on the broadcast xh christmas eve, the getaway. wintry weather making a tough going in the midwest and south. hundreds of flights being canceled and airport screeners on the lookout for a potential new terror attack. last-minute shoppers are flocking to stores and to the internet, bringing much-needed joy back to the american economy. first gns. what if babies could communicate what they want without speaking or crying? and "making a difference." bringing the holiday spirit to people who are sometimes forgotten. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

good evening. i'm carl quintanilla in tonight for brian williams. on this christmas eve, as americans rush home for the holidays, the weather is threatening to complicate things. snow in the midwest and the south has prompted hundreds of flight cancellations. european flights in paris have turned into nightmares. all that on top of a new security measure which could impact your next screening at the airport. nbc's ron mott is live tonight in atlanta's jackson airport. ron, good evening. >> reporter: carl, good evening to you. the weather didn't cause a lot of havoc today for air travel, but tomorrow could be a much different story. for all of you flying over the holidays, expect to see something new at security checkpoints. thermoses are the latest items to draw special attention from the tsa. concern would be terrorists may try to hide explosives inside. as a result, insulated beverage containers could face additional screening. >> it's just another hassle we have to deal with. >> reporter: last christmas, a

nigerian man failed to detonate a bomb hidden in his underwear. >> this is a very good vehicle for an improvised explosive. >> reporter: analyst michael sheehan cautions travelers not to read too much into this latest warning. >> this happens every year but doesn't necessarily mean there's specific information regarding an attack against the united states. >> reporter: all across the u.s., holiday travel is testing patience, driving skills and wallets. and a powerful winter storm dumped snow on minnesota and iowa. a system moving into the south and east. nationwide, gas prices have hit $3 a gallon, a christmas first. >> it is a little insane. $3 tnt 26 for a gallon of gas. >> reporter: today, most of the holiday rush appears already over, at least for now. light traffic in chicago. >> plane ride was good. no real delays anywhere. >> reporter: at the world's busiest airport in atlanta, smooth sailing through security, under ten minutes.

it may not be smooth sailing for long. it's supposed to snow in atlanta tomorrow. already, delta airlines has canceled some 500 flights, about 300 of those set to take off from atlanta. carl? >> ron mott in atlanta. ron, thanks for that. so who will have a white christmas and where might the travel headaches be for the rest of the weekend? for that, we turn to the weather channel's samantha moore. >> about half of the nation will have a white christmas. the last few days, that low is going to be moving across the south, transitions to rain to sleet to snow across the atlanta area, in through charlotte and raleigh-durham, as we head into our saturday and then sunday. then that low makes its way up the coast. we could see real travel woes here. boston, new york and d.c. on sunday. and into monday, we're expecting to see possible delays as a result of the wintry weather in all of our big northeast coast cities.

that's just going to be the time that the folks are packing up their suitcases and leaving family visits to get back to work. possibly next week. so we'll be expecting major travel delays then. so we'll stay on top of it. >> the timing is not ideal. samantha, thank you. thousands of last-minute travelers in europe are finding it nearly impossible to get home for the holidays. bad weather is leaving them stranded at airports that are already dealing with days of backlogged flights. sally biddle has the latest. >> reporter: in paris today, little festive cheer. thousands of passengers delayed and hundreds of flights canceled. at charles degald airport, up to 5,000 travelers having to sleep overnight on the floor. heavy snow on the roof of terminal two forced an evacuation. contributing to the delays, not enough de-icer caused a third of flights to be canceled. even a special supply of the

fluid didn't help to ease the chaos. it's the end of a rough week for europe's airports who struggled to get planes flying because of the snow and ice. frankfurt badly hit and london's heathrow closed for days. in belgium, passengers lined up for seven hours just to get travel updates at brussels airport as the extreme cold practically closed their air space, leaving thousands stranded there. richard and cathy are trying to get to the u.s. >> our kids are over there, all the rest of the family are there. but not us this time. >> reporter: and there are problems on the roads, too. following more heavy snowfall. in germany, a serious accident closed one of the main motorways. the pileup killing at least one person. there is a glimmer of good news, though, as stranded passengers begin to make it home. this children's choir arrived at heathrow this morning, a week late after being stranded in washington, d.c.

but still in find spirits. sally biddle for nbc news, london. >> back in this country, people in parts of the west are spending this christmas eve trying to salvage this holiday after this week's historic storm. kristen welker has the latest on the cleanup. >> reporter: on the night before christmas, a massive cleanup is under way in laguna beach, after the record-setting storm wednesday wiped out the beach and left 20 homes and nearly 50 businesses saturated in mud and debris. >> that's what took us the longest. >> reporter: today, officials declared the mess a state of emergency, as dozens took refuge in local hotels, which in the spirit of the season, are not charging flood victims. >> it didn't feel like christmas, so we didn't think about the holiday season at all. it was just about helping people. >> it looked a lot nicer before. >> reporter: carter pike is being hailed a hero of the storm. the 20-year-old rescued his

neighbors who were trapped in rising waters. all while watching his car, his prized possession, get swallowed up by the flood. >> if one of those kids had been hurt, it's something i could never live with. >> reporter: usually a hub of holiday shopping, the downtown area is now a reminder of how much damage was done. store owners working feverishly to reopen. >> i think in my merchandise and fixtures, about $125,000 i lost. so a lot. >> reporter: communities throughout southern california are in recovery mode. damage is estimated to be in the tens of millions and with forecasts calling for more storms late christmas day, there is anxiety about what could come. loma linda is still a sea of mud after more than 18 inches of rain this week. carly's family hasn't been able to drive out of their home for three days, but they will have memories for a lifetime. >> all the water just piled

right back. >> reporter: highland remains under evacuation orders. nearly 100 people were chased out of their homes. despite everything these communities have endured, today the sky is clear. and santa is on his way. >> you're such a brave kid. >> reporter: kristen welker, nbc news. the last-minute rush is in full force at the mall and online. for all those procrastinators who still haven't quite finished their christmas shopping. nbc's john yang is on chicago's magnificent mile again for us tonight. >> reporter: good evening, carl. there are now no more shopping days left until christmas. it turns out not all of those last-minute shoppers are procrastinators. walter dawkins was a man on a anything today. he had just one hour to do all his christmas shopping. >> you shop last minute, there's no times for a decision. so you get it done in quarter of

a time, so that's the good part. >> reporter: for elizabeth, it's not procrastination, it's strategy. he's been here five of the last seven days scouting things out. >> i needed to know where i was going, what i was doing. >> reporter: last-minute shoppers are helping retailers to what's shaping up to be the best holiday season since 2006. the national retail federation raised its estimate of spending to more than $451 billion, a 3.3% increase over last year. and online shopping continues to grow. an estimated $36.4 billion since the end of october, up more than 15%. >> we're seeing strength across the board. but the categories leading the way have been apparel, electronics, jewelry and gift cards. >> reporter: retailers aren't offering the last-minute deep discounts this year they have in the past because they don't have a lot of unsold inventory. what about people still looking

for that perfect gift? a survey found 46% said they would give an iou and 8% said they would just avoid the people they hadn't gotten presents for. because christmas falls on a saturday this year, retailers are missing out on a big weekend shopping day, but they're already looking forward to sunday, the day after christmas. they're hoping that could be one of the top ten shopping days of the whole year. carl? >> john yang for us tonight. john, thank you for that. from chilly chicago to much warmer hawaii, that's where president obama and the first family are enjoying their christmas vacation. the time off is mostly play, but there is some work involved. nbc's mike vicara is traveling with the president and joins us again tonight from honolulu. mike, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, carl. take two of the president's vacation and he seems to be enjoying himself. yesterday, it was a golf outing. today, he's out on the beach. we also understand the president

is reading a biography of president reagan as it happens, this as president obama is considering some staff shakeups in the west wing. there is some business being conducted. counterterrorism advisers to the president held a conference call today to review additional measures that are being taken as so many americans are traveling in planes, trains and automobiles over the next several days. one minor scare here that marred the trip only slightly, carl. that was when a man wanted by local authorities was being pursued. they were chasing this man and he blundered into a checkpoint near the president's vacation home. the man turned around, ultimately apprehended by hawaii authorities. the president was never in danger. he happened to be out golfing at the time. on a much lighter note, we understand that the first lady while not at the beach with the first lady, was answering calls from young americans who were calling in to norad to track the progress of santa claus across the christmas eve skies. imagine their surprise when they

heard the first lady's voice on the other side. and tomorrow, the christmas dinner for the obamas, their friends and family, really simple. it's going to be steak, grilled potatoes, green peas, green beans and pie for dessert. carl? >> sounds delicious, thank you for that. for thousands of americans serving their country, this will be another christmas far from home. on the front lines in afghanistan, troops ushered in the holiday with a kanld lite service. in iraq, festive hats have been handed out and the troops have already had a visit from santa claus. the christmas holiday began under heightened security at the vat cap after the mail bombings dell de la fuente ig nas qulo up next as "nightly news" continues for this christmas eve, one of the biggest

celebrations in years in bethlehem. why it's so different this year. and later, making a difference in place where is cheer is needed. volunteers delivering the gift of kindness. [ coughing ] [ tea kettle whistle ] [ water pouring ] [ punches ] [ male announcer ] beat your worst flu symptoms. new theraflu max d contains the most powerful medicine allowable without a prescription to fight your worst flu symptoms. theraflu max d. serious power. take the power of theraflu in warming caplets or warming syrup.

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peaceful christmas eve in decades. ♪ palestinian choirs from across the west bank haven't travel sod freely in years, with most israeli roadblocks removed. 90,000 pilgrims and tourists are expected, up from 70,000 last year. no room at the inn, hotel rooms in bethlehem sold out. >> i am so excited and i am so happy and i'm having a wonderful time. look at the people, it's such a wonderful celebration. >> reporter: in this hospital near manger square, a sign of the times. eight babies were born in the past 24 hours. this is samir. his mother is overjoyed. but things are changing in the birthplace of christ. bethlehem's population is 80% muslim. and six of the eight newborns are muslim, by coincidence, two sets of triplets.

[ inaudible ] >> reporter: it's unseasonably hot today, over 70 fahrenheit. and with america and europe in the icy grip of an early winter, here there's a drought. which prompted the latin patriarch, the catholic's top clergymen in the holy land, to add a new christmas wish. he asked god to "send us rain in winter, decides peace and justice and dignity for all." martin fletcher, nbc news. when we come back, baby talk with a twist. can sign language give kids a head start in life? as much as i can about a company before i invest in it. that's why i like fidelity. they give me tools and research i can't get anywhere else. their stock screener lets me search for stocks with more than 140 criteria. i can see what their experts are thinking

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children an edge later in life. here's robert bazell. >> reporter: it's the latest method for parents to try to raise smarter, happier children. >> this is a sign for? >> girl. >> reporter: several programs around the country offer classes where parents and their infants who have normal hearing and no speech problems learn american sign language when they are still too young to say words. >> what are you eating? >> cracker. >> who's that? >> reporter: she says the program increases iq and leads to greater emotional stability later in life. >> language comes the first day that they're born, but parents usually wait until speech is developed enough, some kids are 12 months, some kids are 18 months, to be able to have a conversation. >> reporter: but many experts are skeptical of these claims.

although they say the programs can't hurt. >> our children just get joy about being in an environment. we were sensitive to them and responsive to them. >> can you do share? >> reporter: she insists that children can start to sign to their parents as early as 8 months so they can ask for things instead of crying. do they sign specific words? >> yes. for example, they can sign if they want more, grapes or strawberries. if they're frustrated or happy. ♪ my only sunshine >> reporter: the classes cost $180 for six sessions like this. or $125 for five lessons and home. and the parents we spoke to said they were enjoying it. hoping they were sending their kids on an early step to a better life. robert bazell, nbc news, los angeles. and for any kids already

asking where santa is tonight, norad has the answer on its santa tracker. so far, santa has delivered gifts to china, australia, and the international space station. you can follow santa's journey to your house by logging on to our website at nightly.msnbc.com. up next, the jingle of the season. tonight's "making a difference" report. if you live for performance, upgrade to castrol edge advanced synthetic oil. with eight times better wear protection than mobil 1. castrol edge. it's more than just oil. it's liquid engineering. try zegerid otc.

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finally on this christmas eve, a group on a mission to bring the holiday spirit to people who are often left out. they call themselves holiday express. they are tireless, doing 50 gigs in the 30 days leading up to christmas. this is the 18th year that they are making a difference. nbc's natalie morales has their story. >> reporter: if you had any doubt about the true meaning of the holidays, just follow the holiday express. a volunteer band with 100 entertainers spreading good cheer. one stop they make year after year, eva's village, a shelter and treatment facility in patterson, new jersey. >> i've had grown men come up

with tears in their eyes telling me this the is the first time they've ever celebrated the holidays. >> look at the penguins. >> reporter: at the holiday express warehouse year round, hundreds of volunteers pack gift bags. tim is a front man. >> people need shampoo and toothbrushes. >> reporter: he dreamed up the idea 18 years ago. >> when you do things for people, it comes right back at you immediately. >> reporter: he developed compassion early in life, seeing his brother in and out of hospitals with polio. now as his 13-year-old son jack battles leukemia. >> when he was diagnosed, my moment was, and i don't like cliches, but it was the, i've been talking the talk, it's time to walk the walk. ♪ >> reporter: their motto is serving the underserved.

playing to an audience that often doesn't get the attention and everyone gets involved. >> we try to go to places where, if we don't go, they're not going to have a christmas or celebrate hanukkah. >> reporter: they've played more than 700 shows from hospitals, psychiatric wards and beyond. for monica craig, this is the first real christmas her kids have had. >> when we got here and they saw santa claus and they were singing the songs in the atmosphere, it was amazing. ♪ >> reporter: for those who may have forgotten, once again believers in the magic of the holidays. natalie morales, nbc news, patterson, new jersey. >> and you can find much more on this week's special holiday "making a difference" series on our new website, or you can also get to it, of course, by going to nightly.msnbc.com. that is our broadcast for

this friday. thank you for being with us. i'm carl quintanilla. brian williams will be back on monday. for all of us at nbc news, merry christmas. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com . from last-minute donations to last-minute shopping, thousands of people are still out at bay area malls and storms. time is running out. good evening on this christmas eve. tom is off tonight celebrating with his family. shoppers came back in force this year, spending more than expected on family, friends and b