good evening on this new year's eve and thank you for beginning your countdown with us. david is off, i'm elizabeth vargas. and as we come on the air, millions of americans are ushering in the new year while ushering in the arctic cold. the frigid temperatures can't keep these revel earls away. this is new york city's times square, right now, where the party has already begun. more than 1 million people will be huddled together, packing the crossroads of the world despite wind chills in the teens when the ball drops at midnight. out west, a new year's eve surprise for drivers in southern california. snow. trapping some of them on the side of the road. and get this picture. snow-covered palm trees lining the streets of temecula, just north of san diego. so much of the country dealing with the brutal cold. at midnight, 70% of the country will be at or below freezing. we have team coverage of new year's weather and security tonight. and we begin with abc's chief meteorologist ginger zee, tracking the deep freeze gripping most of the country in the final hours of 2014. ginger? >> reporter: yeah, elizabeth. we are just hours away from the big party here in times square, and yes, cold, but totally tolerable. meanwhile, that deep freeze is only the beginning. the ice, the snow, the dangerous conditions across the american west. snow smothering palm trees in southern california. spinouts and abandoned cars littering this stretch of the ortega highway. 2014 leaving a dangerous and frozen mark across the west. >> this is not something we wake up to every morning in california. >> reporter: overnight, more than 130 drivers rescued in san bernadino county. up to a half foot of snow and gusting winds to 50 miles per hour forcing firefighters to use snow cats to get folks out. the cold winds battering catalina island near san diego, sending boats on shore, killing two people. >> it's been a ride so far. >> it's really icy out here and we're sliding all over the place, even with chains. >> reporter: that family taking eight hours for what's normally a two-hour trip to big bear. just west of denver, colorado, a call to 911. >> we got caught in an avalanche. we are hiking out. >> reporter: three snow shoers trapped. two of them managing to get out to safety. one was killed. >> 12,000 foot, a sketchy area. and he got about right in the middle and that's when the avalanche occurred kicking him down the nine. >> reporter: and in pasadena, at least four people injured after winds gusting destroying booths at the rose bowl. in nevada, a dusting of snow at the las vegas airport. only the second time ever on new year's eve. and back in california -- >> this is what temecula looks like right now. >> reporter: their heaviest snow in a decade. so many enjoying this relatively rare winter blast. and that winter weather making its way across the nation. let's go straight to those maps now. the winter weather advisories, warnings and watching stretching from parts of arizona to texas, and the wind is going to come with that too. dallas may wake up with some freezing rain and sleet. and here are the numbers, everyone. midnight temperatures whether you're in new york city or back in parts of the south, it is going to be cold. that freezing line stretching all the way into parts of georgia, tennessee going to feel it. and it doesn't stop. for your first day of january, there's a new year's day forecast. all that rain, the mix over in texas. that's the hot spot. and get this, elizabeth. now, southern california, parts of it, have more snow this season than new york city. happy new year. >> happy new year to you, too, ginger, thank you. and among all those people in times square there's an intense police presence. officers in new york and across the u.s. are on high alert tonight, in response to the ongoing threats against police around the country. additional resources are being called in as protesters plan to march against police violence at the height of tonight's celebrations. abc's gio benitez is in times square in the center of it all. gio? >> reporter: elizabeth, good evening to you. when it comes to new year's eve in america, this is the epicenter. thousands of police officers are right here. tonight, as more than a million people pack into times square, with the eyes of the world watching, police out in force. not just looking out for the safety of partygoers -- they're also watching their own backs. the fbi sending out this bulletin, warning police around the country to be vigilant following the assassination of two new york city officers citing copy cat threats. just here in new york city, at least 70 potential threats against police, many of which were not considered credible, according to the nypd. >> any threat made against my officers is going to be dealt with very quickly, very effectively. and we're not going to let any of them go by the board, believe me. >> reporter: even so, a report finding police shooting deaths were up 56% in 2014. tonight, with the national guard in place, bomb-sniffing dogs and radiation detectors in the crowd, police will also be monitoring hundreds of cameras in times square from inside this command center. this, as protests against police are expected across the country, from new york to l.a., over what protesters are calling oppressive police tactics. already in st. louis, a group arrested after storming police headquarters. and back here in times square, the people here can't leave and come back. and no backpacks allowed anywhere near here. again, the concern is that more than a million people will be here tonight, elizabeth. >> all right, gio, thank you so much. we're going to turn now to news overseas. chaos in china. dozens were killed in a stampede during new year's festivities. according to chinese media reports, at least 35 people are dead 42 others are injured at a waterfront celebration in downtown shanghai. authorities are working right now to rescue and aid the wounded among the massive crowd. the cause of that stampede is still being investigated. we turn now to the painstaking and frustrating search in the air asia disaster. more victims pulled from the water tonight. the recovery effort is being slowed by bad weather. abc's chief foreign correspondent terry moran has the very latest. >> reporter: a simple but solemn moment today. two coffins, garlanded with flowers, carrying the bodies of two victims of the air asia crash. the first to arrive here in surabaya, back where the doomed flight began. just seven bodies have been recovered so far. the rough weather now becoming a huge issue. >> the weather, unfortunately, is not looking good for the next two or three days, and that is -- that is slowing us down. >> reporter: as bodies are recovered, the painstaking identification process begins. this young woman was on the plane and this will help you identify her? >> yes, yes. >> reporter: at the crisis center here at the surabaya airport, we saw firsthand how the dead will be identified. indonesian red cross workers sorting through fingerprints and other personal data of the passengers. while out in the debris field, teams spotted more bits and pieces in the water, including the evacuation slide of the plane, being recovered here, it may have deployed on impact. but no sign of those black boxes or any confirmation the plane itself had been located. one key asset in the search, the "uss sampson." the commander spoke with armed forces network. >> we've set up a search box in a specified area and we have been searching with the ship and the helicopter. >> reporter: as the search continued, for many family members, today was a day of prayer and bottomless grief. this massive recovery effort is now a race against time and nature. those heavy seas and strong currents are scattering bodies and debris for miles, while the batteries on the black boxes, elizabeth, are gradually dying out. >> terry, thank you so much. we're going to move on now to the images just in, showing the drama that played out on that burning greek ferry. you can see the billowing smoke, as passengers wearing their life vests prepare to be air lifted to safety. bad weather is now hampering efforts to tow it to shore. 11 people were killed when nice when fire raced through the ferry on sunday. but more than 400 people were rescued. shifting gears, back at home, the first day of the year bringing something new in sports. something fans have been screaming about for years. kickoff on espn tomorrow for the first ever college football playoff games. oregon versus florida state in the rose bowl. and top-ranked alabama takes on ohio state in the sugar bowl. but then, the winners will go head-to-head for the first national championship on january 12th. earlier, i spoke with espn's tom rinaldi in pasadena at the rose bowl. tom, the season used to end with all the bowl games, now, there's an actual championship game. will this finally settle the age-old question, which college team is best? >> reporter: well, elizabeth, here amidst the loud preparations for the rose bowl game tomorrow it used to be polls and computer formula ss that set up who would play for the national championship. now, it's a 12-person selection committee. and in this case, the committee has determined four brand name teams from four different conferences representing four very different parts of the country. how it ultimately plays out should be compelling theater. there was a fear that it would devalue the regular season. instead, the opposite happened. this turned out to be the most watched regular season in college football history. >> so a big match-up featuring two heisman winners going head-to-head. what are the other big moments to look for tomorrow? >> reporter: well, in addition, look for this trend with florida state here in the rose bowl, elizabeth. they've fallen behind in 9 of the 13 games they've played this year, which has made for very come peoplinge inginge inging come people compelling theater down the stretch. they've won each of those games. when you go to the sugar bowl, two titans of the coaching profession at the college ranks. nick saban against urban meyer. people very compelled about how the two will strategize against each other. >> tom, thank you so much. enjoy the bowl tomorrow. and college bowl games kick off on espn tomorrow afternoon. we're still counting down to new year's eve here in the u.s., but in other parts of the world, the celebration is on. abc's linzie janis with a look at how they're ringing in 2015. >> reporter: sydney, australia, at midnight. for the first time, this breathtaking null year's light show captured by drones. seven tons of fireworks illuminating the sydney harbor bridge and the iconic opera house. celebrations from hong kong's victoria harbor to a glittering light show outside beijing's olympic stadium. in dubai, this spectacular display at the tallest building in the world. over 70,000 l.e.d. panels reaching nearly half a mile into the sky. in moscow, fireworks lighting up red square. but perhaps no one will celebrate more than these american astronauts. >> we figure that we will be over midnight somewhere over the earth 16 times throughout this day. >> reporter: counting down with all of us from above. linzie janis, abc news, new york. >> and 16 celebrations up in space. there is still much more ahead on "world news tonight" on this news year's eve. shrinking your family's favorite products. packages that may look the same, but are you getting less than you expect while still paying the same price? cashing in on the new year. why millions of americans are about to get a pay raise. and hollywood legends. icons, artists. a look at some of the memorable people and how they made us smile. right! now you're gonna ask for my credit card - - so you can charge me on the down low two weeks later look, credit karma - are you talking to websites again? this website says 'free credit scores'. oh. credit karma! yeah, it's really free. look, you don't even have to put in your credit card information. what?! credit karma. really free credit scores. really. free. i could talk to you all day. i take prilosec otc each morning for my frequent heartburn. because it gives me... zero heartburn! prilosec otc. the number 1 doctor-recommended frequent heartburn medicine for 9 straight years. one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. i'm louis, and i quit smoking with chantix. i told myself for so long that i needed to quit smoking. i would quit then i'd go right back to it. chantix absolutely helped me quit smoking. along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. chantix helped reduce my urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. some people had seizures while taking chantix. if you have any of these stop chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix or history of seizures. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop these stop chantix and see your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. tell your doctor if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems or develop new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack or stroke. decrease alcohol use while taking chantix. use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. i'm not worried about smoking my next cigarette. to me that feels great. ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. when heartburn comes creeping up on you... fight back with relief so smooth... ...it's fast. tums smoothies starts dissolving the instant it touches your tongue ...and neutralizes stomach acid at the source. ♪ tum, tum tum tum...♪ smoothies! only from tums. next tonight, if fast food is about super sizing, at your favorite stores, the trend may be just the opposite. your most popular brands may be playing the shrinking game, offering you less while charging you the same price. abc's rebecca jarvis tonight with what you need to know. >> reporter: in the race for holiday party prep, what you may not have noticed in that shopping cart, many of your favorite products shrinking right inside the packages. >> this is just not something that would ever come on my radar. >> reporter: now, mom kristen quinn says she's spotting it in every aisle. >> well hello. >> reporter: consumer advocate edgar has spent his career tracking oversized packaging and shrinking products. this is the new and this is the old. from crackers to cookies to juice, he says the newer packages may look about the same. their weight labeled correctly. but what's inside -- >> so in essence, we've lost one of those ten boxes in the new package. >> reporter: now, some companies even facing lawsuits. cvs earlier this year agreeing to redesign store brand packaging to settle charges in california that it misled consumers with oversized boxes. and now tonight, johnson & johnson settling a similar suit in california, agreeing to change some of its product packaging, too. johnson & johnson telling abc news tonight, it has already updated packaging for some products and additional changes will be introduced over the next two years. and with all products, if you want to know exactly what you're getting for your money, look for the net weight on the label. that will tell you exactly how much product is inside that big box. >> sometimes when up read it and you open it, you are still surprised. >> reporter: a bit of a shock. >> all right, thanks so much, rebecca. when we come back, the man at a new set of controls. what is north korea's kim jong-un up to now? and taylor swift grabbing one last headline for 2014 before ringing in the new year. my tempur-pedic made me fall in love with mornings again. i love how it conforms to my body. with tempur-pedic the whole bed is comfortable. we actually got our bed as an engagement gift from her parents. maybe that's the secret to marriage. you're gonna stay together if you have a tempur-pedic bed. i told our friends, this is the best investment i've ever made. it's helping to keep us young. i love my bed. 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[announcer:] mucinex keeps working. not 4, not 6 but 12 hours. let's end this curling up in bed with a favorite book is nice. but i think women would rather curl up with their favorite man. but here's the thing: about half of men over 40 have some degree of erectile dysfunction. well, viagra helps guys with ed get and keep an erection. and remember, you only take it when you need it. ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain; it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. side effects include headache, flushing, upset stomach and abnormal vision. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away if you experience a sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. ask your doctor about viagra. straight to the index tonight. how would you feel if you saw this pilot in the cockpit of your plane? that's north korea's kim jong-un at the controls of a small jet, described as his own version of air force one. no word about the in-flight movie. new year new laws about to take effect. millions of americans are about to get a pay raise. 21 states and a number of cities are raising their minimum wage in 2015. in california undocumented immigrants can apply for a driver's license. and put this in the books. in new york a ban on tiger selfies takes effect in february. it will be illegal to pose for a photo with a lion, tiger or other big cat. all right. taylor swift is ending this year on one high note after another. ♪ shake it off ♪ ♪ shake it off ♪ >> her album, "1989," just became the top selling album of 2014, with more than 3.6 million copies sold in just nine weeks. the album shaking off tough competition, narrowly beating the super infectious "frozen" soundtrack. a reminder, you can see taylor swift tonight on "dick clark's new year's rockin' eve with ryan seacrest," beginning at 8:00 p.m. eastern. and when we come back, our tribute to those notable names and the legacy they left behind. my name is karen and i have diabetic nerve pain. it's progressive pain. first that feeling of numbness. then hot pins. almost like lightning bolts, hot strikes into my feet. so my doctor prescribed lyrica. the pain has been reduced and i feel better than i did before. [ male announcer ] it's known that diabetes damages nerves. lyrica is fda-approved to treat diabetic nerve pain. lyrica is not for everyone. it may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or, swelling trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, changes in eyesight, including blurry vision, muscle pain with fever tired feeling or skin sores from diabetes. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who have had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. [ karen ] having less pain, that means everything to me. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor about lyrica today. it's specific treatment for diabetic nerve pain. if a denture were to be put under a microscope we can see all the bacteria that still exists. polident's unique micro clean formula works in just 3 minutes, killing 99.99% of odor causing bacteria. for a cleaner, fresher brighter denture everyday. introducing new always discreet underwear for sensitive bladders, from always. with soft, dual leakguard barriers to help stop leaks where they happen most. plus, a discreet fit that hugs your curves. always discreet visit alwaysdiscreet.com for coupons and to learn more. you get sick you can't breathe through your nose suddenly, you're a mouth breather. a mouth breather! well, put on a breathe right strip and shut your mouth. cold medicines open your nose over time, but add a breathe right strip and pow, it opens your nose up to 38% more. so you can breathe and do the one thing you want to do sleep. add breathe right to your cold medicine shut your mouth and sleep right. breathe right. and look for the calming scent of new breathe right lavender in the sleep aisle. finally tonight, hollywood's memorable names of 2014. late word today of the passing of a familiar character actor, edward herrmann, at the age of 71, died. best known for his roles in "the lost boys" and "gilmore girls." one of the many famous faces we that left us this year and the moments we won't forget.that left us this year, and the moments we won't forget. >> good morning vietnam! nanu nanu. you do, marsha graham, marsha graham. hello! we must constantly look at things in a different way. >> blazing a different path. what did you hear? what did you see that convinced you so thoroughly? >> you know how to whistle, don't you, steve? you just put your lips together and blow. ♪ i wish i were in love again ♪ ♪ no more care ♪ ♪ on the good ship lollipop ♪ ♪ >> i listen to you every day, every morning, every night. you never say nothing new. ♪ if i had a hammer ♪ ♪ i'd hammer in the morning ♪ >> we are free to publish what we always were going to publish, which was material which in our mind the public had a right to know. ♪ i will go ♪ ♪ i shall go ♪ ♪ i'll see what the end is gonna be ♪ ♪ >> oh! >> this is big, peter. this is very big. ♪ ghostbusters ♪ ♪ >> what is it i can do for you, miss butler? ♪ that's the way they became the brady bunch ♪ >> i was such a dog. to get me down the aisle, they threw a bone you know what i'm trying to say? i want my funeral to be a huge showbiz affair with lights and cameras and action. i want to be buried in a valentino gown. i want harry winston to make me a toe tag. >> there was her leg and it was up. >> mrs. robinson, you're trying to seduce me. >> seemed logical to shoot through that arch of that leg. >> and the tony award goes to mike nichols. >> good night, moon, good night stars. i'll see you on the set, on the beach and in the kitchen and at the movies. >> amazing people. we look back on with awe and honor. and we want to thank all of you for watching "world news tonight" this past year. we could not have done it without the fantastic team though behind the scenes. so tonight, we salute them. and all of you at home. for david and all of us at abc news happy new year and good night. ♪ should old acquaintance be forgot ♪ ♪ and never thought upon ♪ ♪ the flames of love extinguished ♪ ♪ and fully passed and gone ♪ ♪ for auld lang syne my jo ♪ ♪ for auld lang syne ♪ ♪ we'll take a cup of kindness yet ♪ ♪ for auld lang syne ♪ ♪ should all acquaintance be forgot ♪ ♪ and never brought to mind ♪ ♪ should all acquaintance be forgot ♪ ♪ and auld lang syne ♪ ♪ for auld lang syne my jo ♪ ♪ for auld lang syne ♪ ♪ we'll take a cup of kindness yet ♪ ♪ for auld lang syne ♪ ♪ ♪ should all acquaintance be forgot ♪ ♪ and never brought to you mind ♪ ♪ should all acquaintance be forgot ♪ ♪ and auld lang syne ♪ ♪ for auld lang syne my jo ♪ ♪ for auld lang syne ♪ ♪ we'll take a cup of kindness yet ♪ ♪ for auld lang syne ♪ >> happy new year! >> it's colder out there than it looks a live view of san francisco the areas that could see temperatures dip below freezing tonight. >> why you won't see a police officer driving alone tonight. >> in unexpected issue for construction crews working on san francisco controversial central subway project. >> going into full protective mode. efforts underway to keep people plants ands pets safe as temperatures plunge in areas good evening. >> we begin with the cold weather. >> yes. bundle up. we're heading outside now with a look at the embarcadero the epicenter in the city. >> now a live view from east bay from sky 7 east bay. we have live team coverage on the north bay and east bay. first, a chilly new year's eve forecast with spencer christian. >> you'll probably notice temperatures first winds immediately, strong powerful gusts over winds 24 miles per hour. and around midnight temperatures we estimate will be in this range about 35 degrees in santa rosa. 37 napa. that is about the time of our fire works display, which will take place at midnight clouds will be clear and cold you might want to bundle up if you're going out there new year's eve. it's going to get chillier overnight. we'll have details in just a few minutes. >> thank you

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