ABC World News Tonight with David Muir Full Broadcast - Dec. 24, 2025

David Muir, ABC's World News Tonight, America's. most watched newscast now streaming same day with. all the breaking news of the day on Disney plus most. watched most trusted now on Disney plus every night. Tonight, a 12 blast of powerful storms threatening. the west and northeast California under a state of. emergency tonight, residents among the 43 million. bracing for potentially catastrophic rains and. life threatening flooding evacuation orders already in.

effect in some areas tonight. Meanwhile, a winter storm on track to bring snow. and icy conditions to the northeast after Christmas, the wet and wintry threats posing a risk to. millions of travelers on the move this holiday. season. The surprise announcement, the Department. of Justice saying it has uncovered more than 1 million. new documents potentially related to the Epstein case and. that it will now take a few more weeks to review and. release all the Epstein files. The political backlash only growing after the deadline. has already been missed.

The investigation into the powerful. and deadly explosion that tore through a nursing home. in Pennsylvania. Two women killed, 19 others injured. The details emerging about the blast. as crews soar through the wreckage, searching. for answers tonight. Hail to Hero. A Delaware State Trooper killed at a DMV, shoving a man out of the way as a shooter opened fire. His final act, a bravery. Ukraine's President putting a new peace plan on the table. The offer to pull Ukrainian troops from the east and. create a demilitarized zone.

But will the framework bring an end to the war with Russia? A wild ATM heist. Dramatic and destructive moments as police say thieves latch. an ATM to a stolen SUV and haul it through the. aisles of a store. A hefty fortune for the holidays. The $1.7 billion Powerball prize. The jumbo jackpot on the line tonight. One of the biggest ever. And a message of hope and unity. Chicago-born Pope Leo celebrates his first. Christmas season as pontiff. His words of peace for millions across the world.

From ABC News World Headquarters in New York, this is World. News Tonight with David Muir. Good evening and it's good to have you with us. on this Christmas Eve. I'm Rachel Scott in for David. We begin tonight with the state of emergency in California. Nearly the entire state is facing hazardous weather. Millions tonight on alert for floods and mudslides. There was even a tornado warning for part of the day. As we come on air tonight, the stunning images of heavy.

flooding, murky water and debris rushing through a. highway in San Bernardino. Police urging residents to stay off the roads. These could be on the brink of an icy and potentially. treacherous storm. right after Christmas. L by with the forecast, but. Melissa dot leading us of. Tonight, a state of emerg eve with authorities warn. off the roads and remain. River swamp southern Cali Los Angeles is relentless.

It's been a long time sin They've seen the L. A r more than a foot of rain. North of Los Angeles, mand. issued in right wood rain an hour, liquefying hillsi. roads. This is what it lo. The San Bernardino Sheriff these videos showing the.

conditions around homes in Wrightwood from the ground and. the air warning residents that didn't evacuate to shelter in. place. West of Wrightwood, the I-5 freeway in Sun Valley. completely inundated on the northbound side. Crews working to clear storm drains, but the. damage was done. Not far from there, this FedEx 18-wheeler. split wide open and smashed, exposing the cargo. It's unclear if anyone was hurt. This tractor trailer jackknifing and. slamming a car into a retaining wall on Highway.

60 in Riverside County. Winds whipping at our location as we reported on. the storms for Good Morning America in San Diego, a. man was killed when a huge branch fell on him. Crews managed to free him, but. he did not survive near Sacramento, California. Highway Patrol reporting a deadly accident near. Elk Grove, California, after a car hit a telephone. pole. Up in the higher elevations, 4 to 8 feet of. snow possible in the Sierras. Treacherous travel as we head into.

Christmas. Rachel, the L. A. River is raging this as the flood. threat continues through tonight, and it's not over. There's up to six more inches of rain expected. through Friday. Rachel and officials still urging. residents to stay off the road if you can. All right, Melissa, thank you. I want to get right to chief meteorologist lee. Goldberg from our new york station W. A. B. C. Lee, you are tracking two. powerful storms, more rain out west and a winter storm. that's now developing here in the east. Our plate is full. Rachel, no doubt about it.

We have some heavy rain. still on the east side of L. A. To san Diego that will continue for a few. hours. The rain gets a little lighter, but the. high risk for flash flooding goes through the night. More flooded roads and mudslides near burn scars. as possible. The good news is is the rain gets. more patchy, but there are still pockets over the next. day or two, and even a small amount of rain could. obviously aggravate the flooding situation, especially in the higher elevations. This will go into the day on Friday, 2 to 4 inches of rain widespread from San Jose. to San Diego. But north of L. A. In the high elevations, we could still. get an additional six inches, 48 ft of snow in.

the Sierra. Now, outside of the West, it's much. quieter across the rest of the country. I mean, you're even talking summary. temperatures across the middle of the country in the. seventies, seasonably chilly in the northeast, but. arctic air is along the way and with a storm charging. into that arctic air, that's a piece of the. pacific storm, dangerous icing from the eastern Great. Lakes into Pennsylvania and a thump of snow in New. York City could be 4 to 8 inches here in New York. City, higher totals north and west and dangerous ice. across parts of Michigan and Pennsylvania. could mean damage and power outages. Rachel, it really could complicate.

that post Christmas Day travel. All right, Lee, thank you. Now to the growing fallout tonight over the. Jeffrey Epstein files, the D O. J. Revealing it needs more time to review. one million new documents potentially related to. the Epstein case. The Department of Justice now. says it will take a few more weeks to release all. the files, and the backlash is mounting tonight. after the administration already missed the deadline. required by law. Here's a B. C. Senior White House correspondent, Selena Wang. Tonight, a surprise announcement from the Justice Department,

revealing they've uncovered over a million more documents. potentially related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Department's stating, due to the mass volume of material, this process may take a few more weeks to review. and release the files. Sources previously told ABC News the Justice Department. has upwards of 1 million documents related to Epstein. So far, more than 100,000 pages have been made public. Democrats claiming the department is violating the law.

for not releasing all the documents by. last week's deadline. And today, outrage growing over this new discovery. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer posting, A Christmas Eve news dump of a million more files only. proves what we already know. Trump is engaged in a massive cover-up. The Justice Department says they need more time to redact. the files to protect victims, but vowing that everything. will be released in compliance with the law. President Trump has certainly said from the beginning that.

he expects all files that can be released to be released. And that's exactly what we're doing. The new documents also raising. questions about why Epstein wasn't stopped years. earlier. This town of Palm Beach Police report shows. authorities looked into Epstein's accomplice, Glenn. Maxwell in 2000 and one for allegedly recruiting. college students to answer phones and do office work. for Epstein, saying at least two girls complained. about Epstein touching them inappropriately. and Tom Democrats on Capitol Hill calling for.

an investigation into how this 1996 FBI tip was. ignored. A child pornography complaint accusing Epstein. of stealing photos of 12 and 16 year old girls. possibly to be sold. Epstein wouldn't face criminal. charges for another decade. And let's get right to Selena Wing. She's traveling with the president. tonight in Florida. Selena, Some of these files mention. President Trump by name. How is the administration responding tonight? Well, Rachel, the Justice Department is coming.

to the president's defense, claiming that. some of these documents contain untrue claims. about the president, but they're not saying. which ones they believe are untrue. The president has long denied any wrongdoing. Rachel. All right, Selena. Thank you. Next tonight, a devastating and deadly blast in Pennsylvania. An explosion ripped through a nursing home, killing two. women. Dramatic images coming in tonight of the aftermath. A leveled building, twisted metal. and scattered debris. Officials are now trying to pinpoint.

what exactly caused the blast. Here's ABC's Mola Lenge. Tonight heavy machinery picking through the rubble at this. Pennsylvania nursing home as authorities investigate. what caused the explosion that leveled part of. the facility, killing two and hospitalizing 19. others, including one victim officials say was resuscitated. by medical personnel. We need a rapid intervention. team to the collapse area. We have an active fire. First responders racing to Bristol Health and Rehab. Center outside Philadelphia just after two p.m.

Tuesday, the local utility company saying it was on. scene at the time of the blast following reports of. a gas odor authorities urgently evacuating the. facility's 120 residents saying they found some. people trapped in stairways and elevator shafts. They couldn't walk, they were in wheelchairs, some. people couldn't talk. It was, this could have been a much more serious catastrophe. One female resident and a female employee killed. Officials initially saying a third person died before later.

reporting that victim had been resuscitated at. a nearby hospital. Late today, the coroner's office identifying that deceased. employee as 52-year-old nurse and mother of. three, Maduni Dutu. Her loved ones devastated. She was a great mother. Of course, a great wife. I don't even know what to say. Well, Rachel, public records show that nursing home was cited. for multiple violations related to its facilities. During an inspection back in October, the group that owns it saying they have worked to fix prior.

issues and will continue to do so in the wake of this tragedy, Rachel. Mola, thank you. Tonight, a Delaware State Trooper is being. hailed a hero, putting his life on the line when a gunman. stormed a DMV facility. The trooper shoving a man out of. the way as bullets went flying. Tonight, a community is honoring his life and his final. act of bravery. Here's ABC's faith of boo bay. tonight. A solemn salute to a fallen state trooper who. authorities say died a hero during a terrifying.

shooting inside a packed DMV in Delaware. After being shot, the trooper. pushed a DMV employee out of harm's way. and the suspect shot the trooper again. According to investigators, Corporal. Matthew Snook was working overtime Tuesday afternoon when. a 44 year old approached the reception desk and shot him. We kept hearing the shots. It was like, I would say like seven to eight shots. We all got to the floor. Police say responding officers shot and killed the suspect but.

were unable to save the trooper. I was terrified. My son heard the trooper that got shot. He heard him groaning and gurgling. So that's how close they were. The 34-year-old affectionately called Ty was a Delaware. State Trooper for a decade. A husband and a father to a one-year-old child. His death has shaken fellow troopers and community members, prompting makeshift memorials and tributes around the area.

A hero who saved lives today while sacrificing his own. Delaware Governor Matt Meyer called the shooting. an act of pure evil. And Rachel, a second trooper and a woman were treated for. non-gunshot related injuries. Rachel. Incredible act of. bravery by that trooper, right Faith? Thank you. Ukraine President Zelensky offering a new. proposal for peace. The 20-point plan includes. withdrawing some troops from eastern Ukraine and creating. a demilitarized zone. But the question now, will it be. enough to end the war?

Here's ABC's Patrick Rievel. Tonight as fighting rages despite calls for a. Christmas truce, a major development. President Zelensky saying he is ready to. withdraw troops from Ukraine's eastern Donbass region as part. of a peace deal. Zelensky telling reporters that the areas in Donbass still. under Ukraine's control can become demilitarized zones, but. that Russia must also withdraw. The offer is the furthest Zelensky has gone. towards compromising on a key demand of Vladimir.

Putin. part of a 20-point. plan negotiated with Trump administration. officials in Florida that would also include. security guarantees. But Putin is unlikely to accept, suggesting. at a press conference just days ago that all. of Donbass must be under full Russian control. And Zelensky tonight in a Christmas Eve address. sending a different message. Saying he and all Ukrainians have a Christmas wish. Let him perish, he says, seeming to refer to Putin.

And Ukraine have peace. There is very little sign that Vladimir Putin will accept this. new peace proposal, although a deal may perhaps. be inching closer. For now, the Kremlin wants more. And that means that the fighting will likely go on. Rachel. Patrick, thank you. Tonight, a holiday season of firsts for Pope Leo. His holiness making history as he leads his first. ever Christmas Eve Mass. His message to Christians tonight, one of hope and peace.

Here's ABC's Lama Hassan. Tonight, the first American Pope presiding over his. first Christmas Eve Mass. Beneath Michelangelo's majestic dome in St. Peter's Basilica, it was a solemn ceremony. Speaking in Italian, his homily announcing the joy of Christmas. and reminding Christians it is a feast of hope. He says because the child Jesus kindles it within us, making us messengers of peace.

A message this Chicago native has promoted. throughout his papacy so far. The Pope pleading for peace around the world, expressing. his great sadness that Russia has rejected a request. for a Christmas ceasefire agreement with Ukraine. The pontiff also calling for the tenuous truce agreement in. the Middle East to move forward, where Christmas is. slowly returning. In the occupied West Bank, for the first time since the war. in Gaza broke out two years ago, the lighting of Bethlehem's.

traditional Christmas tree in Manger Square. Tens of thousands of Christian pilgrims flocking to the holy. city, with music, light and hope. celebrated. Rachel, as we reflect on the year that's. just passed, tonight's Christmas celebrations in. the Vatican and Bethlehem send a message of hope and. resilience. Rachel? Lama, thank you. And there's still a lot more ahead here on. World News Tonight. When we come back, the passing of. a well-known TV actor and comedian. Before, a woman accused of killing two.

ex-husbands on the same day. Next tonight, a Florida woman is accused of fatally. shooting two of her ex-husbands on the same day. Susan Avalon is now facing second-degree murder charges. Deputies discovered the first victim on December. 17th in Manatee County. No word yet on a possible motive, but investigators. say Avalon owed thousands of dollars in child support.

to her first ex-husband. She has not entered a plea. A stunning heist captured on camera. Police are searching for two suspects who allegedly. used a stolen SUV to yank an ATM from a convenience. store in Texas, leaving behind a trail of destruction, fleeing the scene with a gun. Two suspects who allegedly used a stolen SUV to yank an ATM. from a convenience store in Texas leaving behind a trail. of destruction, fleeing the scene with the ATM attached to. the SUV but losing it during the getaway. It was later recovered by police. When we come back, remembering an actor who appeared on. some of your favorite TV shows and Christmas Eve Powerball.

Dreams, the record-setting jackpot that could. make this season a whole lot brighter. To the index now we have a passing to note tonight. Actor and comedian Pat Finn has died. Finn appeared in several television sitcoms. throughout his career including The Middle, Friends, Seinfeld and Murphy Brown. He died Monday at his home in Los Angeles after. a long battle with cancer. Pat Finn was 60 years old. And someone could have a very Merry Christmas and. an even happier New Year. The jackpot for tonight's Powerball.

drawing is $1.7 billion. That's the fourth largest jackpot ever, with a cash value of nearly $782 million. But the odds of winning are just one in 292 million. We wish you all good luck. When we come back, America's strong inspiration. for the holiday season, the choir open to all. And finally tonight, spreading unity. and acceptance through song. Here's ABC's Pierre Thomas. Last call for anyone that wants to come sing over in the corner.

I know you want to come. That man calling for carolers in a hotel lobby in Nashville is. Duann Hill, a three-time Grammy Award winning gospel artist. notion of calling str to sing has set in motion. and it's exploding. Yeah, hands on his hill, collab.

gospel recording artist F wonder is all part of his. the choir room. I've seen. a non denominational not for profit collection of. extraordinary musicians people of all ages and walks. of life who come together to sing to spread love. and joy in a world that can often seem so. dark and full of pain.

Joy is a familiar refrain in the choir room. As you can see in this song Hill co-wrote. with singer Ben Rector. At times the choir is 300 to 400 participants strong. Three years since they began, more than 5,000 people have. performed with the group in cities across the South.

Feeling nostalgic for the sound and fellowship of a choir, Hill took to social media calling for anyone to join. Just offer our little small post. 100 people. 100 people showed up. By a year from there, we had 700 people. gathering for the choir room. I was looking for that family, that community, and man, yeah, it's been amazing. It's a miracle. It's a miracle. I just want people to know through the choir room that when. you come to sing with people, you can look around the room.

and you don't have to see darkness. There is hope. Christ the Lord. Thank you for watching. Have a Merry Christmas. Good night. David Muir, the most watched newscast in America. And now, ABC's World News Tonight has won the Emmy for. Best Live News Program for the third year in a row.

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