let's bring in abc's elizabeth schulze reporting tonight from washington, d.c. what is the latest on his condition? >> reporter: rachel, former president bill clinton is under observation tonight at med star georgetown university hospital here in washington. his deputy chief of staff says he was admitted after developing a fever. he is there for testing, adding he is fine, awake and alert, in good spirits and deeply appreciates the excellent care he's receiving. clinton is 78 years old and has faced a series of health scares since he left office, including a successful quadruple bypass operation in 2004, and another heart procedure in 2010. tonight, his spokesperson tells us he is hopeful that the former president will be home by christmas. rachel? >> rachel: and so many wishing him well tonight. elizabeth schulze on that breaking news. thank you. >>> we turn now to the dramatic wharf collapse in santa cruz, california. a portion of the pier floating away. several people rescued after falling into choppy waters. here's abc's melissa adan. >> oh, my god. >> repor

here's abc's elizabeth schulze as shoppers flocked to stores to make returns and take advantage of post-holiday sales, a positive sign of strength in the american economy. >> consumer spending this holiday season surged nearly 4% from one year ago, fueled by purchases online in categories like apparel, jewelry and electronics. >> i am doing some shopping, some some winter clothes, some jewelry, some watches for him. >> retailers offering steep discounts to consumers weary of high prices. those deals helped entice last minute shoppers with spending from december 20th through 24th, accounting for 10% of all holiday retail sales. >> i just tried to capitalize as much as i could on the holiday deals with consumers powering the u.s. economy. >> the federal reserve now in less of a hurry to lower interest rates to stimulate spending. mortgage rates are now at the highest level since july, and it could still be a while before credit card interest rates meaningfully come down to our thanks there to elizabeth schultz. >> coming up, when a dog was stranded on a frozen lake in new jersey. >> how a nearby

here's abc's elizabeth schulze. >> reporter: tonight, the treasury department notifying congress it was targeted by chinese state sponsored hackers in a major security breach. the department says it learned earlier this month hackers were able to infiltrate a third party software provider, remotely log into treasury employees' work stations and gain access to unclassified documents. the biden administration warning just days ago about china's threat to the telecom sector. >> the reality is that china is targeting critical infrastructure in the united states. >> reporter: just last month, a china backed group called salt typhoon hacked into nine telecommunications companies gaining access to the cell phones of high-profile americans including top biden administration officials. mary, it's unclear if the two hacks are related. tonight, the treasury says it's working with the fbi to determine the extent of the breach on its systems. mary. >> mary: troubling development. elizabeth, thank you. >>> now to the fbi issuing formal warnings to professional sports leagues following another high-pr

here's abc's elizabeth schulze. >> reporter: tonight, as shoppers flock to stores to make returns andake advantage of post-holiday sales, a positive sign of strength in the american economy. consumer spending this holiday season surged nearly 4% from one year ago. fueled by purchases online, in categories like apparel, jewelry, and electronics. >> i am doing some shopping. some winter clothes. >> some jewelry, watches for him. >> reporter: retailers offering steep discounts to consumers weary of high prices. those deals helped entice last-minute shoppers, with spending from december 20th through 24th accounting for 10% of all holiday retail sales. >> i just tried to capitalize as much as i could on the holiday deals. >> reporter: with consumers powering the u.s. economy, the federal reserve now in less of a hurry to lower interest rates to stimulate spending. mortgage rates are now at the highest level since july and it could be awhile before credit card interest rates come down, too. whit? >> whit: elizabeth, thank you. >>> here in new york city, some chaotic moments on christmas day

elizabeth schulze abc news, washington. >> okay, so we heard it over and over that president biden would not pardon his son hunter. >> is there any possibility that the president would end up pardoning his son? >> no. i can speak for the president. and he said he would not pardon his son. our answer stands, which is no. >> why? the president changed his mind and the startup asking employees to work 80 plus hours a week and weekends. >> would balanced nutrition for strength and energy. yay - woo hoo! ensure, with 27 vitamins and minerals, nutrients for immune health. and ensure complete with 30 grams of protein. (♪) your business needs a network it can count on... with 30 grams even during the unexpected.n. power's out! -power's out! power's out! comcast business has got you covered, with wifi backup to help keep you up and running. wifi's up. let's power on! let's power on! -let's power on! it's from the company with 99.9% network reliability. let's power on! power on with the leader in connectivity. get wifi backup for your business, or get started with comcast business internet. and fo

now to the holiday spending figure, strong numbers for online and brick and mortar stories, elizabeth schulzeorning. >> reporter: this is a first look at the report card for holiday shopping, it's looking merry and bright. the new report from the mastercard spending pulse, shows between november 1st-december 24th, overall on line sales increased, and e-commerce, on-line purchases, surged 7% up from last year, sales in stories up 3%. where shoperce spent their money, one of the categories is apparel on line. shoppers people bying clothes as gifts or for themselves, jewelry, electronics popular, shopping at department stores grew at a slower pace, the key them of the hol dishopping season is value. holiday consumers are willing to spend if they get a good deal, retailers offered deals earlier than ever, one 10th of holiday sales came between december 10-24th for the last-minute dash for gifts. >> gio: the top post christmas sales and more information is coming up. >> janai: to our favorite part, christmas of sports action, traditional nba games and the nfl hoping to start their own christmas da

coming up next, elizabeth schulze has the most searched for gift of the season. . >> good morning, rebecca. we have tracked down where you can find one of the most popular gifts this year. we know where you can get it and the shipping deadlines, including one today. details coming. my mental health was better. but uncontrollable movements called td,tardive dyskinesia, started disrupting my day. td felt embarrassing. i felt like disconnecting. i asked my doctor about treating my td, and learned about ingrezza. ♪ ingrezza ♪ ingrezza is clinically proven to treat td, quickly reducing td by greater than five times at two weeks. number-one prescribed ingrezza has dosing that's always one pill, once daily. and you can keep taking most mental health meds. ingrezza can cause depression, suicidal thoughts, or actions in patients with huntington's disease. call your doctor if you become depressed, have sudden behavior or mood changes, or suicidal thoughts. don't take ingrezza if allergic. serious side effects may include allergic reactions like sudden, potentially fatal swe

we're going back to elizabeth schulze on what's behind this. etween 2019 and 2023 test scores for american 4th graders in math dropped by 18 point. scores eighth graders dropped 27 points. when you look at where students stack up compared to other countries, they're only the middle of the back behind student japan, u.k. singapore, poland. experts say covid is one big reason to blame because schools were closed or disrupted in the u.s. for longer than other countries. another issue is too many kids are absent from school altogether. >> rebecca: so much to unpack, elizabeth. this is easier said than done, but how can parents help their kids? >> reporter: some other countries with help from parents have also changed their curriculums to try to make math more fun, less focused on formulas, more focused on creativity and problem solving. of course, if you think your child is struggling, talk to their teachers about what resources might be available. after school programs or extra coursework online that you could do with them. rebecca? >> rebecca: tha

elizabeth schulze is in washington with details first on gma. hey, good morning, michael. we know how frustrating it is when you're trying to book a hotel or concert ticket. you see a great rate when you first go to the website. by the time you check out, there are tons of added on costs like resort or convenience fees. the ftc is finalizing a rule that will get rid of jumping fees by requiring live event tickets, hotel and vacation rentals list all pricing up front. the total price also has to be displayed more prominently than any other cost. in an exclusive interview, the ftc chair tells gma this means you know exactly what you are paying from the start. >> whatever price you see is the price that you are paying at the end, no more mystery surprise fees at the very end of the process, which really cheat consumers and also punish honest businesses. >> reporter: now the chamber of commerce has opposed this change calling it nothing more than an attempt to micromanage businesses' pricing structures but the ftc chair tells us she is confident thi

elizabeth schulze is standing by to break down the new reality of returns.se, california, showing the best ways to save. becky, this could be a record setting day ahead. >> reporter: it really could, rebecca. they say spending is up big. they expect consumers to spend $13 billion today. in part that's because there's a short runup to christmas. just 23 days. while you have plenty of time to shop, today's the day to get those deals. >> it's on. cyber monday deals start now. >> reporter: this morning a sprint to save. >> there does seem to be pentup demand. we saw record breaking deals on black friday. we're expecting it for cyber monday. >> reporter: cyber monday is delivering on tech deals. google pixel 8 pro was 999. now it' under $600. they also have echo and kindle devices discounted. the echo dot was $49, now $22. the kindle reader was 109, now $84. >> in the bag, in the purse, do it. >> reporter: clothing chains also offering blanket discounts on everything. gap, old navy and j. crew with 50% off site wide. adidas 40% off. nike 30% off. gift cards seein

elizabeth schulze to help us.ift categories on life's deepest discounts we see right now toys, electronics and beauty products. so take a look at walmart. melissa and doug 100 piece wooden blocks $10 good for the kids down to $28 and you have the option to pick that one up in the store. best buy has apple air pods pro 2 plus you get three months of apple music free with a purchase. $60 off the now $190 and you can pick that up at a store within one hour. macy's promoting gift boxes like this kiehl's 4-piece skincare set, $23 from original price. a lot of macy's gifts by 12:00, same-day shipping that will cost you $5. by the way, target does the same-day delivery for anyone in the membership program 3:00 p.m. that you a christmas eve, but you are waiting until the end. the keyword same-day delivery. i love those words. if you find a last-minute gift, elizabeth, but do you still have time to ship it? right, so, if you want to get it to a loved one by christmas or hanukkah, you have options, but they are not cheap. t

i'm elizabeth schulze, abc news, washington. >> it is down to the wire for an east bay toy drive, andately need your help this holiday season. this is the 18th year for oakland chinatown's christmas in the park toy drive. volunteers partner up with the oakland chinatown chamber and other organizations to gather the toys, then distribute them to families. in years past, organizers say they would gather 2 to 300 toys by this time, but in their donation bins this year, only ten have made me feel so heartbroken. >> i was i was crying because i didn't i didn't want, i didn't know what to do. i don't want kids to you know, be be left out, be disappointed. i was willing to use my own to buy more presents for the kids and just eat, you know, instant noodles for, like, you know, for a month, you know, just so the kids can have something for the holidays. >> okay, there is time for us collectively to turn this around. the toy giveaway is happening december 7th, so if you would like to donate the last day to drop off a toy is december 5th, they need time to wrap the toys. that's why there's a ga

turning to mortgage rate, ticking up as we head into the new year, elizabeth schulze joining us livengton, with more, that sounds like tough nuse but could there be good news for the home buyers? news >> reporter: tough news, second week in a row the mortgage rates ticked higher, this is a 5-month high, the average rate now 6.85%, the highest since early july, we have seen rates steadly climb over the fall, making difference in the monthly bill, 400,000 with 20% down, today's rates puts your payment at 2400. in september, with rates at 6% it was almost 200 cheaper every month, this has been a roller coaster ride for the home buyers watching the mortgage rates but we are now back to where we started at the year beginning. janai. >> janai: i love when you show us the difference the way your mortgage and increase or decrease, showing how it affect the wallet. can home buyerce expect relief next year? buyers that's why we track it, rates are expected to stay is not six% range, the key is, they move in anticipation of the federal reserve moves and they say they will be more cautious about

elizabeth schulze has more on what's at stake. ning, elizabeth. >> reporter: good morning, michael. this is a critical test vote in the senate. in just a few hours on legislation that would put more money in the pockets of retirees. social security fairness act would expand benefits for nearly 3 million retired teachers, firefighters, police officers and other public servants. i would do that by repealing policies that limit social security payments for some retirees who also collect public pensions. the average monthly social security check right now for retired workers is about $2,000. this bill did already pass the house with bipartisan support, but some republican senators are worried about its price tag, at about $200 billion it will add to the deficit. as it stands the social security trust fund is set to run out of money in just nine years. if this legislation to expand benefits doesn't pass the senate by the end of the session this week, lawmakers would have to start from scratch next year. robin? >> robin: many are watchin

elizabeth schulze is in washington with those details. fee of $35 per transaction if you spend more money than you have available in your checking account. this new rule finalized this morning by the consumer financial protection bureau would cap fees at $5 for many customers. banks could still end up charging you more than $5, but if they do, you have to agree to the terms up front, like when you take out a loan. the change officially takes us back to next october though it could face legal challenges. the banking industry group saying in a statement, the rule jeopardizes access to overdraft services and disregards bank led innovations. we have seen major banks like ally, citi, bank of america, capital one voluntarily eliminate or cut overdraft fees. keep in mind some banks will offer you a 24 hour grace period to deposit money into your account without paying a fee. you can automatically link your collecting to your savings to withdraw from there if your balance does go negative. >> michael: all right, elizabeth. thank you for that. comi

elizabeth schulze is here with those details. morning, elizabeth. >> reporter: this report is critical for anyone who's on the job. 227,000 jobs were added to the work force in november. that is more than expected. that would be a big rebound from the dismal 12,000 jobs in october. hurricanes milton and helene and the boeing strike were key reasons for that slowdown. with most impacted workers back on the job, we are expecting to see strong hiring in hospitalally, manufacturing. big picture here, the unemployment rate at 4.2% still near historic lows. but employers aren't hiring at the super fast pace they did at the start of the year so it's taking a little longer to land a job. >> rebecca: the other major headline is this bitcoin headline, now trading above $100,000 for the first time, elizabeth. >> it has been a meteoric rise. the price of a single bitcoin going from $68,000 on election day to just above $100,000. that is up 51%. investors are optimistic that the trump administration will take a friendly approach to our crypto

elizabeth schulze has the latest for us. ver all of those holiday gifts. the teamster union said it gave amazon a deadline of yesterday, december 15th, to come to the bargaining table over new contract terms for more than 5,000 workers at two of its warehouses in new york. the union writing in a statement, amazon is pushing its workers closer to the picket line by failing to address concerns about low wages and dangerous working conditions. amazon tells us for more than a year the teamsters have misled the public, calling this another attempt to push a false narrative. amazon operates hundreds of warehouses across the u.s. even if a strike at two of these facilities starts in the coming days, it could have a limited impact on the shipment of holiday gifts especially if they're already out for delivery. bottom line, amazon packages should still arrive on time. for all of the last minute shoppers, still want to keep an eye on your tracking devices. >> robin: that is key. all right, elizabeth, thank you. coming up in our gma mor