i'm kendis gibson. >>> good morning. i'm kendis gibson. >> and i'm mitchelle franzen.ollowing this morning on "world news now." >> film fans have been packing hundreds of theaters that are showing sony's "the interview." the studio chief says releasing the film yesterday was the right thing to do. despite the damaging hack attack. coming up. reaction from hollywood. >>> and today is the second busiest day of the year for retailers as customers exchange gifts. stores are banging on gift card sales to boost unremarkable profits. see what is on sale in a moment. >>> the victims of the indian ocean tsunami which struck ten years ago today are being remembered in thailand and across the region. a tsunami killed some 230,000 people. >> a spokesman says former president george h.w. bush is in great spirits. while hospitalized in houston. >>> he's been there since tuesday when he was short of breath. the 90-year-old mr. bush had christmas visits from his wife and his son neil. those are some of our top stories on this friday, december 26th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is

i'm kendis gibson. >> i'm tai hernandez. kendis is new. i've only known him a couple of hours.l us about yourself. >> i'm kendis. i like long walks on the beach. >> whoa! >> this is not my tinder profile? no. i'm from the d.c. affiliate and now a correspondent. >> it all works for this show because we like to mix things up. really good to have you here. >> great to be here. >>> our top story this half hour -- millions of americans are on the road for holiday vacations, but the weather is not cooperating. >> the worst is in the south where severe storms are more than just troublesome. they are actually deadly. abc's rob marciano has more. >> reporter: the deep south under a dangerous threat. severe damage in amite, louisiana. up to 2 0 houses hit hard by a possible twister, and at least four dead in mississippi where the governor declared a state of emergency. winds there so strong they flipped cars on the highway, including this ambulance. at least seven tornado reports, plus hail and wind damage as the storm steamrolled across the gulf coast. >> today was even worse. a lot of

. >> i'm kendis gibson. >>> good morning. i'm michelle franzen. >> i'm kendis gibson.top headlines we're following on "world news now." in suburban st. louis, the mother of a black man shot by a white cop does not want these protests. she wants to know more about what happened. police say the victim pulled a gun and that they have surveillance video that proves it. >>> a pilot from jordan has been captured by isis fighters in syria. the militants claim to have shot his plane down but the u.s. says that's not true. jordan is part of the u.s.-led coalition fighting isis. >>> a lab technician at the cdc in atlanta is being monitored for three weeks after possibly coming into contact with the ebola virus. the head of the cdc has ordered a full review of what led to that incident. >>> and several thousand christian pilgrims turned out for christmas eve services in bethlehem. the crowds are down this year because of violence in gaza. those are some of our top stories on this christmas day, thursday, december 25th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >>> we

kendis gibson, abc news, new york. >>> in france, extreme snow and ice have left thousands trapped inhe alps. conditions improved enough for them to lift a weather alert. many holiday travelers are still spending the night in emergency shelters. a driver died when his car slid into a ravine. >>> not quite so extreme here. snow will fall from oregon across to kansas and nebraska. some showers along the gulf coast and rain in the southeast. everyone else should be dry today. >> much of the country will be colder than usual. high in the 30s for the northwest. five in billings. chicago won't make it above freezing. 40s in the northeast. 60 in atlanta and new orleans. >>> a rare find to tell you about from hawaii. this is what the experts say a 10-year-old coconut crab looks like. >> it was found along a busy road. those experts also say it's been about 25 years since another coconut crab has been seen in hawaii. this one weighs about 3 pounds and is 16 inches from leg to leg. >> it will be given a home at the honolulu zoo where it should be for a while. coconut crabs can live to be 60 yea

kendis gibson has the story. >> reporter: a fire races through this apartment complex in birmingham, a 3-year-old to jump. a dramatic rescue is about to take place. >> jump! >> we got you. come on. >> reporter: the screams for a young boy trapped on the second floor to jump out the window. >> come on. your mama is right here. your mama say do it. come on. >> neighbor carrie jackson captures what happened next. the young boy jumps to safety landing in the arms of a neighbor. >> every time you watch it like, oh, my god, he jumped, he jumped. he finally jumped. just that feeling it gives you just to relive that moment and say that you saved someone's life. it's a really good feeling. >> reporter: two other children were trapped inside rescued by firefighters. the majority of fires like the one in alabama start in the kitchen. fema reports the number of kitchen fires are up 18% over the last five years. and the holidays are the busiest time of year for fire crews. an average 905 americans die in house fires during the winter. that alabama fire could so easily have turned deadly had it no

i'm kendis gibson in for t.j. holmes. >> i'm reena ninan.ollowing. >> it's colder and windier than usual in most of the country. severe weather is being blamed for some deaths in california. falling trees killed at least two people. >>> bad weather slowing the recovery efforts for the airasia jet that crashed last weekend. but what has been pulled from the water so far seems to indicate a midair breakup killing all 162 people on board. a full report coming up. >>> a young mother was shot and killed by her 2-year-old son while shopping at an idaho walmart store. the boy was sitting in a shopping cart when he found the gun in his mother's purse and pulled the trigger. she died at the scene. >>> as the new year's revelries gear up, so do police. those are your top stories on this wednesday, december 31st, the last day of 2014. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >>> happy new year's eve. >> happy new year's eve to you. >> we'll begin with the extreme weather. >> snow, rain, wind, frigid temperatures, all the hazards of winter

i'm kendis gibson. >> we want to welcome you, kendis. is good to be here. >> you hail from? >> the washington, d.c., abc affiliate. still have the new car smell after two days of being here. >> excellent. well, it's good to have you. >>> we'll begin with the deadly storms in the south and the christmas travel nightmare shaping up. >> a major storm is brewing from the midwest and east and that may mean some travel delays. our coverage begins with abc's josh haskell. >> that's a tornado. >> reporter: that massive dark cloud is a tornado in ellisville, mississippi. severe weather killed four in the deep south tuesday night. just look what the storms did to this ambulance and this home. >> oh, man! >> reporter: wind so strong they left buildings without roofs and towns without electricity. >> we had a lot of fog, a lot of light rain around the storm. it was almost impossible to see anything unless you were directly hit by it. >> reporter: in tallahassee, florida, the problem is rain. the national weather service declared a flash flood emerge

i'm reena ninan. >> i'm kendis gibson in for t.j. holmes.e with you. it's almost new year's in samoa. >> oh, in samoa, is that right? >> coconut drop at 5:00 a.m. eastern time. >> if i would have known i would have brought a coconut drink in. >>> we're going to get started with some serious news. we're following the latest from overseas. our top story, the investigation into the crash of the airasia jet. the search area is now narrowing after more bodies and debris recovered. but the rough weather is slowing those efforts. >> experts say there are already signs of a mid-air breakup. abc's joohee cho begins our coverage from indonesia. >> reporter: so far at least seven bodies have been retrieved. one female body was still in flight attendant uniform. 17 helicopters, dozens of divers at the site hoping for better weather conditions. our own "uss sampson" from the 7th fleet has also joined the operation since yesterday. the vessel equipped with sonar detecting system and search and rescue helicopters. meanwhile, airasia is collecting dna sampl

. >> i'm kendis gibson. we will get right to our top story right now.the murders of two new york city police officers last weekend. an arsenal of illegal weapons was allegedly found in the apartment of the man who was overheard saying, more cops should be killed. >> and the weak for one of the dead officers, rafael ramos is today. with his funeral tomorrow. wabc's correspondent reports on how new yorkers are paying their respects. >> reporter: in a holiday season that for so many has been so badly out of tune. ♪ silent night christine kim stood for hours at the shrine to rafael ramos and wenjin liu. and at this wind-swept scene of heartbreak she serenaded, new york's finest. [ indiscernible ] >> reporter: but there is no end to the tears, no sense to make of last weekend's execution. >> these are the people that protect us. these are the people that take care of us. the ramos family prayed at this hallowed ground. the family is destroyed. they walked the line of officers, thanking every one. >> it is just crazy. this is, this is really crazy now. >> why

i'm tai hernandez, welcoming kendis gibson to abc news. >> it's great to be here on christmas eve. it's a busy holiday morning. one major storm after another, a new one reach, the west coast today. >> another one dumping heavy snow in colorado and kansas yesterday, and bringing heavy rain to the east today. but brought death and destruction to the deep south. we begin with elizabeth hur. >> reporter: businesses destroyed, streets littered with debris, and signs like these no match for mother nature. leaving parts of mississippi under a state of emergency. >> i have been praying all my life. i prayed like i never prayed. >> oh, man, it is storming. >> reporter: the deep south taking a beating from twisters and hail. and winds so strong blowing cars, including this plants, on to its side. >> the wind was blowing real hard, and the wife was hollering getting the dogs in, and stuff was flying everywhere. the trampoline. >> reporter: in the midwest, snowplows are working overtime from south dakota to minnesota and colorado with near whiteout conditions shutting down some interstates, st

. >> i'm kendis gibson. we'll get to our top story. six people have been arrested for making threats against the police. in one apartment, the law enforcement allegedly found an arsenal, a shotgun, automatic brass knuckles, bulletproof vests and more. that suspect spent christmas day in jail. >> other new yorkers spent christmas at the sight where two police officers were murdered while sitting in their patrol car. the wake for one victim is later today. his funeral tomorrow. the funeral for the other officer shot has not been scheduled. >>> but there are still protests over shootings by police for a third night in a row. there were protests in st. louis suburbs. >> but as elizabeth hur reports they were tampered by the holiday somewhat. >> reporter: calling the march no time off, protesters out again on christmas night from the st. louis suburb of berkeley, missouri, to the streets of oakland, california and cleveland, ohio, all determined, they say, to fight and rally will in the name of justice. >> this is a human rights issue in th

. >>> and we say good wednesday morning to you, everybody, i'm kendis gibson sitting in for t.j. holmes. >> i'm reena ninan. we begin with the slow recovery efforts after the airasia crash. >> the search aircraft are grounded. only a few bodies and pieces of wreckage have been found so far. and one of the plane's emergency slides was hauled aboard a navy ship. it's unclear if it was deployed. but not knowing agonizing for relatives. elizabeth hur has the story. >> reporter: grief and devastation for family and friends. some sobbing after their worst fears are concern with this debris field over the java sea and this official announcement. the chief of search and rescue declaring and confirmed that the area is where the plane crashed and the debris came from the missing plane that we have been searching for. >> i'm still hopeful for a miracle. sorry, i cannot continue. >> reporter: the remains found about six miles from the last point of contact with the pilots about 100 feet deep where divers continue to search for more bodies. back at airport, items retrooefd, including a blue s

abc's reena ninan and kendis gibson has america's money. >> reporter: the last trading day of a record> reporter: the market increased 12 and a half percent this year. experts agree no one can say for sure what will happen in 2015. >> reporter: what we do know the market increases about 7 percent in a typical year. >> reporter: taylor swift sure had a good year and she's spreading some of that green around. >> reporter: she's been named the most charitable celebrity for the third year in a row by the advocacy group do something.org. >> reporter: her biggest gift donating all proceeds from her single welcome to new york to new york public schools. >> reporter: and white castle has something new on its menu, it's a veggie slider. but they have just as many cam reese as the beef versions. not quite as much fat. >> reporter: you can pick up them in honey ranch. i mix all three together with that sandwich. >> reporter: looks good. that's america's money. >> ♪♪ [ shutter clicks ] hi there! [ laughs ] -i'm flo! -i know! i'm going to get you your rental car. this is so ridiculous. we're going

. >> 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

our newest abc correspondent kendis gibson is with the latest. welcome, kendis. >> let's be honest.o are saying screech who? but millions of others remember dustin diamond from his decade-long stint playing the tv nerd including a fan in wisconsin who approached him at a bar christmas night. we knew him as the quirky lovable geek screech on "saved by the bell." but this morning child star dustin diamond is behind bars accused of reckless endangerment and car rig and using a dangerous weapon. watch this tmz capturing the moments leading up to the incident where di uses a knife to slash a man in this milwaukee area bar christmas night. listen as the woman recording the video spots an object in diamond's right hand. >> that's a [ bleep ] knife. >> reporter: diamond and his fiancee got into a fight with three others they say diamond admits to unintentionally stabbing one of the men under the arm telling police the depth happened while he was trying to defend his fiancee. his lawyer telling abc news dustin has absolute faith in our legal system. we are confident that the truth will ultim

kendis gibson has the latest. >> reporte friends and family of paul say he had so much to look forwardys with his parents. and after six years of studying to be a nurse, he achieved his goal and disappeared rnd mysterious circumstances. investigators examining this 42 second black and whit video hoping to find clues in a mysterious disappearance. >> it's difficult when there are few answers and thousands of questions. >> reporter: police believe the man seen walking here is 22-year-old paul cotu a beloved pittsburgh nurse who vanished december 16th after a night out drinking with room mates. they told police when he had too much he went home without them. >> there was a broken glass, helped clean it up. he was emotional. >> reporter: they left to get food and by the time they returned he was gone. his wallet keys and cell phone gone. but his car parked he was stumbling through the streets with a towel on his hand. >> it looked to me he was suffering another injury besides the cut on his hand. >> pittsburgh police do not suspect his roommates. there were few leads. his friends and famil

kendis gibson has the latest. good morning, kendis. >> reporter: good morning, amy. had so much to look forward to and planned to spend the holidays at home with his parents and after spending the last six years studying to be a nurse he finally acheeched his goal and then he disappeared under mysterious circumstances. this morning investigators examining this 42-second black and white video hoping it may provide clues in a mysterious disappearance. >> it's very difficult when there are very few answers and thousands of questions. >> reporter: police believe seen the man here is 22-year-old paul kochu a beloved pittsburgh nurse who disappeared after a night out drinking with roommates. they told police when he had too much he went home without them. >> he cut himself on broken glass. we came home helped clean that up but at the time he was really emotional. >> they then left to get food and by the time they returned kochu was gone. his wallet keys and cell phone gone as well. but his car still parked outside. kochu stumbling through the streets with a white towel wra