this morning on "world news now," the christmas disaster in the south after deadly tornadoes take a heartbreaking toll, the holiday clean-up and the snowstorm that could delay travelers. shopping center gunfire. the second shooting incident this week scaring holiday shoppers at busy american malls. how police responded this time. and new this half hour, an unforgettable way to raise a stink about taxes. >> seven chickens left at a department of revenue office, what happened to the birds and what police have to say. >> and later on in "the skinny," disan bint 0ment for janet jackson fans. her concert tour called off and the personal reason behind it. it is friday, it is christmas day, december 25th.

>> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning, and very merry christmas to you. i'm marci gonzales in for reena ninan. >> marci is, merry christmas. nice to be spending the holiday with you and you, as well. thank you for joining us here. we want to get to our top story because it is tragic. deadly tornadoes in the south and midwest that have killed at least 14 people. >> among the hardest hit areas northwestern mississippi where seven people have died. dozens more have been injured some seriously. abc's phillip mena has the story. >> reporter: severe weather on the move. with blinding rain in alabama and flooded roads south of atlanta. this after a devastating christmas week tornado outbreak. >> oh! i think that's a tornado brewing up! >> reporter: over 24 tornadoes reported. >> i looked up, the roof was blowing off the house. >> reporter: watch as these two tornadoes merge into one massive twister. swirling winds lifting this tractor trailer and sending it careening onto its side. in holly springs, mississippi --

>> monster tornado. >> reporter: the national weather service says this tornado was at least an ef-3 and may have tracked over 100 miles across two states. >> it was like a war zone. >> reporter: first responders rushing to help the injured, including retired nurse sherry keel. she was on her way home from last-minute christmas shopping. >> there's a lady face down in the ditch. she kept asking about her child. >> reporter: that child, just 7 years old, didn't survive. >> i can't imagine -- i just can't imagine what that mom is going to feel when she's told that her child didn't make it. >> reporter: gwendolyn jones had no storm shelter. she and her family took cover in the safest place they could find. >> and we laid here on the floor and holding hands and praying all the while. >> reporter: the room her daughter and granddaughter live in, now destroyed. the community here now coming together. donations pouring into this shelter, hoping to salvage some kind of christmas. this motor home was parked 100 yards away. and the only thing that stopped

it was a two-story building, now obliterated. and the trailer attached to that rv, they found it a quarter mile away. phillip mena, abc news, holly springs, mississippi. a snowstorm hitting the great plains making travel dangerous. the omaha area got about half a foot of snow. the combination made driving a nightmare with a lot of accidents. meteorologist cam tran tells us snowstorms could make travel dangerous across an even wider area. good morning, cam. >> happy christmas morning, kendis and marci. if you're looking for a white christmas, head out west. an area of low pressure forming on the lee side of the rockies. that will bring in widespread snow across utah and western colorado. we could pick up about a foot of snow there. and then that system will shift off to the north and east bringing widespread snow across the northern plains. we could see major travel delays in this area due to poor visibility and drifting snow and then the system will move off to the north and east into minnesota bringing upwards of 6

inches of snow into minneapolis. the big storm system developing over the weekend. we could see blizzard like conditions across new mexico into the texas panhandle and heavy rain into east texas as well as severe weather in the lower mississippi. heading back home from the holidays could be treacherous. back to you. >> thanks, cam. other news, there were black lives matter protests across the u.s. on christmas eve including in chicago. investigators released recordings of chicago police radio calls from the night teenager laquan mcdonald was shot and killed. the radio traffic shows only five minutes pass between a request for a taser and when officer jason van dyke opened fire. >> fired by the police. gunfire by the police. >> you guys okay? >> everything's fine. >> to protest that shooting, about 100 protesters marched along chicago's busiest shopping district, but this protest

appeared to have less impact on merchants than a bigger one on black friday. and an off-duty police officer shot and killed a teenager at a north carolina mall following a dispute between two groups. last minute shoppers scrambled as the gunfire erupted. here's abc's ron claiborne. >> reporter: it happened again. this time, a shooting in a north carolina shopping mall, packed with last-minute christmas shoppers. gunfire sending many in the crowd fleeing in panic. inside, this man finding safety, huddling behind a clothing rack. >> we were just walking and people just started running, yelling, screaming. so, i just -- my first thing to do is get safe. >> reporter: images from the northlake mall in charlotte captured the chaos and confusion. >> he started shooting. >> reporter: authorities say the shooting occurred after two groups of people inside the mall got into an argument. an off-duty police officer intervened and fatally shot one person who they say was armed. >> this is not a random act of violence. this is something that happened between two parties who were

beefing back and forth. >> reporter: this incident comes just two days after a shooting at one of the country's biggest malls on new york's long island. there, too, scenes of panic when a would-be robber allegedly fired a gun in a struggle with a store security guard. in north carolina, at least four people gone to the hospital and yet another community on edge. ron claiborne, abc news, new york. the federal government is making plans for mass deportations that could start as early as next month. the targets would be thousands of central americans who have come here fleeing gang violence in honduras and el salvador. their requests for asylum in the u.s. were denied, but they haven't left. >> i think what they're trying to do is send a message to central america saying don't come and in order to do that, i think they believe if there are images of families being off loaded on planes in central america, that it's going to deter people from coming. > the plan has to be approved by

the white house and opposition is fierce from both left and right and even within homeland security itself. 36 years after their capture, the americans taken hostage in 1979 are set to receive millions of dollars in compensation. that's after a provision in the spending deal signed last week. each of the 53 hostages and their estates are set to receive up to $4.4 million. spouses and children eligible for a $600,000 payment, the hostages spent 444 days in captivity. we got a somber message from the pope during his christmas eve mass. pope francis condemned what he called society's intoxication with consumerism, pleasure, abundance and wealth. while noting the simplicity of jesus' birth he said jesus calls on christians to act in a way that is simple, balanced, consistent and capable of seeing and doing what is essential. in japan, the christmas tradition is to line up for kentucky fried chicken. >> what's wrong with that? >> yeah, it's a little different.

eating the colonel's chicken is so popular kfc starts taking reservations in october. the wait time can be as long as six hours if you don't have a reservation. about 3.6 million people will feast on kfc today. >> in japan? >>? japan. >> i don't blame them. good for them. i wonder if they prefer extra crispy or the original. >> or the original. >> i was always an original person back when i ate the bird. it was good stuff. >> love it. >> good yard bird there at kfc. >> this is something of a christmas tradition, as well. water skiing on the potomac near the nation's capital. >> this is the 30th year saint nick has made the splash. he was joined this year by mrs. clause, elves, reindeer, frosty the snowman. surprised he didn't melt in this weather and even the grinch was there. we didn't spot any members of congress out there, but who knows.

cheering them on at least. >> so there was a grinch you mentioned. so i'm sorry, kidding. kids, if santa doesn't bring you what you wanted this morning, now you know what he was doing instead. the temperatures in d.c., yeah, upper 70s yesterday. >> can't resist. >> i didn't get a lot of sleep in new york because there was an ice cream truck outside my apartment. ice cream truck on christmas eve. >> first time ever that has been the cause of a sleepless night in new york city. love it. >> on christmas eve, amazing. love it. >> coming up in "the skinny," christmas treasure coming to the palin family and california's governor sends a gift to hollywood "a" listers. >> also ahead a fowl protest at the revenue department. why did a taxpayer dump seven chickens and take off? into and. >> and no immediate holiday truce between donald trump and hillary clinton. the war of words on social media takes a new tone. you're watching "world news now." you're watching "world news now."

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okay, so let's call this a fowl scene. you'll see why in a second. this is at the state revenue office in eugene, oregon. those guys showed up, seven chickens left by an angry 66-year-old taxpayer. the motive? well, it's unclear. animal control was called in to remove the flock. >> it's not often that we take in seven chickens at once and certainly not under this circumstance. >> not often or ever. >> you think? >> the chicken dropper is now banned from returning to the building. >> the chicken dropper? i guess what else do you call him? >> yeah, i mean, yeah. >> so we don't know why.

>> the delivery man. >> we don't note why he did it. i guess he got his point across somewhat because we're talking about it. >> absolutely. if he took those to japan on christmas day, man. >> kfc, done. >> turning now to the race for the white house and the rhetoric is apparently not letting up for christmas. >> not in the christmas spirit at all. with the latest polls showing hillary clinton and donald trump running in a dead heat, donald trump's campaign is turning up the heat and it's not just hillary clinton herself who he is targeting. here's abc's jim avila. >> reporter: no christmas eve quiet on donald trump's twitter feed. retweeting this -- "why is hillary even allowed to run? she's a criminal." his campaign spokeswoman even summoning the ghost of her husband's scandals. >> hillary clinton has some nerve to talk about the war on women and the bigotry towards women when she has a serious problem in her husband. >> reporter: trump's campaign upping the rhetoric after he described clinton's loss to president obama by using offcolor slang of the male anatomy. >> she was favored to win and

she got [ bleep ]. she lost, i mean, she lost. >> reporter: trump insists his use of the term was neither vulgar nor misogynistic. >> to me, that's really a reference to getting beaten and really pretty decisively. and when i said it, nobody in the audience thought anything about it. they clapped, they didn't view that as being a horrible thing. >> reporter: but clinton's campaign calls trump's language degrading and disgusting. >> i really deplore the tone of his campaign and the inflammatory rhetoric. it's not the first time he's demonstrated a penchant for sexism. >> reporter: and that brought this veiled threat from trump, "hillary, when you complain about a penchant for sexism, who are you referring to? i have great respect for women. be careful." hours later, his spokeswoman dropping this bomb. >> i can think of quite a few women that have been bullied by

hillary clinton to hide her husband's misogynist sexist secrets. >> reporter: no comment from the clinton campaign, but tonight, trump and his family go to church near his palm beach home, so, perhaps there will be a momentary truce. jim avila, abc news. >> coming up, california's governor has a big christmas present for a hollywood "a" lister. >> and disappointing news for janet jackson fans. why the singer is stepping off the concert stage. "the skinny" is next. >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our continues after this from our ab

♪ skinny, so skinny all right. topping our look at "the skinny" on this christmas morning, a very merry christmas to robert downey junior. >> the actor has been given quite a present from california governor jerry brown, an official pardon for a drug conviction that sent him to prison nearly 20 years ago. in 1996, police found cocaine, heroin and a pistol in his car when they stopped him for speeding and three years later he violated his parole. >> he was busy during those days. a proclamation from brown's

office says since then, he has lived an honest and upright life, exhibited good moral character and conducted himself as a law abiding citizen. the iron man's conviction will remain on his record but so now will the pardon, and he will have his voting rights restored. next. >> jerry brown gets another voter right there. >> exactly. coming up next, troubling news from rock star janet jackson. >> she posted this on instagram. she's postponing her unbreakable world tour at least until the spring because she must have surgery soon. jackson did not reveal what kind of surgery she would be undergoing but asked only that fans pray for her, for her family and for her entire company during this difficult time. >> jackson told fans to hang on to those tickets that they would be honored in a special way when her new concert schedule is announced. >> i was looking forward to it. she was going to be in new york in february. >> did you get tickets? >> no, but was going to try to get some. >> last second stubhub. >> yeah, exactly.

next to an early christmas present for the palin family. >> bristol palin who launched an abstinence campaign after giving birth as an unwed teenage mother seven years ago has given birth to her second child, a girl named sailor grace. palin instagrammed this photo saying our family couldn't be more complete. >> okay, so here's the issue. palin hasn't publicly identified the father of sailor grace but announced she was pregnant shortly after her engagement to marine war hero dakota meyer was broken off this spring, last spring. meyer also posted "best christmas present ever." >> about the baby, not the broken engagement. okay. to be clear. >> so yeah, so maybe he's the baby daddy? maybe there's an episode of "maury" coming up soon? >> oh, yes. tune in. finally the spirit of christmas comes alive in the locker room. >> this is really cool. something you just don't see very often or frankly ever.

carolina panthers running back fozzy whittaker dressed up as rudolph the red nosed reindeer singing the temptations version of silent -- let's have him sing it. >> oh, wow. ♪ sleep in heaven, heavenly peace ♪ ♪ merry christmas to all of you, all of you we mean it ♪ ♪ merry christmas to all of you ♪ >> merry christmas, everybody. >> the temptations. >> do you know that? it's probably i'm showing my age here. that's a really classic and great christmas song there. >> i appreciated your attempt singing it. i'd like for you to continue that please. >> a lot of people do not appreciate it. that's what happens if you're 14-0, you can sing anything you want. >> in a reindeer costume, shirtless like that guy.

i liked it. >> coming up, box office. i liked it. >> coming up, box office.

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dare to feel more with new k-y love. ♪ >> you know how hard it is to find red shoes? >> i think you're festive enough. the best costume change ever. >> festive is one word to call it. >> yeah. all right, well it is now time for "insomniac theater" if you can even listen to what we're saying with this distraction here. >> i'm trying to not get it close to the fire. >> definitely flammable. >> checking out two films opening at the box office this weekend. >> this week, we're going to start with quintin tarantino's latest adventure "the hateful eight," set in post civil war wyoming. it stars kurt russell and samuel l. jackson. they're trying to find shelter in a blizzard but end up getting involved in a plot of betrayal and deception. >> one of them fellows is not what he says he is.

>> what is he? >> in cahoots with this one, that's what he is. one of them, maybe even two of them is here to see she goes free. >> "hateful eight" is getting a solid 75% rating on rotten tomatoes and the critics seem to love it. mike scott writes it's 100% tarantino pleasure entertainment and andy crump calls it a towering work as profound as it is profane. >> next up an offering from another hollywood heavyweight with an appropriate title for christmas, "joy," it stars jennifer lawrence, robert de niro, bradley cooper and david o. russell. it tells the story of a family across four generations and the woman at the center of it all who rises to become the founder and matriarch of a powerful family business dynasty. but along that road to success is betrail of, treachery, and more than a few surprises.

>> hi. >> what are you doing here? >> i'm returning him to you. i don't want him anymore. >> what? >> he's damaged. he has no place else to go. he's been living in my house for two years. >> dad, i'm so sorry. but you know, tony's living in the basement. >> your ex-husband shouldn't be living in your basement. that's not the proper way to be divorced. >> okay. >> critics are saying that is no way to make a movie giving it a 58% on rotten tomatoes. i'm disappointed. pete hammond writes jennifer lawrence proves a mop can be just as empowering as a bow and arrow. wow. >> why so angry. >> joshua starnes writes the film does little to live up to its title or aspirations. that is such a bummer. what a great cast. >> j. law is getting a lot of buzz for that film and a lot of oscar buzz for it. >> maybe the critics are wrong. >> i'm going to put this near the fire and see if it will just catch fire. >> i think you should dance. you look like a festive little elf.

>> might be a little bit too much.

making news in america this morning, severe holiday weather. rain across the south forcing evacuations while others start the long road back following these deadly storms. tornadoes where we don't ually see them. then today's holiday around the world of the pope offering his christmas blessing before his message to the masses and the rather unusual christmas tradition being enjoyed in japan right now. is a crackdown coming against hundreds of immigrant families who have had their requests for asylum rejected? how much longer could they have in this country? something of a surprising admission from chipotle about an e. coli outbreak linked to some of its restaurants. what the company is saying coming up.