making new in america this morning -- donald trump versus ted cruz. the republican front-runner focuses his fire on the senator from texas. who is making big gains in the pols. they'll battle it out in the next debate tomorrow night. picking up the pieces after a series of tornadoes wreak havoc across texas. the massive mess that's been left behind. and where this weather system is headed next. a rough day for a driver at the dmv. she was kicking and screaming. why was she so fed up the. at long last, the new "star

will the force be with the fans who have been waiting for days? good monday morning, everyone. i'm reena ninan. >> i'm richard bacon. first up, the republican presidential hopefuls lining up for the debate in unfamiliar spots. >> two new iowa polls show ted cruz moving into the lead. ben carson would be to donald trump's right. rand paul just hanging on. stephanie ramos has the story. >> reporter: the horse race between the gop presidential candidates is heating up. with senator ted cruz on the fast track in iowa. running neck and neck with donald trump. it's a swift rise for the texas senator.

one poll. cruz and trump up until now have lay nice. that all changed this weekend. in iowa, trump digging at cruz for opposing popular ethanol subsidies. >> if ted cruz is against ethanol, how does he win in iowa? because that's very anti-iowa. >> reporter: then on sunday morning shows sflp you look at the way he's dealt with the senate. he goes in like frankly a little bit on of a maniac, he'll never get anything done. that's the problem with ted. >> reporter: cruz tweeting this video. saying in honor of my friend, real donald trump and good-hearted maniacs everywhere. in the end, trump still wants to work with cruz. saying he sees cruz playing a part in hissed a ministraight. >> we would certainly have things in mind for ted, to be honest with you. >> reporter: this after cruz could be heard on tape behind closed doors questioning trump

the company. cars season falling. >> poll numbers go up and down. i wasn't excited when they were up. i'm not excited when they're down. >> reporter: how would the republicans do against hillary clinton in the general election? >> a new nbc/"wall street journal" poll shows she would lose to carson o rubio but win against trump or cruz. >> join david muir and ma that raddatz for the new hampshire democratic debate. "your voice, your vote." next saturday, december 19th. parts of texas cleaning up from a week end of severe weather. >> at least three confirmed tornadoes touched down in east texas, damaging up to 50 homes in the town of lindale. one twister came within feet of

>> it just started back that way, toward the high school. you can see out there, where it started, came right through here. it was just a white wall of stuff flying everywhere. >> i'm just thankful we were not home. i think the lord sent us away and -- he spare sd us. >> strong winds in lufkin, texas, threw 54 train cars off the track. not a single injury reported this weekend. farther north and west, snow has finally arrived. >> the latest storm system brought a solid blanket of snow at the summit there. by the time it's all over, the storm system could bring up to two feet of snow to the northwest. it will also usher in colder weather across much of the western u.s. the latest, east coast, meantime, temperatures as much as 30 degrees above normal this weekend.

d.c., the nation's capitals famed cherly blossoms bloomed three months early. the national parks service says it will not affect the bloom in spring. here's a sight in new york. park. yesterday. the spring-like weather will soon come to an abrupt halt. >> accuweather's paul williams joins us. >> i hate to be the bearer of bad news, but, here we go. it's monday all over. louis, little rock. look for big-time travel delays. mother nature will not just pick on the midwest. the northeast as well. that front pushes through. it will bring with it more travel delays and in the midst of very warm ir, it will be a spring-like show we are heavy downpours in the middle of december. back to you.

>> i do like paul's passion. new details in the investigation of the san bernardino massacre. officials have finished dragging a lake. still no word if they have found the hard drive. now questions about why screeners who let malik into the country overlooked her social media accounts. on facebook, she discussed how she wanted to be part of a violent jihad. the fbi is investigating vandalism at two mosques in southern california. treating them as hate crimes. both were spray-painted and a hand grenade was left in the drive way of one of them on friday. a mosque in palm springs was damaged if a fire police say was sberngsly set by a man in custody.

positions in their local town councils. the kingdom bars them from making decisions about marriage, edge kaxings even from driving. many of them took uber to cast weekend. president obama praising the new climate change agreement. the president is predicting it will spark widespread sending on clean energy. mitch mcconnell says the president shouldn't make promises he can't keep. warning that dealing with the subject is quote shredding if the republicans win the white house next year. today marcs the third anniversary of the shooting at sandy hook elementary which adults. >> and even though it's the first time the anniversary has fallen on a school day, there are no events planned at the local schools. town officials are also taking a low-key approach with no

main event will be an interfaith service tonight. anti-gun groups around the country are marking the day with ceremonies and speeches. coming up, a new study about sleep and whether too much of a good thing is actually a bad thing. plus, the the outburst at the dmv. an vmpl of how not to behave when your number is called. and check out the working conditions this mailman has to put up with. never mind about the snow, rain, and gloom of the night. stay with us. behind every open heart...is a story. for some, it's about finishing the race... no matter what the obstacles. when you keep an open heart, amazing things happen. save up to 20% on select open hearts jewelry at kay jewelers. every kiss begins with kay. it's the kay jewelers save the best for last event! with up to 30% off storewide... ...now is the time to find her the best gift at an incredible price. so hurry in... ...and save up to 30% at kay...

in america. come on duck! (puppy barks) you can do it duck. hurry up duck! you can do it duck. iams. helps keep your dog healthy at every stage. so you can always look forward to what's next. you know that "wow, i'm starving" feeling? well now at subway you can "make it deluxe!" 50% more meat on any 6-inch sub for just 50 more, for our 50th anniversary. it's 50 for 50 on our 50th. so when you're craving that little extra...

[meow mix jingle slowly and quietly plucks] right on cue. [cat meows] meow, meow, meow, meow... it's more than just a meal, it's meow mix mealtime. with great taste and 100% complete nutrition, it's the only one cats ask for by name. here in vineland, home of progresso, we love all kinds of chicken soups... but just one kind of chicken. white breast meat chicken every time. so if you're not going to make your own chicken soup tonight, do what we do...make it progresso. a problem with a wing forced this emergency landing of a southwest airlines flight in san antonio.

drag appeared to be at an irregular angle. the passenger who took the photos described the flight as a near-death experience. the plane landed safely. passengers continued their trip on another plane. >> ghad they're okay. twitter sounding an alarm to some yudsers their accounts may have been targeted by state-sponsored hackers. targeted. there is no indication that the data. google and facebook issued similar warnings about state-sponsored attacks. if you're planning a trip to wait. today will be the busiest day of the holiday season. based on last year's volume of 640 million cards, letters, and packages. and for the entire holiday season, the postal service expects to deliver more than 15 billion items by new year's eve.

up are interest rates. many economists say don't pekt that to change this week. the fed reserve is expected to make an historic hike in the benchmark rate for the first time in more than a decade. the fed is expected to just nudge the rate by a quarter of a percent. the hunger gamgs mocking jai part 2 was tops at the box office for the fourth straight weekend. though this is likely its last time there, with "star wars" expected to crush all competition when it opens next week. "mockingjay" has made more than $24 million so far. when we come back, a dangerous situation at a hospital hundreds of people, many of them newborns, being stleten en threatened by a deadly dtsds. and fatal police shooting caught on camera.

speaking out. challenges to the feet. but by night, beautiful, smoother and ready to impress the other party animals. dr. scholl's

oh look what's this one? today's the big day! you're going to smash it. (music plays throughout) right when you feel a cold sore, abreva can heal it in as few as two and a half days when used at the first sign. without it the virus spreads from cell to cell. only abreva penetrates deep and starts to work immediately

protect healthy cells. you could heal your cold sore, fast, as fast as two and a half days when used at the first sign. learn how abreva starts to work immediately at abreva.com don't tough it out, knock it out, fast. with abreva. oh, boy. take a look at this. thick, black smoke over portland, oregon, sunday. a tractor trailer hauling fuel veerd off the road and wept into railway cars. the truck driver did not,

now for a look at morning road conditions. south. a rain snow mix possible in maine. a tough travel day for flyers, delays possible in phoenix, chicago, atlanta, salt lake city, philadelphia, and new york. the l.a. sheriff's department on the defensive this morning after a deadly shooting. deputies firing 3bullets at the suspect. >> the department releasing a video that appears to show nick lal robertson holding a gun as he laid dying. officers say they repeatedly called for him to drop his weapon as he approached a crowded gas station. >> the video indicates the suspect was looking in the direction of the deputy sheriffs and had the weapon in his left hand as he was looking in that there are two people and three chirp in a car within five feet of him at the time.

gas station yesterday demanding justice in the shooting. his wife says robertson became child looing when he drank. jury le dib deliberations expected to start today in the death of freddie gray. william poert is charged with reckless endangerment, misconduct in office. if convicted of the he's expected to face up to 25 years in prison. hundreds of newborns and hospital staff potentially exposed to tuberculosis. all babies from that hospital be treat frd antibiotics for up to nine months. the nurse showed no symptoms. so the risk is slim.

sleep could shorten your life span. one of the study authors suggests that sleeping more than nine hours might be signs of a more serious health problem. or it could be that restlessness or poor quality sleep might be the reason behind the increased mortality rates. just another afternoon at the dmv. the woman giving clerks hard time. they asked a trooper to remove her. >> she had another idea. kicking, cursing, refusing to leave. the trooper arrested her smp got out of bail on $10 bond. she was charged with redissing arrest. the giants an dolphins wrap up week 14 tonight on "monday night football." >> highlights of yesterday's games from our favorite people at espn. >> that's jay. i'm j.a. the nba this week, over the week

the golden state warrior lost. but the nfl has its. >> panthers up, 7-0. newton. ted ginn jr is really fast. ted catches it and just runs. that was a -- illegal contact penalty that the panthers declined. they didn't need it. carolina up, 14-0. later, newton to get again. ginn again. ginn again. his second td of the day. here we go. the rest of the team, they all do the same thing. panthers win big, 38-0. sunday night cap. patriots and texans in houston. rob gronkowski comes back after a knee injury. four catches, 87 yards. new england up, 17-6. their defensive line was a menace. they knocked brian hoyer out of the game. not before they sacked him six

a fumble lost there. patriots beat the texans, 27-6. first afc team to clinch playoff spot. >> for more, check out your live "sportscenter." first here. live. 9:00 a.m. eastern. up next, the big change if festive holiday music. and a huge night in hollywood tonight. the new "star wars" movie premiers before a star-studded audience. details, next. ills, and fever, there's no such thing as a little flu. and it needs a big solution: an antiviral. so when the flu hits, call your doctor right away and up the ante with antiviral tamiflu. prescription tamiflu is an antiviral that attacks the flu virus at its source and helps stop it from spreading in the body. tamiflu is fda approved to treat the flu in people two weeks of age and older whose flu symptoms started within the last two days. before taking tamiflu,

pregnant, nursing, have serious health conditions, if you develop an allergic reaction, a severe rash, or signs of unusual behavior, stop taking tamiflu and call your doctor immediately. children and adolescents may be at an of seizures, confusion, or the most common mild to moderate nausea and vomiting. anti-flu? go antiviral

ah, topping "the pulse" this morning, "star wars" frenzy reaching a fever pitch. the premier takes place in los angeles tonight. but where is still a secret.

outside three l.a. movie theaters for more than a week. when the film opens in the all three. it's a good bet the premier will be at one of them. everyone can watch the festivities tonight on star wars.com. beginning at 8:30 eastern. a new shift when it comes to holiday shopping. buying. you yeah i don't want a lot for christmas >> catchy, isn't it, richard? >> mm-hmm. >> mariah carey's hit, all i want for christmas is you. it's been the most played holiday song in stores for the last 20 years.

we're simply having a wonderful christmastime >> that honor now goes to the shins, with their cover of sir paul mccartney's wonderful christmas time. it's the new most played song. carey's song at number two. >> we could have called it a tie. they're both good songs. postal carriers are extremely busy. they don't need to be harassed. >> tell that to a group op gobble lers. every day, this mailman shows up to do his job, the wild turkeys are there to chase him down. he's forced to fend off the flock, as you can see there, with a pole. >> as miserable as they're making him, they're a hit on youtube. nearly 1 million views so far. maybe they're hungry and need a

>> or people that view youtube have horrible taste. we have more news here on abc. next. i sure had a lot on my mind when i got out of the hospital after a dvt blood clot. what about my family? my li'l buddy? i was given warfarin in the hospital but i wondered if this was the then my doctor told me eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots and reduces the risk of them happening again. pnot only does eliquis treat dvt and pe blood clots, t but eliquis also had significantly less major bleeding v than the standard treatment. knowing eliquis had both... turned around my thinking. pdon't stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. peliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. pdon't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. pif you had a spinal injection while on eliquis pcall your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. pwhile taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily... pand it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. pseek immediate medical care for

like unusual bruising. peliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. ptell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. v eliquis treats dvt & pe blood clots. v plus had less major bleeding. both made switching to eliquis right for me. ask your doctor if it's right for you. right when you feel a cold sore, abreva can heal it in as few as two and a half days when used at the first sign. without it the virus spreads from cell to cell. only abreva penetrates deep and starts to work immediately to block the virus and protect healthy cells. you could heal your cold sore, fast, as fast as two and a half days when used at the first sign. learn how abreva starts to work

don't tough it out, knock it out, fast. with abreva. checking our top stories, donald trump keeping his spot at center stage for tomorrow night's presidential debate. ted cruz will be right next to him after surging ahead in the most recent iowa polls. the president will make remarks about his anti-isis efforts today. he'll speak from the pentagon after meeting with his national security council. snow is finally falling in the cascade mountains. the storm system could bring up to two feet of snow to the northwest and usher in colder weather for the western u.s. much dryer on the west coast. finally, a dry day in seattle and portland. rain showers continue for the great lakes. rain from atlanta to raleigh.

morning, still 11 days to go before christmas. plenty of kid outs there still preparing their lists. >> we know that lots of members of the armed services won't be home for the holidays. some have already made it. that's when the fun starts. >> examples of some of the greatest gifts of all now from abc's john donvan. >> reporter: look at that kid's smile. there's santa claus. one of her brothers. wait, who is that guy in the back? it's the time of year for the happy prnk, when dads, long deployed in the service, pop out of costumes in gym jazz. >> i missed you, daddy. >> reporter: or hide behind santa. >> there's no words for it. i'm just very anxious to see them. >> reporter: but now this. >> daddy! [ cheers and applause ] >> ho, ho, ho, ho, ho. >> reporter: where 6-year-old jordan took a moment to thank the man in red.

here's what happened. rob stella, in the back row, had been gone a year in the navy and it took awhile for the kids to spot him on this day. but here's what you get. [ laughter ] >> reporter: and a reminder that happiness on the kids' face -- >> yes, i'm home for good. >> reporter: can also look like this. john donvan, abc news, washington. >> those make me want to cry. >> it's really emotional. another couple of veterans to tell you about. one of them is rocky. he's been awarded a purple heart after being injured by an ied in afghanistan. he's been treated in germany. >> his handler, andrew brown is being treated at walter reed military hospital. brown is hoping to be reunited with rocky, soon. he says his canine colleague is in high spirits, he hopes, just like he is. >> they're just as important as the folks out there as well. we're glad to see, we hope