rain. we do have rain on the way in and to out pretty quick tomorrow. and winds and gusty and much cooler. >> thanks for joining us. hope to see you at 6:00. . violent storms making news on this eve of christmas eve. confirmed tornadoes on the ground, damaging homes, knocking out power. tonight, widespread delays for air travelers already. the reversal. sony changes its mind. they will release the movie tonight. where it will play and how many will be able to see it. guns on planes. airport workers caught on camera smuggling weapons onto commercial flights inside the passenger cabin. tonight the loophole that allows them to bypass security. record surge. a big breakthrough for the american economy now growing faster than we've seen in over a decade. and "making a difference." on board what they call the snowball express for an unforgettable christmas vacation. "nightly news" begins now.

>> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. good evening. and on this eve of christmas eve, the weather is making news with so many americans on the move. because of this, the mass of weather east of the rockies to the eastern seaboard, it's going to be a mess for so many. and as of tonight, it has turned violent. we've had twisters on the ground with watches and warnings in place through 11:00 p.m. tonight. there's a lot to this system, and it's going to affect well over half the nation's population before it's out of here after christmas. it's already impacted air travel. there are reports of fatalities as a result of these tornadoes. we begin tonight with nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: it was a rare december tornado touching down in southern mississippi, moving right through the town of columbia, knocking out power to thousands, flipping over vehicles and damaging dozens of homes and businesses. >> we had reports of debris falling out of the sky.

off to the north and east of columbia. >> reporter: this weather chaser is there. >> the trees were all completely snapped. buildings completely destroyed. ambulances flipped on top of another car. >> reporter: tonight the marion county general hospital is without power and transferring patients to other hospitals. all part of a massive weather system that brought tornadoes to louisiana and torrential rains to tallahassee as it moves north. at the nation's airports the delays have been building all day. the flight aware misery map showing the eastern and southern cities with the most red. the same airports expected to get even worse as a bigger storm moves in tomorrow. >> our dallas flight's delayed, so i think we might be in danger of missing our connection to palm springs. >> reporter: at new york's laguardia airport, an aircraft fender bender only complicated a foggy, wet day. the wing tip of a southwest 737 torn off after hitting the tail of an american 737. no injuries. while in chicago, a winter storm watch starts tomorrow.

>> you just get on the plane and you just hope that you land where you're supposed to be going. >> reporter: it was only a few weeks ago when a tsa staffing foul-up led to impossibly long security lines at midway airport. today the tsa chief promised he's fixed that problem. >> it was a mistake that was made. i have high confidence that that will not be repeated anyplace across the 450 airports where tsa provides security. >> reporter: but this week it's the weather that seems determined to slow down travelers. already today we've had more than 4,700 delays, but tomorrow's going to be the big problem day. every major hub in the east and the south likely to be affected. christmas eve travel could be really difficult. brian? >> tom costello at dca, washington national airport, a busy place tonight. tom, thanks. as we said, there is a lot to this weather system. and for the damage it's already done, it has a lot of ground to cover as christmas day nears. meteorologist dylan dreyer is out on rockefeller plaza tonight. dylan, good evening. >> reporter: good evening,

brian. it is going to be a very busy night down south with several tornadoes that have already been reported. and the tornado watch is in effect until 11:00 tonight. now tomorrow we're going to see the severe threat of storms spread from florida up into south carolina where we could again see isolated tornadoes and damaging wind gusts. all up and down i-95 tomorrow we are going to see off and on heavy rain from the south extending all the way up into new england and on the backside of this storm we're expecting about 3 to 6 inches of snow in chicago. so who gets the white christmas? definitely in and around the great lakes because of this storm. we have white on the ground already because of an earlier storm this week back in the rockies. and across northern new england on the back side of this storm as it pulls away late in the day on christmas, there could be just enough flakes for folks to peek out the window and say, hey, look, it's snowing on christmas. brian? >> dylan dreyer with some of her closest friends on the plaza. americans' movie choices over the holiday break just

increased by one. sony pictures has changed its mind. it will release the film that has caused so much trouble. it will be shown on screens where theater operators are willing and able to show it. while sony remains under this electronic attack, believed to be commissioned by north korea. we get our report tonight from nbc's hallie jackson in los angeles. >> reporter: it's a twist that has hollywood applauding. "the interview" back on theater marquees. some screenings sold out in an hour. >> i was looking for a bootleg copy at first, but now i don't have to. >> i'm going the stand up for free speech as well as creativity. >> hello, north korea! >> reporter: sony announced it will release "the interview" on christmas day to small independent theaters like the historic plaza in atlanta. >> i don't think anybody in this country wants to be told what we can see and what we can't see. >> reporter: it's a dramatic about-face for sony. last week the studio pulled the controversial comedy which features a fake plot to kill the north korean leader, after larger chains refused to screen it. sony's decision appeared to end the cyber attack against it, a

hack the u.s. government pinned on north korea, which denies the accusation. in a news statement about "the interview," sony's ceo says we are proud to make it available to the public and to have stood up to those who attempted to suppress free speech. a rebuttal to the critics who implied sony caved to north korea. >> yes, i think they made a mistake. >> reporter: now, the white house says the president is pleased with the release of "the interview" because it allows people to make their own choices about the film. the movie's co-stars are celebrating that choice. james franco posting, victory. the people and the president have spoken. seth rogen tweeting, freedom has prevailed. sony didn't give up. >> it has become such a lightning rod and a free speech issue that there was a whole class of people that wanted to be able to pay to see this movie. >> reporter: sony may still stream the film on video on demand, even though a message from what appeared to be the hacker group threatened to retaliate with more leaks if that happens. a town that thrives on drama now bracing for more. while many critics who have seen the movie mostly panned it,

insiders expect theaters to be packed full of people watching this film out of principle. it's estimated as many as 300 cinemas could screen "the interview" on thursday. one theater owner called it the best christmas gift anyone could give. >> hallie jackson at the foot of the hollywood sign for us live tonight. thanks. with so many people in the air right now and about to fly, we are learning tonight about a stunning breach in security at the airport. a baggage handler for delta airlines has been arrested and charged with helping to smuggle guns, including an ak-47, into the passenger cabins of commercial flights. prosecutors are calling this truly frightening and, quote, a wake-up call for our nation. our report tonight from our justice correspondent, pete williams. >> reporter: police in new york say surveillance video shows this man walking off a flight at jfk airport two weeks ago with 16 handguns in his backpack. guns he carried on board a delta airlines flight in his carry-on.

and they say he's been doing it undetected for five years, smuggling guns into new york city where they're hard to buy. >> i hope that this is a wake-up call for the nation because we avoided a potential disaster here. >> reporter: police say the gun runner, mark henry, bought guns online in atlanta and gave them to eugene harvey, a delta airlines baggage handler in atlanta. investigators say harvey took the guns to work, getting into the delta employee parking area with his airport security badge. on december 10th, henry was seen going through tsa screening in atlanta with a mostly empty backpack. police say the two later met in this airport restroom where harvey handed over the guns he sneaked in and henry boarded a flight with the guns in his backpack. most u.s. airports have the same security arrangement atlanta does. airport employees undergo a background check to get a security badge but are not screened when they enter the terminal. security experts say imposing such a requirement is not realistic.

>> you'll have to hire tens of thousands more tsa personnel and you'll have to buy tons of equipment. you're going to have to redesign the flow of an airport just for that to happen. >> reporter: tonight a homeland security official says procedures are being reviewed to see if changes are in order. pete williams, nbc news, washington. we received word late tonight vice president joe biden will indeed attend the funeral this weekend for one of the two new york city police officers murdered on saturday. this evening, landmarks all along the skyline of new york, including rockefeller center, the christmas tree, will dim their lights for a few minutes in memory of the officers. while tension persists in the streets below. we get our report tonight from nbc's stephanie gosk. >> they believed in making this city better. >> reporter: today new york city stopped at 2:47 to mark the moment officers wenjian liu and rafael ramos were gunned down. >> we're torn right now, shattered, broken. we really don't know where we're

going from here. >> reporter: officer's liu's tearful widow thanked supporters. >> this is a difficult time for both of our families. >> reporter: mayor bill de blasio calls for an end to protests over police tactics until after the funerals are held. some law enforcement officials link those protests to saturday's rampage. detectives say 28-year-old suspect ismaaiyl brinsley had video on his cell phone of this december 1st demonstration against police. new york's police commissioner with matt lauer. >> quite apparent, quite obvious that targeting these two police officers was a direct spin-off of this issue of these demonstrations. >> reporter: but brinsley also had a long criminal record and a history of mental illness. before he killed the officers and himself, he first shot his ex-girlfriend. protest organizers say they are not to blame and tonight they're back on the streets. this man helped organize the demonstration. >> to stop now would only feed

into their narrative that somehow these protests have contributed to some sort of climate of violence or chaos, which we believe is untrue. >> reporter: what is undeniably true is that two officers died senselessly, and the city is left wondering how to keep it from happening again. stephanie gosk, nbc news, new york. this was a big day for the american economy. the dow went above 18,000 for the first time ever and finishing there on strong economic news. the government reported the fastest third quarter growth in more than a decade. and it has risen largely on the shoulders of more confident american consumers. our report on this development tonight from nbc's john yang. ♪ >> reporter: at the crowded christmas market in downtown chicago, the miring family is an engine of economic growth. they're spending. >> usually i get my shopping done, then i'm kind of done. i think i've been spending more the last few days because i keep buying.

>> reporter: strong consumer spending is a big reason today's government gdp report, the broadest measure of the economy, found it grew a robust 5% in the third quarter. also today the consumer confidence index hit an eight-year high. what's behind it? for one, the longest consecutive declining gas prices on record. it means an extra $1,100 in the pocketbook of an average family of four. plus job growth. more than 2.6 million new jobs so far this year. on pace to be the best in 15 years. that's driving big ticket purchases like new cars. this year the best sales in eight years. on wall street today the dow powered to record heights. >> it really doesn't say anything about what the future could be. >> reporter: the gdp report could signal more lasting change. >> this number really demonstrates the economy is back on its feet and should be running literally for the next year or two.

♪ >> reporter: it's all put shoppers in a holiday mood. >> i feel a little bit more in the spirit to go out and hit some sales. >> reporter: for the economy, that's the gift that keeps on giving. john yang, nbc news, chicago. still ahead on this tuesday evening, the power of prayer. our report about the physical benefits got a lot of viewers talking last night. tonight, the changes doctors say are actually visible in the brain during prayer. also our "making a difference" report, an extraordinary christmas gathering and the army of volunteers who make it happen.

as we mentioned before the break, there's been a lot of interest expressed in the report we aired here last night about the growing medical evidence behind the power of prayer. inspiring to so many especially given this time of year. but tonight the skeptics get their say in the conclusion of our two-part series on this topic from nbc's cynthia mcfadden. >> reporter: does prayer heal? dr. andrew newberg says he's got proof it does. witness the brain on prayer. >> you can see it's almost all red here when the person is just at rest, but you see it turns into these yellow colors when she's actually doing prayer. >> reporter: dr. newberg injects a radioactive dye in his subjects to see what happens when they pray. he says each time, something fascinating takes place.

so would you go so far as to say prayer can heal? >> oh, absolutely. absolutely it can heal. there are changes in different neurotransmitters, the chemicals in our brain, that help to release serotonin and dopamine in the brain, some of which can help to repress pain. >> reporter: the research and the book he's written is part of the hundreds of studies in the past decade as the medical establishment takes a new look at religion's role in modern medicine. but not everyone is sold. >> the brain changes when you eat chocolate. >> reporter: critics like dr. richard sloan says while the brain does change during prayer, there is no proof that those changes create healing. >> the brain changes when anything happens. your brain is changing right now as you listen to me, and my brain is changing as you ask me questions. there's nothing special about showing brain changes when people pray. >> reporter: dr. sloan is the author of "blind faith, the unholy alliance of religion and medicine." >> there's no doubt in anybody's mind that religious practices bring comfort to a great many people, but they shouldn't practice religion because it's

like some sort of a cosmic vending machine in which you deposit a coin and get a health benefit. they should practice religion because it resonates with them. >> as far as we know, it is not a cure for cancer, it is not going to cure somebody of heart disease. we can't tell people to pray in order to get better. that doesn't really make sense. the reason it works is because it's part of the person's belief system. >> reporter: dr. newberg does hope his research will help foster understanding about the mysteries of belief. cynthia mcfadden, nbc news, philadelphia. we're back in a moment with a big change at coca-cola. something a lot of people have been saying for years.

every day is a new opportunity to help make life better right here in san francisco. whether it's helping local businesses like the fruitguys grow and prosper, supporting nonprofits like juma ventures as they fulfill their mission or helping neighborhoods like the tenderloin become vibrant communities. if there's a way to help the people of san francisco thrive and succeed, we'll find it. that's the power of local connections. that's bank of america. ♪ after an exciting, harrowing college football game last night, the miami beach bowl became one of the ugliest chapters in college football easily this season. brigham young and memphis got into a huge brawl after memphis won the game. some downright barbaric behavior on both teams, swinging helmets, players got stomped, blindsided,

but it was a byu player's full-arm sucker punch that got the most attention. the incident prompted a lot of talk, especially in utah about byu's standards of faith and the sometimes violent world of ncaa division i football. one columnist's headline today read, "after brawl, byu football hardly a light to the world." both teams have apologized. this was bound to happen, but it's a big deal nonetheless. florida has surpassed new york as the third most populous state, leaving california and texas in the one and two positions. by the way, we're now a nation of 319 million people, give or take, and the u.s. population has doubled in just the past 60 years. speaking of calling your mother, this item reminded so many people of what so many kids tell their parents. coca-cola is telling its customers and employees, don't leave us a voicemail. send us a text instead. it's all part of the explosion

of smartphones, portable phone numbers and the slow painful death of land lines. voicemail has been summarily shut down at coke. it's intended, they say, to simplify work flow and increase productivity. keurig is recalling 7 million of its countertop coffee brewing machines. this one is the k-10 model called the mini plus. some people have been burned by hot liquid spraying out of this during brewing. these are in a lot of households. information on this model being recalled, we've had it posted on our website tonight, nbcnews.com. when we come back after a break, the profound connection a group of kids share as they come together to celebrate the holidays.

this can be the most wonderful time of the year, as andy williams famously called it, but when you're missing someone in your life, the holidays can turn into a tough time. that's why there is a place to go for the families of our u.s. military heroes. thanks to a group that's making a difference. we get their story tonight from nbc's janet shamlian in ft. worth, texas. >> merry christmas. lookie here. >> reporter: you can't buy a ticket for this flight. or a dozen others like it.

this is the snowball express. and it's just touched down in texas. >> we love the welcome every year. it's so much fun. >> reporter: every december, hundreds of children and mostly moms are invited for four days of holiday fun. they're the sons, daughters and spouses of fallen military heroes. >> it's bittersweet because you know why you're here. >> reporter: for jennifer stratton, it's been five years since she lost her husband mark in afghanistan. she comes here every year from virginia with her children who are now 7, 10 and 12. >> friendships develop and then i get to know more and more of the widows. so you feel like you're coming home every time for christmas, which is very nice. >> reporter: as for volunteers, there's a cast of thousands. >> would you like a patty or a pork chop or hot dog? >> reporter: but the most significant expression of support comes from the people of ft. worth. >> merry christmas! >> reporter: moms and dads who load up their own children and

wait by the side of the road to cheer on 50 bus loads of military families as they drive by. >> i'm here to tell them that we love them and we support them. >> reporter: it's a massive undertaking. the flight, the hotel rooms, the activities and the food is all donated. no one pays a dime. >> we're here for the kids. we want to remember what they sacrificed for us. >> reporter: for the parents, it's a shoulder to lean on. >> it's been 15 months, a long 15 months, but we're grateful to be here. >> reporter: but it's mostly all about fun. new memories in the making. >> one, two, three. >> reporter: janet shamlian, nbc news, ft. worth. that is our broadcast on this tuesday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. we, of course, hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. goodnight.

this is part of our family, and if it can happen to her, it can happen to all of us. >> right now at 6:00 she was the heart and soul of their community, a community that is issuing a dire warning tonight about her mystery death. new at 6:00 tonight, police in the east bay investigating the bizarre death of a so-called mystery shopper. she was paid to visit businesses secretly and rate the services of those retailers that's what

she was doing when she was found in the parking lot of the liv livermore mall. >> reporter: what led to this mystery shopper's death is very much a mystery. tonight, as thousands of people wrap up their holiday shopping here at the livermore premium outlet mall, the woman's friends and family hope somebody steps forward with answers. >> maers did not -- marcy did not deserve to lose her life like this. >> her friend is heartbroken that her friend lost her job while she was doing a job she loved. she was found unconscious in the parking lot of the mall earlier this month suffering from head injuries. >> what i fear happened is that either someone wanted something she had or they hit her with a car