transport you to a place that can't be seen in real life. hello and welcome to our viewers here, in the united states, and all around the world. i'm michael holmes. ahead here on cnn "newsroom," a christmas, unlike any other. millions will celebrate the holiday under extraordinary, coronavirus-pandemic conditions. also, this. >> the first time, since 1973, we will be an independent coastal state with full control of our waters. >> the british prime minister wraps up a very clutch christmas deal. finally, scoring a post-brexit agreement with the european union. and then, a little later, a christmas storm will bring

extreme weather to the u.s. east coast with some parts feeling like the north pole. a warm welcome, everyone. it is christmas day, in most of the world. but from manger square in bethlehem to main street, usa, the coronavirus pandemic has made it unlike any other christmas in our lifetimes. at a time, when millions of people would be traveling, a new restriction from the u.s. centers for disease control and prevention. starting monday, it will require a negative-covid test for all passengers coming to the u.s., from the uk. this comes, amid concerns over a new variant of the virus that spreads more easily. the pandemic has claimed more than 1.7 million lives, so far,

this year. and it is forcing worshippers to wear masks to churches around the world. pope francis will deliver his christmas message, not from the balcony of st. peter's square, as he usually does, but from a hall inside the vatican. only about a hundred people attended christmas eve mass in a smaller, rear section of the st. peter's basilica. the pope, reminding the crowd that jesus was born a poor outcast, and urging followers to help the needy. meanwhile, the world health organization has a holiday message of its own. saying people must not squander the sacrifices being made by essential workers. now, that concern being echoed here, in the u.s., as pleas from health officials about travel, distancing, and mask usage, often, go ignored. now, experts say that that is contributing, of course, to deaths that could have been prevented. among them, more than 350 lives

reported lost, in california, on thursday alone. and u.s. hospitals, at record levels, for the fourth-straight day. the covid-tracking project says more than 120,000 americans spent their christmas eve in hospitals around the country. and things are expected to get worse. as lucy cavanaugh explains, it has a lot to do with the holidays. >> i'm santa claus. he is definitely essential worker because he is the one that brings the joy, and keeps everybody's spirits up. >> reporter: it's a christmas, like no other. >> ready to open presents? >> reporter: holiday cheer, dampened by the coronavirus pandemic. on wednesday, the nation, reporting more than 228,000 new covid-19 cases. the death toll surpassing 3,300. cases on the rise, across six

states. the number in california, alone, surpassing 2 million. deaths, also, on the rise in 18 states. >> right now, covid-19 is the single-leading cause of death in the united states, on a daily basis. that -- that's how tragic this is. >> reporter: a preventable tragedy. >> more lives would be saved in january, if every state did a mask mandate, than will be saved by vaccine in january. >> reporter: and there are more dark days, ahead. the university of washington's influential, coronavirus model projects more than half a million americans will die of covid-19, by april 1st, despite the vaccine. but if mask use were to expand, from 75%, to 95%, nearly 50,000 lives could be saved. meanwhile, those shots of hope keep on coming. more than a million doses administered. u.s. officials have promised 20 million would be vaccinated by the end of the year. but they're expecting to fall short of their goal with the

head of operation warp speed acknowledging those doses probably won't get there until january. >> this is not the time to have large, indoor, maskless parties, holiday parties. this is the time to hunker down because we're going to go into christmas. so, two weeks after that, you're going to see another surge. >> reporter: despite the warnings, americans keep hitting the skies. the tsa says it screened nearly 1.2 million people, on wednesday. a new pandemic record. >> we were really torn. you know, we want to see our family. >> reporter: in california, where hospital icus remain near or at full capacity, doctors are worried about another surge following the holidays. >> we have two very large holidays, where people mix and travel. and i really don't see them or -- or the people i talk to, i really don't see them curtailing some of those activities. >> yeah. so, you're prepared for some dark weeks. >> we're prepared for the worst.

hopefully, for the best. >> reporter: the nation's top infectious disease expert, leading by example. celebrating his 80th birthday, virtually. >> i definitely feel sad. this is the first holiday season of christmas and my birthday, that i have not spent with my daughters since they were born. i need to practice what i preach to the country, and my message has been, for the holidays, we should, you know, curtail travel, to the extent possible. >> reporter: and that's a message that could save lives. this is not the time to let our guard down. you heard, in the piece that, if every single person wore a mask, more lives could be saved, next month, than by the vaccine. enjoy your christmas holiday, but do it safely. lucy cavanaugh, cnn, los angeles. now, because of the pandemic, millions of americans are in dire need of additional, economic support. but it's unclear when, or even if, they will get that support. it's all down to what president trump decides to do about a

relief bill he's panned but not explicitly threatened to kill. meantime, he spent much of christmas eve golfing at one of his private clubs. that's in contrast to how many spent -- many in need spent theirs in massive lines, like this one, in ohio, just waiting for food. but it's not just aid at stake. it's, also, funding for the entire government. phil mattingly explains. >> reporter: the urgently needed coronavirus-relief package, the government-funding bill that's tied to it, it's physically departed washington, d.c. on a journey to florida, where the president will now have to decide what to do with it. we know it's going to arrive in florida. what the president's going to do? that is still very much an open question. republicans and democrats, on capitol hill, saying they have no sense, right now, not from allies in the white house, not from anything the president has said or done, if the president is actually going to sign the bill.

democrats imploring the president to sign the bill. democrats, also, challenging congressional republicans to join with them in addressing one of the president's concerns. that is, expanding those direct payments that are in the stimulus package, from $600 to $2,000. republicans, however, rejecting that idea. likely, to vote against it in large part on monday in the house. so, where does that actually leave things? nobody actually knows. it's in the hands of one individual. an individual, who is, without question, angry about election results. without question, frustrated about whatever the deal was that came together. but multiple people i've spoken to make one point clear. this is not a policy issue, at this point in time. this is a personal issue with the president. so, there's nothing lawmakers feel like they can do on capitol hill to address the president's concerns. they basically just have to wait and see. or as one congressional staffer told me, it's hope-and-pray time because this is also a crucial point. there is no fallback here. there's no plan b. there's no secret, backup plan if the president decides to reject this legislation. this is the deal. a deal that took almost nine

months to reach on the coronavirus-relief piece. a deal lawmakers are saying has to stand. plan b is hope plan a works, at this point in time. keep in mind, this is aid for millions of americans, both on the unemployment side, direct-payment side, eviction moratoriums. but it's, also, a government-funding bill. and if the president does not sign the bill by monday night, well, not only is he rejecting a coronavirus-relief package, he is also shutting down the federal government. we'll see. phil mattingly, cnn, washington. jessica livenson is a law professor at loyola law school and hosts the podcast "passing judgment." she joins me now from los angeles. good to see you, as always, professor. appreciate the time. i -- i -- i am really interested in your assessment in donald trump's sort of mentality, state of mind, in these final weeks. you have got a lame-duck president who's not governing, lashing out even at allies,

giving favors, and holding up crucial assistance to americans. how do you view how he is behaving? >> i mean, when you put it that way, not particularly well, right? and you didn't put it that way. those are, in fact, just the facts. so, you know, i used to say in the beginning of this term, i was actually very happy when he was on the golf course because, then, at least he was doing no harm. the problem now is we are in the middle of a pandemic and in america, we're going into a very dark winter. so, to have a president who's just completely abdicated responsibility, seems to be spending all his time peddling conspiracy theories. handing out pardons that just, essentially, thank his loyalists. may even rise to the level of obstruction of justice, themselves. is really just a horrible dereliction of duty. you know, and then, of course, this is on top of the reports that we're hearing that he is becoming more irrational. that he feels like he is in a corner. that he doesn't want to say he lost.

and those are scary things to have said about any president, particularly in the middle of a national emergency. >> yeah. and lashing out on twitter at republicans, as well. including mitch mcconnell, who has defended him, all along the way. you mentioned pardons and it's worth -- worth talking about those because, i mean, it really has been a who's who of -- of convicted liars and felons and war criminals, when you are talking about the blackwater guys. and, you know, corrupt loyalists. the common thread, in many of them, is their connection to donald trump. how -- how extraordinary is what we're witnessing? >> very, very, very. i mean, this really is an absolute abuse of the pardon power. i'm not saying that it's not constitutional. under the constitution, i absolutely think he does have the power to issue these pardons. i'm saying it's terribly subversive and corrosive. and this is, in no way, what the founders of our constitution envisioned when they decided to

give this pardon power. what they decided is that the president should essentially be able to give mercy. that, if the criminal justice system, for some reason, breaks down, the president can be there as a safeguard. for instance, think about a low-level drug offender, who really probably shouldn't be sitting in federal prison for years, if not decades. what president trump is doing here, in small numbers, is not that much different from what we have seen, for instance, think about president clinton who pardoned his brother-in-law and a big campaign donor, mark rich. but it's different, in the sheer number. and it's different in the quality, in the sense that what he is really doing is saying to people who, for instance, undermine the russia election, here is your reward -- excuse me, russia investigation -- you know, here is your reward. and again, to pardon war criminals. to pardon people who engage in public corruption. you know, almost every president has one or two pardons out the door, where you think they're just saying thank you to a

friend. but this is just breathtaking in its scope. >> well, especially, when as you say, there are thousands of people deserving, perhaps, of pardons and clemency who are not getting it. only got a minute left, professor. i want to get you, just briefly, to speak to the deafening silence about all of this from the vast, vast majority of republicans, enabling him as they have on so many other outrageous things. >> i mean, this is something that we have to grapple with in america, in the next year and years, and perhaps decade. which is -- and, you know, you and i have talked about this. but the idea that the republican party, which really stood for just different policy and ideas. for small government, as opposed to the democrats, who really did believe government had a larger role. the republican party has become the party of trump. they said this when it came to the national convention, that their platform was just to re-elect him. and the idea that they would be supporting lies and conspiracy

theories. and really, just outright fabrications that undermine our very faith in our system of government. i don't think we can pretend, on january 20th, that this didn't happen. and a big question will be in the future of the republican party, and whether or not it will split off between trump supporters and the kind of old-fashioned, policy republicans. >> a lot of people wondering about that and, perhaps, whether progressives on the left might do the same. could be interesting, couldn't it? jessica, always great to see you there, as always, in los angeles. >> happy holidays. >> and we are going to take a break. and then, we will head across the pond, next, where the deal is done. the uk and the european union forging a landmark trade agreement. bringing an end to the contentious, brexit talks. but what does it all mean, going forward? we'll be right back.

♪

♪ smooth driving pays off. ♪ with allstate, the safer you drive the more you save. ♪ you never been in better hands. allstate. click or call for a quote today. unstopables in-wash scent booster. you never been in better hands. downy unstopables. after days of chaos in the british port of dover, some are crying out for help. thousands of trapped drivers have been stranded. trying to cross the border to get to france. and as if months of brexit gridlock hadn't been bad enough, coronavirus regulations are

making things worse. drivers now need to have a negative test result, within 72 hours, in order to cross. meaning, many of them, are spending christmas in that utter mess. in london, british prime minister, boris johnson, celebrating something that could help ease that gridlock. a last-minute, post-brexit trade agreement with the european union. he tweeted a christmas video message, late on thursday, saying the deal brings certainty to businesses, travelers, and investors in the uk. >> remember, the deal by which we came out, on january 31st. that oven-ready deal is just the start. this is the feast full of fish, by the way. and i believe it will be the basis of a happy and successful and stable partnership with our friends in the eu, for years to come. >> what he was holding up there

is a 2,000-page trade agreement. it's got to be translated, and then reviewed by all 27 eu member states, who have to sign off on it. the british and european parliaments, though, are expected to approve it. cnn's nic robertson with the details. >> reporter: well, it seemed a very relieved boris johnson when he took to the podium to announce the free-trade deal with the european union had been done. a jumbo, canada-style free-trade agreement is how he called it. he said britain had done and the politicians had done what they promised to do when the referendum took place, in 2016, and that was deliver on taking back control. >> we've taken back control of our laws and our destiny. we have taken back control of every jot and tittle of our regulation, in a way that is complete and unfettered.

from january the 1st, we are outside the customs union and outside the single market. british laws will be made solely by the british parliament, interpreted by uk judges, sitting in uk courts. and the jurisdiction of the european court of justice will come to an end. >> reporter: the prime minister said that with that taking back control and having access to the european single market, without quotas, without tariffs, for the most part, would still come with a potential of penalties. both sides, being able to, after arbitration, take action. punitive, perhaps, on tariffs, with the other side. ursula von der leyen, european commission president, spelling out, she said for the next five and a half years as part of a fish -- fishing deal. but she said that there would be strong incentives for the uk to

make sure that it conformed to the agreement, in the future. but for her part, she talked about this as being a moment, also, tinged with some sadness. >> ladies and gentlemen, at the end of a successful negotiations journey, i normally feel joy. but today, i only feel quiet satisfaction, and frankly speaking, relief. i know this is a difficult day for some. and to our friends in the united kingdom, i want to say parting is such sweet sorrow. but, to use a line from ts elliot, what we call the beginning is often the end. and to make an end is to make a beginning. so, i say it is time to leave

brexit behind. our future is made in europe. >> so, the deal will go to the european parliament for ratification. boris johnson, saying that it would go to the british parliament, on the 30th of december, where it's expected to pass. big changes, he said, for the british people to come into force january the 1st. nic robertson, cnn, london. and joining me, now, from london. richard whitman is a professor of politics at the university of kent and uk and europe fellow at chatham house. good to see you, professor. so, quote, canada jumbo-style deal. but, what do you make of what we know? how good a deal is it for britain? and europe, for that matter? we really don't know all the details. >> well, if this was a deal that the eu was doing with a country, you know, a country that hadn't been a member state, then it would be a deal praised in the heavens. but, of course, this is really

walking back from what had been a fully liberalized trade relationship between the two sides. so, it's highly unusual, stepping back from fully liberalized trade. >> one small thing that might be a reality check for the average person. i mean, things like not being able to use eu lines at airports and so on. having to get a visa when they go to europe. but -- but in a broader sense, how might life change for britons? >> really, since the uk left at the end of january, things haven't changed at all for citizens or businesses. from the 1st of january, even with this deal, that's going to be when sort of changes kick in. as you say, it means that airports, you are standing in a different line. but also, businesses. importantly, there are all sorts of border checks you now have to face. basically, uk businesses have got to make sure they conform with eu rules. and the eu border officials are going to check that uk goods do.

so, that means more friction at the border, more paperwork, and more cost. >> i guess, 2021 is a vastly different economic landscape than 2016 when the brexit vote was held. really, we have a world dominated by three big, economic blocks. and now, britain is on its own, isolated in many ways, trade wise. is it a good time to be a global free trader? what sort of risks lay ahead? >> well, i think the question you raise is really unknown. this is where brexit -- the brexit process is. a step into something which is very different for the uk. part of one of the largest single markets, single economic spaces, into having its own, internal market. and that means it sits alongside, you know, lots of regulations for the uk, if you want to export into their market. so, you know, what space more opportunity exists for the uk

and the position it will find itself, we're going to have to wait and see. >> you know, four years after the vote and you live in country, there. i mean, what's the feeling? the level of bio-remorse, perhaps, that brexit happened at all? is there still wide support or perhaps regret? >> if you look at polling, i mean, essentially, you know, those who voted to remain still feel they want to be part of the eu. and those who leave still held to their view. and because nothing's really changed for -- for most members of the public, most members of the electorate. you know, i think we have to wait into -- into next year, when these changes kick in before we see whether there is any sort of buyers remorse, particularly on the part of leaders. >> finally, just briefly, if you will, especially, you know, with

a sort of multinationalist president about to take the reigns. >> listen. for the uk, a trade deal with the u.s. would be the big, post-brexit win for trade policy. does leaving the eu give the uk an opportunity, which it didn't have within the eu which is a really ambitious trade deal? >> richard whitman, in london. professor, thank you very much. appreciate it. all right. hospitals across the u.s. are being pushed to the brink. even with vaccinations underway, one key model is project things could get worse by spring. we'll have more on that, coming up next.

♪ [yawn] you. look. stunning. want the truth to why i wake up feeling... [growls softly] ...so darn awesome? [makes playful sound] i take care of my skin. not this skin. that skin. and when you've got incontinence, you sure need to. tena intimates pads lock liquid in, and are now 100% breathable

to care for your intimate skin. are you still here? kind to skin. protects like tena. damom, look!get sare you okay?? head home this holiday with the one you love. visit your local mercedes-benz dealer today for exceptional lease and financing offers at the mercedes-benz winter event. xfiniwith the new hbo max app on xfinity. watch the greatest collection of shows, movies and new max originals. enjoy hbo favorites you know and love

like game of thrones and the undoing... with exclusive max originals like the flight attendant... and blockbuster movies like dolittle. just say "hbo max" into your voice remote to sign into your hbo account or sign up. tv made simple, easy, awesome.

the holidays are far from immune to the coronavirus. for a second day in a row, japan hitting a record number of daily infections. reporting more than 3,700 new cases, on christmas eve. a similar situation, in south korea. more than 1,200 new infections there, added on thursday. that nation's highest daily-case count, since the pandemic began. in europe, italy capping another milestone. the country surpassing 2 million confirmed infections since the start of this crisis. and in the u.s., an influential model, once again, raising its predictions. it says the u.s. death toll could surpass 560,000, by april. all right. now, there are a record number of americans being treated for the virus, too. leaving many hospitals at, or near, capacity. the nation's top infectious

disease expert says, even he hasn't taken a day off in months. >> and the days are -- they just go, melt one, into another. you lose track of time. i think many people have experienced what i experience. you know, it's like one, big blur that started at the middle of january of 2020, and is still somewhat of a blur as we get to the end of december, of this same year. >> let's talk about all of this with cnn medical analyst, dr. j jonathan reiner. he is also a professor of medicine at george washington university. doctor, appreciate you being with us christmas day. and we already know that millions of people have, despite the advice of people like yourself, traveled around the country to celebrate. now, we know what happened after recent holidays, of course. can we expect another surge, in the weeks ahead? >> i think, unfortunately, we can, michael. in the last several days, about

a million people have been traveling, by air, in the united states, every day. and it's incredibly frustrating for me because, if you start to look at the numbers in the united states, we are just starting to see a glimmer of hope. in terms of the total number of cases per day, which are just starting to trend down. and when you look at regions, like the midwest and the northeast, we really are seeing tangible evidence that perhaps the daily number of cases is starting to drop. but unfortunately, with all of this holiday travel, i think what we can look forward to is another spike, about two weeks down the road. really, really frustrating. >> absolutely. and i imagine it's frustrating and this is, perhaps a sidenote because this is christmas, but is it frustrating the message being sent when the president's golfing in florida and the vice president who is head of the covid task force is skiing in colorado? >> yeah, it's maddening. look. we are in a national emergency.

americans are dying, every day. our hospitals are packed. we don't have enough nurses to care, you know, for -- for the sick. and yet, our leadership is pretending like this is just another, winter holiday. i mean, how can you go skiing if you are the head of the pandemic task force? how can you be skiing now? you know, there's been all this concern about the new variant in -- in the uk and in south africa. and questions about, you know, whether we need travel restrictions, et cetera, or test passengers. we should have daily briefings from the pandemic task force. except, now, we're going to see the leader, you know, carving some turns into vail. it's -- it's hard to understand. >> three and a half thousand americans have been dying, in recent days, every day. the people traveling for christmas, as we said, despite those vaccinations. how concerned are you about what

is still to come in the weeks ahead? >> i think it's going to be really dark. we're -- we're going to see, you know, over the next month, you know, probably 100,000 more people die. and we'll slowly start to get better, as our vaccination rate increases. and hopefully, if we can convince more people in this country to mask up. we've seen a little bit of an increase in the last few weeks. we have gone from about 71 or 72% to something like 76, 77%. that might be one of the reasons we are starting to see a downtick in cases. but the ihme has suggested that, if we could get masking to 95% of this country, a feat that we've never closely approached, we could probably save about 47,000 lives, this spring. i have no hopes that we will be able to get to that level but as we increase masking, we save

lives. and we need to just hammer that message. and the incoming administration looks like they are going to, very strongly, stress 100% masking in the united states, in the first hundred days. >> you know, you mention the -- the -- the numbers there. you know, save tens of thousands of lives. and it just strikes me. do -- do you feel there's a it-probably-won't-happen-to-me attitude out there? people who went to thanksgiving gatherings right now are getting sick or -- or -- or dying. but there still seems to be a sense of -- people, the numbers, the enormity of it, are they even aware, do you think? >> i think it's multifactorial. i think there is some of that. some people just denying they are at risk. i think there's pandemic fatigue. you know, we've been at this now for almost ten months. and i think that a certain portion of the population has been told, by leadership, that this is a hoax. and if you -- if you're invited

to attend a giant rally during the pandemic, how dangerous can it be? so, we need consistent messaging, going forward, about the risks to everyone in this country. the virus obviously doesn't care about party affiliation. but we need a consistent message, and i'm -- i'm hoping that it'll reach more people. >> yeah. those numbers, as we keep saying, every one of them, a person. dr. jonathan reiner, always a pleasure. thank you for being with us. >> my pleasure, michael. thank you. coming up here, on cnn "newsroom." the u.s. president's decision to pardon convicted, war criminals. raising huge, painful questions about the american justice system. we'll talk about it. next.

now, earlier this week, president donald trump pardoned four former military contractors who worked with the u.s.

security contractor, blackwater. in 2007, they opened fire on a crowd in baghdad. look at the damage that was done. 17 iraqi civilians, including children, were killed. 20 other people, wounded. many of them, severely. the fbi found 14 of the killings were unjustified. the four blackwater guards, convicted and sent to prison after a very thorough, legal process. whatever justice was done for the victims and their families, after the massacre, though, was undone in an instant with those pardons. and painful, emotional wounds are being reopened. cnn's arwa damon reports. >> reporter: the horror-filled memories of that day in september, 2007, still haunt those who survived. whose physical scars may have healed, but who grapple with the psychological trauma, nearly every day. i remember seeing a woman and her son. their car was in front. it was on fire.

she was crying out, until she burnt to death with her son. he says there was so much gunfire, it wasn't normal. bodies just fell in the street. i wasn't wounded, yet. i moved my car to get away, and i was shot multiple times. it was a sunny day in baghdad. one, where the population could almost pretend their country wasn't being ravaged by violence. but, those illusions shatter quickly in iraq. in an instant, a busy, baghdad roundabout turned into a street of blood. the youngest victim, just 9 years old. shot in the head, in the back seat of his car, as his father helplessly watched him die. my son was the heart of our family, his father, mohammed, told us years ago. the shooting rampage was carried out by what was then blackwater. a private-security company, notorious for its brutish and

trigger-happy behavior. numerous eyewitness accounts said that was not true. from his hospital bed, at the time, he described how blackwater opened fire indiscriminately at civilians. they were not attacked by gunmen. they were not targeted, he said. salman traveled to the u.s. to testify, almost seven years after the massacre. in the end, one of the blackwater operatives was sentenced to life in prison. three others, sentenced from 12 to 15 years. a lawyer, himself, felt as if there was a semblance of justice. it renewed his faith in american ideals. not anymore. president trump. the first, recent, u.s. president to pardon convicted killers let the murderers, the men who destroyed his life, walk free.

i say to him, your decision, you are going to have to face god on this, salman says. you did not fulfill justice. you pardoned the criminals and the killers. the blood of the dead and wounded is on your hands. arwa damon, cnn, istanbul. with me, now, is paul dickinson. he is a litigation attorney who represented victims and families of the massacre. it -- it -- it -- it's terrific to be able to get your perspective on this. you know the families of some of these victims, some of the wounded as well. and then, now this. what -- what -- what is your reaction to the pardons? >> thank you, michael, for having me. the pardons are disappointing. what the u.s. government did was they had promised these victims,

those that were killed and those that were injured in the square that day, that they were going to hold people accountable for their criminal actions for their crimes. and as you know, there was a long history to the criminal prosecution. indictments were dismissed. there was retrials and things like that. every time there was a setback, the prosecutors at the u.s. justice department told these victims that they were going to continue to fight for them, and they were going to hold people accountable. and up until a few days ago, the u.s. government had done that. and now, they've had, you know, the rug lurched out from under them and left them falling, without any legal support. and without the ability to hold people accountable for their crimes. and that's unfortunate, not just to them but, to a broader spectrum of how people think about the united states, abroad, and in other countries. >> it's important, i think, to note that these convictions were -- were -- were -- were not rushed or, somehow, unfair and that perhaps could have led to pardons. this was the biggest fbi

investigation since 9/11. multiple court hearings, trials. these were solid convictions. i just want to play for people what thomas o'connor, who led the fbi's response team, had to say about it. >> the forensic evaluation of physical evidence, linked with those interviews, are what brings a case forward. so, in this investigation, we did just that. we used physical evidence to show the story of what happened. and really, what happened, the bottom line is that there were no incoming rounds to raven 23. there were none that could be found. the evidence that we were told was there, of incoming rounds impacting one of the vehicles, by the time we got to review the vehicles, it had been painted. they had been sanded. and there was no evidence there. but we're able to show, through forensic evidence, that the -- the impacts onto that vehicle were done through a m-203

grenade that was fired by one of the blackwater guards, himself. >> yeah, and -- and -- and, paul dickinson, the thing -- the thing act thbout that as we heam the fbi investigator, this wasn't some frivolous conviction, was it? >> absolutely not. the important thing is, this is what i was referring to before is that the process worked to protect these four that were convicted. if there were any irregularities in the way that the courts felt that evidence was not gathered but evidence was provided to the prosecutors by the fbi. and there -- there were some concerns about how that process worked. the court shut it down, and said go back, reindict these individuals. start from scratch, fbi. start from scratch, justice department. ensure that every i and dotted and every t is crossed in your investigation and in the -- and in the prosecution process. and that's what they did. and, you know, they -- they had

problems with it. they overcame them. the court made sure, certain, that these four men got fair trials. a and i think, you know, the argument is that somehow there was a vendetta against them, it was a witch hunt. what this shows is the u.s. legal system worked, in this case. these men were tried fairly. they were convicted of their crimes and they were -- they deserved every minute that they were sentenced to, to serve in jail. >> and -- and then, of course, what, to many of us who spent time in iraq, consider outrageous, unspeakable pardons. something you wrote about, in recent days, and i wanted to quote it for people because it -- it really speaks to me. you -- you said this. the result is not just that we see an injustice in the united states, but that the world must surely see cracks in the pillars of justice upon which our system is based. that may be the overriding damage caused by these pardons. and i know, in my time in iraq,

i -- i -- i would often hear americans say why do they hate us? is this sort of thing not why they hate us? >> i'm a lawyer. i believe in the u.s. legal system. i think the world admires the u.s. legal system. we have something here, in the united states, that other countries strive to obtain. and in this case, what i'm concerned about, or what others should be concerned about, is when we make promises to people like we did the victims, that those people relied on it. and i think just not the victims but everyone else around the world. and the united states has a presence, worldwide. and when we send paramilitary contractors into those countries, we need to make sure that we are going to hold those people accountable. and as you know, the blackwater contract with the u.s. state department had -- had immunity language in it so that blackwater and all of its contractors in iraq were immune, both from criminal and civil liability in iraq.

so, the only place they could be brought to justice was in the united states. that's what we did in our civil case against them. the way that blackwater acted in iraq. the -- the regular, u.s. military, because they didn't have to operate under the normal rules of engagement. they didn't follow the rules that the normal u.s. army did, that followed all the rules. >> thank you for representing those people and our thoughts are with the 17 men, women and dhildn a children wounded and killed in that attack. >> thank you, michael, for having me. appreciate it. service at the ready. at mercedes-benz, it's not just a job, it's our mission. from our expert technicians armed with state of the art tools and technology, to genuine parts made for the perfect fit. whether it's our place... ...or yours.

we're there. rain or shine, day or night. no one knows your vehicle better. to learn all the ways we can be at your service, call, click or visit a dealership near you. fixodent ultra dual power provides you with an unbeatable hold and strong seal against food infiltrations. fixodent. and forget it.

as there are cars. save for being a new customer, for adding drivewise, and for driving safely. whatever you drive, start driving down the cost of insurance. visit allstate.com or contact your local agent today. visit allstate.com since you're heading off to dad... i just got a zerowater. but we've always used brita. it's two stage-filter... doesn't compare to zerowater's 5-stage. this meter shows how much stuff, or dissolved solids, gets left behind. our tap water is 220. brita? 110... seriously? but zerowater- let me guess. zero? yup, that's how i know it is the purest-tasting water. i need to find the receipt for that. oh yeah, you do.

welcome back. white christmas might be in the cards but for others, a risk of flooding and dangerous winds. derrick van dam is tracking christmas weather for us on the east coast. i know that here in atlanta things are a bit chilly. >> we even had snowflakes, which

made for a pleasant surprise here in atlanta. rarely do we get snowfall. we all know that. i was reporting from a previous winter storm that dumped into western pennsylvania. now, this is the skrooj that took away the white christmas for many along the east kes. it's too warm. a lot of precipitation falling in the form of rain. our radar lightened up like a christmas tree, no pun intended. and check this out, out of ohio and you can see how spectacular the christmas scene is. but of course this has issues with the road conditions, even some of the truck drivers delivering packages along the east coast. let's get to the details behind the storm. because the rapid melting of last week's winter storm, the snow that was on the ground, is

going to cause the potential for flash flooding, with the additional rain that is falling. of course, a moderate threat from vermont and new hampshire, upstate new york and pennsylvania, where we had our heaviest amounts of snow. and on top of this, wind gusts in excess of 60 miles per hour. we're nearing hurricane force along the missesmous. it is a breezy and rather uncomfortable day. good news is not as many people traveling because of the restrictions with covid and the pandemic. good to see you and happy christmas to you and your lovely family. >> same to you. thank you. i'm michael holmes. appreciate your company. cnn newsroom continues with my colleague, who, after a short break, is known to sing christmas carols.

happy holidays to everyone celebrating around the world. ♪ after a night like this, crest has you covered. crest, the official toothpaste of santa. follow us @crest to celebrate the 12 days of crest smiles. for the better. whatever question i have i feel like there's an avenue to seek the answer. hit that app and you start a story, you're on an adventure. download a new book within seconds and it's ready to go. there's something for everybody on audible. i like short stories. short stories are easy. they're quick. i like long and like intricate stories, that's really what i love. audible originals. i like biographies.

self-help. fantasy. true crime podcasts. i love it so much. i can literally listen to anything. i can do it any time. and any place. and you know, for as long as i like. getting really into a story can totally transform where you are and your mindset. it's really cool. every time i learn something new, it just fuels the curiosity to explore more, to learn more. there's anything and everything. to start your free 30-day trial, just text listen 25 to 500500.

because covid is still a danger, we grandchildren promise not to let our guard down. let's meet up on video instead. i rather you not hug me today so you can hug me tomorrow. don't let your guard down with covid-19. hazlo por amor.

the cdc announces a new requirement for travellers entering the u.s. from the united kingdom. donald trump spends the weekend playing golf, as many americans wait for much-needed help. and as the world faced unprecedented challenges, 2020 became a year we won't forget. we'll look at that global events that shape