotic animals illegally smuggled into the u.s. >> always live abc seven news starts right now. >> live doppler seven

telling the top story tonight after a christmas break. the rain is back and it will be with us for several days to come. good evening. thank you for joining us. >> i'm dan ashley and i'm larry beil. this could be the last series of storms for this year. and today's storm ranks as a level one on the exclusive abc seven news storm impact scale, which means it's basically it's a light storm. so here's a snapshot of conditions around the bay area. and it's dark. it's that's why i'm not the meteorologist frances dinglasan knows what's going on. hi, frances. hi, larry. oh. oh, frances. we'll get to frances in a second. there's a winter weather advisory in the sierra. live. look at zephyr cove right now. all right. that i can identify as as. precipitation. uh. obviously, you know, snow there at this time of the year is common. peaks could see an extra foot of snow by tomorrow afternoon. chain controls already in effect for drivers on interstate 80 and highway 50. >> all right, let's take a live look at santa cruz. looks calm at the moment, but the whole bay