>> thanks, oli.ooting victims. it will debut tomorrow during the nba's popular christmas day schedule of games. the chipotle restaurant near boston college is reopening today. two dozen patrons came down with norovirus after eating there. the mexican-style chain has also been battered by outbreaks of e. choli and taking steps to improve food safety including new ways of preparing fresh vegetables. sales and the value of chipotle stock have plummeted since midsummer. in milwaukee, it is being called a feat of sweets.

movie "up" has been re-created into a fantastic confectionery conglomeration. this genius gingerbread house was created by an 18-year-old. as part of the milwaukee area technical college banking and pastry arts student gingerbread house competition. >> it took her more than 100 hours to create but sadly, can you believe it, didn't take the prize. how is that possible? >> what would take the prize above that. >> i like the little gum drops supposed to be the balloon out of the chimney there. >> i think they're jelly beans. that's cool. >> disney is the parent company of abc news. >> really? >> yeah. >> okay. we should know that. coming up, the social media trend that is not in the christmas spirit. how it can be harmful to kids. also ahead, shopping for bargains. even at this hour, the early morning mad dash for christmas gifts at a new york iconic retailer. check out the scene.

field. nfl players and their injuries on the field pro athletes react to the new movie called "concussion." that's after our forecast map. it will be warmer in new york city than los angeles on christmas eve. that's pretty cool. >> it's about time. >> great falls, you're stuck at 24. >> announcer: "world news now" weather, brought to you by gerber life insurance. weather, brought to you by gerber life insurance.

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daring thieves caught on surveillance camera robbing stores in miami at one location, used a truck to smash their way in. once inside, heading for designer jeans valued at $600 a pair. they even stole two mannequins at another store. they grabbed the hottest gift of the season. >> what was it? >> hover boards. they can be seen on camera using a cart to carry out boxes of them. wouldn't it be ironic if it exploded when they used it? >> how did they not use a

the explosion. >> there's that. okay. so you can add hyatt hotels to the growing list of companies hit by hackers. it's investigating malware found on computers used to process customer payments. guests are advised to review statements. the breach only affected hotels it managed by hyatt and not franchise locations. the new york giants will be without o'dell beckham for sunday night's must-win game against the vikings. beckham's appeal of the one-game suspension he received for violent conduct sunday against carolina was heard at the nfl's office here in new york yesterday. despite his beautiful blonde hair. so beckham can't even attend team meetings, much less play in minnesota. josh norman of the carolina panthers was also fined for his role in the melee. was pretty nice. >> it's an interesting look. with the chargers taking on the

tomorrow a movie called "concussion" premieres in theaters. >> a doctor uncovered the truth about brain damage in football players. what is the nfl saying about it right now? here's ryan smith. >> you're going to war with a corporation that owns a day of the week. >> reporter: the national football league speaking out exclusively to abc news just days before the premiere of "concussion." >> do you want fans to see this movie? if there's a benefit, we're going to elevate the conversation around the health and safety of our game. >> the trailer suggesting back then the league didn't want to face issues concerning head >> when a movie like this comes out and fans or maybe others say this is a sign that the nfl tried to cover things up before, how do we know they're not giving us all the information now. >> take a look at what we've done. >> reporter: the league saying a lot has changed since 2005. updates to 39 rules related to health and safety in the last

investing millions to improve equipment like special straps that aim to regulate head movement in the helmet. is this enough? the doctor telling robin roberts no matter how protective the helmet, it won't stop injuries. >> look what happens to your brain when you have impact. the brain bounces around the skull. you take a padding, the padding will simulate the helmet. no matter how thick it is, look at what happens. >> what difference does improving the equipment make when a head-to-head impact or some very hard impact could traumatize the brain no matter how thick the outer protection layers are? >> you can improve the rules and the safety of the equipment. >> reporter: do you think we can ever stop head injuries in football? >> probably not, but i think we can minimize them to make the game as safe as possible. >> ryan smith, abc news, new york. >> i thought that the interview was incredible with the nfl officials.

about what's happening there in the nfl. coming up, teens suffering from the fomo, the fear of missing out. the proliferation of bling on social media and how it's affecting kids that don't have their parents' money to spend. first world problem next on "world news now." >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our

continues after thtt2w`t2n`qd" bt@q= h tt2w`t2n`qd" "a@q-,, tt2w`t2n`qd" bm@q&' tt4w`t2n`qd"" dztq 6px tt4w`t2n`qd"" entq ft8 tt4w`t2n`qd"" gzt& _s@ tt4w`t2n`qd"" hnt& o], tt4w`t2n`qd"" iztq %4t tt4w`t2n`qd"" jntq 7d4 tt4w`t2n`qd"" lzt& /)h you're a rich girl and you've gone too far because you you're a rich girl and you've gone too far because you know it don't matter anyway of course, hall and oates. money might not get you far but for kids looking to showoff it gets you followers. >> rich kids flaunting their wealth is annoying, but it could be affecting other kids more than you realize. here's abc's nick watt. >> reporter: they do say if you've got it, flaunt it. >> i probably spend around $15,000 a month on just shopping. > i've been getting it since i was 14. >> reporter: these snot-nosed kids have it, and boy do they want the world to know it. >> it became addictive. i posted photos of my life. >> reporter: so-called rich kids of instagram are sharing photos and videos of everything from private jets to parisian hotel suites.

30 a day and try and post them. we wanted to find out what it this. >> reporter: so director oscar humphries made a documentary called "rich kids of instagram." what goes on in the worlds of the top 1%. instagram is kind of like a portal into people's lives. >> i see instagram as my canvas. if i was an artist, i would like to paint the picture of my life. >> reporter: some of these kids have hundreds of thousands of online followers. >> when you get a lot of attention, it can be intoxicating. >> reporter: i've no doubt santa will be kind to them, but is this naughty or nice? what are the cars, the cash doing to their followers making them feel a little disappointed in their own reality and rkoi-induced fomo. that's the fear of missing out in teen speak. >> they're showing an extreme version of their lives. for children that are

can lead to increased risk of depression and loneliness. >> if i'm showing off, what are you going to do about it? are you going come and stop me? >> reporter: i'd like to. i think i'd like to. nick watt, abc news, los angeles. >> it is quite interesting actually looking at the photos. rkoi. >> unfollow. there is an unfollow button on instagram. >> but it's so interesting. a lot of scantily dressed kids there. on rkoi. let me say. all right. last-minute shopping. >> trina trinh is at macy's to

see what everyone got. hey buddy, let's get these dayquil liquid gels and go. but these liquid gels are new. mucinex fast max. it's the same difference. these are multi-symptom. well so are these. this one is max strength and fights mucus. that one doesn't. uh...think fast! you dropped something. oh...i'll put it back on the shelf... new from mucinex fast max. the only cold and flu liquid gel

and fights mucus. start the relief. ditch the misery. let's end this. we've been changing things up with k-y love. oh yeah. it's a pleasure gel that magnifies both our sensations. it gives us chills in places we've never gotten chills before.

dare to feel more with new k-y love. [coughing] [coughing] [coughing] [coughing] [coughing] coughing disrupts everyone's life. that's why so many people are turning to delsym for longer lasting cough relief. delsym has an advanced time release formula that helps silence coughs for a full 12 hours. that's three times longer than the leading cough liquid. all night... or all day. when santa claus gets your letters letters i really do believe, you'll head his list you won't be missed >> christmas comes once a year. for planning purposes, it's it's christmas eve, and there are people who still need to shop.

some people do their best work under pressure. trina trinh is in macy's in new york's herald square to see what the last minute scene is like right now. >> reporter: hey, reena and kendis. that's right. it's christmas eve and there are still shoppers out and about. it's crunch time. and i am so surprised at how many procrastinators there are among us. we're going to try and talk to a few and see what they've got. here are some guys who i found earlier. introduce yourselves. >> i'm abraham. >> i'm jen. >> reporter: hey, guys. be honest here. why are you out shopping at the last minute like this? you had all year. >> it's a family tradition. we wait up until the last 24 hours to shop for people. >> reporter: okay. >> and you want to know what i have. you want to know what santa's got in the bag. you want to know what abraham's got in the bag.

>> reporter: what did you get? >> we've got look at there, beautiful eskimo hat. >> that looks like you got that for yourself. >> it fits me perfectly but i've got a very -- my head fits a lot of people's heads. there is going to be for many people. if i'm feeling generous enough, it could even be for you and some jeans. 34/32. i'm not a 34. i'm a lot thinner than that. >> who are the jeans for? >> they're for my grandpa. >> reporter: oh, he's going to be a stylish grandpa. >> buddy. he's going to love them. his favorite brand. levi's. >> reporter: okay, guys. thanks. good luck. >> merry christmas. >> reporter: there you have it. they braved the crowds. there's still time if you want to get out there. and yeah, everybody's out trying to finish cross off their christmas lists. back to you guys. >> thank you, tina. >> i think they're out photobombing tina. so about 10% of people actually

>> i remember when the clintons were at the white house, bill clinton always waited till christmas eve to go to the shopping mall. pentagon city. but you never wait. you don't take the clinton approach. >> this is really what my shopping experience looked like on wednesday. >> you're always so thoughtful. >> my god, you should see. >> you're not a grinch. you're not a grinch, kendis gibson. merry christmas to you. >> you're expensive. >> i am expensive. that's the news for this half hour.

hour merry christmas, everybody. this morning on "world news now," deadly storms tearing a path across the south. >> the tornadoes caught on video sending trucks flying and leaving behind death and destruction. the heartbreak, and the next storm threat for holiday

angry protests causing problems at the largest mall in the demonstrations taking over an airport, the frustrations and the arrests. protecting the pope. new york police officers on patrol at the vatican. why these cops were sent overseas in an unprecedented move. and cartoon controversy. republican ted cruz and his kids portrayed in a political cartoon. the insulted candidate and how he's fighting back. it's thursday, christmas eve, december 24th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." we do say good morning to everyone on this christmas eve. i'm kendis gibson. >> i'm reena ninan. >> we begin with those deadly storms in the south. violent weather has cut a wide path of destruction from arkansas to mississippi up through central indiana killing at least seven people. >> there are 21 reports of tornadoes and twisters including this one. this is a monster you're looking

that killed at least two people when the twister picked up and tossed the car that he was riding in with relatives. and we're just now getting a look at the damage from another twist in como, mississippi. richard cantu starts off our coverage. brewing up! >> reporter: severe storms take aim at the south. towards holly springs. their cameras in mississippi. >> i can't stick around here. i'm going to find cover. >> reporter: as a massive funnel some people caught on the side of the road trying to decide where to turn. >> back it up. >> no, you ain't got time to turn around. >> there's a tornado in front of us. >> settle down. >> this couple capturing the scary moment. >> it looks like there's two. >> when one twister became two.

>> reporter: in the town of clarksdale, the storm hit so fast, one family evacuating their home had to shelter with neighbors. >> we in it but we made it. >> reporter: that family's house torn to pieces, the roof gone. but the tree and presents survived. >> thank you, jesus. >> reporter: the system sweeping the south spawning tornadoes and dumping heavy rains. >> geez louise, it's blowing. >> reporter: it's already turned deadly. >> man, a real-life tornado. >> they've got emergency folks out here videoing the damage. there's 18-wheelers blowing over. an old cotton gin. >> reporter: by nightfall, parts of holly springs, mississippi, reduced to piles of bricks. families planning to spend the out what's left. york. >> those storms are striking just as tens of millions of americans head out for the yesterday was the busiest travel for many it's been a nightmare. airports packed with hundreds of cancellations and nearly 6,000 delays. this southwest airlines flight you're about to see was forced to return to oakland for an emergency landing.

it had to circle for nearly four hours. was going very slow because they were trying to get the landing >> if you haven't finalized second worst travel day is >> so the hours ahead could be very critical and challenging >> after that powerful storm dumped rain on the northeast, justin povick updates us from accuweather. morning to you. >> good morning. we're looking at some more storminess out west. all the tornadoes, all the damage we saw yesterday, thankfully, will not repeat itself today along the eastern seaboard. threat for tornadoes has diminished. but the threat for heavy rain and mountain snow is increasing out west. we're looking at big travel delays around san francisco with heavy snow over the higher terrain.

the eastern seaboard. temperatures approaching 30 degrees above normal make it feel like it's in the 60s and 70s. down the road, a major storm coming up over the weekend. heavy snow also some flooding rains and more severe weather. reena and kendis, back to you. >> just a little bit west of where justin was talking about, the big concern is snow and lots of it. the danger was caught on camera yesterday. a dramatic avalanche on the cascade mountains western face in utah. no injuries have been reported but the utah avalanche center has extended its back country avalanche warning. and over in telluride, colorado, a twin engine plane crashed into a snow plow. the plow was clearing a closed runway when the plane hit it. the plow operator estimated the plane was going about 100 miles an hour when it struck him. he was uninjured. amazingly. none of the seven people on board the plane were injured, as well. lawyers for the woman accused of driving in a las vegas strip sidewalk says

overwhelmed. lakeisha holloway is charged with murder, child abuse and hit and run. she's currently on suicide watch. one person was killed in the incident. the coroner says jessica valenzuela died of blunt force trauma. a dozen protesters arrested after two black lives matter demonstrations in minneapolis. they are angry about the police shooting of jamar clark. the rally started at the mall of america and moved to the airport. abc's alex perez is there. >> black lives matter. >> reporter: protesters in minneapolis disrupting one of the biggest shopping days of the year at the biggest mall in the country, mall of america. demonstrators vowed to bring mall traffic to a standstill. about 80 worried stores closing their doors.

those protesters then moving to minneapolis/st. paul airport blacking a main entrance on one of the busiest ravel days of the year. traffic snarled. many missing flights. >> it would have been upsetting to not get to see my family. >> reporter: the black lives matter protesters have been taking to the streets in minneapolis since a young black man, jamar clark, died november 15th after he was shot by white police officers. demonstrators say he was handcuffed when officers opened fire. authorities denied that, the police union saying clark was reaching for an officer's gun. several protesters were removed by police but they say the demonstrations will not stop till the officers involved are charged. those officers are on paid leave pending an independent state investigation. here at the airport, the roadways are back open and the heavy police presence as authorities try to get things back to normal. alex perez, minneapolis. >> and black lives matter protesters shut down a major freeway in the los angeles area. the action started mid

this is on the 405 in englewood. demonstrators spray painted the names of black suspects killed by police in recent months. nine people were arrested. six service members killed in afghanistan by a bomber are back in the u.s. defense secretary ash carter was at dover air force base in delaware for the return of the bodies. among them was a new york city police detective and air force major believed to be the first openly gay active duty service woman to die in combat. across iraq a wave of anti-isis attacks killed at least 15 people after government offenses launched an offensive to take back a major city. isis is putting up a tough fight. roads are mined and homes are rigged with bombs. snipers are also slowing the advance of the government forces. >> and isis is also causing concerns at the vatican. so get this. the new york police department is on patrol there to protect visitors during the roman

it's an unprecedented move as abc's elizabeth hur explains. >> good to see you. enjoy. >> reporter: it's a first for the nypd and the italian police, but this joint international security operation at the vatican is a sign of the times. >> in light of recent events in europe and in the united states, you know, we continue to learn and we continued to adapt. >> reporter: police from new york, spain and poland are in rome assisting with security for the catholic church's year long jubilee of mercy. history of the church that there has been a holy year, and this year, italian officials say patrols for a good reason. explaining they cannot ongoing threat posed by isis, especially following the recent attacks in paris. authorities say they deployed thousands of officers and

asked for help from around the world. and for security reasons, italian authorities are not revealing the exact number of officers taking part in this operation but we are told there will be visible police presence at the vatican at all times. reena and kendis. >> impressive endeavor. it's one of the holiest times of the year on the christian calendar. in nazareth the birth of jesus christ was celebrated with the re-enactment of the nativity with special details re-creating what jesus hometown may have looked like in biblical times. actors dressed as mary and joseph, roman soldiers and others took visitors on a trip through time. it looks like a little time capsule there. >> it really does. and speaking of christmas, we all know that santa claus is gearing up for his annual be round the world trip. we're going to presume his final preparations got done somewhat early this year. >> we say that because there was santa. seen there carrying his paddle

balmy buffalo, new york. he got in the river and paddled away. >> so all kidding aside that's john fulton the so-called surfing santa. he's taking his yearly three-mile trip down the niagara river. he does it to raise awareness about homelessness. >> i'm troubled there's no bag of toys following him. >> yeah, and also missing from that picture right there, the icebergs that usually gather on the niagara river about now. he usually wears a body suit to warm him up. this year he didn't quite need it. temperatures up in buffalo. hang ten, man. coming up, the school lunch lady fired for being generous. there's a breaking development "the mix." also ahead, the political cartoon taking aim at ted cruz's children. how the insulted presidential hopeful is fighting back. and the little girl who panicked after knocking an elf off the shelf.

santa's naughty list. and remember, look for our pictures on instagram, abcwnn. merry christmas, everyone, from "world news now." abcwnn. merry christmas, everyone, from "world news now." hey buddy, let's get these dayquil liquid gels and go. but these liquid gels are new. mucinex fast max. it's the same difference. these are multi-symptom. well so are these. this one is max strength and fights mucus. that one doesn't. uh...think fast! you dropped something. oh...i'll put it back on the shelf... new from mucinex fast max. the only cold and flu liquid gel that's max-strength and fights mucus. start the relief. ditch the misery. let's end this. karl, don't you have friends coming over? yeah, so? it stinks in here. you've got to wash this whole room are you kidding? wash it? let's wash it with febreze. for all the things you can't wash, use... ...febreze fabric refresher whoa hey mrs. webber inhales hey, it smells nice in here and try pluggable febreze...

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the man who pleaded guilty to a felony after flying a vi -- a gyrocopter on to the grounds of the u.s. capitol says he's going to run against one of the most powerful democrats in congress.

chair of the democratic national committee. his attorneys say that does not what do you think? >> interesting race. to presidential politics some of dr. ben carson's staffers are denying a possible shake-up is about to take place inside his campaign. >> ted cruz has drawn something of a line in the political sand when it comes to his children. >> reporter: ted cruz turns an alleged insult into ammunition. "the washington post" took down the editorial cartoon that depicted cruz's two daughters as trained monkeys but not before cruz forwarded to supporters in a fund-raising appeal. >> folks want to attack me, knock yourself out. that's part of the process. i signed up for that, that's fine. but my girls didn't. >> reporter: cruz calls the

of the liberal media's desperation to attack him. an editor at the "washington doesn't agree with the cartoonist that is cruz's children are fair media for scrutiny because cruz featured them in this christmas themed campaign ad. >> 'twas the night before the house -- >> reporter: also defending controversial attack, hillary clinton after donald trump used a sexually derogatory term to describe her loss in 2008. despite controversy, a new national poll shows trump maintains his commanding lead in the republican race. >> i think right now the odds favor him. >> the last time a republican before christmas was 1999 when george w. bush went on to win reena, kendis? >> wow. every night we talk about how donald trump is -- >> is surging and continues to surge. his poll numbers nationally around 38% now and the next closest ted cruz about 18%. the iowa caucuses.

>> he used a fund-raising opportunity, he even had a picture of hillary clinton with lap dogs in the "new york times" and "washington post" as the dogs. do you think this helps his supporters rally even stronger behind him? >> for donald trump? >> sorry, for ted cruz. >> no, this is actually the sort of gravy he needs. the good thing for donald trump, this is what his supporters need for him to take on hillary clinton at this point, that will help his numbers i would imagine. >> okay. see what happens. coming up in our next half-hour, gift card grinches. the most popular of gifts targeted by thieves making them worthless before you can buy them. a consumer alert. but first, a desperate 911 call made by a little girl she'll end up on santa's bad side after an incident with an elf on a shelf. you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our

>> announc >> okay, people. tomorrow morning, 10:00 a.m. santa's coming to town. >> santa! oh, my god! santa here? i know him. i know him. >> oh, everyone's excited for santa. >> santa. >> especially the elves. but when one elf fell off the shelf, a new jersey girl jumped into action. >> so she was trying to stay off . -- stay off of santa's naughty list, so of course, she had to call 911. abc's ron claiborne with her story. >> reporter: 'twas the week before christmas, and 7-year-old izzy was playing in her family's living room.

>> reporter: one of the two elves on their shelf, his name is buddy jingles, was knocked out of his stocking and onto the floor. >> ah! >> reporter: from a popular book based on an old tradition that has become a viral phenomenon. an elf is supposed to be left alone, to observe who is naughty or nice and report back to santa. an adult can touch an elf but a child, absolutely not. so when izzy's elf plopped out, she called 911. >> 911. >> 911. where is your emergency? >> don't come to my house -- no, don't. [ knocking ] >> reporter: a few minutes later. >> hello? >> reporter: it was a policeman come to check it out. >> mommy, there's a man at the door. >> so, i said, can i help you? and he said, your daughter called 911. >> reporter: it all worked out for the best. with little izzy learning a valuable lesson. >> don't call 911 -- for only emergencies. that's what you do. and don't call it for nonemergencies. merry christmas, everyone! merry christmas, kids.

bridge, new jersey. >> hey, to her it was an emergency. >> absolutely. she's still talking right now, isabella. it was an emergency. that's right. that's what the police -- the police lieutenant there was saying that it was an emergency to her when she touched the elf and she thought she was going to ruin christmas. so -- >> that's got to be very traumatic at that age. >> absolutely. she's on the good list still. coming up, little beds in odd places. places. guests this weekend. and the reason a little boy interrupted a wedding, "the mix"

is next. [coughing] [coughing] [coughing] [coughing] [coughing] coughing disrupts everyone's life. that's why so many people are turning to delsym for longer lasting cough relief. delsym has an advanced time release formula that helps silence coughs for a full 12 hours. that's three times longer than the leading cough liquid. all night...

we've been changing things up with k-y love. oh yeah. it's a pleasure gel that magnifies both our sensations. it gives us chills in places we've never gotten chills before. yeah, it makes us feel like... dare to feel more with new k-y love. okay. it's time for "the mix." >> and we're going to start this with the you've got to be kidding me. take a look at this woman here. this is dalene bowden, a lunch lady in idaho. she seems nice enough but

gave a 12-year-old girl who -- a meal from the cafeteria. she's a lunch lady there at the cafeteria at the middle school and apparently the young girl was hungry and didn't have any money for the meal. this is a termination letter. but instead of praising her, the middle school fired her. they say for stealing. >> oh, no. come on. >> yeah. can you believe that? the supervisor actually refused to allow her to even pay for the lunch for this young lady. >> what? >> after a little bit of blow back from that, she has been offered her job back. not sure if miss bowden plans to take it. >> also because my cafeteria gave me extra tater tots. i was a pathetic little child. >> shout out to lewis elementary. >> you like that? >> yes.

lot of people coming over. whether it's grandma's house, friends house for the season. take a look at the weird places people are staying. childhood beds where adults are required to sleep in. this is hello kitty. this is like my daughter's dream bed right here. probably not an older adult's dream bed. a few years ago, he had to stay in that small little twin bed and shared his bed on social media and wants others to share their beds, as well. >> when you go back home to your parents bed, all of a sudden you're in your spider-man pajamas and once again on the bed. >> or you have a mattress in the laundry room. >> that's kind of awkward. >> okay. >> but it's cozy. if you get cold, you just turn on the dryer. >> exactly. >> folks, don't do that. >> lull you to sleep. i want to show you this wonderful wedding ceremony taking place down under. beautiful setting. a beautiful couple. you know, this is hannah and ben. they're getting married.

beautiful setting for their wedding and then their 3-year-old son steps in. take a listen quickly. >> the real values in life and come back to decide what really matters. >> he says, "i got to poop!" >> nothing about timing. but anyways, a guest swooped him up and took him off. there's actually video of what happens next to young hudson. but we're out of time. can't show you that. >> come back to decide what really matters. >> i need to poop. that.

really this morning on "world news now," holiday this morning on "world news now," holiday heartache. tornadoes blast their way across several southern states. the twisters caught on camera. the human toll and today's threat from accu-weather. the fighting back. the controversial political cartoon taking aim at ted cruz and his children.

insult into an opportunity. new this half hour, banned from the u.s. one family's outrage. >> the british man and family members planning to visit disneyland. was their flight canceled because of their religion? and later in "the skinny," madonna's legal battle has nothing to do with her music. this is an international family dispute on christmas eve. it is thursday, december 24th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning on this christmas eve. i'm reena ninan. >> i'm kendis gibson. we'll get started on a serious note because of deadly storms that are crossing the south. >> we're talking at least seven people who have been killed in the violent weather that stretched from arkansas to mississippi. at least 21 reports of tornadoes confirmed and twisters, as well, including this monster wedge tornado in holly springs, mississippi, that killed at least two people including a 7-year-old boy. >> we're just getting a look at some of the devastation in

look at that. our coverage begins with phillip mena in memphis. oh, man. >> reporter: this massive tornado touching down in mississippi. the storm dumping half a foot of rain on mobile, alabama. this neighborhood under water. the street looking more like a river. widespread damage across the south as storms move through. in arkansas, 60 mile-per-hour winds uprooting trees. an 18-year-old woman died after a tree crashed into this home. an 18-month-old baby pulled from the wreckage. >> the toddler was transported to a local hospital. the 18-year-old female was pronounced dead at the scene. >> reporter: on the other side of that storm system, heavy snow causing spinouts in wisconsin. meanwhile in the west, snow-covered roads snarling traffic in utah. while gusts over 80 miles an hour in mojave, california, toppled 15 to 20

watch as the roof of this building is ripped clean off. those big rigs banned from the highway until the winds die down. >> scary. i don't liking this truck rocking. >> reporter: and these storms are still not over. the mayor of clarksville, mississippi, calls the damage there horrific. and officials here in memphis are worried that christmas decorations could become projectiles as these storms continue to fire up. phillip mena, abc news, memphis, >> thank you. it's been a busy christmas eve for law enforcement after those deadly storms. >> as video comes in showing how powerful these december tornadoes can be, the strong winds knocked over a truck on a busy interstate in mississippi. meteorologist justin povick continues our coverage from accuweather. good morning. >> reena, kendis. thanks and good morning to you, as well. thankfully good news. the severe threat that hammered

winds, that is a thing of the past. there will be some showers along the eastern seaboard. out west, we're concerned about some wet and wintry weather creating some big-time travel delays from san francisco on southbound. then as we kick out east, temperatures will be record-breaking warm. reena and kendis, back to you. >> thanks to justin at accuweather. the big story is the snow in the west. avalanche warnings are posted in 11 states, in telluride, colorado it was a sea of white at the airport where a private plane collided with a snow plow. the snow plow operator wasn't injured. nor were the seven people on board that plane. there's no word why the plane tried to land on a closed runway. it was an emergency landing for a southwest airlines flight in oakland, california. the pilots reported landing gear problems shortly after takeoff and had to remain in a holding pattern for four hours burning fuel over california's central

many passengers were shaken by this. the ride was touch bu leapt as the pilots tried to get the landing back up. the plane eventually landed a walmart truck driver facing charges in connection with last year's crash that seriously injured tracy morgan. a grand jury indicted kevin roper on charges of first-degree aggravated manslaughter. investigators found roper hadn't slept for 28 hours before the crash along the new jersey turnpike. morgan's friend was killed in the crash. the man accused of a deadly shooting at a colorado planned parenthood clinic wants to act as his own attorney. robert dare said he won't cooperate. dear talked over his own attorney and interrupted the judge. he faces nearly 200 charges for the shooting which left three people dead. overseas, britain's prime minister is getting involved after a family's trip to the u.s. that

allegedly by homeland security. the british family -- two brothers and their nine children -- were stopped at the airport's departure gate. they say they were the only muslim-look g muslim-looking people for the flight from the uk to los angeles. >> we felt humiliated. alienated. the way we were dealt with was out of the ordinary. >> the family will not get a refund of their more than $13,000 in airfare and other bookings. u.s. officials say they were not muslim. the british government is demanding an explanation. the race for presidency, a controversial political cartoon drew a sharp reaction from republican ted cruz. cruz is depicted as an organ grinder dressed as santa, and his daughters as dancing cruz saying yesterday "don't mess with my kids, don't mess with anybody's kids." abc's jonathan karl reports. >> please read this one, daddy. >> reporter: in an "snl" style

senator ted cruz reads conservative christmas stories with his family. his young daughters, catherine and caroline, join in. >> the whole family will enjoy reading stories like "the grinch who lost her e-mails." >> i know just what i'll do, she said with a snicker, i will use my own server and no one will be the wiser. >> reporter: the ad prompted "the washington post" to run a political cartoon depicting monkeys. >> not much ticks me off. but making fun of my girls, that will do it. it's not complicated, don't make fun of a 5-year-old girl and a 7-year-old girl. >> reporter: cruz and his gop challengers agree on this one. >> this is off-limits, and ted cruz was absolutely right to be outraged. >> reporter: donald trump called the cartoon "bad," marco rubio

the cartoonist was unapologetic, tweeting, "ted cruz has put his children in a political ad. don't start screaming when the editorial cartoonists draw them, as well." food -- christmas ad, the cruz campaign posted extensive video of the kids for future campaign ads. >> i'm ted cruz -- >> and we approve this message. >> reporter: and kids are often featured in campaigns. for example, this obama campaign video from 2012, which prompted no such political cartoon. "the post" eventually took the cruz cartoon down. the editorial page editor usually to leave the children out of it," acknowledging they cruz is now using the cartoon to raise money. "i'm sickened," he writes to supporters. "this shows you exactly how family." cruz has also offered up his own political cartoon, featuring what he calls hillary clinton and what it calls her lap dogs

washington post" and "new york times." jonathan karl, abc news, washington. >> got to love presidential politics. the twin birth rate hit an all-time high last year in the u.s. one in about 29 babies was a twin last year. in 1980, only one in 53 babies was a twin. the increase may be due to women waiting longer to start families. the birth rates for teenagers dropped 9% from 2013 to 2014. that's interesting, the grandparents took the kids to the museum today. my mother-in-law was saying how they noticed so many sets of twins, brothers and sisters or sisters and sisters. >> we all love twins. >> speaking of twins, voters in one east texas county may do a double take in the race for sheriff. >> people say all politicians look alike. identical twins harry and barry washington are running for the office. barry started as a teacher and a coach, then became a texas ranger. he was joined in law enforcement a few years later by his brother. >> and despite their differences, barry says we're going to be biological brothers to the end of the world and

>> yeah, that's interesting they are running against each other. but they do have others that are in the race, two other that are running. a total of four candidates. >> i just vote for them because they have nice cowboy hats. >> wonder who mom would vote for. >> i bet mom stays home. i bet mom stays home. coming up in "the skinny," a big moment for beatles fans. they've been waiting for this for years. and also ahead, waiting until the very last minute for holiday bargains. we're taking you into an iconic new york department store to show you the early morning procrastinators. first, a consumer alert how thieves could make the next worthless. now." >> announcer: "world news now" weather, brought to you by mucinex sinus max. >> announcer: "world news now" weather, brought to you by mucinex sinus max. brought to you by mucinex sinus max. enough pressure in here for ya? ugh. my sinuses are killing me. yeah...just wait 'til we hit ten thousand feet. i'm gonna take mucinex sinus-max. too late, we're about to take off. these dissolve fast.

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well, you can now ad well, you can now add hyatt hotels to the growing list of companies hit by hackers. it's investigating malware found on computers used to process payments. guests are advised to review credit card statements. it only affected hotels managed by hyatt and not franchised locations. >> chipotle is changing some of its cooking methods to better kill germs. more than 50 customers came down with e. coli in the chipotle today after passing an inspection. with norovirus. >> with limited options for last minute christmas presents, gift cards are an easy option. son that. >> struggling with my son. we need to find a salvage rescue

>> throw it out to the university. >> you can now buy many gift cards mostly anywhere. that can be a problem since thieves are targeting the robbing their value. mara schiavocampo with more. >> reporter: gift cards at the top of many a wish list. shoppers expected to spend almost $26 billion on these cash cards. >> i think they're a great clutch gift to give anybody. >> the easier choice. so you don't disappoint anybody. >> reporter: but experts warn these holiday favorites could come with a risk. >> gift cards are absolutely vulnerable to scammers. there are lots of different ways that nefarious people can get their hands on the cards and your money. >> reporter: part of the problem? cards can be as easy to use as cash. requiring no i.d., pin number or signature, making them very alluring targets for scammers. here's how it works. before you buy the card, thieves can copy its information, sometimes using handheld skimmers, later stealing the

so, experts say, look for tampered packaging, especially at the scratch-off area in the back. use the card right away. register your card. and be sure to use a reputable site if you're thinking of trading in unwanted gift cards on an online exchange. >> the safest way to buy cards is online or from a locked drawer in the store. >> reporter: ensuring a holiday scam doesn't leave you saying bah humbug. mara schiavocampo, abc news, new york. all right. coming up, the singing superstar trying to get her son to come home for christmas. and sir paul's message to fans as the beatle music goes live for streaming. "the skinny" up next. >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our abc stations.

continues afte skinny, so skinny skinny, so skinny the big mystery on january 4th will be answered on "gma." can't wait. well, leading "the skinny," the material girl, like many parents, having some trouble with her teenage child. >> madonna was in a manhattan court yesterday and won a court order forcing her 15-year-old son to return home to the u.s.

according to reports, she's in a custody battle with her ex-husband, guy ritchie. their son, rocco, apparently wants to live with daddy. >> the judge told richie's lawyer if the child wants to stay with his father, he must return to his mother first. >> he's all grown up. >> he's now 15 years old. >> where did the time go? >> i know, we're old. >> i wouldn't mess with madonna. not because she's madonna but because she's mama. she's working that gown there. all righty. there has been an answer. let it stream. a huge musical milestone, the beatles' music now available for streaming worldwide. >> for many, the biggest musical stars on the planet like taylor swift and adele, the issue has been contentious. now arguably the biggest band is on board. >> through services like spotify, apple music, title and others fans can listen to 17

to celebrate last night sir paul here tweeting out this message wishing everyone a very happy crimbo and a peaceful new year. >> the new song is going to yeah, yeah. we're streaming fine. move on. next story. holiday cheer this season, as well. the rapper who just received more grammy nominations than any other artist for his album "to pimp a butterfly," what does that mean? to pimp a butterfly? >> i'm not sure. >> write that down -- >> what did you say, to kill a mockingbird? >> but not by releasing another music video or pushing a new single but by showing kids the key to success. hard work. in a new video on youtube, you see kendrick with a young boy who witnesses all the love the rapper has shown but where other stars might let it go to their head, he keeps it in perspective for his young friend.

>> thank you. >> thank you. >> you're most certainly welcome. >> man, any time. >> you know who that is? kendrick lamar. >> i know. hard work. >> you need to work for that. cream? >> i got to. i don't care. >> unique musical arrangements on "to pimp a butterfly," have made him a huge hit with critics and fans and earning him 11 nominations. >> i think "to pimp a butterfly," swing like a bee, swing like a butterfly. >> the famous quote by mike tyson you're referring to. >> you don't even know the quote either. and finally, a holiday gift the cast of the beloved netflix series "orange is the new black"

>> the story of santa coming to their prison. >> we sprang to our bunks as the guards gave a shout, our christmas was over, our secret was out. >> santa fled from the scene as the lockdown began. >> not the first time i've taken the rap for a man. >> but i heard him exclaim as we ran to our cots. >> happy holidays, ladies, you're all getting shots. >> oh, that's hilarious. season 4 coming sometime next year. >> merry christmas. >> i remember now. float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. >> brian getting in her ear. >> no, it came to me naturally. >> to kill a mockingbird, that's what it meant.

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plenty of time. but at least you're in good company. >> there are plenty of people out there who have yet to wrap their presents and place them under the tree. trina trinh is at macy's here in new york with last minute shoppers. >> reporter: guys, that's right. i'm here at macy's, herald square, the iconic store here in new york city where i'm learning when it comes to christmas shopping, there are a lot of procrastinators among us. take a look. people still out shopping on christmas eve. we've got a couple hours to go before the official day. and it's crunch time. and people are out trying to score those last-minute deals. maybe they were undecided about what to get for people this year. every shopper here. can i talk to you? >> hi. >> what are you in the market for? >> for shirts. >> okay.

tonight? >> i'm shopping for my wife, my son, my grandmother, my grandfather, my other grandmother and grandfather, aunts and uncles. >> you waited till the 11th hour to come here tonight. >> well, i just came back from jersey, yes. >> reporter: why did you take until now? you could have been a little bit more prepared. >> yes, you're right. >> reporter: what's on the list for everyone? >> i have no idea. i'm so confused. i have no idea. >> reporter: okay, good luck. good luck. >> thank you. >> reporter: how about you? what are you here shopping for tonight? >> some cologne. >> reporter: some cologne? >> yes. >> reporter: is there really for yourself or somebody else? >> it's really for me, no, for my dad. >> reporter: i thought so. all right. so a lot of shopping still going on here at macy's. wishing these guys a lot of luck. we'll see what happens on christmas day. back to you. >> thank you, tina. good to know.

buying a little merry merry christmas gift for yourself. >> i do it all the time. i did shopping yesterday and ended up buying a lot of stuff for myself along the way. the good thing is a lot of these stores are open overnight, toys "r" us being one of them and open till late on christmas eve. >> still got to find the rescue bot salvage. got the wrong size. let me know, folks one thing he wanted this christmas. >> the poor kid's not going to have a happy christmas. >> he wrote a letter tossistant a. the one thing he wanted. >> updates wnnfans.com. >> announcer: this is abc's "world news now" informing insomniacs for two decades. >> updates wnnfans.com. >> announcer: this is abc's

insomniacs for two decades. good morning on this christmas eve. i'm reena ninan. >> i'm kendis gibson. taking a look at some of our top headlines we're following this morning on "world news now." at least seven people are dead across parts of the south where nearly two dozen tornadoes cut a wide path of destruction across mississippi, tennessee and arkansas. more details and our accuweather forecast in a moment. the bodies of the six service members killed in

defense secretary ash carter honored them at a memorial ceremony at delaware's air force base. douglas hughes, who's awaiting sentencing for flying a gyrocopter on to the grounds of the u.s. capitol, says he's going to to challenge debbie wasserman-schultz for her seat in congress, the chair of the democratic national committee . >> reporter: and christmas pilgrims in israel celebrating christmas by visiting a nativity re-enactment in nazareth and church services later in bethlehem. those are some of our top stories on this thursday and it is christmas eve, december 24th. from abc news, this is "world news now." >> well, merry christmas. partner. >> merry christmas to you. >> hope you finished all your

>> completely done, i've got to wrap them all. clearly you got completely wrapped there in christmas. >> i wrapped up in your wrapping paper. figured you didn't need ned. >> like a hot red. >> i'll take that as a compliment. not so hot down south. violent weather, the images remarkable. some people not having a merry christmas down there. tremendous. striking parts of the south. at least seven people dead. >> not the sort of story we want to talk about going into well. at least seven people are dead but at least 21 tornadoes raked across three southern states. including this monster. look at that. this is in the town of holly springs, mississippi, and this is what's left behind. two people including a 7-year-old boy killed. the twister picked up and tossed the car the boy was riding in by relatives. by nightfall, parts of holly springs reduced to piles of rubble. some people were caught on the side of the road trying to decide where to turn. >> back it up. >> no. you ain't got time to turn

us. >> settle down. >> it's not over yet. tornado watches remain in effect across parts of at least four southern states. >> this violent weather couldn't millions of americans set out on holiday travels. getting home to family has been brandi hitt has more. begin. >> this is the worst time to travel. >> reporter: airports are packed across the country. long lines forming in chicago before 6:00 a.m. >> madness. this is crazy. >> i'm hoping i'm going catch my >> reporter: one to three-hour flight delays in new york, new jersey, and philadelphia. >> on time. no, delayed. >> reporter: this southwest airlines flight was forced to return to oakland for an emergency landing after the plane suffering a mechanical problem circled for nearly four hours.

it was going very slow because they were trying to get the landing gear up and it wouldn't go up. >> reporter: across much of the country, severe weather is impacting the roads. with snow falling at an inch per hour in parts of oregon. >> oh, my god. >> reporter: 80-mile-per-hour winds leaving damage in southern california and this tornado touching down destroying several homes in mississippi. and if you haven't finalized your travel plans yet, be aware the second-worst travel day is expected to be sunday. reena and kendis? >> our thanks to brandi there. the unusual weather pattern could cause more travel delays in the hours ahead. >> snow in the west and downpours in the east. here's accuweather's justin povick. good morning, justin. >> thanks and good morning to you, as well. the severe threat has diminished. good news after a very, very busy day yesterday with all the tornado reports and unfortunately, all the damage, as well. there will be some rain

but this is the big story. temperature departures 25 to 30 degrees above normal. we're talking about record amounts of warmth. and then out east, we're concerned about heavy snow and soaking showers at the coast. reena and kendis, back to you. >> thank you so much. lawyers for the woman accused of driving on a las vegas strip sidewalk says she's distraught and overwhelmed. lakeisha holloway made her first court appearance yesterday charged with murder, child abuse and hit and run and currently on suicide watch. one person was killed in the incident. the coroner says jessica valenzuela died of blunt force trauma. >> a woman died after she was forcefully removed from a hospital. her family blames the police and the medical hospital. we get more from linzie janis. >> reporter: angela donar says she watched her niece, 57-year-old barbara dawson, collapse as police hauled her out of a hospital in handcuffs. >> they didn't do what they could. >> reporter: relatives say it

night. dawson was rushed by ambulance to this small florida hospital, complaining of stomach pain. she was evaluated by doctors and discharged just before 5:00 a.m., but her family says dawson still didn't feel well and wanted to stay. that's when lawyers for the family say hospital staff called the police. families say nurses took her off the hospital's oxygen, and dawson complained of trouble breathing in the parking lot. this photo, taken by a family member, shows dawson where she collapsed, still in handcuffs near the police car. >> the general public should be strongly concerned that a person who o seeking medical help would end up in cuffs and end up dead. >> reporter: according to police, medical staff observed dawson had a pulse and appeared to be breathing. she was taken back into the hospital, where she died. the medical examiner telling police, dawson suffered a blood

the calhoun liberty hospital saying it can't comment on why dawson was removed, but saying, "in such cases, the safety and comfort of all patients is considered." the florida department of law enforcement says it will investigate. linzie janis, abc news, new york. at least 15 civilians are dead in a wave of attacks across iraq, most of them bombings. progress by government forces in taking back the city of ramadi. it's tough going. houses are booby-trapped. the army chief of staff claims it will be back in government british officials want answers from the u.s. why a muslim family's disneyland vacation was spoiled. the two brothers and 11 children were stopped right at the boarding ramp and told they could not get on their flight to los angeles on orders from washington, d.c. they say it was humiliating and traumatic.

decision but wouldn't elaborate. a black lives matter activist used as a decoy to start a protest that quickly moved to the minneapolis airport. a dozen people were arrested in the two demonstrations. protesters are angry over the killing of a black man by police. they claim jamar clark was shot by police while handcuffs. police deny that. the walmart truck driver who slammed into tracey morgan's limo has been indicted. kevin roper has been indicted on charges of first-degree manslaughter. investigators found he hadn't slept for 28 hours before of the crash along the morgan was seriously injured and his friend killed in the crash. sandusky will be receiving a rather large pension payment next week. he's serving a prison sentence for child molestation. the pennsylvania system stopped was convicted three years ago. a court has ruled that was illegal because he retired in he will be mailed a check for

monthly benefits nearly $5,000 will resume next month. and steph curry of the golden state warriors among the big nba stars who appear in a new public service ad against gun violence. it features survivors of gun violence and families of shooting victims. it will debut tomorrow during the nba's popular christmas day schedule of games. the chipotle restaurant near boston college is reopening today. two dozen patrons came down with norovirus after eating there. the mexican-style chain has also been battered by outbreaks of e. choli and taking steps to improve food safety including new ways of preparing fresh vegetables. sales and the value of chipotle stock have plummeted since midsummer. in milwaukee, it is being called a feat of sweets.

movie "up" has been re-created into a fantastic confectionery conglomeration. this genius gingerbread house was created by an 18-year-old. as part of the milwaukee area pastry arts student gingerbread house competition. >> it took her more than 100 hours to create but sadly, can you believe it, didn't take the prize. how is that possible? >> what would take the prize above that. >> i like the little gum drops supposed to be the balloon out of the chimney there. that's cool. of abc news. >> really? >> yeah. >> okay. we should know that. coming up, the social media trend that is not in the christmas spirit. how it can be harmful to kids. bargains. even at this hour, the early morning mad dash for iconic retailer.

field. on the field pro athletes react "concussion." map. it will be warmer in new york city than los angeles on christmas eve. >> it's about time. 24. weather, brought to you by gerber life insurance. weather, brought to you by gerber life insurance.

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daring thieves caught on surveillance camera robbing stores in miami at one location, used a truck to smash their way in. once inside, heading for designer jeans valued at $600 a pair. they even stole two mannequins at another store. they grabbed the hottest gift of the season. >> what was it? >> hover boards. they can be seen on camera using a cart to carry out boxes of them. wouldn't it be ironic if it exploded when they used it? >> how did they not use a

the explosion. okay. the growing list of companies hit by hackers. it's investigating malware found on computers used to process guests are advised to review statements. the breach only affected hotels it managed by hyatt and not franchise locations. the new york giants will be without o'dell beckham for sunday night's must-win game against the vikings. beckham's appeal of the one-game suspension he received for violent conduct sunday against carolina was heard at the nfl's office here in new york yesterday. that appeal was denied. despite his beautiful blonde hair. so beckham can't even attend team meetings, much less play in minnesota. josh norman of the carolina panthers was also fined for his role in the melee. >> the new look, the blonde look was pretty nice. >> it's an interesting look. nfl's week 16 begins tonight with the chargers taking on the

tomorrow a movie called