wrongdoing. his son, hunter biden, snubbing a subpoena to testify today behind closed doors saying he'll only do so publicly and stating his father has no financial ties to his business dealings. will the gop move to hold the other biden in contempt of congress? also tonight, president biden welcoming the families of all eight americans still being held hostage by hamas to the white house. what they said to him in their private meeting. the record day on wall street. big news from the fed on interest rates. the supreme court taking up a major case over the abortion pill that could restrict access nationwide. the massive recall impacting nearly every tesla on the road in the u.s. safety concerns over its autopilot feature. our nbc news exclusive with holiday shopping in full swing. inside the undercover operation to bust retail thieves. and he was the emmy-winning star of hit nbc shows. remembering andre braugher. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. good evening. we begin with breaking news in congress where the republican controlled house voted this evening to authorize an impeachment inquiry into president biden. the vote of 221-212 along party lines giving formal approval to an investigation republicans have been conducting for months. they have tied it to the business dealings of mr. biden's son, hunter biden, with republicans accusing the president of having profited from those dealings when he was vice president, something the president denies. for his part, hunter biden, who is under indictment on federal tax evasion and gun charges, today defied a subpoena to appear in congress for closed door depositions. again today he blasted the investigation saying his father was not financially involved in any of his business dealings. this all comes less than a year before the 2024 election. ryan nobles leads our coverage tonight from capitol hill. >> reporter: tonight, president biden now facing an official impeachment inquiry after the house voted along party lines to formally authorize a republican investigation already under way. gop leaders say the move will help them gather more documents and witness testimony into biden family finances. >> we're now at a pivotal moment in our investigation, but we are facing obstruction from the white house. >> reporter: democrats blasting the vote. >> this whole thing is an extreme political stunt. >> reporter: and it came just hours after hunter biden defied a congressional subpoena to testify saying he would only do it in a public setting with the committee room set up in anticipation of a closed door deposition. >> for six years, i have been a target of the unrelenting trump attack machine shouting, where's hunter? well, here's my answer, i am here. >> reporter: slamming the gop inquiry. >> in the depths of my addiction i was extremely irresponsible with my finances, but to suggest that is grounds for an impeachment inquiry is beyond the absurd. >> reporter: after making brief remarks, hunter biden ignored reporter questions. >> hunter, why won't you answer these questions under oath? >> reporter: president biden has repeatedly insisted he's never talked to his son about his foreign business activities. >> i've never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings. >> reporter: today hunter biden saying his father was not financially involved. >> my father was not financially involved in my business. >> reporter: republicans zeroing in on that comment. >> he said, my father was not financially involved in the business. that is a huge change. >> mr. president, should your son have defied the subpoena? >> reporter: meanwhile, the president not answering questions about his son. >> and, ryan, president biden is now reacting to that impeachment inquiry vote. >> reporter: that's right, lester. the president said the republicans are attacking him with lie, and the white house said that this impeachment inquiry has revealed no illegal activity. meanwhile, lawmakers could vote to hold hunter biden in contempt of congress when they return from their holiday recess, lester. >> ryan nobles, thank you. also tonight with hamas refusing to release more hostages, president biden meeting with families of americans still being held in gaza today, and those families are now speaking out. richard engel now with late details. >> reporter: families of american hostages met president biden behind closed doors in the white house in person for the first time. >> it was a terrific, terrific meeting and conversation. >> reporter: at least eight americans are still held in gaza. 4-year-old abigail edan is one of the few to have been released. both of her parents were executed by hamas. her great aunt tonight. >> they are just not numbers, and they're not just faces. they are sons, they are sons, they are grandparents, they are mothers, and that is what the president and his team understand. >> reporter: in a statement, the group saying, they asked the president to do everything in his power to negotiate a swift and total release of the remaining hostages 24 hours after president biden's rebuke of what he called israel's indiscriminate bombing in israel and an overwhelming u.n. vote calling for a cease-fire. prime minister benjamin netanyahu saying israel will press on with its campaign against hamas telling israeli soldiers, in the face of international pressure, nothing will stop us. in gaza now, conditions are beyond miserable. heavy rains and shattered infrastructure. today it led to floods. 50 miles away in the palestinian city of bethlehem, the mood is sour. in the town where christians believe jesus was born, there are no tourists or pilgrims, no tree in manger square. christmas celebrations have been canceled in solidarity with gaza. inside the church of the nativity, we met reverend mitri rahib. >> when you bring your gifts, think of the people in gaza who are starving today, starving not only for food, but starving for justice. ♪♪ >> reporter: in the grotto under the altar where the faithful believe the manger once lay, we were the only ones to witness the rituals that have continued here for centuries. where it began, no one is in the mood to celebrate christmas. ♪♪ >> richard, president biden's national security adviser will be in israel tomorrow. >> reporter: yes, he's expected to meet with prime minister netanyahu and his war cabinet, and a main focus of this meeting is expected to be speeding up the delivery of humanitarian aid into gaza by opening a second border crossing. lester. >> all right, richard engel, thank you. tonight, we have a closer look at the toll of this war on the people of gaza. the humanitarian crisis from inside a tent city now home to some of the nearly 2 million people displaced. nbc's hala gorani has that story. >> reporter: three miles from southern gaza's border with egypt, a makeshift tent city in the sand for thousands of displaced gazans. this is where the israeli military says they should be safe. bathing in plastic buckets, the blistered feet of those who have walked a long way to this camp. "i swear i'm asking to die in my house, not on the border," this woman says. they are running from the bombs and the shelling, but it's the dirty water that could become the next big killer here. >> we have the most serious, acute gastroenteritis we have ever seen in our practice due to bad sanitation, due to bad water, to dirty water. >> reporter: at this hospital in southern gaza, children wait to be treated in overcrowded hallways. "my son's condition, this woman says, diarrhea and stomach poisoning, flu-like symptoms, because of the cold." these stories are everywhere even those who are lucky enough to have a roof over their heads. >> here we make tea and coffee. >> reporter: sharing a single room with a dozen family members for these elderly parents, the medication ran out. >> i'm trying to find this medicine for my mother. i couldn't find any one of them. >> reporter: with so much of gaza destroyed, for many, even when the bombs stop falling, there may be nowhere left to go. hala gorani, nbc news. we'll turn back home now to the record day on wall street. the dow soaring more than 500 points to close at a new high after federal reserve chair jerome powell made new comments regarding interest rates. christine romans joins us now from wall street. christine, why so much optimism? >> reporter: lester, powell said it was too early to declare victory over inflation, but he sure outlined a lot of progress and good economic news. the fed has been aggressively hiking interest rates over the past year to control rapid price increases. powell today said inflation is easing, unemployment is low, and the economy red hot in the third quarter is still growing but more slowly, all ingredients for the so-called soft landing the fed has been trying to engineer. for markets today, it was a signal the rate hikes are over, and the fed itself forecast three rate cuts next year. that would lower borrowing costs for wall street and main street. lester. >> all right, christine romans, thanks. the supreme court has agreed to hear arguments over access to the widely used abortion pill, mifepristone, in the first major abortion challenge since the court overturned roe v. wade. laura jarrett is here. what will they be looking at? >> well, lester, this entire case comes down to whether the pill should stay on the market as widely available as it is today. the advocates who brought this lawsuit, well, they say the fda didn't do enough to evaluate the health risks and the agency made it easier to get by mail allowing women to use it later in their pregnancies and permitting health care providers other than doctors to prescribe it. now, a federal appeals court agreed with that, but the supreme court will need to evaluate for itself whether that group had standing to sue in the first place. the fda says these are advocates who suffered no harm. the court is expected to set a date for oral argument in the coming weeks and will likely rule next sumer. lester. >> all right, laura, thank you. now, to the border crisis and our new reporting that a major change in immigration policy may be in the works including a proposal to allow for the expulsion of more migrants, all tied to the fight over new funding for ukraine. here's gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: tonight, a new battle over the border is erupting on capitol hill. two sources familiar with the discussions tell nbc news that democratic lawmakers and the white house are considering agreeing to a republican demand that would allow for more expulsions of migrants from the u.s. it's one of several border policy changes republicans wan before they'll approve more aid for ukraine. >> i like the idea of having something like title 42. >> reporter: title 42 was a covid-era border restriction implemented by former president trump. one advocacy group is calling the new proposal title 42 on steroids. sources familiar with the discussions tell nbc news a significant expansion of migrant detention and deportation is on the table, as well as stricter asylum laws. >> it is unconscionable. that is not the way to fix our immigration system. >> reporter: president biden says he's willing to compromise but he's also slamming republicans. >> holding ukraine funding hostage in an attempt to force through an extreme republican partisan agenda on the border is not how it works. >> reporter: nbc news polling shows republicans hold an 18-point lead over democrats when it comes to handling immigration, and with a record 4.5 million illegal border crossings in just the past two year, a spokesman for the border control union says the proposed changes are necessary. >> the only way to stop the flow is mandatory detention, mandatory removal. once you get that out there, and you actually follow through with it, then the flow will stop. >> reporter: still, some current and former homeland security officials tell nbc news the proposed changes could overwhelm detention centers. lester. >> all right, gabe gutierrez, thanks. and there has been a major agreement aimed at combating climate change. nearly 200 countries agreeing to transition away from fossil fuels, but saudi arabia and other oil-producing nations rejected a total phaseout of fossil fuels by 2030. critics say the agreement won't help poorer countries transition to green energy. still supporters call the deal a major symbolic step. in 60 seconds, tesla is recalling nearly all of its cars on the road. the problem and what you need to know right after this. n you i have moderate to severe crohn's disease. now, there's skyrizi. ♪ things are looking up, i've got symptom relief. ♪ ♪ control of my crohn's means everything to me. ♪ ♪ control is everything to me. ♪ feel significant symptom relief at 4 weeks with skyrizi, including less abdominal pain and fewer bowel movements. skyrizi is the first il-23 inhibitor that can deliver remission and visibly improve damage of the intestinal lining. and the majority of people experienced long-lasting remission at one year. serious allergic reactions and an increased risk of infections or a lower ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, had a vaccine or plan to. liver problems may occur in crohn's disease. ♪ now's the time to ask your gastroenterologist how you can take control of your crohn's with skyrizi. ♪ ♪ control is everything to me. ♪ ♪ learn how abbvie could help you save. if you own a tesla, chances are your car is under recall tonight after a federal investigation into serious, even fatal, crashes involving tesla's autopilot system. tom costello now with a consumer alert. >> reporter: the recall comes after a series of horrific accidents involving tesla's autopilot feature. >> look at me. look at me. >> reporter: including this one in the florida keys in 2019. >> right there. right there in the bushes. >> reporter: dylan was seriously injured, his girlfriend died after they were hit by a driver who told police he'd taken his eyes off the road while relying on tesla's autopilot. four years later -- >> this mentally, physically, emotionally has really destroyed my life. >> reporter: today's recall involves nearly every tesla in america. to update the autosteer function, which government investigators say is intended for use on controlled access highways without cross-traffic requiring attentive drivers with their hands on the steering wheel at all times. >> there are too many drivers that are kind of overrelying on the tesla technology. >> reporter: the recall won't require owners to visit the dealer. instead, tesla is transmitting a software update that adds extra alerts and controls to encourage the driver to adhere to continuous driving responsibility and prohibit autosteer on roads it's not approved for. in a post on x, tesla says it has a moral obligation to improve its safety systems while also ink cysting incontrovertible data showing autopilot is saving lives and preventing injury. the government began its investigation after roughly a dozen teslas crashed into the back of parked emergency vehicles at night. tesla insists autopilot does not mean autonomous, though many drivers have thought otherwise, lester. >> all right, tom, thank you. up next, it's a scene playing out at stores across america. our exclusive look at an undercover effort to combat a multimillion dollar problem. - how's the heart? - good. - you sure? - i think so. how do you know? let me show you something. put two fingers right on those pads. look at that. that's your heart. that is pretty awesome. with kardiamobile, you can take a medical grade ekg in just 30 seconds from anywhere. kardiamobile is proven to detect atrial fibrillation, one of the leading causes of stroke. for a limited time, kardiamobile is available for just $74. hurry, these prices won't last. get kardiamobile today at kardia.com or amazon. i'm orlando and i'm living with hiv. i don't have to worry about daily hiv pills because i switched to every-other-month cabenuva. for adults who are undetectable, cabenuva is the only complete long-acting hiv treatment you can get every other month. it's two injections from a healthcare provider. now when i have people over, hiv pills aren't on my mind. don't receive cabenuva if you're allergic to its ingredients, or if you're taking certain medicines, which may interact with cabenuva. serious side effects include allergic reactions, post-injection reactions, liver problems, and depression. if you have a rash and other allergic reaction symptoms, stop cabenuva and get medical help right away. tell your doctor if you have liver problems or mental health concerns, and if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or considering pregnancy. some of the most common side effects include injection-site reactions, fever, and tiredness. if you switch to cabenuva, attend all treatment appointments. it feels good to just live in the moment. with every-other-month cabenuva, i'm good to go. ask your doctor about cabenuva today. [holiday music] ♪ for people who love their vehicles, there is only one name on their holiday list... weathertech... laser measured floorliners that fit perfectly in the front and rear... seat protector to guard against spills and messes... cargoliner, bumpstep, and no drill mudflaps to protect the exterior... and cupfone keeps phones secure and handy... [honk honk] surprise!! shop for everyone on your list with american made products at weathertech.com... your brain is an amazing thing. but as you get older, it naturally begins to change, causing a lack of sharpness, or even trouble with recall. thankfully, the breakthrough in prevagen helps your brain and actually improves memory. the secret is an ingredient originally discovered... in jellyfish. in clinical trials, prevagen has been shown to improve memory. prevagen. at stores everywhere without a prescription. with with holiday shopping in full swing, police are cracking down on a multibillion dollar problem, organized retail theft. tonight, we have exclusive reporting on elite teams working undercover to catch suspects in the act. here's miguel almaguer. >> reporter: tonight, at shopping centers across the country, undercover surveillance teams like these say this is the multibillion dollar problem exploding out of control. >> we've done probably already six or seven this week. we are stepping up our efforts over the holiday season. >> you got him. >> reporter: given rare exclusive access to covert operations, we followed the los angeles retail department task force and california highway patrol. >> let him come out. we'll get him. >> that's the suspect. >> reporter: as officers swarm suspected shoplifters, who they say often work with a network of criminals like this in what's known as organized retail crime. we see these really shocking videos that come out from all across the country. why is this crime so pervasive? >> i think there's an absolute perception that nothing is going to be done because it's theft. for years now, we've been looking at mobs of usually it's younger kids, and they believe that if they do it in packs, it's harder to detain and arrest. >> reporter: the thieves, who all too often get away, can swipe tens of thousands of dollars of merchandise, taking their hauls to stash houses like this one. the chp said this makeshift storefront holds over $500,000 in stolen goods. as officers raided this home, we watched as bag after bag of merchandise was recovered. >> we've seen boxes of shoes, stolen goods, the price tags are still on them. >> there's going to be some critics who say it's a dog and pony show. not enough arrests are being made. >> it's a challenge, and i think when the theft occurs, we'd like to think we respond as quickly as we can, and we're investigating all of them. we are doing the best that we can. >> reporter: while not every city has seen a surge in retail crime, some of the biggest are with los angeles the nation's epicenter, major metropolitan areas coast to coast are seeing a dangerous spike, and authorities say current laws aren't working. >> if the value is under $950, it's considered a misdemeanor. if they don't have any outstanding cases or outstanding warrants, they will be cited and more than likely released. >> reporter: in the last few hours with undercover teams, what's become apparent and quite astonishing is how rampant shoplifting is. you pick the store, it's getting hit over and over again. the cost of these thefts, which include everyday items, are eventually passed on to consumers, who pay higher prices for the same products, but for small shop owners like mona zargar, this heist nearly put her out of business. >> i don't want to be here anymore. i don't want to be in this store anymore. how do you replace something like this overnight? >> reporter: tonight the fight against organized retail crime and the rising price we all pay. miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. and coming up tonight, he made us laugh, and he made us cry. we'll remember emmy winning actor andre braugher next. to pet food. they're quitting the kibble. and kicking the cans. and feeding their dogs dog food that's actually well, food. developed with vets. made from real meat and veggies. portioned for your dog. and delivered right to your door. it's smarter, healthier pet food. get 50% off your first box at thefarmersdog.com/realfood around here, we like to keep things simple and honest. sure do. that's why at progressive, we show you rates from other companies, even if they're lower than ours, so you can choose what's best for your family. comparing rates used to be a hard day's work, but not with autoquote explorer. -need me to help again? -no. so join us and taste why progressive is the name people trust. sorry, are we talking about apples now or insurance? [ laughter ] why is that funny? looking for a bladder leak pad that keeps you dry? when i'm at work, i need to feel secured. what i'm looking for in a pad is, super thin, super absorbent. all of the things that you're looking for in a pad, that is always discreet. - this is thin. - my pad is thick. let's put it to the test. let's do it! look how it's absorbing! and locking it right on in! - look at that! - no liquid, no nothing. totally absorbed! - you feel no wetness. - oh my gosh! are you a believer now? i'm a believer! i got to get some always discreet! i have moderate to severe crohn's disease. now, there's skyrizi. ♪ things are looking up, i've got symptom relief. ♪ ♪ control of my crohn's means everything to me. ♪ ♪ control is everything to me. ♪ feel significant symptom relief at 4 weeks with skyrizi, including less abdominal pain and fewer bowel movements. skyrizi is the first il-23 inhibitor that can deliver remission and visibly improve damage of the intestinal lining. and the majority of people experienced long-lasting remission at one year. serious allergic reactions and an increased risk of infections or a lower ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, had a vaccine or plan to. liver problems may occur in crohn's disease. ♪ now's the time to ask your gastroenterologist how you can take control of your crohn's with skyrizi. ♪ ♪ control is everything to me. ♪ ♪ learn how abbvie could help you save. why are we the only birds heading this way? ♪ [ screams ] we're trying to get to jamaica. stay close and... everything will be all right. i'm ok. i'm ok. finally tonight from comedy to drama, he could do it all, actor andre braugher has died following a short illness. chloe melas on his life now and emmy-winning career. >> you have disappointed all three of us. >> reporter: for eight seasons, andre braugher played beloved police captain raymond holt on "brooklyn nine-nine" drawing laughs with his deadpan delivery. >> from now on call me thunder. >> reporter: but braugher was initially known for his dramatic work on screen with his first big break in the 1989 civil war drama, "glory" alongside denzel washington. >> hey, let me -- >> shut up. >> get off of me, snow. flake. >> reporter: later as detective frank on the '90s police drama, "homicide: life on the street." >> don't lie to me again. this is what you did. >> reporter: a performance that won him an emmy in 1998. >> this is for all the people in baltimore. this is a town that i love. we have finally made it. >> reporter: but it was delving into comedy years later that he says challenged him in new ways, he said. >> i felt i needed to grow as an artist. i needed to do something different and challenge myself. >> reporter: braugher's co-stars remembering him. terry crews said, you showed me what a life well lived looks like. he leaves his wife of over 30 years and three sons. in a 2020 "variety" interview he said that fatherhood was his most important role. i wanted to be there through the course of their life because i know how important fathers are. chloe melas, nbc news, new york. and that's "nightly news" for this wednesday. thank you for watching, everyone. i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night. ach other. ach other. good night. (♪♪) (♪♪) (♪♪) get exclusive offers on select new volvo models. contact your volvo retailer to learn more. strict federal funding to make the streets safer we tell you about the improvements underway for four dangerous intersections in san jose. good afternoon. welcome to nbc area news. our ian cole will tell