Transcription
Tonight on ABC News Live Prime, the holiday travel rush and the storms that could wreak havoc on the roads.
More than 122 million Americans set to travel this holiday season. So, is it starting off okay or is it a nightmare so far? I'm Matt Rivers at LaGuardia Airport coming up. We'll have your answer.
The quick-hitting nuisance storm bringing snow to the Northeast. How much to expect and how it could impact your commute. I'm meteorologist Danny Bestrom tracking it all for you tonight.
President Trump announces a new Trump class battleship as a tense pursuit unfolds in Caribbean waters. The US Coast Guard says it's setting its sights on a third oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. The fight for transparency. The roll out of the Jeffrey Epstein files results in backlash for US Attorney General Pam Bondi. Tonight, growing demands for all of the documents to be released. And our conversation with an Epstein survivor.
A possible altercation between an NFL star and a fan in the stands is caught on camera. Steelers DK Metaf is accused of taking a swing at a Lions fan and a fan is accused of taunting him. How the league is responding tonight.
A terrifying encounter with a shoplifting suspect caught on body camera the moment he pulled a gun on an unsuspecting officer.
And calling all procrastinators. Still need to check those final items off your holiday list. The tips and tricks you need to know to finish shopping for gifts in time to get them under the tree.
From ABC News World Headquarters in New York, this is Prime with Lindseay Davis. Good evening everyone. I'm Lindseay Davis. Thanks so much for streaming with us. We begin tonight with the dangerous weather threats on both coasts. Just as millions of Americans are on the move ahead of the Christmas holiday, major roads and airports are bracing for what's on track to be a record-setting travel period. More than 30 million people across California are on alert, facing days of heavy rain and life-threatening flash flooding. And there's a close watch on the Northeast tonight with a quick blast of rain and snow along the I95 corridor just in time for the morning commute. We'll get to the forecast with our Danny No Becktrom in just a moment. But first, Matt Rivers leads us off tonight from LaGuardia Airport.
Tonight, dangerous storms threatening millions on both coasts as the record holiday travel rush kicks into high gear. Harrowing new video showing first responders rescuing a baby, carefully sliding its baby carrier across a ladder just feet above the roaring rapids northeast of Sacramento, California. Rounds of heavy rain, flooding, and mountain snow pummeling the west. Authorities in Reading say one person was killed.
"It's pretty bad. We're a little bit nervous about even trying to go over." This family forced to turn around to avoid flooding in Bella Vista. And tonight, major cities from Detroit to New York and Boston, bracing for a blast of rain and snow that could snarl the morning commute and holiday travel. More than 122 million Americans set to travel more than 50 miles from home this holiday season. That's a record. And here at LaGuardia Airport, one American flight set to take off every 10 minutes. Some flyers getting to the airport early ahead of that incoming storm.
"We wanted to get here early just to make sure everything was good." Storms causing a temporary ground stop in San Francisco. That after a substation fire knocked out power to 130,000 customers across San Francisco just days before Christmas. Traffic lights out leading to incredible scenes. Self-driving Whimo taxis blocking intersections causing major traffic backups.
And Lindsay back here at LaGuardia with that storm expected to move in overnight. There are mounting concerns over delays and cancellations in the morning. Lindsay.
Our thanks to Matt. And let's get right to meteorologist Danny Beckram from our New York station WABC. I understand there is more dangerous weather on the move tonight. What can you tell us, Danny?
Yeah, Lindsay, we're still dealing with the dangerous threat for flash flooding in the west, but I want to start with this quick-hitting system that'll bring rain and snow and tough travel conditions on Tuesday to the Northeast. Slushy roads from New York City up through Boston. But you see New Interior New England, upstate New York, we could pick up several inches of snow. That will make travel ahead of the holiday or even just the morning commute especially tough. So, take it slow Tuesday morning. That storm system's out of there by Tuesday night. On the west coast, still dealing with the drenching downpour, still dealing with the heavy mountain snow in California, and now a high wind watch issued beginning Tuesday night with gusts up to 60 miles per hour. And this flooding is going to be significant. In fact, a rare high risk for flash flooding has been issued for Southern California moving toward Wednesday. So Tuesday, the main risk for flash flooding and the heavy downpour is going to be central California. But that shifts to Southern California on Christmas Eve. We're talking inches and inches of rain that lead to life-threatening flash flooding, especially for burn scars in that area. While the rest of the country is relatively quiet for Christmas Eve, we're also looking at record-challenging warmth in the center of the country. Highs in the 60s and 70s here in the Northeast. Seasonable temperatures with quiet conditions as we head toward the holiday. Lindsay.
Nice and quiet. That's what we need, Danny. Thank you so much. Tonight, President Trump announced that he is rolling out a new class of battleship that will make a "golden fleet." The announcement comes as a high-stakes chase on the high seas comes to an end. US officials say an oil tanker steered out of the Caribbean and into the Atlantic Ocean after a tense pursuit by the US Coast Guard. We have former US General Robert Abrams standing by for us. But first, here's ABC's Selena Wang.
Tonight, President Trump announcing the US is still actively pursuing a sanctioned oil tanker that fled into the Atlantic Ocean after the Coast Guard tried to seize it on Sunday.
"Yeah, we're actually pursuing it. Can you imagine? Received it yet because it came from the wrong location. It came out of Venezuela and it was sanctioned."
According to a US official, the tanker called Bella 1 was on its way to pick up oil in Venezuela and was not carrying cargo when the US attempted to board. The ship was not flying a legitimate national flag, the official says, giving the Coast Guard legal authority to intervene. It marks the third time in less than two weeks that the US has targeted oil tankers linked to Venezuela. The Trump administration ramping up pressure on the country's oil exports, the economic lifeline of President Nicholas Maduro's regime. Trump asked tonight, what is his goal with Venezuela?
"What's your ending?"
"He could do there's no answer. He could do whatever he wants. I mean, we have a massive armada formed, the biggest we've ever had and uh by far the biggest we've ever had in South America. He could do whatever he wants. It's all right. Whatever he wants to do. If he wants to do something, if he plays tough, it'll be the last time he's ever able to play tough."
The president pressed again. Does he want regime change?
"Ultimate goal in Venezuela to force Maduro from power?"
"Well, I think it probably would. I can't tell. That's up to him what he wants to do. I think it would be smart for him to do that, but again, we're going to find out."
Selena Wang joins us now. Selena, how is Venezuela responding?
Well, Lindsay, Venezuela is accusing the US of "theft and hijacking." We're also learning tonight from President Trump that the US plans to keep the seized oil and the ships. Now, there are still growing questions about what President Trump's endgame in all of this is. Is it about drugs? Is it about oil? Or is this about regime change? Lindsay.
All right, perhaps we'll soon find out. Selena Wang, our thanks to you. Tensions are escalating in the Caribbean. The US seized an oil tanker over the weekend near Venezuela after seizing one of its off of its coast earlier this month. And now the US is in active pursuit of another vessel, although a US official tells ABC News this ship was not filled with cargo and was not flying a legitimate national flag, giving the Coast Guard the jurisdiction to attempt to seize it. President Trump told reporters today he intends to potentially keep or sell the seized oil and vessels. And Venezuela is now accusing the United States of alleged theft and hijacking. We have former US General Robert Abrams with us to discuss. Thanks so much for joining us. So, General Abrams, this is the largest military buildup in Central America since the invasion of Panama back in 1989. Are we headed toward war? And if not, how close are we to it?
Lindsay, it it is the largest buildup uh because we, uh, after Panama, that Panama invasion, we we largely started uh leaving all of our bases and withdrawing all of our forces out of the Southern Command area of responsibility and then eventually got deployed into the Central Command into the Middle East. Um, so it is the largest, right? 17 service combatants. You've got a carrier strike group, Marine amphibious ready group. You got a number of fighters down in Puerto Rico now. Um, but no, I don't think that um war or conflict is imminent. I I think what the Department of Defense has done and the the military has done is to create options for the National Command Authority to give him a wide variety of options um to choose from um as he seeks to accomplish the objectives that have been set forward by the president and the secretary of defense.
What are the objectives here? Is this, as we just heard Selena Wang questioning, a laugh there, but but people want to know, is this about oil? Is this about drugs? Is this about regime change? Or none of the above?
Well, look, I uh I this about the I've heard that segment earlier tonight and I I watched David Mure or uh, you know, whoever was on at the 5:30 block and um, I guess it was Whit. Anyway, um, you know, if if the president of the United States can't accurately describe what the end state is, right, the ends, um, I I think it's difficult. Um, I think up at the front though is this is about narot terrorism that have been declared foreign terrorist organizations and and stopping their illicit drug and criminal activity from entering into the United States. So stopping that is clearly one of the objectives of this campaign in the Caribbean. Uh, beyond that, it would be pure speculation.
Understood. Russian officials have reassured Venezuela of their support and solidarity in the current context over the escalation. How likely is it that we'll see a Russian footprint in Venezuela?
I I would say highly unlikely. They Russia has their hands full in Ukraine, as everyone knows, coming up on the four-year anniversary of the latest special military operation um by the Russian regime. Um, and and their ability to project force all the way to the Caribbean, I would say, is extremely limited. Um, I suspect that Putin will give verbal support and maybe make some noise at the United Nations, have his foreign minister, hitman, sort of make some public statements, but other than that, I would not I I doubt very seriously we'll see any Russian forces in and around Venezuela.
Of course, Cuba resells most of the oil it gets from Venezuela to China, which covers about half of its budget. If the US continues to intercept ships loaded with oil bound for Cuba, what could that mean for Cuba's economy?
Well, I I think that, you know, Cub Cuba's economy has been failing uh for a few years now, and it's, you know, the latest things I've read is pretty dire. Um, and uh, you know, the the seizing of these oil tankers is with one objective in mind and this is a good example of potential unintended consequences where we take military action to enforce sanctions and it hurts another country unintentionally and then could create a humanitarian disaster in Cuba and we could end up with, you know, thousands of u migrants showing up, you know, on the on the shores of Key West um as, you know, they run out of food and and every other commodity on the island of Cuba. So, uh, I think it's something everyone's going to have to watch. I'm sure that the the acting commander of US Southern Command, remember we do not have a Senate-confirmed four-star command of US Southern Command right now, is watching all of that very closely.
General Abrams, we thank you so much for your insight as always.
Thanks Lindsay. We turn now to the backlash over the Jeffrey Epstein files. The Department of Justice missed a key deadline Friday to release all of the Epstein photos and documents. Now, US Attorney General Pam Bondi is under fire, facing a bipartisan threat of legal action from lawmakers who are pushing to have her held in contempt. ABC's Jay O'Brien reports from Capitol Hill.
Tonight, growing backlash after the Department of Justice missed the legal deadline to release all of its Jeffrey Epstein files. Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle now threatening legal action. The two congressmen behind the new law forcing the release of the files pressing for a House vote to hold Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt.
"They're flouting the spirit and the letter of the law. It's very troubling the posture that they've taken."
By law, the DOJ had until last Friday to release all of its Epstein-related records. But sources tell ABC News what the department published was just a fraction of its Epstein files. And reams of released records are heavily redacted, entire pages blacked out. In a statement, more than a dozen Epstein survivors, including Danny Bensky, writing, "We are told there are hundreds of thousands of pages of documents still unreleased. These are clear-cut violations of an unambiguous law."
"We have pages and pages of grand jury testimony that are completely blacked out, and then there have been survivor names that have been released. And so it just feels absolutely intentionally careless at this point."
Among the thousands of records already released, photos of former President Bill Clinton and Epstein. No Epstein survivor has ever accused Clinton of wrongdoing. And tonight, a Clinton spokesperson challenging the DOJ to immediately release any remaining materials referring to, mentioning, or containing a photograph of Bill Clinton. "Refusing to do so will confirm the widespread suspicion the Department of Justice's actions to date are not about transparency but about insinuation." Tonight, in his first remark since the files started to be released, President Trump asked about the photos made public so far.
"A lot of people are very angry that pictures are being released of other people that really had nothing to do with Epstein, but they're in a picture with him because he was at a party and you ruin a reputation of somebody. So, a lot of people are uh very angry that this continues."
Jay O'Brien joins us now. Jay, so what about the dozens of photos that were released and then removed from the DOJ website?
Yeah, Lindsay, that happened over the weekend and it drew some scrutiny. The DOJ releasing those photos, removing them, including one of President Trump, saying that they were double-checking to make sure that the identities of victims were not revealed. That photo of President Trump later restored. The deputy attorney general has promised that any photo or mention of President Trump in these files will be made public. Lindsay.
Jay O'Brien for us. Jay, thanks so much. Joining us now is one of the survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Her cooperation with the FBI was key to putting the disgraced financier behind bars. She is Marina Lera, known only as minor victim number one in court documents until she spoke out on this program about her experience. Marina, so good to have you back on the show. I know that you have long advocated for the release of the Epstein files. What's your reaction to the Department of Justice missing Friday's deadline to release all of them?
First of all, I'd like to say thank you for having me back on here. And, you know, I think all of us, the survivors, are extremely upset and infuriated how the DOJ have um, you know, taken this and how they've um, you know, I guess they have looked at us again and failed us again and have not respected our wishes. They have redacted the names of some of the victims, leaked some of the victim's names out and then unredacted um, you know, I'm sorry, redacted the names of the powerful men. So, we are very, very confused on what's going on here.
In a statement today, you and other survivors of Epstein called out the Justice Department. The statement reads in part, "The very agency tasked with upholding the law has violated the law both by withholding massive quantities of documents and by failing to redact survivor identities." What do you want to see the DOJ do next to protect victims and also comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act?
I think the DOJ needs to do their job. That's number one. It's very simple. We asked them for a simple task which was redact the names of the victims to keep them safe and unredact the names of these powerful men who have been nothing but been a predator to, you know, us and hopefully, you know, not to other women after that. So we ask for them to please unredact these names and bring these men to justice. We've seen photos of Epstein's luxurious estates, for example, and at the same time, 119 pages of jury minutes that were entirely blacked out. What does it feel like for you seeing what has been and what has not been released?
You know, we have been through so much at this point and we are just tired and tired of asking for just one simple thing. It is really simple. It's stop protecting these powerful men and protect the survivors. That's what we've been asking for. Can we just ask for the DOJ to do their job? I mean, we go back in 1996, Maria Farmer made a huge, huge accusation, a huge claim with the FBI and nobody ever followed up with it. And now we're looking at it and saying, "Wow, this really happened." How can a woman be making such a serious accusation not be true and nobody looked at it? So, you know, we do ask the DOJ to do their job.
In a social media statement on Sunday, the Department of Justice said it is committed to redacting only what is legally required to protect identifying information about victims, minors, and potential victims. What's your response to that?
My response is, let's just, you know, one of the pictures that they had with uh Jeffrey Epstein's landline, and we don't even know where that landline is. It looks like it was in the Virgin Islands. We don't know where. Why are all the names redacted there? We do know that none of the survivors or the victim's names are on his speed dial. So, we can just start off over there and say, DOJ, you have messed up right there. You've redacted important names just on that landline. So, we do know that you guys are redacting important men that have done wrong. So, it is time to just, you know, please do your job as we ask.
At closure, I'm sure, is is really an elusive thing at this point, but what might help you feel that justice has been delivered for you here?
The only way that justice will be served is to bring these men to light and have everyone see who they are and what they have done to us and to other women too have who have not spoken yet. And we look at Prince Andrew, for instance. You know, he has not been brought to justice. They have been sweeping this under the rug, you know, ever since his royalty got stripped away. But there has to be some consequences for these men who have done wrong. So, we ask that the DOJ bring these men to justice and stop, you know, protecting them.
Marina Lera, we thank you so much as always for joining us. Really appreciate it.
Thank you so much. A scary moment at an Ohio Walmart when a suspected shoplifter pulled a gun on police. According to authorities in Canton, a man and woman were arrested and while being processed, 21-year-old Shane Newman reached into his pocket and pulled out a handgun. He attempted to fire twice, but the gun did not go off. He was then cuffed after a quick struggle with Walmart employees and police. Newman is now facing several charges, including attempted murder.
A US district judge ruled today that ICE cannot redetain Kilar Obago Garcia between now and Christmas. The 30-year-old Salvadoran native was back in court today for the hearing 11 days after being released from custody after the same judge ruled that the government had detained him unlawfully. Ago Garcia was deported back in March to the Secott Mega Prison in El Salvador despite a previous court order barring his removal to that country.
Legendary singer Barry Manalo revealed today that he has been diagnosed with lung cancer and will undergo surgery. Manalo shared the news on social media, adding that a number of his upcoming shows will need to be rescheduled as a result. Victor Aendo has the latest.
Tonight, Barry Manalo, the iconic American singer and songwriter with a career spanning more than 60 years, revealing he has lung cancer.
"Like you made it."
Celebrated around the world for a string of number one hits, beginning in the 1970s.
Tonight, the 82-year-old saying his lung cancer was found by surprise during an MRI after suffering from months of bronchitis. Sharing that he will undergo surgery to remove a cancerous spot on his left lung, saying it's thanks to "pure luck and a great doctor" that it was found so early, adding the doctors do not believe it has spread. It was just 5 years ago Manalo battled and successfully recovered from throat cancer. He's told reporters in the past he was a smoker for years. Tonight, he is encouraging others to not ignore symptoms and get tested.
Our thanks to Victor. And coming up, why some shoppers on Instacart were shown higher prices than others for the same groceries from the same store. And how the company is responding tonight. And police departments are stepping up their game to stop increasingly brazen porch pirates from swiping your deliveries. Plus, if you're just getting started on your holiday shopping, you're not alone. And we have you covered. Last-minute shopping tips to help you cross everyone off your list. That's coming up next. Stay with us.
Welcome back everyone. Christmas Day is just days away and if you did not get your gifts yet, you'll need to act quickly. But you also wouldn't be alone. While many buy their gifts on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, many ended up shopping this past weekend on Super Saturday, the last Saturday before Christmas, which has become a major shopping day for last-minute gifts. We'll have more tips for last-minute shopping in a moment, but first, let's look at Super Saturday by the numbers. The National Retail Federation estimated that 159 million consumers plan to shop on that Saturday before Christmas based on the federation's annual survey. The NRF says that that would be a new record, beating the previous high of 158 and a half million in 2022. An estimated 45% of those shoppers were expected to shop both in store and also online, with 29% expected to shop exclusively in store and 26% expected to only shop online. But even beyond Super Saturday, the NRF estimated that 70% of consumers plan to shop the week immediately after Christmas, with the top reasons including taking advantage of sales and promotions or to use gift cards. The NRF had previously estimated that holiday spending for this year would surpass $1 trillion for the first time ever. They defined the holiday season as November 1st through December 31st. The survey also said consumers had completed just over half of their holiday shopping on average as of early December. For those who still had more than half of their shopping list not yet completed, the main reasons for that included that consumers were still deciding what to buy, had other financial priorities to take care of before December, or were waiting on their family and friends to tell them exactly what they wanted. For more tips on last-minute holiday shopping, we're joined now by Heitha Herzog, the chief retail analyst at H Squared Research. Thank you so much for joining us as always. All right, so I guess there's always an ATM, but let's say you don't plan on giving cash. Is there still time to find a shipper to actually get your gifts to be under the Christmas tree in three days and counting?
Yes, people who are out there, you have some time, but your window is slowly closing. So, if you are on the West Coast, right, at this point, USPS has closed here in New York and the East Coast. But if you're anywhere else in the country, I would get in car, go over there. If you have to ship something, um, you're probably going to pay around $28. Um, and that's probably the most if you're shipping out tonight. Um, if you are shipping out anytime later this week, right, you're done. You can't do USPS. However, UPS you can ship tomorrow. Um, that's going to be in two days, right? Two-day delivery. You also have the FedEx um option, right? But here's the thing, Lindsay, your prices are going to increase. So, if you decide to go tomorrow to UPS or if you decide to use FedEx or maybe even do next-day delivery on the 24th, you are looking at paying somewhere between $85 to over $210 for FedEx to ship that out there. So, if you have a lot of extraneous money, you want to spend it on that, you have to get that gift out there, then I you definitely have the time. However, if you need to scale back, there are other options as well.
Wow, that is a hefty cost for being a little bit of a procrastinator, I would say. All right, so what if you're still trying to order on Walmart or on Amazon?
Right? Okay, so for those of us that are still on budget, right, Amazon is probably your best bet. So, same-day delivery, right? If you are an Amazon Prime member, it's about 9,000 products that you can uh look at, browse, peruse. Um, you could probably get that delivered. You you have up until the 24th to order that to get that same-day delivery. Now, here's the thing. You have until about 12:30 to do that, but as the day progresses, those products become more and more scarce, right? Walmart, same thing. You do have a little bit more time. Um, you can uh you can order, I think the the product spread is a little bit better. Um, but you can also uh you have time there, too. You have till about 12:30, 1:00 on walmart.com. Um, and then of course, the old-fashioned way, you can just drive to the store. Some stores have extended hours, but Walmart and Costco are closing early, so you have to remember that as well.
Very good to know, Hea. We thank you so much for your time and insight as always.
Thanks for having me. Coming up, the long-awaited third installment of Avatar is out in theaters and had one of the biggest openings of the year. We sat down with the cast to learn more about the film. And the NBA is setting up a new league overseas. We'll tell you where.
Welcome back to Prime. Here's a look at the stories making headlines right now. Traveling for the holidays this year is expected to be the busiest yet. According to AAA, more than 122 million people are expected to travel between December 20th and January 1st. More than 8 million of them will be flying within the US. The TSA anticipates that Sunday, December 28th, will be the busiest day of them all as people return from Christmas trips and head out for New Year's. A US official told ABC News that the Coast Guard is actively pursuing another tanker off the coast of Venezuela. This comes after the US seized the second tanker over the weekend. Venezuela is accusing the United States of theft and hijacking, saying the two ships contain approximately 4 million barrels of oil. This comes as President Trump announced a new type of warship today. A battleship that will be part of what he calls his "golden fleet." US Attorney General Pam Bondi is under fire, facing bipartisan backlash over the missed deadline and releasing all of the Epstein files. Lawmakers are now threatening legal action against her and the DOJ. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the partial release "a blatant cover-up." Today, he introduced legislation to hold the DOJ and Bondi accountable for the failure to release all documents. A small plane in Colorado landed itself safely after its pilot became incapacitated just minutes into the flight. Once the pilot lost communication with air traffic control, the plane's onboard emergency landing system designed by Garmin kicked in. Two people were aboard the plane and no injuries were reported. Still ahead, with their identities often concealed, porch pirates are increasingly undeterred by your home security cameras. How police departments are fighting back to catch the criminals. And a little later, ESPN's Herm Edwards will break down this week's NFL news, including today's stunning headline that the Kansas City Chiefs will soon ditch Missouri and Arrowhead Stadium for newer digs in Kansas. Stay with us.
Welcome back everyone. As we countdown these final days until Christmas, online shopping is at its frenzied peak and bad actors are seemingly lurking everywhere looking to make off with some pricey gifts. Law enforcement is stepping up its game to outwit these so-called porch pirates. Here's our chief investigative correspondent, Aaron Katki.
It was the night before Christmas and outside the house, porch pirates are circling looking to pounce. From furry friends to twerking swindlers to this pair of dueling thieves, the holiday season is ripe with robbers hoping to swipe any packages you receive.
"It's just violating and disappointing." "Didn't feel real. It still kind of hasn't set in yet. The audacity. I can't. I really can't believe it."
An estimated 58 million packages were stolen in the US last year, costing up to $16 billion in losses. And authorities are warning that criminals are becoming more and more sophisticated.
"Whether it be uh people stealing packages from porches, uh stolen car cases, catalytic converters, retail theft. Oftentimes underlying this type of these types of crimes are uh organized conspiracies."
Last month, New York Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney announced the arrest of 14 people involved in stealing iPhones and other packages to sell around the world.
"There were sophisticated criminal rings that were organized uh and they had gained access to delivery records to steal high-end electronic items such as phones and tablets."
The group indicted for crimes like this, approaching a FedEx worker, then ripping a package from his hands before making off in an awaiting getaway car. Just one of four dozen similar crimes in the area by a sophisticated criminal network of porch pirates that targeted mobile phones and other electronics and knew when FedEx was dropping them off because they had gained access to inside information.
"There were certain things that they were looking for. Electronics are uh smartphones. They're expensive uh but they're not that big. So, if the package is a certain price and a certain dimension, you're going to know that more than likely the items in that package is going to be uh an electronic device."
Officials releasing videos they say show a pattern. A FedEx employee drops off a box and moments later, a thief swipes it from a porch and flees in a waiting car. Then authorities say the stolen items would be taken to this stash house in the Bronx where a "buyer" would arrive to pick them up in boxes and garbage bags and sell them internationally.
"The thing that made those items um attractive to the purchasers were uh because they were stolen uh their activity would be largely invisible to law enforcement. It's an issue that authorities are confronted with around the country."
"They would go through the different tracking numbers and look at the location where it was going to be delivered."
Last year, Nightline spoke with police in Crestwood, Missouri, who had been working with the FBI to crack down on porch pirates, like the ones who robbed homeowner Dan Rolfing.
"I kind of freaked out 'cause we've never had a problem with package theft here." The suspect seen dressed in a FedEx shirt, swapping the real iPhone box with an empty one.
"My daughter shows up and I'm texting her and I said, 'Hey, uh, wasn't really expecting to, but I've seen them come deliver two.' And she said, 'There's only one box here and it's empty.'"
"On that surveillance video, we were actually able to see their car and it had some unique identifiers to it. So, within minutes, we were able to find that on our license plate readers." Police Chief Jonathan Williams says he received a call from the FBI about this particular case.
"The FBI had been kind of tracking this case of stolen FedEx tracking numbers and stolen cell phones from AT&T uh throughout the nation actually and within the St. Louis area."
Some residents taking matters into their own hands, like YouTube star Mark Rober speaking with my colleague Ashen Singh in 2019 after alleged thieves stole his Amazon package and he created a viral glitter bomb package to fight back.
"Just felt like such a victim and I was like, hold up. Like I freaking help put the rover on Mars, you know? I made a dart board. You can get a bullseye every time. Like if anyone could do something about this, like it's me. It says, 'Reward if found. Call this.'"
Rober says he no longer makes these videos and authorities warn against these kinds of pranks.
"I just didn't want nobody to take him, bro."
Last year, this man in Queens, New York, confronted a porch pirate with a baseball bat after he says his neighborhood was targeted several times.
"At the moment, I just like it was just anger. I wanted to hurt him, but I know that if I hit him, I would have been in trouble."
Last week, two teenage would-be thieves were shot in Atlanta.
"Packages uh were being taken off of a front porch, which is not uncommon this time of year. And the homeowner uh did discharge his weapon."
Both the 15 and 16-year-old are expected to survive, but the homeowner is now facing two counts of aggravated assault. In Georgia, although you are allowed to protect your property, you are not allowed to use deadly force unless there is either someone breaking into your home or there's a forcible felony that's about to be committed.
Back in Suffolk County, 13 of the 14 defendants have pled not guilty and one was voluntarily deported. In total, they face 50 felony charges, including enterprise corruption, grand larceny, and identity theft.
"Say that package was being delivered to a John Doe on in Smith Street. They would immediately make fake identification in the name of John Doe at Smith Street, go to the FedEx facility, portray themselves to be the rightful possessor of the package. FedEx employees would look at that and then give them the package." FedEx saying in a statement that its priority is to provide a safe and reliable delivery experience and will continue to work with law enforcement to pursue bad actors who attempt to misuse customer information. Following the arrests, authorities say porch pirate incidents dropped about 60% in Suffolk County, but are still issuing a stark warning.
"This is just one ring. There are others out there. So, uh, consumers and residents of Suffolk County and really everywhere, they have to remain vigilant."
As always, they're asking if you see something, say something. Our thanks to Aaron Kurski. Coming up, why a widespread power outage in San Francisco stopped driverless cars in their tracks. And the maker of Jim Beam whiskey is halting production at their main distillery. What the parent company says about the brand's future plans.
It's the third installment of a blockbuster franchise and Avatar Fire and Ash is burning through the box office. Opening with $345 million worldwide, the movie notched the second-best global debut of the year. It's an entirely new chapter fueled by grief, found family, and the fight for what's right. We had the opportunity to travel to Paris for the movie's European premiere and sat down with the mastermind behind Avatar, director James Cameron, and stars Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Una Chaplin, and Steven Lang. Let's take a look.
How do you balance the large-scale world-building with the intimate family storytelling?
Now, that is a tricky problem as a as a filmmaker. And I'm actually really proud of this film for the intimacy juxtaposed with the big spectacle.
Don't miss our latest All Access featuring the cast of Avatar Fire and Ash streaming now on Disney Plus and Hulu. Why driverless Whimo cars were stopped in their tracks in San Francisco. The controversial pricing policy at Instacart that charged different shoppers different prices. And the NBA moves forward with its new basketball league in Europe. These stories and more in tonight's rundown.
The Kansas City Chiefs announced their plans to move across the state line from Missouri to Kansas and replace the popular but aging Arrowhead Stadium with a new facility capable of hosting major year-round events. The move is a massive blow to Missouri lawmakers and Governor Mike Kho, who've been working on a package of their own to prevent a second NFL franchise in a decade from leaving their borders. The new stadium could cost upwards of $2 billion.
Bourbon maker Jim Beam will pause production at its main US distillery plant for all of 2026 after falling consumer demand resulted in an oversupply of whiskey. The bourbon maker is one of the world's largest producers of American whiskey with its main campus outside Louisville, Kentucky. The announcement comes as the wine and spirit industry has been hurt by retaliatory tariffs and declining rates of alcohol consumption. Jim Beam, which employs about 6,000 people worldwide, did not announce layoffs and bottling and warehousing operations will continue.
Power is now back online across San Francisco after a widespread blackout left the city in the dark just days before Christmas. Traffic chaos ensued, made worse by abandoned Whimo vehicles that caused gridlocks in the night. Videos posted online show fleets of Whimo cars stopped in place, apparently unable to navigate without working traffic signals. The company temporarily halted service. The outage was caused by an electrical fire at a substation and is now under investigation.
The prices of gold and silver hit record highs today, extending a good year for the precious metals. Gold has risen 10% over the past month and nearly 70% in 2025. Silver bested its amber counterpart over that span, jumping almost 40% over the last month and 134% this year. Heightened geopolitical and economic uncertainty have boosted demand for gold and silver, which according to analysts typically display a degree of independence from movements in stock prices.
Instacart announced today that it's ending a program where some customers saw different prices for the same product ordered from the same store when using the delivery company's service. The AI pricing tool was called "price tests" and was probed by the US Federal Trade Commission. Instacart said it was meant to help grocers learn more about what prices consumers would be willing to pay, but the pricing practice raised questions about pricing transparency. Instacart released a statement saying, "At a time when families are working exceptionally hard to stretch every grocery dollar, those tests raise concern, leaving some people questioning the prices that they see on Instacart. That's not okay."
The NBA and the International Basketball Federation, known as FIBA, are moving forward with plans to start a new basketball league in Europe. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made the announcement on GMA this morning.
"We think there's an opportunity to come in, do something pan-European, have franchises in great European capitals like Paris, London, Berlin, you know, Madrid, etc. So, the opportunity is there. It's something we're looking very closely at with our owners right now."
Many details for the new league are yet to be formally finalized, including when play will start and how many teams will take part in the inaugural season. For our weekly look into the world of sports. It is time for a hang-in with Herm. Coach Herm Edwards, thanks so much for joining us again, coach. So many great endings this weekend. But before we get to some of the action, let's start with the Steelers DK Medaf and the altercation that he had with a fan during last night's game in Detroit. A short time ago, he was suspended, as you know, for the rest of the season by the NFL. The fan has denied reports that he directed a racial slur toward Medaf. So, so why was Medaf not immediately ejected after swinging at the fan? Do you think he should have been suspended?
Well, yeah, I knew he was going to get suspended. Uh, I it occurred away from the bench, so I don't know if anyone uh in the organization actually witnessed it, but obviously the cameras picked it up and, you know, players know that, look, don't get involved with the fan base. I mean, they're excitable, especially when you go on the road sometimes. Uh, but you can't do what what he did and the NFL set an example. It's too bad because this really hurts the Pittsburgh Steelers. They're making a playoff run. Uh, they lose one of their best players on the team. He was having a pretty good season. Him and Aaron Rodgers had a great chemistry going down uh, you know, these last couple weeks. And this is going to hurt the Steelers, especially offensively.
And the Steelers prevailed in that game after offensive pass interference was called on the Lions' final play. That call kept them from scoring a game-winning touchdown. Break down for us what happened and and did the refs get it right?
Yeah, it was a pass interference call. Anytime you extend your arms like this uh to move a defender, that is a foul. Uh, it took a little bit of logistics because everything that that transpired during the play, but that was the correct call. There's no doubt about that. Uh, it's a shame, but, you know, players know when you extend your hands and and you move them off their spot, that is a foul.
The playoff picture seems to be almost set in the NFC. The Bears clinching a playoff birth with a big comeback win. And the Seahawks, Eagles, Rams, and 49ers also clinching births. Of all the games this weekend, which NFC team proved themselves to you to be the most dangerous?
Well, I I I think when you watch the way the Chicago Bears played and they were able to come back, I mean, all of a sudden, you know, you didn't anticipate this with the Bears. They were having a pretty good year and okay, are they really are they legit? I think they're legit and their defense is get doesn't get talked about enough. They're the number one defense in taking the ball away and that's important. They have PL plus 20 takeaways. That helps you especially when you get into the playoffs.
Let's switch gears for a moment to some stadium news. We just heard that the Chiefs announced that they will relocate from Arrowhead Stadium to a new domed stadium in Kansas. We know that the Show Me State did not want to show the Chiefs the door. So, what went into this decision?
Well, you know that that's above both of our pay grades, right? There's that. That's what you call politics.
Yes.
And I'm going to leave that alone. I'm just a football player and a football coach. But I do know this. I do know this.
I worked in Kansas City as an assistant coach and had the privilege of being a head coach there. And regardless if they're on the Missouri side of it or the Kansas side of it, they have a great fan base. And when they build this new arena, it will be filled. Trust me.
You you I think you got that right. Safe to say. And lastly, tonight's Monday Night Football game. 49ers at the Indianapolis Colts. Does Philip Rivers have any chance left to to keep the Colts playoff hopes alive?
And no, I think it ends tonight to be quite honest. And I think really it's been a great story. Uh, but they're playing a team that's very hot on the NFC side of it. And they're in a great division, San Francisco, with Seattle and the Rams uh playing as well. So this is going to be one of those games. Philip Rivers is going to figure it out. And, you know what? I am 44 years old. Coach Herm all decked out in your Christmas sweater. Appreciate you being here. Thanks so much.
Thank you. Have a wonderful Christmas.
And you also, Coach. And that is our show for this hour. I'm Lindseay Davis. Be sure to stay tuned to ABC News Live for more context and analysis of today's top stories. Thanks so much for streaming with us. Heat. Heat.