ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at Noon - December 29, 2025

Episode Date: December 29, 2025

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Today on eyewitness news at noon, a Duke nurse facing sexual assault charges and two men charged in a Wilson Walmart shooting appearing in court today. What's next for those defendants? Plus, President Trump says a Ukraine peace deal is close, but issues remain, including the future of the Dombas region. Meanwhile, in the Middle East, a ceasefire in Gaza holds as President Trump is set to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. And more U.S. plains land in Puerto Rico as tensions with Venezuela. Wella Escalate. Back here at home, Liberation Station Children's Bookstore reopens today in Raleigh, celebrating a safe space for learning. A live shot coming up next. Right now, live live coverage from your local news leader, today's top stories you need to know, and your first

alert forecast. Here's what's happening where you live. This is ABC 11I Witness News. Good afternoon and welcome to the news at noon. I'm Sean Coffey in for Barbara and Amber. Today, I'm joined by meteorologist Cruz Medina to tell us everything we need to know about the forecast today and the New Year's forecast later this week. We are starting to see some changes here, Cruz. Yes, we are. So we started the day very gusty with some showers. And now that the dry air is moving in as a cold front moves in, the winds are going to persist, but also the dry air is going to be with us. So we have a red flag warning in effect until 7 p.m. That's for all of the counties that you see shaded here in pink. And that's where we could see wind gusts in the range of 30 to 40 miles per hour. So even if you had rain earlier today, once those relative humidities drop through the afternoon, that will present that fire risk. And once again, the winds will stay strongest as we go into the afternoon hours. So you could see those top gusts topping out around 30 by the time we get into the 3 to 5 p.m. range. Then they come down a little bit overnight, but the winds aren't going to completely die away. Tomorrow actually will be a pretty breezy day as well. Now tipters across the region, we're still at 61 in Raleigh. Those tipters have actually come down a little bit,

and that's because the front is moving through. Look at how cold it is in the mountains. It's 35 in Boone, 42 and Murphy and 48 in Asheville. That colder air is going to move in through the duration of today and so if you have plans outside, you're going to notice that temperature drop over the next few hours. Now through about 2 or 3 p.m. we could still catch a shower locally. That'll push on out into eastern North Carolina. Tipters will be in the 50s for the afternoon hours and 40s as we go into this evening. So tonight is really when the Arctic air settles in. We will actually go all the way down into the 20s across Central North Carolina tonight. And that's because we'll have a clear sky and of course those blustery northwest wind. So the low tonight in Riley,

26, 24 up in Henderson and Rocksboro and 28 for Fayetteville and Lumberton. Here's how tomorrow shakes out. We obviously are starting off on a chilly note, and we're going to keep those chilly tipters running into the afternoon. Hise and Henderson only reaching 39, 40s for the triangle and point south. And then as we go into New Year's Eve, it's going to be a bit chilly as well. I'll have that forecast coming up for you in just a few minutes. All right, Cruz, thank you. North Carolina's first black-owned children's bookstore is making a comeback today in Raleigh.

Liberation Station has moved to East Raleigh, and a celebration is currently underway. Tamara Scott, live at the store's new location. Tamara, what's happening over there? Hey, good morning, or good afternoon, Sean, rather. Yes, here at Liberation Station, this reopening is not just for the owner, but she says it's also for her community. It's happening here just behind me here, and you can see there's still people that are flowing in. She says she wants this to be a safe space for young people. Victoria Scott Miller, she calls it a homecoming, and this is her second. location since relocating from her first location in downtown Raleigh. The community helped to raise more than $70,000 for her to reopen and today she reopened in the Washington Terrace neighborhood among other black-owned businesses. But this

day is also significant for Victoria as it marks the fourth day of Kwanza which celebrates and recognizes economics in black-owned businesses. Victoria tells me the inspiration to the store comes from her two sons and her own experience and desire to hold a safe space for everyone to learn something new. My children's home was a culturally affirming learning environment, but their peers did not have this, right? And so while my children might have had the expectation for this to exist, I wanted to make sure that, you know, we could have a collective conversation about what it looks like to have representation at our fingertips. And there has been a pretty steady flow of people going into the store this morning, not just going in to see the books, but bringing her flowers and guests to say thank you. Thank you. Tamara Scott, ABC 11, eyewitness news. All right, Tamara, we'll see you at 1230. Thank you. New at New, Duke University Hospital nurse, Jomel Tugato, appeared virtually in court today

on new charges of sexual assault against a third patient. He faces multiple charges, including sexual battery. His license has been suspended, and he has no bond. His next court date is set for January 6th. The two men charged after a Christmas Eve shooting at a Wilson Walmart also appeared in court earlier this morning. Ashton Pittman and Jordan Battle are both charged with attempted murder. Pittman has a $1 million bond, while Battle has a $500,000 bond.

Both must stay away from Walmart and the prosecuting witness. Their probable cause hearing is scheduled for January 12th. Today we will get an update on the case against the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk, a judge in Utah set to rule on media access during Tyler Robinson's trial. The 22-year-old is accused of killing the conservative activist as Kirk spoke on the campus of Utah Valley University. back on September 10th. Robinson is facing a number of charges and has not yet entered a plea. More U.S. military planes arriving in Puerto Rico as tensions rise between the United States and Venezuela.

The U.S. military has assembled a massive force in the Caribbean in recent weeks, including an aircraft carrier, other warships, and fighter jets. President Trump has accused the South American country of flooding the U.S. with drugs and has been bombing boats that it alleges were carrying drugs. Trump has also frequently threatened to start bombing drug infrastructure on land. President Donald Trump says he believes a peace agreement is close for Ukraine, but that, quote, one or two very thorny issues remain.

The president made his remarks Sunday after holding talks in Florida with Ukrainian president Vladimir Valensky and after a phone call with Russian president Vladimir Putin. One of the outstanding issues is the fate of Ukraine's Donbos region. We're getting closer to an agreement on that, and that's a big issue, certainly. That's one of the big issues. I think we're closer than we're probably one. It's unresolved, but it's getting a lot closer. That's a very tough issue.

This we have to respect our law and our people. We respect the territory which we control. And of course, our attitude is very clear. That's why President Trump said this is a very tough question. And of course, we have with Russians different positions on it. Russia has demanded that Ukraine surrender all of the Dombos, even though Russia has not seized control the entire territory. The president says he believes negotiators will know

whether a peace deal can be reached in the next few weeks or whether that war will continue. Thailand and Cambodia have put down their weapons for now. The two countries announcing on Saturday they've reached a truce. Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed that news. He called on both countries to fully implement a peace deal brokered by President Trump and Malaysia's prime minister earlier this year. Happening today, President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are scheduled to meet face-to-face at Mar-Lago.

It comes amid a fragile situation in the Middle East. The delicate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is holding, and now Iran's president claims his country is at war with the U.S., Israel, and Europe. Perry Russum is in Washington. A high-stakes meeting today at Mar-Alogo, President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meeting face-to-face as Iran's President-President-President-Mas president, Mossude, and says his country is in a full-scale war with the U.S., Israel, and Europe, claiming all three do not want Iran to stand on its own feet. Netanyahu this morning meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Tension between Israel and Iran has been simmering since the attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities over the summer. Back in June, Israel and Iran exchanging attacks before the U.S. got involved.

President Trump ordering the attack on three nuclear facilities in Iran using bunker buster bombs. At first, Trump claimed the facilities had been destroyed, but U.S. intelligence now believes Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium and its centrifuges were not eliminated. Iran's president says his military is now stronger than it was during that attack. Israel's delicate ceasefire in Gaza is expected to be another major topic for Trump and Netanyahu to discuss. The ceasefire is broadly holding. It's still in its first of three proposed phases. Details of the second phase have not yet been agreed to.

Even with the ceasefire, there have been sporadic attacks between Israel and Hamas. Israel is also carrying out strikes in Lebanon. The IDF says they are attacking terrorists. Perry Russum, ABC News, Washington. Still ahead on eyewitness news at noon, Raleigh's new noise rules going into effect on January 1st. Bars and clubs must follow new decibel limits what it means for those businesses coming up. Travelers can use the expanded economy three lot at RDEU with 7,000 new spaces and east. TV chargers will have the latest on when those services will be available.

And from blizzards to ice, winter weather threatens travel nationwide. More on that after this. This holiday season, your support can help CAMH transform mental health care. From now until December 31st, every donation will be tripled for three times the impact. That means your generous gift goes even further to help create. a future where Canadians can get the help they need, when they need it, no matter who or where they are. Together, we can forge a better path for mental health. Make three times the impact with a donation today at camh.ca slash holiday.

Watch Lauren Johnson tonight on ABC 11-I Witness News. We are just a few days away from a new noise ordinance in the city of Raleigh. Those new rules only apply to amplified sound coming from commercial businesses like bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. Under the new rules, decibel levels will vary based on time of day, day of the week, and location. For example, Glenwood South's designation as a hospitality district will allow for higher decibel limits than in other parts of the city. Those rules take effect on January 1st. A reminder that the annual booze it and lose it campaign is underway. Authorities in all 100 counties in North Carolina increasing patrols and sobriety checkpoints trying to catch impaired drivers.

That campaign runs through January 4th. Economy parking at RDU is changing in the new year. The Economy 4 lot will close to airport guests on January 2nd and become employee-only parking. Travelers can still use the Premier Central Express and expanded Economy 3 lots, which are adding 7,000 new spaces, a customer amenity building, solar panels,

and EV chargers through 2026. Still ahead, Wall Street on alert as the Fed faces a turning point. Plus, from Japan to Britain, unique cars stealing the show in Raleigh. And a major winter storm impacting millions nationwide, damaging winds and blizzard conditions. The latest on that, straight ahead. Keeping an eye on the economy now, investors are getting ready for changes at the Federal Reserve. The Wall Street Journal says the next few months will see the end of Jerome Powell's term as Fed Chair and the possibility of President Trump appointing two new Fed.

governors. The president has been pushing for the Fed to cut interest rates more aggressively. Some retirees have a decision to make soon or they could risk a tax penalty. An analysis by wealth management firm Vanguard shows nearly 7% of those required to take distributions from their retirement accounts failed to take the money out. Now they could face a tax hit which could be nearly $3,000. A plan by the struggling U.S. Postal Service to raise cash could cost it its biggest customer, Amazon. The contract with Amazon brings in about $6 billion a year.

Now the post office will accept bids from other shippers for access to its distribution centers. Amazon, meantime, saying the uncertainty could push it to use USPS less and that they are evaluating all of their options. Extreme weather is slamming much of the country and causing major travel chaos

during the busy holiday season. A major winter storm is heading east, putting millions on alert for dangerous rain, snow, and ice. ABC's Reno Roy has the latest from Newark Liberty International Airport. From heavy rain, snow and high winds, millions of Americans are on alert for extreme winter weather during the height of holiday travel. A blizzard warning, in effect, across parts of Michigan. Heavy snow and wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour slamming the region.

In Iowa, a 14-car pile-up on I-35 in near whiteout conditions. Zero visibility. In Minnesota, drivers also navigating treasuring. roadways. You're really going to see a lot of this light snow blowing around and really creating some visibility problems. First responders in Freeborn County so overwhelmed by weather-related road incidents, Governor Tim Walls, activating the National Guard to help support emergency response. The powerful storm system first hitting the plain states and now moving into the northeast. Yesterday, more than 8,000 flight delays and over 1,300 canceled flights across the country.

The TSA expecting 2.9 million people to travel home from the holidays and to new. year celebrations. And as we look ahead to the rest of the week, we could see yet another round of snow here in the Northeast on New Year's Eve, which could unfortunately mean even more travel issues. At Newark Airport in New Jersey, Rina Roy, ABC News. Meteorologist Cruz Medina joining us now. Cruz, I was in the airport yesterday coming home from break, and I have to say, but I was one

of the lucky ones, right? Like I was able to get back, but there were a whole lot of delays and cancellations. Oh, absolutely. So those storms, even though they're so far to the north, they impact all of the country, right? Especially those big airports, JFK, LaGuardia, any of those delays and cancellations, they trickle down. But also locally today, we could have some problems with the wind. So it is going to be a gusty day. Just keep that in mind.

We do have that red flag warning in effect until 7 p.m. tonight. And that's because even though we've had some showers so far today, we're going to see a really dry air mask come in as this cold front continues to press through and very gusty conditions along with that as well. Now as we go into the middle of the week, we're expecting quieter but colder conditions as well for your New Year's Eve plans, and then it's going to be seasonable as we enter the new year. Highs will be in the 50s by then. Here is first alert Doppler net. We've got some scattered showers moving through. They're light and basically the western edge of this. That is the front itself moving through.

So that's moving through portions of Durham and northwestern Wake County right now. That's triggering the showers with that rising air. And these will continue to push east over the next two to three hours and they should clear out as we go into the later. parts of the afternoon. But ahead of that front, you can see it's been gusty today. We've caught some gusts nearly 30 miles per hour in Durham, 31 in Burlington. And I could tell you, walking my dog this morning, it was definitely gusty outside. So much so that he didn't want to do his business and he was just ready to go inside. But those gusty conditions stick around through this afternoon as well. We'll still be catching some gusts up to 30 miles per hour. And the wind doesn't completely

go away. Even overnight, it's still going to be a bit breezy across central North Carolina. now. Now here is first alert predictor showing that batch of showers and how quickly it's going to push on out of here. So the backside of that front is very dry. Here comes the dry and cooler air, cooling us down into the 50s by 4 p.m. And then as we go through the evening hours, it just keeps getting colder. So by the time we get into tomorrow morning, we're waking up to a clear sky, but highs will be in the 20 or morning lows in the 20s. And then by the afternoon highs only reaching the low to mid 40s. Now that's the raw air temperature, but I mentioned the wind wasn't going to completely die out. So because it's going to to be gusty tomorrow and cold. We have to think about the wind chill or the feels like temperatures, which will be in the teens and 20s in the morning, and then for the afternoon we should see those values only reaching the mid-30s. So those are the temperatures that you want to dress for tomorrow and know that that cold air is going to stick around for quite some time. So this is showing kind of the jet stream or the upper level air pattern. And this is going to keep the cold weather around as we go into the middle of the week and the start of the new year as well. You could also

see once that front moves past us, that's what's unleashing the Arctic air. So as we go into the middle of the week, sunny but cold feels like tipgers will be once again in those mid-30s for highs on Tuesday. Your first alert, acuweather seven-day forecast shows 50s as we go into New Year's Eve. It's going to be chilly with a bit of a breeze as well. Tipgers will warm up a bit on Thursday compared to Wednesday, but overnight for those New Year's Eve plans, lows are going to be in the 30s. So if you're going to be outside for any of those plans, just make sure you dress warm. this would go into this weekend, expect clouds to increase our next chance of rain on Saturday, knocking highs from the low 50s back into the 40s. Sean.

See you soon. Thank you. We are just days away now from New Year's Eve, and this year the Times Square ball will sparkle in red, white, and blue to kick off celebrations for the nation's 250th birthday. The giant 2026 numbers have been installed and can display multiple colors. The ball will drop again on July 3rd for the semi-suscentennial celebration. from swipe to tap what New York riders need to know about the new Omni system and two helicopters down what we know about that crash in southern New Jersey from searchlight pictures comes is this thing on directed by Bradley Cooper and starring Canada's own Will Arnett

is this thing on is the story of a man's unconventional journey to find himself Seeking new purpose in the New York stand-up comedy scene while navigating his impending divorce. Is This Thing On is a raw, authentic, and hilarious story about discovery, re-invention, and second chances in life. See Is This Thing On, now playing in select theaters everywhere January 9th. Watch Steve Daniels, tonight on ABC 11-I Witness News. And now to that deadly mid-air collision between two helicopters south of Philadelphia. We're now hearing from a witness who helped to comfort one of the pilots after the crash. ABC's Hannah-Bata has more. Dramatic video shows a helicopter spinning out of control

seconds before crashing near Hamilton Airport in southern New Jersey. Black smoke billowing into the sky, witnesses calling 911. I see one helicopter slowly descending down. down in a rotating motion, almost as if the rudder and the tail had, they've lost control. And then I see a second one come down with the same issue behind it. Both were reportedly flying close together in tandem. It's unclear why. My husband just started screaming. I'd call 911.

One witness and her husband rushed to the scene with their neighbor trying to comfort one of the pilots. There was a man in there. He was conscious and breathing and, you know, kind of just looking around. And the only thing I could think to do was just like hold his hand and talk to him. So I just laid in the ground next to him and just like, hey, like, we're here. Like, don't worry. The owner of a local restaurant says the pilots ate breakfast together yesterday. It's hard to believe.

It's hard to believe. They seem to come in all the time together. They're flying together and they seem to be close. Hannah Bata, ABC News, New York. And just now into the eyewitness newsroom, we are learning the second pilot in that crash. has died. Authorities now identifying the victims as 65-year-old Kenneth Kirsch and 71-year-old Michael Greenberg. The FAA and NTSB are investigating the crash. Records show one shopper was privately owned, the other belonging to a charter company. There's still no word on what

caused that collision. New at noon, New Yorkers and tourists have swiped Metro cards, often the wrong way, if you've used one, for decades now. In January 1st, marks the end of the blue and yellow card. The MTA will no longer sell metro cards. Riders much must switch to the contactless Omni system tapping with their smartphones, watches, credit cards, or their Omni cards. Those Omni cards will also be sold for $1, saving the MTA $20 million a year. Trucks are moving and a new engine company is coming to boost Durham Fire coverage, what DFD says that will mean for response times in the Bull City. Turning the page, a children's bookstore opening its doors again. Tamara Scott has a line report coming up.

And the man charged in the January 6th pipe bombing after suspecting election tampering has confessed what we're learning today coming up next.