good morning. coming up on "early today," xbox and sony playstation net works go down in an apparent attack on the same day sony's "the interview" is released in theaters. from afghanistan to arizona, how people around the globe celebrated christmas. retailers brace for the post holiday rush of returns. plus, a narrow escape for an electronic tricycle driver in china. a special christmas delivery below the streets of philadelphia. and see what happens when a dignified actor is forced to wear a dancing christmas hat by his wife. it's friday, december 26th. "early today" starts right now. > good morning. i'm dara brown.

more possible cyberattacks are being reported. the latest target, sony playstation and microsoft xbox gaming networks. thousands of gamers reported trouble signing in on christmas and hacker group called lizard squad is claiming responsibility. the latest possible hack came the same day that theaters across the country screened sony's controversial comedy "the interview." haley jackson has more on the movie's much talked about opening. >> reporter: this christmas day opening did not involve traditional presents. >> it's a gift, you know what i mean? to get to see what all the hoopla was about. >> it wasn't the most christmas thing we did but it was the most american thing we did. >> reporter: from l.a. to new york audiences lined up at more than 200 independent theaters for "the interview." >> more free speech. >> at one sold out screening, a midnight surprise. the movie's co-director and co-star seth rogen with an adult beverage and some adult language. >> if it wasn't for theaters like this and people like you guys, this literally would not

be happening right now. >> reporter: sony pulled the film last week after a message claiming to be from the hackers that threatened large theater chains planning to screen "the interview" which features a plot to kill kim jong-un. president obama appears pleased about sony's change of plans. >> i'm glad it's being released. >> reporter: north korea is not. a diplomat told the a.p. north korea calls the release an unpardonable mockery to the dignity of our leader. and on the streets of pyongyang, predictable outrage after the u.s. pinned sony's cyberattack on north korea. unfounded rumors according to this woman. russia is sympathizing with north korea calling their anger quite understandable. here at home those who watched the movie are unapologetic. sorry, north korea, but not sorry says one of hundreds of instagram posts from people who streamed "the interview" online. >> it sort of transcended what it is and it's become something of an event. i don't think it's going to help sony make its money back, but it will certainly be widely seen. >> we've got the interview.

>> a film green lit for its punch lines. >> it was hilarious in a stupid way. >> can't stop making headlines. >> that was haley jackson reporting. after more than a decade of combat in afghanistan, january 1st will officially mark an end to america's longest war. the u.s. will hand over security to the afghan government. nbc's richard jordan is live in washington. president obama says afghanistan is no longer going to be a source of terror attacks. good morning, richard. >> reporter: dara, good morning. that was quite the statement from the president. he's sticking with the timeline set months ago, but there are some lawmakers who are not on board with that plan. >> hello, everybody. merry christmas! >> reporter: the president and first lady greeted service members at a marine base in hawaii. but it is those deployed in afghanistan that are most impacted by the message he delivered and an outlook for that country's future. >> afghanistan has a chance to rebuild its own country.

we are safer. it is not going to be a source of terrorist attacks again. >> reporter: the withdraw in a few days will lead to more reunions like this, a moment many military families have been waiting well over a decade for. the last year has been among the deadliest for afghan soldiers and police officers. so to help keep the country stable, nearly 11,000 u.s. troops will stay in afghanistan over the next few months. >> pretty important mission here, so it is an honor to be a part of that, for the same time it is difficult being away from home. >> reporter: senator john mccain spent christmas in kabul. he assured the afghan president the us u.s. will not abandon afghanistan even after soldiers are gone. >> i believe we're now in a time where with proper support and proper effort, partnership, the united states, in every way -- >> reporter: the u.s. is prepared to lead, but some

crittics aren't so sure afghanistan can stand on its own. and president obama says u.s. service members will be able to focus on other priorities. at the top of the list, fighting ebola in west africa. john mccain will be leaving afghanistan headed for iraq today. that is another country that some people believe the u.s. should be more involved in. dara? >> richard, thank you for that report. new yorkers will pay their final respects to one of the two nypd officers killed this saturday. a public viewing for rafael ramos will be held later today. his family will lay him to rest tomorrow morning. a makeshift memorial for officer ramos and his partner wenjian liu continues to grow, the nypd says they made another arrest over threats to kill police. they released this picture showing weapons they confiscated from a home of a 38-year-old man. a witness called police after he overheard the man making the threats while talking on his cell phone inside of a bank. the weapons include two firearms, two bullet resistant

vests, brass knuckles and a holster. this is the sixth arrest since the killing of officers ramos and liu on saturday. across the country, and around the world, people celebrated christmas day. some with words of inspiration, others lending a helping hand. nbc's ron mott has more. >> reporter: around america, and abroad, even outer space, christmas is celebrated. nasa astronauts barry willmer and terry wertz. >> we want to wish you all a merry christmas and happy new year. >> reporter: from church services to service in the community. to afghanistan sacrifice and commitment were scenes of the day. >> i love you and i miss you and i hope you enjoy your christmas with family. >> reporter: in new york volunteers delivered meals to elderly people at home. in los angeles -- >> i got this big toy. >> reporter: toys for homeless boys and girls, something good to eat.

overseas, a christmas mass in bethlehem. the royal family headed off to church in mass. the queen spoke of reconciliation. >> peace and goodwill have lasting power in the hearts of men and women. >> reporter: and at the vatican pope francis offered blessings of hope for the suffering, rebuke for acts that cause it, thanks to those on the front lines of the ebola fight. there was christmas whimsey, too. frosty dip in germany, fun in the sands in australia, and elephants in thailand. back here at home, special deliveries were bundled with care in pittsburgh. volunteers struck a chord at a d.c. shelter. ♪ jingle all the way >> merry christmas! >> reporter: and the world's busiest man recruited a little fire power in tucson, arizona, bringing cheer to kids spending christmas in the hospital. >> that was nbc's ron mott reporting. in philadelphia, a special christmas delivery for a new mother and the two transit

police officers who came to her rescue. she went into labor on a subway train. passengers flagged down police officers who quickly jumped on that train car and sprung into action. >> the train for the medics to come in and take over. >> the baby had the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. we did that and the mother wanted to hold the baby, the father offered the shirt off his back to warm the baby up. >> i was hoping for a quiet shift, don't we all. but this experience was pleasant. >> everything happened so quick, but it was -- it was amazing. >> the mother and her baby boy are doing well and resting this morning. and now it is time for a look at that friday weather forecast. here is meteorologist domenica davis with that. how are we doing today? >> well, we're looking a little snowy out to the west. it is all in the right spots where you want the snow. a lot of good skiing going on. that's going to continue because we have this storm system. it is bringing some light

showers through seattle and portland. the main part of this is the snow that will continue today, from the rockies all the way into the northern plains. we're still looking at potential for some heavy snow through the cascades. in utah, in parts of colorado, we could see an additional foot of snow. but for the meefrt, we're looking at 2 to 4 inches by the time the storm wraps up and moves off to the east. it will start to produce rain. this is one more day of some snow showers before the end of the weekend. here is a look at your friday forecast, temperatures are very cold, 30 in salt lake city. 20 in casper. 25 in billings. denver coming in at 19. that's a look at your national . 63 and sunny in los angeles. and that's a look at your friday

weather. >> thank you so much, domenica. still ahead, it has been ten years since southeast asia was hit by a devastating tsunami. we'll show you how the victims are being remembered. lucky to be alive. an alarming crash caught on camera. you're watching "early today." [ shutter clicks ] hi there! [ laughs ] -i'm flo! -i know! i'm going to get you your rental car. this is so ridiculous. we're going to manage your entire repair process from paperwork to pickup, okay, little tiny baby? your car is ready, and your repairs are guaranteed for as long as you own it. the progressive service center -- a real place, where we really manage your claim from start to finish. really. ♪ easy as easy can be bye! ime know i'm doing a good job.ts i like it when my toothpaste lets me know too. that's why i went pro. go pro with crest pro-health. for an intensive clean. i can really feel it deep cleaning my mouth. for a 4x better clean try these products together.

that was a great check up. why do i cook for the to share with family to carry on traditions to come together, even when we're apart in stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and more, swanson® makes holiday dishes delicious! is a really big deal.u with aches, fever and chills- there's no such thing as a little flu. so why treat it like it's a little cold? there's something that works differently than over-the-counter remedies. attack the flu virus at its source with prescription tamiflu. and call your doctor right away. tamiflu is fda approved to treat the flu in people 2 weeks and older whose flu symptoms started within the last two days. before taking tamiflu tell your doctor if you're pregnant, nursing, have serious health conditions, or take other medicines. if you develop an allergic reaction, a severe rash, or signs of unusual behavior, stop taking tamiflu and call your doctor immediately.

children and adolescents in particular may be at an increased risk of seizures, confusion or abnormal behavior. the most common side effects are mild to moderate nausea and vomiting. ask your doctor about tamiflu and attack the flu virus at its source. stories making news this friday morning. across southeast asia tributes are being held to honor the 230,000 people killed in the indian ocean tsunami ten years ago. in thailand people laid flowers on this memorial wall. in indonesia where at least 168,000 people died, elected officials offered flowers at a mass grave. the more than 30 foot killer wave was triggered by a 9.1 magnitude earthquake off western indonesia. we have some stunning video to show you. the latest rash of violence in the occupied west bank. the israeli military says a molotov cocktail was thrown at a

civilian car. the israeli man who owned it suffered minor injuries but officials say his daughter was severely burned. the israeli military suspects palestinians are behind that attack. the driver of this car and truck that plowed into him after running a red light suffered just minor injuries, but the driver of the green electric tricycle walked away without a scratch. amazing. and big fries, they are back on the mcdonald's menu in japan. restaurants were forced to give customers small fries because of labor disruptions in states along the west coast of the u.s., but now they are receiving shipments from the u.s. east coast so, yes, japan once again, you can have big fries with that. so, the gifts have been exchanged, the presents open, but the holiday shopping season is far from over. nbc's kurt gregory reports. >> reporter: just when you thought you were done for the holidays, with the malls, the crowds, the deals and the bags, get ready for round two.

those dreaded returns. >> holiday returns are arguably one of the worst parts of the holiday shopping season because you do think that you're almost done. >> reporter: many retailers tighten up their return policies around the holidays to fight frivolous returns and flat out fraud. before you venture out go onto the website of the store you're going to and get familiar with their policy. make sure you have a receipt. leave the original tags on and make sure the item is in sellable condition. without a receipt, don't expect to get cash back. >> without the receipt it does get a little bit patchy. you may only have to get a store credit, for instance, so the receipt gives you a lot of flexibility. >> reporter: if your gift was purchased online, some retailers will let you return it in their stores, but you'll need the packing slip that came with the order to return it. if you ship the gift back, you may be in for a big surprise. >> one of the catches that we do often still see with online retailers is that they will only

do a refund to the original payment method so your gift giver is going to get a refund but you're not going to get anything out of that transaction. >> reporter: after christmas sales are huge for retailers. stores will try to lure bargain hunters with deep discounts. you might not want to rush out the door to make that return. >> you can wait until saturday or even the weekend following. you can go and do your return then and then take advantage of the great post holiday sales. >> reporter: so before heading out, do your homework and many happy returns. kurt gregory, nbc news. and just ahead, we'll recap some of the best nba on christmas day highlights. plus, one player takes the ugly christmas sweater to a whole new level. sports is up next. at panera bread, our hearty all-natural turkey chili is back in season. slow-cooked with turkey raised thout antibiotics, tart tomatillos, chilies, carrots, edamame and more.

the savory spice of the chili pairs perfectly with the black bean hummus and the fresh crunch of napa cabbage blend in our southwestern chicken flatbread. and it all comes together in a you pick two made just for you. only at panera bread. try zyrtec-d® to powerfully clear your blocked nose and relieve your other allergy symptoms... so you can breathe easier all day. zyrtec-d®. find it at the pharmacy counter. am i forgetting something? no holiday's complete without campbell's green bean casserole. wish you were here. ♪ [ doorbell ] [ gasps ] ♪ [ gong ] [ wisest kid ] m'm! m'm! good! ♪ and discover an exciting combination of tastes. rich, dark chocolate covering soft centers. flavored with exotic fruit juices.

it's chocolate and fruit flavors like you've never experienced before. discover brookside. yes. cup your hands together for me and let's put some just around your neck. [ bell rings ] thanks, here can you hold him? [ bell rings ] [ female announcer ] by their second kid, every mom is an expert and more likely to choose luvs than first time moms. live, learn, and get luvs.

this morning on "today," to infinity and beyond. "today" takes a look back at the year in space exploration and the discoveries mankind hopes to make in 2015. let's take you to sports and the nba on christmas day featured five games and one player who made a holiday fashion statement. clippers forward spencer hawes was rocking a christmas themed suit at the warriors/clippers game. he is 7'1".

so that is a lot of fabric and a festive way to show some christmas spirit. to the game now. the clippers leading scorer on the night jamal crawford with 24 points. guard chris paul though added 22 to beat the warriors 100-86 handing them their second loss at staples center in three days. 23, lebron james! >> lebron james received a warm welcome on his return to miami, but his former teammates did not wait long to spoil that reunion. dwyane wade scored 24 of his 31 points in the first half. james finished with 30 but the cavs fell short. heat win it 101-91. in new york wizards guard john wall brought the spark against the knicks scoring 24 points and 11 assists. then late in the fourth knicks quincy acy bumped hard into a wall knocking him down. a scuffle ensued before the two were separated by other players. look at this replay, acy appeared to throw a punch towards john wall's neck.

that resulted in a flagrant foul. he was ejected from the game. wizards win 102-91 handing the knicks their 16th loss in 17 games. cleveland's lebron james and stefan curry of golden state are the leading vote getters for the nba all-star team. voting runs through january 19th. and in college hoops unranked g.w. wins its first in season tournament in ten years. they beat 11th ranked wichita state to win the diamond head classic in honolulu 62-54. okay, so just ahead, everyone's talking about "the interview" but what are the other big releases this holiday weekend? plus, hilarity ensues as celebrities take to social media for christmas. is a really big deal.u with aches, fever and chills- there's no such thing as a little flu. so why treat it like it's a little cold?

there's something that works differently than over-the-counter remedies. attack the flu virus at its source with prescription tamiflu. and call your doctor right away. tamiflu is fda approved to treat the flu in people 2 weeks and older whose flu symptoms started within the last two days. before taking tamiflu tell your doctor if you're pregnant, nursing, have serious health conditions, or take other medicines. if you develop an allergic reaction, a severe rash, or signs of unusual behavior, stop taking tamiflu and call your doctor immediately. children and adolescents in particular may be at an increased risk of seizures, confusion or abnormal behavior. the most common side effects are mild to moderate nausea and vomiting. ask your doctor about tamiflu and attack the flu virus at its source.

[ male announcer ] the rhythm of life. [ whistle blowing ] where do you hear that beat? campbell's healthy request soup lets you hear it in your heart. [ basketball bouncing ] heart healthy. [ m'm... ] great taste. [ tapping ] sounds good. campbell's healthy request. m'm! m'm! good.® campbell's healthy request. i was pretty stunned myself. removes fourteen years of stains. see? crest whitestrips work on a deeper level than paste. whitening toothpaste only removes surface stains, but whitestrips go below the enamel surface to safely remove deep stains. don't miss our buy one get one free offer this holiday season!

now for some entertainment news. there is plenty to see in theaters this weekend. angelina jolie's world war ii drama "unbroken" opened on christmas. over the weekend though it is expected to earn up to $30 million. the star studded musical "into the woods" should make about 10 million or more in ticket sales this weekend. other new movies include "american sniper" with bradley cooper, "the gambler" starring mark wahlberg, and tim burton's new flick "big eyes." the wife of actor patrick stewart posted this individual video on youtube. it's hard not to smile as stewart reacts to the singing, dancing hat on his head.

his wife wrote on youtube, sweet hat, bro. and mindy kaling created a viral sensation after displaying a wreath witherspoon on the christmas episode of "the mindy project." turns out reese witherspoon thought it was pretty funny. she posted this pic on instagram yesterday wishing everyone a very merry christmas and telling mindy she couldn't resist. >> that's cute and clever. >> i can't believe somebody hasn't done that before, though. >> it seems so obvious now, doesn't it? >> yes it does. i was watching her in a movie this weekend, so -- >> i'm dara brown. this is "early today." we hope it is your first stop of the day on nbc. when the game is on the line...

okay patrick, let's go base, shark, blitz. the nfl trusts duracell quantum to power their game day communication. abort! abort! he's keeping it! duracell quantum. lasts up to 35% longer than the competition.

they are one of the hottest gifts this christmas, drones. so many sold this week the faa actually launched a new drone safety campaign. amazon.com and dominos are among hundreds of companies talking about some day using them to transform how they do business and already thousands of would-be pilots are lining up and some leading aviation schools, they are stepping up to train them. nbc's tom costello takes a look inside drone school. >> reporter: from movie chase scenes to aerial farm land surveys, wildfires, wildlife, law enforcement, package delivery, you name it, the real drone invasion is waiting on the faa to set the rules. >> i've got the ability to sit and hover and look at something for a while to make sure is this the person we're looking for.

>> reporter: but the nation's leading aviation schools are not waiting. >> all right. so nice and stable. >> reporter: already training a new generation how to fly an unmanned ariel system or u.a.s. when you're first learning to fly this thing, what's the biggest challenge? >> i would say the bigs biggest challenge is the positional awareness. so whether it's flying towards you or away from you, you have different controls. >> reporter: it's not just small models. >> we're two miles south. >> reporter: but bigger military size drones as well. class enrollment up more than 1,000%. >> the hardest part for us in coping with it is how quickly the technology changes. >> reporter: it's a generational shift here at emory riddle which has taught traditional piloting since 1926. now in three years its unmanned aviation major has grown from 11 students to more than 200. 100 colleges and universities offer similar programs amid estimates of 100,000 jobs over the next ten years. junior alexa roman hopes she lands one of them.

>> it seems to be the wave of the future especially with the military. >> reporter: at the university of north dakota. >> turning right on 18th street. >> reporter: students who already have a commercial pilots license are hoping to be among the first certified drone pilots. >> the benefits that this industry will provide i think is just going to be exponential. >> reporter: it could start in just a few months when the faa announces the rules on who's allowed to fly and where. after that, the sky could be the limit. tom costello, nbc news, daytona beach. celebrating birthdays on this day after christmas, rocker chris daughtry turns 35. oscar winning actor jared leto is 43 and america's most wanted host john walsh is 69. keep it here for more news, weather and sports. aim dara brown. thanks for watching "early today." have a great friday and a terrific weekend.

>> announcer: from nbc bay area, this is "today in the bay." >> good morning to you. it is