tonight, war of words -- rising tensions between the u.s. and israel. a harsh warning from secretary of state john kerry. israel's leader firing back. tonight, our nbc news exclusive with secretary kerry. breaking news, hollywood legend debbie reynolds rushed to the hospital just a day after the death of her daughter, carrie fisher. the latest on her medical emergency. and jon-benet ramsey's brother files a $750 million lawsuit over a report he claims wrongly pointed the finger at him for his sister's infamous murder. split-second save, caught on dashcam, the new car feature that can predict a crash before it happens. technology that could save millions of lives.

they were the hottest toy this holiday, but some parents and kids complain hatchimals rth all they're cracked up to be. nice "nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. good evening, i'm tamron hall, lester has the night off. we begin with scathing words from secretary of state john kerry directly aimed at israel's prime minister benjamin netanyahu. kerry painting a dire picture when it comes to reaching a peace deal in the middle east. and now israel is questioning if the obama administration has abandoned its important ally. nbc's andrea mitchell sat down for an exclusive interview with secretary kerry following a tense day of heated rhetoric. >> getting personal -- a fiery war of words between secretary of state john kerry and israel's prime minister benjamin netanyahu. with president-elect

leader. >> friends need to tell each other the hard truths. and friendships require mutual respect. >> israelis do not need to be lectured about the importance of peace by foreign leaders. >> in an impassioned exit speech, kerry warning netanyahu jewish settlements in the palestinian west bank and east jerusalem will place the palestinian state and peace in serious jeopardy. >> his current coalition is the most right-wing in israeli history with an agenda driven by the most extreme elements. >> in an interview with nbc news, kerry denying netanyahu's charge that the u.s. orchestrated friday's u.n. resolution condemning israeli settlements. >> you did not orchestrate it or sponsor it or push it? >> we recruited nobody as an alternative. the four countries that ultimately brought it to the floor did so absolutely on their own. >> barely two hours

wasn't true. >> we have it on absolutely incontestable evidence that the united states organized, advanced and brought this resolution to the united nations security council. we'll share that information with the incoming administration. >> donald trump tweeting today, we cannot continue to let israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect. stay strong, israel, january 20th is fast approaching. in close coordination, last week, the israeli leader enlisted trump to try to stop the u.n. vote. nbc news has learned infuriating the white house. is it confusing allies and adversaries? >> i think it's having some impact. obviously on allies who are questioning what's going on. but they have their own policies. they're not going to be swayed and intimidated by a tweet. >> kerry also said no president has done more for israel's security than barack obama. including a new $38 billion

palestinians said they are ready to resume peace talks if israel freezes settlements, but israel approved another housing unit even as kerry was speaking. >> well israel settlements notice west bank have been a source of friction between the u.s. and israel for years. tonight nbc's kelly kobiya takes us inside one at the center of a firestorm. >> this is the settlement that's not just a neighborhood, a small city, more than 40,000 residents, 2500 businesses, 200 parks. and they're expanding. more homes for israeli jews on the west bank. on the very territory that palestinians hope will be the future site of their homeland. creating a flash-point for both sides. there are only two roads into this settlement and this is one of them. both of them are guarded with guard shacks, cameras, fences. the israelis live here. the palestinians l

hillside. it's just one of the settlements now at issue. in palestinian areas taken by israel after their victory in the 1967 war. jewish settlements have been growing there rapidly, more than 12,000 homes in the last eight years. more than 100,000 settlors moving in. now more than 500,000 settlers currently living there. israel says settlements like this are necessary for its security. palestinians call them a land grab. we spoke to both sides here tonight. and one thing we found in common -- no one we spoke to is optimistic about peace right now. tamron? >> kelly kobiya, thank you. to new concerns over the transition of power at the white house, late today, president-elect trump said he spoke on the phone with president obama. after accusing the current commander-in-chief of impeding the transition with quote

[000:05:59;00] statements. but then appearing to backtrack. nbc's halle jackson has details. >> tonight, a new twist in the ever-evolving relationship between the current president and the next one. donald trump tweeting, doing my best to disregard the many inflammatory president o statements and roadblocks. thought it was going to be a smooth transition. not. >> can you elaborate on that a little bit, is it going smoothly? >> i think it's going very smoothly. >> trump has spent three days tweeting about president obama. after the president said he would have won if he had run again. >> if i had run again and articulated it, i think i could have mobilized a majority of the american people to rally behind it. >> he should say that, but i say no way. trump tweeted about the hypothetical scenario. the next day, adding, president obama campaigned hard and personally, in the very important swing states. and lost. it's a change in tone for trump. >> i think president obama has

been terrific. >> i found h and very nice. >> he's really doing great. he's been so nice. >> for seven weeks, since their first personal meeting november 10th, trump's raised, even defended the obamas, despite his years-long birther crusade, now over. president obama for his part, demanded his devastated staff facilitate an orderly transition for trump's team. >> donald trump doesn't have any governing experience. >> late tonight, another development. not online, but on the phone. >> he phoned me, we had a very nice conversation. >> the two men still in touch, their relationship? clearly complicated. the white house describes that phone call as positive and focused on a smooth and effective transition. adding the two men will talk more over the next few weeks. meantime, on the business front, sprint is confirming

plans to create or keep some 5,000 jobs talking with president-elect trump late tonight. tamron? >> hallie jackson, thank you. senior u.s. officials confirm to nbc news the white house will announce as early as tomorrow or friday, retaliatory steps against russia for its hacking of the democratic targets and attempting to interfere in the u.s. election. the steps to be announced will likely include economic sanctions coordinated by the treasury department. other steps will be covert and will involve cyberoptions. although the u.s. has been very careful to avoid to try to avoid engaging russia in all-out cyberwar. there's breaking news from los angeles tonight, just one day after actress carrie fisher died, there's word of a health scare involving her mother. hollywood icon, debbie reynolds who is in the hospital tonight after having trouble breathing, late details from nbc's gabe gutierrez. >> as mourners gather

at carrie fishers's memorial, well wishes mother, debbie reynolds. according to sources, the 84-year-old was at her son's home in beverly hills when someone called 911 around 1:00 p.m. this video shows an ambulance leeflg leaving reynolds' son's home this afternoon. reynolds career has spanned seven decades. ♪ >> including some of the most iconic films of the 20th century. she's hollywood royalty. the first wife of pop megastar eddie fisher who divorced reynolds to marry her best friend, elizabeth taylor. >> i don't choose well. i don't blame anybody but myself. but i seem to have very poor taste in men. >> "singing in the rain" made her famous in 1952. casting the 19-year-old alongside song-and-dance veterans gene kelly

and donald o'connor. >> dancing 30 years. i was dancing for three months. so i was hysterical. >> decades later, her daughter would become princess leia. hours after fisher's death tuesday following a heart attack, reynolds thanked fans for their support and condolences. i am grateful for your thoughts and prayers that are now guiding her to her next stop. love, carrie's mother she wrote on facebook. tonight reynolds is at a los angeles hospital, her condition, unknown. emergency search-and-rescue efforts are under way tonight along the houston coast after calls came in of an army apache helicopter crashing into the water. there's reports that two people may have been on board. the coast guard said the chopper had taken off from a nearby airport. it was on christmas day, 20 years ago that jon-benet ramsey was found murdered at her family's home in colorado. the case that captured national

attention still unsolved and now a huge lawsuit has [000:10:59;00] brother, who says he's been falsely accused of killing his sister. details tonight from gotti schwartz. >> it's a $750 million lawsuit. stemming from this two-part cbs special that aired in september. a panel of investigators suggesting that burke ramsey, the brother of jon-benet ramsey may have murdered his sister when he was nine years old in a lawsuit filed today, ramsey is suing cbs, claiming permanent damage to his reputation resulting from the defendant's false accusation that he killed his sister. in the show investigators theorizing that burke may have killed jon-benet by hitting her possibly with a flashlight. cbs saying in september it stands by the broadcast and will do so in court. today's lawsuit, the second one brought by burke against defamation. in october, burke also

filed a $150 million lawsuit against a forensic pathologist case. burke ramsey has been the subject of several high-profile programs. >> they're talking about -- >> interviewed in september by dr. phil on his program, where burke was asked if he killed jon-benet. >> there's still people that believe that you killed your sister. >> yup. >> what do you say about that? >> look at the evidence or the lack thereof. >> since jon-benet's murder on christmas of 1996, detectives have investigated the possibility that jon-benet was killed by an intruder who left a ransom note. but with the murder still unsolved 20 years later, plans for further dna testing that may once and for all solve this case. gotti schwartz, nbc news, los angeles. in florida, three teenaged boys had a close call when their small boat capsized off the florida keys and lucky for them they were able to hold on to the boat and call for help.

we get more tonight from nbc's kerry sanders. >> thame rescued today. on vacation from california, they had gone fishing in the florida keys. when about two and a half miles out in the atlantic ocean, their 26-foot boat began to take on water. one of the teens on the boat dialed 911. >> 911, what is your emergency. >> we're in the middle of the ocean, we flipped a boat. >> 18-year-old zach souder was calm on the phone, his 16-year-old brother jake and friend 18-year-old brent waved their arms at passing boats, but to no avail. the rescued teams via face-time tonight. >> extremely relieved that we're ready to get back out on the water. >> a happy ending thanks to a cell phone that worked, even when it got wet. kerry sanders, nbc news, miami. still ahead tonight, the stunning response when a self-driving car takes actions moments before a collision. also, it's one of the

hottest toys of the holiday season.

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works in just 3 minutes, killing 99.99% of odor causing bacteria. day. back now with a look at technology in action.

that could save millions of lives. a dashcam seemingly pilot radar on a tesla model x predicted a crash right in front of it moments before the actual collision. and the family inside credits it for reacting before they even had time to think. nbc's miguel almaguer has more. >> dashcam video shows the self-driving tesla cruising down a netherlands highway when a safety alert is activated. and the model x engages the brakes before the driver can react. the family of five inside the tesla avoiding the collision. >> the car reacted much faster than we would have. >> the driver says his video shows the car engaged in auto pilot. stopping before he knew there was trouble. equipped with the latest radar technology, tesla's model x appears to have braked, though the car in front of it maintained its speed.

>> that's one of the main reasons i will use au because it's extra safety. >> tesla had come under fire, when a driver using auto pilot in a self-driving model s was killed in a florida collision earlier this year. but tonight, this driver says his family is safe, thanks to his self-driving car breaking away from trouble. miguel almaguer, nbc news. and in a moment, they just had to have it but now some are feeling cheated by the toy of the season. they're the hot gift that i really did save hundreds of dollars on my car insurance with geico. i should take a closer look at geico... geico has a long history of great savings and great service. over seventy-five years. wait. seventy-five years? that is great. speaking of great, check out these hot riffs. you like smash mouth? uh, yeah i have an early day tomorrow so... wait. almost there. goodnight, bruce.

gotta tune the "a." (humming) great savings. and a whole lot more. and no chance of getting an athletic scholarship.

and that is why you invest. the best returns aren't just measured in dollars. they're the hot gift that seem to be on everyone's holiday list -- hatchimals, the hard-to-find toys that break out of plastic eggs to the delight of kids of all ages. at least that's what they're supposed to do. nbc's joe fryer has more on unsatisfied parents who say

these eggs gave their kids a rotten time. >> one of the hottest gifts this hoy family bought two hatchimals for their kids, but got one bad egg. after about 30 minutes of attention, a furry toy is supposed to hatch from the plastic egg then interact with kids. that's what happened with jackson's hatchimal, but not lila's. >> it stopped lighting up and it stopped pecking and it never hatched. >> my hope is that mom will reach the company and mine will work and we would have fun together. >> the family is not alone. others posted their disappointing stories on social media. my son's hatchimal never worked. and another wrote, after two days of trying to hatch, my husband hatched it himself. there are complaints it's hard to get ahold of the company. spinmaster which makes the toy says while the vast majority of children have had a magical experience with hatchimals, we've heard from consumers who have encountered challenges. >> hatching takes a lot of

energy, so be patient. >> the company says it is steppingit hotline and directing parents with a video to trouble-shooting tips. >> make sure you give it a good shake to make it work. >> hatchimals were so popular over the holidays, even though they retailed for $60. many solds for hundreds online. as for this family -- >> i could be jackson's hatchimals' aunt until mine hatch. >> they're focusing on the one fuzzy friend that hatched without a hitch. joe fryer, nbc news. when we come back, another helping at a restaurant that's been cooking up something big since our first visit. finally tonight as we follow company had that... wait! hold it... hold it boys... there's supposed to be three of you... where's your brother? where's your brother?

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recovered, she hasn't forgotten, and that's led her to give away millions in profitom kevin tibbles tonight on how she is inspiring america. >> doug your order is ready, doug. >> they may come for the seafood, but in augusta, maine, it's laura benedict providing the spice and inspiration. >> we wanted to make a difference more than we wanted to make money. >> here at the red barn, paying your bill means paying it forward. because much of what owner laura benedict takes in, she gives back. to a myriad of local charities, and causes. we first met laura this past summer. whipping up funds to send local vets to the world war ii memorial. >> the more business i do, the more money i give back. >> since then she's raised another $300,000. bringing her total haul to $2 million. on this night, a benefit for 11-year-old david roberts, a sixth grader battling

rnd debilitating nerve pain with no cure. >> don't cry. don't start. because she was helped. struggling with abuse and alcoholism, her whole life. >> i wasn't supposed to make it. anybody that knew better knew i was headed for disaster. >> then she discovered her mission was to help others. >> the people that i'm helping now helped me. that's the cycle of life. that's what we have to keep going like this. >> any time there's a benefit we try to make an end and help the community just like she did for us. >> everybody is welcome here. everybody. everybody. >> you're going to do amazing. >> by night's end, david and his mom skype with customers and more than $10,000 is in the kitty. giving back is her bread and butter. kevin tibbles, nbc news, augusta, maine. that will do it for us on this wednesday night, i'm tamron

hall in for lester. for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching, i'll see you bljs 6r

afoot and light-hearted i take to the open road. healthy, free, the world before me, the east and the west are mine. the north and the south are mine. all seems beautiful to me. ♪ >> no shame, but this album wasn't great for me. ♪ >> oh, my god, let's talk about the year that you had.