. making news in america this morning -- breaking overnight, demonstrations from coast to coast after a grand jury declined to diet an officer who's choke hold led to a man's death. new video overnight and strong reactions from the man's family. and breaking right now, an american hostage threatened with death from al qaeda. a new video. caught on camera, the out of control truck, the crash costing one dealership hundreds of thousands of dollars. and risky rescue. the happy ending after a curious canine stepped on to some thin ice. and good thursday morning to

you all, a wave of protests overnight following another grand jury's decision not to indict a police officer in a deadly confrontation. >> the choke hold led to eric garner's death back in july. >> sparking late night dm demonstrations in new york city. and a die in during rush hour. >> and one protester holding a sign saying, quote, afraid of those who swore to protect per. carolyn costello is live. >> reporter: good morning. this is where that deadly encounter took place. you can see a makeshift memorial set up out here. the deadly takedown maneuver was caught on tape. now people here and across the country outraged at a grand jury's decision that that officer did nothing wrong. in new york city, protesters blocked part of a major highway, facing off with police in protective gear. some marched through the streets

of midtown. others lay on the floor at grand central station. caught on tape, a white new york city police officer putting garner, an african-american, in an apparent choke hold as he y tried to take him into custody. the unarmed father of six who suffered from asthma, he was confronted for allegedly selling cigarettes. the medical examiner ruled his death a homicide caused by compression of his throat and chest. but the grand jury decided the officer did nothing illegal. >> don't you see? the video didn't mean anything. it didn't mean anything. >> reporter: less than two weeks after the decision in ferguson, protests erupting across the country. president obama addressing widespread anger for a second time. and attorney general eric holder announcing the case is not over yet. >> i'm here to announce that the

justice department will proceed with a civil rights investigation into mr. garner's death. >> reporter: the police officer said he feels bad about mr. garner. his condolences rejected by his widow. >> no, i don't accept his apology. he's feeding his kids and my husband is six feet under. >> reporter: the sign says no raucous, just justice. that's what the family is urging. calm, peaceful protests. meanwhile, the nypd officer has been suspended and remains suspended. he could face disciplinary action. live in staten island, back you. >> thank you so very much. well, like many others, the garner family members are just in shock. say they're hurt by the grand jury decision. they're vowing to keep for remy

husband was yelling to breathe. that would have been the time for him to show some type of remorse or care for another human being's life. when he was screaming 11 times that he can't breathe. somebody that gets paid to do right did wrong. and he's not held accountable for it. >> well, you see the emotion there from garner's widow. but there was emotion all over the country. as carolyn mentioned, spontaneous marches all over the country. >> demonstrators hit the streets of the nation's capital, stopping traffic in dupont circle. rallying not just against last night's decision in new york, but the one in the michael brown case in ferguson last week. >> and peacefully in atlanta, georgia. no justice, no peace. it got contentious when they laid on the street. no violence and no arrest.

>> and protesters on the other side of the country are voicing their opposition to the decisions. in oakland, at times police blocked their path, but it was peaceful. stay with abc for the latest on the eric garner decision. and more later. and the video threatening to kill an american hostage. luke so maniers is the name, 33 years old. in the video released, he please for his life. u.s. special forces narrowly missed rescuing him last week. they threaten to kill him within three days unless demands are met. we will follow the story this morning. and an american teacher brutally stabbed at a luxury mall in abu dhabi. the killer was dressed in black from head to toe, seen entering and leaving the bathroom where

the attack took place. the victim is from colorado, a mother of two and a special ed teacher. it's not clear if she was targeted because she was american. new sex assault from the pentagon this year. 5900 filed for fiscal year 2014. that's an 8% increase over the last year. but the reason for the higher numbers could be due to awareness campaigns and growing trust that the military can prosecute the cases appropriately. a u.s. sailor is under investigation for secretly video taping three female officer while they were showering. the alleged incidents took place aboard the uss wyoming in georgia. they began serving on subs in 2011. enlisted female sailors are not allowed submarine duty. and california rains bringing relief to the drought-stricken state. more than 9 inches fell in parts

of southern california. prompting mudslide fears. and san francisco has seen more rain this week than it did for all of last year. heavy flooding watch ining swam backed up traffic. the wet weather expanding into the pacific northwest. also, heavy rain over parts of arizona and new mexico. scattered showers from east texas to tennessee. >> and chilly temperatures from the 20s and 30s in the great lakes and the northeast, and mild readings of 60s and 70s along the gulf coast. a big day for nasa today. that's the reason. on the launch pad. in florida, a massive rocket ready to take orion, unmanned, on a nearly five hour flight to complete two earth orbits. it's going 14 times higher than the international space station and will splash down into the pacific. it's a stress test ahead of any

potential mars missions way off into the future. first step. got to start somewhere. coming up, after 17 games more than a month into the season, an nba team has their win. and the driver's quick actions that saved everybody on a bus. and garner's grand jury did not indict the officer in the death. wñ

sony pictures pushing back against reports it will blame

north korea for the cyber attack that crippled the computer systems. company says the investigation into that attack which now involves the fbi continues. speculation about north korean involvement centers on the interview, in which seth rogan and james franco plot to kill kim jong-un. >> let me apologize to reena. she's got my cough now. this is a mess. i'm sorry. that's my fault, folks. well, honda now expanding a recall of driver side air bags to all 50 states. they can explode, sending metal shrapnel in the compartment. but takata is questioning the government's order to expand it. it's being threatened with millions of dollars in fines if they don't declare them defective. and two states in oklahoma, the first to see that. selling gas at under $2 a gallon. prices in other states are on

their way as well. the entire nation should see 15 to 20 cent decreases by the new year. and asian stock markets were strong overnight. the dow hit a record high for the 33rd time this year, and the s&p 500 finished in record territory. it was positive news about job hiring in the u.s. tomorrow, the jobs report, the most important gauge of the economy's health. and one of the trendiest hot sauces will soon be an ingredient in beer. rogue ale is taking orders for sir a which hot stout beer. it's pricey, $13 a bottle. and reviews are mixed. one saying i can't tell if this is awesome or terrible. >> only way to know is to try it. and we will. >> we will. next week. when we come back, a warning from the cdc, not about that,

but the flu vaccine this is year. it might not be doing what it's supposed to be doing. and caught on camera, a truck goes airborne smashing into vehicles at a dealership. before larry instantly transferred money from his bank of america savings account to his merrill edge retirement account. before he opened his first hot chocolate stand calling winter an "underserved season". and before he quit his friend's leaf-raking business for "not offering a 401k." larry knew the importance

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that soaking storm pounding drought-ravaged california is taking a heavy toll on trees. a huge tree snapped in half and crashed, see that? through the roof of one home. damage is extensive there. but the homeowners say they're relieved nobody was hurt. northern californians, it's a diss mall commute, and heavy rain and flooding in the southwest, four corners. and wet roads from east texas to tennessee. and flying, weather-related airport delays likely in phoenix and san francisco. recapping the top story, outrage in new york and across the country after a grand jury

decided not to indict the white officer in the choke hold death of an unarmed black man. >> protesters were chanting and demanding justice. many shocked that a video tape showing the confrontation wasn't enough evidence to warrant a trial. it's not over yet, though. the justice department now investigating to see if garner's civil rights were violated. >> gathering from coast to coast, shouting the names of eric garner, michael brown and other unarmed african-americans killed by police. officers kept a close eye, everything remained peaceful. >> a whole lot more as it develops, more on "good morning america." a school bus driver is being praised for leading 38 students to safety after the bus caught on fire. moments after they got on, the bus went up in flames. it could have been very different if the driver didn't act quickly. she gives credit to the kids.

>> the kids did great. debate off the bus in a single file line. moved quickly. and then they had to climb over the guardrail in order to get into the grass. >> the fire so hot it blew out the winwindows, peeling away pa and flattening the bus's tires. a driver lost control of his pickup truck and crashed into a texas car dealership. the driver was in shock. but amazingly, he was not injured. he did cause over $300,000 in damage. that includes one totalled car who would be new owner had just come in to sign the papers and drive it away. and a rare sighting of tracy morgan, just the third time in public since the horrifying crash in june. he was seen heading to a new jersey post office with his fiancee. using a walker. he suffered a traumatic brain injury and multiple broken

bones. he's fighting every day. and health headlines now. this is not goods news. got the flu vaccine? can't rest easy. the cdc saying it may not be a good match to combat this season's flu strain. however, the flu shots may still offer some protection against other flu strains. florida state university starting quarterback jameis winston now awaits a decision in the school's sexual assault investigation. he refused to answer questions yesterday, instead reading a statement in which he denied assaulting a student two years ago. if he's found to have violated the code of conduct, it could be from a reprimand to expulsion. time nor another week in the nfl. the cowboys and bears start tonight in chicago. >> and last night's nba highlights. get those from the guys at espn. >> welcome to the "sportscenter" set.

strong nba action wednesday night. >> yeah. and strong action from the 76ers. no, really, i mean it. listen. the nets held the record of starting the season by losing the most games in a row, 18. 76ers were at 17. and they said you know what? we don't to want share that record with the nets. so they went into minnesota, another team that's -- that's challenged in the win column, and the 76ers went to the hole with soul. no noel, finish it up, big man. the losing streak's over. 76ers. how about the mavericks and bucks? dallas, off the two overtime win over the bulls on tuesday. no dirk, he's got a back injury. but they have monta ellis. he had 38 points in the game winner in the win over the bulls. brandon knight, big game for milwaukee. 25 points. but no stopping ellis.

after the 38-point night, comes back with 23. and a game winner at the buzzer. mavs win it 107-105 over milwaukee. >> looks fun. >> yeah. >> what do you want to do now? >> send it back to them. >> thank you. thanks, fellas. the owner of a dog in maine hoping it won't be as dramatic as the other day. >> dakota, the gold retriever, wandered off and fell through thin ice. >> a fire department rescuer got him out after a half hour. his owner is helping to raise money so the department can buy a sled to help in other rescues. >> after being rescued, he laid by the fire, licked himself and had some ice cream. >> sounds like a good night. up next in the pulse, why one couple is canceling christmas for their kids. and the perfect pillow for the bacon lover in your life.

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>> hello, earn, i'm matt o'donnell, good morning, it is 4th day of the month of december. bullets blast through the windshield of a moving car. developing a person was struck and killed on a lei in chester county overnight. protesters take to the streets nationwide angry over a grand jury decision to not indict a white pd officer the in the choke hold death of a blackman. we have traffic enupdates next. again. the white house decked out for the holidays. >> first lady michelle obama was on hand to usher in the holiday season, showing off the results

of months of preparation. abc's mary bruce was there. >> we're now ready to open the white house for the holiday season. >> reporter: it's official, the holidays have arrived at 1600 pennsylvania avenue. the first lady unveiling the over the top decorations. the nation's house transformed into a winter wonderland. if you think getting your house ready for the holidays is a challenge, just see what went into the overhaul. it took 106 volunteers countless hours to deck the halls. >> i think you outdid yourself this year. it gets better and better every ye year. >> reporter: there are 26 christmas trees, just imagine untangling the lights. and the official tree, 18 feet tall, 12 feet wide, so big they had to take the hinges off the door to get it inside. the gingerbread house is

clocking in at at whopping 420 pounds. in addition to the christmas classics, new twist this is year. the decoration haves gone digital. there are animated replicas from the first dogs bo and sunny with eyes triggered by a motion sensor. and 3-d printed ornaments. and the christmas card got a makeover. >> we wish you a wonderful holiday season and a happy, healthy new year. >> merry christmas and happy holidays, everybody. >> reporter: this will be enjoyed by the 65,000 visitors expected at the white house this holiday season. you thought your holidays were busy? t.j. and reena. >> that's a lot. >> 65,000 at their house. how many are you hosting this year? >> just your family and mine. >> we might not be able to make it. >> you're rescinding my invitation on national television. stay with us, "good morning america" coming up.

>> we are following a developing story on this thursday, december 4. >> police are looking for a gunman who shot a man as the victim drove down the street overnight. >> a car kills a person on a busy highway in chester county, we'll check the scene in traffic. >> protest are mounting after another grand jury decides not to indict another police officer in the death of an unarmed black man. we have live team coverage. >> good morning, everybody we're off to a cloudy start, the clou