Top Story with Tom Llamas - Monday, December 29, 2025

Episode Date: December 30, 2025

Tonight's Top Story has the latest breaking news, political headlines, news from overseas and the best NBC News reporting from across the country and around the world Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tonight, dangerous winter weather slamming so much of the country, millions of us under alert as heavy snow, ice, and the wind intensifies. Look at some of these pile-ups reported on highways across the Midwest, icy conditions on the roads, creating scary scenes like this one, a semi-crashing off an overpass, intense wind knocking out power for hundreds of thousands, and the threat is not over yet. We are tracking it all. Also tonight, President Trump says the U.S. has knocked out what he calls a big facility in Venezuela, what we're learning about what sounds like a dramatic escalation in that country. President Trump also juggling multiple peace talks at his Mar-a-Lago home in South Florida, meeting face-to-face with the Israeli prime minister, and putting out a stark warning for Iran. Earlier, speaking with both Putin and Zelensky about the Russian invasion of Ukraine as the U.S. tries to broker peace. The champion boxer who just face off against Jake Paul hurt in a car crash that killed two others.

Crowds swarming that gruesome scene, what we know about the deadly crash. Cruise passengers stranded after their ship got stuck on a coral reef. The effort now to get them home and the investigation into another incident involving the same cruise operator that left an 80-year-old woman dead. Farm tycoon murder, the estranged wife of a powerful farming mogul, shot to death in her Arizona home. what we know about the arrest of her husband. And a car spinning out of control. Look at that dangling off a snowy cliff right there. The bystanders who rushed in to save the couple inside.

Plus, was it a good year for movies at the box office? We're taking a look back at the blockbusters and the flocks of 2025. And a look at what's coming in 2026. Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Hallie Jackson in for Tom. with that nasty winter weather pounding millions of people with snow, with ice, with a ton of wind. And the pictures really do tell the story. Look at this dangerous scene in Michigan today.

Cars piling up on the interstate, some of them crumpled, some of them stalled. State police there reporting some two dozen separate crashes on a major interstate. An icy highway is what led to this fiery scene out in western Michigan. Look, you see that semi-truck just swallowed in flames after sliding off an overpass. And in Minnesota, practically a white out on the road, a real travel nightmare for anybody driving home this holiday week. The snow, the ice, those aren't the only threats. Powerful wind is leaving as many as 300,000 people without power at some points today with huge gusts. Look at this along Lake Erie, just a lot of surf, a lot of waves coming up.

This dangerous end-of-the-year storm blasting some 13 million people who still are under winter alerts tonight. another 95 million are battling those whipping winds. We are tracking it all, starting with our Shaquille Brewster, who starts us off from Chicago. A dangerous mix of winter weather, tonight causing chaos. On Detroit's I-75, a pile-up leaving behind this trail of mangled vehicles. State police say more than 59 cars were involved, partially shutting down the highway.

They have multiple vehicles involved. And this fiery scene in western Michigan. The county sheriff says this semi-crashed off an overpass into the road below. The driver was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Heavy snow and wind blanketing the Midwest. Zero visibility. At least one person was killed in Iowa. This video shows a state trooper at a 14-car crash. The vehicles directly in front of him are barely visible. Minnesota's governor declaring a snow emergency and authorizing the National Guard to assist

crews rescuing stranded motorists. Relentless wind threatening millions. More than 300,000 at one point without power today, from Texas to Ohio and Michigan. Gus topping 70 miles an hour in Buffalo, along Lake Erie, this car swallowed by waves. It's the same system that spawned tornadoes across Illinois. Look at the house. Look at the house. Ripping roofs off homes, scattering debris across residential neighborhoods. While the high winds and low visibility brought temporary ground stops and more delays to airports. We should have left a lot earlier. The travel rush for some turning into a crawl. There's so many people.

The lines are kind of long. A powerful weather system bringing a brutal end to the year. Shaq is joining us now from Chicago's O'Hare Airport. And speaking of the travel rush or crawl, Shaq, a lot of folks are going to face some frustrating flights home, huh? No, that's exactly right, Halley. And I've been talking to folks at O'Hare Airport, really throughout the day. And there have been many people who have decided to come early.

They're downloading the airline apps. checking the flight status, but they're still very anxious. And that's because those delays are really mounting really across the country. As of now, according to Flight Aware, we're looking at more than 8,000 flight delays across the country. Many of those delays are paired with where you see the messiest weather, including here in Chicago, where nearly half of all flights are leaving late. That's something you're also seeing in Detroit, where 60% of flights are leaving late. And by the way, Halley, we talked about those tornadoes in the southern part of the state. We just got an update from the National Weather Service.

Three of them were confirmed. One of them having wind speeds of 120 miles an hour. Jeez, Shaq Brewster. Thank you. That teased us up well for our meteorologist, Bill Karen. So, Bill, you've got tornadoes in part of one state. You've got hurricane force winds out further east. I mean, the wind is a huge part of this dramatic storm system here.

That's what made it special, Halley. I mean, we've seen snowstorms this time of year in these areas. This wasn't like that impressive snow-wise, but the wind, people in western New York are like, wow, like this was no joke. That's why we had so many power outages and it's caused so many problems at the airports. These are the delays right now for arrival delays. The departure delays are what's ridiculous. The planes aren't really even getting to these airports in the Northeast and able to take off on many cases. So it's just been a nightmare for so many people. Eighty-seven million people are still under these wind advisories.

The highest winds have now arrived at Washington, D.C., Philly, New York, up to Hartford, and heading into Boston. So the peak gust tonight will be in that 40 to 50-mile-hour range. in that I-95 quarter. The winds are beginning to come down after what was just a memorable day. 78 was the highest wind gust that we had in Buffalo during the day today. It was just incredible. Wind chills behind this are no joke. This is a return to winter. We had a little bit of a break over Christmas, and now it's just back. Nine in St. Louis. We're at negative seven in Minneapolis, and that cold air is going to make it all the way down to areas of Florida as we go through tomorrow morning. And I don't want to make it sound like the snow is not the story, because it's about to be for people in the Northeast with that lake effects know, right? Yeah, the lakes aren't frozen yet. And so we're getting these

bands with the cold air coming in, and we've had, you know, brief visibility problems down to zero in areas of the New York State Thruway, also heading down through Cleveland in Erie. And that's where we have numerous crashes that we're dealing with. Now some of the heaviest bands on the New York State Thruway are from Buffalo heading here just south of Rochester. And this is where it will set up. Areas like Syracuse are expecting 18 to 24 inches as we go throughout tonight and mostly tomorrow, even lasting a little bit into New Year's Eve. And speaking, in New Year's Eve. Everything quiets down east of the Rockies, but the West has another storm coming in. And this is on the heels of that epic storm last week. And so we'll continue to watch

that. So we're ringing in the New Year in L.A. in the rain. And we should see that steady rain continuing through midnight and then right through New Year's Day. Notice the rest of the country is just fine for your plans. Cold as you'd expect this time of year, Hally. But we'll keep our eyes on L.A. and that flood threat on New Year's day. No breaks for our meteorologist. Bill Karens, thank you very much for that. To what could be now. major escalation in the president's pressure campaign in Venezuela. In a new interview, President Trump says the U.S. took out what he described as a big facility in Venezuela, and what sounds like the first strike on land after months of these operations at sea, targeting alleged drug

traffickers. Listen to what President Trump had to say for yourself. And we just knocked out. I don't know if you read or you saw. They have a big plant or a big facility where they send the, you know, where the ships come from. Two nights ago, we knocked that out. So we hit them very hard. I want to bring in our senior White House correspondent, Garrett Haig, who's been monitoring all this. What's so interesting here, Garrett, is that the president has been previewing, I think, for weeks now, the possibility of a land strike in Venezuela. And now he himself seems to be revealing that that has happened.

And I think it's pretty clear that this was not meant to be revealed, Halle. Look at the contrast between the boat strike that happened this afternoon that the administration put a video out then very quickly thereafter, and the way in which reporters had to drag details of this strike out of president, today, days after that radio interview first played, listen to how the president answered some questions today about that strike. Well, it doesn't matter, but there was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs. They load the boats up with drugs. So we hit all the boats, and now we hit the area. It's the implementation area. That's where they implement, and that is no longer around.

There was a major explosion as a pretty passive voice way of discussing what is ultimately a serious escalation of what's been this war, started as a war on drug boats and now has kind of turned into a set of an all-purpose pressure campaign against the Venezuelan regime. And by the way, to your point, kind of cryptic here too, because, you know, there are questions, I think, correct me if I'm wrong, but when we were listening to that discussion between the president and the Israeli prime minister sort of very separate from all things related to Venezuela and Marlago, it sounded like somebody asked him about the CIA's potential involvement. here, and the president kind of dodged on that. Yeah, it's not clear that this was a strike that was conducted by the military. It may have been conducted by an intelligence agency by the CIA. The president, again, using his declassification and authority, has in the past revealed that he has authorized covert action in Venezuela. That's not normally the way this is done, but it's possible we have, you know, military strike

or essentially an intelligence agency doing the same work. Ultimately, Halley, Congress is going to want to know exactly what happened here. We're already hearing about this from Democrats. A lot of Republicans have been kind of nervously watching developments here to see if and when the president would take this step. As you pointed out, he's been teasing for weeks. Garrett Hake, thank you very much. That is just part of the busy start to this holiday week for President Trump. As you saw there, he was hosting the Israeli Prime Minister at Marlago, where he's spending his holiday weeks in Florida.

That's after President Trump talked with Russia's Vladimir Putin on the phone, 24 hours after that face-to-face meeting with the Ukrainian leader. But tonight, Russia says Ukrainian drones targeted one of Putin's residents. which really throws a wrench into those peace discussions. Our Gabe Gutierrez is covering it all from South Florida. Tonight, President Trump issuing an urgent warning amid reports Iran is trying to revive its ballistic missile program. If they are, we're going to have to knock them down. In June, Israeli forces struck Iranian military bases and missile defenses, and the U.S. dropped massive bombs on key Iranian nuclear facilities.

An advisor to Iran's supreme leader now responding, any aggression, will receive a strong immediate response. Iran may be behaving badly. Usually, where there's smoke, there's fire. The warning coming as the president hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Marlago estate. The U.S. pushing for the start of phase two of the fragile Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. It would include the withdrawal of more Israeli forces, but only if Hamas lays down its weapons. They're going to be given a very short period of time to disarm.

and we'll see how that works out. Trump also speaking this morning by phone again with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the U.S. pushes for a ceasefire in Ukraine. It was a very productive talk. I mean, we have a few very thorny issues. After Russian airstrikes targeted Keeb this weekend, Putin telling Trump Ukrainian drones tried to attack his residents in northwestern Russia overnight, which Ukraine denies. This is not the right time.

It's one thing to be offensive because they're offensive. It's another thing to attack his house. That tone less optimistic than a day earlier when Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volonimir Zelensky for peace talks. I do think we're getting a lot closer, maybe very close. Zelensky telling reporters overnight the peace plan that's on the table would include 15 years of protections

by other countries against Russia. But he's asking Trump to extend those security guarantees for up to 50 years. I want to bring in Gabe Gutierrez who is traveling with President Trump. in South Florida. And Gabe, you mentioned that alleged drone strike on one of Putin's residences, which seems all but certain to perhaps complicate those peace talks moving forward. Yeah, a lot of complications, Halley. Russia's foreign minister said today that his country's

negotiating position will be reconsidered following the incident. President Trump says that he does expect to meet again with Zelensky and European leaders sometime next month in the U.S. But, Halley, any agreement seems much further off than it was 24 hours ago. Gabe Gutierrez in West Palm, thank you. Also tonight, the Department of Homeland Security says federal agents are now going door-to-door in Minneapolis, investigating possible child care fraud. As our Julia Ainsley reports, that comes after a viral video posted by a conservative YouTuber re-ignited interest. Tonight, the Department of Homeland Security says it is knocking on doors at more than 30.

businesses in Minneapolis to root out those that may be collecting taxpayer money fraudulently. That's just a simple question. Where are the children? It comes after a viral video made by a right-wing YouTuber reignited interest in the issue. The video posted by Nick Shirley, who identifies himself as an independent journalist, focused on the area Somali community, and has racked up more than 100 million views. Shirley says he went to 10 child care centers receiving federal and state subsidies and found no children inside. NBC news has reached out to Shirley about the timing of the

visits but he has not responded. These buildings should be operating as they're receiving literally millions of dollars. While we have questions about some of the methods that were used in the video we do take the concerns that the video raises about fraud very seriously. The Minnesota Commissioner of the Department of Children Youth and Family said today many of the centers have been investigated previously and no fraud was uncovered. Eight of the 10 daycare centers featured in the video are still operating and receiving taxpayer subsidies, according to the commissioner. Which is why our teams are out today making additional unannounced visits to, again, confirm are there children in these child care centers?

The video stoking Republican anger towards the state's Democratic governor Tim Walts, who they blame for not doing more to crack down. The governor's office in a statement saying the governor has worked for years to crack. back down on fraud and ask the state legislature for more authority to take aggressive action. The Justice Department, under both Biden and Trump, have launched multiple investigations into alleged fraud in Minneapolis. In Washington, FBI director Cash Patel said his agency has surged personnel and investigative resources to Minnesota to dismantle large-scale fraud schemes. And Julia is joining us now here on set in Washington.

It's good to see you, Julia. There's been a lot to this. What else are we hearing tonight? Yeah, Halley, it's important to keep in mind the White House is saying they're laser-focused on rooting out fraud in Minneapolis. And in fact, we're seeing an announcement from the Small Business Administration that they're going to pull back loans to Minnesota until this fraud is addressed. But what's important to note is this is not even the first administration that is attempted to take on this problem. The Justice Department under the Biden administration also launched investigations into apparent fraud coming out of Minnesota. These are grants that go out to people who are providing health care, child care, transportation.

services for non-emergency medical needs. And in many cases, this is money that needs to get out the door quickly. The state says, and the city of Minneapolis says they're going to these places now to figure out, could it have been that children weren't there because it wasn't a time they were supposed to be open. It is the holidays after all. So I want to hear more about what Minneapolis learns about these child care facilities and if they are indeed part of a larger problem of fraud in the city. Julia Ainsley, thank you for staying on top of the story and for your reporting on that. Appreciate it. Next to a chilling murder case. right out of a drama series, a powerful farming tycoon arrested, accused of killing his estranged

wife with the case rocking communities from California to Arizona. Steve Patterson has those late-breaking developments. The magnate of a sprawling multi-million dollar farming empire is awaiting his fate from a California jail, accused of killing his own wife. Last week, 63-year-old Michael Abadi was arrested for the murder of his estranged wife, Carrie. It's difficult. Any time we lose someone in our community, especially close to the holidays. Authorities accuse a body of traveling nearly 400 miles from California to the couple's property in Arizona's white mountains where Carrie was shot and killed. No details on a motive, but the sheriff says their following leads. The only thing that's glaring that I think everybody already knows there's a divorce in place.

They weren't able to come to a resolution. Court documents show Carrie Ann a body separated from her husband and filed for divorce in 2023 and had been receiving 5,000 a month. in spousal support, but was battling in court for an increase to 30,000 before a judge ruled it should be 6,400. She wrote in a 2024 filing, I went from living in a beautiful home with a pool in El Centro to living on a homestead in Arizona, struggling to afford the utilities and chopping wood to keep the house warm during the winter. The murder rocking tight-knit Imperial Valley, where the abodies are among the largest landowners in the region. The family active there for more than a century, growing thousands of acres of crops worth millions.

NBC News reached out to an attorney for Michael Abadi, who has yet to respond. Tonight, he is currently awaiting extradition from California to Arizona. Steve is joining us now from California. Steve, how did officials decide to make a body a suspect? Tell us more about this. Yeah, the Sheriff's Department in a news conference today saying it was a lot of good old-fashioned detective work, interviews with friends and family and coworkers and associates who developed into Leeds, which then developed into a timeline.

Deputies also mentioned a key piece of technology that was key to the investigation, but wouldn't further elaborate. Hally? Steve Patterson, thank you very much for reporting on this one. We're back in a moment with the deadly car crash involving a former boxing world champion. Anthony Joshua left hurt just days after that big fight against Jake Paul.

What else we know tonight? Plus, the search continuing for a missing 19-year-old woman in Texas who's been gone since Christmas Eve. The new video just in from the day she vanished. And the high-end heist captured on camera. Look at this, these masked burglars raiding a fancy store near Chicago, stealing almost everything off the shelves. We've got more on what happened just ahead on Top Story.

We are back now with a horrific scene out of Nigeria. Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua hurt in a car. crash that it killed two of his friends. And new reaction coming in tonight from Jake Paul, who fought the boxer just weeks ago. Here's Morgan Chesky. In Nigeria, crowd swarming wreckage cameras out. As Anthony Joshua emerged from a backseat, shirtless and grimacing in pain, the only survivor in a horrific crash killing two.

The Lexus SUV mangled beyond recognition was carrying the former two-time World Heavyweight champion. Its pieces scattered across the highway on the outskirts of Lagos. Authorities say the collision happened around 11 a.m. local time when the Lexus lost control during an overtaking maneuver and crashed into a stationary truck. Adding it appears the vehicle was traveling over the speed limit. The two killed confirmed to be Joshua's close friends and teammates, Latif Ayotale and Sinagami. The Nigerian British boxer most recently in the spotlight just weeks ago, when Joshua took on information,

turned boxer, Jake Paul. The highly publicized fight, ending in the sixth round, when Joshua unleashed a devastating punch, breaking Paul's jaw. Following today's news, Paul writing, life is much more important than boxing.

I am praying for the lost lives, AJ, and anyone impacted by today's unfortunate accident. The president of Nigeria also extending deep sympathies, adding, as a sportsman, you have always shown courage, discipline, discipline and unwavering love for our country. Morgan is joining us now from L.A.

So let's talk about Anthony Joshua here. His condition, any update there, anything else we're hearing from the boxing world, because as you note, there has been such an outpouring now from people in that community. Yeah, Hallie, there really has been. And despite the mangled nature of that Lexus SUV, the boxing promoter that works hand in hand with Joshua says that the former heavyweight champ was taken from that scene to a hospital where he's remaining in stable condition being treated for only minor injuries, despite the fact that that very card that he was in was the same one that his two friends

were killed in as well. Meanwhile, authorities say that this accident remains very much under investigation here. Allie. Morgan Chesky, thank you. Next up tonight, a ruling in the case of the man accused of killing political activist Charlie Kirk, a Utah judge ordering the release of a transcript and audio from a hearing back in October that centered around the clothes that Kirk's alleged killer Tyler Robinson could wear in court. Late today, the court released that transcript with some redactions. And our legal analyst at NBC News, Danny Savalos, has been reading them over for us. Okay, so Danny, talk about the transcript here. And again, this centers, I think, on the optics of what this suspect can wear in court, right? Exactly right. Both what he's going to

wear in pretrial, non-jury court events. That's key here. And also, whether or not he'll be shackled during those appearances. And what you learn through the court's discussion with the litigants is that there really isn't a lot of case law on this issue. I have always, always asked the court to unhook my clients in court, and that's usually done in the jurisdictions in which I practice, but it's just not the same in every courthouse and in every state and jurisdiction. So this is an issue with some limited case law, but it was a very interesting argument as to whether or not, in a high-profile case, a defendant should be, one, unshackled, if he's safe, and number two, be allowed to wear regular civilian clothes.

So not to get Navalgazy here, but there was also a moment today where the judge denied the media what he called, or what is called limited party status. That means that outlets could get a formal notice for any court filings. Was that a win for the defense? Was that more procedural? What's your take on that? This was an indirect win for the defense. And here's what I mean by that. Sometimes defendants want a lot of publicity. Sometimes defense counsel does. Usually they don't. This is one of those usually situations. Defense counsels made it very clear, including in the transcript, that they want this to be less public rather than more public. So by denying the media that limited party status, the media therefore gets less say. And let's face it, the media is a one-issue

party in this case. They want public hearings. They want to photograph it. They want video. They want transparency, which is a good thing. They're single-minded. It just so happens that the media single-mindedness is directly the opposite of what the defense wants. Well, so let's talk about the issue of transparency of cameras, for example, because the defense attorneys here are looking to ban cameras from court ahead of the hearings of jury, ahead of jury selection, I should say. They say that it could influence potential jurors. Interestingly, Charlie Kirk's widow, Erica Kirk, has suggested that she wants cameras in court. Where do you see that ending? It's hard to say, because there is some discretion here for a Utah judge. If we're in

federal court, for example, a judge has zero discretion. That's because this rule, no cameras, is outlined in a rule of procedure, something a judge simply can't overrule on her or his own. So here, it's always, whenever a judge has discretion, it really is a case-by-case inquiry. But if I were to estimate which way the judge is leaning, the judge is leaning towards allowing public access to this trial. So if I were to bet, I would say ultimately, the defense would lose in their bid, mostly losing their bid, to keep this out of the cameras and out of the public image. Danny Savalos, thank you for that breakdown. Good to see you.

Coming up here on the show, more than 100 passengers left stranded at sea when their cruise ship got stuck inside the push to try to get them off this boat. Plus, the dramatic rescue on a snowy highway in California, a man jumping into action to help pull a family to safety after they got trapped in their car dangling off the side of a cliff. But first, top story's top moment and the game-winning national anthem performance, the 104 years young decorated World War II veterans, staff sergeant Dominic Pretelli, playing a rendition of the Star Spangled banner on his sacks at UBS Arena on Long Island. Let me tell you, it brought down the house. The crowd hanging on to every note of it ahead of that big local faceoff between the islanders and the Rangers. Watch.

I mean, come on the I mean, come on the fans, drowning out that last note. With that ovation, there's Cretelie saluting the fans as he made his way off the ice. We thank him for his service. Stay with us, a lot more top story on the way. Back now with that urgent search for a Texas woman who's been missing since Christmas Eve, with officials warning that this 19-year-old could be in danger.

The Bexar County Sheriff's Office tonight releasing this new video from the morning of her disappearance, showing somebody with matching clothes walking just blocks from her home. Following it all for us is NBC's Ryan Chandler. So, Ryan, what else are police saying that they've learned from this new video? Well, less than we would hope for, Halley, these two pieces of video are really the only two pieces of evidence that police have been able to produce in the six days of this search so far. And they always come with the caveat that they believe that this could be almost,

but they can't be sure. The quality of those videos are very grainy. It was dark outside when the sheriff's department says they believe she walked away from her home. The update that we got from the sheriff's department today is essentially that we know not a whole lot more today than we knew on Christmas Eve. For the last six days, a massive search team of neighbors, strangers, and law enforcement alike have been scanning this area with drones, with dogs, with volunteers, with mounted patrol. And still, the sheriff said today they found no physical pieces of. evidence. That's why they're pleading with the public. Check your door, your, your doorbell cams, your dash cams, anything that may have caught a glimpse of almost to piece together a better

puzzle of where she may have gone, Hallie. Ryan, I know that you spoke with her family. What did they tell you about these hours these days leading up to her disappearance? Yeah, so the sheriff's department said that they believe she walked away from her home just before seven o'clock on Christmas Eve. Her mother told me that she woke up at about eight. and assumed that her daughter had gone for a typical morning walk. When she didn't return by nine, she started to grow worried. And then alarm bells really went off when they found her phone left behind and turned off in her bedroom. I want you to listen to a little bit of our conversation with her mother and brother.

They're emotional pleas to hope that their daughter comes home safe. I miss her. I miss her with all my heart. And please, please, please, please came back because I only. play safe is our home, our heart, and we need you. After that conversation, they told us again today, they're just so grateful for this community that has risen up, showing there's still good people in this world, they say,

that are keeping them strong, Halley. And Ryan, I know that the sheriff might have mentioned something about mental health potentially being a factor. I know we don't know much on that piece of it, but can you share more? Right. So that comes from another key piece of evidence that phone. The FBI is now helping in analyzing digital evidence. And the sheriff said that led to signs of depression, a history of suicidal ideation. Now, to be sure, they are not prepared to say tonight, Halley, that self-harm is a factor here. It is one possibility that they're considering. But that is among a group of many possibilities. They still don't have a concrete theory of the case. But, that is something that they are considering. Allie.

Ryan Chandler, thank you very much. Not at Top Story's news feed. The man accused of shooting two National Guard troops near the White House, making his first federal court appearance in Washington today. Ramanula La Conwell is facing a series of charges connected to that attack last month, which left one West Virginia National Guard member dead and another seriously hurt. He spoke through an interpreter and was rolled into court in a wheelchair. He did not enter a plea and will remain behind bars until his next court hearing in two weeks.

Also, tonight, a group of mass burglars taken less than two minutes to basically clear out a consignment store in the suburbs of Chicago. Look at the surveillance camera video here, capturing that heist yesterday. At least six people storming the boutique. They're filling up the bags, grabbing stuff off the shelves. The owners say they stole nearly all of their inventory. Police say they're still working to figure out how much everything is worth. And an Air Force sergeant in the right place at the right time, rescuing a family from a very scary car crash in California. SUV losing control, flipping onto its side. Look at this, dangling off that embankment there.

The man, the Good Samaritan, was driving just behind, saw the crash happen and told our station, KCR in Sacramento, why he jumped into action. I thought about my wife and my daughter, but if there's a family on that car, somebody has to help. Along with a group of other people, you see him all here, they rush over, he forms a chain, he starts it off, holding the cars that the car doesn't roll to help rescue the driver, his wife, and their two dogs. Just an incredible act of courage on Christmas morning. And the countdown is on to New Year's, but before that happens, some folks who gathered in Times Square today got a bit of an early peak with the confetti test coming down early. Organizers say it's meant to check basically the airworthiness

of the confetti, how it floats, how it flies. It's used to ring in 2026. 3,000 pounds of it is set to be released at midnight on New Year's Eve. Remember, you can watch the ball drop Wednesday night right here on NBC. To New Jersey now where officials say both pilots in a mid-air helicopter crash have died. Both of those pilots, friends, as investigators try to figure out what could have caused this collision. Our Emily Aketa has the latest. As investigators try to pinpoint what caused a mid-air collision between two helicopters,

including this one seen spiraling. One on her base in the road, two helicopters crashed. Police tonight confirming both pilots the sole members on board have died, identifying them as New Jersey residents, 71-year-old Michael Greenberg and 65-year-old Kenneth Kirsch. They apparently are friends and fly into the airport, have a meal together at the cafe that's there, and we're leaving together. Authorities say the experienced pilots took off from Hammondon Municipal Airport outside of Philadelphia Sunday morning and we're flying in close progress. proximity before colliding and crash landing one and a half miles away in a field near Caitlin Collins home. She rushed to help one of the pilots before he was transported to the hospital. So I just held his hand and told him everything was going to be okay. The fiery aftermath

sending plumes of smoke into the sky and leaving behind a trail of pieces from the main and tail rotor stretching 100 yards long, according to investigators seen on the ground. The NTSB says both helicopters will be moved from the accident site tomorrow as the agency tries to uncover what led to this staggering scene in South Jersey. Another win is described to NBC News, first hearing a loud snap or explosion and then seeing a helicopter flip upside down and fall to the ground. Then shortly later, he says the second helicopter started to spiral. A preliminary report, Howley from the NTSB is expected within a month. Emily Aketa, thank you. Now to Top Story's Global Watch, Starting with China, conducting live-fire military drills today around the island of Taiwan.

Beijing releasing some new video showing a mix of air, navy, missile units. It says the drills are meant to send a warning against separatists and what they call external forces. Coming just over a week after the U.S. announced a $10 billion arms sale to Taiwan. The Taiwanese Defense Ministry says it's now putting its own forces on high alert. A train accident in southern Mexico, killing 13 people, leaving nearly 100 others hurt. Look at this, crews working to try to clear passengers out of that train. Some of them had to be carried out on stretchers. Officials say the train went off the tracks yesterday as it went around a curve, that crash,

stopping traffic along a major rail line that connects the Pacific Ocean with the Gulf of Mexico. And in Spain, at least three people were killed in an avalanche near a ski resort. This video shows the aftermath here. You see the helicopters overhead rescue teams scouring the mountainside. Law enforcement officials say one other person was hurt. Two others managed to get away from the avalanche unharmed. They were apparently all part of a group that was cross-country skiing. And cruise ship passengers getting a rather unwelcome surprise

when their ship got stuck off the coast of Papua New Guinea on Saturday. Some 120 people stranded on board. And it's not the first issue this cruise company has faced recently. Our Danielle Hammamjan reports. A cruise ship packed with passengers now in need of a rescue after running a ground off the coast of Papua New Guinea. It happened Saturday, the Australian ship Coral Adventurer, getting stuck on a coral reef about 60 miles from the closest major port, according to an NBC News calculation. On board 80 passengers and 44 crew members.

The island nation's maritime authority says there are no injuries reported, nor is there any toxic discharge from the boat in the water. But the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, or the AMSA, says the vessel is not. not seaworthy due to potential damage sustained during the grounding, detaining the ship today because of potential damage due to failures in the implementation of its safety management system. Cruise ships do run aground. It's not often. Local maritime authorities say an attempt to refloat the ship during high tide failed, leading Papua New Guinea authorities to call in a tugboat which also failed. The Coral Adventurers set sail from Ken's Australia on December 18th

and was scheduled to reach its final stop in Madang, Papua New Guinea by the 30th, running aground about 125 miles from its destination. The fines may be very severe, depending upon the damage done. The cost for this 12-night tropical vacation, roughly $9,000, dollars, according to the cruise company's website. That company, Coral Expeditions, is already under investigation by the AMSA for a separate incident following the death of an 80-year-old woman in October. The cruise line is accused of leaving a Great Barrier Reef Island without Suzanne Reese.

Her body found the next day. Officials say she appeared to have fallen from a cliff. NBC News has reached out to the Coral Expeditions and the AMSA for comment. and have not yet heard back. And the cruise company telling local media that all those passengers on board will be flown back to Australia. Hallie.

Danielle Hamamchen, thank you. Still to come tonight, 2025 was supposed to be a pretty big year at the box office, but spoiler, that didn't happen. Coming up on Top Story, we'll break down why some theaters are still struggling to bounce back and what you can expect of the movies

in the year ahead. Stay with us. Back now with the box. box office blues, you could call them, for a lot of 2025, because even with some big smash hits this year, theaters have not been able to get people back into seats like before the pandemic. The forecast heading into this year was that domestic ticket revenue, so the amount of money they'd make, could be above $9 billion. Take a look at what we're seeing in the final week of the year. Box office revenue in the U.S. and Canada for 2025 came in, you know, kind

of close there at roughly $8.87 billion. Got a last minute boost from Avenue. TAR, the new one, Fire and Ash, and, of course, Marty Supreme from Timothy Shalome out just recently. So right, maybe close to that $9 billion mark, right around where we saw 2024, but still a big trail from the 11 billion that the box office raked in back before the pandemic in 2019. So to help break down the wins and the misses at theaters this year. And what we have to look forward to in 2026, you know we had to bring in Paul Deriberian, ComScore senior media analyst, Paul, the guy that I trust with all things movies. give me a sense here, and I'm so glad you're with us. Thank you. Give me a sense here of

sort of your big takeaways for the year that was for Hollywood. Yeah, this was like a Grateful Dead song. It was like what a long, strange trip it's been for the box office in 2025. And you said it up perfectly. I mean, at the end of the year with the Avatar and Zootopia 2 and Marty Supreme all doing very well. We had a very positive final week of the year because Avatar has been so well and because audiences went out big for the holiday period you know in the you know from Christmas Eve through New Year's Eve is always a very big time at the box office but for me this year was really about PG-rated movies last year recording our comm score data PG movies outgross PG-13 for

the first time ever and guess what they're doing it again top two movies at the box office a Minecraft movie and Leelow and Stitch were the top top movies, each bringing in over $424 million at the domestic box office. It's funny you mentioned the Minecraft movie. You saw that sort of the meme moments driving some of that, the chicken jockey thing that went all sort of viral here. The other thing, this is anecdotal, but I wonder if you're seeing this sort of in the data here, horror movies, feel like they always draw in a crowd, that those tend to have kind

of those big splashy moments in theaters. Fair? Well, I'm glad you brought that up because we actually had the biggest year for horror movies ever at the box office in 2025, bringing in $1.4 billion, sinners, weapons, the Conjuring movie Last Rights, Black Phone 2, Final Destination, Bloodlines, just some huge movies, and horror movies are just a go-to. People love being scared in that communal environment of the movie theater, and it really paid off big this year in theaters. You talk about the communal environment, and when you say that, Paul, one thing that I

I think about is Gen Z. We've done reporting on this generation that, you know, kind of had the pandemic impact. They're on their phones constantly. I mean, we all are, but that they're especially Gen Z, maybe some millennials, but especially that generation, looking for those experiences that they can share with people. It feels like going to the theater is a way to do that. That's totally what is happening. In Gen Z, we thought, a lot of people thought the younger generation would go away from the big screen because they're always on their small screens. But we're seeing in the data that Gen Z loves going to the movies and with the movie theater becoming a hub of influence where people can talk about, hey, I just, like you said, the chicken jockey

situation in theaters for a Minecraft movie, people singing along with Wicked for Good, people talking about how scared they were in the theater seeing a movie like weapons. So I just think it's really, you know, the box office is just one component of that. I think going outside of the home to have that fun with people, you know, everybody's in that theater, getting ready for that ride they're going to go along for, is going to continue in 2026. And I predict that in 26, we will get close to 10 billion perhaps at the domestic box office, which with some huge movies on the way. Well, you can't just leave us hanging on that note. What are the big ones you're looking? You know that I watch like maybe one or two movies a year. So what are the movies that I'm going to need to watch next year?

Let's break it down in no particular order. So, Toy Story 5, Minions 3, Avengers Dooms Day. We've got a new Dune movie, Doom Part 3 with Timothy Schalleman, it'll be out about a year from now. And then, of course, just announced was the new Tom Cruise movie from Alejandro Inorritu called Digger. And then, of course, Disclosure Day, opening in June from Stephen Spielberg with Emily Blunt. Super Mario Galaxy is also coming out next year, and Christopher Nolan's Odyssey. in 26. If you can't find something like in the movie theater in 26, you're not looking hard

enough. Paul, I'm putting all of them on my list. I'm doing it next year, the year of the movie. Paul Diggerby. I'm so glad to have you. Thank you so much for your analysis on all of it. Appreciate that. Still ahead for us tonight to look back at some of the brightest stories and moments over the past year and the incredible people who have inspired us along the way. And finally, tonight, there is good news, because even at a time when we see so many stories of heartbreak, important but difficult stories that need to be shared, we are also seeing stories of hope and triumph, of humor and of love that we also want to share. So along with my colleague, Jose Diaz-Belard, here's our look back at the good news we covered this year

and all the incredible people who inspired us. This year, there were so many special moments that inspired us. We saw so much support when people need to be. it most it like made me feel so good and it made me feel like cancer is just nothing and I could get there for how much support this is for me like the Goshen township police department in Ohio showing Ali Campbell she wasn't alone during her cancer battle officer what's the bigger message bigger message is we can stand behind someone who needs our support at that point in time then you stand behind them we're in this together

There were heroes like Laura Wiley's care team, spending all night decorating for this mini high school graduation after she missed hers because of a sudden illness. And a massive birthday parade for this little boy as he went through cancer treatment with hundreds of people showing up. His smile was just ear to ear, just so big. It's overwhelming in the best way as possible because we couldn't do it without our community. Across the country, educators making a difference and their community saying thank you. Oh, yes. Hundreds of students celebrating custodian Amy Warwick just named employee of the year at her Idaho elementary school. Sometimes we feel like we're just the custodian, the lunch lady or something like that, and our school makes this feel special no matter what spot we're at.

There was hug after hug for lunch lady Betty Duquette, retiring after decades at her Massachusetts high school. Teachers, staff, office workers, and most of all, my family of Aggie students who might love and care about. I will remember you always. Sergeant Randy Goodell, a school resource officer in Ohio overwhelmed with love when his school held this surprise assembly in his

honor to watch over the kids help the kids in any way we can whether it's tie a tennis shoe try to help fix a scrape on an elbow to wipe a tear away it's not a job it's a gift we saw hard work pay off from getting into college to see scholarships filled with opportunity. You see, let's go! Future doctors heading to medical school. And the coach's special surprise for a team manager's hard work on the hardwood.

As of tonight, you are, you are for scholarships. That power of That power of teamwork lifting all of us to new heights. Like these kids cheering on Keegan Harrison, before he and his mom bite their way to gold for Team USA at the World Transplant Games. Can you talk a little bit about what that's like for you emotionally?

There are doors that are open no matter what your situation is. There is a way that we can make sure that you feel included, that you are supported in whatever that you want to do. Move that, move up, move up. And for this coach, cancer wouldn't slow him down. His players and his other team of doctors, nurses, family, and friends showing up for his moment of victory. We saw people giving themselves to him,

to others, including the greatest gift of all. In December 2024, I became your official donor, and I am in this very room waiting for you. You're a perfect match, Mandy Harris. Why are you doing this? It was like God just kind of pushed me a little bit and said, go ahead and try. Woo!

There you go. There you go. We met 10-year-old Stephen Mondack, who stepped up to donate stem cells that saved his dad. What does it mean to you that it was your son who did that? Now, there's that old saying that not all heroes wear capes. Well, mine didn't wear a cape. Mine put out a hospital gown and donated 6 million stem cells and save my life. And we were there when April Johnson Heath met Valens Sames, the men.

Sam's the man who got a second chance of life, thanks to the heart donated from April's late sun. He just had a big heart. Now he's got a big heart. There were new beginnings. A new home for a hero. And the next generation of heroes. Oh, hi. Students asking a different kind of question. Will you have it? This is something that I've been dreaming of not only my whole life, but since I met Josh. We wanted to give a quick shout out from a very grateful group of grandkids.

New adventures with friends and friends. with friends and family. For being our biggest fan, our favorite travel buddy, and the queen of making memories. And checking off that bucket list, making memories to last a lifetime. I love you.

I love you, too. Moments of triumph and connection. Inspiring us to show up for others. And be the best version of ourselves. All year long. Thank you so much, as always, for watching Top Story. For Tom Yamis, I'm Hallie Jackson in Washington. We'll see you right back here tomorrow.

Stay right there. We've got a lot more news on the way.