>> stephanie gosk picking out a prime spot tonight, thank you. we want to bring in meteorologist dylan drier tonight. what can we expect as the storm moves east >> good evening, peter. it has been a messy day for so many. the storm system will try to pull away but we'll see the storm continue across the great lakes. on the backside of it, winds will increase a bit so it is going to be a bit gusty tomorrow and those gusty winds could create more lake effect snow across the eastern great lakes. for you new year's eve day forecast we're looking for chilly air and a bit messy in the northwest with mountain snow and lingering snow showers and for midnight on new year's eve, clear skies in new york city for the big ball drop. it cools off in the northern planes and messy in the northwest. peter? >> thank you. >> a round of punishing air strikes is raising the stakes in the stand off between the u.s. and iran it comes as president trump ahead of an impeachment trial is facing questions about the lengths he was reportedly willing to go to pressure ukrain

stephanie gosk, nbc news, new york >>> we've got a lot more to tell you about tonight. just ahead, is your new smart tv listening in and maybe watching you? the fbi's new warning about spying and cyber stalking and how you can protect yourself >>> also on this travel tuesday, we uncover the best ways to score big savings on airlines, hotels and vacations this holiday season and beyond we hope you'll stay with us. >>> spy stories used to be the kind of thing we watched on tv, but tonight the fbi is warning that the tables are turning. hackers may be able to take over your smart tv to spy on you here is gabegutierrez. but those deals may cost you your privacy. tonight the fbi is warning your tv can be risk spectrum, they can change channels, play with the volume and show your kids inappropriate videos in a worst case scenario, they can turn on your bedroom tv's camera and microphone and silently cyber stalk you. smart tvs are equipped with microphones, often on your remote that let you control the device with your voice. here's the thing some experts say that mic is alway

stephanie gosk, nbc news. >>> coming up next, a new warning for air travelers, the outdated security screening equipment that could be putting your safety at risk. >>> if you're planning to order something from amazon, we have the latest on what is causing delivery delays. >>> the trip of a lifetime, how a tiny town became famous for its big plunging adventure. >>> with two weeks until the holiday travel crush, the tsa is relying on outdated security equipment that may not be able to detect explosives here is tom costello. >> reporter: the weekly photos of the weapons confiscate at tsa checkpoints underscore the everyday threat. now a gao watchdog investigatio finds the tsa's screening technology is often years old and not updated to meet new detection requirements as of august, bottled liquid scanners only met standards in 2006. x-ray units met 2010 standards and explosive trace detection units were up to 2012 standards. >> government appropriation process takes years and we face an enemy that i adaptive, they are patient and very agile. >> reporter: they are transitioning to 3 d sc

stephanie gosk has details. >> it was a really scary time in my life. i had just been abused by a member of a royal family. >> reporter: tonight, virginia giuffre in prime time, taking her case straight to the british people in an interview on the bbc giuffre says she was directed to have sexual encounters with prince andrew three times, starting when she was just 17. the first time in london, the night she says this photo was taken. allegedly, they went to a nightclub with epstein associate ghislaine maxwell. >>is ever seen in my life i mean, it was horrible and this guy was sweating all over me, but i knew i had to keep him happy because that's what jeffrey and ghislaine would expect from me. >> reporter: prince andrew denies having sex with giuffre and sae esn't even remember meeting her the queen's second son casts doubt on the authenticity of the now-infamous photo. >> that's me, but whether that's my hand or whether that's the position that i -- i -- but i don't -- i have simply no recollection of the photograph ever being taken. >> people on the

stephanie gosk, nbc news, somerset, new jersey. >>> great story, we're back in a moment on tonight'sistoric impeachment. impeachment with t >>> a final thought before we sign off tonight's impeachment of president trump will further test the already frayed fibers that barely hold us together in this time of deep political differences. any mockery of motion, victory laps personal attacks that now follow, only move us farther from the honest, sober dialogue this moments demands as always nbc news will cover thi historic moment with clarity and a commitment to accuracy that's "nightly news" for this wednesday i'm lester holt. have a good night, everyone clarity and a commitment to >> both: [chuckle] >> jack: it's so long. it just grew and grew and grew. >> jennifer: abigail? >> abigail: didn't you guys get my messages? >> jack: well, no, we were in the middle of something. what's up? >> jennifer: is something wrong? >> abigail: i'm sorry. i didn't mean to interrupt you. it looks like you were celebrating, but, mom, i think you deserve to know who actually put you in that coma. [mysterio

stephanie gosk, nbc news, new york >> a lot of us will be checking those settings tonight >>> tonight marks a week since a texas mother and her newborn baby vanished. and for the first time, two close friends are speaking out. saying there's no way she would have left on her own. nbc's sam brock with the exclusive interview. >> reporter: tonight two close friends of heig heidi broussard say there's no chance the mother of two would have left town of her own accord >> heidi would have never left without her son. >> never >> it needs to be known to the world she didn't leave on her own. >> reporter: rachel west worked with heidi at cracker barrel. >> she's loved >> reporter: destiny fine has known her more than a decade tuesday was the last time she saw her friend did it seem like anything was wrong >> nothing, she seemed great. happy, smiling >> reporter: both say she is totally devoted to her newborn margot and her 6-year-old son. >> yeah, that is her world and she is his world. plain and simple yeah >> reporter: shane kerry is the boyfriend and says he's the father of both children >

stephanie gosk, nbc news, west point. >>> another controversy involving football we're getting a look at the video, a patriots' camera man was caught recording during a rival team's game and his confrontation with a security guard here is ron mott. >> reporter: come on, guys >> reporter: the evidence is clear, a new england patriots' camera man recording an opponent sideline breaking nfl rules in footage obtained by fox sports it was supposed to be a feature on a patriots' employee. >> this is your advance scout? >> yeah. >> i don't see advance scout in the footage. >> it's not. we were trying to get >> reporter: the patriots later acknowledged the footage turned over to the nfl for investigation was inappropriate. the videographer suspended. >> the football team, the football staff and coaching staff had nothing to do with what happened, nothing. >> reporter: 2007 spygate. coach bill belichick apologized for misinterpreting the rules, after taping opponents during a game he was fined half million dollars and in 2015's deflategate tom brady who denied direct involvement was ultimately

nbc's stephanie gosk is at west point tonight. >> reporter: tonight, west point and the naval academy are investigating the intent behind this hand sign flashed by west point cadets and at least one midshipman on live national television. the game on saturday attended this year by president trump hadn't kicked off a quick report was being broadcast from the stands there was no doubt they were on camera. at one point it looked like a cadet pushed it much down the incident triggered an angry debate. the antidefamation league classifies similar gesture as a hate symbol. co-opted by white sum supremacists. >> we shouldn't rush to judgment and realize this symbol carries a certain significance and that the intent was, again, to communicate the message of intolerance, we need to call that out. >> reporter: it's used in the circle game popular on social media. whoever flashes the sign can punch anyone who sees it. so is this a childish prank or as some described it a disgusting hate-filled gesture? at the u.s. military academy a press officer tells nbc news they are looking into the intentio

nbc's stephanie gosk has details. >> reporter: tonight gabrielle union, former judge on "america's got talent," says she met with nbc and the reality show's production company recent reports revealed that he contract was not renewed after she made multiple complaints about a toxic work environment on set we had a lengthy five-hour and what i thought to be productive meeting yesterday, she writes i was able to express my unfiltered truth. i led with transparency and my desire and hope for real change. nbc issuing this statement. the initial conversation was candid and productive. while there will be a further investigation tandg ofe facts, we are working with gabrielle to come to a positive luild are investigating after "variety" reported earlier this week that union experienced racially insensitive incidents including being told her hair styles were, quote, too black for th audience both union and the only other female judge on the panel, julianne hough, did no have their contracts renewed, which triggered former judge howard stern to say this about simon cowell, the show's executive p

stephanie gosk, nbc news, new york >>> we've got a lot more to tell you about tonight. just ahead, is your new smart tv listening in and maybe watching you? the fbi's new warning about spying and cyber stalking and how you can protect yourself >>> also on this travel tuesday, we uncover the best ways to score big savings on airlines, hotels and vacations this holiday season and beyond we hope you'll stay with us. my parents never taught me anything about managing money. the amount of student loan debt i have, i'm embarrassed to even say. we just decided we didn't want debt any longer. ♪ i didn't realize how easy investing could be. i'm picking companies that i believe in. ♪ i think sofi money is amazing. ♪ thank you sofi. sofi thank you, we love you. ♪ sp thing we watched otuing. hackers matake over your smart tv to spy on you here is gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: smart tvs are on deep discount this holiday season, but those deals may cost you your privacy. tonight the fbi is warning your tv can be a playground for a hacker at the low end of the risk spectrum, they can c

stephanie gosk, nbc news, new york >> all right >>> there is more to tell you about up next, the price you pay in the battle to get your hands on the hottest toys this holiday season >>> well, time is running out, and tonight we've got the hottest holiday toys and where you might still find them. jo ling kent with the price you pay. >> reporter: tonight it's the final sprint for the hottest toys of the holiday season, with toy sales down 5.5% this year, the pressure is on retailers. walmart is calling itself america's best toy shop while amazon allows you to shop by age and category on their toy list page. target is dedicating more space in their stores both in person and online, also partnering with disney and toys r us. the legacy toy giant wants to make a comeback after shutting down all of its stores in 2018 geoffrey the giraffe opening two new locations in texas and new jersey. >> we want them to walk out of the store saying that isn't the toys r us i used to know, but wow, isn't it cool? >> reporter: no matter where you shop, scoring the hottest toys may be a battle not even the

stephanie gosk, nbc news, new york >> all right >>> there is more to tell you about up next, the price you pay in the battle to get your hands on the hottest toys this holiday season mike bloomberg's never been afraid of tough fights, the ones that make a true difference in people's lives. and mike's won them, which is important right this minute, because if he could beat america's biggest gun lobby, helping pass background check laws and defeat nra backed politicians across this country, beat big coal, helping shut down hundreds of polluting plants and beat big tobacco, helping pass laws to save the next generation from addiction. all against big odds you can beat him. i'm mike bloomberg and i approve this message. >>> well, time is running out, and tonight we've got the hottest holiday toys and where you might still find them. jo ling kent with the price you pay. >> reporter: tonight it's the final sprint for the hottest toys of the holiday season, with toy sales down 5.5% this year, the pressure is on retailers. walmart is calling itself america's best toy shop while amazon allows y

here's nbc's stephanie gosk. >> reporter: there is no audio in the images are grainy, but the terror moment is unmistakable two men jump out of a car in the bronx and grab a 16-year-old as she walked down the sidewalk next to her mother the video, released by police, shows the late-night struggle. her mother tried to fight off the men, according to police, but was pushed to the ground the car racing off with the young girl inside. a turn few saw coming, police sources tell nbc news they are investigating the possibility it was all staged the 16-year-old may have orchestrated her own kidnapping. but there were still fears she was abducted an amber alert issued. the neighborhood shaken. >> i walk here all the time. and the fact she got taken away right in front of her mother is something that's like oh, my god, so scary. and i was getting messages from my family. >> they found the girl >> reporter: but then someone spotted the teenager walking down the street. >> she was by herself. she crossed the road she went directly to the driver's side window of the police vehicle and she was tre

it says a comprehensive report addressing those concerns and vowing new action here is nbc's stephanie gosk >> reporter: uber upended how we get from point "a" to point "b," but as the ride share company has grown, so too have accounts like this. >> i was basically taken for 2 1/2 hours in an uber car with -- the next day i had defensive wounds. >> i tmyssault. >> reporter: for the first time uber is publicly releasing its own data on sexual assaults. over the course of 2017 and 2018, the company received nearly 6,000 reports of incidents during or after uber rides. ranging from groping to rape roughly four reported rapes every week one in every 5 million rides >> that's a hard number, but i'm not surprised. and i'm not surprised because sexual violence is just much more pervasive in society than i think most people realize. >> reporter: tony west is uber's chief legal officer, spear heading the study released today together with input from sexual violence advocates. >> i was surprised to read that about half of the victims are riders and the other half are drivers. >> reporter: . >> that's

as calls grow for the ad to be pulled here's nbc's stephanie gosk. >> you ready >> yes >> now >> a pelotont that gives back. >> i'm nervous but excited let's do this. >> reporter: on social media it's being ridiculed as cringeworthy, sexist, and tone deaf it begins with a man giving a woman a brand new peloton bike used for at home indoor cycling. the woman chronicling a year of punishing workouts >> five days in a row. are you surprised? i am >> reporter: in a video diary she later shares with her partner. >> a year ago i didn't realize how much this would change me. >> reporter: the 30-second ad prompting backlash online. "why is that already fit rich woman the center of this ad? another writing "nothing says maybe you should lose a few pounds like gifting your already rail-thin life partner a peloton. >> all men are not jerks it was no language that said it's because she needs to lose weight or diet there's a hypersensitivity around that. >> reporter: some online agreed, "i don't get the outrage many reasons people work out like stress reduction and mental health." peloton did not respo

nbc's stephanie gosk is in the middle of it for all of us here. stephanie, if you have to work on new year's eve, you got the choice assignment, congratulations on that, my friend. how big do they expect this celebration to be tonight? >> reporter: it's a lot of fun to be out here. people that are out here filling these streets right now have waited their entire lives to come out and do this. it's on everyone's bucket list. it's one of the largest parties in the world. a little bit of history, this party in times square has been going on since 1905, over a century old. the ball didn't actually drop until 1907. at the time it was made of iron and wood and it was covered with 100 25-watt light bulb. it's now nearly 1,200 pounds, covered in waterford crystals. it's become a highlight and a huge draw. unlike the early days of the celebration, this one is very much a global party. people coming in from all over the world. with those people coming in and the world the way it is today, security is of course of high concern for new york city officials. but

here is stephanie gosk with that. >> reporter: uber upended how we get from point a to point b but as the ride share company has grown, so, too have accounts like this. >> i was basically taken for two and a half hours in an uber car with the next day i had defensive wounds. >> i told my mom and sister and they said no, that's sexual assault. >> reporter: tonight for the first time uber is publicly releasing its own data on sexual assaults over the course of 2017 and 2018 the company received nearly 6,000 reports of incidents during or after uber rides. ranging from groping to rape. roughly four reported rapes every week one in every 5 million rides. >> that's a hard number, but i'm not surprised, and i'm not surprised because sexual violence is much more pervasive in society than most people realize. >> reporter: tony west is uber's chief legal officer. spearheading the study released today together with input from sexual violence advocates. i was surprised to read half of the victims are riders and the other half are drivers. >> that's right and so this is not just a once-sided prob

stephanie gosk is at times square with the last-minute preparations for tonight. >> reporter: with more than a million revelers expected to pack time square to watch the famous ball ring in a new year and decade, new york city police will be on alert, keeping an eye out for any potential threats. >> this is one of the most well-policed, well-protected celebrations in the entire world. >> reporter: from the ground to the skies, authorities are stepping up security to close out 2019. >> they'll be many protective measures you'll see and there will be some you will not see. >> reporter: preps for a party that never disappoints. thousands of pounds of confetti will have wishes sent in from around the world. the famous ball ready to light the way into 2020 with more than 2600 waterford lights and l.e.d. bulbs a tradition dating to 1907 when it was made of iron and wood with just 100 lights. navy pier is a kaleidoscope of color as they plan to increase police presence. >> as others celebrate with friends and family, roughly 1300 additional police officers will be deployed to keep everyone saf

joining us now live from times square, nbc's stephanie gosk.nt they're ready for anything tonight. >> reporter: yeah. that's for sure. this is something that they do every year. it's really a well-oiled machine and depending on what kind of threats they may be facing they tweak things here and there. there's no threat to this event they know of at this point and you have what we have seen year after year which is officers all over the ground. excuse me. the speakers just kicked in. entertainment. so you have officers on the ground and officers in these hotels that ring times square. you have bomb-sniffing dogs, drones, magnetometers and peoples in the corrals, the pens, all day long and the police say that really when you look at the levels of security the public plays an important role in the security at an event like this. this is what the nypd had to say about it last week. >> oh, everyone has to be alert and the public has to help us. we need their help. if they need something suspicious they should call our number or look for a police offi

stephanie gosk has a look at the potential impact >> high times in michigan, as crowds lined up sunday you think about it, this is awesome. >> i was a little discouraged when i saw the line, but that means a lot of people are here to get some good weed, so i'm down. >> reporter: customers traveling from near and far to participate in the historic moment this man the first in line after camping out for more than ten hours. one year after voters approved the measure, only a handful of shops, mostly in ann arbor have the green light to sell to those 21 and up. detroit and other cities have decided to hold off on recreational marijuana sales for now. the officials expect the market will hit 100 million in sales the first year alone an excise tax of 10% in addition to the state's 6% sales tax making it more expensive than medical marijuana. >> once other cities that have opted out of recreational see what kind of money it's bringing to the city of ann arbor and cities like it, i think they will start opting in. >> michigan is 10th state to legalize recreational marijuana. and next month, il

nbc's stephanie gosk has been covering this for us good morning. >> good morning, hoda and craig, tessa majors' family is firing back at the head of a new york city police union after he claimed the 18-year-old went to the park where she was murdered to buy marijuana the family says the comment blamed tessa for her own murder. many on social media say it is blatant victim shaming this morning, a manhunt is under way for a teenager who investigators wanting to question in connection with the killing of barnard student tessa majors three law enforcement officials tell nbc news the teen who was expected to come in for questioning fled, setting off a massive search it comes as majors family is speaking out against a recent claim that the 18-year-old went to morningside park to buy marijuana. ed mullins, head of the police union and not involved in the investigation, delivering this comment to a radio program >> an 18-year-old college student at one of the most prestigious universities in the country is murdered in a park, and what i'm understanding is she was in the park to buy marijuana. >

here's nbc's stephanie gosk. >> reporter: it sure is nice to get that weather report wherever.ll of that convenience. their privacy. the "new york times" obtain add file that they say reveals where more than 12 million people went with their cell phones over several months. the kind of information, location data companies gather on nearly all smartphone users. and then sell. the "times" writing, if you could see the full trove you might never use your phone the same way again. from the dait the paper says it was able to track a dozen people visiting the playboy mansion. some overnight and logged visits to celebrities homes and the white house and follow movements of one senior official at the department of defense. >> all of this data when amassed provides a pattern of life which really tracks everything that a person does 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year. >> reporter: the data received was anonymous but the paper points out it didn't take much to figure out identities. >> you have the data points and put them together seamlessly, it's difficult to keep. anon

stephanie gosk is where else, times square which will no doubt be wild tonight. steph, good morning. are you the only one there, is the party already started a little bit early >> reporter: i'm all alone out here well, it's me and a very dedicated handful of people that are going to have to wait quite some time. they're some of the estimated 1.5 million that are expected out here later today with numbers like that, the new york city police are on high alert, as ever they say there's no credible threat, but they're asking the public to stay vigilant. with more than a million revelers expected to pack times square to watch the famous ball ring in a new year and a new decade, new york city police will be on alert keeping an eye out for any potential threats. >> this is going to be one of the most well policed, well protected celebrations in the entire world >> reporter: from the ground to the skies, authorities are stepping up security to close out 2019. >> there will be many protective measures you will see, and there will be some you will not see. >> reporter: per

first, stephanie gosk is tracking the holiday travel at laguardia this morning >> reporter: good morningar's eve revellers will be met with heavy rain and wind in ohio tens thousands of people are without power, wind gust there is up to 70 miles an hour and then there's all that ice making travel treacherous. this morning visions of an icy start to 2020 are taking shape as a wicked winter storm packing a polar punch carves its way across the country, putting holiday travelers on high alert and a brutal storm moves in. >> i'm going to look for a detour across southern connect and it's not just snow and ice tornado sirens in mississippi are sounding the alarm as reports of funnels and heavy winds strong enough to tear through buildings and flip tractor-trailers on their sides are bringing residents face to face with dangerous conditions while heavy rain in nashville put a damper on football and in the mid west, drivers using extreme caution and are bracing for even more powder today. snow is blanketing parts of the midwest. meanwhile, residents in north and south dakota are dealing with li

drivers, uber itself has released surprising findings from its first ever safety report nbc's stephanie goskf the story. >> this is a study that's going to get people talking and that's kind of the point. here's some incredible numbers about uber in the u.s., the ride share company completes 4 million rides a day. that's 35 every second more and more people are relying on uber. serious questions are being asked about the safety of those rides. the study the company says is its effort to give customers answers. for those who take uber, the numbers will likely sound alarming, according to uber's study over the course of 2017 and 2018, there were nearly 6,000 reported sexual assaults during or after an uber ride, ranging from groping to rape the most severe of those assaults, rape, being reported 464 times. that's roughly four reported rapes every week one in every 5 million rides. >> i was surprised to see that about half of the victims are riders and the other half are drivers. >> that's right. and so this is not just a one-sided problem. we have to keep in mind that both drivers and riders a

we have stephanie gosk thank you for being here >> andweet willie g. >> close your eyes and say sweet

nbc's stephanie gosk is following this for us this morning. >> gabrielle union is speaking out aftert report surfaced, her contract was not renewed after she complained about a toxic culture on the set. >> it's "america's got talent" and you're loaded with talent. >> reporter: gabriele union returning to the site of "america's got talent," meeting with representatives and agt producers to discuss complaints from her time on the reality competition show the actress tweeting after, we had a lengthy five-hour and what i thought to be productive meeting yesterday. i was able to, again, express my unfiltered truth i led with transparency and my desire and hope for real change. nbc releasing its own statement after the meeting as well adding the initial conversation was candid and productive. while there will be a further investigation to get a deeper understanding of the facts, we are working with gabrielle to come to a positive resolution. the gathering comes after her exit on the show turned into a fire storm just days after nbc announced it was not renewing union or fellow judge julian