good morning and thanks fors being with on this christmas eve. i'm pat lawson muse. >> andol i'mte green. breaking right now, district government offices and ser centers will close today at 2:00 p.m. in obsernner is events of holiday. >> thousands of federal workers may ve an extended christmas break as the president and lawmakers remain at a stalemate over the spending bill. >> we begin yr midday with day three to have the partial government shutdown. yo lre lookinge at the white house, where president trump hs spending tiday instead of florida, as he had planned.

as susan mcginnis explains, it's very possible the impasse between the president congress could continue into january. >> reporter: the most wonderful time of the year may not be for an estimated 800,000 federal employees. weekend talks between the white house and lawmakers brought no compromise over the president's demand that congress fun a border wall. >> there is, frankly, no path toward his getting $5 billion in american taxpayer money to meet hisampaign promise of a big, beautiful wall. >> reporter: incoming white house chief of staff mick mulvaney says the president has backed $ away from t billion he demanded, but rejects democrats' $1.3 billion offer for border security that excludes a wall. >>owhe ball right is in their corner. we've made them an offer yesterday so the senate democrats have the ability right now to open the governmentnd agree to the deal. >> reporter: as talks broke down, large parts of the d government clon saturday,

leaving some federal employees now working without pay, others not working atall. some lawmakers believe it's less about the border, morebout politics. >> this is a made-up fight, so at the president can look like he's fighting. >> he says it's an issue of security. i think we know better. it's an issue of his own political insecurity. >>eporter: the senate mee thursday, but many see the impasse lastin tntgndhe tot is congress will be seated and democrats take over a majority in the house. in washington, susan mcginnis, nbc news. >> reporter: and i'm justin finchus here, outside the ellipse, where tourists are seeing very much in real-life circumstance. they can't quite see everything here. some attractions are open during this partial government shutdown, including museums, however, some things are closed li white house visitors' center as well as the national christmas tree just behind us.s and one family we saw h

learned, they can see the tree, they just c't get close. early christmas eve morning, the thompson family bundled up son, bennett, and daughter, hanna, and drove into the city for theif family tradition seeing the national christmas tree. >> we were really bummed that we weren't able to get to go, but we decided to go get as close as sn could, which very close. >> reporter: dad, rob, held out hope, even t tugh he knew odds were slim. >> as we were watching the news the last week and a half, you knew where it was kind of headed. it's toobad, it's disappointing. >> reporter: and worse, mom, eliza, says benne o missed on the part that he likes the most. >> his favorite thing, their favorite thing is the trains, and the trains running around and you throw pennies into the trains. d obviously, we couldn't get to do that. >> reporter: on this first monday of aer partial gent shutdown, a taste of the consequences of a government in conflict. the thompsons aren't the only ones. a news 4 viewer sent us this pic of little oscar,ooking a bit perplexed as he's locked out of

the national treear viewing . nearby, we found this man at the white house visitors' center, looking for quick souvenir. he'll have to come back some other time. ce things getack to normal, the thompsons have an idea for lawmakers to help them and others make up for lost time at the national christmas tree. >> i hope that they extend it, maybe and when the government reopens, whe -- who knows when. >> orwell, b that idea can be adopted, the government first has to resume its funding and the services that come with it. we're not quite there yet, but that w great idea by that family. we do have a list of what's o and what's closed during this partial government shutdown on our nbc washington app. we're live here in thert noest, i'm justin finch, news 4. >> all right, thank you, justin. and stay with news 4 and our nbc washington a for continuing coverag thon bion this big stor. we'll have an article in the app on what's open and what's closed

during a partialovernment sutdown. justrch "shutdown". all the time to get ready for the holidays is runningout. if you still have a few items to pick up today, you're not alone. news 4's susan hogan is checking out the shopping scene on this christmas eve. >> well, here at kohl's, actually, for six years in a row, they've actually opened up 24/7 since friday before christmas and they're open until 00 p.m. on christmas eve. and i'll tell you, there have been a lot of shoppersere first thing in the morning when we got here at like 4:00 in the morning. so a few things thatou can do right now, if you have not done last-minute shopping, you actually be an amazon prime member and you can get same-day delivery. that is still going on right now, as well. if you're not a prime gnmember, up, it might be worth it. the other thing you can do are e-gift cards. g you can online and grab an e-gift card, print it out, and there you go, y you haver little gift. last-minute shopper, lynn, how are you? >> hagood, you.

>> reporter: thank you, how are you? >> very well. >> reporter: so you took advantage, you kind of waited until the last minute. did you really need all of this stuff? zp >> i did not need any of this stuff. this is last minute, let me go to kohl's because it's open and here we go. >> tomorrow morning, for christmas day, there are a lot of stores that are not open, as you can imagine. a lo of the grocery stores. giant is open in various locations, wellsew s and whole foods. there are a few that are open on christmas day. and those thin are closed ude aldi, bj's, costco, wegman's, harris and trader joe's. back to you guys. skplnch all right. let's turn our attention now to the weather. because i have to hit thto grocery story, so i need to know, what's it going to be like? >> i'll meet you there. chuck bell, meanwhile, is

tracking the temperatures getting ready for santa's arrival tonight. chuck? >> that's right, molette, you're going to buy somebody a little jar of vanilla extract for christmas? t cards for me. gift cards. >> fair enough. >> you can't make christmas cookies without all the ingredients. probably not a bad plan to sthp oute. we have some mid-level clouds, they're dimming out the sunshine just a bit over washington this morning. but this isn't really going to bother anybody too much. these s oes will clear a little bit throughout the afternoon. the best news i can give you is good travel. up and down the east coast, most of the country has good weather. temperatures in the low to mid-40s. and there's a warm-up coming from where we are now to the mid- to highs today, upper 40s. skies will be clearing out a little bit later should be clear sailing for santa tonight. more about the christmas day forecast and the week ahead,mi up. >> thanks, chuck. alert fort 4 traffic you right now. today, you will not be able to use white's ferry to

potomac river. officials say the ferry is closed due to high water. chopper 4 was over the scene earlier this morning. if you need to get across the river before theholiday, you'll need to find ather way. there are new efforts toe impredestrian safety across the district. by thendf the month, ddot will complete installing hardened left turns at these locations. they're designed to reduce drivers' speed and prevent cars fromtr cutting across fic. starting in february, ddot will also install new right turn on red sns at about 100 intersections across the city. all signs should be set up by summer. ted people were res from this home when it caught fire just a few blocks from eastern market sterday. no one was hurt. investigators say the fire started as a result of work being done on the roof. take a look here. this house was -- this house fire caused by a faulty extension cord, powering those lightsas

the fire started at this home on riggsoad in langley park last night. one person ended up in the hospital here, but is expected to be okay. the fire caused $100,000 worth of dama now an update tonight deadly tsunami in indonesia. mo than 280 people have died. the exact number is to rise. right now, crews are search tluing through the rubble for survivors. more than 1,000 people are injured. on saturday night, a volcano erupted, triggering a tsunami. huge waveser destroyed s homes, businesses, cars, trucks, and boats. this happened along the western java and southern sumatra island. back here, a crash in d.c. killed one perso and left three others in the hospital. it happened early yesterday morning, around 12:30. investigators say two vehicles slammed into each other and then hit a tr. this happened on constitution avenue and 19th street in northwesie one person at the hospital. a second person suffered

critical injuries and two other people were also injured. they are expected to be it's not clear how that crash happened. for the first time, we're hearing from the family of a university of maryland student o died from the edadenovirus. freshman olivia paregol died last month. it's treatable, but can become deadly for those with weakened immune systems. paregos father says his daughter suffered from crohn's hdisease, which likely p at a greater risk. >> she's just a free-spirited, kind girl. we watched her w just getker and weaker, and that's the worst experience you can possibly have as a parent. >> at least 40 university of marynd students have tested positive for the virus and one student is currentlythe hospital. school officials say they will rooms andthe dorm other areas during the winter

break. oswell, the wonderful time of the year can also be the busiest time of the year athe nation cathedral. >> thousands are filling the pews for services today. coming up, news 4's barbara har harris, introduces us to the harris, introduces us to the pele who have beenop

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welcome back. at 11:13,he national cathedral hosts many important events throughout the year, but none more important and special-looking than christmas, with all of the decor. >> that's righ and you know it takes a whole team to do this. news 4's barbara harrison takes us inside. >> reporter: while the green may be gone now from the trees and grounds of the nationa cathedral, you'll find it in abundance just inside the giant doors. from the wreath-festooned pillars along the knave, the garlands on the pulpit and lectern, there are more than 64 different locations that will be decora each a little differently, throughout the many chapels and passageways of this massive gothic-style structure. work is still underway in many areas. and the lady inge ch linda reckline direct from the cathedral's flower guild. >> i've been here ovear 53 >> reporter: and her guild i ways busy decorating for one event or another. at ristmas, she says they try

to do something special. a little different each year. >> who makesec theions on what you're going to do here? >> um, i do, for the most part, in terms of flowers. >> reporter: she says she gives each group of guild volunteers a recipe, as she calls it,re with thes and flowers and additionalai decorationsng for them wheny t arrive. and then they get to use their own talents to put it all sotogether. hat's going on in here? >> in here is children's chapel. and we're going right by the children's tree. ter: the children's tree with its tiny animals sets the theme for theltar inside the children's chapel, covered in a wooded wonderland.he even baptismal fount gets a personal touch. some are simple,ome ornate, each meant to invite you to pause and reflect on the majesty of the season. and does they have a favorite

among all of them? it's this, a small single golden dove that you'll see as you leav the cathedral. it says, simply, "peace." >> beautiful. the children's service at the thedral is underway right now. it started at 11:00. unfortunatel the christmas e services for this evening are already full, but there are no passes required to attend tomorrow morning's christmas day service, which starts at 11:15. as 2018 winds down, we take a pause here to remember some of those we lost p over thist year. >> the many well-known personalities who have left an indelibl mark on our lives. ♪ ♪ amazing, amazing grace ♪

♪o you have to l it linger ♪ do you have to ♪ do you have to ♪ dyou have toet it linger ♪ all the time i was findi myself and i ♪ ♪ i didn't know i was lost >> sometimes you have to lose yourself before you can find anythin anything. >> need a lift? i got you. >> you've got me? who's got you?!

>> thank you, frazier, for, well, you know. >> sometimesde w what you girls do when i'm not here. >> the true gift is in your head and in your heart and in your soul. >> i've said it before, i'll say it again, barbecue may not be

the road to world peace, but it's a start. ♪ who lives in a pineapple under ♪ spongebob squarepants >> it's no fun reading about somebody who's perfect. you want to read about peoate ou can identify, because we've all got problems and we're all flawed. >> the universe is ala large and we are a very small detail.

let us each of us, pledge to do more if wherever we can make a >> for a better america, for an endless, enduring dream and a thousand points of light. i've kind of banned the use of the l-word, legacy word. i think history will pnt out the things i did wrong and perhaps some of the things we did rit. >> i wish all of you great adventures, good company, and lives as lucky as mine.

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your sister stopped borrowing your sweaters?e it's time yes! that's yes for less. stop stealing mine... never. the perfect sweater makes the perfect holiday gift. and it feels even better when you find it for less - at ross. yes for less. > it is christmas eve and of course that meansli ms of children will have trouble falling asleep tonight as they anticipate the arrival of santa, meanwhany adults say they have problems getting a good night's sleep mos nights, for various reasons. a new survey by mattress firm finds that the average american wouldbout $290 for a

perfect night's sleep. that translates to almost $106,000 over a year time. the survey found that those who regularly sleep onksheir b reported having the best quality of sleep and those who curl up with their pets also slept a lot better. get yourself a dog. right now, let's get a live look at santa's journey aeund world. and he was last seen in china. apparent now,reportedly, headed for mongolia. we're told he's than 1.5 billion presents already, despite the partial government shutdown, santa will ill be trackoday as he makes his way around the globe. norad will continue to keep ant eye on oldick. this is a 63-year tradition. officials released a statement on twitter saying 1,500 volunteers will help make this possible. >> yeah, they have to track santa. >> got to look for santa.

>> especially tonight. shutdown or no shut we need to know where he is. av and we need some good weather for all of this . >> i'm optimistic. kids around the dynamic area should have no trouble having santa find the rooftop, as he would expected to do. because skiesle will being out. that's a little bit of good news there. anr those of you thatd a white christmas, there's always 2019. because no snow around here. there were some snowflakesut around western maryland last night out at deep creek lake, so it wasn't t ft away. some snow showers up across new york and new england. so right here, at ho we have filtered sunshine out there right now. temperatures haven't budged a whe hec of a lot since early this morning. courtesy of the clouds and a bit of a northwestly breeze that we're continuing with as well. northwest winds could gust as high as 15 to 25 miles an hour. you put that in and factor that in, and it feels a little bit colder than 49 degrees out there. 37 now w in chester, virginia. 40 in the panhandle of west virginia.

46, fredericksburg and quantico. 47 in edgewater, maryland, today. forecast highs, not a whole big jump from where we are now. becoming more a more sunny as the afternoon wears along. the sun's down at 4:51 today. northwest winds will ease off a bit once the sun goes down. tomorrow, a clear star but a lot of clouds coming in tomorrow afternoon, but no moisture to worry about. it will be a dry christmas day.f t for the opportunity to get outside and play with those new toys. more sun minee wednesday. clouds coming back again on thursday. looks like friday will be rain, not snow for the next storm. as pacific storms continue to deliver moisture without cold r. there's your planner. for today, you can sle there's a liit of mid-level cloudiness around here. it's not going to do annoying that significant other than dim the sunshine from time to time. here's future weather then. clear skies should be in place for the second part of the afternoon. and mainly clear overnight. if you're headed out to midnight services tonight, though, you'll

need to bundle up.il windch will be in the upper his evening. here's christmas morning now, clouds coming back into play. and we'll beos ay cloudy day tomorrow. and the sunshine will keep it from getting too terribly warm. about inspect mid- to upper 40s today, only around 43 for a high tomorrow, but witho the wind around, that won't be too bad. back to sunshine on wednreday. clouds iing during the day thursday with a high of 49. and, yes, indeat is a mild rain shower coming up on friday, with highs getting closeo 60 degrees. i'll give you the ten-day forecast, which does at least have a snowflake on it, in the urxt half ho it's not the holidays until...

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welcome back to news 4 midday at 11:30. our coverage of this parti government shutdown continues. this is day three. it's possible thousands of feral workers could remain in limbo through the new year. here's what you need to know ght now. talks between the white house and lawmakers stalled over the weekend. president trump has lowered his asking price, but he's rejecting the mocrats' $1.3 billion offer for border securi , excludeing the wall. the senate meets again on thursday. thisweekend, there was another surprising white house staff announcement via twitter. president trump is expediting the departure of defense hacretary james mattis after all of attention on the letter mattis wrote on his way out the door.

nbc's national security and militaryor rr, courtney kube has that. >> reporter: president trump didn't tell mattis himself. instead, according to defense and military officials, secretary of state mike pompeo had to make the call. afterward, the presiade the firing public, tweeting, deputy secretary of defense s patricknahan will assume the title of acting secretary of defense starting january 1st, 2019. mr. trump is frustrated, according to several administration sources, specifically at reports that said that mattis was, quote, the last adult in the room. the two were increasingly at bu odds. t the president's decision to withdraw troops from syria was the breaking point for the defense secretary. mattis' resignation letter offered a clear rebuke of the president's world view, particularly the treatment of nato allies. mattis wrote, the president deserved a secretary of defense whose views were b aligned with his. the president took a swipe at mattis saturday on twitter,

mentning his previous firing in the obama administration. given mattis' poparity at the pentagon, other departures may follow. >> thawas nbc's courtney kube reporting here. and some context here, once mattis esle there will be seven high-level positions in the administration that are either vacant or filled with someone in an aing capacity. washington's final game of the regular season will now take place at a different time. >> it will still be played on sunday, but it's going to a. at 4:25 p.md not at 1:00 p.m. and all of this comes after a very t weekend loss against the t ans. but many are still talking about josh norman getting into it with titan's taylor lewan. head coach jay gruden later said norman had every right to defend himself. the team now prepares for their final game against the eagles and will not be in the playoffs

this year. it's a play you really have to see to believe. a texas high school football team now state champs, thanks to a llast-second h mary. check it out. >> one for the end zone. it is caught. touchdown! oh, my god! oh, !baby >> high school quarterback demetrius davis throws a 45-yard pass intond the zone, he led the team to t winir third state title in school history! something to be excited about. >> pretty incredible there, that celebration. with the country consumed by the budget battle over a border wall, one christmas message helped break down a barrier.n it happened w man in arizona came across an unusual christmas message from mexico. nbc's katty parca kathyor park

this holay miracle. >> reporter: 8-year-old diami watched her christmas wish list fly away tied to a bright, red balloon, hoping it wofrd get om nogales, mexico, to the north pon'. the note dmake it to santa, but to randy het. >> i noticed there was something red and i couldee the ribbon and the note. >> reporter: the winds carried diami's wish about 20 miles away, across a u.s./mexico border to patagonia, arizona, where randy was nghi >> it was obvious it was a christmas list. the child let the bathoon loose aith that someone would find it. if you happen to find it, you don't turn away from anrt opity like that. >> reporter: with clues from the hand-written message, he traced the letter to nogales and asked a popular radio station there to help. diami was located within an hour. >> love has no borderal that melted away for the

day. wife,porter: randy and his marcella, played santa's helpers, driving to mexico to buy the clots, drawing supplies, and slime on diami's list and then making the special delivery. this christmas connection, a gift for the couple who los their only son years ago. >> it gave me such healing joy of seeing their little faces and everything light up. >> reporter: now finding joy again through a child, who brought them together with a ballooney fromd the border. kathy park, nbc anews. >> suc sweet story, right? >> yes, it is. well, looking to do with a family over the weekend? >> when news 4 midday continues, we're going to tell you about some theater performances that you may enjoy.

after thet flurry of all, the wrapping paper, the feasting, the catching up with fatoly, rrow, you may be looking to get out of the house. >> and if u are, you're in luck. there are some great shows playing around town that a y the family can check out. >> merry christmas eve, everybody. and so we wanted to do a speciat chs-related entertainment report for you here. we have the "nutcracker" still over at warnertheater. it takes off christmas day, but is back the 26th, 27th. 28th i just saw it last weekend and it's a wonderful production that you have to see every yea by the washington ballet. but this year is the 15th anniversaryoi of them it, and it has a d.c.-centric vibe, where george washington is the nutcracker. it's a lot of local f for the holidays. you can also still check out "a christmas carol" over at ford'sh ter. see ebenezer scrooge see the light, and you can to donate to the homeless children's playtime project on your way out of the theater.

that's always great. that's atford's theater from december 26th through the 30th. again, i don't think you can ghr in ontmas day, but you can still get in there the 26th through the 30th. "elf: the musical" is still playiplay ing december 26th through january the 6. you get a little bit more time to see buddy the heldful. an "love factually" is at the kethedy center. 're doing a roast of "love actually," which my co-worr jack pointer went and checked it out and said it's good if you're a fan of the movie and if you hate "love actually," there's a little bit of userything, be it's a sendup and an ode to it. that's there the 26th through t31st at the kennedy center. for your christmas, i'm jason frail. >> you've got some options there for you. oh, look at this! you're looking at a live picture there a the christmas celebration in manger square in

bethlehem. what a beautiful site. >> it's beautiful. >> breathtaking. >> absolutely. beautiful, wonderful tradition there. and back here, it' cold >> it is cold. it could be colder. >> i heard you say windchills around 20? >> if you're going to the te ight services tonight, definitely put your christmas sweater on, because it's going to be a very chilly one. windchills in the 20s for your evening walks to and from any late-night services. so keep that in mind. santa doesn't have to worry.he as this big red coat and big, red hat. engh sunshine now to brighten up the 14th street bridge ancomplex there. you can see in the distance, the national shrine.te immacu conception. the jefferson memorial in the shade. there's that beautiful picture if you've never been to that basilica in northeast washington, you need to go. that place is just beautiful inside and it's christmas. christmas and easter.

those are the times that most people seem to go. temperatures now are in the mid-40s. 44 in ringfield, missouri. 41 at dulles airport. 40 degrees in montgomery county. walking the dog forecast, there's my little buddy there, polka dot blue. we were out walking along the mall yesterday afternoon under the sunshi. if you would like to add a dog to cour family, y go to humane rescue alliance.org and pick out the right puppy or kitty. dog-walking foreesst, temperatn the 40s here for the remainder of the afternoon, but it will turn very chilly as soon as the sun goes down. highsday, really not a lot higher than where we are now, in th mid- to upp 40s. your planner then, by 11:00 pb temperatures in the mid-30 but windchills, 25 to 30 degrees. that is a cold one, for sure. it will be a sub-freezing start on christmas morning. christmas afternoon, a lot of clouds around tomorrow, but check out how quiet the weathers pattern and pretty much coast-to-coast from the front range of the rockies all the wao to the heast. that is about as quiet as the weather map can be. they are getting a whites

christ in the down-wind areas of the lake-effects in parts of upstate new york and they could have a little snow across parts of the upper amidwest, well. our next chance for a real mount of precipitation is friday. that one will be a rainmaker, with temperatures way up into the 50s. a little shot of colder air arrives sunday of next week. so new year's eve, next monday corad be a little /snow combination. doesn't look like a big storm wet, but nonetheless, a little chance for s on christmas eve is something we will have to watch very, very carefully. news 4 midday back aer this. ft

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2018, a turbulent year thatt saw severalal disasters, coast-to-coast, as well as political turmoil rightere in washington. >> nbc's jay gray takes a look back atany of the headline-make stoirheadline headline-making stories of the year. >> didn't expect that reaction, but that's okay. >> reporter: it's been a year of the unexpected. unpredictable, and in some cases, unbearable. winds -- >> we got you. >> reporter: water, and flames cut a devastating path across the country in 2018. mud slides and fires out west, the camp blaze, swallowing the town of paradise. dozens were killed ithe deadliest wildfire in california history. >> extreme is not even the right adjective to use anymore. it's just an understatement, rncause fire is so explosive now in califo. >> reporter: a volcanic explosion on hawaii's big

island, fueled rivers of lava that flow formonths. >> oh, my god. >> reporter: in missouri, summer storms sank a duck boat, 17 tourists drowned in the accident. deadly hurricacrs rippedoss the southeast. >> this is something that we have noteen before. >> reporter: florence stalling, flooding the caaelinas. michl surging to a category 4 the strongest hurricane ever to hit the panhandle. a storm of controversy continued to buildn washington, from president trump's meetings with north korean president kim jong-un and russian leader vladimir putin, to trade battles with long-standing u.s. allies anotherally, saudi arabia, and its crowned prince accused of ordering ther m of journalist jamal khashoggi. president trump accused of turning alind eye. while the political fight at home was over congress, the democratic party grabbing control of the house, their cans holding on to

majority in the senate, on a ma historking night, that saw10 more than women, a record number, win congressional seats. along t border, strict cemigration enfornt separated families before the white house, under mounting pressure, reversed the policy. >> the testimony you're about to ve -- >> reporter: there was an emotional showdown of the newest supreme court justice, brett kavanaugh. the administration celebrated his eventual confirmation in what the white house called other important wins, include a restructured nafta trade deal. s atrong market and economy, and unemployment numbers reaching 50-year lows. washington did set ase its partisan bickering briefly, to say a heartfelt and an emotional good-bye to former prident, george h.wldbush. the w cheered the olympic spirit and competition in south korea, buthe biggest sports victory of the year came far from the playing field. for more than ve a week, with floodwaters rising,

of aayers and the coach youth soccer team in thailand pulled to safety. kids were pulled into the streets of the nation's capital and cities across the country mourning friends lost and demanding change. >> it's time forictims to be the change that we need to see. >> as gunfiregain ripped through schools across the country, 17 killed in parkland, florida. 10 murdered at a high school in saa fe, texas. shots rang out on more than two does campuses. and inside the tree of life synagogue in pittsburgh, where 11 worshipperski were ed. 12 were gunned down during college night at borderline bar and grill in thousand oak, california. d five people were shot and killed while working at a community newspaper in annapolis, maryland. >> they lov us and we love them. we're like a tight family in there. >> a family refusing to be cast as victims. the me too movement saw a hollywood power broker arrested and a once-beloved superstar

convicted of sexual assault. while an actress took on a new historic role. amican meghan mark marrying prince harry, the couple announcing five months later, the duchess is expecting. as the world now looks to the expectation of a new year. jay gray, nbc news. >> it's definitely been quite a year. >> that it has. we are tracking those temperatur o, though, for you this christmas eve. >> a final look at the forecast, when news 4 dday continues. mi

good morning. i'm frank collin at cnbc headquarters. christmas tree sales are up this year and it's all thanks to millennials. sales are up about 10% versus di17. that's acc to square and companies who use that seller's payment technology. the national christmas tree association says millennials are helping to keep that industry alive. that's because that generatio is moreikely to buy a tree instead of an artificial one -- a real one, that is, as they environmentally conscious. millennials also value real experiences. with your cnbc morning business report, i'm frank collins. i feel so thankful for everyonehat voted me through and that supported me and i just love farmington so much. >> for the first time since winning "the voice" on nbc, chevel shepherd returned to her metown of frarm iarmington, new

mexico. more than 15,000 people packed the farmington high ol gym just to see her. the 15-year-old says she is touched by all of the support she's gotten from her community. shepherd is working on an albu that's what you do after you win "the voice." moving on now, as we get e closer to th of the year, it's time to look back on what happened this year. surprisingly, it wasn't all politics. >> no, it wasn't. look at phael with a the lighter side of 2018. >> reporter: we sing the praises of 2018. itas a year filled with ups and downs -- >> oh! >> reporter: and some ups that felt like downs. >> ahhhh! ahhhh! >> reporter: one definite up with this new jersey father and son cebrating the boy's release from the or this 2-year-old discovering that his ball magically comes back. most days of 2018 probably went heke any

you awoke to the sound of your alarm clock, got dressed toim ess, and had a healthy breakfast. but don't get deputy brian bowmann startede commute. >> come on, grandpa! i got places to be! >> reporter: hopefully he's not trying to get to the scenethf crime where the break-in is wrong, but the moves are so right. if you like dog sports, check out these expert fetchers at the champion's tournament in london. and notice how benny the hockey dog manages to stay out of the penalty box, despite roughing. experts say animals are supposed to help keep you blood pressure low. >> can you stop? please. >> but bears out there are keeping your car insuranceates gh. >> there's a bear on the car! >> reporter: so for new year's resolutions, you should always take the stas to stay healthy. >> ahhh! >> reporter: but sometimes, the stairs tak you. to reduce your carbon footprint, trying catching a ebus. >> on x2.

>> reporter: and always remembe to keep your eye on the ball. raphael seth, nbc news. >> look out! >> whacky moments. , my. all right, let's get a final check on your forecast with storm team 4. >> chuck, how's christmas eve shaping up? >>t's going to be easy sailing for anybody who needs to get outside and run those last-minute errands, go to the grocery store, pick up your last item, or just stao driving grandma's house. sunshine now over the nation's capital. it's going to be a pleasant afternoon to be outside, now that we're getting theck sun temperatures will stay on the chilly side today. sun's down just before 5:00. and if you're headed out to those late-night services again, teeratures, mid-s, but temperatures in the 20s for those late-night service. if you'rehalanning out to wear, you'll need your warm coat, your hat, at least for the next couple ofhours, and you'll also finally need your sunglasses. but the umbrella is not a problem. for christmas morning, down belo n freezing most areas first thing tomorrow. and a cold day coming with highs only in une low 40s a here. and a lot of clouds around

tomorrow, but no chance for rain.ay you can a use your nbc washington app to stay ahead of the forecast. you can also find, like me on my social media pages there. @chuckbell4 on twitter. dry weather here for the next couple of days. could get a shower after the sun goes down on thursday, but our next real serious chance for rain arrives on friday. so we'llaveour ten-day forecast then, a seasonably chilly one for the next couple , of da as temperatures will be in the 40s. our average higghnow is 45. around average for most of the week. there's that rain chance coming in on fridayul it s be in and out relatively quickly, leaving us dry for saturday. next monday, new year'seve, noticeably colder, with still some moisture around, we'll have to keep a close eye on cthat, thld be a little bit of a rain/snow chance ondaew year's ev and that could linger into new year's morning. that's somethinge we'll h to be keeping a very close eye on. for the next couple of days, noe weather-re travel problems

and quiet weather for a large part of the problem. o if you happen to get on plane, no real airport snags, unless you're going all the way out to the pacific northwest, where they have some unsettled weather. that storm comingnto washington and oregon today. that's our chance for rain coming up on friday. pe you have a her you christm- merry christmas to both of you. >> same to you, chuck. >> decent weather for santa, as the tcker shows he is still making the rounds, right? aking the rounds >> oh, yeah, just left new delhi. >> and headed to sri lanka. >> he's got a long way to go to get to us. >> the noerdra is on it. thank you so much for joining us on this christmas eve. >> join us again for news 4 at 5:00 and c 6:00 and y get news and weather updates anytime th the nbc washington

>> five, four, three, two, one. >> all right. if that doesn't make things look good, i don't know what does. the holidays are here. welcome to access live. i we were just new york and saw them bring the tree in and saw it boxed up. yes, we did. thousands turned out there last night and watched the tree lights gon. it's a tradition since 1931. that's a r pllytty tree. >> it gets you in the mood. >> it does. the great performances last night. >> john le tnd,y bennett and diana ross. her daughter tracy. so exciting.