right now on anna cabera reports, tight security in new york ahead of the celebrations. we take you live to times square

where the nypd has a show of force. plus, honoring the 39th, details on the multiday, multistate farewell to former president jimmy carter. also ahead, new data extrathed from the cockpit that crashed in south korea, what investigators know so far as families demand answers. later, it is like something out of a movie, wi-fi blockers, hidden identity, and bypasseded alarm systems, what the fbi knows about an international theft ring alleged to be targeting proathletes. hello, it is 10:00 eastern. i'm reporting from new york, thank you for joining us on this new year's eve. final preparations are under way for the big ball drop in the big apple. one million people are expected to pack into times square. i want to give you a live look

at the ball on top of one times square. the center piece is covered in 2700 crystals. it weighs in at a whopping 12,000 pounds. whoil there is no specific threat to tonight's celebrations, federal, state, and local officials say they remain concerned that tonight's festivities in new york city could be targeted by protesters or bad actors. let's go live to times square in manhattan and nbc news correspondent emilie ikeda. talk to us about how everyone is getting ready for tonight and why there is concern for new york city even if there is no specific threat. >> reporter: hey there, and happy new year to you. consider the fact that more than one million people are packing into a small vicinity in times square to carry out a tradition that dates back more than 100 years ago, the ball drop in times square. when it comes to the high profile events, they have traditionally been targeted by bad actors, especially when you

consider the geopolitical tensions happening right now. new york city for instance has been operating under a heightened security threat since october 7th. they have also taken into consideration as they plan their security effort recent events. earlier this month, a driver rammed his vehicle into a crowded christmas market in germany. so i sat down with the nypd's counterterrorism department to talk about how they are considering these types of things. take a listen. >> we calibrate our counterterrorism overlay based on lessons we learn from incidents, whether they happen here in the city or elsewhere around the world. >> reporter: to secure the area, the nypd deploying a sweeping security effort that includes concrete blockades and sand trucks. there are canine teams, aviation units, drones to name a few

items. the drones are monitoring the crowds in real time but they are also looking for other malicious drone activity, just one of the things they have to take into consideration at massive events like this. >> we talked about a million people packing the streets. these are people travelling from across the country and around the world. what do they need to know about tonight and how do they prepare to go the distance? people are starting to funnel into the area. >> reporter: that's right. some extreme measures some 12 hours out from the ball drop. there is rain in the forecast but for the hundreds of thousands of visitors, umbrellas are a no-go in times square along with backpacks, folding chairs, coolers and alcohol. visitors will have to go through counterterrorism checkpoints and screenings to access the region. police are encouraging the public to stay alert, calling the public part of the strongest

force multiplier in an effort to ring in the new year of course safely. >> emilie ikeda, thank you. we hope you stay safe, warm, and dry and all of that good stuff. for anyone planning to ring in the new year in times square, the good news it is not going to be too cold but the bad news is it could be wet. you can't bring an umbrella so this new year's eve could be one of the rainiest in years. meteorologist angie lassman has the details. >> hi there, ana. the all important new year's eve forecast and we have a couple of trouble spots. let's deal with the rain and snow centered in the ohio valley. this system is on the move for the next day or so. the big picture for holiday travel elsewhere, we don't have a lot going on. there is a lot of sunshine out west. if you are hitting the air or roads, it will be this region, chicago, cincinnati, pittsburgh, a couple of delays here and

there. i-97, i-70 could be wet or snowy in parts of michigan where we will see the snow working through. otherwise, the rest of the country looks pretty good. here's the system that we will close out the year with. it will eventually as the later parts of the day get on work its way into the northeast, bringing rain for folks there. we could see a couple of thunderstorms hugging the coast as well. there could be lightning associated with that. this system will be a quick mover by the time we get to the later parts of tomorrow as we kick off the new year. notice the snow showers stick around down wind of the lakes. we will have to watch for that. as far as new year's eve and times square goes, the rain will be with us. the good news is most of the heavy rain will start to taper off but we will see showers out there. the better news is temperatures are quite mild, 51 degrees. of course we have seen much chillier new year's eves in times square. so the temperatures are doable but rain gear will be necessary

for folks there. at midnight, chilly conditions for the northern plains. we will see the cool conditions and clear conditions lasting across the south and southeast. even out west, most of us are quiet. we have one storm system that we will watch start to ramp up and get going into tomorrow for the pacific northwest, parts of northern california, stretching through oregon and washington will deal with additional rain and snow. the place to be in my opinion is the south. we have widespread sunshine to kickoff 2025. we have temperatures that are mild in parts of florida, into the 70s, a good forecast there. some of the lake effect snow is going to stick around in parts of the northeast. >> we will all day dream we are in the south, thank you. this weekend, the nation will officially begin saying farewell to president jimmy carter. across country funeral services will begin in georgia on saturday with a procession to the carter family farm and his

home town of plains. next week the former president will lie in state at the u.s. capital. he is expected to be eulogized by president biden at the state funeral on january 9. nbc correspondent jesse kirsch is outside of the carter center in atlanta and we are joined by white house correspondent peter baker. jesse, walk us through the plans for president carter's funeral and the final georgia to washington journey that he took so many times. >> reporter: yes, at the carter presidential center right now, the state funeral will officially begin in the former president's home town in plains, georgia. that's where his journey in life began and where he will be put to rest. the former president's remains will be escorted by current and former members of his secret service detail. they will bring his remains to a hearse. then he will make a trip past his childhood family farm and

then he will continue onto atlanta. he will pause at the georgia state capitol where there will be a moment of silence and he will lie in repose at the carter presidential center for more than two days before travelling to washington d.c. once in washington, he will make a stop at the u.s. navy memorial, that is of course a tribute to his service in the u.s. navy before continuing on to the u.s. capitol where he will lie in state after a ceremony with members of congress. after that, there will be a national funeral service. that's where we expect president biden to eulogize his predecessor, someone he has known for decades, someone he considers a friend. we are expecting that eulogy on thursday, january 9th. that is also being declared a national day of mourning. that same day after the service, president carter will return to georgia one final time and return to plains for a private funeral service at the church where he was a sunday school teacher for so many years and something he was very well known

for in his time after the presidency. and then mourners are welcome to line the route as he travels from the church to his home in plains, georgia where he will be entered in a private ceremony and one of the last moments involved in all of this and one of the more powerful images will be a missing man flying formation by the u.s. navy, a trebute to someone who was a navy lieutenant before becoming the commander in chief. >> eight days of celebrations, honoring, and services. you touched on this jesse but what more are we learning on president biden being selected to deliver carter's eulogy? >> reporter: as president biden has boasted about, he is someone who was an early endorser of jimmy carter when he was jimmy who. and he came to be this national figure, a peanut farmer from plains, georgia and rose all the way to the highest office in the

land. over the years, the two as you can see were photographed together time and time again. we know they were last more than a year ago at the former first lady's funeral. it had been many months since they had been together but we are expecting a final farewell tribute to the 39th president. >> thank you for that reporting. peter, what are you expecting to hear during president biden's eulogy? >> i think he talked a little bit about this on sunday night when he appeared on camera in st. croix where he is on vacation. he is often dismissed as a man from a bygone era, the character traits of honesty, integrity, humility are no longer seen as invogue and he argued that is not the case. he said he doesn't think carter is not a man of a bygone era but a man of all times. it is a vel relevant time to

talk about that given the transition to a new president who seems to be the antithesis of everything carter was. he lost in a land slide and his political skills were not up to the moment but most of the people talking about him these days are recalling his character and decency. in the incoming president-elect trump, we have a president who has been convicted of crimes and found liable of sexual abuse and business fraud and in fact believes in divisive politics. i think that you are hearing in biden a sort of subtle, not overt but very clear comparison of the tenor of today's politics and an urge that america think about what carter represented and what he tells us about how our country should conduct its national affairs today. >> also really interesting that your reporting that we will hear a pair of posthumous eulogies

from gerald ford and walter mondale. their eulogies will be read by their sons. tell us about those plans and how they came together. >> i think that certainly walter mondale who was younger than jimmy carter expected to outlive him. so he had written a eulogy for the day he thought he would deliver it but he passed away three years ago. but he left behind what he wrote and his son is going to read it at the service. we have it on our website at "the new york times". and gerald ford who was the man that jimmy carter beat in 1976, a bitter campaign and yet the two became close friends after leaving office, reconciled their political difference and found they had more in common than thought. so much so that when gerald ford died, he asked jimmy carter to deliver a eulogy at his services which carter did graciously. ford too left behind for his son

to read a eulogy for jimmy carter. it will be an evocative moment for those sons to read those words on thursday. >> i will be curious to read their thoughts and how they saw the man and the political atmosphere and environment, what they can offer to us today as far as that goes. and the presidents themselves take part in planning their own funerals, partly because they are huge logistical efforts which may sound grim but ex-presidents often make light of it. carter objected to initial plans that called for him to be transported back to georgia by train. he told a staffer, quote, if you take my cold dead body across the u.s. by train, i'll haunt you until the day you die. peter, what do you think the plans for carter's funeral say about how he wants to be remembered? >> yeah, it's interesting. one of the things that is fascinating about this is that it is a very pomp filled, very

elaborate set of services and remembrances for a very humble man. he was not the person to stand on ceremony. when he took office, he broke tradition by getting out of the limousine on the inaugural route to walk to the white house to show his humility. he didn't want hail to the chief played when he entered the room. he sold the presidential yacht and carried his own luggage onto air force one. he wanted to show a genuine traet which is the idea of humility and humility of the office, to deconstruct the imperial presidency. i think to some extent, he went too far. he did say it was okay to have hail the chief played. there was an idea that it diminished the majesty of the office and there was something important about these rituals and something important about these traditions that we hold to the office. so he clearly decided and it had to be a conscious decision to go

along with some of the elaborate rituals held at a moment of presidential passing even though it doesn't fit the narrative. he went back to plains, georgia to live in the small ranch house that he built in 1961. it is only worth about $200,000 today. think about that. it was not a fapsy mansion. he was someone who not only talked the talk but walked the walk. and yet he will have an elaborate funeral arrangement. i think that was a concession to the majesty of the office. >> as you mentioned, plains, georgia, he has a small town heart. that town only has hundreds of people total. and that's where he chose to live out his days. peter baker, thank you very much. appreciate your wisdom and reporting in all of this. overseas this morning, u.s. investigators are in south korea. just ahead, new details into one of the deadliest plane crashes

in south korean history. plus, donald trump backs mike johnson for speaker but will republicans fall in line before they vote on friday? and happy new year, almost. counting down the hours until 2025 with a look back at all of the stories that defined the last 12 months. we're back in 90 seconds. 12 mos wee 'rback in 90 seconds narto give a year-end giftout like no other, a gift that can help st. jude children's research hospital save lives. woman: cancer doesn't care how old you are, and it's devastatingly scary. if you're donating to st. jude, you're supporting finding a cure, because the fight never stops. narrator: every gift counts, and whatever you can give will make a difference for children like gideon. make your donation today to help st. jude save lives.

here's to getting better with age. here's to beating these two every thursday. help fuel today with boost high protein, complete nutrition you need, and the flavor you love. so, here's to now... now available: boost max! dexcom g7 sends your glucose numbers to your phone and watch, so you can always see where you're heading without fingersticks. dexcom g7 is the most accurate cgm, so you can manage your diabetes with confidence. ♪♪ we are back with breaking news out of puerto rico where

90% of the island has been hit by a major power outage on new year's eve. right now more than 1.2 million people there are without power according to energy company looma. we just got this video showing the main power plant there in san juan earlier this morning. the energy company saying the cause is still under investigation but the preliminary findings point to an issue with an underground power line. the company says it could take up to 48 hours for power to be fully restored. it comes as puerto rico has been struggling with an energy crisis and constant blackouts. this summer there were mass protests over blackouts and there was an emergency declaration in san juan. we will stay on top of this and bring you more information as we get it. today officials in south korea confirmed data is now being extracted from the cockpit voice recorder as investigators work to understand what led to one of south korea's deadliest

air disasters. remarkably, two flight attendants who were in the back of the aircraft survived the crash and continue to recover today. joining us live from south korea is nbc's steve patterson. what is the latest on the investigation into what and how this all happening? >> reporter: the gruelling heartbreaking primary operation to this point is almost wrapped up, the identification of the dead since sunday has been going on. most of the family members have been identified, putting more focus s on the investigation, ntsb, americans on the ground assisting with the investigation. today u.s. investigators at the scene of one of south korea's worst air disasters. the country in mourning, grieving families refusing to leave one international airport desperate for answers on why

their loved ones are gone. days ago, a boeing 737 800 skidded down a runway and erupted into flames as it collided with a wall, killing 179 passengers and crew. two flight attendants at the back of the plane the only survivors, one reportedly blacking out asking doctors what happened and why am i here? there are new reports of a second jeju aircraft turning back after takeoff on monday due to reports of an issue with its landing gear. authorities now promising an investigation into the aircraft model with more than 100 operating in the country. the airport now filled with emergency tents. families waiting for the return of loved ones' remains. >> people do not want to leave the family members. this is part of the agonizing identification process that could take the next few days, weeks, months. >> reporter: we spoke to lee su who lost his uncle in the crash. he thinks the government should

be working faster to identify bodies and provide families with more information. officials say only five victims have yet to be officially identified. experts are looking to the plane's black boxes for answers. they will be transferred to a testing sent orn friday and checked to see if analysis will be possible. for many families, the agonizing wait will continue. >> reporter: meanwhile, the ceo of jeju air taking full responsible for what happened including awarding compensation to the families of the victims. back to you. >> steefsh patterson, thank you for that report from south korea. up next, a major incident at the u.s. treasury. computers hacked, who investigators suspect is behind it. plus, will donald trump's backing be enough? why mike johnson's reelection as speaker is still not a done deal. r is still not a don alde have you always had trouble with your weight? same.

discover the power of wegovy®. with wegovy®, i lost 35 pounds. and some lost over 46 pounds. and i'm keeping the weight off. i'm reducing my risk. wegovy® is the only weight-management medicine proven to reduce risk of major cardiovascular events such as death, heart attack, or stroke in adults with known heart disease and obesity. don't use wegovy® with semaglutide or glp-1 medicines, or in children under 12. don't take if you or your family had mtc, men 2, or if allergic to it. tell your provider if you plan to have surgery or a procedure, are breastfeeding, pregnant, or plan to be. stop taking and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or any of these allergic reactions. serious side effects may include pancreas inflammation and gallbladder problems. call your prescriber if you have any of these symptoms. wegovy® may cause low blood sugar in people with diabetes, especially if you take medicines to treat diabetes. call your prescriber about vision changes, if you feel your heart racing while at rest,

or if you have mental changes. depression or thoughts of suicide may occur. common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, flu, or upset, headache, feeling tired, dizzy, or bloated, gas, and heartburn. some side effects lead to dehydration, which may cause kidney problems. with wegovy®, i'm losing weight, i'm keeping it off, and i'm lowering my cv risk. ask your prescriber about wegovy®.

there is new concern in washington about data security as we are learning about what the treasury department is calling a major incident by chinese hackers. in a letter to senate banking leaders, the department says a chinese threat actor was able to access the work station of its employees. china denies the allegations. let's get more from business and data correspondent brian cheung who is joining us with more details.

what information were these hackers able to get their hands on? >> a major incident is how the treasury is describing this. the treasury cold congress that there were documents potentially accessed by chinese state sponsored hackers. not necessarily classified documents but very concerning and the natural question is how did this happen. the treasury department says it was done by a hacker through a third party company that the u.s. treasury was using through their work stations to get tech support. so like any company does, you have a company that you outsource to if you have trouble with computers. so it appears to be this company was beyond trust that appeared to be the issue. the hackers were able to break into that company and then get the keys to break into treasury work stations to access unclassified documents. we don't know exactly what documents were accessed but the treasury is no longer using the

service and the threat is no longer present but a lot of questions swirling over how this happened. the treasury will have to report in 30 days with details over what happened here. we will see if there are other agencies in this investigation on whether or not t we find out more on how this happened and how to prevent it going forward. >> thank you for bringing us the latest information. we are weeks away from donald trump's second term and second inauguration. in just days from a critical speakership vote in the house. despite an endorsement from this time yesterday from president-elect trump, the threat to mike johnson's gavel is still very real ahead of the vote. here's speaker johnson on fox last night reacting to the endorsement and sending a message to fellow republicans. >> i'm really humbled and honored to have president trump's endorsement for speaker again. he and i worked well so well together and closely together. we have a lot of big things to do. he recognizes that what we need and i think my colleagues

recognize this as well is a proven fighter and a true maga conservative. but also someone who can work with every single member of our very diverse house gop so that we get president trump's priorities over the line. >> gabe gutierrez is joining us from florida near mar-a-lago. also with us is david druker, writer at the dispatch. what made trump throw his weight behind johnson now and is he willing together further, go to bat for the speaker beyond the social media endorsement? >> good morning. the reason for the timing is the clock is ticking at this point. you mentioned that the speakership vote is on friday. that leaves just several days for the republican conference to kind of decide on a speaker. there has been much speculation that mike johnson didn't have the votes. thomas massey came out and said he will not vote for house speaker mike johnson. so donald trump is trying to hold the gop together at this

point, giving johnson his complete and total endorsement. the stakes are high here. as you mentioned, house majority -- mike johnson will be necessary, a speaker will be necessary to enact parts of president trump's agenda. and also the stakes are incredibly high because a few days after the speakership vote, there will be the certification of the election on january 6th. so still a lot of remaining questions on whether that trump endorsement will be enough to put mike johnson over the finish line. >> gabe gutierrez, thanks. >> david, even with trump's endorsement, he has to win over fellow republicans. thomas massie and then victoria sparks has signalled they are both holding out. what are the sticking points for johnson within his own party? >> look, house republicans always have a hard time

governing and sort of unifying amongst themselves. the issue is that the speaker has a thin majority. it is a couple of seats, three, four, at best, depending on who is sworn in on friday. and of course, he is due to lose members of the trump cabinet at some point. i tend to think that he ends up getting the votend if the house can't hgling or the speaker, everything trump wants to do in his term gets delayed. that's why he endorsed mike johnson even if he may like someone else because johnson is in the best position to get the votes because everyone knows what happens when you can't come together and because he really wants to get a head start. the president-elect is not inaugurated until january 20. but the new congress gets together on friday of this week

and they can get started immediately. >> friday is when the speaker vote happens. when you talk about not getting things done, we already witnessed that to some degree when the majority was not on the same page. you highlighted it with the recent funding fight that may be a preview of what is to come with the funding fight. trump didn't get his way on everything he wanted. how much will is there mong among republicans to push back against a soon to be president trump? >> i think the fight over the debt ceiling was quick and didn't last long. that was indicative. when the president-elect wanted that deal that was pain stakingly negotiated with republicans and democrats in poekt houses of congress, republicans just junked. so the president-elect has quite a bit of pull. but when he wanted a clean debt

ceiling increase, you get 143 republicanses to go along with that many of whom would not do that in the past, on the other hand you had about 40 that said no. and these are republicans that are aligned with the president-elect. these are not a bunch of moderates. these are people on trump's team most of the time. i think it shows when he wants them to do certain things that go beyond the scope of what they believe in, they are willing to push back and so i think the president-elect needs to be choosy with his primary threats because he doesn't want it to be watered down and ineffective. he probably has more chance of that working in the united states senate where you have a lot of republicans up for reelection in red states. they will win as long as they get the nomination. but it is easier to train the allies on a senate race than a

bunch of primaries. >> we will be watching for sure thank you. the fbi is now issuing a warning after a string of pro athlete burg laerz. and saying goodbye to 2024 with just hours left until we ring in the new year. w ring in the new year i had three kids at the time and single mother. i was working 60 hours a week, still couldn't pay the bills. skipped meals so that they could eat. it's been hard because one thing falls into place, ten things fall out of place. you know, i just can't do this alone and make it work. one in five children face hunger in america, and food costs are rising, but everyone needs nourishing food to thrive. and they can when we work together so our neighbors can feed their families. call or go online right now to join feeding america

with your gift of just $19 a month, only $0.63 a day. together thanks to a nationwide network of food banks, dedicated volunteers and the monthly support of people like you. we can fill plates with nutritious food for families across america. one day, my mother came over to my house and said, there's a meeting at the pantry. i said, okay and i went. there were some ladies in there. they were from the food bank. they had several questions. some of those were about me and my story. but it helped me to open up a little bit. we are getting closer to the day when no one in america faces hunger. but we can't do it without you. call or go online now. visit helpfeedingamerica.org and give $19 a month. just $0.63 a day. 98% of donations go directly to help millions of people facing hunger from coast to coast and in your own community.

and when you give by credit card, we'll send you this exclusive canvas grocery bag to show you are a part of a movement of supporters working together to help end hunger. i have people that i can trust. i have, i have hope. please call now or make your monthly donation at helpfeedingamerica.org. and your gift can double in impact.

this morning, a new warning from the fbi for sports leagues and pro athletes following a string of brazen home burglaries. there are even more than previously known. at least seven athletes have been targeted since september along with one athlete's mom and a coach. kaylee hartung has more on the warning and what investigators have uncovered. >> the fbi issuing a warning to all professional sports leagues, letting them know that it is from targeting their players. athletes on alert after a stripg of high profile burglaries. the fbi writing in a memo that the crimes are likely driven by south american theft groups that conduct surveillance and security measures of pro

players. the homes of multiple nba and nfl stars, including patrick mahomes and travis kelce have been hit over the last few months. dallas mavericks superstar luka doncic appears to be the latest victim. thieves broke into the nba guard's home while his team played in phoenix on friday. the home now has several boarded hup windows and security cameras in place. the police responded to a burglary call on the block where he lives. according to a lease police report, the thieves snatched 30,000 worth of jewelry. the south american group goes after athletes that have high value personatsnd cash. it comes after the heels of a

break-in to the home of joe burrow. burrow was on the road for a game in dallas when it happened. thieves also hit the home of milwaukee bucks forward bob portous last month. and the homes of patrick mahomes and travis kelce were broken into within hours of each other. the fbi memo shares guidance warning players not to post high value items on social media. pro athletes are very susceptible targets because their schedules are public. back to you. >> the plot is thickening, thank you so much. up next, goodbye 2024, a look back at the stories that defined the year. [music playing] speaker 1: time is running out to give a year-end gift like no other, a gift that can help st. jude children's research hospital save lives.

speaker 2: these kids, they've done nothing wrong in the world, and they end up having to go through all of this to survive. speaker 3: is your throat sore? speaker 2: your donation, it means everything. speaker 1: please don't wait until the last minute. make a difference by supporting the children of st. jude. please, donate now. psoriatic arthritis symptoms can be unpredictable. one day, your joints hurt. next, it's on your skin. i got cosentyx. feels good to move. feel less joint pain, swelling and tenderness, back pain, and clearer skin, and help stop further joint damage with cosentyx. don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx. before starting, get checked for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections, and lowered ability to fight them may occur, like tuberculosis or other serious bacterial, fungal, or viral infections. some were fatal. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms like fevers, sweats, chills, muscle aches or cough, had a vaccine or plan to, or if inflammatory bowel disease symptoms develop or worsen. serious allergic reactions and severe eczema-like skin reactions may occur.

♪♪ ask your rheumatologist about cosentyx. (vo) these days, the dollar just doesn't go as far. shrimpin' baby! ♪♪ it's shrimp your way. choose 2 or 3 flavors starting at just $16.99. like garlic shrimp scampi. get your shrimp on today, only at red lobster. right now across the u.s., people are trying to ban books from public schools and public libraries. yes, libraries. we all have a first amendment right to read and learn different viewpoints. that's why every book belongs on the shelf. yet book banning in the u.s. is worse than i've ever seen. it's people in power who want to control everything. well, i say no to censorship. and i say yes to freedom of speech and expression. if you do too, please join us in supporting the american civil liberties union today.

for over 100 years, the aclu has fought for your rights and mine. including the right to read all manner of books. so please call or go online to myaclu.org. for just $19 a month, only $0.63 a day. you can become a guardian of liberty and help protect all the rights promised to us by the u.s. constitution. make no mistake, this move to ban books is a coordinated attack on students right to learn. this is a clear violation of free speech. that's why the aclu is working to fight against censorship in all its forms. it is so important now more than ever. so please call or go to myaclu.org and become an aclu guardian of liberty, for just $19 a month. use your credit card and you'll get this special we the people t-shirt and more to show you're helping to protect the rights

of all people. the aclu is in all 50 states, d.c. and puerto rico defending our first amendment right of free speech and all of your constitutional rights. because we the people, means all of us. so please, call or, go online to myaclu.org today.

welcome back. to call 2024 historic doesn't really begin to cover it. assassination attempts on a presidential candidate, the sitting pd's late decision to drop out of the race. record breaking weather, giant leaps in space exploration, olympic games that had the world cheering. as we get ready to close the chapter on 2024, joe fryer has a look back at the year that was.

>> reporter: when 2024 began, america was bracing for an election encore, a 2020 rematch pitting the 46th president against the 45th but this was a year that defied predictability, one that began with a gaping hole in a plane and ended with empty seats in the next administration as embattled cabinet pigs lobby for votes. in between, a music mogul was jailed, russian prisoners were freed, war raged in the middle east. the royal family fought a different battle, cancer, twice. in short it was a year when the olympics spirit united us as politics divided us. the road tothe white house taking sharp detours following an unchartered path. it started with the race for the republican nomination. donald trump skipped every debate yet vaulted over the competition. quickly swatting away his challengers. >> the time has now come to

suspend my campaign. >> reporter: trump won on the ballot but not in the courtroom. >> count one, guilty, count two, guilty. >> reporter: he was convicted in may on all 34 counts in his new york hush money trial though it did not slow him down. >> this was a rigged disgraceful trial. >> reporter: in june, then former president trump and president biden went face to face, first debate of the campaign and what turned out to be his last. >> dealing with everything we had to do with -- look, we finally beat medicare. >> reporter: the president's halting performance led to calls for him to step aside, calls he initially resisted. all of it leading to july, a month rocked pie political earthquakes, a campaign rally. >> there has been an incident at donald trump's pennsylvania rally. >> reporter: where a bullet grazed trump's ear. he narrowly escaped the

assassination attempt, a spectator was killed. five days later, a bandaged trump took the stage at the republican national convention, officially accepting his party's nomination. >> i felt very safe because i had god on my side. >> reporter: the political tremors had barely subsided when three days later, the election's landscape completely changed. >> i love my country more. >> reporter: biden dropped out, endorsing his vice president kamala harris who instantly ascended to the top of the ticket. >> but america, we are not going back. we are not going knack. >> reporter: the race now recharged, harris rode a wave of momentum into her debate with trump. >> trump was fired by 81 million people. let's be clear about that. >> reporter: all of it comeadic

fire for saturday night live. >> they are eating the pets. >> what do we say? keep kamala and carry on ala. >> reporter: and a nation was exhausted by inflation sent a former president back to the white house. >> this was the greatest political movement of all time. >> reporter: a decisive win followed by a contentious transition, several controversial cabinet picks set to fight for confirmation in the new year. overseas another transition is underway after rebels toppled the assad regime in syria. just the latest shakeup in the middle east as israel exchanged air strikes with iran, battered hezbollah in lebanon and continued to bombard gaza. >> my country is at war. >> reporter: a number of hostages were killed including

american hersh goldberg poll ln. the war sparked protests at college campuses around america with some commencement ceremonies canceled. the war between ukraine and russia continueded to grind on entering its third year with no signs of a cease fire in sight but russia agreed to a major prisoner swap with the u.s. and other western nations. wall street journal celebrated the release of evan gershkovich. >> evan, how are you feeling? >> i'm all right. >> reporter: also freed was veteran paul whelan. >> just recoop rotting from five years, seven months, and five days of nonsense by the russian government. >> reporter: turbulence for boeing started in january when a door plug on a plane flew off

mid flight. the response, boeing promised design changes. >> everyone saw the opening, but what i really saw was the empty seat and i spent a week with my kids and grand kids, enough said. >> reporter: two astronauts aboard boeing's new star liner were supposed to spend a woke at the international space station. because of tech problems, they have been there for six months. they hope to return in march. >> it wasn't what we expected but we were prepared. >> reporter: millions lookeded to space as a solar eclipse cast a long shadow across the country. >> we are in a sea of strangers, united by this moment. >> reporter: on the water, a cargo ship slammed into the francis scott key bridge. it collapsed killing six men working on the span. >> we can still hear the screaming and shooting.

>> reporter: gun violence devastated a high school in georgia where a gunman killed two students and two teachers. a 14-year-old boy confessed to the murders and pleaded not guilty, so did his father who is also charged according to two law enforcement sources, he gifted an assault rifle to his son. those charges came after a historic case in michigan. >> we find the defendant guilty of involuntary manslaughter. >> reporter: james and jennifer crumbley were the first parents held criminally responsible for a mass shooting committed by their child. the attack happened in 2021. the crumbrys are appealing. the ceo of you knowited healthcare was gunned down in manhattan in a targeted attack. police arrested the suspect, a 26-year-old ivy league grad at an mcdonald's in pennsylvania. he has pleaded not guilty. an active hurricane season was headlined by helene, the

category 4 storm roared ashore on florida's gulf coast, then moved north where historic flood waters washed away mountain towns in north carolina and tennessee. >> a lot of people lost their lives, everything they owned, their homes, everything. >> reporter: less than two weeks later, another hit with hurricane milton as communities are promising to rebuild. much like paris' notre dame theerld, a landmark revealed from the ashes after a fire engulfed centuries of history. britain's royal family faced incredible health hardships this year. king charles announced he was diagnosed with cancer and a month later princess kate shared her own diagnosis. this came as a huge shock. >> reporter: she slowly resumed had duties after team therapy. john diddy combs was charged

with sex trafficking, racketeering and more,. as for the cases against president-elect trump, the federal election interference case and the florida classified documents case were dismissed. the president's son hunter biden got a pardon from his dad after he was convicted on federal gun charges and pleaded guilty to tax crimes. that pardon grew bipartisan criticism. a ban on tiktok garnered bipartisan support but users of the app are furious. >> save tiktok. for taylor swift, it was the end of this era. she rapped up her record breaking tour as a new generation of female artists emerged like sabrina carpenter and shapal rose.

and charlie gave us brat summer, paving the way for a wicked witch named elphaba. >> reporter: simone biles became the most decorated u.s. gymnast in olympic history and a new hero rode in on a horse, a pommel horse, steven nedoroscik won a medal for the team. and we were also talking about basketball, specifically caitlin clark who became the ncaa's alltime leading scorer. she was the number one draft pick in the wnba draft leading a surge in popularity in women's sports, a hard court hero blazing an inspiring trail that is leading us right into 2025. joe fryer, new york. >> whew, what a year. our thanks to joe fryer for that wrap up. still to come on an all new hour of msnbc, celebrations around

the world as people bring in the new year. it is already begun. we will take you live to times square where law enforcement remains concerned about security. later the cdceshuing a dire warning about the norovirus. nearly 100 cases reported across the country, what health officials say is behind this recent surge. we are back in a moment. don't go anywhere. here's to getting better with age. here's to beating these two every thursday. help fuel today with boost high protein, complete nutrition you need, and the flavor you love. so, here's to now... now available: boost max!

get a great deal on the vehicles that winter is no match for during the jeep wrap up the year sales event. shred snow in the most capable wrangler ever. spread thrills with our most affordable suv. or winter your way in the most awarded suv ever. hurry in now for an additional $500 holiday bonus cash at the jeep wrap up the year sales event. right now, during the jeep wrap up the year sales event, get $7,500 total bonus cash allowance on 2024 jeep grand cherokee overland and summit models. see your local jeep brand dealer today. here's to getting better with age. here's to beating these two every thursday. help fuel today with boost high protein, complete nutrition you need, and the flavor you love. so, here's to now... now available: boost max!

msnbc, the countdown is on. >> happy new year. it is already 2025

z's bakery is looking to add a pizza oven, arissa's hair salon wants to expand their space, and steve's t-shirt shop wants to bring on more help. with the comcast business 5-year price lock guarantee, they can think more about possibilities for their business and not the cost of their internet. it's five years of gig-speeds and advanced security. all from the company with 99.9% network reliability. get the 5-year price lock guarantee, now back for a limited time. powering five years of savings. powering possibilities™. really

fecal oral route it's don't wash your hands, but if you're sharing, try not to share food, communal food with those outside your family, as shaquille mentioned in the report, not sharing utensils is another way to protect yourself as well. >> with big gatherings comes the adding risk of catching covid or the flu or rsv. what is the latest on the other viruses? how bad is it this year? >> thankfully we're not seeing as high a rate of a hospitalization and death because we have gotten a built-up immunity and people have been taking the covid-19 vaccines. particularly if you're yo vulnerable or you have someone in your family, everyone over the age of 6 months should be taking a flu and covid vaccine. there's still time, the flu season is little delayed but the cases are ramping up so you should take it now to be protected for the rest of the season. for rsv, if you're over 75 or

medically vulnerable between 60 to 75, you should have gotten a dose last year. if you got one last year, you don't need to repeat it this year. >> as far as the flu and covid vaccine, is it safe to get them at the exact time and is the latest vaccine up to date in terms of the most recent strain? >> yeah, good question. you can take the flu and covid vaccines together, no problem. and the current booster, the current version of the covid vaccine was formulated last spring but it still gives a lot giof coverage for the strain that's been circulating at the highest rate this fall. so still worth it. i would take it because it keeps you from getting more severe disease, and you won't potentially end up in the hospital. >> doctor, thank you so much and happy new year to you. turning now to hollywood, where after eight years of legal back and forth, brad pitt and angelina jolie have reached a settlement on their divorce. chloe melas has more.

chloe. >> reporter: hey there. jolie's team confirming that the divorce settlement was signed and filed on monday and the actress is, quote, relieved this one part is over. this morning, breaking news in the legal battle between two ofn hollywood's biggest stars. brad pitt and angelina jolie finally reaching a divorce settlement after eight years. jolie's team confirming with nbc news that the settlement was signed and filed on monday. the actress's lawyer saying she and the children left all of the properties they efhad shared wi mr. pitt. adding, angelina is exhausted but she's releesked this one part is over.pa pitt's team has declined to make a comment on the matter. the couple who share six children have been locked in a contentious back and forth since their public breakup, which followed an equally high profile relationship. once hollywood's most famous hcouple with the nickname

brangelina, and heating up the silver anscreen. the pair together for almost a decade ogbefore tying the knot 2014. but two years later, jolie filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. they were declared single by a judge in 2019.e pitt filed a new lawsuit in 2022, accusing jolie of intentionally harming him and their once shared french winery business. jolie later filing a cross r complaint, alleging pitt subjected the family to verbal and thphysical abuse, including allegedly choking one of their children on a trans-atlantic flight in 2016. no criminal charges were ever filed against pitt. his attorney stating at the time, brad has owned everything he's responsible for, but he's not going to own anything he didn't do. now, the two stars out with new movies this year. >> who are you? >> i'm here to take care of your problem. >> reporter: and looking for a wrap on a bitter chapter. this divorce agreement will not affect that 2022 winery lawsuit

which is still ongoing and expected to head to trial in 2025. back to you. >> thank you.yo up next, the number one political story on our radar for 2025. and it's not all about donald trump. >> and a live look at times square this morning, where just hours away now from kickoff to ring in the 2025. did you know it's going to take 26 hours for the entire world to welcome in the new year? the island nation of care abas was the first. hawaii and samoa will be among the last ones to celebrate the new year. we'll be right back. new year we'll be right back. in people . arexvy does not protect everyone and is not for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients. those with weakened immune systems may have a lower response to the vaccine. the most common side effects are injection site pain, fatigue, muscle pain, headache and joint pain. arexvy is number one in rsv vaccine shots. rsv? make it arexvy.

on medicare? living with diabetes? progress is having your coffee like you like it. the freestyle libre 3 plus sensor is covered by medicare for more people managing diabetes with insulin. this is progress. ask your doctor today. ♪♪

in the nation's capital, security preparations are under way ahead of major events coming up in d.c. you can see in this video law enforcement has put up fencing ahead of next week's electoral certification of donald trump's win. also, president carter's upcoming funeral and then later, of course, donald trump's second inauguration. let's take a little bit of a closer look now at the top political story lines we could see in 2025. former democrat, congressman donna edwards of maryland is with us, and republican strategist rick tyler. happy new year's eve to both of you. first, on the speakers fight, trump has already endorsed mike johnson, but some gop lawmakers are holding out from throwing their support behind him. here's what we have heard from

johnson about that last night. >> i think that those members and all of them want to be a part of these solutions. they made big promises to their constituents in this campaign cycle and we have to deliver upon them now. it's the media and the left that wants to divide us and distract us. we can't fall into that trap. we have to stay united. >> your reaction to that, that response, and how do you think johnson will manage such a small majority in the house? >> well, look, i think that the chaos of the end of the last congress is just the beginning of the chaos that's going to dominate the upcoming congress. look, the fact is that republicans go in with a very small majority. it's really tough to keep those numbers intact. and even if mike johnson ends up winning the speakership, which i expect that he will, whether it's a first or second ballot, that it's going to be a very

short and chaotic term for him should he last even the first quarter. >> do you agree, rick? >> yeah, i think that's right. donna would know better than i do. the speaker has to lead both his caucus and the entire house of representatives. he's going to present a vision, and when you have razor thin majorities it's not the time to be moving large-scale legislation. you need a political movement to do that. they don't have that. the congress, this congress, did not receive a political mandate so there is no mandate to move large pieces of legislation. and when you have a razor thin majority, you will have to work with democrats and that's -- that takes leadership. if a few members want to sabotage that, that's only going to be to the detriment of their own party. >> let's look at the other chamber. nearly two decades since republican leaders didn't have mitch mcconnell at the helm.

they're going to have a new leader, senator john thune is set to take over. how do you see his leadership style differing from mcconnell's, rick? >> well, he's younger, he's in his 60s. he's not in his 80s. i think he may be more conciliatory. i think he may be more concerned with the republican party brand overall and how people perceive it than mitch mcconnell was. i think mitch mcconnell's term as leader will really be determined by his successor, john thune. that is, does mitch mcconnell's mastery of the senate, and he used it both to promote legislation and block legislation and did that very well with his judicial appointments as well. is that the way that the senate is best ruled? we'll find out, whether john thune adopts that style or he adopts a different style. i think that will reveal whether mitch mcconnell was a good leader in the senate or not.

>> and congresswoman, how do you see this change with thune impacting how the senate works, with the house, and with democrats in particular? >> well, it's still going to be a very thin majority on the senate side. and it means that to move anything major in the senate and to get to a point where you can actually put something on the floor for a vote, it's going to require the cooperation of at least a handful of democrats to get to that 60-vote threshold. i do think that thune is, you know, will demonstrate that he's probably willing to work more with some democrats in order to achieve those goals. and look, the first big test for john thune is going to be whether or how some of these controversial nominees are able to move through the confirmation process for donald trump. and we have already seen that thune has indicated that he's going to go with his caucus. he's going to read his caucus,

and he's not so much going to keep his eye on what donald trump wants, even if that may be the end result. >> he wasn't exactly the first choice of much of the maga world, we know that was senator scott. on the democratic side, our colleague sahil kapur reports there are early indications democrats want to deal with trump differently than they did in his first term. fewer freakouts about his social media posts and culture taunts. more focus on the economic issues that caused voters to swing against them. how do you see it? >> well, i think democrats are going to have to be even more disciplined. they're going to have to pick their fights and make sure they win those fights. i expect that there's going to be a fair amount of solid unity among democrats, even if there are some differences within the caucus. the major problems that they're going to have with trump and the trump administration, the republican conference, they will

not see those kind of differences. i expect that they're going to be largely united and very focused. and they'll pick their battles. >> rick, trump and his allies, we know, thrive off of outrage from democrats over his taunts and his rhetoric. if democrats can have restraint and if they focused on the kitchen table issues, what does that mean for trump and his administration? >> well, look. potentially in 2025, the democrats could dominate the big story. that is their reaction to trump. if they run around reacting to everything donald trump sa what they need to do is lay out their own vision. i think they have lost a great deal of their supporters, particularly the working class. what they can do is putting the working class first. as opposed to what donald trump does, and the democratic party in the last cycle came across as too elitist, too katering to the elite, and missed so many voters.

i think actually, donna edwards, my friend, knows this issue. we had long conversations about this. particularly economic issues, of how the middle class wasn't hearing the message that the democrats cared about them enough. and i think there's a lot of work to be done and could be done instead of reacting to donald trump all the time, proclaim your own vision and then get people a real choice between the governing parties that they really want. >> thank you both so much for the look ahead. i am loving the last of those holiday decorations. it's both beautiful in each of your homes, and where you're at this holiday season. thank you so much for being here. see you in the new year. up next -- happy new year. up next, we want to have a poignant look at some of the legends we lost this year. and what they left behind. >> people come up to me on a plane. they say thank you for all the laughter. and i say, it was my pleasure. w.

some of us go for the dramatic. how didn't i know wayfair had vanities in tile? [ gasps ] this. yeah. wow! do you have any ottomans without legs. shaun, you'll flip for the poof cart. in the wayborhood, there's a place for all of us. ♪ wayfair. every style. every home. ♪

here's to getting better with age. here's to beating these two every thursday. help fuel today with boost high protein, complete nutrition you need, and the flavor you love. so, here's to now... now available: boost max!

welcome back. as 2024 comes to a close, we want to take a moment to remember some of the remarkable individuals we lost this year. we leave you today with a tribute to their memory. >> when you love something that much, there's nothing you won't do to learn everything there is about it.

>> each time is really kind of like the first time. completely different audience. completely different piece. you have a job to do. >> people come up to me on a plane. they say thank you for all the laughter. and i say, it was my pleasure. >> i needed to express myself, and that's the very same reason i do anything. >> and then when they see the

exercising and they see the sincerity and the love, even people who had never seen anybody like me before on television go okay, i like him. >> i do believe when people are happily engaged in something, they will always find the time for romance. >> the only thing you owe yourself or the world is during this time who you are and what you're doing. >> we can choose to alleviate suffering. we can choose to work together for peace. we can make these changes. and we must. ♪ whether your phone's broken or old, we've got you.

with verizon, anyone can trade in any phone, any condition. it's your last chance to get iphone 16 pro with apple intelligence, on us. and, ipad and apple watch series 10. all three on us. that's up to $2,000 in value. only on verizon. [music playing] speaker 1: time is running out to give a year-end gift like no other, a gift that can help st. jude children's research hospital save lives. speaker 2: these kids, they've done nothing wrong in the world, and they end up having to go through all of this to survive. speaker 3: is your throat sore? speaker 2: your donation, it means everything. speaker 1: please don't wait until the last minute. make a difference by supporting the children of st. jude. please, donate now.

catering.

jen b asks, "how can i get fast download speeds while out and about?" jen, we've engineered xfinity mobile with wifi speeds up to a gig, so you can download and do much more all at once. it's an idea that's quite attractive. or... another word... -fashionable? i was gonna say- "popular! you're gonna be pop-uuuu-larrr!" can you do defying gravity?! yeah, get my harness. buy one line of unlimited, get one free for a year with xfinity mobile. and see “wicked,” in theaters now.