. making news in america this morning -- ebola scare. a safety lab at the cdc in atlanta has possibly exposed a lab worker to the deadly virus. so what went wrong? holiday heartbreak. deadly twisters slam the south. people losing everything in an instant. the recovery as thousands remain without power. sony step up. an unprecedented move by the studio to stream the film online. all a day before the interview was set to hit theaters. reactions from fans and critics. and merry christmas. santa racing around the globe, racing to finish before dawn as

millions of americans wake up on this special day. we will have stories to remind us what christmas is all about. good morning. i'm michelle franzen. >> i'm kendis gibson. good morning and merry christmas to you. we begin with a safety breach at the cdc. >> it's the deadly ebola virus. after the scare in the u.s. earlier this year, how could this happen? elizabeth hur has the latest. >> reporter: a mistake at a high-security lab, according to authorities, now means a lab technician at the cdc must be monitored for possible exposure to the dangerous ebola virus. a small amount, officials say, which may have contained the live virus was accidently moved from a level four lab where researchers are required to work fully protected in airtight

suits to a lower level security lab where the technician processed the virus. it happened on monday. and even though it was on a sealed plate, it should not have been moved. the director of the cdc said i am troubled by this incident. we are monitoring the health of the one technician who could have been exposed and i have directed a full review of the incident. this is the third troubling incident at the cdc in recent months. in may, a deadly bird flu was is sent to an agriculture lab by mistake. and dozens of workers were exposed to anthrax. alarming the head of the cdc who spoke to abc news. >> we have had two incidents that were a wakeup call. safety protocols weren't in place or procedures weren't followed. >> reporter: and sfashz this

case is concerned, the public is not at risk, and the only person under observation is the technician who have be monito d monitored. back you. >> thanks, elizabeth. it may not be much of a christmas in parts of the deep south today after at least six tornados hammered the area. the holiday will be spent cleaning up. hardest hit was southeast mississippi. that's where four people were killed and dozens injured. others lost everything they own including christmas presents. there are widespread power outages yet this morning. and strong winds near columbus, ohio, last night, left behind a lot of damage. the storm ripped the roof off a storage unit building and overturned dozens of cars in a nearby mall parking lot. the people were in the mall shopping for last minute gifts or watching a movie. there were no injuries reported. after all that bad weather

delayed travelers on christmas eve, it's going to feel spring-like this christmas day. >> it's ironic. and justin povick has the big picture at accuweather. >> thank you. the south plains the place to be weather-wise on this christmas day. thursday looking spectacular. aside from a gusty breeze, it's in the 50s and 60s. and lots of sunshine on the way as well. northeast, well, it's improving at least on this thursday. low pressure leaving. morning wet weather from portland, maine, to boston. interstate 95 will be soaked and gusty winds with potentially airport travel delays. blustery in the system, and mild in the 50s. the remainder of the country on this christmas day. in the north, quite chilly and snow. back to you. >> thanks, justin. a pilot from jordan has been

captured by isis fighters in syria. you can see the captive being paraded in front of cameras. the militants claim they shot down the aircraft using heat-seeking missiles. although that has not been verified independently. jordan is part of the u.s.-led coalition fighting isis. new york police investigating a number of threats following the murder of two officer last weekend. and they're taking those threats seriously. they have stepped up police presence outside station houses in brooklyn. the head of the police union is telling members to wear bullet proof vests and carry their weapons even when they're off-duty. >> another night of tension after a police shooting in the st. louis area. this one in berkly, missouri, led to a second night of protests at the gas station where an 18-year-old man died. the white officer shot and killed him. the victim's family is against the protests, and police point

out this incident it much different than the one last summer in nearby ferguson. >> the individual produced a pistol with his arm straight out. pointed at the officer from across the hood of the police car. at that point the officer produced his weapon and fired. >> surveillance video captured the incident. there was no video from the ferguson shooting. and more than half of the police officers are black as is the mayor. former president george h.w. bush will spend christmas day in a houston hospital. a spokesman said the 90 year-old had a good day on christmas eve, and the former president's prognosis remains positive. pair a medics took him to the hospital after he was short of breath. sony pictures calling the release of the interview a victory for free speech.

it's now available on demand and will be on movie screens across the country today. bazi kanani has more. >> hey. >> kim. >> reporter: the surprise gift from sony pictures on christmas eve. comedy fans now renting the interview on youtube, google play and microsoft xbox a day before it's release in the theaters willing to show the film. sony saying it was essential for the studio to release this movie, especially given the assault on the business for those who wanted to stop free speech. >> you know what's more destructive than a nuclear bomb? words. >> reporter: the is a tir ral plot to assassinate kim jong-un is getting mixed reviews, but ticket sales were so strong that some theaters are adding more show times. >> it's sold out. >> reporter: have you been surprised by the demand? >> i've been pleasantly surprised how for vant it is.

there's a lot of interest because of the news. but our phone has been ringing off the hook. we have been selling out shows left and right. >> reporter: even free popcorn in vermont if you bring a copy of the constitution and stand for the freedom of expression. a north korean diplomat tells the associated press that even though the country condemns the film, there will likely be no physical reaction to it. bazi kanani, abc news. and now pope francis delivering the christmas message just hours after sending a special message to some iraqis. he celebrated late night mass in st. peters, and called to refugees who he told to stay strong despite their dire circumstances. in iraq, christian worshippers fought back tears as they were read the message. they are less than ten miles

from where their battling isis forces. they prayed for peace. and keeping with the theme, several thousand christian pilgrims turned out in bethlehem. the top holy leader led a procession from his office to the square believed to be the birthplace of jesus christ. crowds were smaller, mainly because of the dead he conflict in gaza this past summer. and can't forget that santa claus has been working hard all night. >> busy man. we take a look at the big man. as its done since 1955, norad tracked his progress as he makes his way around the world. he encountered a bit of turbulence over the eastern atlantic. but he will complete his rounds as he always does. >> always does. >> he didn't need any help from

uber. it's what we're talking about next. s it being likened to the bootleggers of the pro big era. being called criminals. and going for the big money. the big grab for cash right in the middle of a highway.

wall street only needed six points to set a new record on christmas eve. the dow tip toed a little higher on the holiday. shortened trading session. the market is dancing to the good news on the economy. and analysts say they're in the surprised by the rally. traders have today off while those somehugar plums dance in r

heads. >> a lot of dances references. and the job market, the labor says the number of americans applying for unemployment benefits just hit the lowest level in seven weeks. only 280,000 people filed for jobless claims last week. employees have added nearly 3 million jobs as the year draws to a close. most major retailers are closed today, catching their breath and counting their profits. knowless s analysts say it's be mediocre. there just weren't as many customers in stores as expected and more are shopping online. and tomorrow is going to be the second-biggest day of the year. and the nation's largest employer walmart, is getting ready to increase pay. it's the result of minimum wage increases coming into effect in

21 states. it's unclear how much they will amount to in total because there's no precise number of employees that are eligible. to uber now. and being called a criminal enterprise. philadelphia taxi companies filed a lawsuit against uber, trying to put the brakes on the on-demand car service. the cabbies maintain uber's drivers aren't licensed. a cab license costs more than half a million dollars. they say it's the most brazen operation since bootlegging. it was a wild christmas eve in hong kong. an armored van driver failed to notice the back was open, allowing the cash to fly out. >> traffic came to a halt as drivers scrambled to grab the money. nearly $2.5 million was spilled. it's unclear how much was recovered. but they were making it rain on

that highway in hong kong. good deal. suspect caught. police now have their man. what they found on him. and a modern nativity scene with a message that will put things in perspective this christmas morning. ge. call right now to receive your free dvd and booklet with no obligation. it answers questions like... how a reverse mortgage works, how much you qualify for, the ways to receive your money...and more. plus, when you call now, you'll get this magnifier with led light absolutely free! when you call the experts at one reverse mortgage today, you'll learn the benefits of a government-insured reverse mortgage. it will eliminate your monthly mortgage payments and give you tax-free cash from the equity in your home and here's the best part... you still own your home. take control of your retirement today!

♪ hey mom, can i have a hot chocolate? ho ho ho... we'll all have hot cocoa! ma'am, need a strong pot of joe. the all new keurig 2.0. dave, i'm sorry to interrupt... i gotta take a sick day tomorrow. dads don't take sick days, dads take nyquil. the nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, fever, best sleep with a cold, medicine. oh, yeah, he's hanging ten or then some. before his around the world flight, santa had time for his annual water skiing appearance near washington, d.c. and brought the reindeer.

and they were wake boarding on the pato mac river. it was foggy. they could have used rudolph. after this, he went straight to work. snow skiing on the highways in the rockies. roads wet the in the upper u.s. and parts of the southwest. otherwise, driving should be clear. >> you're flying, airport delays possible in boston, new york and denver. the mystery over that abandoned armored car found in texas has been solved. the driver, suspected of stealing $200,000, along with another man, are under arrest in colorado. police say they were able to recover the money as well as some weapons. the men will be returned to texas next week. a church in southern california known fors it controversial nativity scenes is at it yet again. take a look. this year's scene outside of claire month united methodist

church depicts a homeless woman at a bus stop with a baby jesus in tow. what this jesus were born today? they say it's right to provoke thought at this time of year. >> we have many unwed mothers. we have many children born in poverty. people shouldn't be so quick to judge. >> well, last year's church nativity scene depicting mary as the mother of trayvon martin was controversial as well. the pastor says he hopes the scenes help people think about christmas in a different way. fire fighters in providence, rhode island, took the role of santa's helpers on christmas eve by delivering gifts to a family they saved from a burning home the day before. >> the mom and six kids are spending christmas at a hotel. the red cross has been helping to make sure the family has housing, clothing and food.

>> love that. >> yeah. pretty awesome. time for a look at sports. over to the guys at espn. >> good morning, america. i'm john inside the espn "sportscenter" studios. what a pop eye's bahamas bowl yesterday between central michigan and western kentucky. beautiful scenery. check out what happened. second quarter, things are looking good for western kentucky. to mcneal, fifth td of the half for them. and western kentucky leads 42-14. it appears to be a laugher. fourth quarter, central michigan scratches their way back. but one second to go. they need a touchdown. they're at their own 25 yard line. rush, rolls right, steps up in the pocket. fires down field. jesse cole makes the catch. now he laterals before he's tack tackled. butler, lateral, does before he hits the ground. and then the last lateral to titus davis who will try to make

it to the pylon for the tie. oh, wow. he made it. one of the most miraculous plays in college football history. titus davis pulls central michigan to within one. kicked the extra point, go to overtime, right? wrong. central michigan decides to go for two. rush, the fade, but the corner back's name is wonderful teri. he breaks it up. and western kentucky wins the popeye's bahamas bowl by one. merry christmas, good morning, america. for the latest live "sportscenter," turn to espn at 9:00. have a great day. thanks. up next in the pulse, all the free publicity. an international scandal. how was "the interview," really? and a christmas tree that refuses to turn down, or off, for that matter. lly big deal.

with aches, fever and chills- there's no such thing as a little flu. so why treat it like it's a little cold? there's something that works differently than over-the-counter remedies. attack the flu virus at its source with prescription tamiflu. and call your doctor right away. tamiflu is fda approved to treat the flu in people 2 weeks and older whose flu symptoms started within the last two days. before taking tamiflu tell your doctor if you're pregnant, nursing, have serious health conditions, or take other medicines. 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 in particular may be at an increased risk of seizures, confusion or abnormal behavior. the most common side effects are mild to moderate nausea and vomiting. ask your doctor about tamiflu and attack the flu virus at its source. yyou would need like a bunch of those to clean this mess. then i'll use a bunch of them.

what are you doing? dish issues? ... ... get cascade complete. one pac cleans better than six pacs of the bargain brand combined. cascade. now that's clean. fousugar. only six?ns. six grams of sugar? that's really good. excellent, delicious... and yummy! honey bunches of oats. tasty! yummy! and it's time to check "the pulse" on this christmas morning. so many jumping at the chance to get online and stream "the interview" after sony decided to bless the internet with the premier. >> i was among them. and twitter had reactions. including this from zach braff

with a patriotic proclamation, watching in tighty whitey. >> and it's meaner to the media than kim jong-un. >> and happy stream. if you want them to have your amex details. and i did see the movie. it's pretty good. it's funny. >> i've got to see it. >> and with lines like they hate us because they ain't us? beautiful thing. leave it to rush limbaugh to stir up controversy. his target now, bond, james bond. idra alba is rumored to be in the consideration as 007. but you may not be able to tell, he is black. >> now limbaugh insists they must be white and scottish. sean connery was scottish. but he's the only scott to play

the secret agent. and just for the record, there was an outcry when daniel craig was cast because he was blond. >> and he drank heineken as opposed to the martini. exactly. and finally, we have seen plenty of christmas trees over the last few weeks. but none quite like this. ♪ play, play, play ♪ and the haters gonna hate, hate, hate ♪ >> that tree is not shaking it off. taylor swift is part of the medially of songs while they blink in synchronicity. it's the work of a couple in minnesota. it's gone viral. nearly 2 million yous on youtube. that's a loud tree. >> it is. and if they get a david remix. i would be for it. for some of you, your local

news is next. >> for the rest of you, pure animal ironry. >> merry christmas. elara®. it helps keep my skin clearer. with only 4 doses a year after 2 starter doses... ... stelara® helps me be in season. stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and increase your risk of infections. some serious infections require hospitalization. before starting stelara®... ...your doctor should test for tuberculosis. stelara® may increase your risk of cancer. always tell your doctor if you have any sign of infection, have had cancer, or if you develop any new skin growths. do not take stelara® if you are allergic to stelara® or any of its ingredients. alert your doctor of new or worsening problems including headaches, seizures, confusion and vision problems- these may be signs of a rare, potentially fatal brain condition. serious allergic reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you or anyone in your house needs or has recently received a vaccine. in a medical study, most stelara® patients saw at least 75% clearer skin... ...and the majority were rated as cleared or minimal at 12 weeks. stelara® helps keep my skin clearer. ask your doctor about stelara®.

transferred money from hisy 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 of preparing for retirement. that's why when the time came he counted on merrill edge to streamline his investing and help him plan for the road ahead. that's the power of streamlined connections. that's merrill edge and bank of america. creeping up on you... fight back with relief so smooth... ...it's fast. tums smoothies starts dissolving the instant it touches your tongue ...and neutralizes stomach acid at the source. ♪ tum, tum tum tum... smoothies! only from tums.

. checking our top stories. the head of the cdc promises a full review after a worker in the atlanta office was possibly exposed to ebola. the worker is being monitored for 21 days. a pilot from jordan has been captured by isis fighters in syria. the militants claimed to have shot the plane down. the u.s. says that's not true. jordan is part of the u.s.-led coalition fighting isis. and sony reversing the controversial decision to pull "the interview." instead allowing it to open at 200 theaters today. it's available on demand throughout the country. and looking at today's weather, you can see the conditions right now. well, for many lucky boys and girls, santa might be bringing them a puppy or a kitten this morning. >> millions of animals are available for adoption,

including the very tricky kitty you're about meet. brad from our indianapolis station has this cute cat story. >> reporter: sandy squirrel is a shy young kitten. she's so shy, they put her with a foster family to bolster her confidence. and than trough. >> they led the door open, and sandy darted out the door. >> reporter: that's when this cat went on the lam with one count of escape. >> company was here yesterday, my cat was acting suspiciously, we heard a meow. >> reporter: john followed the noise to an air return. and saw it. >> two eyes staring back at us. >> reporter: count two, burglary. he managed to free the fugitive feline and brought it back to the humane society. >> this was a kitten that had gotten lost in foster care two

days earlier in beach grove. i live out near eagle creek. >> reporter: the staff recognized sandy instantly. and a check of the microchip confirmed the journey. >> to end up at my house, given who i am and the kitten, is the irony of the story. >> reporter: how did the kitten know to show up at the house of this cat lover? and how did it know that john just happens to be the ceo of the humane society of indianapolis? what's the matter? cat got your tongue? brad, rtv 6. >> you know, we should have done a count of how many cat puns were in the story. there were many. >> that's right. and before we go, one last check in with norad santa tracker. he is over water and nearly finished with all his global rounds. finished with all his global rounds. >> yeah daylight is coming

narrator: a long time ago, in a land filled with kings and queens, there lived a hero so beloved that he was known... by just one name. -galavant. -galavant. -galavant. "galavant" is like nothing created before. it's a classic hero story, but it's our twist on it, so it's comedic. okay. if you're a big fan of "monty python" meets "the princess bride," then i think you're gonna like it. it's a great story, great characters. it's a total roller coaster. it's just a really lighthearted romp... [ laughs ] ...yet hip and twisted. people love when you take a form that they're familiar with and have a fracture. that's a holy grail, where you can find that combination of funny and heart and adventure. [ growls ] ♪ now at last begins a true adventure ♪ ♪ epic, wild, a real butt-clencher ♪ ♪ so, huzzah and tally ho ♪ sit back, and here we go ♪ attend the tale of ♪ galavant