good morning, everyone. it's friday, december 23rd, 2011. we're following breaking news out of capitol hill this morning where the house and the senate have approved a short-term extension of a payroll tax cut. all that is left is for president obama to sign the into law. house republicans bowed to pressure from democrats and fellow republicans in the senate in an agreement to a two-month renewal to the tax cut.they arem extension in the new year. if that tax cut had expired in the new year, 160 million

americans would have paid additional taxes each week. a scary scene earlier this morning in southeast wash as three firefighters were trapped in the basement that a fire. the firefighters put in a mayday call. fire crews are still investigating the cause of the blaze. christmas has come early today for shoe fanatics nationwide. nike's do air jordons were coming out today. crowds crammed stores from seattle to indianapolis to get their hands on the shoes. and tracee wilkins has a look at the footwear frenzy. >> reporter: it was a standoff

at the fashion center at pentagon city. arlington police versus tennis shoe lovers. one teen showed us his cell phone video of how crowded and how bad it got. >> it was like a riot, basically. everybody started running, pushing, shoving. >> reporter: stores were promising a pair of air jordon concord, the first releases in three years. >> i never heard about any tickets involved. i have gone through jordons before. >> the crowds did not react well to the restrictions. there were scenes across the nation similar to this one. this one shows compromise after crowds got out of control here, police started allowing one person into footlocker at a time. some left disappointed.

>> they finally closed it down, and they let ten people in to get the shoes. >> reporter: but for the lucky folks, the hassle, the wait, and the $200-price tag were worth it. >> i think they were worth it. >> reporter: this is not your style? >> no, not my style, and chuck's are cheaper. >> reporter: he is more of what you call an opportunists. >> reporter: you are not going to wear them? >> no, never. less than 48 hours until christmas, and some stores are offering last-minute deals. on top of that, they are offering huge discounts.

some shoppers just couldn't wait showing up at 9:00 last night to snag some deals. >> now, i leave everything to the last minute. she is a shopoholic, and she shops all yearlong. >> what is it like? >> all salespeople, it's great. >> business analysts say it might be a sign of panic of companies trying to get rid of merchandise. one chief said things will be bad after the holidays as they will be stuck with products they can't get rid of. >> if you are about to head out of town for the holidays, expect some company. millions of people will travel more than 50 miles to visit family and friends and this year more than 83 million people expected to drive making for

crowded roads, and that's up more than 2% from last year. fewer people will make the trip by airplane. aaa says air travel is down because air fares are on the highest point in three years. let's check on how things are moving right now on the roads around here. here is danella sealock. >> well, if you are traveling in d.c. right now we have an accident. this time it's in northeast. 12th street at rhode island avenue, you will see a accident with a possible lane block. be aware of that. >> i-95, this is as you cross over the occoquan river bridge, an accident. you can see here making your way from lorton passing route 1, those areas of jammed. once you get around prince william parkway, it's not so bad

at all. it's clear as you head into dale city. back to you. >> thank you. turning to the weather, oh, look at it out there. we have got more clouds, and we're still warm. are we going to have this kind of weather all through the weekend. >> it will get colder as the day progresses with a gusty northwest wind. we have clouds returning after we had some sun earlier in the wake of the rain that fell last night. 51 at reagan national right now. we have been holding steady with the same temperatures all morning long. not much more of a warmup, maybe two or three degrees over the next hour or so and then it will be colder as we get into the rest of the afternoon. here we were, right before midnight. we were getting the heavy downpours, those areas in yellow across northern virginia and maryland, but that storm system quickly exited the region, and now we have had clouds closing back in again, and they will be back in the afternoon hours with the blustery wind.

we will be in the low to mid-50s, and then fall back down to 50 by sunset, and then this evening turning much colder. we will talk about that, weather for the holiday weekend and weather for travel today around the country and i will also show you some amazing video of a comet as seen from the international space station in a couple minutes. >> thank you. see you in a few minutes. today is bringing an early christmas present for d.c. families, and approximately 175 members of the national guard are returning home from afghanistan. megan mcgrath is live with more on the emotional homecoming. megan. >> reporter: we still have a few families lingering here, still playing with young children. there were quite a few kids here just absolutely thrilled to see their parents arrive early this morning. it really was the perfect gift. the loved ones, the d.c. air guards 113th wing just wanted their soldiers home from

afghanistan for the holiday. what a homecoming this was. they got their wish this morning. an emotional homecoming at andrew's air force base after a two month tour in afghanistan. many were hopeful they would make it home for the holiday, but you know in the military plans can always change and change at the last minute, but you can see the joy and the relief as family members watched that door and they caught that first glimpse of their loved one, and then hugs and tears followed. >> i am sorry, not a whole lot to say, and i am obviously quite happy to be home. >> and home for the holidays. >> cutting it close, but definitely happy to be home. >> merry christmas. >> my mom is struggling, because she's sick, you know, and she's tired, and we can't cook or anything like that, so we're trying our best. >> but you are glad he's coming

home? >> yes, that's the bestest christmas present. >> reporter: some say they are going to lay low and stay at home with their loved ones and enjoy each other's company, and others are getting together with extended family and having a big holiday celebration this year, but no matter what the plans it's a special christmas. >> what a beautiful sight there this morning. thank you for sharing that with us, megan. >> reporter: sure. today is your final chance to help with our 12 days of giving. if you are looking for the right charity to support the catalogue for philanthropy. we have volunteers from the organization standing by. 202-885-4949. if you can help the organization grow and continue to make a difference you can call. it's nine minutes after 11:00, and coming up, new

pictures and a new report on the damage of the national monument, why it may be more extensive than first thought. and then tebow honoring

[ screaming ] [ zapping ] there goes dwayne's car. oh, man. there goes dwayne's house. whoa! whoa! and there goes dwayne. man, that thing does not like dwayne.

[ male announcer ] state farm's got you covered. nice landing. it was. [ male announcer ] get to a better state. the u.s. park service released new photos along with a new report detailing the damage to the washington monument from the earthquake.

the most severe damage is around the 450-feet area. the august quake damaged six marble panels and cracked beams and bearings. and despite the damage, the monument is structurally sound. and now out of new zealand, the country is recovering from another rash of earthquakes. there was three major aftershocks within an hour. so far reports of only minor injuries and no major damage to buildings. christ church suffered severe damage from the earthquake back in february when 182 people were killed and most of the downtown area was destroyed. tom is with us again now to talk about what is happening around here with the weather. what a rain we had last night. >> yeah, and then it quickly was gone and we dried out this morning. i was able to see the space station fly over, and as i was looking at it, i thought there are people up there that has

incredible views. they see sunrises and sunsets every hour and a half. just a couple days ago they saw something very amazing and something very unusual. here is dan burbank, the space station commander describing what he saw. >> as we were flying over tasmania, we had just see the storms over the philippines, and it was nighttime, and thunderstorms lighting up the entire sky, and then just before the sun came up, the earth was lit up as a sliver of blue and burple, and then a long green arc that extended ten degrees or so from the horizon. >> so they saw comet lovejoy. they thought the comet would crash into the sun, and it didn't. they were able to see it. isn't that spectacular? just amazing views. here is another view from australia. this is a photograph that was taken from the surface of the

earth in new south whales, australia, and it was just after sunset. just a spectacular image. a little cloud there in front of the comet, and that was just a couple nights ago. what an amazing night. it was marvelous to see that video. apparently, they have taken hundreds of photographs, too. we will share those in the coming days. right now, a lot of clouds around. we have a north northwesterly wind. about 15-20 miles per hour, and occasionally more gustier than that. and right now montgomery and arlington and fairfax and prince georges counties, 40s to 50 degrees now. and then there was the rain we had last evening and it quickly exited and now the clouds have come back in again and it may produce a few sprinkles in loudoun county. in the mountains, they may have

a few snow showers today. and between washington and new england, things are improving rapidly. the storm they had this morning is exiting and things should be improving. all up and down the atlantic seaboard should not have traveling difficulties, and minneapolis, st. paul, they are getting snow so there may be minor flight delays. much of the nation is settled except in southern new mexico. they are getting a snowstorm as well as southwest texas. getting rain around seattle, but otherwise much of the nation is settled here for travel here on this big travel day. clouds will be in and out for the rest of the afternoon, and fall from the mid-50s to near 50 by sunset, and then this evening partly cloudy and turning colder, and it will drop to near 40 by midnight and the winds will diminish and then down to 30 by dawn on saturday. tomorrow, lots of sun and highs climbing into the mid-40s.

should be great weather for the skins and vikings game at fedex field on saturday afternoon. and then for christmas eve, it should be mostly clear and getting cold. it will be down near 30 on christmas morning on sunday. right now, it's looking better for christmas day. the last few days i thought we would have a storm, and it looks like the storm will be south of us. highs in the mid-40s on christmas. and then for monday, into the 40s again after a cold start and cold front for the rest of the week, and maybe rain on tuesday. stay tuned. we'll keep you posted on that. >> the most snow we will see are the flakes i will see on your tie. >> yeah, that's the only place it will be snowing around here is on mai tai. out to the roads now with danella sealock. >> if you are getting ready to head on the road traveling on i-95 south in virginia, very slow at this time. you're at about 22 miles per hour. and to the parkway, that trip

will make you 20 minutes. and then traveling route 50, making your way from 301 to the beltway, it will take you aeigh minutes. today is the final day of 12 days of giving, and during those 12 days we have introduced you to different nonprofit groups in our area that are making a difference but need support to make it continue to work. pat lawson joins us. >> they help people in the greater washington area connect with small community-based nonprofits that support the area. they raised $15 million for the nonprofits in the last nine years. if you would like to help the organization that we have here, that we will feature in just a

moment, the number to call is 202-885-4949. and we have our guests here. welcome to "news4 midday." your catalogue features the small charities that you researched and vetted and you matched them with people that are looking for charities. tell us about that. >> the catalogue is a nonprofit that helps other nonprofits. we ask the small local nonprofits in the region to apply every year, and we put them through a rigorous evaluation process, and those 68 that make it through the process, they are in the catalogue that we mail to all around the region. >> you have a different list every year? >> yes, we have 350 featured on the website, so anybody interested in the full range can

go to our website to learn more about the whole 350. >> now your list is split into categories. >> international, nature, and education. >> lindsay, you are with higher achievement, and you were first featured in one of the catalogues in 2003. >> absolutely. >> how did that impact your charity? >> the catalogue impacted our charity in great ways. we were serving 200 students with the year-round academic enrichment program, and now we are serving over 500 in the d.c. area. we have been able to connect with great champions through the catalogue, who would never have found us otherwise. >> tell us about the students who are helping and what you do. >> higher achievement is a year round mentoring program. we work with motivated but undercovered elementary school.

-- middle schools. 93% go on to college. >> how can we help you this morning? >> we can use donations and volunteers and more opportunities. we need voluntary mentors and people to help us connect to great college troops and career shadowing day and field trip opportunities. >> if you can help in that way, call our volunteers at 202-885-4949 to help higher achievement and to learn more about the catalogue for philanthropy of greater washington. 11:21, and still ahead on "news4 midday," the biggest advancement in plastic surgery. we will take a look at that. plus, the big movie hitting the theaters in the holiday season, but first this is what is hot on nbcwashington.co

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denver broncos quarterback, tim tebow, will have special people in the stands against the bills this weekend. one student hit a hit to the back of the knee that suffered an artery, and he had to have his leg amputated. tebow says that story makes him

know how blessed he is. now -- >> all that you have taken with him, if i can, i will return him to your care. >> we are checking out what is opening at the box office right now, and the latest epic from steven spielberg is "war horse" albert is forced to sell his horse, joey, to the english army during world war i, and he goes on to an extraordinary journey, and changing and inspiring lives wherever he goes. "war horse" is rated pg-13. and then another spielberg feature, "contintin tin." he tried to fined a ship wreck.

the "adventures of tintin" is rated pg. daniel craig plays a journalist trying to solve a murder of a girl 40 years ago. he enlists the help of a hacker who will try to figure out the history. "the girl with the dragon tattoo" is rated r. and a true and inspiring story of one family's ability to persevere. they buy a zoo and try to resurrect the zoo and bring it back to prominence. "we got a zoo" is rated pg. and why it's costing you more to travel over the holiday season. we will run down the numbers. plus, why some best buy customers will be disappointed this christmas. chilly weather is moving in

just in time for the holidays. tom kierein has an update

right now on news4 midday, a payroll tax cut extension is on the brink of becoming a reality. the house and senate passed the two-month extension this morning. president obama must sign it into law now, and lawmakers say they will work on a long-term extension in the new year. air jordon mania hijacked

the holiday spirit. hundreds of people camped out at stores nationwide hoping to be the first to own the nike jordons. many crowds turned violent and police had to use pepper spray to break up fights among shoe buyers. >> today millions of people will hit the road to catch a plane or visit family and friends. nbc's tom costello reports. >> reporter: yet again, you are in good company if you plan to be on the move over the holiday stretch. of the 92 million people traveling 50 miles or more, nearly 84 million of us are driving, and only about 5.4 leisure travelers are flying, and that's a big drop of nearly 10% from last year. you can blame all the extra flying fees and a rough economy. but none of that matters to this family heading to florida. >> the decision to go is based

on the fact that we have family there, so we have a free place to stay. >> or the curry family headed to north dakota. >> we just try to make it work, and family is important to us so we wanted to get home for christmas. >> reporter: how much are we paying compared to last year? the lowest rounds trip airfare this year is up from a year ago. rental cars are $10 cheaper, $40 a year. the lowest in three years. $126 will get you a room at a three-star hotel, and that's about the same from a year ago. movie tickets have not changed much. $10.60 on average. grocery are up, 4% on average, making a holiday get together more expensive. >> the typical family is living in an environment where their

wages have not gone up in the past few years, and inflation has been really taking away. >> reporter: especially for food and gas. finally, if you do plan to drive over the holidays, the folks at the aaa hope you don't mind a friendly year end reminder in the name of safety. >> stay away from driving while distracted. focus on the task at hand, which is driving. >> reporter: and says aaa, keep the keys away from friends or family members that may have had too much to drink this time of year. >> on average, gas prices go up 93 cents from christmas to their travel peak. a silver spring homeowner is hoping youtube will catch the person that broke into the house. the burglary happened on monday on burnett avenue. the homeowner decided to put the surveillance video on youtube in

hopes somebody would recognize somebody. and now newt gingrich, mitt romney, rick perry and ron paul are expected to make it. michele bachmann and huntsman and santorum did not qualify for the march 6th primary ballot. now, with more than a week to go before the iowa caucuses, gingrich says he is happy to come in third or fourth, and his comments come as the polls show ron paul in the lead. bush supports romney. he said perry is not surging

forward. we will check in with tom kierein for the latest on the forecast. >> we had some sun just around dawn. we had clouds return here temporarily. right now that's a live view from the skywatcher camera, a few casts of sunlight getting through. the wind is kicking up as well. over the last 12 hours, the last of the rain left predawn, and since then we had clouds moving back in with gusty winds. and temperatures around the region are in the 40s to near 50 degrees, and not warming up much more. in the evening, we will be in 40 by midnight and then by dawn under a clear sky near 30 degrees, and tomorrow afternoon in the mid-40s with lots of sunshine. and then on sunday, christmas day, in the morning it should be sunny with temperatures near 30, and clouds developing during the day and afternoon highs near mid-40s, but it looks like we will stay dry on christmas day.

and then sunshine, afternoon highs in the 40s on tuesday. >> looks good. we will check on the midday traffic and see how that is looking. danella? >> looks like a lot of people are heading down 95 south. look at all that red from the beltway as you make your way towards dell city. it's stop and go for you. you can see southbound traffic south of lorton, slow. from i-95 to the occoquan river bridge, you are at 17 miles per hour, and that trip will take you about 36 minutes to get there. however, traveling right now the beltway at 201 in prince georges county inner loop and outer loop in this area, nice and clear, and all the way around the beltway in montgomery county as well as virginia, no problems there. >> thank you, danella. as we approach the end of 2011, we are looking at some of the top classic surgery advances

in the 21st century. and we will talk more about the advancement. good morning. this is the biggest thing. we will talk about a lot over the next few weeks, but this is unbelievable. in the past, somebody who had severe damage to their face could not have anything done about it. >> absolutely true. this is something that i really never thought i would see in our lifetime. there are different techniques where people can be given medication to keep from rejecting somebody else's face. >> we recently followed the results of charlotte nash, and for so long we saw her walking around with a total cover over her face because she didn't want to shock people. recently, we saw pictures, and she absolutely looks wonderful.

>> it's remarkable. it's such a great advance over what we had before, which was skin graphs, and sometimes a flap. and this is a whole face and unit and it's very affective. >> there it is. a photograph of her. and she looks wonderful. is there a chance -- it looks as if -- that's a still picture there now, but when she speaks, will her face be able to move? >> yes, absolutely. this is microsurgery, so not only are the blood vessels being connected but the nerves are being connected, so the face will have sensation and motion, and through the years it will look better. she will probably have to have touchup surgeries for small things, but in the past, burn victims and soldiers abroad getting their faces blown off by ieds, they had no opportunity to become normal again. this is a great advance. >> and the surgery has advanced a lot since the very first transplant. >> there have been seven done.

the first was done in france, and that was done on an animal that bit off the face of its owner, actually. we are seeing a lot of animal injuries as well as cancers and burns. in the united states, the first full transplant was done two years ago on a burn victim, and now we will see more of those. the department of military, the army, is interested in this for our soldiers returning from iraq, iran, afghanistan, who are having these terrible ied injuries. they had body armor but nothing to protect their face. >> this surgery involved a transplant, so there needs to be a donor involved. >> yes. >> and how are doctors like you going about getting people to make these kind of donations? >> well, there is where ethics come in a little bit. people are going to look more like they used to look than they will look like somebody making the donation. they have the same bone

structure. we're putting the envelope over the structure. it's not like you will look like your aunt or uncle who donated their body to science. this is an ethical issue we are still dealing with. >> you can mark on your driver's license if you come to an unfortunate end, you can give body parts and i think a lot of people consider that a good thing to be able to do. >> right. you can do that, and you can also be specific about which body parts. if you want to be excluded from such a program, you can be excluded. >> what is the next thing with the facial surgery. what do you see as the next element that would make it more successful? >> i think there have been only seven done in the world so far. i think as the procedure gets more efficient and more effective and cost-effective, we will see more application to cancer patients, burn patients,

hopefully we're not going to see a lot more of the military disasters that we are seeing, but unfortunately that will be there. i think we will see a greater frequency, as the cost comes down and the efficiency improves. >> a lot of people don't recognize the importance of plastic surgery. people have face-lifts and tummy tucks and that sort of thing. >> and yeah, these techniques pioneered in the last decade are so routine. next time we will talk about the return of the silicone breast implant and hair cloning and other great advances in the 21st century. >> thank you for coming. it's now 11:40, and up next a look at how investors are reacting this morning. plus our phone bank is open. pat lawso state farm. this is jessica.

hey, jessica, jerry neumann with a policy question. jerry, how are you doing? fine, i just got a little fender bender. oh, jerry, i'm so sorry. i would love to help but remember, you dropped us last month. yeah, you know it's funny. it only took 15 minutes to sign up for that new auto insurance company but it's taken a lot longer to hear back. is your car up a pole again? [ crying ] i miss you, jessica! jerry, are you crying? no, i just, i bit my tongue. [ male announcer ] get to a better state. text save to 7-8836. happens every year: fall getturns to winterate. and brings in the cold. because of our economy, millions more will feel that chill than ever before. they're the forgotten ones. the big boys have abused the system to enrich only themselves, while workers are still hurting. it could be a layoff after 22 years of working for the same company. or choosing between food and heat for a sick child. or after working your whole life, you don't have what you need to stay warm. you played by the rules, but who changed them?

even though oil prices are soaring to record levels, in washington, fuel aid for the poor was cut in half. citizens energy asked big oil companies and oil producing nations to help. they all said 'no,' expect for citgo and the people of venezuela. for the last 7 years, citgo has helped struggling families in the united states in good times and in bad. so if you need help staying warm this winter, give me a call. because no one should be left out in the cold.

and video chat with up to 9 of your friends with the galaxy nexus by samsung, or get the samsung stratosphere, and for a limited time, get twice the data for the same low price. verizon. well, this could be a disappointing christmas if you are waiting on a gift you ordered from best buy. turns out your gift may not arrive after all. it's canceling some orders because of what it's calling an overwhelming demand. it's right in the middle of hanukkah. some of the orders were placed back in november.

best buy is not the only retailer with egg on its face. a department of barney's said some of its orders were cancelled because of glitches. and then we are going to check in with cnbc's hampton pearson. >> despite some of the mixed news on the economy, the dow is up about 73. the nasdaq up about 10. and as you mentioned, consumer spending and incomes were up a lack luster one-tenth in december. now, we also had a drop in business investments for the second straight month. companies bought more long-lasting manufactured goods, and that was set off by strength in the volatile aerospace

industry. and in november, americans actually bought more new homes than in the previous month, up 1.6% says the commerce department to annual rate of 315,000, and that's less than half the 700,000 economists believe are really needed to sustain the housing market. it's below the 315,000 sold last year, which was the worst year since they started keeping record back in 1963. and the traders are pleased that congress passed the payroll tax extension. markets and just about everything else will be closed on monday. barbara, with that in mind, a merry christmas to you and the gang at news4. >> thank you, and i will pass that on to you and everybody there at cnbc. more now on the 12 days of giving. here is pat lawson mute.

>> if you are looking at just the right charity this holiday to support this season, the catalogue for philanthropy can help you. it connects them with small community-based nonprofits in the area. the number to call to help is 202-885-4949. welcome back, the executive director of the catalogue, and ms. jefferies with higher achievement. >> we mail to generally high net households and introduce them to small local nonprofits. >> for the first time this year we can read about the charity in city paper. >> the city paper and the catalogue for fphilanthropy teamed up. >> lindsay, you found it in your neighborhood? >> yes, exactly.

i had the city paper in our local coffee shop and a lot of our voluntary mentors are finding out about us through the city paper. >> tell us what the mentors do for higher achievement. >> absolutely. our mentors come one night aweek and teach a group of scholars and they develop really strong relationships with the middle students that launch them into high school and beyond. >> tell us how the catalogue got started? >> it got started in an interesting way. small family foundations were looking for charities to donate money to, and the harmon family were the initial benefactors. they started the catalogue in 2003, and over the last years we raised $15 million for small nonprofits. >> and you use a group of reviewers to vet them? >> we select the 100 top philanthropist in the region, and they evaluate all of the

applicants every year through a very rigorous screening process, and the 68 that make it are the ones that get the good housekeeping seal of approval. >> you got to work as a revi reviewer, lindsay? >> yes, and it was nice to share the life that i have on the ground with the catalogue. >> once they are listed in the catalogue, one time, are they oug then resisted? >> they could be reevaluated and refeatured again the next year. >> lindsay, you need donations this morning. tell us what higher achievements can use? >> donations of money, but also gift certificates for the scholars, for pizza, for target, for rewards for all of their hard work, and computers are

very useful for all of our centers, and volunteers. we need mentors, and volunteers to help us with field trips and stuff. >> lindsay and don, you are doing great work. what a great concept. thank you so much for being with us. if can you help higher achievement, or if you want to learn more about the catalogue of philanthropy, call or go online. now, coming up, a funny look back at 2011. plus, meteorologist, tom kierein will be back with another look at your holiday forecast. stay with nbc 4 all afternoon. at 3:00, ellen welcomes justin bieber and promised to ask all about his relationship

i am currently serving here in kabul, afghanistan, and i would like to wish my wife and daughter a happy holidays there in arlington, virginia. happy holidays, and i will be home soon. love you guys. bye. >> christmas movies and a look back at 2011, joining us now with more on those stories and more, tommy mcfly. are you ready for the holidays?

>> i am ready for the holidays. >> you better be. we only have a day left. we will start with a funny look back on 2011 from the people from jibjab. >> they do the best videos. >> there it is. they are talking about the top stories -- >> yeah, of the entire year. if you want a great year in review that makes you chuckle. it's three minutes long. it's everything from anthony weiner to arnold schwarzenegger, and bert and ernie make an appearance. it's very funny. >> and to find it? >> youtube, jib jab -- >> they make holiday cards, too? >> yes, they do. absolutely. >> let's talk about the top movies of -- >> all-time.

the christmas movies. >> this is according to access hollywood. let's start with number five. >> "home alone." love that movie. that is the movie that brought him on the scene. john candy was in it. >> yeah, he was. >> and then "the night before christmas," and it was written by a local girl. >> i did not know that. >> and number three is "efl." did you like that? >> yeah, four food groups, sugar, sugar, and sugar and sugar. >> and then "a christmas story," and that's funny.

>> number one, many people love to watch it over and over again, and you know what that is. >> "it's a wonderful life." >> i was surprised that "miracle on 34th street" didn't make it. >> yeah, me, too. those are all great ones. will you sit down this weekend and just watch movies? >> absolutely. i have a week's vacation, and i am coming here and other than that, i will hang on the couch and watch the christmas movies. >> the little drummer boy, tell us about that. >> he is a canadian high school junior, and he puts the video out on youtube, and he appeared with rosie o'donnel, and now he has an agent and 1.5 million hits on youtube. >> where is he from?

>> canada. >> so that was real snow? >> yes, absolutely. talent up there, you have justin bieber, and shania twain, and now this kid. >> do you have plans? >> yes, going to see my family for tomorrow and then i will be back here for the holidays. let's take a look now at some of the stories we're following for this afternoon coming up on news4 at 4:00. 20 million americans will get a lousy gift this season, and we will tell you how you can return that lousy gift. plus -- >> ♪ >> she's a rock and roll hall of famer. darlene joins us to talk about her career and concert. and then the crowds in the

airports and on the roads and this year, one particularly crowded place is the bus terminal. we will have a report live. there's the sky looking off to the west. a lot of clouds around after morning sun. there's breaks in the clouds and a little blue showing through. and the view from space over the last 12 hours, showing the rain exiting and the clouds, and that's a little bit of a time where we have a few sprinkles north and west. and later today, we'll get colder during the afternoon and this evening, and near 30 by dawn tomorrow. and christmas day, looking partly sunny. a nice weekend coming up. enjoy. barbara? >> thank you, tom. it will be a busy weekend for the voluntary santa trackers at norad. when their operation center goes live on christmas eve, that's tomorrow, last year they tracked santa volunteers and answered

80,000 phone calls on christmas eve, and they are also answering 7,000 e-mails. the north american aerospace defense command has been telling anxious children about santa's whereabouts every year since 1955, and they expect to be busy this year again. that does it for us. we have news throughout the weekend and we will be back on monday morning at 11:00 a.m. for

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