222222222222222222222222222. happy holidays and if you ever need us, we're here for you. just remember our number 1-800-222-2222. we're the law brothers at airport home appliance. we understand there's more than one type of family or home. that's why we carry the largest in-stock selection in northern california, with a around the clock to deliver your new appliances this holiday season, whether it's a small replacement or a full kitchen remodel, we're committed to making your dream kitchen a little more within reach. that's holiday savings worth celebrating for jordan larson shop holiday savings with up to 35% off hi, i'm morgan chesky. "nbc news daily" starts right now.

today, thursday, december 26, 2024. holiday hustle. millions of americans are racing to get home. severe weather is causing headaches. bill of health. the price cap on prescription drugs for medicare recipients goes into affect next week. the huge sigh of relief for millions of people. the rush to return. holiday gifts are unwrapped. santa doesn't always get it right. what you need to know about exchanging some of the presents. sing along showings of "wicked" are sweeping the nation. they are many ways movie theaters are trying to get audiences back into the seats. we will take you inside. we begin this hour with a massive holiday travel rush following the holiday. millions are expected to fly, drive or hop on a train home. severe weather across the country could throw a wrench into their plans.

we are tracking two separate systems, one bringing rain, hail and the possibility of tornadoes in the south. the other dropping another round of rain and snow in the pacific northwest. michele grossman is tracking it all. we want to start with marissa parra in atlanta. one of the busiest airports on the planet. how does the weather seem to be impacting things? what do travellers need to know? >> reporter: i can tell you right now that my answer to that question is different than it would have been a few hours ago. things are busy behind me. this is not supposed to be the busiest travel day. the busiest for airports is supposed to be tomorrow or monday. a lot of activity. when it comes to the rain and possibly hail, the flights to

and from dallas have not been looking good. we know that if you look at the mystery map, from flight aware, and it's a miserable experience if you try to get in or out of dallas. that's where delays and cancellations are. you see that mostly red circle, that means that that is impacted flights in some way, shape or form, whether delay or cancellation. next to it, houston flights also impacted. those are the leaders of where we are seeing the worst flights. here in atlanta, things are busy. see a lot of movement behind me. things are moving pretty smoothly at most other airports, including atlanta. when we look at the board, where the delays and cancellations are from, the majority are to and from texas. in terms of what we are expecting overall, we know tomorrow and monday are going to be the busiest travel days when it comes to air travel. on the road, important to mention that, that's how the

majority of people will travel, well, they are taking to the roads. we moe know while we enjoyed christmas eve and christmas day of minimal travel, it will go back up. if you are in the pacific northwest or the south, take it slow and easy. it might get dicey. >> good advice. what's the biggest concern right now? >> we have a tornado watch until 7:00 central time. a severe thunderstorm warning in texas as well. that's the spot we see lots of lilightning. we saw hail earlier. we video with flash flooding in spots. ponding on the roadways. notice the pacific northwest, some green, some blue. green is rain. we do have system after system moving onshore. another one tonight into friday

that's going to bring a lot of ra and heavy snow. could see three feet in the higher elevations of the mountains. as we go throughout our holiday travel today, severe storms throughout the rest of today in portions of texas, louisiana, arkansas, watching that closely. watching the pacific northwest still. it's weeks of storms moving onshore. we will continue to look at that rain and windy conditions as well. the west, south, those are the most impacted by air delays. in portland, seattle and dallas, as we go throughout this thursday. then on the roadways, in the northwest and the south. otherwise, clear across the country. notice tomorrow the showers expand. it's not just portions of the south. we talk about great lakes into the ohio valley, tennessee valley as well and those travel impacts in the pacific northwest. >> a lot of watch. thank you both.

the video you are about to see is disturbing. a flight went down in kazakhstan. 29 people survived. today there's growing speculation the jet might not have gone down because of a bird strike as previously suggested. tonight, where does this investigation currently stand? what have you learned today? >> reporter: the russians, i will start with them, have said the investigation is still underway. i'm quoting here, the spokesperson for the kremlin. he said they would be incorrect to make any hypothesis before the investigation is complete. there's a commission now to send delegates to kazakhstan and gather evidence to figure out

what exactly happened. part of the investigation will be to determine why exactly this flight was diverted across the caspian sea, flew hundreds ofof miles off course off its scheduled route to try to land an emergency landing in kazakhstan. why wasn't it allowed to attempt the landing in russia? for the past 24 hours, this was the topic of speculation. as the video surfaced, it became clear to many experts that this wasn't a bird strike. they saw the images online. it showed the footage of the wreckage showing what appears to be holes and damage caused potentially by shrapnel. they saw and analyzed footage from the passengers who filmed while the plane was still in the air. they also examined the airspace at the time of the event. critically, they listened to the testimony of the survivors who

managed incredibly to walk away, literally some seen stumbling away from the crash site. they said they heard an explosion and that shrapnel was seen passing through the fuselage in the cabin area. all that combined led them to believe it wasn't caused by weather and it wasn't caused by a bird strike as had been suggested by russian state media yesterday following the crash. >> lots of evidence for investigators to continue to pour over. thank you so much. want to turn to the trump administration. part of a post reads, if canada was to become our 51st state, their taxes would be cut, businesses would double in size and they would be militarily protected like no other country anywhere in the world.

aaron gilchrist joins us now. aaron, president-elect trump doesn't appear to be taking actual steps to acquire the panama canal, greenland or canada here. what has been said from the leaders of those countries so far? >> it's a non-starter for the other world leaders. when president-elect trump floated the idea of taking back control of the panama canal on sunday, that country's leader was quick to say it's not an open conversation. pan na panama is not selling anything. trump complained they were charging too much money to use the canal to get from the atlantic to the pacific or vice versa. we know the u.s. helped build the canal more than 100 years. it did sign a treaty to turn over control of the canal. so done. as far as greenland, it is a self-governing territory of denmark. it's rich in rare earth

minerals. trump talked about buying it during his last term. he pointed to needing it for national security purposes. this time around, denmark said back then in 2019, no sale. basically, morgan, they are saying the same thing, nothing is for sale. >> aaron, the president-elect made an unusual suggestion for who he would like to serve in a theoretical where there would be a canadian prime minister or governor, in his words. who was it? >> he ran that by wayne gretzky. mr. trump posted about it on social media saying that he was with gretzky and said, wayne, why don't you run for prime minister of canada? soon to be known as the governor of canada. he went on to say gretzky had no interest in doing that. it's not clear why he made that suggestion to wayne gretzky or why he posted about it here other than as he said that

gretzky movement would be fun to watch. the kr current prime minister h not commented on that. >> no comment from him. curious what ryan reynolds would say, proud canadian that he is. thank you so much. it's time for "money minute." japan airlines is back to normal after a cyberattack. you might qualify for $1,400 from the irs. an angelica peebles joins us. >> japan airlines says its systems are back to normal after a cyberattack delayed domestic and international flights and disrupted luggage service today. no customer data was leaked. the incident comes days after american airlines grounded all flights because of a technical glitch. a line of raw and frozen pet food made by northwest naturals has been recalled after a cat died of bird flu. the bird flu strain found in the pet food matched the strain found in the cat. the recall affects the feline turkey raw frozen pet food sold

across the country. check your mail, you could be one of the 1 million tax filers who will get a credit up to 1,400. the irs says these taxpayers were eligible for a 2021 recovery rebate credit but didn't receive it. the irs commissioner said in a press release they will be made with no paperwork required. >> quickly. what do they need to check specifically to see if they qualify? i'm going to be honest, i'm asking for myself, too. >> the irs is saying the payments will be made automatically. no paperwork required. if you are eligible. >> breaking it aldown, thank you so much. coming up next, grab your popcorn. he with we will show you which film took the top spot at the box office this holiday week. you will want to hear this. it has been 20 years since

the devastating indian ocean tsunami. how two americans remember that terrifying and tragic day and how they have endured and moved on from that pivotal moment. a painful moment in their lives. stay withs. stay withs. more u i told myself i was ok with my moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis symptoms... ...with my psoriatic arthritis symptoms. but just ok isn't ok. and i was done settling. if you still have symptoms after trying a tnf blocker like humira or enbrel, rinvoq works differently. rinvoq is a once-daily pill that can rapidly relieve joint pain, stiffness, and swelling as fast as 2 weeks for some. and even at the 3-year mark, many people felt this relief. rinvoq can stop joint damage. and in psa, can leave skin clear or almost clear. rinvoq can lower ability to fight infections. before treatment, test for tb and do bloodwork. serious infections, blood clots, some fatal; ...cancers, including lymphoma and skin; serious allergic reactions; gi tears; death; heart attack; and stroke occurred. cv event risk increases in age 50 plus

with a heart disease risk factor. tell your doctor if you've had these events, infection, hep b or c, smoked, are pregnant or planning. don't take if allergic or have an infection. done settling? ask your rheumatologist for rinvoq. and take back what's yours. (♪♪) do i smell okay? [sniff] mhm. why are you shimmying? oh! unstopables now has odor blocker so i'll feel fresh all day, even after a red eye. looks like he does to! smell unstopable. i'm not known for keeping quiet. and i'm not about to start now. not when speaking up can help millions of women experiencing the coughing fit panty blitz.z. thankfully, there's poise. it does also come in smaller packages.

when a tough cough finds you on the go, a syrup would be... silly! woo! hey! try new robitussin soft chews. packed with the power of robitussin... in every bite. easy to take cough relief, anywhere. chew on relief, chew on a ♪ robitussin ♪ welcome back. it wouldn't be the holidays without a big day at the box

office. "sonic" battling with "mufasa" for the top spot. two new contenders entered the ring yesterday. we should note, universal is owned by the parent company as nbc news. chloe melas joins us now. big winners over christmas eve and christmas day? >> let's start with "mufasa." that had a sleepy start. over the last day or two, it has done inedibly well. it's kicked "sonic" out of the top spot. beyonce voices a character. if you saw her during the halftime show yesterday on netflix, then you can see "mufasa" and hear her voice.

"sonic," paramount bullish on this anchise that they announced another movie for 2027. a lot to see, whether you are into horror or see timothee chalamet as bob dylan. that's making a little over a million. it's not in all theaters. that's a movie a lot of people are talking about and oscar buzz there. >> one thing we saw yesterday, netflix streaming two nfl games. there were a lot of questions coming into this, particularly coming off the mike tyson and jake paul fight with streaming issues there. what's the verdict on how the streaming giant pulled it off? >> there were no technical difficulties. if some people experienced them, it was minor. nothing like the buffering and freezing we saw for the tyson/paul fight. we don't know exactly how many people tuned in. we know that last month, over 65 milln concurrent streams for that boxing fight.

unclear if the nfl games brought in that many. beyonce -- >> i was waiting for this. >> bringing the heat. this felt like the super bowl. i was with my husband's family. there were 15 of us watching the screen. i can't tell you how many of them kept saying, this feels like the super bowl. she had post malone, she had her daughter make an appearance. it was really impressive. she's teasing a surprise for january 14th. >> we will watch. a lot of people saying the performance, the highlight of both games. >> 100%. maybe of the end of the year. >> we will see. thanks so much. if you are not happy with what santa or loved ones got you, rest assured you are not alone. the retail industry estimates 17% of gifts will be returned. totaling $890 billion, believe it or not. here is what we need to know.

>> happy holidays. maybe it was the wrong side or wrong color or wrong item. if you are going back to the store to make returns, a few tips in mind before you get in line. starting off with the deadlines to return items. amazon, walmart and macy's, you have until as late as january 31 to bring those items back. it's part of the extended window for purchases made during the holiday time. if you have electronics, those deadlines will be earlier, as early as january 8 as is the case over at apple. try to get those items there if you are trying to return early. broadly speaking, good news on one hand is that you have more options to return than ever at amazon, for example. you can bring your item to a whole foods or kohl's. other retailers, it's the case they are starting to charge restocking fees or return fees for putting a label on the package to send it back if you did buy outline. double-check to make sure you avoid and try to go in store to

make sure you avoid those fees. a few other points. starting off with just the alternatives if you did forget your receipt, we have been there. in many cases, retailers can look up your order to see if you don't have a receipt. if you do end up in a situation where you can't get your money back, to cash or credit card, you can consider store credit or use an exchange policy to come out of the store with something else instead. last thing, you cannot return certain types of tup items, alc, certain clothing and final sale items. be aware of that. happy shopping to those headed back to the mall on this busy back to the mall on this busy day after christmas. before taking breztri for my copd, i had bad days. days ruined by flare-ups [cough] that could permanently damage my lungs. then i talked to my doctor about breztri, and i noticed things changed. breztri gave me better breathing. ♪♪ starting within 5 minutes,

my lung function improved. ♪♪ breztri also helped improve my symptoms... and was even proven to reduce flare-ups... including those that could send me to the hospital. now i worry less about bad days... and enjoy more good days. breztri won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. it is not for asthma. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. don't take breztri more than prescribed. breztri may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling,... problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain occur. can't afford your medication? astrazeneca may be able to help. ask your doctor about breztri for copd. we now return to our interview with the insurance whistleblower. astrazeneca may be able to help. [ distorted ] i just think everyone should know there's an insurance company out there exposing other companies' rates so you can compare them and save. hmm. sounds like trouble. it's great, actually! it's called autoquote explorer from progressive. here, look! see, we show you our direct rates and their rates, even if we're not the lowest.

so, whistleblower usually means you're exposing something bad. i thought it meant calling attention to something helpful. you know, like, toot toot, check it out! this thing's the best! no? ♪today my friend you did it, you did it♪ pursue a better you with centrum. ♪♪ it's a small win toward taking charge of your health. ♪♪ so, this year, you can say... ♪you did it!♪ depend keeps you drier than ever... so you can say yes to more than ever. yes yes yes no. depend, the only thing stronger than us, is you. singer: this is our night! shingles doesn't care. 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 prious 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. ask your doctor about shingrix today. i hope you had a great holiday. i'm janelle wang. many travelers are heading back home after their celebrations and highways and airports expected to get busy. nbc bay area's thom jensen joins us from sfo, where a busy three days of travel already underway. tsa says today, friday and saturday should be three of the busiest travel days both by road and by air. and so they're telling people to get on the road early and get to airports early. here at sfo, they're expecting record numbers up 15% over 2023 in total. triple a says nearly 120 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home over the holiday

season this year, which is december 21st through janua 1st as they calculate it. they expect this years traveler numbers to top the record set before the pandemic hit in 2019 by about 64,000. it will be busy on the road and by air. we talked to some folks traveling back home today about what it's been like for the record. our our plane was just canceled and they put me on one at 1215 in the morning tomorrow morning. oh, no. and so i'm standing in line trying to figure out what to do. so we just had our ride come back to get us because we don't. well, because we don't know what we're going to do. so driving is by far the most popular mode of holiday travel. it's still up. air travel is, though, thanksgiving through new year's day at sfo. they're expecting 6.3 million total travelers through the airport again, a 15% increase over 2023. oakland is forecasting a total of 500,000 passengers for all of

december, and sjc says it will likely get about 300,000 through the gates through the 5th of january this year. it will be the busiest air travel, both by road and by air. triple a says about 8 million or more people will fly this year, so get to the airports early because it is going to be busy. we're at sfo today. thom jensen, nbc, bay area news. we're going to turn now to new video out of oakland. and that's where police say thieves rammed cars into the front door of the lucky's grocery store. police responded to the call just before five this morning at the location along mountainn boulevard. investigators say the thieves used more than one car to gain entry into theucky's, and made off with several items. police would not elaborate as to what exactly was stolen. anyone with information is asked to contact oakland police. south bay man accused of human trafficking and running a brothel is now behind bars. san jose police arrested 44 year old zen wang in fremont after a month long investigation

into a brothel near 24th and san fernando street. officers say they found two human trafficking survivors and $10,000 in cash during their search. anyone with information on this case is asked to call san jose's human trafficking task force. we have a little break from the rain today, but the stormy weather is blowing back in later tonight. here's meteorologist kari hall with the details. here's a look at our temperatures for today. it's going to be just a little bit warmer than it was yesterday, with a high of 60 in martinez, as well as dublin and 64 in san jose, while the north bay will be in the upper 50s. we will see the return of widespread rain across the bay area later on tonight, and there may be some pockets of heavy rain before we wake up on friday morning. and then it tapers off to some very spotty activity, but there will be a chance of rain in the forecast through saturday, and then we'll see the return of more rain. that could be quite heavy as we go into

sunday. we'll be tracking this, and we'll take a look at our 7-day forecast and a look ahead to the new year coming up in just a few minutes. thank you. kari. are you dreaming of a green christmas? the city of san francisco has a way for you to recycle your christmas tree. the city's annual christmas tree recycling program is back. it starts on january 2nd. all you have to do is place your tree on the curb next to your garbage bins. on your day of collection, and the city will collect it free of charge. please remove any lights and ornaments first. spokesperson for the recycling facility explained what happens next after your tree is picked up? we're going to grind them and then the smaller pieces will get fed in with the other food scraps and sticks and leaves get fed into the composting process. and then the larger pieces, the trunk that are ground up, those

bigger pieces of wood will get used in the biofilter system. the program will run until january 17th. the city says last year it composted nearly 300 tons of christmas trees. that tons of christmas trees. that does it for us. did you know, there's a detergent that gets your dishes up to 100% clean, even in an older dishwasher? try cascade platinum plus. for sparkling clean dishes even on the toughest jobs. just scrape, load and you're done. switch to cascade platinum plus. have you always had trouble with your weight? same. discover the power of wegovy®. with wegovy®, i lost 35 pounds. and some lost over 46 pounds. and i'm keeping the weight off. i'm reducing my risk. wegovy® is the only weight-management medicine proven to reduce risk of major cardiovascular events such as death, heart attack, or stroke in adults with known heart disease and obesity. don't use wegovy® with semaglutide or glp-1 medicines, or in children under 12. don't take if you or your family had mtc, men 2,

or if allergic to it. tell your provider if you plan to have surgery or a procedure, are breastfeeding, pregnant, or plan to be. stop taking and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or any of these allergic reactions. serious side effects may include pancreas inflammation and gallbladder problems. call your prescriber if you have any of these symptoms. wegovy® may cause low blood sugar in people with diabetes, especially if you take medicines to treat diabetes. call your prescriber about vision changes, if you feel your heart racing while at rest, or if you have mental changes. depression or thoughts of suicide may occur. common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, flu, or upset, headache, feeling tired, dizzy, or bloated, gas, and heartburn. some side effects lead to dehydration, which may cause kidney problems. with wegovy®, i'm losing weight, i'm keeping it off, and i'm lowering my cv risk. ask your prescriber about wegovy®. [coughing] hi susan, honey? yea.

i respect that, but that cough looks pretty bad. try this robitussin honey. the real honey you love, plus the powerful cough relief you need. mind if i root through your trash? robitussin, with real honey & elderberry. bottom of the hour. here are stories making headlines on "nbc news daily." president biden signed a hearts

act. the law provides for a grant program to support cpr and emergency training in elementary and secondary schools and helps pay for more defibrillators in schools across the country. it passed in the house back in september. in the senate earlier this month. a washington state wildlife sanctuary says bird flu killed 20 of their big cats in the last month. the infected animals were cougars, bobcats and an endangered species of tiger. they are closed and under quarantine to protect the other animals and contain the spread. there have been 61 human cases over the past year. the first severe case in a human was reported by the cdcdc last week. olice in hawaii are investigating the body the wheel well of a plane. the airline says the wheel well could only be accessed from the outside of the aircraft.

it's still unclear when or how that person was able to get inside. today marks 20 years since a massive tsunami devastated communities around the indian ocean, killing more than 200,000 people. it's considered the deadliest natural disaster this century and one of the worst ever recorded. janis mackey frayer spoke with two american tourists who survived that very disaster. we do want to warn you, some of this video is sturbing. >> reporter: it was the day after christmas 2004. resorts here in thailand were busy with tourists. >> it was a beautiful day. we had gone kayaking that morning. >> we walked up to the beach. it was a few steps up, about six steps. >> reporter: by then, disaster had struck across the indian ocean. a magnitude 9.2 earthquake under

the sea, lasting ten unrelenting minutes. the power of it felt hundreds of miles away. there are hotels and orts along here. they were at the beach or swimming pool unaware of what was going to happen. first, the ocean pulled back from the shore, revealing the seabed. then, a mountain of waves came crashing in. captured on video by people who made it to higher ground. two american survivors vacationing at different resort ms. tieresorts in tie hailand can recall it. >> it was squeezing me. i can't describe it. i heard after that the water was traveling 250 to 500 miles an hour.

>> my body was being crushed and con contorted. my right hand was essentially amputated. it was just an unbelievable moment to realize this is happening to you and that you are going to die. >> reporter: wave after wave, at times higher than 100 feet, demolished coastal areas in 14 countries. within hours, an estimated 230,000 lives were lost, from indonesia to sri lanka, india and thailand. >> i was calling out for my friend ben. i didn't hear anybody's voice. everything was silent. >> reporter: he didn't survive. 20 years on, life has recovered. a shelter set up in the tsunami's wake for orphaned children is a home for kids in

need. this is a place that has given me everything, says this man, who was 12 when the tsunami changed the course of his life. now with two college degrees, he is running the orphanage where he grew up. raising 93 kids with help from donations and fund-raising. i remember the goodness, he says, of the past. i tell the children, if the tsunami didn't happen, we wouldn't have this home to stay together. the worst tsunami in recorded history. survival brought unexpected second chances. >> i was 34 years old. i had a life to live. i did not want to be disabled in any way. i'm a skier. i'm the mother of three teenagers. i've had a wonderful life. >> one of the biggest things is to not blame yourself if you have that survivor's guilt. you have to let it go.

you truly were allowed to survive for a reason. >> reporter: here every december, volunteers gather at the cemetery for tsunami victims who were never identified. they sweep, clean and remember the day the water changed everything. janis mackey frayer, nbc news, thailand. let's talk about the price you pay. a new rule coming up in a few days could save americans enrolled in medicare thousands of dollars. starting on january 1, a new price cap will take affect on all prescription drugs under medicare part d. the new out of pocket maximum will be $2,000 a year. this is part of the inflation reduction act, one of president biden's signature pieces of legislation. experts say this will benefit cancer patients whose drugs are often extremely expensive. joining me now, berkeley lovelace. thanks for joining us. you spoke with a woman fighting

cancer. in five years, she spent $56,000 out of pocket on one of the cancer drugs. tell us about her story and the significance of these new changes. >> yes. diana told me she was blown away when she got her first co-payment. she paid $85,000 in the first year. the cost went up by $1,000 each year after that. starting next week, she will only have to pay $2,000 or less each year due to this new cap. this cap applies to all drugs covered under medicare part d, prescription medication u.s.s y take at home. when i spoke to her last week, she was less stressed. she planned to spend more generously on her grandchildren this christmas. >> beyond significant changes. what are people enrolled in medicare or relatives of medicare recipients need to know right now so they can take full advantage of the changes come

2025? >> yes. the good news is that patients on medicare don't have to do anything. the only requirement is they have to part in a medicare part d plan. the health plan itself will track the cost out of pocket. the only exception i want to mention is this does not apply to part b drugs, which are drugs in a hospital or another health care setting. chemotherapy drugs, for example. people will have to pay what insurance doesn't cover in those cases. >> crucial context there. thank you so much. in consumer confidential, now is the time for student loan borrowers to check their payments are up to date, because beginning of january, some borrowers who have been late could see their loans go into default. as president biden's loan forgiveness plans have faced challenges, there's confusion about how much they owe because in some cases it's grown and there are hundreds of thousands of people now getting notices in the mail that they have to pay back student loan refunds.

vicky nguyn explains. >> forgive interest until further notice. >> reporter: money to help during the covid crisis they would ultimately need to pay back. >> i was able to get a refund for $10,000. >> you can get a refund on payments. >> report: few applied for that until president biden said he planned to forgive up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt. >> we did it. >> let's just say i have been forgiven. >> reporter: this borrower had paid off his son's $15,000 loan during the pandemic. when he heard about the plan, he applied thinking it was debt cancellation. >> i was hesitant. is this fake? is this a scam? >> reporter: the check was real. he spent the 15 grand on travel

and home expenses. now two years later, he is expected to pay it all back plus interest. how did you feel when you heard you were on the hook for almost $16,000? >> i was shocked. the check -- it says fed student loan refund. to me, it's a refund. i wouldn't think i would have to pay it back. now here i am. >> reporter: he is not alone. an estimated 250,000 borrowers owe the government for those so-called refunds. why? the supreme court rejected biden's debt forgiveness plan. anyone who received a refund is being asked to return the money, which confused many people. >> the communication from the government was very spotty during that period of time. >> reporter: scott is the executive director of the student loan servicing alliance. >> that's why we strongly advice borrowers to be thoughtful before they requested a refund and wait until loan forgiveness

occurred. >> they are in an unfair situation. >> reporter: this woman is helping families navigate this. what's your advice to people in this situation? >> the only path forward is to try to figure out how to make their finances work. >> reporter: the department of education declined to be interviews. borrowers should contact servicers before the end of the year to avoid going into default. ask about income-driven repayment plans that can lower interest and monthly payment. if you are a public employee, see if you qualify for forgiveness under the public service loan forgiveness program. that $78 billion is approved to help more than a million people wipe out their federal student loans. for will, who has to pay $700 in interest on top of the loan he already paid back, this repayment will be a family affair. >> everybody is going to have to help pay it off again. fans of "wicked" have been singing the soundtrack for

weeks. they finally have permission to belt it out during the show. that's right. some theaters started offering sing-a-long screenings. it's one of many creative ways they are looking to boost sales. here is joe friar. ♪ defying gravity ♪ >> reporter: there's finally harmony at the movies. >> you are invited. to sing along. >> reporter: it hit theaters on christmas. >> we invite you to sing as loud as you can. >> reporter: a gift for fans who could not hold it in. >> now to sing along is surreal. >> reporter: especially after the movie's soundtrack topped the billboard charts. singing sparked loathing. >> there's one answer, no.

>> do not sing along no matter how much you love "wicked" and defying gravity. >> reporter: she did give us permission when hoda asked. >> i'm okay with it. we spent this long singing it ourselves. it's time for everyone else to join. >> reporter: the box office has been wonderful. "wicked" along with sequels have powered a record-breaking thanksgiving weekend. $425 million in ticket sales. this past weekend was big for "sonic." there's also a big appetite for movie merchandise, especially popcorn buckets. >> ready to match. >> reporter: theaters are rereleasing old flicks in new ways. "interstellar" hit for its tenth

anniversary. >> we can expect great things from you. >> reporter: in february, the first four harry potter films will return in 4dx which features motion controlled seats. >> it's not justabout going and sitting and watching a movie. it's doing it in the best possible way, most state-of-the-art way possible. >> reporter: something for fans in theaters to sing about. joe friar, nbc news. >> love it. coming up, social media can be harml to children's mental health. there may be ways to use it for good.

we talk about how social media can negatively impact mental health, especially among kids. among the top concerns, social media can create unhealthy comparisons. some experts say social media is not all bad. it's important to talk about the potential benefits in addition to the risks. joining me now is shannon bennish. thanks for joining us. a big question for me, what are some of the biggest mental health benefits for kids using social media, at least according to your studies? >> we have seen opportunities for youth to connect with

like-minded peers online. especially when they may struggle to connect with peers in other settings. that can be helpful to find others experiencing things similar to their own experiences. youth are talking about mental health more readily. we can decrease stigma and help people connect to helpful resources and even treatment. >> there's two sides of the coin. there are some drawbacks. remind us what your main concerns are. as they relate toed children. >> certainly, we need to pay attention to how much time youth are spending online. what are the opportunity costs? what are the things they are not spending time on when they are online? in-person socialization, school work, family time, exercise, being outside in nature. we want to make sure kids have a balance to their day. we also need to be ashare of -- aware of cyber bullying,

inappropriate content on things they might not be ready for or know how to navigate online. >> from what you have seen from a responsibility standpoint here, how do you think social media companies, parents, even schools can play a role in minimizing the risks of social media while also taking advantage of the benefits you spoke about? >> to protect our youth and be responsible for all people who are engaged in social media, it's gog to take everybody. parents can model healthy use for their kids. we can talk to youth. kids are becoming more responsible consumers, which is good news. kids are learning how to spot misinformation, particularly becoming educated about ai. our community leaders, our schools and tech companies all have a role in making sure we all understand how to harness the benefits of social media as well as avoid the risks.

>> a group effort. what do you think the biggest issues or challenges are that you are hoping to see addressed in the new year when it comes to the role social media can play with mental health? >> we want to continue our education campaign. helping youth understand how social media impacts their health, their well-being, their mood, their anxiety. encouraging people to pay attention to our own use, how we are spending our time and how we feel before and after time spent online. >> thank you so much. there's more news ahead. you are watching "nbc news daily." stay with us. stay with us. we'll be right back. ♪today my friend you did it, you did it♪ pursue a better you with centrum. ♪♪ it's a small win toward taking charge of your health. ♪♪ so, this year, you can say... ♪you did it!♪ the first time you try bounce, it hits you. your laundry feels way fresher, softer.

so you start to wonder. if i put a sheet of bounce on the finance guy, will it make him softer? bounce can't do it all but for better laundry, ♪ put a sheet on it with bounce. ♪ nice to meet ya. my name is david. i've been a pharmacist for 44 years and i'm from flowery branch, georgia. when i have customers come in i recommend prevagen. number one, because it's effective. does not require a prescription. and i've been taking it quite a while myself and i know it works. and i love it when the customers come back in and tell me, "david, that really works so good for me." makes my day. prevagen. at stores everywhere without a prescription. my moderate to severe crohn's symptoms kept me out of the picture. now i have skyrizi. ♪ i've got places to go and i'm feeling free. ♪ ♪ control of my crohn's means everything to me. ♪ ♪ control is everything to me.♪ and now i'm back in the picture. feel significant symptom relief at 4 weeks

with skyrizi, including less abdominal pain and fewer bowel movements. skyrizi helped visibly improve damage of the intestinal lining. and with skyrizi, many were in remission at 12 weeks, at 1 year, and even at 2 years. don't use if allergic. serious allergic reactions, increased infections, or lower ability to fight them may occur. before treatment, get checked for infections and tb. tell your doctor about any flu-like symptoms or vaccines. liver problems leading to hospitalization may occur when treated for crohn's. now's the time to take control of your crohn's. ♪ control is everything to me. ♪ ask your doctor about skyrizi, the #1 prescribed biologic in crohn's disease. is your liner the right liner for bladder leaks? ♪ (dramatic music) ♪ ♪♪ poise locks in wetness... ...and stays drier. switch to poise... ...and see for yourself. when a tough cough finds you on the go, a syrup would be... silly! woo!

hey! try new robitussin soft chews. packed with the power of robitussin... in every bite. easy to take cough relief, anywhere. chew on relief, chew on a ♪ robitussin ♪ i'm janelle wang, and east bay family is remembering one of their own as a hero. after a fire burned down their family's home just after six yesterday morning. oakland firefighters responded to a fire on oak knoll boulevard. when they arrived, they found a 37 year old man unconscious inside the home. neighbors are identifying him as steve weatherford junior. his father, steve weatherford, senior, lived at the home, and a neighbor tells us steve junior helped his dad, brother and aunt get out safely, but he went back into the burning home to get something special and didn't make it out. he was going to propose on new years and had the ring, and apparently he went in.

their family's safe to get the jewelry. just an incredible guy though. really loved his dad. loved his family, you know, dedicated son. his girlfriend says he was an amazing man with a beautiful soul. neighbors have launched a gofundme page for the family. we've got a rainy weekend ahead, but things should clear up by early next week. meteorologist kari hall has our extended forecast. today will be cloudy and cool with more rain coming in. it gets heavier overnight and continues into early friday, but it looks like friday afternoon. there could be a break from the wet weather, and we could also see just a few spotty showers on saturday, but a better chance of rain on sunday and early next week. we are back to a lot of sunshine and about normal temperatures with highs in the upper 50s. overnight lows in the upper 30s and san francisco will see highs in the upper 50s into the

weend, with some waves of rain coming through into sunday. but then after that is going to be nice and sunny and comfortable as we see our highs in the upper 50s and lows in the 40s. we'll be tracking the impacts of the incoming srm. thankto

you do with the miles of ribbon and mountains of wrapping paper? we asked consumer investigator chris chmura on how to deal with all that holiday waste. to figure out what to do with all the boxes, bows, gift bags and ribbon, we're going to use guidance from the city of san jose. let's start with bows and ribbons. san jose says all bows and ribbons cannot be recycled. they can be thrown in the trash, or you can save them and reuse them next year. wrapping paper is easy to reuse, too, provided recipients are unwrapping carefully. oh, but if it's ripped up beyond reuse, san jose

says you can recycle most wrapping paper. don't worry about the tape. san jose says it's fine in the recycle bin. here's the one caveat wrapping paper that is shiny or contains foil and metallic pieces cannot be recycled. instead, try to reuse or just trash that stuff. same goes for tissue paper. the city of san jose says tissue paper contains the wrong fibers for recycling. they're too short to recycle. you have three choices reuse it, trash it, or compost it. as for cardboard boxes, they're generally recyclable, but gift bags are a mixed bag. most of them are recyclable, but san jose says the shiny ones are part plastic, so you can't recycle them. finally, what do you do with greeting cards? san jose says they're okay in the recycle bin, but first, remove parts that have glitter, foil, metal charms, felt cutouts, and ribbons because all these items will contaminate paper recycling. here's a crafty alternative grab your scissors and use part of those greeting cards as gift tags. next year,

you might tickle your friends if you use part of this year's greeting card on next year's greeting card on next year's gift. thank you kris always goor than ever... so you can say yes to more than ever. yes yes yes no. depend, the only thing stronger than us, is you. [coughing] hi susan, honey? yea. i respect that, but that cough looks pretty bad. try this robitussin honey. the real honey you love, plus the powerful cough relief you need. mind if i root through your trash? robitussin, with real honey & elderberry. now is the time to go back in time. and shine a light on the family journey

that led to you. learn when they said, “i do.” ♪♪ when they became heroes. ♪♪ how they ruled the school. ♪♪ and what you got from your parents— the places on mom's side, and dad's side. ♪♪ detailed dna results. inspiring family history memberships. now's the time to save at ancestry. hi. i use febreze fade defy plug. and i use this. febreze has a microchip to control scent release so it smells first-day fresh for 50 days. 50 days!? and its refill reminder light means i'll never miss a day of freshness. ♪

means i'll never miss i'm craig melvin.hness. and this is dateline daytime on nbc. amanda jennings: i see her laying there. my dad is kneeling.at that was the first time i'd ever seen him cry. lindsey phoenix: they had a tumultuous marriage.