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pence, the most hype rifle -- to condemn his former running mates dinner last week with a white nationalist. the dinner was at mar-a-lago. seen at a table with the former president. kanye west, now known -- white supremacist white known in republican circles. nick fuentes. it takes a lot for news to make through along thanksgiving day weekend. this dinner on tuesday did it with a vengeance. this was pence earlier today. >> president trump was wrong to give a white nationalist, an antisemite, a holocaust denier see at the table. i think he should apologize for it. he should denounce those individuals, and their hateful rhetoric without qualification. >> now he's not the only republican willing to can dame -- many republicans today, primarily in the senate, have done so. georgia governor brian kemp spoke with my colleague caitlin collins, his comments

will air tomorrow on cnn this morning. this is part of what he said. >> that was a bad decision. there's no place for that in the republican party. i know he's got his answer to that question, all let him speak to that. my views on that are very clear. >> again, you can watch governor kemp's comments tomorrow on cnn this morning. this is a party twice nominated donald trump for president. and donald trump's running for a third time. missing from the condemnation is senate minority leader, mitch mcconnell. so far he said he's had his normal question and answer period tomorrow with reporters who can ask him then about. the man who hopes to be the next speaker of the house, kevin mccarthy, days after members -- at a conference founded by the same white supremacist trump dying. with mccarthy condemned nick fuentes and anyone that would associate with. i'm quoting

mccarthy's comments to cnn of the time, there's no place in our party for any of this. that was that, mccarthy has yet to comment on trump's dinner with nick fuentes this time. i'm joined now by to cnn commentators, makary sellers, he's the author of the children's book, who are your people. and scott jennings, former specialist assistant to george w. bush, and political adviser to mitch mcconnell. scott, we've heard some republicans come out. we heard the former president, some governors, some senators. one person we haven't heard from yet is the guy who wants to be speaker of the house. he wants to be the top republican in the country. where is kevin mccarthy? why is he silent on this? >> yeah, he's juggling a

complicated dak over there. i guess i'm mixing metaphors. -- complicated setup. bowling pins in his quest to become speaker. my suspicions taking the temperature of his conference, and probably i'm guessing we'll hear from him and mcconnell by the way as well, if they have a chance to talk to their members. that's the one thing that these guys and leadership, they do tend to take the temperature of the people that they represent before they make comments. but i think the correct answer for any republican leader, is very clear. this was a terrible decision, this was wrong and as a political matter we're gonna have a year and a half of this crap if we nominate trump will have four, five, more months of. that will expect the american people, to make him president again. it won't be. i think there's a more lancer which is clear, a political answer which is clear. and the number of republicans who stepped out tonight and said the president was wrong, former president was wrong. it's heartening and shows he's losing his grip. >> i've never stepped out. scott, if you can clarify, what's complicated politically or morally in speaking out against white nationalism? >> there's nothing complicated about speaking out against it. when you're the leader of a conference, you do have some responsibilities to talk to

those people, listen to them, and figure out. you're not just representing yourself, you're representing a whole, large group of people. you want to make sure you get it right. and you're fully representative as you can be of that crowd. i suspect that's what's going on in the leadership ranks right now. bakari, what about that -- that scott is referring to. that kevin mccarthy has to be careful lat politically right now? >> for me, i had rather have the interview between you and scott. that's what most democrats won. there's no conversation that needs to be had with us involving ourselves in the fact that there's antisemitic within the republican party. there's a portion, not all, and i want to stress that as much as i can. there's a portion of republican base that acquiesces to nick fuentes. marjorie taylor greene,

for example. many others that go to his conferences. kanye west, there's people that i think he calls themself -- black folk have disowned him for a period of time now. and other people are kidding around to him. there's people who grasp these individuals. who are like -- antisemites. who do not deserve a platform. scott is absolutely correct. i would love nothing more than for the next year in change, for we'd be talking about donald trump and antisemitism and kanye west and many others instead of talking about the bread and butter issues, that we deserve to talk about. that's what happens when you nominate someone like donald trump. that's the fear, that's also the balancing act. that people like kevin mccarthy, mitch mcconnell have to weigh. >> do you think scott's right, bakari, that you're starting to see the beginnings of republicans turning their back on trump by the numbers that have come out so far? >> my heart once been believe

that scott's right. i honestly don't think there's any place for antisemitism, whether or not someone like kyrie irving, or someone like donald trump, or whether or not whatever it may be. i fundamentally do not believe there's a place for antisemitism. when you see antisemitism you also see anti black racism, i think you see transphobia, you see all of these other things that rise the same time. so, i totally agree. we want to get to a place where we're having a conversation about inflation, or having a conversation about foreign policy, what we're having a farmers conversation about immigration. one of the things donald trump takes away from that, is we're not able to

have those conversations. that's not my problem now, that's the republican parties problem. right now they need his base to win. i don't think scotts right. but i want to believe in my heart, that we can get there. >> so, scott -- >> can i just respond to that. i think bakari raises an interesting point about this -- issue. i think he's totally correct in the way you start these issues out, in the context of political (inaudible). we're fixing to have won, donald trump will have opponents -- and this is where we're gonna sort this out as a family. bakari is right, it's not for bakari in the democrats to sort out. it's for the republicans to sort out. you need to ask yourself, do you want to put yourself, your party, your country, through all of this all over again? we did a glance, he never got more votes than a democrat and his life. nothing is gonna happen in the next two years that'll

make him look any better to the people that don't like. adam and what will happen are episodes like that is actually think bakari is right on it. this is for the republicans to sort out. that's why tonight i saw governor kemp's quote, folks in the senate coming out, i think you're starting to see people express a very (inaudible) sentiment. i don't want to do this anymore. i think the more trump makes these mistakes, the worst tennessee's gonna look as we move on to the primaries. >> -- national leaders are dining. literally breaking bread with white nationalists. i think it's something that we all can gather around and speak out about. it's something that concerns everyone, of every party. bakari sellers, scott jennings, great to see both of you. i hope you had a wonderful thanksgiving. so, should point out the nick fuentes isn't the only controversial visitor of mar-a-lago. in fact, as randi kaye reports, the florida residents has been a known -- number of visits most president former presidents would not entertain. >> at mar-a-lago former president donald trump's often hosted gop donors and foreign dignitaries. but other gases are more controversial. >> the incredible, carry like. >> that's former arizona gubernatorial candidate kari

lake, visiting trump mar-a-lago just days after she lost her election, despite trump's endorsement. >> i'll do everything in my power to make sure this man gets back to the white house. we need him now more than. ever >> like dined with trump. lakes made baseless came to the 2020 election was stolen. and trump still pushing the false claim that arizona's midterm race was rigged. and that's why lake lost. she's not the only election denier to visit mar-a-lago. trump's former attorney, rudy giuliani, he's been there. as well as former national security adviser, michael flynn. flynn pleaded guilty twice to lying to investigators about his conversations with russia's ambassador before trump art denton. georgia congresswoman marjorie taylor greene, who's known for previously -- qanon and spreading misinformation about covid-19. she posted this video for trump at the club in march last year. >> it's great to be with marjorie, very special person.

she's out there fighting hard. at mar-a-lago trumps also met with longtime confident, roger stone. who trump pardoned. stone, had convicted of witness tampering, obstruction, and making false statements during special counsel, robert mueller's investigation. stone posted video of their embrace at the private club back in april. >> roger. >> how could i not -- >> another gassed who garnered attention, mike lindell. last year, or long after trump lost the 2020 election, lindell interviewed him at mar-a-lago. a 35 minute clip was posted online. >> hello, i'm down here in mar-a-lago. and i'm gonna be interviewing are real president, donald j trump. >> during the interview, trump called lindell, brave, and an incredible patriot. to this day, until continues to spin and election conspiracy theories despite being sued by dominion voting systems for his baseless claims that they rigged the election. and then there's kyle rittenhouse, in 2020, when rittenhouse was 17 he used an ar style semiautomatic rifle to

kill two man and wounded third. in kenosha, wisconsin. it happened during a protest after police shot a black man. the visit to mar-a-lago, took place shortly after rittenhouse who argued he was acting in self-defense was acquitted by wisconsin jury. trump called rittenhouse, really a nice young man. painting him as the poster boy for self-defense. >> he called, you want to know if he can come over and say hello. he was a fan. >> at mar-a-lago, it seems the doors always open for anyone willing to heap praise on the former president. no matter their own baggage. randi kaye, cnn, palm beach county, florida. >> still to come the u.s. against iran tomorrow at the world cup, a must-win soccer game at the u.s. wants to move on. but a new controversy, be on the pitch has enveloped this match. we have live reports from doha next. i will speak to some students at the university of idaho, now returning to

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>> at 2 pm tomorrow, the national teams fortunate the world cup rest on a match against iran. to advance the u.s. must win. time won't do. this is moved well beyond the game already. it encapsulates all the decades of tension and strife between the 2 countries. now iran wants to u.s. kicked out, after the u.s. soccer federation posted this image on social media cats it shows an outdated iranian flag it's missing the i'm one of these lamoureux public, iran's claim this action breaches rules governing the matches the u.s. soccer told cnn. it made the change to show quote, support for the women in iran fighting for basic human rights. the u.s. soccer federation later posted an image with iran's current flag. we have 2 reports now on the controversy on the

protest cnn's don riddell isn't doha, inside this world your world cup match. i'm jomana karadsheh as it is stumble with the latest on the protest, as well as new reporting on threats to the iranian team made by its own government. don, the coaches from both team address this controversy, what did they say? >> it was the most bizarre an extraordinary press conference, john. this is the united states visit biggest football match in 8 years. the press conference on the eve of the match, there was hardly any discussion about football. the american coach -- u.s. naval fleet and the persian golf. an immigration policy. he had to say, i'm not a politician numerous times. the iran coach took the opportunity to throw not a lot of shade of the country of the united states. highlighting the gun violence epidemic, and the culture of racism in the united states. so, really not much talk about football at all. of course, the american players and the coach really wanted no part of this. they were keen to say that they do support

women's rights. but they said they had no knowledge that the u.s. soccer federation was doing this. and the uk soccer federation director of communications said, this was supposed to be a moment where we can show our support. but it's a moment that became a 48 hour diplomatic scandal. >> this is gonna be a dramatic match in the first place. more so now because the politics involved here. do you think that'll factor in on the field tomorrow? >> i mean the stakes are so high. everything is running on the match. the united states team need to win, nothing else will do for them. it's pressure in itself. but now there's these other kind of factors that have been layered again. i would imagine, it's been an uncomfortable spot -- for the american players. but even more so for the iranian team. there are no stranger to being

involved in a political sideshow, whenever they play. but you need to remember the pressure these guys are under, are they pro regime, are they sympathetic with the protesters, everybody wants to know. it was a huge moment in the opening game against england, when the iranian players refused to sing the national anthem. but we understand that since then, they've come under increasing pressure, threats to cnn have been reporting even to their families. they appear to mao the add them in the second game. what they do ahead of this, we don't know. but with threats to their family and all the other stuff going on, it's hard for them to focus on a game of football. the way they played against wales in the last game was impressive. so, these guys can deal with the

pressure. it remains to be seen if a very young american team can do the same. >> the young american team did very well against england the other day. i was reading, there wasn't in congruity where they were not allowed to ask questions to the iranian coach. but they iranian press was allowed to grill the u.s. coach, and its players. including team captain, tyler adams. how did tyler adams handled as? >> he handled it really while given what he was having to deal with. we're gonna play you a clip from a really bizarre exchange. because they were plummeting ham, asking him about racism in the country, how we can live their. but this question was proceeded with, a by the way, you don't even know how to say our name. so, it's pronounced iran. many people united states call it iran. and he was told bluntly, it's iran. >> my apologies on the mers pronunciation of your country. yeah, that being. said there's discrimination everywhere you go. one thing that i've learned especially from living abroad in the past years. and having a fitted in different cultures. and assimilating to different cultures. is that in the u.s.

were continuing to make progress every single day. >> yeah, i think tyler adams handle that situation very, very well. it remains to be seen how the -- by the way, the iranian team learned the other day, that one of their former teammates has been arrested in iran for distributing propaganda. so, for those guys this is becoming a life and death situation. they're all just trying to play a game of football out there and hope the best team wins. but there's so much going on around this. >> no question, it's enormous. don riddell, thank you very much. now to cnn's jomana karadsheh. jomana, cnn is reporting that the families of iran's soccer team have been threatened by the regime. what more of you learned about that? >> really disturbing infond this is reporting from our colleague, sam kiley, who spoke with a who is involved in the security of the world cup. and this source has been also monitoring the activities of iran security agencies. that are operating during the world cup. and as john mentioned earlier, during the open match, in their game against england. the iranian team did not sing the national anthem. a lot of people took this as a show of support for

the protests back home. so, what this sources telling cnn's that after that happened, the team had a meeting with members of the revolutionary guard. who essentially, a intimidated and threatened the team telling them that they will quote behave. they'll sing the national anthem that they won't take part in any protests against the government. or their families back in iran, will face torture and violence. what we understand from the source, there's a large number of security forces from the regime that are present. they're collecting information and they're monitoring members of the team according to the source, dozens of irgc members are monitoring the players who are not allowed to mingle with anyone outside the squad, or any foreigners. and possible hint as to what to expect tomorrow, john, the sources saying during the last game, with whales. of course that's when we saw them singing the national anthem after they'd been threatened according to the source. the iranian regime

had sent hundreds of actors supporters to try and show they had supporters amongst the fans. the source says it will be sending thousands to the match against the u.s.. >> what's going on on the ground inside iran, in terms of the protest, jomana? >> well, john, it's very difficult for us to get information in a timely matter out of iran. the government continues to restrict communication with internet blackouts, that make it very difficult for with us to communicate with people, for activists to get video and information out to the world. i could tell you, the popular uprising has entered its third month. it shows absolutely no sign of stopping. the iranian regime has been using brutal force to try and crush these protests. they're continuing to dismiss this whole movement as some sort of foreign plot, a conspiracy to destabilize iran. they describe protesters as rioters, thugs, mercenaries of foreign state including the united states. and israel. we've heard from the united nations, saying the situation

on the ground right now is a human rights, full fledged, human rights crisis. we're talking about at least 300 people who've been calve. more than 40 of them children. again, the un saying this is a conservative estimate. more than 14,000 people, man, women, and children have been arrested since september. at least six protesters have been sentenced to death, and what's being described human rights groups, as these sham trials. john, another seems to be stopping the protesters. this crackdown is doing is making people angry are, more defiant, more determined to continue protesting. to demand an end to the exam republic. >> jomana karadsheh, thank you for your reporting tonight. as we sit here still no suspect in custody, no matter what profound in the killings of four university of idaho students. anxieties riding high on campus. as students begin to return from the thanksgiving

break. we have the latest, next. next. next. next. next. next. next. next. next.

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>> tonight some university of idaho students are back on campus as a killer suspected of stabbing for students to death is still on the loose. it's now been more than two weeks since the students were killed in an off campus home when investigators are still in the hunt for a suspect and the murder weapon. cnn's veronica miracle spoke with some of the students who chose to return today. >> i don't see cooper patrol the -- physical police present aimed at reassuring students returning to class. >> do you feel safe coming back?

>> well, with all the campus security, them upping that up. with the safe locks. i have a lot of friends here. i won't go anywhere by myself. >> memorial surrounding campus honor the for students who were stabbed adapt more than two weeks ago at an off campus home. there is no suspects in the case. which the police still consider a targeted attack. >> i feel safe in my dorm. >> eva forsyth, like her classmates, return for the end of semester tests. but others are taking the universities offered to finish their work online. >> one of my roommates is staying home, i don't blame. or she doesn't feel safe here. and some of my friends, they agree, don't come back. they like being around each other. >> on wednesday, officially held on campus for the four victims. santa carnival, even shaping, of mogul, and gave the katie goncalves -- there's a sense of fear, anxiety on campus. several students tell us that

they used schools safe walk program which provides security escorts for students, 24/7. personal alarms like these are being given to hundreds of women in sororities on campus. the giveaway now expanding. >> just yesterday, i play some other order for another 1200 alarm that's going directly to the university to distribute to any student that wants one. the money to fund them, raised by a former student, and nothing to make students feel safe or even if what they want most is a break in this case. >> seemed sad, upsetting. it's quiet. most people are friendly, but now it's just, i don't know people are sketched out. >> john, it's been days since there's been a substantial update to this case. the moscow police department says they're making progress. they've received 1000 tips. a third of those in the form of surveillance video and images. they continue to ask the public for help. idaho's governor dedicating $1 million to continue to fund this investigation. as so many await answers as to who did this, and why it

happened. . >> veronica miracle, thank you for that report. let's get more perspective from former nypd commissioner for intelligence and counterterrorism, john miller, who's now a law enforcement and intelligence analyst. john, for people who say two weeks, no suspects. no murder weapon. how do you explain what's taken so long? >> i think you have a case where they common, they see, here is a number of victims. here is a bunch of phone calls that were made in the early morning hours here is an ex-boyfriend. and what they're calling a crime of passion. and after a little investigation, they find out, okay, that guy's got an alibi, that's not gonna be the killer, there's a mystery man by a food truck. he's identify, he's eliminated there's a guy who drives them home. his alibi checks out, all this is backed up by technology, other evidence.

and then you find yourself a couple weeks into it, really starting at the beginning. as you point out, what police don't have is a suspect whose identified with a clear motive, but they don't have as a murder weapon. what they do have is 113 pieces of physical evidence. 4000 crimes in photos. and 488 tips in terms of video, technology that's been submitted. but you can also see they're taking step back. if you look at the area, that they've blacked out and said, we want to collect all video from this area. that's an area bounded by everything surrounding the crime scene. why are they doing that now? they say even if there's nothing on the video we want to get the rain -- we want to get the security cameras from the businesses. we want to get everything because if that video gets i raced, between one day, or 181 days from one it's recorded, there may be something useful on it that they may find out

about later. they really are vacuuming all that up. >> they don't know what they don't know. it could be they need something later, and if they don't get it now, the it'll get erased. what about the fbi, i know there's been some asked for the fbi to come in and assist. what could the fbi's role been? this >> i think when you look at the fbi, and as a former assistant director of the fbi, i know that when the fbi comes into one of these cases, it isn't to take over the case, it's not a big big -- and say, this is a federal matter. it's to bring the big resources that the fbi can bring to assist local law enforcement. in this case this would be tasked, cellular analysis

support team. they could tell you what forms were pinning in the area three in the morning. and which of those phones were picking at the same club that two of the victims were out beforehand. they can do analysis, more those phones -- and that could become a useful factor. there's also the behavioral science people, are as we call them the profilers, they look at the crime scene and tell you about offender characteristics. by how the killing was done. there's also, the vie cap system which can tell them was there for other people, were two other people, or three other people murdered using the same mo. four states away, two years ago, and connect the dots. the fbi can bring a lot of terms of support. -- and governor brad little has pushed 1 million dollars from idaho to the state police to cover additional patrols, overtime, hotel rooms for troopers have been shipped up there.

to cover the police department while they focus on the murder. it's a real team effort. >> john miller, thank you so much for helping us understand what we're seeing, and not seeing. there up next, a dire situation in ukraine. with hundreds of thousands without heat, water, and electricity. this is during the russian invasion. we'll speak to cnn's sam kiley, who's in zaporizhzhia, outward cranes are expected russians to leave the nuclear power plant to the country. what russian-backed officials are saying about that, ahead. ...more togetherness. just in time to say “oh, you bet we'll be there!” because the updated vaccines can now protect against both the original covid virus and omicron. and that's a moment... we've all been waiting for.

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>> tonight hundreds of thousands across southern ukraine or without heat, water, and electricity. as russia continues its attacks on infrastructure in the country. the un says the humanitarian situation is dire and critical. although electricity supplies gradually being restored. one photographer captured just how ominous the situation is at a children's hospital in kherson. he says some nurses are working 48 to 72-hour shifts, often using the light from a lap, or flashlights. nurses are carrying four orphan babies, children almost completely in the dark. and in this photo, a doctor tends to a four day old baby, under the light of just a desk lamp that's in the children's icu. in the meantime, over the weekend, ahead of ukraine agency provider said that russian forces may be planning

to leave this operation nuclear power plant, that's europe's largest nuclear power facility. it provided up to 20% of the countries -- before the invasion. joining me now in the city of zaporizhzhia's, cnn simon kylie. sam, i want to talk about the nuclear power plant. but first, the situation in that hospital, in kherson, seems dire. russia's continued to strike at the city. which they've recently pulled out of. what is the status? >> while, ironically the situations dire at the hospital in terms of the power supply. but it's better than it was a few days ago. because in fact, kherson is nearly got 20% power restored to it. as the russians not only destroyed the local power station, but destroyed the lines connecting it to the rest of the country's network. the network, as you pointed out, they're itself has been under pressure, nation ride, across the country as a result of what the ukrainian government has been seven different waves of

attacks. by predominately cruise missiles fired by russia in the last 24 hours -- warning his population to heed air raid sirens. as far as ukraine is concerned, they have intelligence that there is likely to be another wave of attacks against the power infrastructure. >> what about the power plant, nuclear power plant. who's in control of it, how much longer where the russians day, what do we know for sure? >>, while this has been a very real -- in terms of military strategic necessity. or victory really for the russians who captured back in march. they've been lately, the head of ukrainian nuclear industry, who's in touch with people in the neighboring towns, has suggested that although provided very little evidence for the suggestion that the russians may be preparing to withdraw. he admits, it doesn't appear that particularly eminent. this will probably be seen as the ongoing psychological warfare to go alongside the hot

war. the nuclear power plant, as you rightly pointed out, it's at its peak 20% of the generating capacity for the whole ukrainian electrical industry. an industry that the russians have been trying to systematically destroy. so, they're very unlikely to give that up. on top of, that john, it's very important location in terms of if the russians pulled out, ukrainians one back. and that would give them a bridgehead on the other side of the dnipro river, to continue their campaign. which in all probability, they're likely to do over the next few weeks perhaps in the zaporizhzhia frontline. which has been frozen for the last six months.

the status of the nuclear power station remains extremely ten u.s.. with the un observers still there, regularly reporting that they see the evidence of shelling, the results of shelling. which both the ukrainians and the russians blame each other for in that very, very tense and dangerous location. >> sam kiley in zaporizhzhia. sam, stay plays. thank you very. much joining me now with more, is former nato supreme allied commander retired general wesley clark. he's a senior fellow usa -- in cnn military analyst. general, nice to see you. we see russia continue to carry out huge missile strikes, throwing tax across ukraine. how long could russia keep up this level of intensity? >> probably several weeks more. maybe longer. we know they're drying down their inventories. we know they can't produce the most modern missiles. but they've got old staff.

that can be thrown at the ukrainians, there apparently now taking nuclear warheads of some other missiles. and just logging them in there. either it's decoys or letting the metal speak for itself, when it hits the ground. they're gonna keep this up for as long as they can. this is the russian strategy. they can't win on the battlefield. maybe they can play milieu kane people into demanding a cease-fire, to get their grid restore. and maybe that's what putin wants, he wants the fighting to stop, he wants sanctions relief, he wants to rebuild the military, kick this thing into high gear again, and finishes mission of taking over ukraine. >> you see the russians catlin on the battlefield. they're trying. to win a least one city in the donetsk region, in east bakhmut, the russians claim that their encircling the city. with ukrainian say they're defending it even as russia tries to throw more forces had it. what do you think the russians

are trying to get out of this very focused, what they claim to be offensive on this city? >> well, look, the way you operate in the military as you do need to focus their combat power. so, they're focusing it on this point. and if they take bakhmut, it opens the door stores problems -- but it also serves as a killing ground, grinding up the ukrainian for says. and this is what they want to do if they -- unbearable pressure on the ukrainian forces. before they can bring the other for a says back from kherson, to bear, if they can cause ukrainians to blank, to request a cease-fire. to ask for a breathing spell. putin wins.

he's got a place where the ukrainians do need to hold, their dog again, they're holding, but they're taking heavy losses. so, it's a meat grinder. >> the temperatures are falling below freezing in some parts of ukraine. it's only gonna get colder. what's the onset of winter main for both armies? >> while, traditionally means you can maneuver off road. you can still normal maneuver on road, you can sell -- you can still fight and built-up areas. so, we shouldn't make too much of this. in the 1940s, ukraine didn't have paved roads. so the model is a problem, but there's paved roads there now. yes, it's a problem for off road maneuver. but the other thing we saw, at least last winter, and i watch the temperature all december, january, february. the grand never really froze well, especially in the southern area. you might have a day at two

biffle freezing, you have 35, 40-degree weather. we have snow mixed with rain. so, it wasn't like the hard freezes a 40 50 years ago. where the temperature was 20 degrees and below, for weeks on end. that could happen this winter. but it's certainly didn't happen last year. if it does, then yes, will be a lot of opportunity for widespread maneuver. if the russians have the forces to do. it >> aside from that, the ukrainians what's the best opportunity for them to push their offensive are counteroffensive as the case may be a? >> they need to work reconnaissance. they need to get across the network. they need to move into crimea. crimea is the sweet spot. if you can move south of that zaporizhzhia, take illegal, -- partisan actions, get your special forces in their, do you

reconnaissance and strikes with high -- you can push that russian forces back into crimea. threatened crimea, cut off the supply line that runs along the sea of azov all, you've got a winning hand there. the donbas is maybe important in the old terms, for political reasons, but the supply lines lamar round the sea of azov, and since it's a territory is cry via, and that's where i believe the ukrainians are headed. >> general wesley clark, thank you for helping us out tonight. >> thank you. >> so, after all this. we could use some levity, holiday cheer. stay with us, we'll take you to the white house say this year's christmas decorations up close. that's next. g more. i want my dog to have a healthy and long life. the farmer's dog really helps that out. see the benefits of fresh food at betterforthem.com

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-- >> i mean, i always think staple guns work best. kate bennett joins us now from the white house. and caitlin, she put a lot of thought into this. what more can you put into the white house christmas tree? and also i understand there is a menorah in the celebrations a seer? >> yeah, the planning for this starts basically after the easter egg roll. and this really gets confirmed in the summer. so when you think of all those months of planning, that rent

into this. it goes through it every year at the white house. but the christmas tree, i have to say, is pretty spectacular. it's 18 and a half foot for from pennsylvania. and it is decorated with all of the state bird. so in the bottom, it is a giant mast. and when she said glue gun, it is really a glue gun. this air all papier-mâché birds. all over the street. so it is very intricate, and very detailed this year.

and the menorah is actually, there is a menorah every year. but this is the first year that there is one part of the white house collection. and that means it was made here, and it will permanently be in the collection. it is made of the bottom. that would base there, is actually reclaimed blood from the truman renovation, which is the last significant renovation during the truman administration. so that block of wood there was saved from that administration and is used in the menorah. and that will be in the brass hall. and be part of that collection forever. >> very cool, so how are willow and commander. the first cat dog. how are they incorporated into the decor? >> they have also been papier-mâché. they have been papier-mâché it all over the decoration. commander is about a year old now, and the willow the cat, is joe biden's constant companion. they are in different rooms, they pop up a couple of times

in this years decorations. and, you know, i think it's nice to include some white house, as michelle obama would always do some big things, with bow and sunny. it's good to have pets back there, and pour it out with the home spying dog who was the biter. but commander is the new biden puppy. >> commander is there, even if they are not. we will pull out the eggnog for major. kate bennett, thank you very much, happy holidays to you. the news continues! cnn tonight with laura coats, picks it up in just a moment. hi, susan. honey. yeah. i respect that. but that cough looks pretty bad. try this robitussin honey. the real honey you love, plus the powerful cough relief you need. mind if i root through your trash? robitussin. the only brand with real honeyand elderberry. introducing the new sleep number climate360 smart bed. the only smart bed in the world that actively cools, warms and effortlessly responds to both of you. our smart sleepers get 28 minutes more restful sleep per night. proven quality sleep. only from sleep number.

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