good morning. right now on "first look," xbox and sony playstation networks go down in an apparent attack on the same day "the interview is released in theaters. how people around the globe celebrated christmas. retailers brace for the post holiday rush of returns. plus a narrow escape for an electric tricycle driver in china. a special christmas delivery below the streets of philadelphia. and see what happens when a dignified actor is forced to wear a dancing christmas hat by his wife. he doesn't look too happy, does he? thanks for joining us today. more possible cyberattacks are being reported. the latest target sony

playstation and microsoft xbox. thousands of gamers reported trouble signing in on christmas. a hacker group called lizard squad is claiming responsibility. this came the same day that "the interview" came out. nbc's hallie jackson has more on the opening. >> this christmas day opening did not involve traditional presents. >> it's a gift. you know what i mean? >> it wasn't the most christmas thing we did, but it was the most american thing we did. >> from l.a. to new york audiences lined up at more than 200 independent theaters to see "the interview." at one sold-out screening a midnight surprise, the movie's codirector and costar seth rogen with an adult beverage and some adult language. >> if it wasn't for theaters like this and people like you

guys, this literally wouldn't be [ bleep ] happening right now. >> sony pulled the film last week after a message claiming to be from the hackers that threatened theaters chains. president obama appears pleased about sony's change of plans. >> i'm glad it's being released. >> north korea is not. a diplomat told us that north korea calls it an unpardonable mockery to the dignity of our supreme leader. >> unfounded rumors according to this woman. russia is sympathizing with north korea calling their anger quite understandable. here at home, those who watched the movie are unapologetic. sorry but not sorry, says one of hundreds of posts from those who streamed online. >> i don't think it's going to help sony make its money back. but it will be certainly wide seen. >> we got the interview. >> it was hilarious in a stupid way. >> can't stop making headlines.

>> that was hallie jackson reporting. after more than a decade of combat in afghanistan, january 1st will mark an end to america's longest war. richard jordan is live in washington for us this morning. richard, president obama says afghanistan is no longer going to be a source of terror attacks. that's quite a statement. >> it certainly is. the president is sticking with the time line that was set months ago. but some lawmakers say they're not fully on board with that plan. >> hello, everybody, merry christmas. >> the president and first lady greeted service members at a marine base in hawaii. but it's those deployed in afghanistan most impacted by the message he delivered. >> afghanistan has a chance to rebuild its own country. we are safer. it's not going to be a source of terrorist attacks again. >> the withdrawal in a few days will lead to more reunions like

this. a moment many military families have been waiting well over a decade for. the last year has been among the deadliest for the afghan soldiers and police officers. to help keep the country stable, nearly 11,000 troops will stay in afghanistan over the next few months. >> we've got an important mission here. it's an honor to be a part of that but at the same time, it's difficult being away from home. >> senator john mccain spent christmas in kabul. he assured the afgan president that the u.s. will not abandon afghanistan even after the american soldiers are gone. >> i believe that we are now in a time that with the proper support and proper effort and partnership with the united states in every way, including militarily and economically -- >> the u.s. is prepared to leave, but some critics aren't sure afghanistan can stand on its on. >> john mccain will be going to iraq later today, another country where some believe the

u.s. needs to be more involved. well, new yorkers will pay their final respects to one of the two nypd officers killed this past saturday. a public viewing for the officer will be today. his family will lay him to rest tomorrow morning. as a makeshift memorial for officer ramos and his partner continues to grow, the nypd made an arrest over threats to kill a police. they released this picture showing pictures of weapon recovered from a man's home. the weapons include firearms, two bullet proof vests, brass knuckles and a holster. this is the sixth arrest since the killing of the officers on saturday. across the country and around the world, in fact, people celebrated christmas day, some with words of inspiration, others lending a helping hand. ron mott has more.

>> around america and abroad, even outer space christmas is celebrated. nasa astronauts -- >> we want to take the opportunity just briefly to wish you all a merry christmas and a happy new year. ♪ >> from church services to service in the community, to afghanistan, sacrifice and commitment were themes of the day. >> i love you and i miss you and i hope you enjoy your christmas with family. >> in new york volunteers delivered meals to elderly people at home. in los angeles -- >> i got this big toy. >> -- toys for homeless boys and girls, something good to eat. overseas, a christmas mass in bethlehem. the royal family headed off to church in mass. the queen spoke of reconciliation. >> peace and good will have lasting pow near the hearts of men and women. >> and at the vatican, pope francis offered blessings of hope for the suffering, rebukes for acts that cause it, thanks

to those on the front line of the ebola fight. there was christmas whimsy, too. a frosty dip in germany, sun and sand in australia, elephants bearing gifts in thailand. back here at home special deliveries were bundled with care in pittsburgh and a chord at a d.c. shelter. >> merry christmas. >> and the world's busiest man recruited a little fire power in sue son, arizona, bringing cheer to kids who are spending christmas in the hospital. >> we hope you had a wonderful christmas. now to philadelphia, a special christmas delivery for a new mother and the two transit police officers who came to her rescue. she went into labor on a subway train. passengers flagged down police officers who quickly jumped on the train car and spread into action. >> inside i was praying for the medic to come in and take over. >> the baby had the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck.

we got that away from the neck, the mother wanted to hold the baby. the father offered the shirt of his his back to warm the baby up. >> i was hoping for a quiet shift, like don't we all, but this experience was pleasant. >> everything happened so quick, but it was amazing. >> not a quiet shift but a memorable one. the mother and baby boy are doing well and resting this morning. congratulation to them. well, they are one of the hottest christmas gift this year, you may have gotten one. a drone. so many drones sold that this week the faa launched a new safety campaign. amazon.com is talking about using them to transform how they do business. some leading aviation schools are stepping up to train the pilots. we take a look inside drone school. >> from movie chase scenes to

aerial farm land surveys, wildfires, law enforcement, package delivery, you name it, the real drone organization is waiting on the faa to set the rules. >> i've got the ability to sit and hover and look at something to make sure this is the person we're looking for. >> but the leading aviation schools are not waiting. already training a new generation how to fly an unmanned aerial system or uas. when you're first learning how to fly this thing, what is the biggest challenge? >> i would say the biggest challenge is the positional awareness of the aircraft. whether it's flying toward you or away from you, you have some control. >> and it's not just small models. >> about two miles south. >> but bigger military size drones as well. close enrollments up more than 1,000%. >> the hardest part for us is how quickly the technology changes. >> it's a generational shift here which has taught traditional piloting since 1926. in three years its unmanned

aviation major has grown from 11 students to more than 200. 100 colleges and universities offer similar programming amid estimates of 100,000 jobs over the next few years. this junior hopes she lands one of them. >> it seems to be the wave of the future, especially with the military. >> at the university of north dakota -- >> our point of interest is turning right on, looks like 18th street. >> -- students who already have a commercial pilot's license are hoping to be among the first certified drone pilots. >> the benefits that this industry will provide, i think, is going to be exponential. >> it could start in just a few months when the faa announces the rules on who's allowed to fly and where. after that the sky could be the limit. tom costello, nbc news daytona beach. >> going to make it interesting. nba on christmas day featured five games and one player who made a holiday fashion statement. check it out.

clippers forward spencer haas was rocking a christmas themed suit. now, remind you, he is 7'1" so that is a whole lot of fabric. to the game now, the clipper's leading scorer of the night with 24 points. beating the warriors, handing them their second loss at the staples center in three days. >> number 23, lebron james. >> king james received a warm welcome on his entire to miami, but his former teammates did not wait long to spoil that reunion. dwyane wade scored 24 of his 34 points in the first half alone. james finished with 30. but they fell short. heat win it 101-91. to new york, brought the spark against the knicks. then late in the fourth, quincy acy bumps hard into a wall knocking him down and a scuffle ensues before the two were separated by other players.

i want you to look at this replay, though. acy appeared to throw a punch toward johns walls' neck. that resulted in a flagrant foul. he was ejected from the game. they handed the knicks their 16th loss in 17 games. lebron james and stefan curry are the leading votes so for the all-star steam. voting runs through january 19th. and in college hoops, gw wins its first in-season tournament to win the diamond head classic in honolulu 60-54. lots to celebrate there. it's been ten years since southeast asia was hit by a devastating tsunami. we're going to show you how the victims are being remembered. an alarming crash caught on camera. you don't want to miss this. you're watching "first look."

well, good morning. welcome back to "first look." we're tracking still some snow

that's coming out of the rockies. they got big amounts of snow, over 13 inches in parts of idaho. that snow system is dying out moving off to the east. today we'll see light snow showers through the upper midwest and then that will eventually start to move into the middle part of the country and translate into some rain in the central gulf coast. we have the light snow from denver to minneapolis. and then by later today, toward the evening, we'll start to get some of those gulf showers. that's the latest on the forecast. well, some stories that are making news today across southeast asia, tributes are being held to honor the 230,000 people killed in the indian ocean tsunami. in thailand people laid flowers on this memorial wall. and in indonesia, elected officials offered flowers at a mass grave. the more than 30-foot killer

wave was triggered by a 9.1 magnitude earthquake. we do have stunning video to show you. the ratest rash of violence in the west bank. the israeli military says a molotov cocktail was thrown at this civilian car. now the man who owned it suffered minor injuries. but officials say the man's daughter was severely burned. the israeli military expects the palestinians are blind the attack. >> the driver of this car and the truck that plowed into him suffered minor injuries. but look at that. the driver of the electric tricycle right in middle of it all slid right past and walked away without a scratch. that person can hopefully buy a lottery ticket because they are one lucky being. the holiday shopping season is so far from over. you know it. kirk gregory now has the latest. >> just when you thought you were done for the holidays with

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

do often see with online retailers is they will only do a refund to the original payment method. so your gift giver is going to get a refund, but you're not going to get anything out of that transaction. >> after christmas sales are huge for retailers. stores will try to lure bargain hunters with deep discounts. you might not want to rush out the door to make the return. >> if you can wait until saturday or even the weekend following, you can go and do your return then and then take advantage of the great post holiday sales. >> so before heading out, do your homework and many happy returns. kirk gregory nbc news. everybody has been talking about "the interview," but what are the the other holiday releases this weekend. plus hilarity ensures as celebrities take to social media for christmas. yeah... i do...

try a new way to bank, where no branches equals great rates. wall isn't a street... return on investment isn't the only return i'm looking forward to. for some, every dollar is earned with sweat, sacrifice, courage. which is why usaa is honored to help our members with everything from investing for retirement to saving for college. our commitment to current and former military members and their families is without equal. start investing with as little as fifty dollars. so ally bank really has no hidden fethat's right. accounts? it's just that i'm worried about you know "hidden things..." ok, why's that? no hidden fees, from the bank where no branches equals great rates.

all right now here's the first look at this morning's dish of scrambled politics. russian president vladimir putin is canceling the new year's holiday for government ministers. yes, in a televised session yesterday putin said cabinet ministers should not be taking time off from the 1st through the 12th. the economic crisis is to blame. will many he or won't he run. according to politico, former governor bush is stepping down from the board of health care corp. the company has reportedly profited from obama care. bush's resignation comes amid

talk of a possible presidential bid. meanwhile, former president george h.w. bush is still in a houston hospital this morning. he's been there since tuesday evening after experiencing shortness of breath. a spokesperson says the former president is in great spirits. and white house photographer pete sousa is sharing this fun photo of the president. see anything interesting there? well, mr. obama met with a girl scout troop from tulsa, oklahoma this year. the girls con vnsed the president to wear a tiara with them for the group photo. what a good sport. that's your morning dish of scrambled politics. joining me now from washington is kevin ciruilli minus the tiara. happy friday. >> happy friday to you. >> a lot of people went out and saw the movie "the interview" that was released yesterday. but we're hearing of a possible attack on sony and microsoft gaming networks. how prepared is the u.s. to

combat hack attacks? >> this is really the next wave in terrorism in many ways. this is something that's plagued the u.s. and other countries for that matter, as well as companies for years now. i mean, think back. it's not just sony that has seen a hack, but target, home depot, neiman marcus, all of the retailers, as well as some in the banking. jp morgan also had a recent attack. so this is really something that a lot of businesses and retail groups are working with lawmakers and regulators here on in washington and there's a couple of different actually policy proposals that are on the table now for congress to consider. i'm interested to see whether or not this sony attack is going to give life to some the new proposals that are on the table in the new congress. >> is there a special wing dedicated to this? are there teams dedicated to make sure that the u.s. is protected from hack attacks? >> that's a great question. each of the different regulators actually have different cyber security teams.

it's not just the fbi, but the nsa, the cia, all of these different regulators are various entities and teams to combat cyber terrorism. this being said, there's actually groups that are called isacs, information sharing and analysis centers, and they work with the private sector and the government to share threat information. and these threats are coming in hundreds of threats a day to help businesses wetter prepare themselves for these attacks. >> it seems like a new reality. >> really is. >> speaking of which, russia is facing its own reality. putin canceling the new year's holiday for the government officials due to the economic crisis. how much can that be placed on sanctions placed on russia from the u.s.? >> standard & poor's is predicting in fact that there's a 50% chance they could actually downgrade the credit rating for russia just next month. and most economists expect the economy is going to contract by 5.5% next year.

a huge recession happening. but putin's approval rating among russians remain high. but certainly not helping russia. they're in for a huge economic dip in the new year. >> if you've booked a trip to russia for a vacation, you're getting a bargain. >> i'm not sure why you would want to go there. yeah, exactly. >> a good point. now for entertainment news. there's plenty to see in the theaters this week. "unbroken" opened on christmas and over the weekend it is expected is to earn up to $30 million. the star studded musical "into the woods" should make $10 million or more. the wife of actor patrick stewart posted this video on youtube. it's hard not to laugh as stewart react to the singing dances hat on his head. his wife wrote on youtube, sweet hat, bro. he doesn't look too happy. a viral sensation after displaying a wreath witherspoon, you get it, on the episode of

"the mindy project." reese witherspoon thought it was pretty funny posting this pic on instagram yesterday telling many that she could not resist. thanks so much for joining us here on "first look. reminder, "morning joe" is coming up at the top of the hour. have a great day. [ male announcer ] you wouldn't leave your car unprotected.

but a lot of us leave our identities unprotected. nearly half a million cars were stolen in 2012, but for every car stolen, 34 people had their identities stolen. identity thieves can steal your money, damage your credit, and wreak havoc on your life. why risk it when you can help protect yourself from identity theft with one call to lifelock, the leader in identity-theft protection? lifelock actively patrols your sensitive, personal information every second of every day, helping to guard your social security number, your bank accounts and credit, even the equity in your home -- your valuable personal assets. look. your bank may alert you to suspicious activity on your credit or debit card. but that still may leave you vulnerable to big losses if a thief opens new accounts in your name

or decides to drain your savings, home equity, or retirement accounts. and your credit report may only tell you after your identity's been compromised. but lifelock is proactive protection and watches out for you in ways that banks and credit-card companies alone just can't, giving you the most comprehensive identity theft protection available. whenever the patented lifelock identity alert system detects a threat to your identity, you'll be notified by phone, text, or e-mail, helping you to stop identity thieves before they do damage. you even get a $1 million service guarantee. that's right. if your identity is ever compromised, lifelock will spend up to $1 million on experts to help restore it. you wouldn't leave your car unprotected. don't leave your money, credit, and good name unprotected. call now, and try lifelock risk-free for 60 days. act now, and get this document shredder free. that's a $29 value. ♪ or go to lifelock.com/go.

try lifelock risk-free for 60 days and get this document shredder free -- a $29 value -- when you use promo code go. call now. >> welcome to "morning joe." earlier this year we had the pleasure of speaking with former president jimmy carter what he calls the greatest threat to mankind. >> in his latest book the 39th president calls for an abuse against women. >> it's a great honor to have the president here. we tried hard because he's traveling all the time, traveling with his last book to have him here. you came here. when i met him, i didn't talk foreign policy, i looked at him, i said why do you keep getting younger. he keeps getting younger. >> his smile is so vibrant. as you all know my father served as your national security