you back here at 11:00. breaking news tonight on your taxes. biggest tax overhaul in a generation being passed by gop controlled congress. changes that will affect every american family. but there is word now of a surprise snag. late news from investigators at scene of train disaster. why going way too fast? 80 miles per hour in 30 miles per hour zone? >> another crash, packed tourist bus overturns. consumer alert about cheaper prescription drugs. >> $600 to $500, $200 to $34.99. how you can save big.

hot new service from amazon, packages delivered inside your home when you're not there. watch it on your phone but security experts say there's something you should see. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. good evening and thanks for join us. just as it appeared that republicans were on track to deliver a tax bill to president as early as this evening, procedural, redo vote tomorrow. senate republicans, hours from a vote of their own, had hoped to tie a bow on the bill tonight. either way the plan is expected to be passed, promising tax cuts for many even as brand new nbc news poll finds many americans opposed to it. late developments. >> reporter: republicans in congress declaring victory. >> report is adopted laid on the table.

>> reporter: house speaker paul ryan presiding over a vote this afternoon. but tonight embarrassing stumbling block. senate has to change the bill before they can pass it because a handful of obscure provisions don't meet senate rules. with those stripped out, they have to vote again tomorrow before the president can sign it. still on track to become law. poll taken before the vote shows 41% of americans see bill as bad idea. you think the american people will back you up on this. >> very much so, see every two weeks in paycheck they're bringing more home. >> reporter: give a lower tax rate, increase the child tax credit and slash corporate rates. >> because of changes in rates and deductions, may wish to look at withholding amounts because could

affect cash flow. >> reporter: also argue create nor jobs at small companies. owner drew greenblatt is making plans. >> going to hire a lot of local people here in baltimore city and create new jobs and new opportunities for people. >> reporter: business rate cuts are permanent but individual cuts expire, could leave you paying more in 2025. critics say this helps wealthy at expense of everybody else. >> it's all-out looting of america, wholesale robbery of the middle class. >> reporter: senate is plowing ahead, staying late tonight at capitol. president monitoring developments from the white house. bill expected to land on his desk sometime tomorrow. now to new details in the deadly amtrak train derailment in washington state. ntsb revealing the train traveling 50 miles over the speed

limit before it jumped the tracks killing at least three people. and positive train control was installed but not yet operational. gadi schwartz. good evening. >> reporter: good evening lester. if there was a stretch of track that explained exactly what happened here, it is this one. take a look. 30-mile-per-hour curve. ntsb investigators say they've recovered black box from the front of the locomotive, shows engineer didn't appear to hit the brakes before the curve. other side of the berm? absolute devastation. crews working nonstop to clear massive passenger cars after a crash that sent hundreds of tons of train and steel through the air. one moment sitting at seat, then everything moving. >> so many emotions flash through your mind, am i going to

make it? that's the last thing i remember. >> train enthusiast, excited to be aboard inaugural run, now he and wife are trying to keep spirits high. >> count your blessings, try to live day to day. >> daniel was driving by. eagle scout, he immediately rushed to help. >> you pulled more than a dozen people to safety. >> if it wasn't me, somebody else would have been there to do it. thankful i got to be there and help. >> reporter: three people killed in crash. zach willhoitte and hammre, excited to be on a maiden run. >> doing what they loved and celebrating it. >> reporter: more questions about positive train control, installed on the tracks on the train but not set to be implemented until next year. >> we will be looking at operations, mechanical, human factors, signals,

survival factors, and of course, the event data recorders. >> reporter: ntsb just beginning to investigate what went wrong and how it should have been prevented. gadi schwartz, dupont, washington. this is tom costello, did the engineer know the track he was on? had he done the required test run before monday to familiarize himself with the curves and posted speed limits? did someone or something distract him at very moment he needed to slow the train from 80 to 30? veteran engineers say he would have needed quarter mile to slow amtrak train before the curve. >> you've got to slow down slowly or can jackknife the train. >> reporter: two black boxes should tell investigators if and when engineer hit the brakes. >> all can do is wait for the train to stop. >> reporter: may have prevented crash by

automatically applying the brakes when it failed to show down. >> i have no control at this point, train will come to a stop. >> reporter: congress ordered railroads to install it ten years ago but 37% of freight lines and 23% of passenger lines have done it. congress extended deadline as railroads complained about the cost of installing the safety upgrade. >> end of the day, crashes like this one and dozens that happened before cost even more in toll of human lives and dollars. >> reporter: among the accidents where speed played a role. 25 in -- four in the bronx, eight in philadelphia and one in hoeb okayen. >> reporter: after the crash president trump tweeted all the more reason for increasing infrastructure in the country but his budget calls for cutting it.

another deadly crash, a bus packed with tourists overturned in mexico, americans among those on board. information is just coming in about the dead and injured. details from kerry sanders. >> reporter: bus loaded with 27 tourists, some american, headed on day trip to mayan ruins when overturned. authorities in mexico say at least 12 dead, 18 injured, now treated at four different hospitals. royal caribbean says they were passengers on equinox or serenade of the seas. in a statement tonight cruise lines saying we're doing all we can to care for our guests, including assisting with medical care and transportation. the private bus contractor says they picked up passengers

in port town of mahahual and making a trip to -- when inexplicably crashed. just beginning to investigate what caused the fatal accident. nbc news. the trump administration today publicly blamed north korea for a crippling global cyberattack this year. coming just 50 days before the start of the winter olympics in south korea. and south korea's president tells nbc news in exclusive interview what his country is doing to protect and ease tensions in the region. richard engel in seoul. >> reporter: it's not just north korea's nuclear weapons program warning about. accusing launching a cyberattack dubbed wannacry. 300,000 computers in

countries, including banks and hospitals. >> don't do this lightly but with evidence and partners. >> reporter: partners went public before the u.s., a few weeks ago at silicon valley headquarters of semien tech, we met the engineer who first uncovered north korea behind the tack. >> is it like a nuclear test? blow up to show you can? >> equivalent of it in cyberworld. demonstrating your ability. >> president moon jae-in told us his nation set up a special unit to protect the upcoming winter olympics from hacking. >> translator: right now south korea and u.s. are working very closely in preparing for any attempts. president moon spoke to us as he inaugurated a bullet train for the venue. games with athletes

from the north invited can be a path to easing tensions. what message are you sending to the world with these games? the korean people will be able to send a message of peace to the world he said. president moon said joint u.s. and south korean military exercises like this one for today may be put off for now. told me he raised possibility of postponing the exercises if north korea stops what he calls provocations. u.s. is considering it. important news tonight for millions of americans paying out of pocket for prescription drugs. new report showing huge disparity of what a drug can cost depending where you buy it. how you can save shopping around. >> reporter: picked up phone for cash price of her boyfriend's prescription, had no

idea she was dialing for dollars. >> then i called third place. whoa how is this possible? $600 to $500? $200 to $34.99. >> reporter: working mom got different results when we asked her to check again. nearly $600 at walmart, almost $500 at costco, generic, walgreens at $242 and -- p. >> if you don't know you need to shop around, they got you. >> reporter: consumer reports investigation found similar results in six cities, including treatments for pain, cholesterol and diabetes. prescription drug editor. >> for the same drug, dose and quantity, you can see incredible price differences, even within the same zip code. >> reporter: in

dallas, one-month supply of antidepressant disimballta. you're telling me in the same zip code, you can pay a difference ten times for the same exact drug? >> yes. >> reporter: why? that's crazy. >> it is. >> reporter: pharmacy chains say these are cash prices and most pay prices negotiated by insurance companies. say they try to keep competitive and retail pharmacies have different costs from costco and online shows. said ask about in-store discount programs and search online at goodrx where you can compare prices and get coupons. desiree thought she got a good deal.

>> she is. >> reporter: but not best deal. >> gone online, grab a costco coupon and get it for $26. >> reporter: bottom line, research pays off. >> difference is crazy. i'm now well aware i need to shop around. >> two more tips. first always ask pharmacist if this is the lowest price. unlocks any gag clause they're stumped by. and negotiate. consumer reports says think about shopping for prescription drugs like cars. >> you saw my jaw dropping. huge disparities. >> feels like a shell game. still ahead, amazon delivery alert, th thieves may have a way th thieves may have a way to hack their at carmax, we'll buy your car even if you don't buy one from us.

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we're back now on this last day of standard shipping if you want that package to get there by christmas. after today, will have to be expedited. on that note, new consumer alert about amazon's new service called amazon key, allows delivery person to open your door, leave package inside your home when you're not there. meant to curb package thefts. but delivered a problem. in rossen reports. >> reporter: it's the new service from amazon. >> free in-home delivery from amazon key. >> reporter: delivery person drops off package inside your home through this special lock and this camera. letting you watch it on your phone. but almost immediately after the launch, a

cybersecurity company hacked the system. exposing a flaw, disabling the wifi and freezing the camera feed so it looks like nothing is going on at the front door. so that delivery person could have full access inside your home undetected. this homeowner letting us try it on her house. >> you're saying just that fast? almost instantly the camera is disabled inside. can walk into the house and she won't see us? >> exactly. >> that's incredible. >> reporter: look at side by side. nbc camera on the left, amazon on the right. our camera, clearly see us, but amazon camera, looks like house was secure and no one is there. amazon made aware of the vulnerability weeks ago and issued software update, saying customers would be notified more quickly if goes offline. less than a minute to

get the notification that camera was unavailable but still no clear indications someone hacked it or was inside. amazon telling nbc news safety and security are built into every aspect of the service and poses little risk, issue with most wifi systems, not amazon software. saying receives alert if doors unlock more than several minutes, adding each driver must pass comprehensive background check before they can make in-home deliveries. what needs to happen here? >> amazon needs to fix it. puts users at risk. >> reporter: new delivery warning days before christmas. nbc news seattle. coming up, he's a me

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finally tonight, how a simple idea became a family's quiet gesture, which became a movement. enlisting over a million volunteers to honor those who serve through the organization wreaths across america. name after name of fallen service members. >> james saunders. >> spoken as wreath after wreath laid at their headstones. >> thank you for your service. >> at long island national cemetery, over 50,000 wreaths. this poignant journey of honor and remembrance starts in

maine. wooster's factory. >> end of christmas, wreaths nice and fresh, just didn't want to waste them. >> 25 years ago wife karen and their family laid 5,000 wreaths quietly at arlington national cemetery. >> my personal goal is place a wreath on every single veteran's grave everywhere. >> just a dream until this went viral in 2005, scope breathtaking. result of hundreds of people. tree trimmers, wreath builders, bow tiers, volunteer truck drivers delivering them all, some not even born when the patriots served. >> gives me a sense of pride honoring these people. >> this year over 1.5 million wreaths from to pennsylvania and hawaii and arlington, where it all started,

a wreath on every grave's headstone. >> we have a saying that you die twice. first time when you stop breathing and second time is when your name is spoken for the very last time. that's what these families don't want to happen. >> beautiful nor. ho

"extra extra," harvey weinstein's wife is getting ready to cash out. the secrets inside their prenup, why she will walk away with millions more in she drops now. >> davis spotted in new york with amy blount. >> the first "ocean eight." >> get ready for one surprise cameo after another. >> adam levine unleashes. >> who he's lashing for drop the ball on "the