TONIGHT WE BEGIN WITH A LOOK
BACK AT THE EVENTS THAT TOOK
PLACE IN 2018.
IT WAS A TURBULENT YEAR THAT SAW
SEVERAL NATURAL DISASTERS--AND
POLITICAL TURMOIL IN WASHINGTON.
JAY GRAY TAKES A LOOK BACK AT
MANY OF THE HEADLINE MAKING
STORIES.
"I DIDN'T EXPECT THAT REACTION,
BUT THAT'S OK." IT'S BEEN A YEAR
OF THE UNEXPECTED..
.. UNPREDICTABLE
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.. AND IN SOME CASES UNBEARABLE.
WINDS..
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WATER.. AND FLAMES CUT A
DEVASTATING PATH ACROSS THE
COUNTRY IN 20-18..
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MUDSLIDES AND FIRES OUT WEST..
THE "CAMP" BLAZE SWALLOWED THE
TOWN OF PARADISE.. DOZENS WERE
KILLED IN THE DEADLIEST WILDFIRE
IN CALIFORNIA HISTORY..
"EXTREME ISN'T EVEN THE RIGHT
ADJECTIVE TO USE ANYMORE, IT'S
JUST
AN UNDERSTATEMENT BECAUSE FIRE
IS SO EXPLOSIVE NOW IN
CALIFORNIA."
A VOLCANIC EXPLOSION ON HAWAII'S
BIG ISLAND, FUELED
RIVERS OF LAVA THAT FLOWED FOR
MONTHS..
IN MISSOURI, SUMMER STORMS SANK
A DUCK BOAT.. 17 TOURISTS
DROWNED IN THE ACCIDENT..
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DEADLY HURRICANES RIPPED ACROSS
THE SOUTHEAST..
GOV. HENRY MCMASTER -
SOUTH CAROLINA:
"THIS IS SOMETHING WE HAVE NOT
SEEN BEFORE,
FLORENCE STALLING.. FLOODING THE
CAROLINAS..
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MICHAEL SURGING TO A CATEGORY 4
STORM.. THE STRONGEST HURRICANE
TO HIT THE PANHANDLE..
NATS PROTESTS IN DC
A STORM OF CONTROVERSY CONTINUED
TO BUILD IN WASHINGTON.. FROM
PRESIDENT TRUMP'S MEETINGS WITH
NORTH KOREAN PRESIDENT KIM JUN
UN.. AND RUSSIAN LEADER VLADIMIR
PUTIN.. TO TRADE BATTLES WITH
LONG-TIME U-S ALLIES.. ANOTHER
ALLY .. SAUDI ARABIA - AND ITS'
CROWN PRINCE - ACCUSED OF
ORDERING THE MURDER OF
JOURNALIST JAMAL KHASHOGGI --
PRESIDENT TRUMP ACCUSED OF
TURNING A BLIND EYE..
AMBIENT
WHILE THE POLITICAL FIGHT AT
HOME, WAS OVER CONGRESS..
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY GRABBING
CONTROL OF THE HOUSE..
REPUBLICANS HOLDING ON TO THEIR
MAJORITY IN THE SENATE -- ON A
HISTORY MAKING NIGHT THAT SAW
MORE THAN 100 WOMEN -A RECORD
NUMBER- WIN CONGRESSIONAL
SEATS..
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ALONG THE BORDER.. STRICT
IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT
SEPARATED FAMILIES
BEFORE THE WHITE HOUSE -UNDER
MOUNTING PRESSURE - REVERSED THE
POLICY..
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THERE WAS AN EMOTIONAL SHOWDOWN
OVER THE NEWEST SUPREME COURT
JUSTICE BRETT KAVANAUGH.. THE
ADMINISTRATION CELEBRATED HIS
EVENTUAL
CONFIRMATION
AND WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE CALLED
OTHER "IMPORTANT WINS"...
INCLUDING: A RESTRUCTURED NAFTA
TRADE DEAL.. A STRONG MARKET
AND ECONOMY.. AND UNEMPLOYMENT
NUMBERS REACHING 50 YEAR LOWS..
WASHINGTON DID SET ASIDE ITS
PARTISAN BICKERING BRIEFLY - TO
SAY A HEARTFELT AND EMOTIONAL
GOODBYE TO FORMER PRESIDENT
GEORGE
H-W BUSH..
NATS OLYMPICS OPENING
THE WORLD CHEERED THE OLYMPIC
SPIRIT AND COMPETITION IN SOUTH
KOREA.. NATS CAVE RESCUE
BUT THE BIGGEST SPORTS VICTORY
OF THE YEAR.. CAME FAR FROM THE
PLAYING
FIELD..
TRAPPED IN A CAVE FOR MORE THAN
A WEEK -- WITH FLOOD WATERS
RISING --
TWELVE PLAYERS AND THE COACH OF
A YOUTH SOCCER TEAM IN THAILAND
-
PULLED TO SAFETY..
NATS MARCH ON DC
KIDS WERE PULLED INTO THE
STREETS OF THE NATION'S
CAPITOL.. AND CITIES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.. MOURNING FRIENDS
LOST.. AND
DEMANDING CHANGE..
EMMA GONZALEZ - ACTIVIST:
"IT'S TIME FOR VICTIM'S TO BE
THE CHANGE WE NEED TO SEE." AS
GUNFIRE --AGAIN-- RIPPED THROUGH
SCHOOLS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY..
SEVENTEEN KILLED IN PARKLAND,
FLORIDA..
TEN MURDERED AT A HIGH SCHOOL IN
SANTA FE, TEXAS.. SHOTS RANG OUT
ON MORE THAN TWO- DOZENS
CAMPUSES.. AND INSIDE THE TREE
OF LIFE SYNAGOGUE IN PITTSBURGH
--
WHERE 11 WORSHIPERS WERE
KILLED..
TWELVE WERE GUNNED DOWN DURING
"COLLEGE NIGHT" AT THE
BORDERLINE BAR AND GRILL IN
THOUSAND OAKS, CALIFORNIA..
AND FIVE PEOPLE WERE SHOT AND
KILLED WHILE WORKING AT A
COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER IN
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND
"THEY LOVED US AND WE LOVED
THEM, WE WERE LIKE A FAMILY IN
THERE."
A "FAMILY" ... REFUSING TO BE
CAST AS VICTIMS ... THE "ME TOO"
MOVEMENT SAW A HOLLYWOOD POWER
BROKER ARRESTED .. AND ONCE
BELOVED
SUPER-STAR.. CONVICTED OF SEXUAL
ASSAULT.. WHILE AN ACTRESS TOOK
ON .. A NEW, HISTORIC ROLE..
AMERICAN MEGAN MARKLE MARRYING
PRINCE HARRY .. THE COUPLE
ANNOUNCING 5-MONTHS LATER THE
DUTCHESS IS EXPECTING.. AS THE
WORLD NOW LOOKS TO THE
EXPECTATIONS OF A NEW YEAR..
JAY GRAY - NBC NEWS..
