it's a party with pancakes, face painting, and an opportunity for kids to write notes to their incarcerated parents. florence -- their grandfather is serving a 50 year sentence. now she's working to raise eight grandchildren and she's grateful that angel tree helps lighten the load of sourcing christmas gifts. >> angel tree is the best to give gifts to your loved ones. >> gathered for christmas, the families are reminded, they're not alone. for moment, they get to be ahead. they're not just a kid without a parent in the house. there are a kid who has received to present from their parent. >> shaquille brewster, nbc news. >> shock brewster, thank you. we have a lot to cover in our second hour of msnbc reports. this morning. let's get right to it.

at this hour, the big story is a long awaited holiday morning. we'll take you to west palm beach where one family has turned their own christmas tradition into one that impacts an entire community. also this morning, the message on war in the middle east as the fighting continues inside gaza. hostages remain and terrorist captivity, and israel's prime minister vows to finish the job of ending hamas's reign. former president donald trump's top challengers are scrambling for so-called hail mary as we officially hit three weeks until the iowa caucuses. new polls leave little to the imagination. the verdict is it on the most popular, most widely watched viral videos of 2023. the stories that caught just about everyone's attention. but we begin with the forecast that is disappointing parts of the country this morning, and worrying many's. let's get right to

meteorologist who has been tracking the weather ahead. michelle, tell us who has a white christmas and who has more snow than they need right now. >> hi there, so good to see. mary, merry christmas. we are looking at a very white christmas in portions of the northern plains, also the central plains. we're looking at the 22 inches of snow in some spots. in addition will add winds, that'll be 55 miles an hour. blizzard warnings in spots. you can see where the storm is on the map. it's a large storm. the whole side, there is snow falling, on the warmer side we're looking at rain from the midwest all the way down to the southeast. soggy, soggy conditions. especially in the southeast where we're looking at a chance for some flash flooding as well. someone in the middle, you see the pink, purple, that is icy conditions there are portions of the upper midwest. the pacific northwest, you're going to be what to. we have a storm moving onshore, that is bringing a wintry mess as well. lower elevation, rain higher elevation snow. we're dry in the northeast, more dry in the south central states. we're actually really above normal in portions, or warm, i should, say of the northeast. this is what the storm looks

like on the radar. where the blue. as that is snowfall. the lighter blue is the heaviest snow. throughout portions of south dakota, nebraska, that's where we're going to see the heaviest snowfall. and generally, 6 to 12 inches of snow, but we could see up to nearly two feet of snow in some spots. now you see all of that green, there that is the rain falling throughout the midwest into the ohio valy. this isinfringing on the ohio vaey into the tennessee valley. so, the southeast. those bright terms, the reds, oranges, yellows, that's where we're seeing the heaviest rain falling. that's going to make four tricky travel there as we head throughout this christmas day. alerts are in place, we have winter weather advisories, winter storm watches, and even blizzard warnings. it is going to be a blustery day, there with heavy snow falling. it's going to be tough visibility as we head out. now the snowfall, we're looking generally at 6 to 12-inch. as we can see anywhere from eight, even 22 inches in some spots. that is where you see the pink, purples on the. map some parts of nebraska into south dakota. that is the warm side, we're

looking at that rain falling, andwe're looking at heavy rain, ly ithe southeast. when you see those brighter colors, the reds, oranges, yellows, some portions of the southeast, that is where we're looking at a chance for some really heavy rain. heavy snowfall and throughout the northern plains, central high plains, also looking at a rainy christmas from the southeast. summer white, what, summer looking warm as we look throughout this christmas day. tomorrow, we're looking at nearly impossible travel across the plains due to blizzard conditions. also scattered rain showers. that system is going to move into the east as we head throughout tuesday. this is what tuesday looks like, well and it, here comes we look at the storm system moving a little farther to the. isa now we're talking about portions of the interior parts of the northeast, then, wednesday, the mid-atlantic all the way to new england. back to you. >> all, right michelle, thank you. right, now let's go to west palm beach florida where preparations are underway for a christmas tradition that takes gift given to a whole new level. nbc news foreign correspondent melissa barr is there this

morning. what is happening behind you? >> well, good morning. i think the most remarkable part of what's happening behind me is what you can't see. as the attention to detail. this is not the place that is giving up food year-round. this is actually the home of a brother and sister duo. they've been doing this for 12 years. we're talking about giving out food to hundreds of people in the area. for christmas day. this is something that they take a lot of pride. and there is a lot of attention to detail. there is so much time port into this. what's remarkable is the prep that goes into it. so much earlier than even today. they spent weeks getting the word out. whether it's putting fliers a low-income neighborhoods, whether it's going to encampments, people living in tents, people who don't have homes. people who don't have access to food on a regular basis. the other thing that i found really interesting is that when i was asking them about people who show, up people who are going to be showing up here in the next couple of hours, it's not just people who don't have

access to food, is not just people without homes, some people do have access to those things. they just may not have a family. they may be lonely during christmas. there is a wide range of people who show up, young, old, people with their kids. it's people that either want to warm christmas, meal or maybe just want to feel the warmth on christmas day. they don't want to be alone. what i also found interesting it is they have, and you can see them setting up behind me, enough food to feed hundreds of families. it's a combination of donations from the community, but also some of them, the volunteers themselves, pain out of pocket. they of course to rely on some donations from companies like -- and they have been up since three in the morning preparing some of these meals that you see behind me. i asked the brother sister duo, what is their favorite part? 12 years later, what keeps them going? here's what they had to say. >> i would say seeing the smiling faces that come through

the line. >> for me, sharing gods love. providing supplemental food to children and families who may not otherwise have that nutritional nil at home. that's what i look forward to. >> one of my favorite parts about this is when i asked the sister what started this, all she said is that it started as the typical mother response. she wanted to teach her daughters the act in the art of giving back to the community. particularly on a day that is centered around exactly that. when you see behind me are the props for what they expect to be roughly anywhere between three and 400 people. just in case they have enough plates for 600 people. we're going to be live all day, seen how the turnout is, talking to people who are showing up, really capturing the spirit of giving today. >> it is such as selfless, beautiful thing to do any day, especially christmas day.

alyssa bharara, thank you. now to a christmas blessing from pope francis this morning, in a short while, ago greeting crowds in st. peters square for his blessing, his main message was pleading for peace around the world. he specifically named a few conflicts in armenia, asha barr, john sudan, and ukraine. by far the strongest message was to israel. saying he looks to baby chases his birthplace with sorrow and silence. he is asking for peace. the what israel's prime minister's promise sane as world leaders call for relief in the war with hamas. plus, what happened to alexei navalny. he was just found in russia after going missing for weeks. the will tell you what 2024 republican hopefuls are planning in the new year to close the gap in the polls with donald trump. don't go away, we're back in 60 seconds. 6 seconds.

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israel this morning. that is the message from prime minister benjamin netanyahu. he says israel has no choice but to continue to fight. that is despite growing calls for scaled back operations. meanwhile, the world health organization says that saw a q tongue or in gaza, as the humanitarian crisis in the region remains graham. let's bring in nbc news correspondent, jay gray. good morning. tell us what is the latest inside gaza right now. >> yes, jessica, you can hear the prayer just over my shoulder. this is outside the old city here. we know the prime minister benjamin netanyahu visited troops on the north end of the gaza trip today. telling them, as you said earlier, this fight is nowhere near over. they will continue until hamas is eliminated. that is intensified on the southern edge of gaza. troops are uncovering to trying to exploit command and control centers for hamas.

working to expose the tunnel network there as well. we know that there has been at least 72 according to the hamas -run palestinian health ministry in one of the refugee camps to the south. the idf says that they are reviewing reports of an incident in that area. >> jay, we know netanyahu's wife, sarah, sent letters to the pope and other leaders around the world over the weekends. she is asking for help on hostage negotiations. where do things there stand this morning? >> well, unfortunately, it appears that the talks have completely fallen apart their. there is no bargaining table at this point, according to -- who are serving as the metoo ureys in all of the discussions. the u.s. is pushing for both sides to come to the table, but hamas is said, until there is a cease to the fighting, until the firing stops, they will not

return to the table. they will not talk about releasing hostages while israel has said repeatedly that they won't stop fighting until all of the hostages are released. that back and forth has left 129 hostages still inside of gaza on this christmas day. there's a lot of people on the outside pushing for their release. >> a lot of desperate families around the situation. jay gray, thank you. i want to bring in former cia officer, paul opera. smart, good morning. what needs to happen for another pause in fighting to make way for those negotiations? >> good morning, jess. well something's happened over the last several days. i think this does give room for optimism. the hostage negotiations have shifted from the qataris to the egyptians. that is significant. the egyptians put forth a proposal. it looks like it's been rejected by hamas. it is the idea of israel's oldest arab ally, egypt, who

they trust much more so than the batteries. the egyptians, of course, have direct contact inside gaza, with the hamas military. when in some sense, that kind of ground of hostage negotiations back the egypt, it is something significant. there was a lot of these negotiations that remain to be seen in terms of both sides not been please. i think there is some. hope again, let's just go back to the basic foundations. there is enormous pressure on the israeli government, from the hostages families, from the israeli people to get the hostages. back that is something that sacrosanct to israelis. there might be some help down the line on this issue. >> on that note, mark. netanyahu, we know, is intensify military operations despite these growing calls to scale things back. how do you see this playing out on the world stage? >> this is a problem. so ultimately, the united states has a deal with israel. that we're going to give the israeli room to keep going. to continue in their efforts.

we're going to give them this runway. in return, it is well as to do two things. open quarters for humanitarian aid. looks like they did that with the new border open. the second parties to adjust tactics and not helped the united states is called indiscriminate bombings. these rallies don't like that. ultimately, to change their tactics. what happened today with reports of over 70 cult is going to cause some consternation within the u.s. administration as we are trying to get israel to buy more time. the events of today with pretty significant loss of civilian life. that's not going to be helpful. >> mark, we know the idf yesterday said that it has just demolished a hamas tunnel network. talk about the scale of this tunnel under gaza, this picture of what this means. >> sure, this is the target of the idf right now. the tunnel network is with the hamas leadership, it's believed to be in hiding in the south near khan younis.

it's also were hostages are located. this is the lifeblood of hamas. so the israelis really are focusing on this. you, know i think that that ultimately, what's going to come out after this, you, know after they report is that a tunnel network of hundreds of miles that, you know, the israelis have a point, here this cost probably millions for hamas to build. a lot of that money could have been, obviously, gone to helping the people of gaza prewar. hamas used it to construct this tunnel networks. this is the focus that the idf military activity across the gaza strip, certainly on the south. >> do we know how many tunnels there are like this? >> sure, there are apparently hundreds of kilometers worth of tunnels. the idf has selectively been releasing to the media footage, what the their forces going down, drones, they have the specialized units that they have dogs going in tunnels. the paradox, the conundrum they

face his they want to destroy the tunnel networks, but they have to be very careful that to not kill the remaining hostages who are bleak to be located there. that relies on solid intelligence, operations uncovering intelligence, to go to certain areas, but ultimately, this is their focus. i think that you're going to see this, particularly in the days and weeks to come as the u.s. calls for more targeted raids, tackles, strikes. >> such a delicate process. thank you so much. turning now to russia where vladimir putin's number one critic, alexei navalny, has been located up to 20 days off the grid. let's bring in nbc news foreign correspondent, ali arouzi. ali, good, morning what can you tell us about this? >> good morning. according to navalny spokes man, he has been found, he's alive. he's in a penal colony and northern russia. navalny went missing early in

december, the six to december, and his team, his lawyers, and activists that support him and had absolutely no contact with him until this morning. they were fearing the worst, but they say that he is now showing up in this penal colony. it's in the north of russia. they say that it's no coincidence that navalny went missing in early december. right, a few days after he went missing, vladimir putin gave his intentions to run in the upcoming elections. navalny supporters say that putin, the kremlin's inner circle, they just don't want such an outspoken critic of the kremlin having a voice when he wants to run in another election. so navalny's people are saying that he is now in the eye cat three penal colony. that is the north most penal colony in russia, in the siberia. it's known for an extraordinarily harsh

conditions. that's a very difficult place to get to. it's very difficult for people to come and see him there. communication at that penal colony is also very difficult. apparently it's a place where no letters can even be sense. they're saying that this is intentional. they say that this is how the kremlin silences its critics. it sends them to very remote places where they can't have contact with their supporters, or other people. where they have to live under extraordinarily harsh conditions. at least they're saying that he has been found alive, and that he's doing well. jess. >> ali, is there any reaction from the kremlin on this this morning? >> no, the kremlin has stayed quiet on this issue. in fact, the russian supreme court, up until we were going up has still been saying that they know about his whereabouts. they added attention to this.

i have to add, it's not uncommon for prisoners in russia, when they're being transferred from one penal colony to another, to have total radio silence, it's a very long process and people lose contact with them once they've gone from one person to another. that seems to be the case with navalny. >> aly rousey, reporting live for, us ali, thank you. coming up, the latest on the shrinking presidential primary field. looming questions about gop loyalty to donald trump. d trump. a better plan is verizon. it starts at 25 dollars a line. (dad) did you say 25 dollars a line? (sister) and save big on things we love, like netflix and max! (dad) oh, that's awesome (mom) spaghetti night -- dinner in 30 (dad) oh, happy day! (vo) a better plan to save is verizon. it starts at $25 per line guaranteed for 3 years and get both netflix and max for just $10/mo. only on verizon. narrator: time is running out to give a year-end gift like no other, a gift that can help st. jude children's

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and with this election year, a busy calendar. we are just weeks away from the iowa caucuses. a little less than a month from the month's first primary in new hampshire. this, morning six republican hopefuls are clinging to their shot at the nomination despite former president donald trump's consistently largely'd. nbc 2024 campaign joins us from new hampshire, with the latest. in the state of the race. emma, the latest college poll shows trump with a massive lead over his republican competitors in new hampshire right now. how are the rest of the gop hopefuls working to close this gap? >> hey there jessica, merry christmas to you. the key here in new hampshire is those undeclared voters.

an voters in new hampshire is someone who can vote in either the republican or the democratic primary. they make up about 40% of the electorate here in new hampshire. a lot of moderate campaigns do like to try to build a broad tent and reach out to those voters. when i wish it to the nikki haley campaign, who as you mentioned, is doing well in the polls here, relatively, she says that she is in striking distance of donald trump. her campaign says that they are reaching out to everyone. a super pac that's backing nikki haley as planning to spend $1 million here over the course of the next month to directly contact 200,000 undeclared voters. they say, a 15 to 30,000 of those voters show up on election day, it will leave nikki haley the momentum to go on and do well in south carolina, michigan, and take her to super tuesday, making her true competitor to donald trump. jessica. >> emma, is there any world where we see these candidates working together to consolidate

their support behind one candidate to try to beat trump? >> it's a great question, jessica. it's actually a question that a lot of voters here are asked gain. one candidate in particular. that candidate is chris christie. he likes to joke is the flavor of the month every time someone asks them, take a listen to what he told one voter at a meeting agreed on thursday. >> if he's really against trump, show me. show me. don't hedge. if you show me, maybe i have something to think about. but if you don't show me, i've got nothing to think about. i'm not doing this in order to get in league with someone who will be in legal trump. >> so what chris christie was asked again the supporters who were there, or the person who asked that question, rather, was to show him when nikki haley has attacked and stood up to donald trump. chris christie is really in

this race to be the person who is talking it out against donald trump. that puts nikki haley and a bit of a catch 22. in new hampshire, they both attract these independent voters who might even leave democrat, but know that this republican primary is high stakes. if she starts talking out about trump, she might lose voters who are republicans, who like trump's policies. and she doesn't start talking about trump, it seems that chris christie is going to be stain in this race. jessica. >> it is a bit of a catch 22 for her. nbc news, thank you. senior political correspondent, tara -- joins us now. along with nbc contributor, victoria defrancesco. great to see you both. merry christmas. the latest nbc poll puts biden's approval rating at 40%. this is four points below obama, at the stage in his presidency. five points below trump. victoria, i'll start with you, if you are working with the biden campaign right now, would

you be concerned? >> so you are absolutely going to be concerned, but i think we have an issue of comparing apples to oranges. i know we like to go back and look at where this is. think about our world during the obama administration. and it was so incredibly different. especially the first obama adminiration. think about what's happening not just domestically here, but also internationally. i give a lot of pause when we start making those comparisons but look at where we were during this, laura boma. that been sad, these really did dictate what the democrats need to be doing and the interim. there is quite a bit of time left. that we can as with black voters, latino voters, young voters, it gives me pause. i think that this is really where the democratic party needs to lean on an

infrastructure, and lean on affiliated organizations. to help mobilize, and reengage those voters torealize what the gravity of this upcoming election means. we >> know is biden support has stepped, trump space has remained steadily behind him. tara, why do you think that is? >> trump is a cult leader. he has followers who are not going to leave him despite, you know, economic deficiency, his electability challenges. the fact that he has a number of court cases that could possibly disqualify him from being on the ballot, and also this could ultimately end with putting him in federal prison. it's a different kind of relationship that these voters have a trump in the, voters have with joe biden. he doesn't have that kind of tribal following, he doesn't have the kind of loyalty that donald trump has. i also think that there is a little bit of nostalgia for donald trump right now, because at this point, his presidency, the economic indicators are a lot better.

people were feeling better about their pocketbooks, their wallets, they felt like they had more money in terms of kitchen table issues. even though there was a lot of chaos around the trump administration. obviously, joe biden has had to deal with inflation, and many people aren't feeling the effects of what he's been working on in terms of inflation reduction act. there is still time, but i don't think the democrats and, washington park uledi those close to him in the white house on the campaign, should be dismissing these polls. if anything, there should be showing their voters the polls and saying we really need you to get out. this is not looking good. this is going to be a tight election. they should be heading the drum. younger voters, they might be looking at third party candidates right now as a protest joe biden, because they're not just angry about theeconomic conditions, they're also angry about the war in israel, and they side with the palestinians. >> as you both have mentioned, one of biden's biggest issues in recent weeks has been from the young voters unhappy with

his handling of the israel-hamas war. victoria, we are now almost three months into this war, how can biden win back this young vote? >> right. there is so much uncertainty revolving thus, because even though the united states is a major ally of israel, is a major global player, we don't know what exactly is going to happen yet. so what the biden presidency, the biden administration needs to do, is reconnect with these voters. highlight their narratives. why are they involved. the historical context is so important, why are we spending money and these global, and these global actions. they need to connect. i think instead of retreating, that we're losing the support, it's going out and being a front about why the u.s. is doing what is doing, and what is behind it.

>> so we know trump is expected in court in 2024 with his election interference trials. we're also expecting a verdict in his new york civil fraud trial by the end of january. how is biden's camp trying to capitalize on his likely opponents legal troubles. terrell, give that to you. >> you, know that's a really difficult question. i don't think they've actually map that out quite yet. it's really hard because every time he's standing in front of court, or on truth social, or whatever he's holding, and you, know a rally, press conference, six that are at, he's blaming the biden justice department for whatever legal cases coming before him. whether it's a special counsel who was appointed, not outside of the doj, or it's, sasha elected attorney general in another state that's going after donald trump. he saying i'm a political dissidents and the biden administration. this is all a way to basically engage in election interference. i think the biden white house, i haven't seen anything yet,

but they haven't come up with an answer to that yet. they haven't come up with an offense yet. i think we'll see that more in 2024, but for now, it's been pretty much no comments, or you know, they deny, it disputed, but they haven't taken up the stance he had on trump's attacks. i think it's going to get more real, and they're going to be more offensive in the next year. it's going to be part of the campaign trail,. >> great insight for both of you. thank you. you'll be back with us later this hour. up next on msnbc, staying on top of your health is solid a season. nbc medical contributor, gupta, has more on what we can all do to safeguard ourselves and our love funds this winter. funds this winter

there is a lot of information out there. hamas is a terrorist group oppressing the palestinian people.

hamas refused a continued ceasefire, a continued pause in fighting and more aid from israelis in exchange for just freeing more hostages. instead, hamas resumed attacks. not to protect the palestinian people or obtain peace, only to destroy israel. we must stand against hamas and stand with palestinians and israelis for basic human rights. he hits his mark —center stage—and is crushed by a baby grand piano. you're replacing me? customize and save with liberty bibberty. he doesn't even have a mustache. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ [group laughing] admit it. you use my old spice body wash. i'm not letting hotel soap. near my skin. it's the lavender and mint for me. let me get that, savannah, if you don't get your moisturized hands off my body wash.

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anything else this holiday season, and you are definitely not alone. the cdc is warning that the flu and covid infections have been rising, and it could spike even more over the holidays. let's bring in nbc news medical contributor, doctor van gupta. doctor, great to have you. i love have everyone in my house for the holidays, but i am so worried that everyone's going to get sick after. how much of a covid and flu spike are we expecting the season? >> well, merry christmas. thank you for having me. this is a time when it's important for all of us to know our body. especially a four medically

higher risk. there is a lot of covid-19, flu, other respiratory viruses like rsv everywhere. we're not testing enough frankly to know, but it's a lot. we're seeing hospital strain in parts of california and elsewhere in the southeast united states. it's important to be vigilant, and if you're medically high-risk, you're feeling on, well it's critical to seek medical attention. if you don't have health care insurance, you don't have a primary care doctor, there are free telehealth services like test to treat dot o r g. you can actually get seen by medical professional and evaluate edge. early diagnosis is critical. >> when it comes to things like covid, flu, cold, rsv, how is this year compared to previous years? >> you, no we're seeing here is that flu is just beginning to go up on the spike here. there's been a lot of flu already, but we're not probably expecting a spike until the middle or end of january. this is different from last year. we saw that early peak towards

the end of 2022. now we're going to get into 2024. probably middleton and january. rsv is already peaked, it appears, covid is just starting again. so we're starting, the worth looks like it's still a few weeks away. so that's a little different from last year. i'll say for everyone wondering about rsv, if you are unexpected mom, or if you just have given, birth if you have an infant, there are potential options for you. speech or obstetrician of are still patient, or your health pediatrician for these options. they could help protect you and especially your baby. >> a lot of it is common sense, for remind us of what not to do or what to do so that we don't get sick the solid a season. >> so a few things. prevention works, we know masks at -- a grocery stores, they of course work. stayed up to date with vaccines. it's like a broken record here. these things work. we know that people are utilizing these tools as much as we'd like.

ventilation, if you have indoor viruses, if you have an indoor furnace our hvac system. make sure those purifiers are clean. that's something you can do as well. also, since we're about to have big meals here, staying healthy is also key to fighting off a virus. don't skip meals. if having a big dinner, don't skip breakfast. it's critical, especially if you're waking up outside the east coast here, have breakfast, it's going to help minimize over eating. stay hydrated. be active. stay upright, have a 30 minute walk, it's fantastic for logs. it helps expand the volume of our logs. stay active here is critical. philip with fiber rich foods at that dinner table. i know we're talking a lot about respiratory viruses and what to do to prevent getting sick, a lot of that is general health and wellness, especially with big meals during the holiday season. most americans at about two pounds during the holiday season. there are things we can do, the level fibrous food, stay active, hydrated, to not skip meals.

>> you read my mind about the potential holiday weight gain. doctor van gupta, thank you so much. up next, the christmas eve court filing from donald trump's attorney. this is what they're asking an appeals court. appeals court. i built this. and it was easy, with a partner that puts you first. godaddy. the subway series is taking your favorite to the next level! like the #20. the elite chicken and bacon ranch. built with rotisserie-style chicken and double cheese. i love what i'm seeing here. that's some well-coached chicken. you done, peyton? the subway series just keeps gettin' better.

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election inrference case against e rmer president. arguing in part, quote, before the single prosecutor can act court to seek in -- on the presidents congress, they must impeach and convict that presidents. that did not happen here, and so president trump has absolute immunity. joining me now is harry litman, former u.s. attorney and deputy assistant attorney general, and the host of talking feds podcast. as well as victoria nbc contributor and dean of the school of public service, university of arkansas. she'sback for another round with us. harriet, let's start with you. trump's legal team, and, part, claims this is a separation of powers issue. saying, quote, the judicial branch cannot stand in judgment over a presidents official acts. that doctrine is not controversial, what do you make of this legal argument? does it have any likes? >> they're really flailing here,

what's happening is they're using cases where it's not controversial that a court can't overturn a presidents discretionary act, like a pardon, or veto. that is a far cry for this prosecutor can't indict a presidents, and a jury can't convict them. in general, they are really flailing in on the other hand, there is a timing issue, and how much time on the clock it will eat up. there is other separate concerns that go out simultaneously. >> one more, harry. the d.c. election interference case is such a go to trial on march 4th. of course, that's the day before super tuesday. the entire case is on hold until this is decided. what are the prospects that will make its way through the appeals court, possibly the supreme court, in time to keep that trial on schedule? >> i would say zero. the prospects are decent that that will only be a couple months. right now, because she has put on hold, as you say, every day

that elapses is pushing back the starting date. on the other, hand the court of appeals is moving really quickly, rapid fire. they will, in a little over two weeks, still have the arguments in decide quickly. the supreme court may also be primed for quick action. it will take a little bit of time, in march 4th is by the boards i think. there was still plenty of time, not to keep him from having the nomination, but for a trial to occur and good time before the november election. >> victoria, the supreme court could be facing a huge donald trump caseload. there is this presidential immunity, case the supreme court going to play an outsized role in the 2024 election as a colorado ballots, potentially the michigan ballot makes his way to washington. do you think that all of this may have an even larger impact than with the court decided bush versus gore back in 2000? >> i mean, coming back, the

government made up three branches of governments. you, know in the past, the supreme court wasn't as standout as they executive branch, or the congressional branch. now we see it in the limelight and we're having to keep an eye on it. especially the balance of partisan ballots. i think one thing that i do want to underscore here is the court of public opinion, or rather, more specifically, the base that is that of donald trump. i'm going to defer to harry and my law school colleagues on the nitty-gritty of the on the nitty-gritty of the legal matters, but if you look at the messaging surrounding all of these issues, trump is setting himself up as a defender and he says as much. he says hey, i was trying to defend the presidency. to defend democracy. so while this may not hold up in the supreme court or appellate court, in terms of his base and

even farther apart, those on the line, those independents, those are some compelling messages. who doesn't want to support the presidency? democracy? for me, that is something i'm very much keeping my eye out. >> speaking of that base, victoria, considering the unique questions on presidential immunity and ballot eligibility, how do you feel this will play out with all voters? the undecideds as well as the base? the indictments and the pending charges, does that help or hurt him in the coming year? >> the base, if anything, it might help to mobilize them. they're already mobilized but they see him as a victim. someone who's being attacked. so they dig in their heels more. in terms of the independents, that is where the election is going to be decided. i think it comes down to seeing whether for some of these

independents, that the word of the law depending on what comes down from the court, really helps tip them over or if they're looking more at what's going on in the democratic camp and with biden. so for really right now, it's a toss up. >> harry and victoria, thank you so much for joining us today. >> up next from beyonce and blue ivy to ufo hearings and barbie, we're taking a look back at the moments that had everyone buzzing online and irl in 2023. buzzing online and irl in 2023 t! (mom) a better plan to save is verizon! (vo) that's right! plans start at $25 per line guaranteed for 3 years. only on verizon.

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at the top of the list of the stars and stories everyone was talking about online in 2023, probably not too much of a shock here. it's taylor swift. her year of sold out shows, football stadium appearances and new boyfriend buzz caused a frenzy of online clicks but did you know there were other stories americans couldn't get enough of, too. savannah sellers takes a look at the moments this year that had uz us americans buzzing. >> it was a year of trends. >> i don't have anything big planned. >> so cool. >> things we loved and loved to hate. viral moments filled out feeds and one star stood out all year. >> welcome to the renaissance. the chrome colored tour crowds

dominated social media and when her daughter joined her on stage, we all cheered. beyonce ended the year on a high. her concert topped the box office on opening weekend, earning $21 million. earlier this year, our group chats blew up during the super bowl and not because of the game. rihanna rocked the halftime show with a 13-minute performance. revealing her second pregnancy on sports biggest night. months later, country legend, dolly parton, had her moment on social media. ♪♪ when the 77-year-old stunned while performing in a cheerleader uniform bedazzled from head to toe, of course. speaking of fashion, these red boots prompted a flood of memes. while boots are made for walking, we were also captivated by creepy dolls dancing. before the movie megan was even available in theatres, the hash

tag megan dance blew up on tiktok. and from the futuristic to ancient. how often do you think about the roman empire? and the biggest stalker. the death of logan roy, but there was one cultural moment that commanded our attention and the big screen. the long awaited barbenheimer double featurer did not disappointment. earning over $200 million. the stars in the films joined in on the fun. they supported oppenheimer. with all the barbie buzz on social, it was like living in barbie's dream house this year. pink outfits and sweatshirts popped up all over the streets and our phones. the blockbuster made greta gerwig the first female director with a billion dollar film and

2023 might be the best year ever when it comes to girl power. >> thank you. and that does it for us today. thanks for spending some of your christmas morning with us. jasmine picks up our coverage right now. hey, everybody. good to see you and merry christmas to those who are celebrating. i'm joining now on this christmas afternoon. breaking news on russian political prisoner and activist alexei navalny. he's been found at a penal colony in siberia. and a new filing from president trump's legal team over the weekend in the federal election case. a d.c. court of appeals scheduled to hear the case in early january after the supreme court denied jack smith's request to take up the issue. we're going to talk to a legal expert about where this is headed. plus, violence