this morning on "world news now," las vegas showdown. >> the republicans debate about terrorism, foreign policy, and donald trump's plan to ban muslims from the protests to the surprises. we have extensive coverage live from las vegas. threatening schools. similar e-mails, threats sent to the biggest districts in the country. why some schools were shut down and others stayed open. >> travel trends. the surprises in the air and on the roads for americans vaik vacationing over christmas and new year's. what makes this month different from the last. >> and later, richard nye both just saw "star wars: the force awakens." we're sharing our views after guesting a sneak peek just hours ago. it's wednesday december 16th. >> announcer: from abc news this

is "world news now." hey, everyone. good morning on this busy wednesday. i'm reena ninan. >> good morning to you. i'm richard bacon. let's just say that one of us didn't see all of "star wars" tonight tonight. >> there's a reason. >> a great reason. details to come. you're looking for a plot twist, we've got one. and let's get started with last night's republican presidential face-off. nine candidates took the stage in las vegas. >> their answers and attacks on each other reflecting the nation's concerns about terrorism and security. we begin with abc's brandi hitt who's in las vegas this morning. brandi, good morning. >> good morning. good morning, richard and reena. it's hard saying both of your names together back to back now thur on set together. what a night here in las vegas. they talked about terrorism, protecting the homeland and battling isis. really critical issues that dominated last night's republican debate. and as you mentioned, man, was it entertaining because several of these candidates didn't pull

any punches. >> dobld is great at the one-liners. but he's a chaos candidate. and he'd be a chaos president. >> reporter: in their fifth face-off it was a no holds bards battle over national security with konld trump's plan to ban muslims from entering the u.s. front and center. >> we're not talking about religion. we're talking about security. our country is out of control. >> if we're going to ban all muslims how are we going to get them to be part of a coalition to destroy isis? >> reporter: marco rubio lls under attack on several fronts, whether surveillance and data collection needs to be ramped up to track terrorists. >> that tool we lost, the meta data program, was a valuable tour we no longer have under our disposal. >> what marco says isn't true. >> he's one of the weakest candidates on immigration. >> an argument that clearly got under governor chris christie's skin. >> i want to talk to the audience at home. your eyes are glazing oaf this is what it's like to be on the

floor of the united states senate. >> a protester interrupted trump and was taken out. that didn't stop the front-runner and bush from going at if -- >> if you think this is tough -- >> this isn't tough. i wish it was always as easy -- >> dealing with president putin or xi or the islamic terrorism that -- >> you're a tough guy, jeb. >> we have to have a leader -- >> real tough. you're real touch -- >> you're never going to win your way to the president by insulting your way -- >> so far i'm at 42 and you're at 3. >> doesn't matter. >> reporter: that was just a sflaul snippet of the back and forth between trump and bush all night long. this is the last debate for the republicans in 2015. next up the democrats will be facing off in new hampshire saturday. and that debate is hosted by abc news. reena and richard. >> i think it's like any night out in vegas. two or three bits that stand out. by the next day you've completely forgotten. >> well said. >> trump spoke in the spin room, didn't he, afterwards. what did he have to say? >> definitely, richard, and in

true trump fashion when asked how he did he said he thought this was his best perform performance of any debate so far. and a lot of analysts agree, they thought he was strong. when it came to the back and forth with bush he said you know what, jeb had to attack me, he's lowest.policy and i expected it. and he said even if the polls were reversed he would have done the exact same thing. >> interesting fireworks. abc's blandi-hit live in las vegas. brandi, back thanks to you. >> let's turn next to insight from our deputy political editor who i'm pleased to say joins us here in the studio. shush nah walshe. >> herail came out swinging and need to. >> really he's the only candidate that went head to head with donald trump and it was throughout the debate. let's listen. >> so donltd is great at the one liners and but he's a chaos candidate. he would be a kay ott president. he would be be the commander in chief we need to keep our

country safe. >> jeb does not believe i'm unhinged. he said that because he's failed in that th campaign, it's been a total disaster, nobody cares, and frankly i'm the most solid person up here. >> bush did pretty well. he made an impact. ted cruz and marco rubio. >> these candidates really represent two different lanes of the republican party and many people say that they could be the two on top of the -- but let's listen to this clip. zplu can't carpet-bomb isis if you don't have planes and bromz to attack them with. and if we continue the cuts we're doing now not to mention additional cuts, we're going to be left with the oldest and smallest air force this country have and that leaves us less safe. >> one of the problems with marco's foreign policy is he has far too often sirpted hillary clinton and barack obama, undermining governments in the middle east that have helped radical islamic terrorists. >> really az said they represent

two different parts of the republican party and they really have been going at each other not just at last night's debate but throughout this primary process and recently it's ram upped up. both candidates trying to stay away from donald trump but going after each other. this is going to continue and it is going to one to watch. >> it seemed like it was very deliberate. i want to ask you trump made a pledge not to run as an independent like he did in september. does this really matter? >> we've heard this before again. in september he shrined a pledge saying he wouldn't run as a third-party candidate, but recently he's been sounding he could run as a third party again. if the party doesn't treat him fairly. but tonight -- last night, excuse me, he ruled if out again and said the party is treating him fairly and he will not run as a third parlty candidate. i think a lot of establishment republicans are breathing a sigh of r. leif this morn pg. >> and he's doing well in the polls. >> there ways story i saw doing

the rounds on twitter about a cough, a mystery cough. what do you know about that? >> it really exploded on twitter. who was coughing throughout this debate? it turns out it was ben carson. the doctor of the bunch. and his campaign says that all of them got -- came down with this -- with a cough. not really a cold but they were all under the weather with a cough. so mystery solved. >> heal thyself, physician. >> you know, our viewers said honey, lemon and tea. and that's -- >> the campaign trail can be can hard on your system for sure. >> lots of germs floating around there. abc's shushannah walshe. we'll get more reaction from shush and take you to las vegas again in our next half hour. >> on the democratic side front-runner hillary clinton is providing new details on her plan to battle isis. speaking to an audience in minneapolis clinton said the u.s. needs a 360 degree strategy to prevent domestic terrorism. she positioned herself as the more serious and experienced

candidate compared to her republican rivals. >> promising to carpet bomb until the desert glows doesn't make you sound strong. if makes you sound like you're in over your head. [ cheers and applause ] >> clinton also emphasized the importance of working with muslim-american communities. not a surprise considering the large muslim community in minneapolis-st. paul. be sure to watch the democratic debate this saturday night. as we mentioned earlier, it's on abc. it's mosted by david muir and martha raddatz and coverage begins at 8:00 eastern, 7:00 central. students will be back in class today in l.a. following a terror threat that shut down the entire district. that threat was e-mailed to a school board member promising an attack with guns and bombs. administrators admitted that fears following the san bernardino attack influenced the

skiegs decision to close the schools 37 schools in new york were open despite the school superintendent receiving almost the exact same e-mail that was sent to l.a. the e-mail was declared a hoax. new york's police commissioner said the type of threat it contains were similar to recent episodes of the showtime drama "homeland." >> all eyes on the federal reserve today which wraps up its last meeting of the year. 9 central bank is expected to raise short-term interest rates, the first increase in nearly a decade. it's not expected to have much impact on consumer loans. britain's first official astronaut is now on board the international space station. tim peak and two others, an american and a russian, arrived yesterday, bringing the space station crew to 6. >> other brits have gone into space as tourists.

but there was a glitch as the soyuz craft approached -- the automated system failed and the russian pilot had to dock manually. at's the only thing i've ever a i was watching "apollo 13." you remember that? >> i love that movie. >> there's a scene about something that goes wrong and -- not the big thing gheez wrong. and tom hanks said every mission has a glitch. premiere last night. our opinions after so much anticipation. you're watching "world news now." u have. you see, medicare doesn't cover everything - only about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. so if 65 is around the corner, think about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan,

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passengers on this southwest jet are zliebing the few frightening moments when the plane went off the runway in nashville. they say it began way rough landing perhaps from a blown tire or collapsed landing gear. the jet then ended up in a ditch. eight people were taken to the hospital. the faa is investigating. and an unclaimed cell phone triggered an merge response at the miami airport. the bomb squad was called when the american airlines plane arrived from paris. someone report a suspicious item. the passenger eventually claimed the phone and he isn't being charged. rough landings aren't expected to keep americans away.

>> next week is expected to shatter records for travel in the sxie on the ground. rebecca jarvis explains. >> reporter: nearly one in three americans, that's more than 100 million of us, expected to hit the roads this holiday season and when we do gas prices should be below $2 a gallon for most of the country. the national average for a gallon of gas expected to hit $1.98 by christmas, and that is the lowest level since 2008. also a gift for the flyers out there. 87% of planes are coming in on time. and that is the third best rate in more than 20 years. rebecca jarvis, abc news, new york. what would you guess is the busiest day to travel, to fly? >> of the whole year? >> no, during next week. >> okay. i think it's probably this friday because it's like a buff everybefore christmas. yeah, friday. next story short. >> wait, isn't friday christmas? oh, you mean this week. no, it's the 23rd.

so the day before christmas eve everybody books their tickets, they're off. >> i've done a lot of traveling on christmas eve itself and it turns out the roads are quieter than you'd expect . >> well, when you're driving on the road, everybody clears the roads. especially when you haven't slept much. >> has someone created that graphic in the last 35 seconds. >> that was a real road trip we took. >> my mistake. the campaign ads seeing the republican debate that freaked everyone out. and the branding of the ad that is sure to gather up votes. but first our take on "the force awakens." we actually got a sneak peek last night, and richard has a lot to say, including who luke skywalker's real father is. >> we're going to break an embargo next.

♪ "return of the" -- "return of the jedi" there. celebrating the defeat of the empire after the battle of ender. that's the last scene. that's where the story left off in 1983. >> and can you believe over 30 years later we've picked up with "the force awakens." richard and i had the pleasure of being able to see it. and what a ride. that pendiending, oh, my goodne. let me tell everyone what actually happened. the big -- [ bleep ]. ♪ >> we share a parent company. with "star wars." this is what -- this is what

disney do. if you break the embargo and give away a plot spoiler. you are a traitor and part of a rebel alliance. i thought that was quite good. it was actually sensational. and it's quite difficult -- it's quite hard to know what constitutes a breach of the embargo because people were tweeting about it last night. i guess you can say it's good. quite a few people say it has twists, which you could argue is a plot spoiler. i'll tell you this. some storm troopers die. >> there you go. you just ruined it for all of us. i have to say it was remarkable. i was really riveted. i found it incredibly compelling. and i think it does honestly, parent company aside, it really does live up to the hype. >> you don't know what -- you're making stuff up. hang on. >> what? >> you had your own plot twist. you fell asleep. >> richard, do you know the hours i work? i have two young children at

home. i sleep about three hours a day. somebody turning the lights off and gives me a comfy little chair. there were a few moments that i accidentally -- >> i was just making a point. >> it's not a reflection of the movie. it's a reflection of my current lifestyle. but i have to say it's really rema remarkable. these two are amazing. they were a fantastic choice for this film. >> there is a fantastic -- and i talked to you about it. how did that happen? i think not only did you sleep, you slept through the crucial bit. but here's the thing i would say. it's a really good story. it actually is a good story. and they used dialogue sparingly. i rewatched a bit of "the phantom menace" the other day, and there a lot of what i would call waffle, and here is just super smart, pin-sharp dialogue that serves the story. and it's got several little funny bits, but crucially it takes the story seriously. and i watched and i thought you have to do that to buy into that. >> and i have to say the last

scene of the movie was remarkable. and i just said j.j. abrams, how could you do that to us? when's the next one coming out? because i can't wait. the way they left it i just can't wait for the next one. and instead of getting a dog we're going to get a bb-8. >> it's really exciting. the theater bursting into applause i would say eight, nine, ten different points. and also harrison ford really nailing that part again. the way he just slips back into han solo. >> it's good. >> for the first few seconds i wasn't sure, is he rusty, and then he totally nails it. that's our message. i found it thrilling and reena fell asleep. >> just for a few minutes. just a few minutes. coming up, which u.s. state googles matching height xxl over any other phrase, any other phrase on google. >> "the mix" up next. ♪

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dare to feel more with new k-y love. welcome back to "the mix." this is the section where we tell you about the viral stories of the day. the first one is excellent. this is about the states in america and the phrases over the last year that they have googled the most. so it's really interesting. let's start with florida. so the most googled phrase in florida, "concealed weapons." "concealed weapons permit." more than anything else, they are the three words put into google. let's try wisconsin next. and wisconsin, their most googled -- no, is it west virginia? >> west virginia. >> west virginia. and their most googled word is -- magic mike. >> i never would have guessed

that in west virginia. really? >> now, look, i think you're from florida, reena. >> i am. >> that's not a huge amount of information on either state. but based on those two things, i'd rather live in west virginia. >> you know, it is the second amendment. yeah. >> yeah. >> legal means. >> that's true. in mississippi the most googled words were ashley madison. which you know is that website that revealed people having the affair. >> is it because they're checking to see their names are on the list or they're just curious what the site is? >> that's a great question. you don't know. are they doing it out of interesting because it as was a great story or are they panicking? reena, what have you got? >> school lunch is really hard to make. one dad goes the extra length to show his kids he cares about them by doing "star wars." do you see that? >> yeah. >> that's bb-8. >> that's bb-8. and that's a storm trooper. >> it's a storm trooper. you're absolutely right. >>. >> there's another storm trooper. >> and he said it makes about 30 minutes to make these lunches. and he goes have some sort of --

>> the cucumber are not the x wing fighters. they're the other ones that darth vader has. that's sensational. >> so he picks a character -- >> i'm sorry, reena's nodded off again. >> and chewy. there you go. so he picks a character and a theme and goes with that for the week. and he says it only takes him 30 minutes. but i actually love to make these for my son because it's hard to get them to eat anything and this is an interesting way to spice up their lunches. >> yeah. he's certainly a better father than me. i tend to wake up and say oh, my god, is it a school day. and let's have another look. finally, this is a dog which found -- it's viral. it's very popular. >> what is that? >> it's a dog that appears to have been converted into a toolbox. is that cute? is that exploitation, reena? no, it's probably not. >> they claim he's weighted on both sides equally so it's not heavy. >> that dog is taking work away from very hard-working tool-carrying amer welcome.

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this morning on "world news now" -- donald trump on the defensive at last night's gop debate. how trump and his challengers confronted national security and foreign policy issues in their final debate of the year. full live coverage ahead. school scare. similar e-mail bomb threats sent to the two largest school districts in the nation. how police in each city handled the scares quite differently. and new this half hour, details about a frightening scene on a runway. >> passengers describe what happened to a southwest jet before it ran off the runway. the injuries and the investigation. and later in "the skinny," it looked like a political ad, but it was a preview of the next season of "house of cards." we will reveal hints about the next episodes. it is wednesday december 16th.