>> that's all for now, i'm dan ashley. >> and i'm kristen sze. for spencer christian, michael finney, all of us here, thanks for joining us. >> see you again at 6:00. >> bye-bye. tonight, the new year's slam. whiteout conditions. snow, strong winds and heavy rain to ring in the new year. cars skidding off icy highways. up to 2 million braving the weather in times square. our ginger zee standing by. the deadly lion attack. a 22-year-old intern killed. how did the lion corner that young staffer? also tonight, the shifting versions of the president's wall. the president insisting the plan for an all-concrete wall was never abandoned, as the government shutdown extends into the new year. inside the shelter. allegations of child abuse inside a migrant shelter in arizona. disturbing video appears to show staff members slapping, shoving and dragging children. hunting a killer. a 7-year-old girl shot and

killed while riding in her family's car. the urgent search for the gunman who opened fire from a red pickup truck. the girl's mother wounded and, tonight, speaking out. ski lift scare. more than 100 skiers left hanging. the chair lift breaking down at a mountain resort. and we'll take you around the world as one country after another rings in the new year. and good evening. it's great to have you with us on a monday night. i'm tom llamas, in for david. and we begin with the new year's eve storm slamming much of the country at this hour. whiteout conditions, heavy rain and strong winds from the northern plains all the way to new england. up to 2 million people expected right there to brave torrential rains for the party of the year celebrating in new york's times square. but blinding snow in south coast.that driver suenly losn w state.

look at that. abc chief meteorologist ginger zee leads us off tonight. >> reporter: tonight, millions ringing in the new year are facing one last winter blast for 2018. >> this is a very strong cold front heading our way. >> reporter: ferocious winds bringing whiteout conditions to fargo, north dakota. gusts above 40 miles per hour. this as convoys of snowplows race to clear roads in minnesota. vehicle after vehicle slipping off the road. that system now combining with a second one from the south, forming a fast-moving storm that's racing east tonight. south of tuscaloosa, alabama, an urgent effort to evacuate more than a dozen people and their pets. >> you're looking at more evacuees coming off that boat right now to a safe area. >> reporter: their neighborhood cut off after floodwaters caused a road to collapse. behind that system, arctic air. it's all rushing into the mountain west. driving treacherous here, too. in washington state, troopers posting this video of a car

losing control, warning conditions might not be what they seem. >> all right, let's get back out to times square and ginger zee. and ginger, you're going to take us into 2019 with some serious rough weather out there. >> reporter: yes, you can see, already, some pouring rain, and that is just the beginning of the storm i've got to tell you about. people here in times square covered their feet in trash bags. that's how wet we're talking, and it makes sense, because much of 2018 has been the wettest or one of the wettest for so many people, from the midwest through the northeast. let me take you to the maps and show you what's going to happen tonight. from tennessee down to the gulf coast, there have been strong storms with heavy rain. but it's that warm front that we're watching bubble up and pass new york city that's going to bring morrain fd up s overnight. but it's not just rain, guys, it's the wind. 55-mile-per-hour gusts by 3:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. the 30s. and even boston. and a wind advisory with a wind gust of 36. so, 2019 will come in mild, but windy for many. tom? >> ginger zee in times square

for us where it's already coming down. and the weather just one major concern for new year's eve. the other, of course, security in new york city and across the country. thousands of police officers on duty in and around times square tonight. the area sealed off by barricades, police vehicles and dozens of sanitation trucks. abc's erielle reshef is in times square tonight. >> reporter: tonight, as nearly 2 million rain-soaked revelers get ready to ring in the new year, there will be hawk-like security over times square. >> happy new year! >> reporter: 50 k-9 units, 1,200 cameras, sand-filled dump trucks and 7,000 police officers. but tonight, the nypd scrubbing e stl have 1,200 cer to patrol r in and around thar. believe me, this is going to be the safest place on earth tonight. >> reporter: law enforcement officials have been voicing growing concerns about the use of drone technology by terrorists as a means of a possible attack. this federal threat assessment obtained by abc news says during celebrations in las vegas last

new year's eve, there were multiple reports of drones flown in and around casino properties on the las vegas strip. the nypd saying it will take down any unauthorized drones. >> if you do fly one, there is a good chance you're going to end up getting arrested. >> reporter: and tom, the crowds already pouring in, and you can see this blocker truck stopping traffic. authorities say there's no credible threat to the festivities, but they're warning everyone to be vigilant. tom? >> erielle reshef along with our team there in times square. erielle, thank you. we do move on now to the deadly lion attack at a zoological park in north carolina. authorities investigating how a male lion escaped a locked area, killing a 22-year-old intern cleaning part of the facility. the victim's family says she was following her passion. abc's stephanie ramos is there. >> reporter: tonight, an investigation into how a lion was able to escape a locked enclosure at this conservatory center in north carolina and kill a 22-year-old intern,

alexandra black, just two weeks on the job. >> we've lost a person. we've lost an animal. we have lost our faith in ourselves a little bit today. >> reporter: the male lion named makai, seen in this youtube video, was moved during a routine enclosure cleaning, and according to the sheriff's office, somehow got out and attacked black. when tranquilizers didn't work, the lion was shot and killed so deputies could retrieve black's body. her family tonight remembering a young woman who loved animals. our beautiful, intelligent, passionate alex had worked, unpaid, at several animal-related ventures. there was a terrible accident and we are mourning. but she died following her passion. the center is home to more than 80 animals like lions and tigers and is open to the public. >> i have a big concern on having a 22-year-old intern with two weeks of experience in the proximity close to a lion. >> a lot of questions in this case tonight.

stephanie ramos joins us now from outside that center. the investigation just beginning there, stephanie? >> reporter: absolutely, tom. the center is shut down indefinitely while authorities investigate. they've been open for almost 20 years. the center's director says they're going to look at everything to make sure the staff and public are safe before they move forward. tom? >> stephanie ramos for us tonight. stephanie, thank you. we turn now to politics. the government shutdown now heading into the new year. president trump tonight digging in on his demands to fund the border wall, with shifting versions of how exactly it would look. the president contradicting outgoing chief of staff john kelly, saying the plan for a concrete wall was never abandoned. kelly saying they gave that up long a. and now democrats with a new plan to potentially reopen the government by the end of the week. abc's tara palmeri is at the white house. >> reporter: tonight, the president telling democratic leaders to come back to washington to strike a deal. telling fox news -- >> i'm in washington. i'm ready, willing and able. i'm in the white house.

i'm ready to go. they can come over right now. we are not giving up. we have to have border security, and a wall is a big part of border security, the biggest part. >> reporter: the border wall at the center of the deadlock. >> i am proud to shut down the government for border security, chuck. >> reporter: but his outgoing chief of staff john kelly saying the administration long abandoned a concrete barrier along the southern border, telling "the l.a. times," quote, to be honest, it's not a wall. the president still says wall. oftentimes frankly he'll say barrier or fencing. now he's tended towards steel slats. today, the president seeming to fire back at kelly's claims, tweeting -- an all concrete wall was never abandoned. some areas will be all concrete, but the experts at border patrol prefer a wall that is see through. democrats are still puzzled over what type of funding package the president will accept. senate minority leader chuck schumer's office telling abc news one official says the white house is open to compromise, another says they want $5 billion for the wall. the president's allies say no matter what form the wall takes,

the real issue is tougher border policy. >> the wall has become a metaphor for border security. and what we're talking about is a physical barrier where it makes sense. in the past, every democrat has voted for these physical barriers. it can't be just about because trump wants it, we no longer agree with it. >> tara joins us now from the white house. and tara, the house brought two bills today that, if approved by the senate, could end the shutdown this week, but they seem dead on arrival in the senate? >> reporter: tom, the bills do not include funding for a border wall, and senate majority leader mitch mcconnell said he will not hold a vote on a bill that the president won't sign. tom? >> tara palmeri with that new reporting for us tonight. tara, thank you. now, to the changing guard at the pentagon. at midnight, defense secretary james mattis officially hands over his duties to deputy secretary and former boeing executive patrick shanahan. general mattis resigning over the disagreement to withdraw troops from syria, among other issues.

in his farewell letter, he tells pentagon employees, quote, our department has proven to be at its best when the times are most difficult. mattis urging them to hold fast. and tonight, we have a new headline in the 2020 race for president. democratic contenders already lining up, and massachusetts senator elizabeth warren taking steps to begin a presidential campaign, announcing a formal exploratory committee. she released a video targeting wall street and proclaiming america's middle class is under attack. the race could draw dozens of potential democratic candidates. next tonight, to some disturbing video raising new questions about the treatment of migrant children in u.s. custody. images appearing to show staff members slapping, shoving and dragging children in a now closed southwest key facility in arizona. here's abc's david kerley. >> reporter: this case -- including a male staffer dragging a migrant boy into a room, slapping him and pushing the child against a wall -- is tonight referred to prosecutors for possible criminal charges. these videos of children dragged

and put into a room, also a part of the maricopa county, arizona, case. >> they're just concerned about lodging these kids and getting the per diem payment from the government. >> reporter: back in september, when these incidents happened, arizona moved to revoke all 13 licenses of the operator, southwest key. but only two licenses were taken, including the facility where these videos were recorded, hacienda del sol. it was shut down in october. in a statement, the company, organized as a non-profit, said it wholeheartedly welcomed shutting down that facility. adding, it is doing a top to bottom review of its arizona shelters. while the sheriff's department investigated this case back in september and interviewed the child victims, it is just now referring it to prosecutors for possible criminal charges. tom? >> david kerley for us tonight. david, thank you. next tonight, to a gent manhunt for a gunman uston. who is wanted for killing a 7-year-old girl. police say she was riding in her mother's car when the shooter opened fire from his own

police appealing to the gunman to surrender, vowing, we will find you. here's abc's marci gonzalez. >> reporter: tonight, police near houston searching for the driver of the truck seen in this surveillance photo, they say opened fire into a family's car, killing this 7-year-old girl. >> he took away an innocent child. she did not deserve this at all. >> reporter: laporsha washington says she was driving to a grocery store with her four daughters sunday morning, when out of nowhere, that truck pulled up next to them. >> i heard shots start firing and they came through my window, broke my glass, hit me in my arm. and the truck slowed down and continued to fire as he was in front of us. >> reporter: her children horrified, realizing a bullet hit their sister, jazmine barnes. >> she said, "mama, jazmine's not moving. she's not talking."und an-old w. >> reporter: investigators now

looking for this red or maroon four-door pickup, and the driver they describe as white, in his 40s, with a beard. they say he was wearing a red hoodie. >> we want to seek justice for jazmine and bring this killer to justice and get him off the street. >> reporter: jazmine's mother says they had no interaction with the driver before the shooting. the motive, still under investigation. m? >> an incredibly sad story all around. the manhunt now under way. all right, marci, thank you. overseas now, an american citizen arrested in moscow, accused of spying. russia's federal security service accusing paul whelan of committing spy activity without offering any details. the state department says it received a formal notification of his detention. he faces up to 20 years in prison. the start of the new year already under wa cur ationsg ple around the world. check this out. sydney, australia, lighting up the sky with its stunning fireworks display. about a million people there in sydney harbor to witness that. hong kong's skyline exploding in lights. the incredible show along victoria harbor. that's beautiful.

and the new year's celebration in paris. the city of lights living up to midnight here in the u.s. and of course, you can watch the countdown right here, "dick clark's new year's rockin' eve with ryan seacrest and jenny mccarthy," and a guest appearance from our own ginger zee. it all begins at 8:00 p.m. eastern, right here on abc. and there's still much more ahead on "world news tonight" this new year's eve. the mile-high rescue mission. the tense moments in bone-chilling cold. plus, the new details coming in on the case of that missing colorado mother, last seen grocery shopping with her 1-year-old. the new charges against her fiance. and the disastrous gas explosion tearing this apartment building apart. the search for survivors tonight. search for survivors search for survivors tonight. . but my hygienist said going electric could lead to way cleaner teeth. she said, get the one inspired by dentists, with a round brush head. go pro with oral-b. oral-b's gentle rounded brush head removes more plaque along the gum line. for cleaner teeth and healthier gums. and unlike sonicare, oral-b is the first electric toothbrush brand

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charges of first degree murder, one for deliberation and in a new twist, a second count alleging frazee killed his fiance, 29-year-old kelsey berreth, during a robbery. >> felony murder in this case, as set out in the charge, is that when you rob somebody and they die during the robbery, that is also first-degree murder. >> reporter: berreth vanished on thanksgiving, last seen shopping with the couple's 14-month-old daughter, kaylee. frazee was arrested ten days ago. you see him? he's in cuffs. now also facing three charges of solicitation to commit murder, suggesting he had one or more accomplices, something prosecutors won't confirm. >> this is an ongoing criminal investigation. there are multiple leads that law enforcement needs to follow up on, and it's extensive. >> reporter: frazee and his public defender are not commenting. >> anything to say, patrick? frazee did not enter a plea, and for now, very little is known about the case against him. but prosecutors will be revealing more at a preliminary hearing january 29th. tom?

>> clayton sandell, who has been covering this story from the get-go, thank you. when we come back, the deadly hit and run. the driver accused of mowing down a manicurist outside a beauty salon after trying to avoid the bill. what exactly happened? stay with us. what do you look for when you trade? i want free access to research. yep, td ameritrade's got that. free access to every platform. yeah, that too. i don't want any trade minimums. yeah, i totally agree, they don't have any of those. i want to know what i'm paying upfront. yes, absolutely. do you just say yes to everything? hm. well i say no to kale. mm. yeah, they say if you blanch it it's better, but that seems like a lot of work. no hidden fees. no platform fees. no trade minimums. and yes, it's all at one low price. td ameritrade. ♪ the doctor just for a shot. with neulasta onpro patients get their day back... to be with family, or just to sleep in. strong chemo can put you at risk of serious infection. in a key study neulasta reduced the risk of

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mountain. it was shut down due to a mechanical problem. it took the ski patrol 2 1/2 hours to get everybody to safety. temperatures in the teens there with those gusty winds. no injuries, though, reported. and when we come back, we have one more thing to show you before we say good-bye to 2018. dad, can you drive me to jessica's house?

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from our family to yours, thank you for watching. i'm tom llamas in new york. for david and our entire abc news team, happy new year. good night. ♪ ♪ should auld acquaintance be forgot and never thought upon ♪ ♪ the flames of love extinguished ♪ ♪ and fully past and gone ♪ for auld lang syne my jo for auld lang syne ♪ ♪ we'll take a cup of kindness yet for auld lang syne ♪

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♪ for auld lang syne my jo for auld lang syne ♪ ♪ we'll take a cup of kindness yet for auld lang syne ♪ ♪

just hours to go. tonight we are live with the many different ways the bay area is welcoming 2019. i'm spencer christian. the new year is coming in with a windchill. i have the > startanry youn onl like marigold at pet stores that obtain them through shelters or kes rues. i'm dion lim with new details on the law that applies to cats and dog goes live where you live, this is "abc 7 news". take a live look over san francisco where in six hours fireworks will light up the sky, some with extra precaution. thanks for joining us. i'm dan ashley. >> i'm kristen sze. the windy weather means last-minute changes to plans to ring in 2019. we're told that the fireworks show hpen. >> oh, y c hear he bay tod on.

sky 7 spotted this sign on the san mateo bridge for the morning commute, high winds on bridge. and wind gusts brought down trees and left this car is a broken back windshield. santa cruz police tweeted these pictures. team coverage on the weather and upcoming celebrations. >> let's begin with weather anchor spencer christian. >> skies will be clear but the wind continues to be rather gusty and it is getting chilly out there. let me give you a current windt gusts across the region. surface gusts at 24 miles per hour. 33 at livermore. 22 in san francisco and in hayward. in the higher elevations it is gustier. the strong wind condition resulted in a wind advisory in effect for the mountain and hills for the bay area above 1,000 feet until 10:00 tomorrow morning. wind gusts in the higher elevations could reach 60 to 70 miles per hour producing the possibility of downed trees and power lines our new year's eve.