selective service records, those don't spell out the specific condition. you know, one of the things that we looked into here with this piece to try to sort of get to the bottom of it and find out, are there any records, we weren't able to find any corroborating records. >> it's a fascinating story. steve eder, thank you very much. >> thank you. >> that's it for me tonight. i'm jim sciutto, but a big night ahead. a cnn special report. all the best, all the worst, 2018 premiers right now. /s buckle up, keep your hands inside and hold on tight. 2018 was a rip roaring heart pounding ride with the highest highs, the lowest lows. and we'll go through all the big stories, politics, pop culture, sports, music, movies and more with our guests. sports illustrated senior writer and host charlotte wilder. the stuff you should know guys,

josh clark and chuck bryant. the amazing chochky. actress bethany watson. reverend samuel rodriguez. stand up comedian vaughn dee carlo and our own john berman. it's all the best, all the worst 2018. welcome, i'm tom foreman. this year was one wild ride after another. and if you weren't frightened, upset or confused, maybe you weren't paying attention. sure, some things went well, but so much of the time things seemed chaotic, like we were trapped in some crazy amusement park with things spinning out of control. so, grab your tickets and climb aboard. this ride is taking off. >> 2018 was the year of dorothy, we're not in kansas any more. >> this year was a dumpster fire. >> seems like there's always something interesting going on. >> it was very diplomatic. >> it was. >> for the world in general, it was a hot mess. >> start with the hottest worst

story to heat up the headlines, the california wildfires, with scores of people killed, thousands of homes incinerated, and the town of paradise lost. >> heavenly father, please help us. >> oh, my god. >> can you believe that, a city of 25,000 people literally wiped out from the face of the map because of this fire. >> best realization to come out of that tragedy and some of the natural disasters this year, too, for some advocates, it was the mounting evidence of the devastating cost of climate change. >> it was pretty apocalyptic. that's a thought. feels like not a good thing. feels like climate change is real. >> to that point, temperatures soared once again on pace to make 2008 the fourth hottest year on record. >> does that mean minus humidity? i could take the hot. i just don't like the humidity. >> best case of keeping the heat on, the me too movement, with big names still being taken down

for inappropriate sexual advances, harassment, and more. >> i am all about the me too movement. >> on the criminal front, bill cosby was sent to jail for sexual assault. america's dad, not any more. >> i don't want to remember laughing to the cosby show now that bill cosby is in prison for what he did. >> a former doctor with the u.s. gymnastics team was confronted by more than 150 of the young athletes he victimized. >> larry nassar, i hate you. >> then locked up for at least a century behind bars. >> oh, god, i cried watching all of them. all alley raisman is the brave est person in america. >> you think this is hard for you? imagine how all of us feel. >> i'm fed up. never under estimate the power of people who are fed up. >> best bang for your buck, the us economy remains strong. >> i'm happy the economy is booming. thank you, president barack obama. >> fans of the current president give him credit. either way, unemployment is way

down and wages went up faster than they have in almost a decade. >> it's creeping along. it's growing. >> the big he felt retailers, walmart, kroger, costco and home depot are sitting pretty. but online giant amazon is right there with them. >> wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. so, who will challenge amazon prime? that's the next question. >> i don't even know how amazon does it. i can think about something and the ads start popping up on my feed and i only thought about getting that. how did they know? >> of course, some old stalwarts continue to struggle despite the good news. >> i mean, have you been to a mall lately, though? it's really depressing. >> speaking of online, worst friend to share a secret with. facebook. months of scandals over allowing access to the private data of millions had boss sheryl sandberg and founder mark zuckerberg leaning out. >> i think his new year's resolution this year should be to stop giving away our private

information to literally anyone who wants it. like, is that too much to ask? >> i think facebook is in a position where everyone loves to hate it, but everyone is going to go check what photos their friends are posting. >> it came amid a torrent of data leaks of other companies and countless consumers. >> i don't know what it will take to ever get our privacy back again. i mean, we're actually paying for technology that eaves drops on us. >> who, me? >> worst problem that just won't go away, the mass shootings that happened this year at high schools in florida and texas, a newspaper in maryland, a night club in california, and plenty of other places, too. >> how many more kids, how many more teachers, how many more people -- innocent people -- have to die to have change? >> another unfortunate thing is we have become numb to these shootings. they just don't register any

more because we are hit with them every day. >> some go hand in glove with the worst social trend. the blatant rise of racial hatred. >> when someone walks into a synagogue and kills people because they're jewish, there's no ambiguity there. >> and it's terrible that we're numbing ourselves as a society when we're, when we're looking at all of this stuff on the internet. >> and that breaks my heart. we have to find some maturity and build a wall against racism for generations to come. >> worst foreign relations, that is a horrific tie between the apparent slaughter of a washington post columnist at the hands of saudi agents in turkey and the poisoning attacks on a former russian spy and his daughter in the united kingdom. >> it's a shocking thing to think that russian agents are poisoning people out on the streets in england. >> if you were writing a movie and you put this in it, the editors would send it back to

you and say, that is not realistic. tone it down a little bit. >> and best hollywood ending to what could have been the worst story when those thai soccer players and their coach went caving and became trapped by rising waters. rescue seemed impossible. >> i feel like it should be made into a movie now. it's an amazing story. >> but after days of planning and racing the rain, divers brought them all out through a tiny twisting under water passage safe and sound. >> the one man who died in the process of trying to get to the boys, i believe, like the picture that they took afterward with all the boys around his picture, i was just sobbing. >> you know, stories like that are -- we really need those in the world right now. duckies, bunnies and rescuing children, just bring it all on. >> well, we're going to bring it all on in just a few moments when we take a look at some of the jaw-dropping moments from the wild world of sports.

>> we'll take a look at the shows that soared. >> i don't know what's real, what's not. and those that soured. >> i thought you were dead. >> why does everybody always think i'm dead? >> and later, the best moments in pop culture, the worst in politics and an out of this world parking job. it's all the best, all the worst 2018. ♪ ♪ ♪ (vo) you do more than grant wishes when you share the love. you give hope. get a new subaru, like the all new forester,

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god, i love sports. let's talk about it. >> in the whole wide world of sports, the best shootout came in the super bowl. one of the highest-scoring championships of all time, the under dog philadelphia eagles soared over the new england patriots. and in the current season, despite some of the worst scandals and fan complaints -- >> they're over officiating officially i think at this point. >> there have been enough record breaking accomplishments to keep foot ball america's most popular sport. >> as a person still technically in my 40s, i look at drew brees and put a smile on my face. all things are possible. isn't it amazing? >> best consolation prize for the city of boston. >> oh, i thought you'd never ask. the red sox won the world series. didn't you know is that? >> the red sox walloped the los

angeles dodgers. >> they can't go like five years without winning a world series. >> then a fan clobbered the trophy with a beer can. >> this is why we can't have nice things. >> other sports? >> basketball is absolutely the most important sport in the world. >> in the nba championship, the golden state warriors clash with the cleveland cavaliers for the fourth year in a row. and swept them off the court. then king lebron james abdicated, instantly leaving cleveland for the los angeles lakers. >> i'm going to go out on a limb here and predict this was the last year for a while that it's going to be the warriors versus the cavs. >> pretty safe bet. >> in hockey, the golden knights reached the stanley cup finals in the first year. >> there is one city i associate with ice. it's las vegas, nevada. >> but all the glitz couldn't hold off the smash mouth play of the washington capitals who took the stanley cup with a smile. >> dentists like hockey, i would

think. they seem to make a lot of money. >> best freeze out, the winter olympics in south korea. >> i love figure skating. i think it's super beautiful. i mean men in tights is always a good excuse to watch tv, wig or no wig. >> best participation trophy, give it to elizabeth swainy who soared on a technicality, and it looked like it. >> it never related more to an athlete than when that woman, hungarian woman got in the halfpipe and skied down it normally. >> best plan in the long run, king set a new world marathon record in berlin, running it in an absurd 2 hours 1 minute 39 seconds. and in a freezing wet windy boston marathon, des linden became the first american woman to win in more than 30 years. best horsing around, justify trotted off with the triple crown. worst lane change, the great danica patrick retired from auto racing. >> it was good for the sport to

have her in there. >> best kick in the france, the french team booted croatia to take the world cup. >> i went to a bar and watched it. and i was surrounded by screaming, sweaty, drunk, hot, english men, and that -- i love the world cup now. >> best way to stand up for working moms, the legendary serena williams came back from maternity leave and was still legendary. >> she is one of the greatest athletes period. so just apologize if you even put female in front of that. >> best case for flipping out, simone biles dominating the u.s. and world gym nasa ticks championships. >> and was so good that she fell down and still won. >> worst prediction, anyone who said tiger woods was finished before this year. and best comeback without even suiting up, colin kaepernick. no team has wanted him since he

launched the nfl protest against police treatment of minorities, but nike chose to feature him in their new ad campaign. >> i think that's amazing. i love brands that will get behind what's right. >> it's not about the flag. it was one of the most respectful protests ever. >> i love that athletes are talking about reality. >> let's turn from sports to another favorite pass time now, watching television. it's true, for all the laptops, tablets and phones out there, most households still have the tv on close to eight hours a day. and that meant some very big numbers for some news shows and for one old favorite in particular. ♪ ♪ it all started with the big bang theory a decade ago, and now sheldon leonard, penny and the gang are sizzling through their final season. with the best mix of comedy and science to keep their ratings astronomically high. >> so no talk of rocky 4.

>> why rocky 4? >> because he fights a russian. i'm sorry about her. >> mrs. pearson, we're so sorry. >> then plenty of amazing shows were in orbit this year. "this is us," ncis, bull, blue bloods and more stood out on the major networks. but some of the biggest buzz were for shows on other outlets. the remarkable atlanta. [ laughter ] >> the riveting riverdale. >> and you pass. welcome to the family, archy. >> which is campy and fun and dark and secretly terrifying. >> no more evil is over. >> look me in the eye and tell me that you've never lied to us about anything. >> have you killed other people? >> of course you've killed other people. >> the second season of ozark.

>> sort of brings me back to what i really liked about "breaking bad" except it's set in the hill billy woods of the ozarks. >> he's handing me over to may day kpu don't know? >> i'm trying to keep you and our baby alive. i'm helping you. >> and the hand maid's tale terrified once again. >> i saw a little bit of it. it got too real. >> reality and competition shows showed no signs of dying out. dancing with the stars, the voice, ellen's game of games. >> obsessed with the great british baking show. obsessed. >> baby -- >> i prefer something else. >> leave me alone. >> i love shark tank. oh, my god, i'm so obsessed with shark tank. it makes me feel like i could do anything. >> sold. we got a deal. ♪ ♪ >> and the best counter culture

success story still going strong, drag race, which is sweeping up awards like sequins. >> congreats to rupaul. i know she'd worked so hard. she [ bleep ] deserve this, we deserve this, okay. >> i can't feel anything hot. >> best surprise creeping around an old mansion, the haunting of hill house. >> there's a great deal you don't know about your son. >> worst real life character to give you nightmares. andrew kunan and the assassination of gianni versace. >> we can't do this. >> the chilling adventures of sabrina cast a fun spell. >> but it's dark and i liked how dark it got. >> baby, you are our secret weapon. >> and pose struck a cord, too. >> i think everyone should watch it. it's incredible. >> real beauty is on the inside. >> your colon is -- >> they did a show called "big mouth" which is about teenagers coming of age and their boupew at this and so on. it was hilarious.

>> you are so unworthy of our attention. >> captain, incoming. >> star trek discovery unbelievable. brilliant. brilliant, brilliant, brilliant -- >> wait, hold on. >> worst case of art imitating life. sacha baron cohen's who is america. >> you will drop the gun or i'll touch you. >> it was way too close to home. like when satire becomes reality, satire is no longer funny any longer. >> i support israel. i don't support this kind of stuff. >> quit looking at me, dan. >> i'm checking to see if i had any calls. got it. >> worst second act, roseanne returned to massive ratings until the star let fly with a tweet many thought racist. she apologized but got the boot anyway. >> oh, roseanne. please, can i talk about roseanne? can i have a moment of silence for roseanne?

>> wakanda forever. >> other shows faired better while still taking on sensitive material. >> every america should watch both black ish and last man standing. it speaks to both sides of political conversation we have in america. there is a happy medium of comedy. >> why would they cancel a popular show that everybody loves? >> maybe they're a bunch of idiots. >> but the best new show in the mix, give it up for barry, the hit man who is just killing it. >> yeah, make me feel really good. i feel really motivated right now. >> these are professional actors. they're the real deal. they say i've got something. >> he was really funny in barry. the funest guy of all is henry winkler. the fonz is freaking hilarious as an acting coach. >> we can wait till monday. >> when we come back, a different k50u7d different kind of reality tv, the world of politics, where this year nothing seemed off limits. ♪ ♪

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america was deeply divided this year over education, the economy, culture, religion, rights and so much more. but often it came down to one explosive word. politics. >> foot ball is about politics, music is about politics. theater is about politics. >> donald trump has pulled everyone and anything into politics. >> at this point, like you can't even say the president's name without both sides just exploding before anything has even been said. >> with triumphs and trials coming at a break neck pace, president donald trump was certainly the biggest political player of the year. but was he the best or worst? >> what a stupid question that is. what a stupid question. >> for his fans, the answer is easy. trump was the best. >> thank you, thank you. >> overseeing an economic boom, wiping out regulations they see as excessive, and hammering the d.c. establishment. >> i do believe the trump presidency is a reaction to what

many americans saw as overreach. not just with the obama administration, but for many administrations, including some republicans. >> and for foes, he was just the worst. >> i feel like the lies and the deceit and all the [ bleep ] was done to create chaos and it's like working, you know? it's crazy. >> best accomplishment for team trump, snagging a robe for a new supreme court justice. >> so help me god. >> here's what i learned about brett kavanaugh. he likes beer. >> in his confirmation, kavanaugh faced multiple accusations of sexual misconduct in his younger years, but he got the job anyway. >> i can't imagine getting up there and burying my deepest pain in front of the country in the hopes maybe it would change something and have it not change something. >> it all left democrats praying for the health of the oldest justice ruth bader ginsburg who leans liberal. >> oh, we hope ruth lives into her 90s. you take care of yourself, ruth.

>> strangest moment, the summit with north korea's kim jong-un. it produced lots of headlines and photo ops. >> we are very proud of what took place today. >> but not much else. >> was it a win for trump, was it a win for north korea? like, what was -- who came out to be the winner? >> i think dennis rodman was the real winner. >> most divisive issue? still immigration. the white house separated undocumented parents from their children, portrayed a migrant caravan as an invasion. >> people are talking about this caravan like it's this theme out of mad max fury road. >> those moves threw gasoline on an already combustible debate. >> i don't think any american citizen is saying, oh, yeah, just open our borders to any and everybody. no process, no paperwork. i don't think anyone is saying that. >> worst fashion faux pas, first lady melania trump's trip to the border wearing a jacket that said "i really don't care, do

you?" her staff said it was just a jacket. >> just a jacket? t' never just a jacket. are you kidding? it is never just a jacket. >> still, it went well with what many consider her worst interview. >> i could say i'm the most bullied person on the world. >> you think you're the most bullied person in the world? >> one of them. >> best presidential punching bag to the delight of his fans. >> i think it was a terrible year for journalists. >> trump pummelled the media, insisting he is constantly the victim of -- >> fake, fake news. >> but not everyone was buying it. >> when he says fake news, he doesn't mean that the news is fake. he means he doesn't like what the news is saying. >> people now believe what they want to believe. and if they don't want to believe it, they just say "fake news" and that's not only annoying, it's dangerous. >> plenty of folks shared that fear after bombs were sent to trump's critics and cnn, too. worst case of being all thumbs,

the president tweeted out policies, praise for friends, attacks on enemies, sometimes useful information, and sometimes just plain lies. >> i'm pretty sure he tweet ed about what my mom was making for dinner, and there were a lot of exclamation points. >> the president tilted at trade wars, made and delayed a military parade, cavorted with kanye, oversaw a staff with more orders than a pastry shop and ordered a new air force one with a new paint job. >> red, white and blue. air force one is going to be incredible. >> it all kept washington spinning. >> i don't think there is any question that donald trump is most comfortable when things are chaotic. >> i think people's buttons are being pushed. people don't realize their buttons are being pushed. >> or they don't care. >> or they don't care. but the result is still the same. >> what result? well, his conservative base found a lot to like. polls show republicans think he is the best president in ages, even as the rest of the country strongly disagrees.

>> has this administration brought the nation together? no, it has not. has it done great things or good things for the faith community? yes, it has. >> best day for democrats, when they solidly reclaimed control of the u.s. house of representatives in the midterm elections, promising a torrent of new investigations of team trump. >> if you think it can get contentious in washington with unified government, imagine what it's going to be like with divided government. >> however, they did not take the senate, and with hillary clinton winking at a third presidential run and joe biden hinting, too, even the boss was saying his democratic party is not yet ready to beat trump in the next election. >> i would not feel like that the democrats have walked away from 2018 being like, that was great. >> got it all worked out. >> let's go pop some champagne. >> the passing of two major figures in american politics, former president george h.w. bush and arizona senator john

mccain signal the end of an era, and at least for a few moments, some old-fashioned bipartisan ship. but then it was right back to the fight with all eyes on the russia investigation. a story that could still be the best or worst of the trump presidency, depending on how you see it and how it turns out. >> hopeful, bethany wants something to come out of this russia investigation. but the bethany who has been hurt before doesn't think anything is going to come out of it. >> with that, let's push the politics aside and you better grab some snacks, because coming up next, it's movie time. we'll check out everything, from an impossible mission to an infinii infinity war as hollywood goes deeper. >> are you changing your voice? >> this is my voice. >> top cops lay down some

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run from it. >> one name dominated the silver screen this year. marvel. >> we're "the avengers," man.

>> you know thor? >> yeah, tall guy, not that good looking, needed saving. >> legendary man behind those iconic characters passed away. >> stanley, stanley, stan lee, stan lee, stan lee. god bless you. >> maybe you just need someone watching your back. >> and man and is wasp teaming up. >> but what a legacy he left. >> we'll be known as x force. >> isn't that a little derivative? >> you're absolutely right. >> i'm a big fan of the marvel universe, though. >> that was a big year for marvel. >> "black panther" was great. >> what's up! >> as you can see, i am not dead. >> i'm a huge marvel comic film fanatic. i loved infinity wars and "black panther," hello. wakanda forever.

>> let's give "black panther" what millions ever fans have already said. it was the best action film of the year. and the box office loved it, too. >> made a billion dollars because every black person on earth was required to see it. i don't know if you're aware of that. we were required to see it. >> amazing movie, brilliant, loved it. >> how long before a man like that has had enough? >> this year saw more mortal adventures unfolding as well. for mission impossible fall out to the meg. >> because a movie about just a shark isn't good enough any more. it needs to be about a giant shark that more or less eats china. >> rom coms always did well. best comedy duo, kevin hart and tiffany haddish. >> we'll see. >> yes, we will.

>> great. >> superb. excellent, good. >> uh-huh. >> uh-huh. >> she's fantastic. he's great. that's a comedy team. i think we're going to see a lot of funny out of those two. >> nick young. >> you guys know something? >> yeah. >> best overdue lineup, the cast of crazy rich asians. >> it was great and hopeful to see movies full of people who didn't look like me. >> rachel -- >> it was good, like a sappy love story, but it was kwut. >> what did you do? >> they spent a fair amount of time on issues of race and influence. >> we have movies like the hate you give, which was very real about a police shooting. >> who am i speaking with? >> this is david duke. >> grand wizard of the ku klux klan. what can i do you for? >> well, since you asked, i hate blacks. >> i enjoyed black klansman.

>> some fans thought "oceans 8" was great. >> the idea of robbing the met gala was really fun. >> found it. >> i like jewelry. what was not to like about it? >> but as caper films go, the best was widow. cnn lit up the documentary scene with rbg, and three identical strangers. >> i tell them it's the story of the triplets. >> you guys have been on the front page of every newspaper in the world. >> true. >> it blew my mind. it was amazing. >> thank you, young man. >> in animation, incredibles 2 and ralph breaks the internet hit box office gold. but isle of dogs was the real treasure. >> i don't think i can stomach any more of this garbage. >> exactly. >> same here. >> words out of my mouth. >> i want to give the audience a song they can perform. >> what's the lyric? ♪ we will, we will, rock you ♪ >> and so it went from dozens of films making their mark.

from queens of old to the modern musical variety. ♪ ♪ >> hey. >> what? >> i just wanted to take another look at you. >> but the genre that really rocked in 2018 was horror. films such as ha red tereditary. >> it does a body good. >> and a quiet place. they were scary good. >> the acting is amazing. the writing is amazing. the directing, the visuals are so beautiful and incredible and creative that this genre can't be written offer any more. it has too much to say. >> easy there, big fella. away from the theaters, the music se music scene had a lot to say as well with very big hits with unforgettable hooks. ♪ ♪

>> music's reigning royal couple beyonce and jay z released a big album. >> that was big. >> have you ever seen a crowd going h? ♪ ♪ >> even as material from taylor swift's old one kept stealing the spotlight. and ariana grande kept going from one hit to another. ♪ ♪ >> but the best challenger for a new queen of pop, give it to cardi b. ♪ ♪ >> i love cardi b. i love cardi b so much. >> cardi b, what huge cardi b fan. >> i don't care when it comes to my heart, let's get it, though. i don't want to waste time in a horse and carriage. i leave it right here -- >> she spiced up maroon 5's big hit. ♪ ♪ >> i still haven't found a

palate cleanser from desposito. ♪ ♪ >> the song of the summer produced strong contenders. ♪ ♪ from a warm country ballad to post malone's super cool psycho. ♪ ♪ >> was there a song about the middle? why don't you meet me in the middle? ♪ i'm losing my mind just a little ♪ ♪ so why don't you just meet me in the middle ♪ ♪ >> but the song of the summer goes to george ezra's shotgun. ♪ i feel like a shotgun underneath the hot sun ♪ ♪ feeling like someone ♪ oh, no, you can't dress it up lace and stones ♪

♪ >> country music saw super hits from carrie underwood, chris stapleton, florida georgia line and more. ♪ ♪ >> best use of a video budget, give it to drake who gave it all away. close to $1 million to the beat of his hit song "god's plan." ♪ ♪ >> some amazing talents were lost this year, including rapper mack miller and the legendary roy clark. and there was nothing but r-e-s-p-e-c-t when one light went out. ♪ hey, what you want, baby i got it ♪ ♪ >> moment of silence for the queen ever soul, aretha franklin. >> we didn't deserve her to begin with. she's incredible, one of my favorite artists of all time. >> but there were a lot of tunes to help everyone forward. ♪ ♪ >> this year i've gotten into kamasi washington. >> i think robin is incredible.

>> you know who else? guy 2345i78d michael kiwanuka. >> you don't have mark anthony in your play list, there's something wrong with you. ♪ ♪ >> romantic single of the year, give it to ed sheeran's perfect. ♪ ♪ >> and best music video just made for 2018. >> this is america, don't got you flipping. no. don't got you slipping, no. >> this is america by childish gambino, the alter ego of the enormously talented donald gordon-oliver. >> really showed us what 2018 looked like. all of us dancing with all this disaster around us. >> get down. ♪ ♪ >> hang tight. we have more coming, including a distant touchdown. >> touchdown confirmed. [ cheers and applause ]

>> disappearing dog owners and scooter wars. all the best, all the worst rolls on. ♪ ♪

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in science, the internet and pop culture, the best way to

stick the landing. after seven months of travel, nasa's insight touched done on mars. >> touchdown confirmed. >> maybe it was the only place to park after entrepreneur elon musk left a tesla in earth's orbit. >> they put a tesla in orbit for what? just cuz? >> worst takeoff. give it to that guy from florida whose hang gliding pilot forgot to strap him in and left him dangling for more than two minutes. best way to beat the rush hour. give it to denise mueller koronak who pedaled her bike over 183 miles an hour. >> i hope she was wearing a helmet. >> i don't bike in new york city because it feels too dangerous. >> best trend in transportation. >> oh, my god, i'm obsessed. i'm obsessed. i'm obsessed with the electric scooters. like i cannot -- i want to scoot everywhere. >> worst trend in transportation. >> we have videos of people destroying them, which, you know, isn't right.

but i'll be honest, it is funny. >> best video game. fortnite. >> i don't even know what fortnite is. >> this is the most brilliant game ever. it's free, and then you spend all your money on new clothes and new dance moves. you pay extra for this one. >> best harvest, apple became the first u.s. company worth $1 trillion. >> how do you write $1 trillion? what does that look like? >> worst continuing problem with the iphone? >> oh, girl, i can't with apple. ring t bring the headphone jack back. you know how many adapters i have to have with me at all times? it's ridiculous. >> best and worst technology trend. the continued rise of robots, which are helpful, sure, but seem to be listening to a lot of what we say and tracking everywhere we go. >> do they enhance our daily living? yes. are we going overboard? probably. >> most creative computer.

the machine that scanned 15,000 classic portraits, then painted this one, which sold for more than $400,000. best human response, banksy, who auctioned an iconic image for more than a million and rigged the frame to shred it moments later. >> i thought it was great. >> i thought it was cool, but i didn't buy it. >> best picture-perfect moment. the royal wedding. >> here's meghan markle, an american black woman marrying prince harry, and meghan markle's mother is there. oh, my gosh, i'm getting emotional talking about it. >> hey, it's a new day indeed. that was redemptive. >> i mean he's super hot. that's cool. >> still, why didn't prince harry become an american? why did meghan markle have to go be british? >> worst charity case. a trio in new jersey charged with fabricating a sob story to collect hundreds of thousands in donations for themselves. >> i'm getting hit up with so

many gofundmes, that i'm actually going to start a gofundme to donate to all the gofundmes. >> best media trend, the popularity of podcast. >> it's relaxing, and it's an inclusive meet yum. i think that's what people like about it. >> best food showing up everywhere, avocados. worst flavor overstaying its welcome? >> pumpkin spice. don't take that away from me. i'm going to pretend you didn't say that. >> best social climber, a raccoon that scaled more than 20 stories up a minneapolis building. and, yeah, it's fine. best prognosis, that kbat kid, free. best beef, nickers the cow, although he's really a steer. best surprise for those concerned about plastics polluting the ocean? >> guess what? no straws. go to a bar, ask for a straw. see what happens. >> best run for it. the canadian couple in the

convenience store who really did not want to talk with the police. and worst dirty trick that turned into the best, funniest, happiest thing all year long when we really needed it. people disappearing from their dogs. >> i didn't try it with my dog because i felt like that would be being mean to my dog. i didn't want to lie to my dog. >> but when dogs are confused, it's the cutest thing in the world. i did it to my cat. she didn't care. >> don't you disappear. we have just enough time left for our wishes for the new year. they are all the best and all the worst. hiyah! aaaaaahhhhhhhh!

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mom. ♪ we're almost done,but before we go, let's pop into the fortune-telling tent and have our guests tell us as we do every time what they wish for next year. >> my hope for the next year is that we as a country can start having conversations with each other without assuming the worst of the other person before those conversations even begin. >> and maybe talk with someone face to face. you might learn something instead of shouting into the echo chamber of social media. >> that's my wish too, that we all just get kinder. just kinder. >> i think if there's one thing

that the country could use most right now, it's unity through serenity. >> we're not defined by what happens in washington, d.c. we're defined by what happens at home in our communities n our churches and synagogues, in our neighborhoods and schools, how we treat one another. >> well, we can't have barack obama again, but maybe we can find another one. a democratic candidate. please, someone, a grown-up who reads. >> i would like things to get lighter in this country. that is my deepest hope. >> i want america to be hydrated in 2019 because it's achievable, and at this point i'm not sure anything else actually is. >> i guess i would just ask for more wishes because i think we're going to need them. >> and with that, it's time to shut down the rides, turn off the lights, and say good-bye to 2018. thanks to all of our guests. thanks to you for watching. on behalf of anderson cooper 360 and the cnn family worldwide, i'm tom foreman, wishing you all of the best and none of the

worst in the coming year. this is "cnn tonight." i'm don lemon. thank you so much for joining us. well, president trump finally, finally visited troops in a war zone today after nearly two years of being in office. it is a good thing that he went to iraq. but as with this president, the comments he made there, the mess he left at home requires a whole lot of fact-checking, and we'll do that for you this hour. however, just like previous presidents, he and the first lady were enthusiastically greeted by service men and women in a dining hall decked out for the holidays. some troops even took selfies with him and mrs. trump at the air base, which was near baghdad. back at home, some service