Top Story with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Episode Date: December 27, 2023

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.

Tonight, the deadly winter blast barreling through the country during a busy holiday travel week. Cars and trucks sliding off a highway in Nebraska as heavy rain and high winds hit America's heartland. Whiteout conditions shutting down an interstate in South Dakota and a woman in Kansas killed when she lost control of her truck on an icy roadway. The system now marching east as millions are expected at airports over the next few days. We have the timing and the track. Also tonight, the massive new migrant caravan heading towards the U.S. border. The group estimated to be about 8,000 people making its way through Mexico on foot. The massive caravan coming after days of record crossings at the U.S. border, pushing processing facilities to the limit.

How border officials are preparing for this new arrival. Striking back, the U.S. launching airstrikes on Iranian back militias in Iraq. Biden green lighting the strike after a drone attack on a U.S. base that injured Americans. Attacks on U.S. troops in the Middle East exploding since the Hamas terror attack on October 7th. Could this signal a widening war in the region that includes U.S. involvement? Bus driver danger. shocking videos showing bus drivers in California's Bay Area getting knocked out, pepper sprayed, and one even kidnapped by a man with a machete. One driver attacked multiple times over the last.

few years. What transit union leaders are calling for to keep those drivers safe. Plus, he apologizes. The rapper, formerly known as Kanye West, posting a message in Hebrew, apologizing to the Jewish community after a series of anti-Semitic remarks and outbursts. The apology coming more than a year after some of his remarks cost him a multi-million dollar partnership with Adidas. So why now? And the presence have been opened. So now the race to return begins. The key dates and possible fees, you need to know if you're looking to swap out one of your gifts. Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Aaron McLaughlin in for Tom Yamis. We begin with some potentially bad news

for Americans heading home from their holiday destinations. A deadly winter storm is barreling across the country. In Nebraska, near wide-out conditions causing this dangerous scene on a highway, cars and trucks sliding off the roads into ditches. Troopers in that state alone responding to more than 100 weather-related accidents. In Minnesota, a windy ice storm toppling trees, knocking one over right onto an electrical box. Power outages reported across the Midwest. The dangerous weather coming as millions are expected to fly every day this week between Christmas and New Year's. far, more than 5,000 domestic flights have been delayed and at least 160 canceled, according

to Flight Aware. The system now on the move packing snow, winds, and also heavy rain that could bring potential flooding to the eastern United States. We'll have the full forecast in just a few minutes, but we begin tonight with Mora Barrett in Chicago. Tonight, a deadly winter storm on the move, creating treacherous conditions across the heartland, as millions look to head home from the holidays. If you do have to travel, you should pack provisions in case you get stranded. Blizzard warnings in effect across five states, including parts of Colorado. Tonight, blanketed in over 10 inches of snow with up to 6 inches still on the way.

In South Dakota, white out conditions forcing authorities to shut down the interstate. Strong wind gusts tearing apart this car park and piling snowdrifts at residence front doors. The storm turning deadly in Kansas, a Wichita woman killed after authorities say she lost control of her truck on an icy stretch of highway. And in Nebraska, the state patrol responding to nearly 150 weather-related incidents, despite urging drivers to stay off the roads. Slick conditions on the interstate causing semi-trucks to slip off the road. Others jackknifed, forcing highways to shut down for hours. Flyers feeling the effects too. More than 5,000 flights delayed or can. canceled today. Due in part to a dense fog taking hold across the northeast, 37 million

under alert from eastern Pennsylvania to southern Maine. Fog also responsible for hundreds of canceled flights in the Midwest over the holiday weekend. It was delayed, delayed because of the fog, and then eventually canceled. Still, a welcome change from this time last year when weather and staffing shortages stranded 2 million passengers. The U.S. Airlines pushed to hire more pilots, flight attendants and support workers paying off to bring those cancellation rates down. Is there a reason for that? Like something weird happened? Especially the day after Christmas. That's okay. I'll deal with no delays and nobody in the airport. This is perfect, perfect holiday travel. And new numbers in from TSA clocking 18 million people traveling through airports just in the last week,

now turning around to head home or go on their own post-holiday vacations. TSA is also predicting that Thursday and Friday at the end of this week will be the busiest travel day, all year. Erin? Maura Barrett, thank you. And for more on this dangerous storm, NBC news meteorologist Michelle Grossman joins me now. Michelle, what's the latest on the track?

Hi there, Erin. Great to see you. Well, we're looking at this very slow-moving system. We've been talking about this for days, and we're going to continue to talk about it for days. So what we're seeing right now on radar is that snow is still falling. We're looking at blizzard warnings. We're looking in heavy snow. Not a whole lot of accumulations to go, but still looking at blowing snow

because winds are gusting 35 to 55 miles per hour. Where you see that pink, that is freezing rain. It makes it so travel, not impossible, on the roadways. And then look at all this rain ahead of this cold front, stretching from the upper Midwest, all the way down to the southeast. We have pockets of heavy rain. That's where you're seeing the reds, the yellows, the oranges. And we're going to continue to see that through Wednesday,

also Thursday, even parts of Friday. So we zoom in a little closer. We're looking in really heavy rain throughout the Carolinas. And we're looking at that freezing rain all the way back to portions of North Dakota. Now, we do have winter alerts, winter. weather advisories, winter storm warnings, ice storm warnings, also blizzard warnings. Where you see the blizzard warnings, that's portions of South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, into Colorado, six million people impacted by weather alerts.

We're going to start to see some of this snow taper overnight, extending into the early parts of Wednesday. So we still have a little bit to go. We're going to add a few more inches, but we've already seen the damage that was done. We had road closures yesterday. We had pile-ups and portions of roadways in South Dakota. So as we go throughout time here, we're going to watch this area of low pressure move off to the north and east, the blizzard will be ending tomorrow in the plains, light snow showers

lingering, heavy rains soaking the northeast. It's going to be a tough travel day there. Then as we go throughout Thursday, bans of rain and snow, swiping through the Great Lakes, also isolated showers lingering across the Northeast. And guess what? Still here, Erin, on Friday with some snow and also some rain and portions of the upper Great Lakes. Back to you. Michelle, thank you. Now to that other breaking news we're following tonight. A new migrant caravan. Thousands strong and growing every day is making its way through Central America headed for the U.S. It comes as Secretary of State Anthony Blinken prepares to meet with Mexico's president tomorrow. NBC's Morgan Chesky at the southern border with the details.

Tonight in southern Mexico, a new migrant caravan is heading north, a group of men, women, and children whose organizers say is now 8,000 strong after an estimated 2,000 more joined in a single day. The caravan last seen in the Mexican state of Chiapas near Guatemala would be the largest since last year. Many of them desperate and exhausted. This father from Honduras sharing his three-year-old daughter is now too weak to walk. The U.S. border still more than a thousand miles away. In Eagle Pass, Texas, just days after these stunning scenes of migrant families lighting the Rio Grande, Tonight, U.S. Customs and Border Protection facing a quiet loan that likely won't last long. Outside an Eagle Pass shelter, we met Osmani, Merriyan, and Edison.

Don't they van now. Where are you going now? Oklahoma. Oklahoma? L.A. Dallas. Dallas. Medellan from Venezuela says she's now waiting until her asylum hearing. After a five-month journey here, she called Dangerous but Worth it. Mexico's president now saying,

He'll meet with U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken tomorrow in Mexico City to discuss potential joint solutions. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, taking his own steps, installing more barbed wire on the border, and busing more migrants to primarily Democratic-led cities, such as Chicago and New York, both now buckling under rising numbers. Governor Abbott has made it clear. He wants to destabilize cities and sending thousands of migrants and asylum seekers. Morgan Chesky joins us now from Eagle Pass, Texas. So Morgan, what can we expect from that meeting with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Mexico's president? Yeah, Aaron, it's going to be very interesting to see what joint solutions are discussed. We do know that on a local level here, authorities do correspond with their Mexican counterparts across the Rio Grande.

But any sort of two-state solution here could potentially be very significant, especially with that caravan in southern Mexico making its way north as we speak. In the meantime, though, lawmakers in Washington still trying to sort out some sort of southern border policy deal despite the holiday break. But as of last check, no clear agreement has been reached. Aaron? Morgan Chesky at the southern border tonight. Thank you.

And as that migrant caravan makes its way to the U.S. officials here at home are preparing for an influx at the border. For more on this, I want to bring brand. and Judd. He's the president of the National Border Patrol Council. Brandon, thanks for joining Top Story. So talk to us about what we saw over the weekend in terms of numbers, and why was it so high? We continue to break records. And the reason that we have so many people that are crossing our borders illegally is simply because of the magnet that draws up so many people.

When we release people into the United States without a consequence, when they violate our laws and they're released into United States, they're going to continue to come. is what allows the cartels to be so successful in advertising their services around the world. They go out, they tell people, give them several thousand dollars, they'll get them to the United States-Mexico border, and they'll be able to cross illegally and be able to stay in the United States. So when you look at that, if we don't properly enforce our laws, we're going to continue to encourage this to happen. We've got to look at our laws. We've got to say that those people that are not supposed to be here, that do not have a legal reason to be here,

need to be removed. That's what our laws are. And if we don't enforce that, we're going to continue to see this happen. So let's talk about the caravan. How are officials monitoring this caravan and can they even handle it? No, we can't. One of the most frustrating things about all of this that we're seeing today, when you look at all these pictures, what you're seeing is you're seeing Border Patrol agents doing administrative duties. They're not doing enforcement duties. We're not actually patrolling the border. We're processing people through releasing them into the United States. We're doing hospital watch. We're doing transport.

We're doing anything but what we're supposed to be doing. We're not able to go after the cartels. And if we can't do that, this chaos is going to continue. We have to release our agents. We have to be able to go out and patrol our borders properly. And if we can't do that, then this is going to continue to ensue. Do you expect this caravan to even make it to the United States in its current form? Yeah, well, they never come up in one location.

They always split off. The different faction of the cartels, you've got the Sinaloa cartel, you've got the gold cartel that works in RGV, the Sinaloa that primarily works in the Arizona area, and they'll always break off and pay those individuals based upon what they want to do. What is it that they want to accomplish? If they want to evade apprehension, they're going to go to Arizona. If they want to give up, they're going to go to the Rio Grande Valley to Del Rio, Texas. So it's very different the way these cartels work. They're businesses, they're illegal businesses, but they're businesses, and they generate revenue based upon the services that they can offer. And do you expect the situation to get better or worse in the new year? No. And again, for all law enforcement, when you hear about Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, going to Mexico, Secretary Mayorkas going to Mexico, we recognize that Mexico does not want this to end. Everything that you're seeing right there, these people are coming through Mexico and they're dropping thousands of dollars into the economy. Then on top of that, you've got the

cartels that generate a profit that goes back into the economy. There is no reason for Mexico to want this to end because of all of the money that goes into their economy. And when blinking goes down there, the Mexican president Lopez Orbador is going to want to get concessions from the United States. And that's most likely going to be in money that's also going to go into their economy. So when you look at this, there is no reason for Mexico to want this to end. Brandon, Jed, thank you. Turning now to the Middle East and the volatile situation unfolding there today, U.S. forces across the region came under militia fire after President Biden approved deadly strikes last night on an Iranian-back group in Iraq. NBC's Courtney Kubi has more. Tensions flaring in Iraq as the U.S. conducted precision airstrikes against three facilities used by Iranian-backed militias. The U.S. military saying they killed multiple fighters. Defense officials sending a clear message to militia groups and to Iran.

The U.S. strikes in retaliation for an attack on Erbil Air Base in Iraq on Christmas Day. U.S. officials say militants launched an attack drone that struck the base injuring three U.S. troops, one in critical but now stable condition and being transferred to launch stool. In a statement, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said these precision strikes are a response to a series of attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria. There have been at least 105 attacks against bases with Americans in Iraq and Syria over the past two months, causing minor injuries. These incidents have dramatically increased since the October 7th Hamas attack against Israel,

rousing Iranian-backed militia groups throughout the region, including the Houthi rebels in Yemen who have assaulted commercial ships. Just today, U.S. forces shot down a dozen one-way attack drones as well as ballistic and land-attack cruise missiles fired by the Houthis in the Red Sea region, according to U.S. Central Command. While traveling in Israel last week, Secretary Austin warned of an expanding regional conflict. Iran is raising tensions by continuing to support terrorist groups and militias. Attacks by these Iranian proxies threaten the region's citizens and risk a broader conflict. Courtney joins us now from the Pentagon. Courtney, I know you have new reporting tonight about rocket

launches against U.S. and allied forces in Syria? Yeah, that's right, Aaron. So in northeastern Syria, there's a base called patrol base Shaddi. It's a combination of U.S. and coalition forces who are based there. And they came under attack earlier today. Multiple rockets were launched against that base. Now, defense officials tell us that, in fact, there were no U.S. service members injured in this attack, and there was no damage to infrastructure. But it's significant because it comes after the U.S. conducted these retaliatory strikes in Iraq, just across the border in Iraq. And like previous times that the U.S. has conducted retaliatory strikes, these militia groups have just continued on with their attacks at times like this,

just hours after the U.S. has struck back, as they did in Iraq overnight. Erin. Courtney Kubey, thank you. As Courtney mentioned, attacks against U.S. troops in the Middle East on the rise since the war began between. Israel and Hamas. That war raging on, and Israel now expanding operations into Palestinian refugee camps in Gaza, despite global pressure to scale back its offensive. Israel say it will not stop until it takes out Hamas. NBC's Josh Letterman has the latest. Tonight, as Israel warns, the war with Hamas will go on for many more months. The world is getting a closer look at the scope of destruction wrought by more than 80 days of war. Israel's military

saying it's expanding operations in the refugee camps of central Gaza, where the Hamas ran Gaza health ministry says at least 70 were killed on Christmas Eve. And in southern Gaza, where today volunteers carried out a grim task in Gaza's sandy earth. They dug a mass grave and laid to rest 80 Palestinians. Whether they were Hamas terrorists, innocent civilians, or a mix of both is unknown. But each shiny blue bag is a life cut short. The bodies collected by Israeli forces during the ground war and returned today to Gaza. Just 25 miles north, this is what's left of Bait Hanoon, the first city bombed when Israel began

retaliating for Hamas' October 7th terror attacks. This video was shot from a horse-drawn cart, showing an endless wasteland. Muhammad's mom was killed when their house was bombed. His dad is missing. At 13, the lives of his seven siblings are now in his hands. I don't know how to deal with this, he says, but I know how to make my sister's milk. I change her. She hardly drinks the milk.

Despite intense global pressure to scale back the war, Prime Minister Netanyahu is vowing to stay the course. His military chief of staff saying there are no shortcuts to dismantling a terrorist group. But the U.S. and Israel are at odds over whether Israel should control Gaza's security indefinitely. Tonight, a top Netanyahu advisor is in Washington for meetings with top U.S. officials working to hammer out those differences with Israel's closest ally. And in another sign of just how high tensions are globally over this war, Israel's foreign ministry says there was an explosion tonight near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi, India.

The Israeli government calling it a potential terrorist attack, and while no one was injured, Israel's government now warning its citizens to be on high alert. Still ahead tonight, bus driver danger. Bus drivers in California, shot at pepper sprayed and one even kidnapped how transit union leaders are trying to protect them plus the childhood homes of pop star biance going up in flames what we know about the family who was inside when the fire broke out and rapper conier west apologizing in hebrew to the jewish community after a series of anti-semitic incidents while some believe he chose to make this apology now stay with us We're back now with the troubling rise of violent attacks against bus drivers

with money saying they fear for their safety every day. NBC Bay Area finding that one California bus system could be the most dangerous to work for in the country. Candice Nguyen has the details. From New York to California. They are essential to the public transit system, but the nation's bus drivers can also be sitting ducks facing a dramatic spike in violent attacks. According to the Federal Transit Administration, in recent years, there's been a 121% increase in transit worker assaults

like this one. In July, gunfire shattered glass around this bus driver on Oakland, California's AC transit system, which according to the FTA's preliminary 2023 data, has the highest rate of assaults on transit workers in the country. Something AC transit bus driver Tina Gonzalez knows all too well. Got hit across my face, punched about seven or eight times, blacked out, got punched, woke up from it. This was not the only time you've been attacked. I've been attacked four other times.

Surveillance cameras show a 2017 assault on Gonzalez. She says the attacks now are more frequent and. more violent. Have you ever feared for your life when a kid pulled a gun on me? My supervisor told me one time was just remember you're the only one on that bus that probably doesn't have a gun. It scares the living hell out of me. AC Transit declined an interview but said in an email, 2023 data is still being collected. The agency said it has a broader definition of assault than other systems, but that one act of violence is too many and it's adding better protective barriers for driving. drivers. Public records requests for bus surveillance videos show what other California Bay Area

drivers are facing. Violent attacks, pepper spray assaults, and even a kidnapping by a passenger with a machete. What are real solutions you want as an operator? A better shield. Not these fake shields that AC Transit made, something that, like, New York has. They have those boxed in. This is what most AC Transit buses that we've been seeing have right now, these partial plastic barriers. As for New York, they're testing out these fully enclosed compartments. Both local and national transit leaders tell me they're keeping an eye out on those prototypes to see what they can learn. My top priority is to redesign the bus. John Costa is a He's the president of the amalgamated transit union, representing operators across the U.S.

There's more stabbings going on. It's horrible. I mean, I have grown adults come in my office and cry. Costa is working with the FTA on new safety measures authorized under President Biden's 2021 infrastructure law. But with regulations still being written, he says the road to safety has been too slow for drivers like Gonzalez. I never missed a day at work. Now it's like scary to go to work. She now worries any day at work could be her last. Candice Wynn, NBC News, Oakland, California. Next tonight, rapper Kanye West, now known as Yay, is back in the headlines this time with an apology to the Jewish community written in Hebrew.

Just weeks after he was captured on video making anti-Semitic comments yet again. NBC News' correspondent. Dana Griffin has the story. An artist with a history of making controversial comments. The rapper Yeh, formerly known as Kanye West, is now apologizing to the Jewish community for his quote, unplanned outburst. Posting a message in Hebrew on his Instagram writing in part, it was not my intention to hurt or disrespect, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused, adding he is committed to learning from this experience to ensure greater sensitivity and understanding in the future. I'm going to get y'all one last thing before I go.

The apology coming weeks after this expletive-filled rant at a listening party for Yeas' upcoming album, which included references to Hitler, Jesus, and Donald Trump's legal battles. Back in the car, and leave. That party eventually shut down by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police for not having a permit. But it's not the first time, Yay, who says he has bipolar disorder, has come under fire for anti-Semitic comments. The rapper was banned from Twitter by Elon Musk last year after posting what appeared to show a swastika inside a star of David. This interview with Info Wars, shocking fans and critics alike. I see good things about Hitler also.

But it was this comment last October that swiftly cost him lucrative endorsement deals. I could say anti-Semitic things, and Adidas can't drop me. Now what? Now what? Adidas, along with the Gap and Balenciaga, cutting ties with the rapper in the fall of 2022. His net worth taking a serious hit, plunging from $1.5 billion to $400 million, according to Forbes. The ramifications spreading beyond the music world. The Anti-Defamation League reporting, Ye was directly referenced by perpetrators of at least

least 59 anti-Semitic incidents in 2022. Dana Griffin joins us now from Los Angeles. Dana, online, some say this apology doesn't go far enough. How is the anti-defamation leak responding? Yeah, Aaron, so in a statement to NBC News, the ADL said West has caused untold damage by using his vast influence and platform to poison countless minds with vicious anti-Semitism and hate, adding an apology. may be the first step on a long journey towards making amends to the Jewish community and all those who he has hurt.

Aaron, they also say actions speak louder than words. They certainly do, and some are suggesting the timing of this could be tied to Ye's upcoming album. That's right. Some are skeptical that this may be a ploy to boost record sales. Considering his collaborative album with Tidalas sign is coming out soon, The album release was originally scheduled for October and has been delayed several times. It's set to be released January 12th. We reached out to Yeh's team for comment on the apology and motives behind it.

We are waiting to hear back. Erin. Dana Griffin, thank you. When we come back, the race to return, are you thinking of returning a gift you were given over the holidays? Time might not be on your side and it might even cost you what you need to know next. We're back with Top Stories News Feed, and we begin with the urgent manhunt for the suspect in a deadly mall shooting in Florida. Police say 39-year-old Albert Sheld Jr. opened fire inside a pack mall in Okala over Christmas weekend. At least one person killed and another hurt.

Authorities believe the attack was targeted, and he's been charged with first-degree murder. A $10,000 reward now being offered for information to his arrest. A devastating fire burning through Beyonce's childhood home in Houston. New video shows the flames engulfing the two-story house early Christmas morning. Firefighters sawing into the roof to clear the attic and fully contain the blaze. Beyonce's family no longer lives there and the current residents, including a couple and two small children, were not seriously hurt. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Overseas, a flight with hundreds on board held at a French airport for days as part of a human trafficking investigation.

That flight landing back in Mumbai today. Officials say the legend airline's plane was en route to Nicaragua with nearly 300 people on board when it stopped to refuel at an airport about 90 miles outside of Paris. French authorities say they received an anonymous tip the aircraft could be carrying huge. human trafficking victims. Authorities say 25 passengers remained in France to seek asylum and at least two people were detained. And back here at home to a consumer alert General Motors halting sales of their Chevy Blazer EV. The company says customers are reporting software issues with the electric vehicle. They say the issue is not safety related but are pausing sales until there is a software update. Current Blazer owners will need to be.

bring their car to a dealer to receive that update. Turning now to that post-holiday race to return, if you received a gift you don't love this month, you're not alone. According to the National Retail Federation last year, there were $171 billion worth of returns made after the holiday gift-giving season. But there are some key dates and rules to know about before you head to the stores or post office. So let's bring in NBC News correspondent Shaq Brewster, who joined.

us now from outside of a mall in Chicago. Shaq, can you first tell us more about where you are at the mall? Are you seeing a lot of shoppers making returns in person, or do we think people are doing their returning online? Hi there, and well, there are definitely a lot of shoppers here at this mall. We actually saw this morning people were lining up outside of multiple stores to either begin those returns or take advantage of sales. When I've been talking to shoppers, they've been saying they've been coming for a few

different reasons. For some, they're exchanging that item. They got a large, they won a medium, or they got a different color than they prefer. For others, they got a whole bunch of gift cards, and they want to take advantage of shopping with those holiday sales now. I want you to listen to what some folks told me as they were enjoying that post-Christmas shopping. It's the day after Christmas. Why do you choose today to return? Because Lush is having a gigantic sale. A gigantic sale. So we have to come now. It's a hoodie. You got that for Christmas? I got that for Christmas.

And you're returning it? Am I returning? Well, I need a bigger size. We have trained our family to give us gift cards and not actually to buy us products for Christmas, but the gift cards so that we can spend them today. I feel like that last tip there was almost a cheat code. It's something I need to tell some of my family so I can take advantage of something that sales after.

If you are returning, if you're part of the people bringing gifts back, some key dates to keep in mind. One, check with your retailer because it changes by retailer, even by item that you're purchasing. But if you're going to a major retailer like Walmart, like Amazon, Macy's, Coles, January 31st is that key return deadline. They've extended it because of the holiday season. But you see for other stores, it comes earlier, as early as January 15th for Best Buy. And you see January 24th for most electronics from Target, Aaron. And Jack, I find this shocking.

this year, more and more retailers have begun charging for returns. Where and how much can you expect to pay? Yeah, and different kind of fees. So for electronics, there's sometimes a restocking fee. For many retailers, they're charging fees for shipping. So you have to pay for that return fee, that return label, to mail back your items. Different ways you can get around them, according to our friends at NerdWallet. One, you can bring that item back to the actual retail store.

If you bought it on Amazon, you can go to a Coles or Whole Foods, for example, and that will help you get around any return shipping fees that they may have. Another tip is that some of these stores have loyalty programs, and in those programs, they waive those fees. So take a look at some of the loyalty programs for some of those stores if you are looking to ship that item back that you got for Christmas. Shaq Brewster, thank you. And while you're making those returns, you may notice some major post-holiday deals.

take advantage of joining us now as NerdWallet personal finance expert, Sally French. So, Sally, let's get right into the deals. What are some of the biggest post-holiday discounts on technology? Well, you know, the holidays are done, which means it's starting to be Super Bowl season, and with Super Bowl season comes amazing deals, especially on TVs. One of the best deals Nerd Wallet has seen so far is the Amazon Fire TV, which is coming in at 38% off on Amazon's website. It's not all about TV. though, if you want to get a head start in your spring cleaning. We're seeing excellent deals on the Dyson V-11 cordless vacuum. It's also 30% off. Not quite as high, but still a great deal that we're seeing is

Apple AirPods Max. Those wireless over the ear headphones are coming in at 13% off. It's pretty rare to see those go on sale. So these are all three great deals to jump on. And Sally, are there any other major categories consumers can score big on this week? Yeah, of course, the biggest category on my mind is those post-holiday deals. So if you want to pick up a wrapping paper, that's something that I save and just use next year. A lot of stores like Walmart, Ikea, Target are offering Christmas merchandise

for about 50% off. Home Depot has those faux Christmas trees for about 50% off, especially if you have space to store that. That's a great idea to jump on this year's holiday stuff and save it for next year. Getting started on that Christmas shopping, very early. So, Sally, are there any deals people should wait for after the new year? Are

these the best prices? Yeah, there are a lot of great deals we're seen right now, but some of the deals won't come into later in 2024, especially when it comes to mattresses or major appliances like laundry machines. We don't really see those go on sale until holidays like President's Day weekend. So it might be wise to wait for then, even spring or summer. Cameras also tend to not go on sale until February. And another tip might be skipping the gym membership. Gims are really crowded in January. And so as those people drop off perhaps in February or March, that might be a better time to jump on the gym membership deal. Instead, if you want to start working out now, we are seeing a lot of excellent deals on fitness equipment, which can be

great to outfit your home, gym. Sally French from nerd wallet.com. Thank you for all of those tips. Coming up, a new trend taking hold in the business world. Employees worried about looming layoffs doing something called career cushioning. We'll explain how it works and what you need to know if you're looking for a little extra job security. Stay with us. We're back now with money talks and the latest trend in the workplace, career cushioning. It's when employees worried about losing their jobs trying to protect themselves by taking steps towards career advancement like networking or updating their LinkedIn's. The trend gaining traction after high-profile companies like Spotify and Hasbro announced layoffs. For more on this

strategy and why it's gaining popularity, I'm joined now by Dr. Jessica Kregal. She's the chief scientist of the workplace culture at culture partners. Dr. Kregel, thank you so much for joining us. Tell us more about career cushioning. Why are workers preparing these escape plans? Well, can you blame them? I mean, we started the year. There was 1.8 job openings for every job seeker, and now there's 1.4. So the job market is cooling off.

You're hearing lots in the headlines about layoffs and companies going bunk. So ultimately, they're afraid, and they're coming up with a backup plan just in case something happens to their job or their company. And I think it's a perfectly logical way of setting about your future. So what advice do you have for workers who are interested in that plan B? I think go for it. Update your LinkedIn, network with people in your industry, have conversations with people even at your company about what they're doing. This doesn't have to be a secret. It's actually quite logical. I'm career cushioning all the time. I'm networking with people

that are in my industry. I mean, my boss probably knows it. He probably knows who I would call if something happened to my job. We don't have to act like we are going to be loyal to. to our companies for the rest of time. It doesn't take away from how all in I am at my job. It just means I'm being smart. So let's talk about the employers. For employers who are worried about their workers' career cushioning, instead of investing in their current roles, what can they do to reassure and retain that talent? So I love the idea of radical transparency. The reason people are fearful is because they're getting surprised. They're finding out at the very last minute that something has happened to their

job, and then they're scrambling for a backup plan. But what if employers were radically transparent about the state of the business and allowed employees the free will to make decisions about whether or not they wanted to stay or not? I've done that in the past when I was the CHRO and we had layoffs. I told my team, some people found other jobs and I celebrated that fact and the people who stayed were all in on the purpose, and those were the people I wanted to be on my team. So let's talk about unions. Unions can also play a crucial role in mitigating the impacts of layoffs, especially during an economic downturn. This year, we've seen major strikes in industries like entertainment and auto, which resulted in wage gains and job security.

What's your perspective on unionizing as a possible avenue for workers to protect their jobs? I think you're going to see a lot more of it in 2024. We're seeing more. We're seeing more noise from disgruntled workers because they're not feeling heard. So if you're a CEO or a leader of a team, the best thing you can do is listen, open up your ears, ask questions, find out what's frustrating your employees before they get to a union environment. And you can have a workplace where everyone gets what they want. If only we were doing more listening and less talking at each other. Dr. Jessica Kriegel, thank you. When we come back, saving the UK's churches, churches across Britain in desperate need of restoration, but many feel the cost to save them is

simply not worthy. Up next, we have an in-depth look at one woman's work to keep the historic buildings standing. Finally, tonight, Europe is known for its beautiful and historic churches, but a growing number are being forced to close their doors because of the cost it takes to maintain them. Saskia Lumley from our partners at Sky News traveled to several communities grappling with whether to save the buildings while some are converting the space. Around 100 church buildings close across the country each year. Just keeping the roof on and the cold out, it's astonishing how much money that costs.

But a revolution is underway to save them. Our aim is to rescue and repair redundant, disused places of worship all across England in Wales. From church ruins to art studios, food markets and nightclubs, I want to find out what's happening to Britain's abandoned church buildings and should they be saved. So, welcome to St Lawrence's Church. Built on the site of Three Holy Wales lies St. Lawrence's Church in Gumfreston, Wales.

It's medieval stone structure, partially hidden in a wooded valley, was being slowly reclaimed by the wild. It first came to my attention in 2019. The church was still open and still in use, actually, so it still had services, even though it was completely cloaked in ivy and the slates were flying off the roof and the pews, they were covered in kind of rotten mould.

Rachel's charity, Friends of Friendless churches, did a condition survey. They found 15th century wall paintings hidden in the walls. It would cost 600,000 pounds to restore the church, money the small charity did not have. But I just knew it was special. You know, I knew it was a place that I couldn't let just fall into ruin. And that was the only other option for this church.

For four years she applied for grants and finally received one to help restore the church this year. Is it a thankless task? No, because this building that we're sitting in, it's been here since at least the 13th century. It's been in this state for, you know, a decade. or so that's like a blip in its lifetime so i always think you know we're doing it for people in the future but there's always just that hope that somebody will come and thank you for what you've done even if it's 50 100 years in the future and that's exactly what happened in 1992 when stained

glass artist benjamin finn discovered would look like an abandoned church on the outskirts of wick and bishops at that point there were no windows in the nave so you could actually just climb up and clamber down into the church. So I just came down and had a little loo. The 12th century church had been declared redundant back in 1970. But in 1975, Friends of Friendless Churches took it over and partly restored it. Benjamin approached the charity and a deal was struck. He's now been working at St. Peter's for nearly three decades.

I found the space inspiring. It harks back to the medieval era when stained glass originated and flourished. you know, it made me part of the history of stained glass itself. But churches used to be community spaces central to any village in the UK. The Duke of Ryan Chichester has ensured it stays that way. The Gothic Revival Church was built in 1852 and has been continually converted to suit its community's needs. It was to consecrated about 50 years ago now,

but then in the early 90s at re-owned. and there's an indoor market and in 98 it was basically turned into a pub. It was quite a scene. It was open a lot later than it is now. It was more of a nightclub. So there was a little bit of backlash there. The church is now pub and restaurant. This building otherwise probably would have crumbled by now.

If it wasn't taken over privately, and I think it's brilliant that they've completely respected the original structure. You're a churchgoer. How do you feel about church conversions? It always makes me feel slightly uncomfortable, but I've never quite worked out whether that's just a personal reaction of mine or whether there's some principle involved. Niall Gooch is a writer, commentator and Christian.

He believes we can't save all church buildings and that sometimes we should bring the bulldozers in. This is such an old country. There's so much around that's old and attractive, but you just can't keep it all because it just restricts more development of housing that's needed. And I think possibly even it does, contribute to a sort of sense of Britain as a theme park of the olden days rather than thinking

about what's best for people now. I put all this to the Bishop of Ramsbury, who is in charge of church and cathedral buildings for the Church of England. Why preserve a church building that's been around for hundreds of years but is crumbling down and really expensive tarphold when you could create a new building that's much cheaper, purpose built and ready for that community? because we are people who need to know our story. These extraordinary kind of storehouses of local memory

are on everybody's doorstep. We have nearly 16,000 parish churches, many of them 8,000, 900,000 years old, all telling the story of that local place. And I think that being a Christian country is not just a description of the present. It's an inheritance from the past. And so in order to know our future and to tell a better story about the future, we've got to retain a way of telling the story about who we've been in the past.

But are we really a Christian country? For the first time ever in a census, less than half the population of England and Wales describe themselves as Christian. Data from the Brewery Consultancy shows. this decline in religious congregations only really begun in the 1970s. In 1960, there were 53,200 church congregations in the UK. The number fell to 45,500 in 2020. St. Marks in central London was one of the victims of the 70s.

The church in Mayfair had hosted presidents and kings, but after the Second World War, its local population dwindled and it was deconsecrated by the Church of England in 1974. The Grade 1 listed buildings spent 30 years on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register. But in 2018, underwent a £5 million revamp. Spread across four floors and with bouncers at its doors, the church is now a food market called Mercantino Mayfair. Does it ever feel a bit weird serving food on an altar or wine on an altar?

What is the main purpose of a church for me was sharing bread and water and then my Jesus decided to turn into wine which was a great idea for me and that's what we are doing here and was that any backlash at the time you know you're converting the church that was at the time deconsecrated but it was still a church

not at all us being Italian we went to talk to the church directly in Italy and they told us that once the church is deconsecrated is not the church anymore you can do whatever you want so people who feel some

urge to go against us and this is people who do not know their religion very well. Wow, look at all this new scaffolding. I know it's good, isn't it? Restorations are now fully underway at St. Lawrence's church. Who are standing in exactly the place that I interviewed you last time. Yeah, I think so. But now it's bright. Yeah. There are no. rotting pews how does it feel finally seeing the restorations underway oh it feels it really does feel amazing I mean I thought we didn't really never get to this stage it's taken a long long time and all of the pews have been taken to be fumigated all the wall paintings are

protected so yeah big uh big changes and you said with this church you did a condition survey it was way too expensive but you said there's something special about this church I want to save this church yeah and now you've been successful How does that feel? Oh, gosh, I actually have goosebumps, as you sort of said that. To get to this point, it was hard. Year after year went by and we still, there was still no solution. And I just felt that this had to be come fresh into year.

What do you see as the future of this building? So it will have a worshipping function. It will be open every single day. So people can come, it can be a place for private worship. People just to visit and kind of to see how cool and ancient did this. I've worked on lots of listed buildings, historic buildings, but churches are the place where I've really kind of found the most moving and in some ways the most desperate cases really and that's why I really want to help them.

They are the spiritual investment of generations of people. They are a community's greatest expression of itself over centuries and it's ours and it's still here and that's incredible and that you can just drive to any village really or town or city and there will be a church that will probably be open and you can can go in and you can experience all of that. I find that really special and something that should be protected. Beautiful buildings. It makes you want to take a trip to the UK. We thank Saskia Lumley and our partners at Sky News for that story. And thanks so much for watching Top Story. For Tommy Amos, I'm Erin McLaughlin in New York. Stay right there. More news is on the way.