likely a frosty start. >> thanks for watching. nightly news with kate snow coming up next. tonight, stock market whiplash. from huge losses on christmas eve to historic gains today. the dow lured back with its biggest single day point gain. we look at what caused the rally. trump's secret mission. the president and first lady fly to iraq for a special holiday meeting with the troops. it's the president's first ever visit to a combat zone. the death of another young migrant in u.s. custody after nth.sing the border. what led to his death, and could it have been avoided? they say there's no way to defend against it. will a new russian nuclear weapons system ignite a new arms race? and it's the kind of story that every parent who's sacrificed for their kid will want to hear.

a baseball player takes care of those who took care of him. >> announcer: this is "nb good evening, i'm kate snow in for lester tonight. you would be forgiven for feeling a little financial whiplash this week. on this day after christmas, wall street was celebrating. the dow jones industrial average up almost 1,100 points, the largest single day point gain ever. all the mark remarkable when you consider what happened on christmas eve when the broader market was down almost 20% from recent highs and people were talking about a bear market. today's rebound driven in part by positiveepor about holiday sales. our kristen dahlgren starts us off tonight. >> reporter: a post-christmas bonus on wall street. today's big gains completely eraising monday's steep dive. all three indexes soaring thanks in part to some positive news for retailers. amazon reporting it sold a

record number of items over the holiday season. it's been a volatile month, ending a four-day losing streak, amid concerns over the government shutdown and questions over the future of federal reserve chair jerome powell. today the administration do reassure investors. top trump adviser kevin hassett with nbc's hans nichols. >> is the fed chairman's job safe? >> of course, 100%. >> 100%, the fed chair's job is not in jeopardy by this president? >> absolutely, yes. >> that was a signal that politics wasn't going to take over economic policy and investors liked hearing that. >> reporter: fears of an impending recession eased for today. >> how significant is it? that remains to be seen. when you get this kind of a snapback rally, you wt out if it's going to be confirmed by even more rallies down the road.

>> reporter: a new survey of cfos show half believe we will be in a recession by the end of next year, 82% by the end of 2020, kate. >> kristen dahlgren, thank you. as the stock market was rebounding, president trump was making a splash overseas. the president and first lady took their first trip to a combat zone visiting troops in western iraq at the al asad airbase. chief white house correspondent hallie jackson has more. >> reporter: a standing ovation for a milestone two years in the making. president trump personally thanking troops fighting isis. >> two years ago, when i became president, they were a very dominant group. they were very dominant. today they're not so dominant anymore. >> reporter: the president signing autographs and smiling for selfies, says he has no plans at all to pull the u.s. military out of iraq. but he defended his controversial decision to

withdraw the military from neighboring syria, a move that led his defsere to resign in protest. >> we're no longer the suckers, folks. we're respected again as a nation. few take isis and we see something happening with isis that we don't like, we can hit them so fast and so hard they really won't know what the hell happened. >> reporter: the president spent three hours on the ground. his movements blanketed in secrecy for security reasons. >> i had concerns for the institution of the presidency. not for myself personally. i had concerns for the first lady, i will tell you. but if you would hav to go thro darkened plane with all windows closed, with no lights on whatsoever, anywhere. >> reporter: president trump had come under fire for waiting this long to visit troops in an active war zone. >> i've had an it. >> reporter: at this point in his presidency, barack obama had

visited combat troops in the middle east and george w. bush traveled to iraq just eight months after the 2003 war began. >> i don't think there's any substitute to listening to the people who are carrying out these orders. >> reporter: president trump said he's in no rush to name a replacement for outgoing secretary of defense jim mattis and he praised mattis' number two at the pentagon, patrick shanahan, who will at least temporarily take over that job next year. kate? >> hallie, thanks. there are new details tonight about the death of an 8-year-old guatemalan boy who was in u.s. custody after he crossed the border with his father. he is the second migrant child to die this month while being gadi schwartz has the latest from new mexico. r in el paso, texas, where an 8-year-old guatemalan boy and his father apprehended. six days later, the child who

members of congress have identified as felipe alonzo-gomez is dead. now an outcry over his death. officials say they provided hot food and water and listed several transports between three patrol stations between el paso and new mexico. the child was causing and appeared to have glossy eyes. 30 minutes later, cbp says he was transferred to a hospital. he was tested for strep throat, diagnosed with a cold, given medication, released to a hospital and taken to a nearby holding facility.en the way bac the hospital lost consciousness. he passed away on christmas eve. >> we responded by doing secondary medical checks. that means paramedics who are checking each child in our custody. >> reporter: as a sweeping review has been ordered in detention facilities across the country, today department of homeland security secretary

kirstjen nielsen is calling the death deeply concerning and heartbreaking. cbp says they're still holding phillipe's father, this 18 days after a 7-year-old girl died in their custody. currently there is a court order that is supposed to be prevent cbp from keeping children for more than 72 hours. in this case felipe was in custody for over 130. kate? >> gadi schwartz, thank you. about 800,000 federal workers have been affected by the federal shutdown. if president trump and congress don't come up with a compromise on border security soon, some of those workers will not receive paycheck decber 31st. nbc's garrett haake joins me from capitol hill. garrett, are we any closer to a deal? >> reporter: kate, this partial government shutdown will go into its sixth day tomorrow. the two sides are still too far apart to strike a deal to end the shutdown and send those few

hundred thousand federal employees back to work tomorrow, especially with the president out of the country and lawmakers mostly back home in their districts. the issue here remains what it has been, how much money if any will congress give the president for border security or for his border wall. democrats have said they're willing to spend money on border security but absolutely not the $5 billion that the president has requested for the wall. democrats just see it as an expensive, ineffective tool. >> so where does that leave the hundreds of thousands of federal employees who are going without pay, eventually? >> reporter: about 400,000 federal employees stayed home today on furlough, the first federal workday since the shutdown started. another 400,000 or so werdeemed. but their paychecks are something of a question mark. for example, there are 42,000 active duty members of the coast guard who are expecting to be paid on december 31st. but if the shutdown isn't lifted by friday, that paycheck simply won't show up until it is. and it's looking increasingly

unlikely that the shutdown will end by friday. the president today in iraq digging in, saying he's willing to wait as long as it takes to get his border wall funded. sources in both parties say they expect the shutdown to continue into january. >> garrett haake at the hill, thank you, garrett. to moscow now, the kremlin said today it had successfully tested what is known as a hypersonic missile. it travels faster than the speed of sound, can carry a nuclear warhead, and the russians say it can evade u.s. missile defense systems. pentagon correspondent hans nichols has more. >> reporter: president vladimir putin testing a new ntal missile and president donald trump's mettle. from a moscow command center, putin watched the hypersonic missile leave its launch tube and according to the russians, strike a target 700,000 miles away, declaring it invulnerable to intercept. russia says it can be armed with a nuclear weapon and travel up to 20 times the speed of sound. without confirming the results

of today's test, the pentagon has acknowledged that america is vulnerable. >> we don't have any defense that could deny the employment the pentagon's own plan to develop an american version. >> the hypersonics is a game changing technology. and that's why it's so important for us to embrace it. >> reporter: and how far are we from actually fielding that technology ourselves? >> i think we'll put a hypersonic system in the field before 2023. >> reporter: russia first touted their hypersonic missile in march with an animation showing warheads flying towards florida. >> both offensively and defensively, the united states military is working very hard o. >> reporter: but for putin, his new missile is a per the countr. hans nichols, nbc news, the pentagon. in indonesia, fears tonight that another killer wave could

be coming. the volcano that caused that devastating tsunami is still spewing lava and ash. the loss of life from the tsunami saturday stands at 430, with more than 150 still missing. nbc's sarah harman is there for us and has our update. >> reporter: tonight, authorities warn the volcano that triggered a deadly tsunami over the weekend could unleash another one. anak krakatau is only 30 miles from one of indonesia's most populous coasts. as driving rains and volcanic tremors continue, scientists worry portions of its crater could collapse. they're warning people in the area to move inland, half a mile from the sea. "please don't panic," this government scientist urges, saying it's just a precaution. but it was a landslide from the volcano that sent a wall of water crashing into beeachfront

here with no warning, killing hundreds and striking thousands of homes. >> volcanic activity very close to shore, you won't get much warning at all. >> reporter: now more than 20,000 people displaced, many searching desperately through the devastation, trying to recover some of what they've lost. this woman and her son barely escaped with their lives. >> reporter: you ran all the way up the field? >> yes. >> reporter: others couldn't outrun the water. with dozens still missing, rescue turning into recovery, with an angry volcano on the horizon. residents keep a wary watch on the scene. earlier the military told us to get off the beach, they are so concerned about another deadly wave. we had to come here to a town three miles from the coast. but there are problems here as well. the volcano now spewing dangerous ashai kate. >> all right, thank you. in south dakota, a plane crashed int sioux falls neighborhood on christmas day, killing two people. residents have been evacuated as

investigators try to figure out what happened. nbc's morgan chesky has the story. >> reporter: in sioux falls, a christmas day shattered. >> two houses currently on fire. >> reporter: the explosion swallowing two homes. >> from the way it looks, the plane came down in the backyard areas, in between the four structures. >> reporter: the couple on board, vaughn and joanne meyer, died. today federal investigators arrived to comb through wreckage stretching for blocks, hoping to find something in the scorched debris. >> larger flds indicate either higher impact forces or that the airplane may have started shedding parts in flight. >> reporter: no one on the ground was hurt. but for in neighborhood, a holiday they won't soon forget. morgan chesky, nbc news. a winter storm not making

anything easier in that region. there are severe storms in texas as well. plenty of serious weather that might make for travel delays across the country. we're joined by nbc meteorologist dylan dreyer. where do we look? >> kate, on the northern side we're seeing blowing snow, wind gusts up to 35 miles per hour. we have blizzard warning in effect for the northern plains. we could end up with six to 12 inches of snow possible. on the southern side of the snow, we've already had tornado warnings across central texas. this is the threat through the night, with large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes a possibility. this will naturally create delays at the airports if you're flying tonight. we'll see delays down south through dallas, also farther north in areas like minneapolis-st. paul. tomorrow it's mostly rain that will be the threat. we'll likely see delays in chicago, down to st. louis and memphis. on friday, it's warm enough for mainly rain.

that heavy rain could cause delays all up and down the east coast on friday, central new england will likely see snow. this is a big storm and it will impact most of the country. >> dylan, thank you. tonight, double trouble in italy as mt. etna erupts and causes an earthquake. also an update on the unstoppable rbg. we'll tell you how supreme court justice ruth bader ginsburg is doing following her cancer surgery. and get the tissues out. a major league rookie gives his parents a gift they never expected.

here's a story now for every parent who has ever gone to their kids' sports games, lent support, helped with the carpool, baked cookies, you name from a rooki to his mom and dad is making a splash. >> reporter: he's got a major league facebook. this christmas brady singer threw his parents a curve. >> dear mom and dad, i just want to say thank

you for everything you've done to help me reach my dreams. >> reporter: leaving his mom speechless. >> i am paying off the loan from the bank. also i paid off all your debt as well. what! >> reporter: no more mortgage. a gift of financial freedom from a 22-year-old pitching prospect who earned a $4.25 million signing bonus from the kansas city royals. he posted the video to his twitter feed. the emotional letter he sent to his folks viewed more than 6 million times. the grand gesture recognizing their efforts to help him succeed and reach his dreams. >> now instead of trying to save money every weekend, you can spend it on yourselves. because you deserve the very best. i want you both to know how much i appreciate you and how none of this would be possible without you. >> reporter: a christmas pitch right down the middle. >> i love you both more than anything you can imagine. >> reporter: striking the heart with love

and appreciation. ron mott, nbc news. >> that is love. we're back in a moment with a warning for netflix users and why you shouldn't click on any e-mails from the company until you see our repo. and those who serve. a story on the power of mentoring. the unlikely friendships making a big difference in one u.s. city.

some breaking news out of indiana tonight. there's been an explosion at carmel high school just north of indianapolis, reportedly injuring at least two people, one with severe burns. officials say the fire may have started in a mechanical room. parents have been directed to the school stadium locker rooms to pick up their kids. double trouble on the italian island of sicily today as mt. etna's eruption caused an earthquakenihede of 4.8. the quake damaged structures throughout the area and injured at least ten people. supreme court justice ruth bader ginsburg is out of the hospital. the nation's highest

court confirming today that she was discharged from a new york hospital on tuesday after cancerous nodules were removed from her lung. she's resting at home. the federal trade commission warning netflix customers about a new e-mail scam. criminals are posing as netflix in these e-mails and asking recipients to confirm payment details. experts say it's a good idea to avoid clicking on links in e-mails like this altogether. best to log on to your netflix account on the netflix site. when we come back, it's hard to overstate the difference a mentor can make in a young person's life. a program building bridges between law enforcement and the communities they serve. continues right now...

and a key piece of evidence has just been found. wh investigators hauled away from the suspect )s home. plus, the new year brings in a host of new laws including one inspired by the me-too movement. next. right now at 6: a families anguish after they say police mistakenly shot

finally tonight, a story about an organization i've been involved with for years, big brothers/big sisters. there may be no greater gift for a young person than quality time and guidance. in dallas, a mentoring program launched two years ago is brinchdging the gap between kids and those who serve, replacing distrust with friendship. >> hi, christie. >> reporter: 7-year-old nyla woods thinks of christie as her sister. >> want to play i spy? >> yes! >> reporter: they love their weekly outings. today it's a holiday party at the zoo and a trip to the reptile don't open that! >> i'm not going to open it. >> reporter: it's christie's day job that makes their pairing unique. she's an officer with the gang unit. >> they need mentors, they need someone. >> reporter: christie and nyla are part of bigs and blue through

big brothers/big sisters lonestar. adults in law enforcement mentor kids in communities where the groups don't always trust each other. christie brought the matching sweaters. >> i surprised her. >> i surprised her with a gift. >> reporter: this fall, local police departments challenged each other to see who could sign up the most bigs. >> we'll connect later. have fun. >> reporter: participation has more than tripled. dallas police chief renee hall says the program is helping. >> the relationships between the law enforcement and community across this country has broken down. and we truly need to build that up. and how we start is we start with our youth. >> reporter: nyla is already making plans for warmer weher. haven't been to is six flags. >> when it's warm, we'll go. >> reporter: building bridges one friendship at a time. >> i think they're going to six flags. there are now 80 cities across the country with bigs and blue programs. that's "nbc nightly news" on a wednesday

night. i'm kate snow. i'll see you back tomorrow. for all of us at nbc news, have a great night. right now at 6:00, a family's anguish after police -- after they say police mistakenly shot and killed their daughter. new details we're learning about a christmas day shooting. plus, new year and new laws. how the "me too" movement is making an impact on new rules heading into 2019. first the manhunt continues for a suspect who shot and killed a police officer during a traffic stop in the central valley. the news at 6:00 starts right now. thank you for joining us, everyone. i'm terry mcsweeney in for raj mathai. >> and i'm jessica aguirre. a blue alert in effect for a man considered to be armed and dangerous. police say the suspect's truck has been located but that the suspect himself is still on the

loose. >> he is wanted for the killing of newman police officer ronil singh, a seven-year veteran with the department. officer singh leaves behind a wife and five-month-old son. nbc bay area's robert handa is live in newman, about 20 miles from turlock, where this all went down during a traffic stop earl can i this morning. robert, what is the latest? >> reporter: we're here in a mobile home park on river road in newman, where for hours investigators were here. unit 3 right over there. it's where they served a search warrant and the unit where people here tell us is the home of the man law enforcement agencies are looking for all over the state. about an hour ago stanislaus county sheriff's investigators took away the vehicle they say the cop killer might have been driving. and from his convenience at this mobile home park. the shooting erupted during a traffic stop around 1:00 this morning at the intersection of merced street and eucalyptus avenue in