tonight, new arms race. donald trump says the u.s. should strengthen and expand its nuclear capability, on the same day vladimir putin calls for an escalation in russia. and tense moments for ivanka trump aboard a plane. moment of terror. new images from the instant a truck plowed into a berlin christmas market. the suspect still on the loose. tonight, what u.s. officiknew before the rampage. christmas delivered. as we enter the season's busiest travel days, a brewing storm threatens to blast millions with heavy snow and rain. controversial arrest, caught on camera. a mother calls police for help, but she's the one who ends up in cuffs. outrage erupting tonight. and real life superhero, the nurse who inspired so many of you is back, lifting young patients' spirits to new heights.

"nightly news" begins now. from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. good evening. i'm kate snow, in for lester. tonight the tweet from the president-elect stunned nuclear experts not only because of the words written, but the fact that the comment was made on as casual a medium as twitter. for years, nuclear policy has focused on drawing down the u.s. arsenal, not building it up. but today donald trump and russian president vladimir putin talked about strengthening nuclear forces. we begin tonight with andrea mitchell. >> reporter: after setting off alarm bells throughout the campaign about how he would handle nuclear weapons, donald trump today signalled he wants more nukes, shocking nuclear experts by tweeting, the united states must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability, until such time as the world

comes to its senses regarding nukes. reversing u.s. policy since ronald reagan to cut the number of nuclear weapons. only hours earlier vladimir putin, who u.s. intelligence officials say was personally involved in the cyber attacks to influence the u.s. election, told his generals, we need to enhance the combat capability of strategic nuclear forces. last spring, trump drew fire for saying he might use nuclear weapons in europe or against isis. >> they're hearing a guy running for president might be talking about using nuclear weapons. nobody wants to hear that about an american president. >> then why do we make them? >> reporter: now less a month before trump takes office, arms experts are stunned. >> all during the campaign he's dealt with nuclear weapons very cavalierly, and this tweet may have just started a nuclear arms race. >> what is your concern when you see what sounds like new policy being made on twitter? >> every word matters. strengthen the nuclear arsenal, fine. expand it? everybody's harping on that word, whether donald trump meant it

or not, he's changing u.s. policy. >> a trump spokesman said the president-elect's tweet was referring to preventing nuclear proliferation and improving nuclear deterrence. no further explanation, raising big questions tonight about nuclear policy under president donald trump. kate? >> andrea, thank you. tense moments aboard a jetblue flight today for soon to be first daughter ivanka trump, flying with her family when a fellow passenger confronted her before he was ultimately kicked off the plane. the image captured during the incident lighting up social media. nbc's kristen welker has those details. >> ivanka trump, seen here with her family moments after landing in san francisco, on her way to hawaii. today the target of the lingering tensions of the 2016 race, seated on board a jetblue flight, traveling with her three children and husband, trump was confronted by a fellow passenger who witnesses overheard saying, they ruin the country, now they ruin our flight. >> he said, oh, my god, this is a

nightmare, and he was shaking. the unruly passenger, daniel goldstein, and his husband matthew lasner kicked off the plane, but not before they tweeted out a picture of the moment and ivanka's stunned reaction. and it may have been planned. lasner tweeting ivanka and jared were at jfk and his husband was chasing them down to harass them. #banality of evil. trump accompanied by secret service tried to distract her children as things got heated. in a statement, jetblue said, the decision to remove a customer from a flight is not taken lightly. if the crew determines that a customer is causing conflict on the aircraft, the customer will be asked to deplane. ousted passenger lasner later tried to downplay the incident, tweeting my husband expressed displeasure in a calm tone. jetblue staff overheard and they kicked us off the plane. >> he was visibly shaking, he was agitated. if i was security, i wouldn't take the chance either. >> i have no doubt she was fully secure during this entire encounter. they were able to make

sure the situation didn't escalate, and that's why first daughters have secret service for situations like this, when there is a potential threat. >> reporter: no further comment from those two men who were thrown off the plane, or from donald trump, but mr. trump announcing two staffers, former rnc communications chair, sean spicer, will serve as his press secretary and his former campaign manager, kellyanne conway will join him in the west wing, as counsellor to the president. kate? >> kristen welker, thanks so much. stunning new images tonight from the terror attack in berlin. dash cam video shows the moment the speeding truck crashed into the christmas market killing 12 people. and we're learning what u.s. authorities knew about the suspect before the attack. nbc's hans nichols has the latest. >> reporter: the new video shows the truck barrelling through berlin traffic, straight into the crowded christmas market, the speed undeniable, the terror, immediate. pedestrians frantically running

from the scene. tonight u.s. intelligence sources telling nbc news, the man allegedly behind the wheel, anis amri, was on their radar for links to isis and was on a terror watch list. jerl an law enforcement already under fire for possible missed opportunities to stop amri. even though he was suspected of an -- of planning an earlier attack, police released him from custody. tonight police telling us, they are overwhelmed. >> we have about 600 suspect persons here, with contacts to isis and other radical groups. so we can't observe them. >> reporter: with the manhunt ongoing, the christmas markets opened today. there are barriers here now, but this is where the truck jumped the curb, entered the market and mowed through about 80 yards of stalls and people. from amri's brothers,

a clear picture of the 24-year-old's path. he stays at home. he was not a devout muslim, but did drink alcohol. amri later traveled to italy, spending time in prison where he may have been radicalized. then entering germany as a migrant in 2015. he was under police surveillance for peddling drugs in this park, making him familiar with the criminal underworld and potentially more difficult to find. a suspect on the run, who knows the city's shadows. and nbc news has learned it took a full 24 hours after the attack for police to find amri's wallet and i.d. card inside the cab of the truck, giving him a day's jump on police. kate? >> hans nichols in berlin for us tonight. after four years of bloody fighting, syrian government forces claim they are now in total control of the city of aleppo. they say the evacuation of the former rebel stronghold in east aleppo is now complete. a major blow to forces who oppose the dictatorship of president bashar al

assad. tens of thousands of civilians and rebel fighters have fled the city in recent days. here in this country with the long holiday weekend about to begin, we are in the busiest days of the travel season. this year, a record 103 million of us are expected to head out to celebrate with family and friends. for many, the weather may be a big factor. we'll hear more about that in a moment. but first, nbc's tom costello on the mad dash to the holidays. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: from coast to coast, a record-setting travel season, with today and tomorrow the busiest. lax today was in recovery mode after suspicious packages delayed passengers and planes for hours wednesday. >> expect large crowds. again, crowded planes, crowded terminals and crowded roadways. >> reporter: nationwide six million people are flying this season, the busiest airports -- atlanta, chicago, l.a., dallas, and denver. in the tower at chicago o'hare controllers using a new system to speed

things along. flight paths, reroutes and weather now transmitted directly to the cockpit computer, cutting down on radio chatter and tarmac wait times. >> that saves us fuel. it's more efficient. it's safer, because we're sure there's no errors. >> reporter: meanwhile, inside the terminals, the tsa insists it's staffed up to handle the record crowds. but already this year, they've confiscated a record number of weapons nationwide, guns, knives, machetes, grenades, even a cattle prod. >> not only will that slow things down, it could even get you arrested, depending on the state you're in. >> reporter: still the vast majority of americans, 94 million are hitting the roads. gasoline up 13 cents in a month. at the utah d.o.t. command center, they're preparing for a massive saturday storm in the rockies. >> between 6 and 12 inches in the valleys. and between 12 and 24 inches in the mountains. a lot of that will be blowing snow up in the higher elevations. >> reporter: tonight, a rush to reunite with

family and friends. back here at the airport, jfk, lax, and denver lead the list of delays this evening. about 600 so far. not many cancellations, but all eyes are now on that approaching weather. kate? >> tom costello, not looking too bad in d.c. there. let's get to the weather with meteorologist janice huff. how's it looking out there? >> the storm system in the southwest is the one that will cause the biggest problems. as it moves across the country this weekend. snow from the midwest to new england and light rain from new york city to washington, d.c. as the storm continues to move off to the east. so likely delays from that storm and slowdowns. we'll start with friday, heavy snow for the western part of the u.s. in the higher elevations, rain for southern california. as the storm moves into christmas eve, it moves to the central portions of the country. you see heavy snow in the rockies, rain and snow for the southwest. and then it continues into the central part of the country on christmas day. we're expecting a blizzard in the northern plains with rain and storms farther south and then to the east coast with

just all rain. the areas you see here, the areas of snow, as much as 15 to 20 inches, especially with the blizzard over the northern plains. if you don't live in the shaded areas, you'll be dreaming of that white christmas for a bit longer. >> i was going to say, not a lot of white out there. janice, thanks. turning to a controversial arrest caught on camera in texas. a mother called police to report an alleged assault on her son, but when the officer arrived, the situation quickly spiraled and she and her family members found themselves under arrest. we get more from gabe gutierrez. >> don't grab her! don't grab her! >> reporter: tonight, this arrest caught on camera is sparking outrage in ft. worth texas. >> don't move, mama! >> reporter: jacqueline craig, seen here, said she called police wednesday to report that a neighbor had grabbed her son's neck for littering. the video begins after the officer arrived. and shows him speaking with the neighbor, but then questioning craig about her parenting. >> don't put your

hands on my son. >> why don't you teach your son not to litter? >> he can't prove to me that my son littered. but it doesn't matter if he did or didn't, it doesn't give him the right to put his hands on him. >> why not? >> reporter: the exchange quickly escalates. >> if you keep yelling at me -- >> reporter: craig and several other women begin screaming at the officer before he takes three of them into custody. >> i just felt like i didn't get justice for what i called for, basically. >> reporter: the video has been viewed more than a million times on facebook. it's unclear what happened during at least three gaps in the recording. >> it was not edited in any way. if someone messages or calls in the middle of a face time feed, it skips a beat. >> reporter: ft. worth saying the initial appearance of the video may raise serious questions. we ask that our investigators are given the time and opportunity to thoroughly examine this incident. tonight the unidentified officer has been placed on restricted duty pending investigation. and jacqueline craig's

out of jail, back with her family. gabe gutierrez, nbc news. still ahead tonight, the price you pay, getting the best deals on wheels. why this might be the right time to buy that new car. also, what a star college basketball player did not once, but three times, that will now keep him off the court indefinitely. per roll

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we're back with holiday shopping on the minds of many of us. one thing you might not have thought of is buying new car. it turns out, if you're in the market, this might be a great time to save thousands. nbc's jo ling kent reports tonight on why the end of this year is a buyers' market. >> if you're going to wish, wish big. >> reporter: it's nearly impossible to avoid car ads during the holiday season. but if you really want to save big on a set of wheels, experts recommend taking advantage of this year's bumper crop of vehicles recently returned from a lease. >> i was ecstatic. i was extremely happy. i walked out of here, like i just got a deal. >> reporter: diana dennis said she saved $8,000 by purchasing a dodge challenger, leased only for about a year. >> all right, here we go.

>> reporter: this year, 33% more cars are being returned after a lease compared to 2015. the average lease, three years. buying one of these cars allows customers to avoid a 20% drop in value when the new car is driven off the lot. >> the original owner, or the bank takes the depreciation value. so from a consumer standpoint, you're buying a like-new vehicle at a reduced cost. >> reporter: and buying a car at the end of the year, gives buyers more bargaining power too. this year car sales are leveling off, so dealerships are working harder to move their inventory, that's why you see better deals on compact, mid size, and economy cars. dennis stuck to her budget and still got features she couldn't afford in a new car. >> it has the navigation, the backup camera, the ventilated seats. >> reporter: experts say the best selection is available now as leased cars are coming off the road. >> buying an off-lease car is a great idea if you don't mind having some mileage on it. and cars are a lot better than they were ten years ago. >> reporter: hitting the road this holiday

season, with a bigger bang for your buck. jo ling kent, nbc news, houston. we're back in a moment with the latest on these health concerns for queen elizabeth. for adults with advanced non-small cell lung cancer concerns for queen elizabeth. ose health concerns for queen elizabeth. or egfr gene who've tried an fda-approved targeted therapy, this is big. a chance to live longer with opdivo (nivolumab). opdivo demonstrated longer life and is the most prescribed immunotherapy for these patients. opdivo significantly increased the chance of living longer versus chemotherapy. opdivo works with your immune system. opdivo can cause your immune system to attack normal organs and tissues in your body and affect how they work. this may happen any time during or after treatment has ended, and may become serious and lead to death. see your doctor right away if you experience new or worsening cough; chest pain; shortness of breath;

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queen elizabeth and prince philip are apparently on the mend tonight and were able to travel from buckingham palace to their country retreat for the christmas holiday. the trip was postponed for a day because the queen and the prince were both suffering from colds. instead of taking the train as they usually do, they flew by helicopter to their sandringham estate northeast of london. a star player for a college basketball powerhouse has been suspended indefinitely after a series of serious fouls on the court. duke university junior grayson allen was called out last night for tripping an opponent, and it's not the first time. we get details from nbc's miguel almaguer. >> you see the constant movement by the phoenix. >> reporter: the first half was winding down. duke in command of the game. when one of its star

players lost control. >> as we saw in that replay there -- >> reporter: it took the replay to show what's been shown -- seen before. star guard grayson allen caught purposely tripping an opposing player again. nobody injured, but this player's reputation severely hurt. >> good call by the officials. >> reporter: allen finished the game speaking before he learned today he would be suspended indefinitely from the team. >> i made a really bad play. i'm sorry to him, santa ana, i'm sorry to my team. >> reporter: known for strong moves, allen has a reputation for dirty play. february 8th, his first tripping incident against louisville. two weeks later, another takedown against florida state. now a third foul, some say is bigger than the game. >> sportsmanship is something that we value as american sports fans. and what grayson allen is doing with the tripping is the opposite of that. >> reporter: already a superstar at one of

the nation's most prestigious universities, allen skipped the nba draft to play another year with duke. his legendary coach mike krzyzewski -- >> what happened was unacceptable and he knows it. >> reporter: -- says he is both allen's coach and teacher, and the lesson he is giving tonight is bigger than basketball. miguel almaguer, nbc news. when we come back, "inspiring america." we'll revisit a man who is a superhero to some kids who could really use one. licon valley se. the vault to man's greatest wonders... selfies, cat videos and winking emojis. speaking of tech wonders, with the geico app you can get roadside assistance, digital id cards... or even file a claim. do that.. yeah, yeah that should work. it's not happening... just try again. uh, i think i found your problem. thanks. hmm... the award-winning geico app. download it today.

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finally tonight, finally tonight, as we follow-up on some of the most inspiring stories of the past year, we wanted to check back in with a certain nurse who's made it his mission to bring joy to young kids. and yes, you might think of all nurses as superheroes for the work they do, but then there's tobin matthew of chicago. our kevin tibbles has tonight's "inspiring america" report. >> hey, bud.

>> reporter: at chicago's children's hospital, compassion is more powerful than a locomotive. >> i'm excited about it. >> i'm batman. >> reporter: when we first met tobin matthew, he was leaping off the comic book pages to battle the evil forces of illness. >> you're 37 years old and you still dress up as a superhero? >> i do. i can usually find some common ground because i love toys too. >> reporter: since our last visit our super nurse has taken heroics to new heights, wearing 80 different costumes, once even switching five times in one day. and keeping spirits up by crashing down as the hulk. treating hundreds of patients like 10-year-old talia. >> every nurse that i see is a superhero. >> you don't like nintendo? >> reporter: 16-year-old darius roby has been in and out of the hospital his whole life. >> to forget you're in the hospital it's always a good feeling. >> making a kid smile and having a great conversation with them and making a hard day easier. nothing better than

that. >> look at you. >> reporter: we met jamison davis our last visit too. he is still battling kidney disease. >> he's like, i don't know, a second member of the family. anything we need, he's right there. >> reporter: bridget evans, who has spina bifida, has been treated by tobin for nearly half of her 27 years. tobin's inspiration helped lead her to working in the hospital too. >> it's hard to focus on the pain and the fear when someone comes in with such enthusiasm and surch optimism. >> reporter: the power of a positive attitude goes a long way to help the healing. kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. >> more power to him. that will do it for us on this thursday night. don't forget football tonight, giants versus eagles. i'm kate snow in for lester. for all of us at nbc news, thanks for watching, have a great night. lester. for all of us at nbc

news, thanks for watching, have a great night.

nbc sports. home of the public games, the nhl, premier league, the chase for the nascar sprint cup and primetime's number one show, "sunday night football," only on nbc. tonight, in philadelphia, eli manning and the giants look to secure a place in the playoffs for the first time since they won the super bowl five years ago. but carson wentz and the eagles stand in their way. ♪ >> for four quarters, we're going to find a way or make a way. >> division rivals with a heated history. the giants appear dangerous