tonight, working holiday. donald trump tweeting about a campaign promise, as new details and questions emerge about how often he's receiving intelligence briefings. giving thanks. the celebrations and traditions at home and abroad, as retailers work to get holiday shoppers off the fatal encounter. a teenager killed. a 62-year-old man charged with murder. what the suspect allegedly said that has the fbi looking into whether this was a hate crime. and virtual house call. the hi-tech health care trend that's spreading. telemedicine, even if your doctor isn't that far away. "nightly news" begins now. from nbc news

nightly news" with lester holt. good evening. i'm kate snow in for lester on this thanksgiving night. congratulations if you successfully avoided talking politics over the turkey. but there is political news to cover tonight. from his estate in florida this morning, president-elect donald trump tweeted he was working hard this holiday. trump talking about a campaign pledge to save jobs at a plant in indiana. as a top aide tweeted that trump loyalists are warning against mitt romney as the with cabinet appointments and meetings occupying much of his time, we've learned the president-elect has chosen not to receive daily u.s. intelligence briefings. we have it all covered from mar-a-lago tonight with kristen welker. >> reporter: donald trump celebrating his first thanksgiving as president-elect at his sprawling palm beach estate. eager to show he's not just relaxing, tweeting, trying to get carrier to stay in

the company in the midst of a move to mexico, was a constant trump target on the campaign trail. carrier confirming they're in conversations, but so far, no announcements. it all coincides with striking revelations, intelligence officials telling nbc news mr. trump has only received two intelligence briefings since the election, far fewer than the daily briefings that are expected. >> by not having daily briefings, he's risking the security of the united states reported the news, noting that mike pence is getting briefed almost every day. the sessions designed to give a summary of key security developments from all 16 intelligence agencies, as well as the cia's covert operations. during president obama's transition, he requested extra briefings. president george w. bush got into a daily routine after the florida recount. >> there is nothing as important as these briefings for the president of the united states. if he discounts them, then, of course, it's

>> reporter: in response, the trump transition team stressing national security is donald trump's top priority. one senior intelligence official cautions, it's too early to draw broad conclusions with trump busy forming his administration. so who will be named next? all eyes on secretary of state. the top contenders, new york mayor rudy guiliani, a trump loyalist, and mitt romney, one of trump's biggest critics during the primary. >> donald trump is a phony, a fraud. >> reporter: but today, one of trump's top advisers seemed to tweet praising loyalty in past secretaries of state, a sentiment echoed by other trump allies. >> i can think of 20 other people who would be more naturally compatible with the trump vision of foreign policy. >> reporter: meanwhile, yet another sign trump may be moderating. after criticizing nato as a candidate, today the alliance's secretary-general insisting donald trump is dedicated. >> donald trump stated clearly he supports

mr. trump's former rival, hillary clinton, she was spotted doing a little thanksgiving shopping yesterday. today she tweeted out, happy thanksgiving. she currently leads donald trump by more than two million votes in the popular vote. kate? >> kristen welker down in florida, thank you. happy thanksgiving. hopefully by now you've had your fill of turkey. it's truly a day of celebration from the millions visiting new york, to our troops stationed overseas. tammy leitner has us covered on all of today's festivities. million packed the streets to take part in a new york city parade that's become an american tradition. security was at an all-time high this holiday. from eyes in the sky to canines on the ground. but it was all just good fun for these little ones. arkansas? did you come here just for this? >> yes. >> you are kidding me. >> reporter: performers from all over. >> thank you. >> reporter: spectators straining to catch a glimpse of their favorite

over the two and a half mile parade route. some new faces, diary of a wimpy kid and trolls, along with a comeback for felix the cat. >> we wanted to experience something new and experience new york on thanksgiving. and it's been a great experience. >> reporter: for this lit girl, a chance to see her hero, olympic gold medalist, laurie hernandez. >> i cried. >> reporter: in southern california, some celebrated their first thanksgiving. volunteers delivering meals to syrian refugees. >> it really means a lot that we're delivering these meals immigrants here in san diego. it's just kind of like the true meaning of thanksgiving. >> reporter: charity turkey trots from maryland to california. for those hoping to burn some calories before their thanksgiving feast. >> happy thanksgiving! >> reporter: our troops overseas, sending a message of their own. >> i'm safe and well. i wish all my family members a happy thanksgiving and a happy holidays. >> reporter: a surprise call from their commander in chief, who had this message today.

matter our differences, we're still one people. part of something bigger than ourselves. >> reporter: no better reminder than millions coming together. to catch a glimpse of saint nick. back here in new york, there were 3,000 nypd officers on the parade route today. we're told there were no problems, but the show of force could become the new normal. kate? >> tammy leitner, thank you. after a day of what we have, what's more american than heading out to buy the stuff we don't have? black friday has already begun in many places and as jo ling kent reports, the race is on to steal those deals. >> reporter: thousands of americans rushing into stores before the thanksgiving dishes are done. >> little bit off you get, always helps a little bit. >> reporter: grabbing hot deals and deep discounts, some camping out overnight before thanksgiving. >> probably you save about $300 on it.

>> happy thanksgiving. >> reporter: 137 million americans are expected to shop this holiday weekend. but this year, retail stores are under extra pressure to perform. black friday foot traffic was down last year, and is expected to sink again this year by 3.5%. more people going on the internet than going into stores. consumers forecast to spend more than 50% of their holiday budget online this year. that's why malls are rolling out the red like valet parking and a personal concierge, even champagne. >> you feel special. you are more inclined to make more luxurious decisions. so if you're feeling special when you're shopping, you're going to want to spend more. >> merry christmas! >> reporter: santa claus getting a high tech makeover too. new interactive experiences built for kids. with virtual flight suits. and a life-size snow globe. >> what was it like in

exciting. because like i didn't know what was coming next. >> having a great service experience, a great experiential offering is critical to being a winner versus a loser. >> reporter: retailers heaping on the perks and the discounts, hoping to avoid leftovers this holiday weekend. crowds are out here at best buy in full force. retailers hoping you come in store to spend a little extra money, rather than stic shopping online. 6 in 10 americans plan to spend on themselves this holiday season. and the average personal splurge, 140 bucks, kate? >> jo, thank you very much. talk about a dangerous double threat in nicaragua, at almost the same time a 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook the country's west coast today while a category two hurricane, otto, slammed into the east coast of nicaragua. so far, no reports of injuries or serious damage.

are reviewing whether the shooting of a teenager in west virginia should be prosecuted as a hate crime. a 62-year-old man is jailed without bond facing murder charges. he's confessed to the shooting of the teen, but insists it was self-defense. ron allen has that story tonight. >> reporter: grief and sorrow after the death of james means. 15, high school freshman, who loved cars and dreamed of owning a mechanic shop. >> my son is in a safer place now, and we all love him. down monday night, police say, by william pulliam after the two exchanged words near a local discount store. >> be advised your suspect -- >> reporter: police say pulliam confessed to shooting means because he felt threatened, and in a jailhouse interview with wchs, pulliam said means had a gun. >> i don't like it. believe me, i didn't want to kill anybody. but, you know, they're

the teenager was not armed. pulliam, according to the criminal complaint, expressed no remorse. stating, the way i look at it, that's another piece of trash off the street. he then had dinner and visited a friend. federal authorities looking into whether a hate crime was committed. the penalty, up to life in prison. >> if they want to charge me with a hate crime, they can. but they got to prove i hate black people, and i don't. >> reporter: the teen's family calling for calm. and sayin prevail. >> we're just not going to put it in our hands. we're going to let the law put it in their hands. >> reporter: on social media, a request for a few thousand dollars to help with funeral expenses, surging past $40,000 if just a few -- in just a few days. >> we don't hold a grudge, so nobody else should hold a grudge. we all have to forgive and let everything take its place. >> reporter: tonight, pulliam remains jailed, with a hearing to come after the holiday weekend. as a family and community mourn the

to the middle east now and the war against isis. as u.s.-backed forces battle to retake the city of mosul, a desperate situation is emerging on the front lines for the soldiers and innocent civilians injured in the fighting. lucy cavanaugh is there for us this evening. >> reporter: it's a frantic race to save a life. an iraqi soldier, injured by shrapnel, arriving at the only hospital front line outside of isis control. simply getting here could make the difference between life and death. but up to a million people are still trapped inside mosul. they are civilians, caught in the crossfire, unable to flee. few doctors, no hospitals, hope running low. dr. omar knows it first hand. he managed to escape mosul and is now treating patients. his family, still inside the city, trapped by isis. >> this hospital is a saviour for the people.

they are our colleagues. they are our neighbors. they are our friends. >> reporter: tonight, u.s.-backed iraqi and kurdish forces say they've now completely surrounded mosul. 50,000 soldiers part of the mission, one of them this 25-year-old whose family is still stuck behind enemy lines. i'm fighting isis to free my sisters, my relatives, he tells me. we have to put an end to this hell. the most hea 6-year-old ahmed was playing outside when a mortar struck. >> how are you feeling? >> sad. >> reporter: a lucky survivor in a war that grinds on. lucy cavanaugh, nbc news, iraq. still ahead tonight, your doctor on call on your computer monitor, even if she's just across town. also, an extraordinary thanksgiving tradition. a crowded table without any friends or

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back now with a closer look at a big trend in the way americans see their doctors -- so-called telemedicine. more than 15 million americans received some kind of care remotely last year, and those numbers are expected to increase by nearly a third this year. as the practice expands, rehema ellis reports, so do the questions about quality, cost, and how to pay for it. >> reporter: daria belsarova is a busy new mom, also trying to manage her own

so she's checking with her doctor from her dining room. >> some on insulin might still be on board by the time you have dinner. >> i needed to be seeing the doctor all the time. basically every week, which working full time, it's tough. >> reporter: daria is part of a new telemedicine program at brigham and women's hospital making it possible to see her doctor without making the 20-mile trek into boston, or losing any work time. >> i don't have to be in the waiting room. i don't have to think about park it's been very helpful in caring for my diabetes. >> reporter: doctors say the treatment is the same. >> i think this is a model in which we can reach out and provide the care for people who can't make it in. >> reporter: the model of care is booming. there are 3,500 programs in hospitals nationwide. more than 70% of all hospitals use some form of telemedicine. 30 states and the district of columbia require private insurers cover

like an in-office visit. but there's a growing debate over what you should pay for. skype visits with your doctor? what about e-mails or phone calls? that's what massachusetts lawmakers are trying to figure out. what concerns you the most? >> it's a broad definition of what would be covered. it's something that we really need to take a look at as a state to understand what types of services that we're talking about. >> reporter: for daria, it's an ideal way to stay connected with her doctor, so she can take care of herseld rehema ellis, nbc news, boston. we're back in a moment on this thanksgiving with one of the most popular traditions of the day. which dog was this year's best in show? (man) my dad and est in s? >> the giant i schnauzer, the border collie -- same toughness. and since he's had moderate alzheimer's disease, the same never quit attitude. that's why i asked his doctor about once-a-day namzaric. (avo) namzaric is approved

who are taking donepezil. it may improve cognition and overall function, and may slow the worsening of symptoms for a while. namzaric does not change the underlying disease progression. don't take if allergic to memantine, donepezil, piperidine or any of the ingredients in namzaric. tell the doctor about any conditions including heart, lung, bladder, kidney or liver problems, seizures, stomach ulcers, or procedures with anesthesia. serious side effects may occur, including muscle problems if given anesthesia; slow heartbeat, fainting, more stomach acid which may lead to ulcers and bleeding; ty urinating, seizures, and worsening of lung problems. most common side effects are headache, diarrhea, dizziness loss of appetite, and bruising. (man) dad and i shared a lot of moments. now we're making the most of each one. (avo) ask about namzaric today. it was always just a hobby something he did for fun until the day it became something much more. and that is why you invest.

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for helping turn the crucial swing state of pennsylvania republican red for the first time in years. here's harry smith. >> reporter: the market in york, pennsylvania, was built more than a hundred years ago. york was once a hotbed of heavy industry. but york county has long been reliably republican. this is trump country. and these folks want you to hear this. >> you know, you gotta give him a chance. >> no matter which side of the fence you come down on, i think man a chance. >> reporter: and just in case you didn't get it -- >> they gotta give the man a chance. >> reporter: -- york is a red county with a bit of blue downtown, and it reflects the quantum shift that's happening in this state. just this year, the pennsylvania republican party enrolled almost a quarter million new voters and saw nearly 100,000 democrats switch to the gop. this guy gets it. >> if you can't trust your garbage man, who

>> reporter: garbage is scott wagner's business. he knows waste when he sees it. >> we need to fix harrisburg. >> reporter: that's part of why he ran a write-in campaign for the state legislature in 2014, against a democrat, and a republican who was already on the ballot. he won. what did you tap into two and a half years ago, that you're still tapping into now? >> it's anger. people are fed up with government. >> reporter: wagner likes to hand out t-shirts with this on the back. >> if you could take your hands and put them around my neck and start choking me your shirt, that's how business people in america feel. >> reporter: overregulated and under-appreciated. so this renegade republican is going to run for governor. sound familiar? >> where everybody missed this whole thing, they didn't talk to the people on the ground. >> reporter: and the folks on the ground are done with business as usual. it's why they supported trump. >> he's not the status quo. and i like what i see so far. >> reporter: they may have elected a

harry smith, nbc news, york, pennsylvania. it's a favorite for so many people every thanksgiving, the national dog show. and today's big winner, gia the greyhound. she was the top hound in her group and rose to earn the best in show designation, beating out 1,800 canine competitors and maybe she earned some of that leftover turkey tonight. when we come back, a common tradition with a unique twist. a thanksgiving gathering where the host doe k single person. >> hey, how are you? in einstein since he started eating the new beneful recipe. the number one ingredient in it is beef. (einstein) the beef is fantastic! (becky) he's a very active dog. he never stops moving. he has enough energy to believe that he can jump high enough to catch a bird. it has real beef, grains, vegetables, and he loves it. well, we were coming for an interview... so he wanted to wear his tie. (einstein) it's my power tie. it gives me power. (vo) try new beneful originals with beef.

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finally tonight, something to make you feel good on this thanksgiving. we all have our traditions. but this one is unique. the y the holiday is all about. giving. and togetherness. no matter who's at the table. >> reporter: all day yesterday, scott mccauley worked at his vacuum cleaner shop. the holidays are his busy season. >> it's this mad dash. all of a sudden, company's coming. >> reporter: but that's nothing compared to today, because scott has an ambitious thanksgiving tradition. >> one, two, three. >> reporter: every year, he cooks and serves a thanksgiving feast in a church basement for a crowd

>> it's really important to me that people are not home alone. i don't want to stay home alone. >> reporter: it started way back in 1985. scott's parents were going through a divorce and he didn't have anywhere to go for the holiday. >> i would be miserable if i was staying home alone on thanksgiving. and so i just figured it's gotta be other people in that same boat. >> reporter: he put an ad in the local paper, offering to cook for 12 others without a place to go, and it was a hit. so scott did it again >> i never thought it would last 31 years. no way. >> reporter: the crowd has grown over time. this year, 60 strong. >> we don't have family here, so it really helps to have a family, extended family with the people we meet here. and some people we see every year. >> if we had an opportunity to take another invitation, we would probably -- we might turn it down and say, we already have plans. >> reporter: it's a staggering amount of work for one person. to make it homey, he brings in fake

>> anything and everything i can do to make it look as much like a home as possible. >> reporter: scott would love to see his tradition spread. >> i'm a vacuum fixer. if a vacuum fixer can do thanksgiving dinner for people, anybody can do it. >> reporter: over all the years, he's never had time to sit down and eat. but he's not complaining. >> if i made the people happy, that's the best part of the dinner, because that's the goal. happy people. the more the better. >> a lot of happy that will do it for us on this thanksgiving thursday. hope you and your loved ones had a very happy one. we leave you tonight with some of the highlights from macy's thanksgiving day parade. i'm kate snow in for lester. from all of us at nbc news, thanks for watching. have a great night. ? ? here comes santa claus ? ? whether sunny or snowing ? ? the excitement is growing ? ? here comes dear

?? ? can you feel that ? over generations, football has become a thanksgiving staple. >> looks, throws to marvin. touchdown. peyton with his sixth. >> often, providing lasting memories. tonight, it's the colts and the steelers. >> touchdown, antonio brown. >> on sunday, each team with an