it is the final day of 2014. coming up on "first look," we have breaking news this morning on airasia flight 8501. a tragic accident at a walmart as a mother is killed at the hand of her 2-year-old holding her legal handgun. we have more proof that too much salt really is bad for you. revelers around the globe are preparing to ring in the new year. good morning to you. i'm dara brown. breaking overnight, another desperate attempt to give some closure to the families of those on board airasia flight 8501 airbus and find out exactly what went wrong. but complications are abounding today because strong winds and waves are as high as ten feet. indonesian officials believe that sonar equipment has

detected the plane's fuselage about 100 to 165 feet underwater. within the last 24 hours, six bodies have been recovered including that of a female flight attendant still in her uniform. life vests, luggage and wreckage have also been recovered. and now the u.s. is sending a second ship to help in the search and recovery effort. it will join the destroyer the "uss sampson" which has been there for two days now. joining me now is nbc's brian mooar. what is the latest in this recovery operation? >> reporter: dara, family members are getting devastating news. it is also a first step toward closure. as search crews in the java sea zeroed in on the wreckage of airasia flight 8501, the bodies of the first victims arrived at a military base in indonesia. shipping containers are being turned into makeshift morgues, tents prepared for autopsies of the 162 victims.

the discovery of a half dozen victims and various pieces of debris dashed hopes of finding any survivors but puts investigators closer to finding the so-called black boxes that may shed light on the cause of the disaster. two american ships have been dispatched to help in the search and recovery efforts. airasia ceo meanwhile is trying to comfort grieving families. >> it is a horrible, horrible experience but we'll try to do our best. that's our focus now. >> reporter: the wife of the pilot is among those yearning not just for news, but the return of a loved one. >> i must be strong and tough and i'm here for my children and their future. >> reporter: a search for answers at the bottom of the sea. and investigators are expressing confidence in that search because the wreckage appears to be in relatively shallow water. dara? >> thank you, brian. i know we'll be following this as the day unfolds. brian mooar in washington, d.c. a tragic accident, that's how the sheriff described the

death of a mother at the hands of her 2-year-old boy at a walmart. police say the toddler was in a shopping cart when he reached into his mother's purse and grabbed a handgun which then discharged. 29-year-old veronica rutledge died at the store. she did have a permit to carry a concealed weapon. her other three children were shopping with her at the time as well. tragic indeed. this was a wild scene in chicago. take a look. when it rains, it does pour. a wall collapsed at a morton salt facility tuesday as several tons of salt crashed through a wall and on to cars at an acura dealership. >> because of the weight of the salt it damaged the tires and suspension system on the cars. >> city engineers are checking the building's structural integrity and luckily there were no injuries. it is one of the biggest new year's eve parties on the planet and more than a million revelers are expected to jam times square

tonight. that is where nbc's sarah dallof is right now. folks won't just be bracing for the crowds but there will be a temperature drop. >> reporter: they'll be bracing for the cold as well. temperatures expected to be in the mid-20s by the time the clock strikes midnight. as you mentioned, there is going to be a million people -- a million new best friends that folks here can snuggle up with to try to stay warm. in addition, a billion people expected to watch the ball drop on tv. and a party of this size with that many people attending doesn't happen without a lot of planning and a lot of preparation. so far that has included replacing some of the crystal panels on the iconic waterford crystal ball. also a test confetti drop scheduled here later tonight to perform are artists like taylor swift and florida georgia line. should be a lot of fun and energy. new york city's mayor and members of the international rescue committee are scheduled to push the button that will

start the ball's descent. once it reaches the base, there will be a ton of confetti dropped on the crowd here celebrating. they say that some people like to volunteer. they want to help toss out that confetti. they say their confetti master has it covered. that is a job. and one that is actually pretty desirable to people. sounds fun to be part of that event by tossing out that confetti. of course, if you can't do that, you can join the crowd. 1 million people expected here later tonight. quite a different scene. back to you. >> sarah dallof in times square. a great night. thank you so much. down to business with cnbc's landon dowdy. good morning. >> with one day to go, 2014 has been a good year for the markets. the dow is set for six straight years of gains. the longest stretch since ending a nine-year winning streak in 1999. oil is poised for the worst year since 2008, down 45%. raise your glass. today is the day for bubbly.

two-thirds of all champagne and sparkling wine is bought for special occasions and 40% of all sales come during the fourth quarter of the year over the thanksgiving, christmas and new year's holidays. more than 18 million cases were sold in the u.s. last year. and white castle isn't known for its healthy menu options, but that may change. the fast food chain rolled out a veggie slider for 99 cents, but not for dieters. it ranges between 170 and 250 calories versus 150 and 220 for the traditional beef slider. now to sports, maryland faced michigan state in a thriller. >> clock running down. >> shoot it. >> and he hit it! oh, wow! >> maryland's dez wells sends it to overtime with a game tying three. the terps win it 68-66 in double overtime. meanwhile, it is a bitter finish for the gators.

florida's jacob kurtz tips the ball in his own basket for the game winner handing the win to florida state. that hurts. florida state tops florida 65-63. jim harbaugh was introduced as the new head football coach at his alma mater, michigan. he signed a seven year deal worth $40 million and a $2 million signing bonus. he didn't waste any time getting close to the fans. he addressed the crowd during halftime of tuesday's michigan/illinois game. >> we will do our very best to carry on the great tradition of michigan excellence all across the board. texas a&m coach kevin sumland has permanently dismissed student assistant coach michael richardson one day after videos show him hitting two west virginia players during monday's liberty bowl. and lions defensive tackle ndamukong suh won his appeal. overturning a one game suspension for stepping on packers quarterback aaron rodgers during sunday's game. the incident will cost him 70 grand though.

giants pitcher madison bumgarner named ap's male athlete of the year. the 25-year-old world series mvp won his third world series in five years. a 19-year-old lauren hill who lived out her dream of playing in a college basketball game has reached her fund-raising goal of $1 million for cancer research. hill's friend bengals player devin still whose 4-year-old daughter leah has cancer tweeted out his support saying, congrats, lauren hill, on raising $1 million for cancer research using your battle to raise awareness and money is an inspiration. now to the headlines this morning, good news to report as 90-year-old former president george h.w. bush was released from the hospital. he spent the past week there after experiencing shortness of breath. straight ahead, a look at the biggest stories of 2014. you're watching "first look."

welcome back on this new year's eve. a lot of people across the country turning their heaters on a little higher the last couple of days. the coldest air of the season arrived. yesterday was the coldest day we had so far this winter. high temperatures only one degree in denver, one in billings, four in minneapolis. a lot of areas had a big chill, especially you factor in the winds. that continues today, biggest travel trouble. the interesting thing, for people that deal with a lot of snow, normally isn't a big deal, but the snow is coming down in las vegas right now. there is a little bit of rain mixed in. the pavement now is reportedly just wet. but there is actually snowflakes sticking to grassy surfaces in a few spots outside of downtown vegas right now with snow. so for today, it will be on and off snow showers. we'll see up to an inch of snow possible on the grassy surfaces. and tomorrow looks pretty chilly there too for anyone ringing in the new year. these windchills are brutal this morning. negative 39, negative 28.

for your new year's eve forecast, we're cold throughout much of the country. we are clear. one of those days where you have to bundle up. as we ring in the new year, areas like new york city, about 25 degrees. when the ball drops, windchills in the teens. it has been colder but it will be, you know, you got to get yourself hand warmers or -- >> you're giving everybody a great excuse to get close at new year's. stay warm, stay cozy. thank you very much, bill. what a year 2014 has been in the events that changed the world and our lives. well, here's a look back. >> three, two, one! >> u.s. helicopters and navy warships are scouring the sea looking for any signs of the malaysian boeing 777 that disappeared about an hour into the flight. >> no relief in sight from the polar vortex. temperatures remained freezing in the midwest as the arctic air sweeps into the northeast and south.

>> southern discomfort across the southeast. snow brought atlanta to a virtual standstill. abandoned cars and trucks littered the highways. >> happened 60 miles north of seattle, a rain soaked hillside gave way swallowing everything in its path, enveloping homes in a thick mix of mud, trees and rock. >> relentless and powerful. a night of dangerous tornadoes following several days of deadly storms. alabama, mississippi, and louisiana were all hit hard. arkansas especially seems to have suffered. >> firefighters race against the wind that is carrying embers hopscotching between tree tops and up in swirling columns, the people here in san diego county are calling firenados. >> a jumbo jet down and destroyed in ukraine. malaysian air flight 17 a boeing 777, with 295 people reported on board. >> a night of terror in isla vista, a community of mostly

students near uc santa barbara, a rolling rampage of gunfire from a black bmw coupe that left seven dead including the shooter, seven others injured. >> the pointed questions and concerns about how and why general motors allegedly hid defects with faulty ignition switches, problems that led to at least 13 deaths and dozens of injuries turned personal, the strain was visible on gm ceo mary baur's face as lawmakers aggressively questioned her. >> the death of robin williams left his family, friends and a generation of fans across the world in shock. >> tear gas filled the air in ferguson, missouri, where hundreds of angry protesters again clashed with police as tensions continue to boil over after the death of 18-year-old michael brown. the unarmed teenager shot and killed after a confrontation with police. >> nearly three weeks after surprising many by walking into emory university hospital, sick

with ebola, dr. kent brantly is walking out. >> i'm thrilled to be alive, to be well. >> emory doctors released brantly and nancy writebol. they became infected with the virus while working to contain the ebola outbreak in west africa. >> thomas eric duncan died. at texas presbyterian hospital. for ten days he fought the ebola virus here. he arrived in the u.s. from liberia and got sick within a few days. shots rang out just before 11:00 a.m. >> we are confirming two deceased at this time. one is the shooter. >> at least four others have been taken to hospitals. >> republican leaders are celebrating. incumbent senate democrats mark warner and jeanne shaheen hung on but udall, prior and hagan lost their seats. ernst, rounds and danes took what had been democratic senate seats. >> almost in an instant it went

from fall to frigid. arctic temperatures mixed with howling winds unleashed an unprecedented snowfall in buffalo. >> and liftoff at dawn. >> orion pushed away from pad 37 and into history. >> the dawn of orion and a new era of american space exploration. >> today a staten island grand jury rendered its decision, no indictment for the new york city police officer whose officially banned choke hold was cited as a contributing factor in garner's death in july. >> chanting slogans now synonymous with the continuing movement against police violence, protesters called for changes in the way police interact with people and in the way incidents of police violence are investigated and prosecuted. >> during an nfl season that is often played out in the courtroom instead of a stadium, nfl owners unanimously approved a new sweeping league personal conduct policy. >> freed after five years in a

cuban prison, american alan gross arrived back in the u.s., part of the diplomatic deal that was secret until now. >> today america chooses to cut loose the shackles of the past. >> the u.s. will open an embassy and press for reforms to boost cuba's economy, signaling a new era after half a century. the door is now open. >> three, two, one. >> well, republican whip scalise comes clean. the former senator who heads up a pot company. and what has president obama shot on the golf course? scrambled politics is up next. but your erectile dysfunction - that could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your

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now time for the final edition of scrambled politics for 2014. from msnbc.com, steve scalise speaking at supremacist event, quote, a mistake i regret. now that the house minority whip has admitted he attended the 2002 event organized by former kkk grand wizard david duke while he was a state legislator. other republicans are backing him up. house speaker john boehner said in a statement that scalise is a man of high integrity and character, but that he made a, quote, error in judgment. a former senator and 2008 presidential candidate is now the ceo of a marijuana company. alaska democrat mike gruvel will lead kush which produces recreational and medicinal weed products. the president's popularity is creeping back up. a new gallup poll reveals as

many people approve of the job he's doing as disapprove, 48%. the last time that happened, september 2013. the president is well into his second week of vacation in hawaii and golf appears to be occupying most of his time. the president hit this approach chip shot before tapping in a gimme par putt. he revealed he shot an 84 in a previous outing that forced a wedding of two army captains to be moved. from the washington post, gao to federal workers, no taxpayers can't pay for your plastic forks. the government says utensils are for personal benefit and not a specific governmental use. so federal employees have to bring their own. pete souza is the official white house photographer and he released his year in review collection that gives a candid look into the president's life. here are a few starting with the president and chicago mayor rahm emanuel stopping to pet sunny on the white house grounds. here he is holding a koala at the g-20 summit in australia in november. this one shows a young boy at a

washington school checking the president's heartbeat. finally the commander in chief, magazine in hand, on the attack, against a fly invading the oval office. and speaking of 2014, best ofs, national journal compiled this year's best congress tweets, two of our favorites, we want to know more about this one, in november, iowa senator chuck grassley mysteriously tweeted windsor heights dairy queen is good place for you know what. and from michigan, congressman john dingell in july, staff has now informed me of what a kardashian is. i'm only left with more questions. and that is your morning dish of scrambled politics. and i'm joined now by political reporter lea munsel. good morning. >> good morning. thanks for having me. >> president obama will return from hawaii to a republican led congress. what is the best thing he can do to get this relationship off to a productive start? >> well, he's already warned

that he's going to use the veto pen more this session than he ever has in his presidency. he's only used it about twice since taking office in 2009. he already kind of is taking a fairly adversarial stand. if he wants to focus on the sorts of things that they can compromise on early, there are a couple of nominees. there are a couple of high profile nominees including defense secretary ashton carter, the nominee to take over the pentagon, that might be first on his agenda as far as pushing nominees through and working with a republican-led senate to do that. >> well, president obama is heading into the final quarter of his presidency. this is the part where the legacy building is often the focus. what is he going to be best remembered for? >> well, one of the things he mentioned in his statement on npr, looking forward at this next year, was that he wanted to protect gains that had been made on climate and on immigration. some of his recent executive actions, which have kind of been

the hallmark of the end of 2014 and now moving forward, these are the sorts of things he wants to focus on and ending the war in afghanistan, that just happened officially within the past week or so. so that was a big milestone there. and so these are the sorts of things the president is going to want to focus on as well as kind of the other issues that have been on the back burner for a while, perhaps some of the thing he wants to do with nuclear weapons, reducing the stockpile around the globe. so those might be the sort of things legacy building options that he'll want to look into. >> lea munsel, thank you for weighing in. happy new year. now time for entertainment news. according to fandango, "star wars," the force awakens, is the most anticipated film of 2015 with the superhero epic avengers age of ultron in second place. the asking price for sonny crockett's 1986 ferrari is around $1.75 million. the sweet ride from the tv

classic "miami vice" is being auctioned on ebay until january 7th. a new survey by zillo ranked the person most people want to have as their ideal neighbor, jimmy fallon. he came in top place with the couple of blake shelton and miranda lambert, they came in second. i don't know, tommy. maybe they're not here. maybe we should do something else, like sit on the floor and be really quiet. >> the voice behind the rugrats chuckie finster has passed away. christine cavanaugh, also known as the voice of babe in the 1995 film, passed away early last week at the age of 51. and american sniper set a new record for hitting the $1 million mark in only five days. while only playing in just four theaters. the clint eastwood directed film opens nationwide january 16th. what are some celebrities new year's resolutions? >> are you a new year's resolution type of person? >> i'm not a new year's resolution person, i'm a new year's evolution person.

don't fix anything, just keep evolving. >> my resolution is to learn how to speak spanish, big goal. see if i get to that. >> if i have something to change, i change it right then, i change it that day. i don't wait for new year's. if you wait for new year's, you're not going to do it. >> i'm dara brown. happy new year from all of us here at "first look." it's just ordinary fleece but the comfort it provides is immeasurable. the america red cross brings hope and help to people in need every 8 minutes every day. so this season give something that means something.

it's just ordinary fleece but the comfort it provides is immeasurable. the america red cross brings hope and help to

people in need every 8 minutes every day. so this season give something that means something. i don't give a [ bleep ] what you are in here for. we will search we will take we will leave when i want you to have. >> an alleged gang member becomes a magnet for trouble. >> you talk like we are equals. you are no. you do