try to tell you about their experiences of being profiled and harassed, or worse, by americans in the name of the flag, then you have to ask yourself, why are you being dumb? a unanimous decision. the u.n. security council slaps north korea with tough sanctions. a popular tourist area in san francisco was the target of an attack. and the dazzling light show over california. we'll tell you about it. live from our headquarters here in atlanta and all over the world. i'm george howell, cnn newsroom

starts right now. a major storm left dozens of people dead. at least 47 people have been killed triggered by landslides. officials say the casualties were on the southern island, a 4-year-old child is among the dead. meteorologist eric van dam is tracking the storm. also the death toll continues to rise there. >> unfortunate, the tropical storm known locally as tropical storm vinta. we're focusing in on that region. you can see how expansive the floodwaters have welcome. the population 21 million.

and the city 1.5 million. volcanos ranging from 8,000 feet to 10,000 feet. you get tropical rainfall. that type of topography, didn't take much to spell a recipe for disaster. that's what we've seen unfold here within the past 24 hours or so. i get to the aerial shots now to on the ground. you can see exactly what people are dealing with. i just want you to note the floodwaters with this gentleman, you can see how actually they've risen to just about chest level. it's safe to say that floodwaters there 4 to 5 feet. quite easily, you can see several dozen people from this area evacuated from their homes to try to get to dry land, to try to get to safety. this is the latest with the tropical storm tembin known

locally as vinta. there's storms across the southern region and that will bring more additional rainfall to an already saturated environment. here's the topography, you can see duvall city in the background there. some of these mountains towering over 8,000 feet. rain leading to mudslides still a concern going forward. 100-mile-per-hour sustained winds. it's still a tropical storm but hurricane status but the storm is strength to vietnam. that's two days away. the rainfall totals, upwards of 150 millimeters of rainfall. not a significant amount of rain but just enough to add in the topography and the extensive amounts of rain that has already fallen within the region. this is the wet part of the year. and additional rainfall. this is a big story for us.

these totals continue to rise and something that we'll monitor throughout the morning. >> we'll stay in touch with our affiliate cnn philippines and stay in touch with you. moving on to north korea. a new round of sanctions imposed by the united nations. the security council unanimously voted to put more pressure on pyongyang this in response to north korea's provocative missile test in november. aimed at further weapons development and applying pressure by limiting access and smuggling and use of european workers overseas. the u.s. president donald trump on twitter saying united nations voted in favor of peace, not death. and nikki haley discussing it. >> nine times today, we've asked

the north korean regime to choose the path of peace. and if they do we would welcome them back into the community of nations. but pyongyang has chosen the path of isolation. >> and the russian envoy said de-escalation in this case and in pyongyang's provocations was vitally important. >> translator: the launch from korean territory without warning of ballistic missiles poses a tremendous risk to maritime and air transit in the region and poses grave risks to the lives of ordinary citizens. such activity must immediately be put to an end. >> so, tough new sanctions imposed by the united nations. the impact largely depends on two countries, cnn's chief u.n. security correspondent jim sciutto explains why. >> crucially, that includes russia and china who recently saying that the u.s. arguably

making as much trouble, perhaps as the north koreans in this relationship. but russia have relations with north korea. these sanctions if followed through on, if implemented, have a potential to have real economic impact on north korea. that's the primary leverage that the world the international community has on north korea right now. keep in mind, china has real business. china supplies them with the fuel oil that they need. theengs sanctions promises to cut them by 80%. and also calls on them to the north korean workers. again economic impact on north korea if these countries follow through as said. so, potential, but, again, if that unanimous vote is followed through with action, then it could have real impact. >> jim sciutto reporting there. now as for previous u.n. sanctions they appear to have

done little to slow north korea's weapons program. knack, the north has conducted 16 tests since february alone. just this past june, a travel ban and a crackdown on north korean spying operations was followed by the first successful icbm test. and then targets the u.n. economy costing about a third of its exports. like clock work, north korea claims to have tested a hydrogen bomb roughly a month later. the u.s. president donald trump has left washington to spend time in florida at his resort there, but before leaving, reporters were hustled into the oval office as the president signed a massive tax cut into law. cnn's jeff zeleny has that report for us. >> so, this is the bill right here and we are very proud of it. >> reporter: president trump signing the tax bill into law

today. his final oval act of the year. injecting drama into the moment, the president summoning reporters after a white house aide said he would sign the bill privately. but the president making a rare acknowledgement of a favorite pastime, watching television. >> we're going to wait to january 7 or 8 and do a formal ceremony. but every one of the networks saying will they sign it before christmas. i immediately called. >> reporter: the president hoping to end 2017 on a high note, providing in the first major overhaul in three decades. he downplayed the popularity with many americans or that it could be a weight on republicans in the midterm elections. >> i think it's selling itself. it's becoming very popular. i think you'll see something on february 1, when they open up the paycheck. that's when they'll see it. >> reporter: even if he blasted

democrats for standing in unison against the bill, the president said he believes his rivals will come with it next year. >> they really want to be a part of it. i really do believe we're going have a lot of bipartisan work done. and maybe we start with infrastructure. because i really believe infrastructure can be bipartisan. >> reporter: it's an open question whether bipartisanship is wishful thinking or a new year's resolution. >> harry truman had more legislative approvals than any other president. and a record long health. and we beat him on legislative approval for which i get no credit. >> reporter: we asked the president if things would have gone smoother if he started with infrastructure, rather than approving obamacare. >> i could have started with

infrastructure. we'll having that done quickly. >> reporter: when asked if he had any with regard to the presidency, mr. trump shaook hi head no. as republicans brace to defend seats in the house and senate, the role of the president's former chief strategist steve bannon remains a major question. at a rare news conference on capitol hill senate majority leader mitch mcconnell made it clear he blamed bannon for losing the seat in alabama. >> let me just say this, the political chain is on display throwing away a seat in the reddest state in america, it's hard. >> reporter: at the white house, there was no traditional year end news conference like all presidents have done. >> all i want for christmas is to take your questions. >> with the holiday season upon

us, i'm delighted to see americans giving each other the best christmas president, a strong economy. >> reporter: mr. trump has not held a solo news conference since february. he was going to hold one, but some argued against it to avoid being besieged with questions about the administration. that question again, as aides tried again and again to escort reporters out even though it seemed mr. trump was eager to talk. and a few moments later, mr. trump with a bounce in his step. >> merry christmas! >> reporter: even though president obama and other presidents have long celebrated christmas, mr. trump has taken credit for signing a new spotlight on the holiday with one of the super pac launching this ad. that has long been one of the big applause lines in trump campaign rallies when mr. rump

was running and since becoming president. he's promised to bring back christmas again that of course it's always proper to say merry christmas. but he will be at mar-a-lago for the next ten days celebrating the christmas holiday with a break from washington. jeff zeleny, cnn, the white house. >> for those who celebrate christmas, it's always been normal to say merry christmas. we discuss with the professor of international politics at siti university. we start with the situation of tax reform, the new tax law, a major accomplishment for the president for sure. it was a campaign promise delivered his first year in office. put this into context, for us, though, given the many other controversies surrounding this president, does this reset the

table? >> i don't think so, i think it's a continuation of numerous promises. he did promise tax reform, but he also said to the people during the election campaign, especially blue collar workers and middle class workers that he's going to increase taxes on the rich. and he was going to decrease taxes for them. actually, this is a major kind of class warfare, in the end, he's transferring a massive amount of income towards society. this process began in 2010 and 2012 and ramped up. it's not a reset. it's a continuation of what you could say is a takeover of american politics and government. and i think next year, his supporters are going to be policing suggesting that

medicare and medicaid is going to be cut. >> let's talk about that, moving forward into 2018, looking ahead at the midterm elections. what are the overall optics here. does this translate as a campaign promise delivered to working americans, or does it translate as a big gift for the rich and for corporations? >> i think this is what -- if you look at a public opinion poll after opinion poll, what we see is a deeply unpopular tax law now and that it's largely seen as something transferring wealth to the very wealthy already. effectively, what this does, it continues the legitimacy crisis, with the federal government having very little to do with solving their problems. that they're very busy with various scandals and probes and examinations, things like that. but when you actually look at what's going on in terms of this

tax law that largely it's about other people. and that their problems, their desire for a better future for a college student and indebtedness that you suffer, if you're a factory worker, health and safety laws is going down. and all of this is probably going to affect the gop and democratic party and even their suggestions about the tax law are merelily to reduce the corporate taxes to about 25% as opposed to 21% which is what happens. they've kind of shown their commitment to wall street much more than they have to main street. >> during this particular period. inderjeet, i'd like to switch to another topic which we've covered on the show here, the u.n. to sanctions to north korea. with china and russia signing on. >> well china have not yet

signed on the previous u.n. security council votes as well. but the problem is, north korea is already a deeply impoverished country. half is being fed by foreign aid. as thomas bossert who is an adviser to homeland security said, effectively apart from starving them to death there's very little anybody can do. russia and china are supporting the sanctions but they're helping to ease the impact of the sanctions. and the other thing, of course, they're suggesting there should be a freeze for freeze. that the united states should stop ramping up the sanctions and military threats and military exercises in return for north korean freezing of missile tests and so on. i can't see anything being resolved here with further sanctions. and it looks to me that the likelihood of a military

confrontation, kind of a military attack, a preemptive strike, seems to be increasing on the front of weekly or monthly basis. and that, i think, is very dangerous for the people of that region. and i wonder what china and russia will see, will think about that kind of ramping up of tensions. >> inderjeet, thank you for your time and perspective here. authorities in the united states said they stopped a terror plot in the city of san francisco. what we know about the suspect's military ties as "newsroom" pushes on.

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it's what's inside isthe person who opens it.x. give ancestrydna, the only dna test that can trace your origins to over 150 ethnic regions. save 20% for the holidays at ancestrydna.com. welcome back to "cnn newsroom." i'm george howell. here in the united states, authorities say they prevented a terror plot in the state of california. officials say that a former u.s. marine planned an attack in san francisco and expressed support for isis. he allegedly said christmas was the perfect date to carry out that plot. cnn's jessica schneider has more for us. >> reporter: the fbi has thwarted a plot that targeted san francisco around the holidays.

authorities say everitt aaron jameson was plotting to stage an attack on pier 39 in san francisco some time over the christmas holiday. and the fbi agents who were tracking him online say he was modeling his planned attack on those over the past few years including san bernardino. and most recently in new york city. in fact, jameson voiced his support for that truck attack in new york city on october 31st. is that was when eight people were killed on a bike path. and then the complaint says jameson recently became a tow truck driver in his hometown of modesto, california, leading to concerns that he could attempt that same time of attack he saw in new york city. the criminal complaint also details the letter that authorities found inside his home under a search warrant this week. the letter said things like you all brought this upon yourselves. and you've allowed donald trump to give away to the jews, that's a reference to jerusalem.

also he said we have penetrated your disgusting country. and authorities have been warning about this uptick in isis-inspire d attacks rich rig in the u.s. and authorities did search jameson's home 90 miles south of san francisco and they found ammunition and fireworks. jal jameson is now in custody. jessica schneider, cnn, new york. in melbourne, australia, a man accused of plowing his suv into a group of pedestrians on thursday has been charged with 18 counts of attempted murder. the 32-year-old suspect is facing uncount of endangering life. police say he has a history of mental illness and drug use. police say the suspect deliberately drove into that busy street injuring 18 people. several remain in critical condition.

ukraine is set to get powerful new weapons in its conflict with russian-backed separatists. a senior u.s. official says washington will give the country ant anti-tank weapons. ukraine has fought to fight separatist armored vehicles. and the u.s. has said that russia is supplying those vehicles. providing anti-tank weapons to ukraine is not likely to sit well with moscow. in fact, the kremlin has grown increasingly concerned with relations with the united states under the trump administration. cnn's fred pleitgen explains why. >> reporter: after heaping praise on president trump for days tonight speaking to his generals, russian president vladimir putin is ripping into america and trump's new security strategy which the kremlin says

is andy russian. >> translator: diplomatically speaking if i can put it in two words it's of an attacking nature. and if we use military terms it's no doubt aggressive. we need to take that into account into our practical work. >> reporter: trump mentioned russia as a challenge to strategy on monday. >> we also face rival power, russia and china, that seek to challenge american influence, values and wealth. >> reporter: the document which his national security team wrote went further saying putin's government is using, quote, information tools, in an attempt to undermine democracies. there are signs this growing rift could lead to confrontations between the u.s. and russia, including in syria. sources tell cnn the u.s. believes moscow is deliberately breaking an agreement into helping u.s. and russian jets separate safely there. russia's response, america should get out of syria

altogether. str >> translator: we believe that there are no legitimate reasons for their presence there at the moment. >> reporter: only last week, putin and trump explaininged warm words in several phone calls and trump has heaped praise on putin in public. u.s. authorities are following a tougher line. sanctioning several russians under the magazinitsky act this week. and also he pretended to laugh the sanctions off in a body building video on his instagram account. but russia said the new rhetoric may be a sign that presentations with trump is running out. >> putin and his administration thought that sanctions were going to get lifted, relations were going to be a lot warmer. but we are, you know, hampered by congress. and it's not easy to warm relations.

and given the investigations that are ongoing in terms of interference in our elections. >> so far russian officials have been very careful to criticize u.s. policies but to go softer on president trump in the hope that he would be able to restore u.s./russia relations. but now that hope seems to be fading leading to harsher reaction from the kremlin. fred moscow. still ahead cnn's interview with ben bernanke. you're watching "cnn newsroom" live in atlanta georgia this hour, simulcast both on cnn usa here in the states and cnn international worldwide. stay with us. cannot live without it.

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welcome back. to our viewers here in the united states and around the world you're watching "cnn newsroom." it is good to have you with us. i'm george howell with the headlines we're following for you. this hour, we're following breaking news in the philippines, at least 75 people have been reported killed, 58 people missing, this after a tropical storm hit the southern part of that country triggering mudslides and major flooding. officials say the casualties are all on the southern island of mindanao. the united nations security council voted unanimously on friday to intensify the sanctions on north korea. the new sanctions will further restrict the country's energy access and are meant to encourage pyongyang to rein in the nuclear weapons program. the republican tax cut bill is now law of the land. the u.s. president donald trump

signed the 500-page document friday. will it cost an estimated 1.5 trillioned over ten years. after signing the document the president flew to his resort in florida to celebrate the holiday there. palestinian officials say israeli forces killed two demonstrators. the israeli military say about 2,000 palestinians tossed rocks and burning objects towards israeli soldiers on friday. it's the latest violence after the u.s. recognizes jerusalem as the capital of israel. palestinian leaders have condemned that decision. they say it's a violation of their rights. israel's prime minister in the meantime are celebrating its commitment to move its embassy to jerusalem. our oren lieberman sat down with the prime minister benjamin netanyahu in his exclusive interview to hear his position on the situation. listen. >> in an exclusive interview with cnn, israeli prime minister

benjamin netanyahu dismissed the results of the united nations vote that overwhelmingly condemned president donald trump recognition of jerusalem as the capital of israel. bernanke wasn't fazed at all. saying that other countries are in touch with israel about following trump about recognizing jerusalem as the capital of israel or getting ready to move their embassies. >> it's about time that the united states said, and i'm glad they've said it, this is the capital, we recognize it. i think that's going to be followed by other countries. we're now talking to several countries who are seriously considering now saying exactly the same thing as the united states and moving the embassies to jerusalem. >> which countries or from what continents? >> i could tell you that but i won't because i want it to succeed, and there's a good chance it will. >> president trump didn't use the word united.

neither did you use the word united. >> our position is jerusalem should remain a safe and united city. we're just about the only ones that guarantee this freedom of worship for jews, christians and muslims and the like. that's my vision of jerusalem. palestinians will have a different vision should come and negotiate. >> are you killing to negotiate jerusalem? >> i'm willing to put my position for it. they'll put their position for it that's what negotiations are for. >> president trump didn't rule out the palestinian city in some part of jerusalem. that's okay? >> there's not going to be any peace where jerusalem is not israel's capital. he was saying something stark of fact but i think it's important to say it, for the furtherance of peace, i think you have to finally recognize that reality. and i think it's happening, it's happening outside the halls of the u.n., a lot faster than it's happening in the theater of the

inn. >> you're not fazed ever so slightly by the general assembly resolution are you? >> it will take years but that process has begun. the overwhelming response of asian countries, african countries, latin american countries to israel, water, agriculture, health, security, they're just, i'd say they're embracing israel in a great way. and what will happen eventually is this embracing and flourishing with nations the world will eventually get to that. it will take time. >> are you ready to committing to a two-state solution? >> i'm open open to committing to a solution where they can govern themselves. that's always been my position. >> a state of palestine next to the state of israel. >> depends on what that is.

>> with whatever qualifications you want to. >> well, they say that's not a state. they start saying that. so, rather than dealing in brands, in naming, i'm just saying here are the conditions we need. the most important conditions that we need for an effective sustainable peace for both palestinians and israelis and for the region is a situation where israel has overriding security control. >> what happens next, from the big picture, whether the u.s. or russia or other countries what happens next? >> i think first of all, you're going to see the continuing trend of israel's increasing ties with the many countries in the world. that's happening, i think if we can get the hearts of the people. we already have the minds i think of many of the governments, if we can get the hearts of the people, that's cause for hope. and i think that's the highway to peace. >> meanwhile palestinian president mahmoud abbas is in paris meeting with the french president where he said he

rejects any role for the u.s. in a peace process because he no longer sees the u.s. as an honest broker between israels and palestinians. that actually plays in netanyahu's head because they can commit to the peace process without the fear of having to make any concessions. oren liebermann, cnn, jerusalem. >> oren with that exclusive interview, thank you. for more on the situation, let's bring in our guest. a national security and foreign policy analyst joining from los angeles. first of all, benjamin netanyahu told our oren liebermann, that president trump simply acknowledged the fact that jerusalem is israel's capital, and there can be no peace where that is not the case. in the meantime, the palestinian authority president mahmoud abbas said it will no longer accept the united states as a mediator in the peace process because of this decision on jerusalem. so, the question to you, where does that leave the united states at this point where

israel says there's no peace without jerusalem as the capital and abbas says they don't want the u.s. in the peace process? >> and that's exactly why every president before president trump tried to stay away from this issue. now, let's be honest and put things into context. every american presidential candidate, every nominee from every major party has always, has always agreed to accept and recognize jerusalem as a capital of the state of israel. but when every one of those candidates from reagan to bush the father, to clinton, to bush the son, to either party and election came to the white house, they real ice now as president now at the white house, they have a great duty to try to be at least somewhat of an honest mediator between the palestinians and israelis. secondly, the issue of jerusalem being recognized as the capital

of israel has always been an issue of final status. final stats tuesday meaning that the very last stages of negotiations with the palestinians and israelis finally reach an agreement, then the president of the united states recognized jerusalem as the capital. >> so, as you point out, it was a official status issue, but now, the question as you indicate indicate has the united states given something away without really getting anything in return, as far as pushing that peace process forward. let's talk about nikki haley's speech on thursday. she said that the jerusalem decision is what the american people want us to do. that's the quote. but take a look at the latest cnn polling on this. it shows americans evenly divided on that issue. 44% approve. 45% disapprove. 11% unsure, looking at these numbers. does that surprise you at all? >> it doesn't, no. the country is very polarized

and it's very divided. that division shows itself not only in domestic policy and domestic politics. but also in our view and approach towards foreign policy. i think the vast majority of american people are very pro-israel, there's no doubt about it at least compared to other western democracies. americans let's say compared to australiians and others are the most pro-israeli population in the western world. but americans would also like to see a certain resolution. and a peaceful solution to this ongoing conflict. now, there are pockets within the u.s. population perhaps amongst the evangelical religious rites that have motives for supporting israel. for them, any sort of a peace deal sort of israel taking over from the mouth of the euphrates would be a biblical disaster. all you have to do is look at

new york, atlanta, milwaukee, you several so much right organizations, jewish and secular that are pro-israel and pro-peace. they want to make sure that, "a," a long lasting pro-state solution can occur between the israelis and palestinians because that is the only way we can guarantee the long-term survival security and safety and prosperity of israel. because just look at the numbers you cannot have a small jewish state constantly threatened by an ocean to the left of it, to the west, and surrounded to enemies or neighbors that are very, very, very hostile to it. so, there has to some long-lasting solution. and a long-lasting peace that has to go through a two-state solution. and that has to be something that the palestinians will be somewhat happy with. >> we appreciate your

perspective on all of this. thank you so much. >> pleasure. and still ahead this hour, the world braces for another potential threat from the north korean regime, one that pyongyang claims it doesn't have. stay with us. who's stared down the best in her sport. but for both of them, the most challenging opponent was... pe blood clots in my lung. it was really scary. a dvt in my leg. i had to learn all i could to help protect myself. my doctor and i choose xarelto® xarelto®... to help keep me protected. xarelto® is a latest-generation blood thinner... ...that's proven to treat and reduce the risk of dvt and pe blood clots from happening again. in clinical studies, almost 98% of patients on xarelto® did not experience another dvt or pe. here's how xarelto works. xarelto® works differently. warfarin interferes with at least six blood-clotting factors. xarelto® is selective... ...targeting just one critical factor, interacting with less of your body's natural blood-clotting function. don't stop taking xarelto® without talking to your doctor

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welcome back to "cnn newsroom." back to north korea now which has long bragged about its nuclear missile program. it parades missiles through the streets of its capital. but now, it's denying the existence of a biological weapons program. our brian todd looks into this. >> reporter: kim jong-un's regime. and president trump is upset about the national security strategy with a mill program able to kill, quote, millions of americans with nuclear weapons a threat that trump promises to

counter. >> it will be taken care of. we have no choice. but now, kim's regime is firing back with its own accusation. but the quote gang of trump is seeking to invade and control north korea by starting a nuclear war, all of this just weeks before the winter olympics start in south korea. >> we're already in a place of heightened tensions over it's past year. i think when we look at the olympics and beyond the olympics, especially when the united states begins its march in april time frame the expectations are high. >> reporter: but saying kim's regime is nuclear weapons. south korea reports cited by harvard university saying north korea has 13 types of biological agents which can it weaponize within ten days in kim decides to do that. the report says smallpox could

be what would be deployed. could anthrax be deployed and could it work and kill a lot of people? >> yes, the soviet union did have warheads designed for biological weapons long-range missiles like the ss-18, but it's really not necessary. you could deliver an anthrax attack in miami or new york covertly and strategic impact and kill tens of thousands of people. >> reporter: it's impossible to determine because it's regime is difficult to penetrate. and they've been wrong about biological weapons in the past including in the runup to the iraq war. still, experts who study north korea point to what they say is troubling evidence, including this photograph from two years ago as kim tour the biological

institute which north koreans say trades pesticides. equipment such as these silver tanks which experts say are industrial-scale fermenters capable of large scale and biological agents in a sprayable form. andrew weber tracked biological weapons for decades at the pentagon. let's say a thumbnail size of an flax, how many people could that kill with a spray? >> delivered from a spray, tens of thousands of people. >> reporter: from a sprayer in an urban environment? >> absolutely. >> reporter: millions of troops in south korea could be vulnerable to that kind of biological attack. and using biological weapons could give kim jong-un one other advantage. experts say it's much harder to trace who used a biological weapon than it is to trace who used a nuclear weapon.

this week, north korea put out a statement denying it has a biological weapons program. brian todd, cnn, washington. >> brian, thank you for the report. still ahead, a mysterious bright like over los angeles. we'll explain what was real traveling in the sky. you'll want to stick around for this. rodney and his new business. he teaches lessons to stanley... and that's kind of it right now. but rodney knew just what to do...he got quickbooks. it organizes all his accounts, so he knows where he stands in an instant.

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amazing and it's your last chance to buy any of these hot new samsung galaxy phones and get a 2nd one free. that's one samsung for you and one to gift. just in time to finish off your list. t-mobile...holiday twogether. for her compassion and care. he spent decades fighting to give families a second chance. but to help others, they first had to protect themselves. i have afib. even for a nurse, it's complicated... and it puts me at higher risk of stroke. that would be devastating. i had to learn all i could to help protect myself. once i got the facts, my doctor and i chose xarelto®. xarelto®... to help keep me protected. once-daily xarelto®, a latest-generation blood thinner... ...significantly lowers the risk of stroke in people with afib not caused by a heart valve problem. it has similar effectiveness to warfarin. xarelto® works differently. warfarin interferes with at least 6 blood-clotting factors. xarelto® is selective, targeting just one critical factor interacting with less of your body's natural blood-clotting function.

for afib patients well-managed on warfarin, there is limited information on how xarelto® compares in reducing the risk of stroke. don't stop taking xarelto® without talking to your doctor, as this may increase risk of stroke. while taking, you may bruise more easily, or take longer for bleeding to stop. it may increase your risk of bleeding if you take certain medicines. xarelto® can cause serious, and in rare cases, fatal bleeding. get help right away for unexpected bleeding, unusual bruising, or tingling. if you've had spinal anesthesia, watch for back pain or any nerve or muscle-related signs or symptoms. do not take xarelto® if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. tell your doctor before all planned medical or dental procedures... ...and before starting xarelto®-about any conditions, such as kidney, liver, or bleeding problems. it's important to learn all you can... ...to help protect yourself from a stroke. talk to your doctor about xarelto®. there's more to know™.

two, one liftoff. you are looking at the final spacex rocket launch of the year. wow. the rocket carried ten satellites into orbit for spacex customers which focuses on data satellite communications. however, that launch alarmed residents from california to arizona, when they looked up in the sky on friday evening, they saw this. many people assumed it might have been an alien. the los angeles fire department issued an advisory explaining where the light in the sky was coming from. lighting up social media many people wondering if it was a rocket from north korea or a ufo

or santa claus. elon musk poked fun at it tweeting a video of a launch of a nuclear alien ufo from north korea. firefighters are fightinged largest wildfire in state's modern history. the thomas fire has torched more than 110,000 hectors. that's about 270,000 acres. the flamed destroyed more than 1,000 buildings, officials say it's more than 60% contained by more than 200,000 firefighters fighting this fire. they're expected to continue around the clock and into the new year. we end this hour with the u.s. president ending his first year in the white house with what he's described as a gift to american taxpayers, tax reform that is now law. but for some, the president himself has become a gift for christmas. jeanne moos explains.

>> reporter: prepare to be blown away by this christmas gift. just by the fact that it exists. >> the wind whispered through the forest, i come, when the trumpet sounds. introducing the original trumpy bear. >> reporter: is this really a thing, leaves a typical comment. >> the secret zipper and pull out the blanket. >> reporter: this looks like a bad "snl" skit. >> everyone knows trumpy bear loves to go to the golf course. >> when i ride the trumpy bear, he makes my golf game good again. >> reporter: is this crap for real. >> simply style his trademark hair. >> reporter: you betcha. i can personally vouch for trumpy bear. he exists, we have one. a company that specializes in seen on tv ads is doing the marketing for the woman who treated trumpy bear. nothing partisan, the vp, says,

we'd like everyone to buy it, meaning trump lovers and haters. >> trumpy bears are proudly made in america. i'm kidding, it's made in china. [ laughter ] >> reporter: the most fearless bear anywhere. >> that's right. >> reporter: instantly recognizable with its red tie and combable hair, no wonder critics are making small hands jokes. i am disappointed with the size of its paws. one thing trumpy bear cannot do is tweet. no fingers. hey, if ted teddy roosevelt can inspire teddy bears, why can't president trump inspire trumpy bear. >> i'm proud to have trumpy bear ride by my side. >> reporter: its maker is planning new design changes in the new year but it will come with. >> special certificate of authenticity. >> reporter: so you know who won't say -- >> why doesn't he show his birth

certificate. >> reporter: jeanne moos, cnn, new york. >> well, there you have it. more news after the break. stay with us. is this a phone?

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so all you pay for is data. see how much you can save. choose by the gig or unlimited. xfinity mobile. a new kind of network designed to save you money. call, visit, or go to xfinitymobile.com. >> announcer: this is cnn breaking news. at 5:00 a.m. on the u.s. east coast, welcome to viewers here in the united states and around the world. we're following breaking news this hour here on cnn. in the philippines, a major storm that's left at least 75 people dead. you see the video here. you see how deadly, how dangerous the situation is, with the flooding that you see taking place. at this hour, 58 people are reported missing. disaster officials tell cnn the casualties were on the southern island of mindanao. the deaths are blamed o