>> 13 israeli hostages released today, a red cross caravan bringing them across the border, but today's exchange delayed and almost called off. new details on how president biden helped get the transfer back on track. new video of the powerful reunions, children held hostage now back with their families and new questions, why haven't any americans been set free? the police officer convicted of killing george floyd stabbed in prison, staff performing life-saving measures what we know about his condition. a major snowstorm hits the middle of the country creating highway pileups as the nation's airports brace for what's set to be the biggest travel day ever tomorrow >> perhaps the biggest test in air travel history. new health concerns for pope francis, what a cat scan found after he canceled an appearance today. shocking videos of mobs of thieves robbing delivery drivers. what it means for your holiday packages and the new numbers just in, how much did americans spend on black friday and does it mean the discounts will get even bigger ♪ >> announcer: this is ""nbc nightly news"" with jose diaz-balart. good evening, 13 more israelis and four citizens of thailand are now free, but for hours today, their release seemed uncertain hamas delayed the exchange claiming that israel has not held up its part of the agreement. that set off a flurry of diplomatic calls that involved multiple countries including president biden. the deal was ultimately put back on track these are the israeli women and children as young as 3 released late today the hope more scenes like these. this is video of 9-year-old ohad munder zachary reunited with his father, running to him, embracing him. we're seeing new images of hostages now free and back with their families but there are questions tonight about why no americans have been released yet, including 4-year-old abigail edan. president biden spoke about that late tonight we are covering all of this and we begin with raf sanchez in tel aviv >> reporter: tonight, after a nerve-racking delay that threatened to collapse the ceasefire, more hostages emerging from gaza 13 israelis, eight children and teenagers and five women freed from hamas captivity in return, israel releasing 39 more palestinians from its prisons, six women and 33 teenagers. another four hostages workers from thailand also released. among those freed, 9-year-old emily hand, her family at first told she was killed only to later learn she was alive and a hostage. also 3-year-old yahel, we met her grandfather, gilad this week. >> if you could speak to your family now, what would you tell them >> i promise that i would do anything to release them >> reporter: but just hours earlier, hamas slamming the brakes and delaying the release, accusing israel of blocking all aid trucks from reaching devastated areas of northern gaza and of not sticking to a commitment to release the longest serving palestinian prisoners first. israel's military insisting they did not breach the deal. the hamas announcement came just as families were gathering in tel aviv to mark 50 days since their loved ones were taken. >> people here were hoping that by now there would be more hostages coming out of gaza. instead there is fear and confusion spreading through this crowd. but finally negotiators from qatar announcing they'd salvaged the agreement, with help from egypt and the u.s. raising hope there would be more scenes like this from last night, hostages reunited with their families this was the moment 9-year-old ohad ran into his father's arms, a hug 49 days in the making. and then facetime and ice cream with friends a comforting end to a day that began in the captivity of masked hamas gunmen and a long journey home first, red cross jeeps out of gaza, ambulances through egypt and then israeli military helicopters. ohad solving rubik's cubes on board as his mother also released looks on. here 2-year-old eviv and 4-year-old raz are back in their arms of their father yoni. i dreamt they were coming home raz said the last time he saw them is in this chilling video as they were kidnapped with their mother, now holding them like he'll never let them go. >> raf sanchez joins us now. raf, we are almost halfway through the ceasefire now. is it possible it could be extended >> reporter: well, jose, the egyptian government is saying it's received positive signals from both israel and hamas about extending the deal one or two more days of ceasefire in exchange for ten hostages a day, but israel's military is not confirming that. jose >> raf sanchez in tel aviv, thank you. today's on again off again back and forth plan to release the hostages left loved ones holding their breath israelis all too aware that every part of this fragile deal is simply hanging by a thread. erin mclaughlin reports. >> reporter: the day began filled with hope, former hostages reuniting with their loved ones scenes of solace for gil dikman who has family being held hostage in gaza. >> but the fact that a deal could be made between israel and hamas is amazing and it was unbelievable a few weeks ago, and it shows the israeli public that good news is an option here. >> have you been contacted by government officials? >> they contacted us yesterday and told us that we're not on the list for today i try not to get my hopes up anyway. >> reporter: in the evening what's become known as hostage square in tel aviv filled with israelis waiting to celebrate another exchange but soon word spread of a delay and that hamas was unhappy with the way aid was being distributed in gaza. families of the remaining hostages suddenly feeling the fragility of this temporary cease fire >> every evening we wait, like russian roulette. >> reporter: his 75-year-old mother ada wasn't on today's list of those to be released news of the pause made that worse. >> feel like we are so close and so far at the same time. it is -- we are in the hands of so many people we don't trust. >> reporter: hours later, the deal was back on >> so yesterday i felt good and today i think it was something that it won't go smoothly all the way. >> reporter: his 16-year-old son amit is being held in gaza. >> i'm angry and i'm full of hope i miss my son. but i'm also reasonable. all the things all together. >> reporter: finally, the exchange happened with a push from qatari and egyptian intermediaries tonight in tel aviv, there's relief mixed with apprehension no one here knows what will happen tomorrow. >> erin mclaughlin with us now and erin, for those families waiting for their loved ones to be released, what happens next >> reporter: jose, the families of the hostages tell us they receive a call in the late afternoon letting them know if their loved ones are on tomorrow's list. regardless, they say each release gives them hope for the next jose >> erin mclaughlin in tel aviv, thank you. while president biden helped get today's transfer back on track, there are new questions tonight about why no americans were released. kelly o'donnell is traveling with the president in nantucket, massachusetts. kelly, did mr. biden give any time line for the americans? >> reporter: jose, he's signaling optimism, but with two transfers of hamas held hostages and no americans among them, u.s. officials do tell us they are disappoint but remain hopeful. although not certain that that could soon change. two women with american citizenship and a 4-year-old girl could be released now, the president was out and about here in nantucket before attending church, and he was asked about the status of hostages, and he said hopefully you'll see something soon. the president was also on the phone early today at the fist sign of a delay, speaking with the prime minister and the amir of qatar talking about the hurdles in this process and urging all the parties to get back on track. jose >> kelly o'donnell in nantucket, thank you. turning to other news, derek chauvin, the former minnesota police officer convicted of murdering george floyd was himself the victim of a violent attack while serving time in an arizona prison liz kreutz has details >> reporter: tonight the former minneapolis police officer convicted in the murder of george floyd hospitalized after being stabbed at the arizona prison where he's serving a more than 20-year sentence. a law enforcement source tells nbc news that derek chauvin was seriously injured from the attack, which happened at a medium security federal correctional institution in tucson, chauvin was transferred there as part of a plea deal that allowed him to move out of a high security state prison in minnesota? >> find the defendant guilty. >> reporter: in 2021 chauvin was found guilty of murdering george floyd after being recorded on video kneeling on floyd's neck for about nine minutes in a statement the bureau of prisons confirmed an assault happened around 12:30 p.m. local time friday, but did not name chauvin the agency said employers performed life-saving measures before transferring the inmate to the hospital. >> is there a concern about security in prison for high profile inmates? >> there is always a security concern for people who are famous or infamous or police officers, law enforcement in prisons. medium security does not mean medium safety. >> reporter: the stabbing comes after chauvin recently spoke out for a new documentary, where he calls his trial a sham and says the knee restraint was a technique he learned in police training >> right in the written policy manual. >> reporter: and no comment tonight from chauvin's attorney. the office for the minnesota attorney general says chauvin is expected to survive. jose >> liz kreutz, thank you tomorrow could be the biggest test in history for the airlines with what's expected to be the busiest air travel day ever, but with storms already hitting parts of the country, will the weather cooperate for your trip home george solis has a preview >> reporter: this weekend travelers heading home from the holiday, throw in an extra curveball, with snow and rain in the forecast amid heavy traffic on the roads >> there's one thing in the world you have no control over, it's the weather you just -- you just do what you got to do. >> reporter: 14 million people under winter weather alerts from texas to new york. and tonight kansas in the bull's-eye where gusty winds and as much as 8 inches of snowfall may pave the way for treacherous terrain. some roads already blanketed >> slippery travel for today. >> reporter: out west in wyoming, police saying icy conditions led to this thanksgiving 19 day pile-up on a major highway. officials say four drivers ended up in the hospital with nonlife threatening injuries >> the snow has intensified here. >> reporter: in northern colorado and western oklahoma, snow quickly building up on surfaces by late sunday, downpours in the southeast, mid-atlantic and northeast made damper traffic back home. >> fingers crossed that the rest of the day goes smoothly >> reporter: at airports across the country, the tsa is bracing for the mass exodus of passengers heading home. >> tomorrow's the super bowl. >> tomorrow's the super bowl, sunday is super bowl sunday for the airlines. >> reporter: that's when a record breaking 2.9 million are expected to fly, the most ever in a single day. >> sunday is going to be the biggest test that the airlines have faced this year and perhaps the biggest test in air travel history. >> george solis is at the philadelphia international airport tonight. george, how's it looking so far? >> reporter: yeah, jose, according to the board here, we've got a handful of delays here at pho including one cancellation nationwide, there are just over 3,000 delays the good news, so far less than 50 cancellations the bulk of those delays are out west jose >> george solis in philadelphia, thank you. pope francis is resting at his residence in vatican city tonight after a trip to the hospital today the 86-year-old pope underwent a cat scan after coming down with a mild case of the flu the test came back negative for any lung issues. his next public appearance is scheduled for tomorrow for his weekly address in st. peter's square. still ahead, just how much americans spent shopping on black friday and does it mean bigger deals in the weeks ahead? plus, shocking videos, swarms of criminals robbing delivery trucks. what happens if your gifts are stolen black friday is the traditional kickoff to the holiday shopping season and an early sign of just how strong the season will be for retailers. if stores get off to a slow start now, it often means bigger deals in the weeks ahead brian cheung reports >> reporter: black friday used to start with scenes like this, but this year an iffy economy for some leading to some disappointment at the cash register >> the deals, they were okay i would say that i did get better deals a week or two before black friday. >> spending a lot more money >> reporter: according to mastercard, black friday sales in store and online were up 2.5% compared to last year, less than some estimates for the shopping season shoppers like kelly morga are trying to deal with higher prices and high credit card rates. >> we actually make more money this year than we did last year, but we have less left at the end of every week this year than we did last year, so it's -- you know, we're trying to find that balance. >> we're out shopping for something that's going to be the best price, and we get the most bang for our buck. >> reporter: retailers are responding offering big discounts in key categories. according to adobe on thanksgiving day, toys up to 28% off. electronics up to 27% off. and computers were up to 22% off. and on this small business saturday, it's the mom and pop stores that could benefit. last year shoppers spent almost $18 billion at their local shops and nearly nine in ten consumers saying they'll do the same this year >> and brian joins us now. so brian, what are the experts telling you? is it better to buy now or wait for a better deal later? >> jose, experts are telling us that the deals are pretty good so if you see exactly what's on your list at a pretty good discount, go ahead and buy it before it sells out. jose. >> brian cheung, thank you and if you're ordering items online, stay with us because after the break, we'll have the shocking delivery truck robberies caught on camera what you need to know. with more people ordering gifts online this season, ther are growing concerns about alarming caught on camera delivery truck robberies. here is maggie vespa >> reporter: tonight amid the holiday shopping rush, a raft of retail theft, often what appear to be mobs of thieves targeting and sometimes taking delivery trucks with packages inside. these chaotic scenes playing out across the country drivers left helpless. >> oh my god [ bleep >> reporter: and even in danger like this one held at gunpoint in florida earlier this year communities on edge too. >> we need these guys. they deliver our stuff and all that this got to stop. >> reporter: amazon, fedex and u.p.s. all calling employee safety their top priority. amazon says incidents like this are rare, while u.p.s. tells us drivers are taught to be aware of their surroundings and to report anything they consider unsafe >> how long have you been with skokie p.d.? >> 25 years. >> reporter: in suburban chicago, skokie police detective jose mendez says crimes like these often come with few consequences if the criminals. >> these huge mobs of people swarming stores, swarming trucks, like these massive smash and grabs, what is fueling this? >> my opinion it's the lack of accountability these kids, the majority are juveniles. there are no consequences so they feel emboldened. >> reporter: these brazen and sometimes violent robberies come as holiday shopping is surging experts expect this season's spending to top pre-pandemic levels with americans devoting more than half their budget to buying online. retail crime analyst karl langhorst says all those extra parcels make the truck an irresistible target. >> let's say this does happen to someone at home, one of their packages gets stolen in this way. what can people do if that happens to them? >> if it gets stolen from their trucks, the major carriers will let the consumer know that there's a problem with the delivery and contact the company they ordered it from, so hopefully it can be re-sent. >> reporter: fighting this kind of crime a growing challenge when the target is on wheels delivering precious gifts for the holiday season, maggie vespa, nbc news. when we come back, there's good news tonight, the elementary school teams giving one football player a victory he will never forget. ♪ there's good news tonight. you know so often the good news doesn't get as much attention as the bad, so every saturday we highlight the many people who spread joy and love. these are just some of those stories this week. this is a memory u.p.s. delivery driver bill long will treasure forever. hundreds of friends from his route in dover, pennsylvania, celebrate his last delivery after 35 years on the job. >> i mean, look at these people. they're the best people i could possibly have been around. and in atlanta, when mom lauren montgomery was packing up to move with her three kids, they thought they'd be going to another apartment. >> we get our own backyard >> but mom and dad had secretly bought their first house for the family >> oh, my god! >> oh, my god! >> the kids overwhelmed and overjoyed to realize this was their very own new home. when billy bastian got married in california, there was a surprise before his vows that brought him to tears take a look. >> okay, you can turn around now. >> billy thinks he's about to see his bride for the first time, but it's really his brother johnny who's in the u.s. navy and wasn't expected to make the ceremony the brothers reunited for one of the biggest days of billy's life and in kentucky, there was greatness on the gridiron. >> go, go, go, go! >> see that boy? that's 12-year-old baylen smith on the ballard county bombers scoring his first touchdown. the special play set up by both teams to make sure baylen who was autistic, got his star moment >> it meant everything to mom tiffany. >> tiffany, take us to that final moment, that touchdown. >> i knew i was going to cry because i was watching this boy that struggled for so many years finally get what he deserved >> what do you think the bigger message is >> the bigger message to me is really -- it is inclusion. i hope more people see the impact it's made on baylen, and they do it in their schools and on their teams, and let's just start kindness again >> that's nbc "nightly news" for this saturday. i'm josé diaz-balart thank you for the privilege of your time and good night right now at 6:00, a cold weekend in the bay area, the warning out tonight, temperature is dropping down to dangerous lows. plus, 17 hostages heading home as the shaky troops in gaza. with the president is saying as dozens remain captive. holiday shopping in full swing, small businesses hoping to catch some of the action as americans take their spending online. the news at 6:00 starts right now. thanks for joining us, i am terry mcsweeney. >> and i am gia vang. let's start with a dangerous chill in the bay area. we start with san jose,