a federal judge in texas tr throws out the affordable care act, ruling it uncount tuconsti. and nearly 70,000 police deployed in frantsz as a fifth round of yellow vest protests is under way. also ahead, australia recognizes west jerusalem as the capital of israel reversing decades of middle east policy. live from cnn world headquarters in atlanta, we want to welcome our viewers here in the united states and all around the world. i'm george howell at the "cnn

newsroom". 4:00 a.m. on the u.s. east coast. the health care law that millions of americans have depended on better known as obamacare is in danger ever dkg disappearing. a judge in the state of texas struck down the affordable care act also known as obamacare, it was a former president obama signature piece of legislation, but through this judge's ruling, a key component of the law has been singled out as unconstitutional and it puts the entire law in jeopardy. this is very important to point out, despite the judge's ruling, the affordable care act remains in effect while that ruling is appealed. what it means for americans is if you want to sign up for obamacare, you still can, the deadline though to do so is saturday night. you will remember president trump tried to repeal the

legislation before. he tweeted that the ruling by a highly respected judge was not a surprise and was, quote, great news for america. in the meantime, the top democrat in the house promises to intervene to hold what she calls the life saving protections for people with pre-existing conditions and promises to reject the republican ifrt to destroy teffe affordable care act. let's talk more about this with david katz, a former assistant u.s. attorney joining us in los angeles this hour. a pleasure to have you here on the show. thank you. >> great to be here. >> look, we've seen affordable care act survive legal challenges before. what is different in time around? >> well, after surviving numerous repeal attempts and after going to the united states supreme court in an earlier incarnation, this is actually a different affordable care act than the one that went to the

supreme court as the obamacare era one. this one has the mandate, the individual mandate removed from it as of next year. so as of next year, the judge says that this bill will be unconstitutional in its entirety because the originrinloriginal was affirmed 5-4 or upheld as being constitutional because it was use of the federal government's taxing power. but five justices would super said that it was notnot-would h said it was not proper as an exercise of the commerce clause. the commerce clause allows the government to effect interstate commerce, but it has to be significant. and so it was held in that case that the commerce clause would not allow it. and so the fear now and what has alarmed 130 million americans with pre-existing conditions and 13 million people who signed up this year already for the

affordable care act is that without the tax impact, without the individual mandate requiring people to either buy the aca insurance or to pay a tax, that those same -- they are not the same five, but that chief justice roberts this time may vote to strike down the new obamacare because it doesn't have a tax anymore. i don't agree with that analysis by the trial judge, but that is the fear that is shaking the land right now. >> so i want to make sure i get this clear. obamacare was legal, the individual mandate was legal and fining people who didn't purchase health care was legal. but once that fine was set at zero by congress, the whole thing now becomes illegal? >> this trial judge seems to believe that the republicans in congress this last year when obamacare, quote, survived, that actually the republicans had booby-trapped it and that by making the no mandate that was enforced by the tax laws, that

they would strip it of its only kochbts tu constitutional basis which was the taxing power. so though mccain dramatically voted against it and the major repeal did not happen, apparently it was at least for this judge in texas booby-trapped in a way that the whole thing was unconstitutional. whether the republicans were really that clever or whether this particular trial judge -- he is a go-to conservative judge who has ruled -- he is from the george w. bush. he ruled against obamacare previously. so he was the dream judge for the state attorneys general who are challenging the aca. we'll have to see whether it ever survives in the court of appeals and we'll have to see whether it ever survives in the u.s. supreme court. >> and we did get this statement from the white house. we'll put it here full screen. we expect this ruling, it says, will be appealed to the supreme court pending the appeal process

the rlaw remains in place. from your legal perspective, how do you see this playing out, what is the time line? >> well, i think that it will take a while. what is going on now is that the house of representatives once its democratic speaker -- to be speaker pelosi has indicated that the democrats will join the lawsuit, move to intervene in it, it already has 12 to 16 state attorneys general who will be appealing it including the state of california. it is enormously important to the health of californians that obamacare not be struck down by the higher courts. and then if it gets appealed to the u.s. supreme court, everybody will be biting their fingernails to see what chief justice roberts is going to do. and there are ways to affirm -- or to uphold validity of the aca even if the revisions that were made to it. i believe chief justice roberts

will in the end. i don't believe that the aca is going to fall. and in the interim until the u.s. supreme court might say that it is invalid, i don't see any reason why it is going to be changed. i don't see that democrats in the house agreeing to anything that the republicans and trump would want in the senate. so as a practical matter, i think that it will stay in effect until and unless the u.s. supreme court with chief justice roberts casting the fifth vote strikes it down. if that happens, all h will break loose. >> david katz, appreciate your time. thank you. >> my pleasure. moving on now to the russia investigation. cnn has learned in a special counsel robert mueller still wants to speak with president trump but mr. trump's attorneys are dead set against that happening. our pamela brown has details now for you from washington, d.c. >> reporter: special counsel robert mueller's team continues to be interested in interviewing the president. two sources tell me mueller

stands on interviewing the president. he has been constant for a year and a half. and we're told nothing has changed in that sense the sources said. the president and his lawyers are still very much opposed to any potential interview. the president's legal team have resumed some discussion with the special counsel in the weeks since the president responded to written questions. mostly regarding collusion. and the time period before the inauguration, these sources said. and the two sides had agreed to hold off on discussing in the interview. that was seen as a first step to concluding more than a year of back and forth between the two sides. and the president's lawyers had happened would bring mueller closer to finishing his probe. but we are told mueller's interest in talking with the president continues and it includes an interest in asking questions about the president's state of mind in are regarregar under scrutiny in the obstruction probe. there is no indication that

mueller is moving to subpoena the president and asked if mueller had followup questions for the president's written responses, the source declined to comments. the president's attorney rudy giuliani reiterated opposition to me on any potential interview stressing the mistrust by the president's lawyers of mueller's he aggressive investigation in their view. he said i'm pretty disgusted with them. the office of the special counsel declined to comment. pamela brown, cnn, washington. now to the president's former attorney and fixer who is breaking his silence after pleading guilty to multiple felonies. michael cohen has been sentenced to three years in prison. he now says publicly that mr. trump knew that it was wrong when he directed muhush money payments to two women before the election. jim acosta has this report. >> reporter: it was fixating tv as michael cohen explained that federal prosecutors don't see his flip as a flop.

>> the special counsel stated emphatically that the information that i gave to them was credible and helpful. there is a substantial amount of information that they possess that corroborates the fact that i'm telling the truth. >> reporter: in an interview with abc, cohen pushed back on the president's claim that he didn't issue an order to make hush money payments to a porn star and playboy model alleges affairs with mr. trump. >> i didn't direct him to do anything wrong. whatever he did he did onhis own. >> reporter: giving direction cohen insisted is what the president always did. >> nothing at the trump organization was ever done unless it was run through mr. trump. he directed me. >> reporter: as for the president's claims he didn't commit any crimes, cohen noted the critical timing of the payments just before the 2016 election. >> you have to remember at what point in time that this matter came about, two weeks or so

before the election, post-the billy bush comments. so, yes, he was very concerned about how this would affect the election. >> reporter: despite all of the investigations now touching the trump organization, foundation, campaign, inauguration, transition and administration, the white house is brushing off cohen's comments saying that they shouldn't be taken seriously. >> a self-admitted liar. and for him to say i'm going to stop lying now, starting now, is somewhat silly. >> reporter: but cracks may be starting to form under the president's feet. senator warren hatch on cnn -- >> the democrats will do anything to hurt this president. >> but this is the southern district of new york. >> i don't care. all i can say is he is doing a good job at president. >> reporter: hatch released a statement adding he regretted those remarks adding i made comments that were

in-responsib irresponsible. as for the other reality show unfolding at the white house, the president selected his budget direct are tore mick mulvaney as his new acting chief of staff. and chris christie had pulled himself out of the running earlier in the day saying in a statement it is an honor to have the president consider me as he looks to choose a new white house chief of staff, however i've told the president that now is not the right time for me or my family to undertake this serious assignment. it was always a stretch it see christie in that role given his criticism of the president for hiring family members for key posts. >> the situation hwagituation i worse by the fact that when you have family members in the white house, it makes it much more difficult and there were many of us who counseled the president, not just about jared, but any other members having official positions. >> reporter: one thing is clear, this photo showing reince priebus and john kelly, they both look. happier. and no surprise with michael cohen dominating the news cycle,

that the president will try to throw out a bright shrine ainy , and he's done just that selecting pimick mulvaney as chiefs of staff. jim acosta, cnn, the white house. and we're following events in france, that nation bracing for another weekend of protests that could rock the city of protest and other parts of the country. this live look at 10:13 in the morning. when we return, why some protesters say concessions that were made this week but the president there, those concessions still aren't enough. also, australia's prime minister says his country now recognizes west jerusalem as the capital of israel. ahead, we'll tell you the reason behind that big announcement. stay with us. today is the day you're going to get motivated...

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#. welcome back to "cnn newsroom." in paris, more yellow vest protests are planned making it the fifth weekend in a row. we are looking live at paris right,000. you see the yes low vest protesters there on the streets.

more and more have started gathering.low vest protesters there on the streets. more and more have started gathering. all of this started over rising fuel prices and taxes and from there it broad onened into a protest against macron and his government. macron tried to make rehe sessions earlier this week including canceling the fuel tax, but many say that is not enough and the people on the streets plan to be demonstrating. let's go live to the french capital. melissa bell is there with a view to see what is happening on the streets. and melissa, tell us, what is the mood right now? we're seeing this live image of protesters gathering. is there is a sense that more and more is coming out? >> reporter: they do appear to be more, but they appear down to what they were last week.

you can see there are a substantial number of police out, authorities taking no chance, saying that they will have a similar setup to last week. so 8,000 policemen and women on the streets of paris. and you can see there the yellow vests, they say that they are the most determined. so even though the numbers are down, and bearing in mind that we've seen some concessions this week and of course a terror attack in strasbourg. so the question is whether that will impact the numbers making their way out on the streets. will it quiet it down, take away some of that momentum that we witnessed the last few weeks. the crucial figure to look out for, 136,000 people were out on the streets protesting around the country last week. it is unlikely that they will get to that number, but that really is the standard that we'll be looking to compare the numbers out on the street this saturday to. >> melissa, it does seem to be a cold day there in the french capital. tell us about how weather could

be a factor in this december day with the protests woor se're se. >> reporter: and this is the fifth saturday in the row for this movement and we've seen the momentum really staying up. of course there is the weather. this is definitely the coldest saturday we've seen so far. the enthusiasm of those who come out here is undiminished. the question is whether both the cold and the effect of the announcements that were made, the call for dialogue on the part of the authorities, whether all of those things will impact some of those on the margins of this movement, some who feel that their point has been made. that's what the authorities will be looking to measure today. >> melissa bell live for us following the protests there along the champs-elysees. thank you for the reporting. we'll keep in touch. let's now bring nin agne

september poirer. let's give our viewers perspective, we're seeing more and more people show up, people determined to continue this protest, people who feel the concessions from the french president were not enough. what would you say is motivating this movement which again we're seeing in paris, but we also understand has broadened to nations beyond the borders of france. >> at you ms you may remember, trigger was the increase in fuel prices and fuel taxes. it is little known outside of france, but it came after a series of actions that really annoyed french drivers. first of all speed limits in july. and then in august, the

increased number of things that you need to do to update and make sure that your car is safe. making it more expensive to have it checked. and then the eco tax and the fuel price increased. and that was really the last straw for a lot of french drivers. the french president used to say in a different time of course, but he used to say never touch cars, never -- no french people will want their cars with more taxes. but of course this has morphed into something much wider and much more profound in a way. and it is interesting that president macron sort of concentrates the discontent even, you know, so far the hatred of many in the vests. but it wasn't even born when public policy 40 years ago

started making it more difficult for what you would call the squeezed middle. his perceived arrogance was also another trigger. so it is an anger that is very profound and the lower middle class if you'd like is having its moment. and it is very it wants the wh to know it. of course president macron has conceded as you said quite a lot. and has gone far beyond the initial demands of the yellow vests. and so we'll see today, it is really a test because the figures and the violence that we might see throughout france, we will see if the french are still supporting the movement but also

whether the yellow vests are now ready to stop demonstrating and to structure themselves because as you know, it is a movement that is so far leaderless, it doesn't have organization. >> right. >> they need to structure themselves in order to meet the government and to go to the table and start negotiating. >> and a question that i have for you, we talk about the concessions that the french president has made speaking directly to the protesters. the question i have, do his words really matter here to people who live out in the rural areas, does it matter there. and also some people there in paris who have frustration, do these words matter? >> well, it is a very good question because it does and it doesn't matter. that is to say you have a very,

you know -- the yellow vests ar. they are scattered throughout france. they usually do not live in city centers but in the countryside, they live on the periphery of a lot of towns. and they come from very different backgrounds socially and professionally. they are shopkeepers, artisans, self-employed people, they are nurses. and they belong to the lower middle class. he gave a we have good speech in the sense that we haven't seen him that humble in a long time. and he did, you know, try to speak with his heart and i think that that was lost on a lot of people. and just after his address, there was a national poll that says that 54% of people were convinced and thought that the movement should stop taking to the street every saturday and

wreak havoc in the streets of paris for instance. and a majority of people who support, who has sim path 2ympa the yellow vests, that perhaps it was time to move on to another kind of protest, something more reasonable and more constructive. so his words did matter and didn't of course for the radicalized yellow vests. >> and again, we're looking as you are speaking at so many people coming together on the streets of paris. the numbers not as large as previous weekends, but people certainly showing their anger on the streets. agnes, thank you for taking your time with us. and we'll continue to monitor what is happening in france. but as "newsroom" continues, we talk about the republicans celebrating a major hit against obamacare. but it is hardly the first time it has happened. we look back at the history of the affordable care act and the

fierce opposition to it. stay with us. you've had quite the career.

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mom. ♪ you viewers here in the united states and around the world. you are watching "cnn newsroom" live from atlanta. i'm george howell with the headlines we're following for you. legislation that has brought health care to millions has been struck down by a u.s. judge in texas. he ruled that parts of the affordable care act better known as obamacare are unconstitutional and to that end the entire plan must go. that law remains in effect for now. very important to point that out. and an appeal is though expected. cnn has learned special

counsel robert mueller still wants to speak with president trump about possible obstruction of justice. mr. trump has previously answered written questions from the special counsel. rudy giuliani says that he is against it because they don't trust robert mueller. president trump has chosen mick mulvaney to be his acting chief staff. mulvaney is currently director of the office of management and budget. he will keep that job as well. the current chief of staff john kelly is leaving at the end of the year. britain's labor party is calling for a brexit vote in parliament before christmas. this after the prime minister theresa may failed to gain concessions from the eu in brussels on brexit. downing street says a vote could take place in january, but the eu is skeptical that her deal will be approved and is moving ahead with plans for a hard brexit. let's get back to the latest

on the federal judge in texas has ruled that the affordable care act is unconstitutional. the legislation has been controversial since its beginning. here is a look back now at how that law came into being. >> if you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor. period. if you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan. period. >> on this vote the yeas are 220, nays are 211. the bill is passed. >> today after almost a century of trying, today after over a year of debate, today after all the votes have been tallied, health insurance reform becomes law in the united states of

america. >> liberty yes, obamacare no. liberty yes, obamacare no. >> hey hey, obamacare is here to stay, ho, ho , hey hey. >> the first order of business is to repeal and replace obamacare. >> we came close, but we could not get that consensus. so the wise thing is not proceed with a vote. >> people are hurting. inaction is not an option. and frankly, i don't think we should leave town unless we have a health insurance plan. >> on this vote the yeas are 45, nays are 55, the amendment is not agreed to. >> let's get perspective now with that tasnatasha, a profess of government. and the u.s. president as you will recall has promised to

repeal and replace obamacare. conservatives have been pushing to see this law struck down, they are certainly excited about this wrulin ingruling. but as a party, they have struggled to come together on how to replace the law. let's take it one step at a time. what does it mean for the u.s. president if the law is simply repealed but not replaced? >> well, for trump and the republicans that have been very critical of obamacare and the affordable care act, if it is just repealed and of course there is going to be a huge fight and appeals process and will eventually go to the supreme court, but if it is just repealed, then the republicans promised that they would come up with some sort of replacement plan. but as trump as evhas noted him health care is complicated and it is not easy to take up with a replacement plan, it takes years

and a lot of expertise. and there is a real danger if this plan goes forward, you have over 130 million americans that have pre-existing conditions. and obamacare was vital to ensuring that anyone that had a pre-existing condition would be covered. you also had 20% of americans that prior to the passage of the affordable care act that weren't insured. and so if the republicans get their way and this gets repealed, they will be in amore trouble because you have 75% of americans that are in favor of some plan in place that ensures that anyone with a pre-existing condition is taken care of. >> and this certainly, however you slice it, plays in to the president's promise that he had and of course he tweeted about it. let's pull the tweet up if we have it. he says as i predicted, obamacare has been struck down as unconstitutional, a disaster. now congress must pass a strong law that provides great health

care and protects pre-existinging conditions. mitch and nancy, get it done, talking about the should not to be democratic-led house of representatives. with this congress under this president, is there a chance that this law might find a path forward even as it faces these challenges in court? >> i don't think so. i mean the house democrats have been very as ser difference wse fact health care is the biggest issue over the midterms, it was their big issue that they were going to campaign on. and they want to keep the aspects of the affordable care act in place. and just improve upon it. they have no desire to repeal it. and to start from scratch. it doesn't really make any sense. what would make sense would be to work on improving the problems with obama care that people have, that possibly the premiums are a little bit too high for people who are young and healthy. and there has to be other things that they should be looking at

as well. the fact that health care -- u.s. health care -- u.s. government pays device as much as other countries for health care with results that are subpar. we have lower life expectancy rates compared to other countries and hii here infanigh mortality rates. these are things that could be improved upon including also lowering drug costs rather than start from scratch and come up with something new. that just didn't make any sense. >> let's curve thover this topi because we're certainly talking about this ruling from the state of texas that throws the law into question now, but important to point out that americans still have access to this particular law. it has not gone away, it is still there, but there is a deadline on saturday. >> right. and that is what people have been emphasizing, the fact that it hasn't been completely

eradicated. but there is a deadline that people need to sign up for it. and then they have to wait and see what happens with the process of appeals. and there is certainly going to be appeals. many states have already said that they would be appealing and that it would go to the supreme court. and if you look at what happened based on 2012 where the supreme court basically ruled in favor of sustaining the affordable care act, though it may be a slightly different situation this time because it is a little bit more of a conservative court, legal experts are claiming that the appeals process is likely to go in favor of maintaining the obamacare. >> thank you for taking time to give your perspective. we'll keep in touch with you. >> thank you. australia's prime minister has announced that his government now recognizes west jerusalem as the capital of israel. let's get the latest now live from jerusalem. ian lee is covering the story. and ian, what is the reaction in

israel and is there a surprise here? >> reporter: we're waiting to see what the reaction will be from the israelis, george. it is shabbat right now. and i'm told that that reaction will probably come later in the day. as far as the palestinians are concerned, they were expecting that the australian government would declare all of jerusalem the capital of israel, not just the western part of the city. but with this declaration, where the australians are recognizing only west jerusalem, that does the palestinians believe that there is pressure on this australian government not to make the full declaration of the entirety of jerusalem. and also you look at that statement from the australians, they are saying that the eastern part of jerusalem could be the future capital of a palestinian state and that they support the

two state solution. and that the final status of jerusalem will be determined through that peace process. the prime minister defended his move. here's what he had to say. >> fundamentally it is the right of every country to determine its national capital. that is why the government asked the question about the position we have long adopted in relation to jerusalem. >> reporter: s >> reporter: so george, the international community at large saw jerusalem as a city that will be determined through negotiations between the israelis and palestinians initially when jerusalem was designated as an international city by the u.n. back in 1947, and that designation really hasn't changed for most of the international community although you have had some countries make certain declarations.

although israel says that all of jerusalem is their capital. the palestinians want to sees eastern part part of their future capital. but when you do look at what this means at least for on the ground, it does show that the australians are determining the western side, russians did that last year, so it does keep that line -- the line that they say separates the east and west. >> all right. ian lee, thank you. we'll stay in touch. next here on "newsroom," police arrested the man believed to have stabbed an american student living in the netherlands. the latest on that investigation is next. today is the day you're going to get motivated...

get stronger... get closer. start listening today to the world's largest selection of audiobooks on audible. and now, get more. for just $14.95 a month, you'll get a credit a month good for any audiobook, plus two audible originals exclusive titles you can't find anywhere else. if you don't like a book, you can exchange it any time, no questions asked. automatically roll your credits over to the next month if you don't use them. with the free audible app, you can listen anytime, and anywhere. plus for the first time ever,

you'll get access to exclusive fitness programs a $95 value free with membership. start a 30-day trial today and your first audiobook is free. cancel anytime and your books are yours to keep forever. audible. the most inspiring minds. the most compelling stories. text "listen9" to 500500 to start your free trial today.

in the netherlands a 21-year-old american student who was stabbed to death allegedly by her roommate, and police found sarah papenheim after they received reports of a dispute in

her apartment. the 23-year-old roommate has been arrested. let's get the very latest this hour from our reporter in the london bureau. what is the latest on this investigation? >> reporter: george, sarah papenheim should have been on her way to minnesota for christmas next week. instead, she was tragically found stabbed to death in her apartment. police say there was a quarrel in her apartment and by the time the authorities arrived, it was too late to save the 21-year-old. the primary suspect is her male roommate. the 23-year-old man she met in the netherlands and befriended over their shared love of music. but her mother tells local news that she long worried about the instability of the young man and had even warned her daughter away from him. >> he would have highs and lows. she noticed that and we had talked and i told her she needed to get out of there because

something ain't right. >> reporter: her mother went on to tell local news that she has cried so much, her tear ducts are dry. and sarah's local community in the twin cities has also been tragically heartbroken over this. she was an aspiring young musician, her friends called her thu thumper because she was so good on the drums. sarah's brother died of suicide just three years ago, and that in-spished the young woman to study psychology at erasmus where unfortunately she lost her life. >> thank you for the reporting. we'll keep in touch. still ahead, delegates at the cop 24 climate conference in poland, they are struggling to agree after almost two weeks of talks. going to extremes for perfect skin? where does it end? new olay whips. while not equal to cosmetic procedures, our b3 complex hydrates to smooth skin.

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talks continue into the weekend as delegates meet in poland for the cop-24 climate conference. they have been trying to flesh out a guide book on how to implement the paris climate

agreement reached three years ago. the two week talks were supposed to end on friday, but disputes remain on how to execute a plan to limit global warming. nick paton walsh has more on this from poland. >> reporter: on paper it was supposed to really have concluded by now, but we are into extra time here really of cop-24, vital talks to establish the technical framework, technical terms of how countries that have agreed in paris in 2015 to radically reduce their green house gas transmissions, how they will transparently audit themselves and possibly who will pay for countries that have been damaged by climate change.flicting signals. we were supposed to have heard an update from leaders about how the talks are going and perhaps later in the night they may emerge with an updated draft text, but this is

extraordinarily complex. over 100 separate nation states have to effectively agree to a complicated framework so how they will essentially alter their national economies, how they will limits fossil fuel use with. and that has not been helped by the broader tone of the past week or so. altered by last weekend the united states and saudi arabia and kuwait rejecting a key report by likely damage of climate change in the next decade and that has led some to doubt whether there is broad consensus who make real progress. there are concerns that the final framework they settle on will be too weak, will be too relaxed and allow too much wiggle room for countries to actually be forced into openly reducing their emissions. there are some suggestions that while the u.s. is publicly actingingact

ingspoiler, behind the scenes they are allowing the work to go ahead. but there is a lot of heavy lifting to be done before we finally see some kind of an agreement if at all. >> nick payton ton walsh, thank and in the united states, a strong system is soaking the southeast and bringing with it severe storms and excessive rain and flooding. ivan cabrera is here to tell us more. >> and here is the south, days of rain. and i tell you what, the snow that fell in the carolinas last week, that is involved here as well. let's take you to charleston. that is a difficult friday. folks trying to get around, having a hard time doing so. and once again in-today we're under the gun for significant rain. a good thing is this is not going to be like the last one here that we are talking about,

big snow across areas that typically don't see that much. but the flood threat is going to be there because of that snow that fell and because of the heavy rain that will be on the way. those two will get together and it won't be a good result at all here. there is the area of low pressure there right every on the south. you see the moisture just getting pumped in from south to north. and i'm calling it a southern storm because that is where it is originating, but it won't stair in the soustay in the sou. it will held up to the mid-atlantic. and look at all the moisture streaming in around the area of low pressure. we'll continue to see the rain up into d.c. as well. so over 25 million now under a flood either watch or warning here because of the heavy rain. we are talking from charleston where i showed you those pictures through north carolina and all the way into d.c. and again here 1 to 4 inches of rainfall, that will combine with what we have on the ground which is some snowfall and incredibly not in the north, right?

across the south here and so this snow will be gone by the time we get into sunday and monday. but the way that it will be gone, it will melt because the rain will chew through it. and once that happens, it will get into the rivers and streams. and we could be seeing some significant flooding as a result. there is the rain that we're expecting saturday and sunday. and follow the track here, because i have one more threat additionally on top of the flood. once we get into saturday night, i think that the air will be cold enough where that rain will fall on 32 degrees or below and we'll get a mixture with freezing rain. the potential for sleet. saturday night into early sunday morning, if you have early plans to get on the roads, this may be a dangerous trek for you here sunday morning and then the storm begins to finally head out. this one is not heading out. we have a series of pacific storms. take a look. how about 25 to 40-foot waves breaking offshore there. that will be quite something. this is the biggest storm so far of the season and biggest wave action that we've seen no

question about that. that surf warning goes up into the budgpeugeot sound. >> be careful indeed. diamonds, yellow ones. >> i heard about this. >> so the last story is about the largest diamond ever found in north america. you see it right there. discovered in canada. a mining company called dou-- d diamond mines says that it weighs 552 carats. this is in canada's northwest territory. >> a heavy and expensive chicken egg. >> you think? plenty of people are smiling. here is the thing though. it won't be sold in its rough fold. dominion says that it will find a partner to cut and polish the diamo diamond. so many people will be pretty happy to see it. >> you couldn't really wear that, right? >> my producer keeping saying she wants this.

>> the diamond district is probably where it will end up. >> thank you for being with us. i'm george howell. more news after the break. today is the day you're going to get motivated...

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♪ mom. ♪ a federal judge in texas has struck down the affordable care act, calling it unconstitutional. the ruling could impact millions of americans. we'll have details. plus robert mueller slams the former national security adviser michael flynn fored a mi admitting he lied to the fbi.