Get the Black Eyed Peas ready.

2026 is coming and hot.

The lead starts right now.

The countdown to January 1st is officially on, but one year after a deadly attack, what authorities will be watching for his crowds gather to ring in the new year.

Plus, the iconic Jim Beam-Burban brand,

stop in production at one of its distilleries.

I'll speak with a Kentucky congressman

who says Trump's tariffs are to blame.

And the bold request as the man accused

of planting pipe bombs in DC appeared in court,

what the suspect's grandmother asked a judge and a decision that's now pending.

Welcome to lead. I'm Phil Mattingly in for Jake Tapper. We start in our national lead, security across the nation on high alert as Americans get ready to ring in the new year tomorrow.

In New Orleans, right now, a National Guard deployment authorized by President Trump is part of a

heavy security presence for this year's New Year's celebrations. This, in response to the

terror attack on Bourbon Street last January 1st, 14 people were killed when a man inspired by

ISIS drove a truck down Bourbon Street.

The National Guard is expected to be confined to the popular French quarter, and in total more

than 800 local, state, and federal law enforcement officials will be deployed in New Orleans

to close off Bourbon Street to traffic, patrol the area, conduct bag searches, and much more.

Meanwhile, ahead of New York City's celebration in Times Square, officials say they'll have

plane clothes officers, canine teams, officers on horseback, officers in subway stations, and in helicopters

and on boats. We start things off with CNN, Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence

...