between the two nations over how israel is prosecuting a war? as outrage over the death toll in gaza grows. and no end in sight, that's how our relief agency describes the crisis at the u.s. mexico border, as they struggle to cope with thousands of migrants crossing, and congress can't agree on a plan. we are following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in, right here to cnn news central. ♪ ♪ ♪ hi everyone, i'm just getting, along with breonna peeler, in for boris sanchez. the one of the top confidence of benjamin netanyahu is expected to meet with senior white house and state department officials. >> this comes at a critical time when the u.s. is urging israel to scale down its war in gaza. let's go to cnn's, priscilla alvarez, who's at the white house for us. priscilla, what is the biden

administration expected come out of these meetings? >> well, two key issues at the forefront, that being the conflict that's unfolding in gaza, but also the release of hostages. as you mentioned there, it's a critical time, as the u.s. looks for israel to move away from its high intensity war, as that death toll grows in gaza. so, rhonda armor will be meeting with secretary of state, antony blinken, and national security adviser, jake sullivan, this afternoon. he is a close confidant of israel's benjamin netanyahu, and he's also a member of the war cabinet and previously israel ambassador to the united states. israel has assured the united states previously that it plans to move towards a lower intensity war, more precise strategy that targets hamas leadership. but there hasn't been a timeline as to when that will happen. u.s. officials have previously said that they would expect those localized operations to happen in january.

but again, publicly, we haven't really received any sort of clarity in terms of when that phase of the war would begin. that's a big question going into the discussions today. so far, u.s. and israel have described their conversations as good. a senior israeli official, saying that the u.s. and israel are on the same side. even if there are some differences. >> we can have different discussions on this tactical issue or that tactical issue. we listened very attentively to whatever washington says. i believe they listened very carefully to whatever we say to them. but ultimately, we are on the same side of this. we want to see hamas destroyed. >> now, president biden has been under increasing pressure domestically, and also internationally as that death toll grows in gaza. the president, saying at an event with donors earlier this month, that is real risks losing support if this continues, this, being the death toll continues to grow.

so all of this expected to be key points of discussion going into these meetings as the u.s. tries to see or looks for more results as this war goes on. >> all right, priscilla, thank you so much for that report. live for us from the white house. joining us now to discuss is paul heinrich's, spokesperson for israeli prime minister, benjamin netanyahu. paul, thank you so much for being with us. we are hearing from the army chief that this is going to go on for many more months, from netanyahu over the weekend that the idf will be intensifying operations inside of gaza over the weekend. that there will be a long fight. we heard that just yesterday. how do you square that with what u.s. officials are emphasizing here, that israel is giving assurances about moving to lower intensity fighting? >> so, it's important to mention that there is no daylight between jerusalem and washington, and what pertains to the goals of this war as we have to find them. after hamas has dragged us into

this. after the october 7th killing spree that they committed, with the atrocities that we all remember, and will never forget. the goals are that hamas, at the end of this, must be eliminated. they can no longer be in control of the gaza strip. we see that all hostages must come back home 129 of them and we will also guarantee that gaza will no longer pose a terror threat to israelis ever again, once we are done. so, these are the goals, and as my colleague, mark regev, also told you, we take advice from friends. we consult with friends, we don't have to agree on every small detail with friends. but, in the bigger picture, we all share the same goals. >> so, let me ask you this. we are not here disputing with you the horrific nature of what happened on october 7th, of course. but the death toll in gaza is horrific, the pictures coming

out of it, the suffering is horrific. you have starvation and disease not far behind the violent deaths that people are suffering from israeli airstrikes. how are you going to deal with that? >> well, everything that you just mentioned is on hamas. that is the fault of hamas. hamas are in control of the gaza strip. we are fighting terrorists and terror infrastructure. we don't want to see any civilians caught in the cross right between us in these terrorists. israel has been going to such extends that no other western military or military has done before, to ease the civilian suffering and civilian casualties, in an enemy zone that it's fighting. these steps that the idf is taking our unprecedented. and back to the -- starvation, this word is definitely not in place from the very beginning of this war that hamas has started.

we said that we place no limits on the amount of water, medical supplies, and food entering the gaza strip. we have excessive capacity to expect these trucks that are coming in daily. >> tal, i want to ask you about the hostages. because yesterday, yeah, it was yesterday, the prime minister was interrupted by some hostage family members who are just simply act their wits and. they don't know when their loved ones are coming back, and they don't -- they're obviously very upset. there's over 100 still left in gaza. what do you say to those families who say not enough is being done, that they want more from the prime minister and the government in terms of getting their loved ones home? >> first, we're all set here. this should not have happened. and we are hugging these families who are embracing them, and we are all with them. these families have been going

through a torture of mind and soul for over 80 days now. and we are hearing horrendous accounts from hostages, the ones who came back as we outlined it in place with hamas, for international mediators that hamas has violated, fails to maintain. and started another round against us. you see, some of these people, i personally can't stop thinking about 25-year-old, no argamani, for example. her mother, and the prime minister, also mentioned her yesterday, when you talk to these families. her mother is dying of cancer, and every day counts. we want to see all of them back, and the prime minister said that we will shake every tree, and turn every stone, and we are not sparing any efforts. we will do whatever it takes, and pursue every avenue to bring about the release of all of them. >> and i hear you. what about going back to the negotiating table, is that even

possible at this point? or do you feel like that's not a possibility. >> we will do everything that is possible, of course, as i said, pursue every avenue. but you see, the only reason as for why hamas has released some of the hostages so far, as part of the framework that was mediated, in negotiations behind the scenes, was because of the military pressure that we've exerted on them so far. that is what created the conditions to create this framework. we certainly hope to see all hostages come back home, one way or another. and we will spare no efforts. >> but do you mean one way or another? >> well, the combination, it could be the combination of some diplomatic breakthrough, as we had before, and we have a military pressure. but these two things, they go hand in hand. these are not contradictory

goals. we have to hit tomas hard, and we have to continue in every possible avenue, if there is such, as something realistic to try to bring about the release of hostages. >> diplomatic pressure or -- you said diplomatic negotiations or military pressure, with that military pressure, tal, do you have concerns that israel is creating more terrorists than it is killing? >> you see, if we take a look at historical lessons from the second world war, and it's an interesting question, the one that you ask, you see that the german society has deradicalized, after a total victory of the allies against a pure evil of the not sees, germany, the united states, the uk are partners right now. same goes for japan. we -- >> when you're talking about, that i just have to interrupt

you there, if you're looking at that, i it's apples and watermelons here. the administration of germany after world war ii required the division by a number of countries, it's not at all what you're talking about doing. with gods on here, the conflicts are very different as well. these are -- i don't know that these are great comparisons. >> well, if you're talking about a political solution, because you mentioned the marshall plan, it's not only premature to talk about one right now, i think it's also counterproductive, as we are still fighting a terrorist organization that rules the gaza strip, but controls the palestinian population. for the very sad part, this ideology is also very much rooted in the palestinian society. they are raising generation after generation to believe that there's no hope, and that there's so refugees of wars that they themselves started. >> tal look at the pictures

coming out of gaza. when you see those pictures coming out of gaza, do you see why some people don't have hope looking at those pictures? >> well, we are in the middle of a war that israel did not start, and did not want. >> you're prosecuting it forcefully, and you see the pictures here. >> when hamas started this war, hope is -- hope and peace and a better future for the region, that is the greatest enemy of terrorists. once we eliminate these terrorists, we eliminate the rule, we hope that there will be other voices, pragmatic ones that want to work with us towards peace. this is what we want. we want to live in this region peacefully. that's what israelis have always wanted. but first, hamas must be gone, and then we hope that the

palestinian society will deradicalize. we can't have -- you know, our troops are finding right now, on the ground, in certain neighborhoods in gaza, pictures of children, women with guns, hamas uniform, tailored for children. and hamas terrorists that we have arrested, just a minute -- >> does that make the children justifiable enemies to you? is that what you're saying, does that make all of the children justifiable enemies to you? >> no, no. >> the only reason that could be expected to see them in military uniforms. >> this is not what i'm saying. i'm saying need to hamas terrorists we are interrogating have admitted in the interrogation that hamas are exploding children, they're using them to transport ammunition. that's outrageous. where is unify f? of course not. we want to see a better hope for this entire future, and for

that reason, we say that this education, to glorifying martyrs, that must be killed, the jewish state should be obliterated, this can be no longer. so when we say deradicalization, for a better future, this is what we mean. we can no longer sustain this reality, right? >> all right, tal heinrich we're gonna have to leave it there. thank you so much for joining us today. we appreciate it. >> thank you. >> let's turn now to a developing story from overnight, we're going to show you video of the aftermath of u.s. airstrikes on iraq's -- province. the u.s. targeted docked on -- and belong to a group called kataib hezbollah, president biden ordered those strikes after a one-way drone attacked erbil airbase. >> in response, the u.s. struck with their strikes here, three facilities, that kataib hezbollah uses in iraq. u.s. central command saying it's likely a number of militants were killed, however,

iraq's government here is outraged, saying that 18 civilians were wounded here. we have cnn's oren liebermann joining us now from the pentagon, all right oren, first, tell us about this attack on u.s. forces, how many were hurt and then what we're hearing as well about this reaction, this response. >> reporter: this plays out over the course of several hours on monday morning. a one-way drone attack, or suicide drone attack, on u.s. forces in iraq. there were three u.s. service members injured as a result of the attack including one in critical condition. president joe biden was briefed on the attack and presented with options on how to respond. he chose to target three sides used by kata'ib hezbollah, specifically targeting their drone programs. they're unmanned aerial attack program which is what they used to attack service members there. the u.s. says they were likely

a number of kata'ib hezbollah militants killed in the attack. they said according to an initial assessment there were no civilians who were affected by the strikes. iraq's government responded quite vigorously after the u.s. attacks, and it's worth noting the u.s. rarely carries out strikes in iraq and response to what we have seen over the course of the past several months. these drone and missile attacks on u.s. forces. normally the attacks and responses from the u.s. are in syria. the u.s., or rather the iraqi government, said these attacks and rockets elf were hostile acts and in fact saying there were at least 19 people wounded as a result of the attacks, including a number of civilians there. you see the anger coming from the iraqi government which threatened it might affect u.s. iraqi relations. worth noting the u.s. forces are in iraq following the invitation of the iraqi government. this all comes in the bigger picture of the attacks on u.s. forces that we have seen since the beginning of the gaza war. the u.s. has tried to separate the gaza war from the rest of the region, but it has been unsuccessful in doing so.

that is why we have seen these u.s. attacks on these forces, the u.s. has warned if these attacks on u.s. forces continue, so too will the u.s. strikes in the region. >> oren liebermann for us at the pentagon with the latest. thanks so much. still to come this afternoon, overwhelmed and out of room, migrants in texas are now being bused by the hundreds every day as border cities grapple with the ongoing surge. we will take you back to the border. plus, it's been six months since the supreme court gutted affirmative action in college admissions. how some black high school students are navigating the new college application process. that is ahead on cnn news central.

right now thousands of migrants are headed north to mexico to already overwhelmed u.s. border. they are looking at a video of the massive caravan of migrants marching towards the u.s. border on christmas eve. >> and this comes as cnn is learning that more than 11,000 people are already waiting in shelters on the mexican side of the border hoping to get in through legal channels to the u.s.. secretary of state tony blinken is headed to mexico tomorrow to try and hammer out new agreements to better control the flow of migrants. we have cnn's rosa flores there in eagle pass, texas for us. rosa, i know you have more reporting on migrant apprehensions in the region that you are in. tell us more about this. >> reporter: yes. i just heard from a law enforcement source who says the daily apprehensions in the del rio sector, which includes eagle pass where i am, there were about 2000 yesterday. this number is significant

because just last week the average number was 3000 daily. we are seeing the effects of this because if you look behind me you can see that there is an open field. just last week there were thousands of migrants were waiting to be transported to immigration processing facilities, and we are not seeing that today. but a cbp official telling me today that this does not mean that the agency is out of the woods yet. here is what they are dealing with. first of all, there's about 11,000 migrants who are waiting in northern border cities in northern mexico. they are waiting for legal pathways to enter into the united states. organizations there that are familiar with the thinking of these migrants say that some of the migrants are losing their patients and are entering the country illegally. so that's a factor. then there are smugglers who work to push migrants through the u.s. southern border

illegally. and there's two different types of migrants they tried to push through. migrants who simply turn themselves in. these are mothers and fathers with children who just turned themselves into a u.s. immigration authority. then there are those individuals that smugglers try to sneak into the united states who have criminal pasts. they are also trying to sneak in drugs. so border patrol are trying to manage all of this, the biden administration is trying to manage all of this, and when there is a search the biden administration usually sends resources to the southern border to try to deal with that. that is what is happening right now. they are also using methods like decompression, which is when migrants from this area, where it has been saturated, are transported to other areas like the rio grande valley, laredo, and del rio to make sure the migrants are processed swiftly. and i want to take you to del rio. we were there yesterday where there was a mass of migrants that actually entered near eagle pass where i am, but they

ended up there because of the compression. the priest there that is nearby that center told us on friday that he saw about 200. the number fluctuates. yesterday it was about two dozen. and he normally feeds them three times a day, but yesterday on christmas day he also celebrated mass. take a listen. >> we had a few people come to our church to celebrate with us there. we knew there were a lot more here, so we've got -- we thought it would be best for them to have a moment to have masked here. >> reporter: breonna and jessica, i want to give you some perspective about that 2000 number of daily apprehensions here in eagle pass in the del rio sector where i am. just to give you some perspective. i remember covering the migrant surge in 2013 under president trump, and 1000 apprehensions a day was a huge surge in the rio grande valley. that used to be the epicenter of this. this just shows you also how the smuggling networks also orchestrate all of this. they send different types of

nationalities to different areas, and they managed to blow, and that is what border patrol is so worried about because it creates gaps and border security. >> rosa, thank you for that. we are obviously watching things very closely there on the border. rosa flores from eagle pass. still ahead, a major consequence of the supreme court ruling on affirmative action. high school students now face a big decision when applying to colleges. we will talk about that after a quick break.

i'm a little anxious, i'm a little excited. i'm gonna be emotional, she's gonna be emotional, but it's gonna be so worth it. i love that i can give back to one of our customers. i hope you enjoy these amazing gifts. oh my goodness. oh, you guys. i know you like wrestling, so we got you some vip tickets. you have made an impact. so have you. for you guys to be out here doing something like this, it restores a lot of faith in humanity. you are looking at some new video coming into cnn. this is showing what is left of a neighborhood in northern gaza. as you can see here it is

completely devastated by israeli air attacks. mountains of rubble here, bombed out buildings, twisted metal lining the streets. >> even as we are seeing more of those images, israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu bowing the war in gaza will be, quote, a long fight and far from finished. cnn's will ripley is in tel aviv for us. >> reporter: brianna and jessica, we have new information from the idf about the number of soldiers who have been killed since the ground operation began on october 27th. that is 20 days after the horrific attacks of october 7th that took the lives of 1200 israelis. 161 idf soldiers have been killed in gaza, making this a very deadly conflict for them, and even deadlier for the people in gaza. we are now approaching 21,000, with the number of injured nearly doubled that, nearly 55,000. although cnn cannot independently verify the numbers. the new information from the israeli government and military is that they are close to dismantling hamas battalions in

the northern part of gaza, but they have shifted the intensity of their military operation to southern gaza. also central gaza where we saw airstrikes over the weekend that led to a very stunning death toll, in 1:24 hour period, at least 250 people killed. making it one of the deadliest days since the beginning of the war. israel says it's the new reality since october 7th, and there are many months of fighting to go because hamas is a type of organization that has essentially embedded itself within communities, making mosques in schools, and even residential apartment buildings potential military targets if hamas is believed to be operating either in or underneath those facilities. of course, they do have an extensive network of underground tunnels. the israelis say the hamas leadership will fall, but the prime minister benjamin netanyahu warning that it could be a very long fight ahead. scores of people have been killed in central gaza, and the pictures are heartbreaking. people kneeling over the rubble, mourning the loss of young children in many cases, sometimes entire families

crushed underneath the rubble, as israel intensifies its operations around the region. there are fears of an expanding conflict, a regional conflict, after the death of an iranian revolutionary guard corps member that israel has not confirmed any involvement in. nonetheless, iran pointing the finger and vowing to avenge the step. at the right time and in the right place they say. this is a statement from the iranian foreign ministry spokesman, that israel now says they are essentially having to defend themselves in what they call a multi arena war. fighting a war on several fronts with iran and iran-backed proxies. hamas and gaza, hezbollah and lebanon, and also the houthis in yemen. the united states also conducting strikes after attacks on u.s. sites in iraq and syria. this is a conflict that the u.s. and israel very much don't want to see expanding larger than it already is right now, but that may be an impossible thing to prevent and avoid, considering all of these latest developments. >> will ripley for us in tel aviv. thank you so much. six months since the supreme court struck down

affirmative action in college admissions and students at colleges are grappling with that change. >> that historic decision reversed decades of precedent and it ended the ability of post secondary institutions to consider race or ethnicity as one of many factors in creating diversity on college campuses. cnn's gabe cohen is joining us now with a great report. you talked to black high school students who are now navigating this very changed application process. tell us about it. >> reporter: you can imagine it's adding a lot of anxiety to a college process that is already complicated, a little mysterious. the students are now trying to figure out what is the best way to address race on their applications, which to be clear is still allowed as they paint a clearer picture of their entire life experience. as a result of all of that uncertainty, the students i spoke with are taking very different approaches. >> hi, brown.

my name is lynijah and i'm a black girl in stem. >> that is lynijah russell's application video for brown university. she's among the millions of students applying to college six months after the supreme court struck down affirmative action in college admissions, navigating how and even whether to include race in their pitch for admission. what was your reaction to the decision? >> at first i was a little scared. i thought it was -- it made me doubt myself a bit, like are my numbers good enough? >> reporter: you actually took some schools off your list? >> i thought the -- schools were almost impossible. >> reporter: when she sat down to reiter college essays, she decided it was more important than ever to discuss race as part of her college experience. >> i's emphasized i was black a bit more than i probably would have. i started expressing myself more through my photos. >> reporter: her main essay is about growing up in a rough part of baltimore. >> what's important to me is my identity, why am as a person, and race is a big part of that.

>> reporter: you think schools are still looking for that diversity? >> yes. >> do not ignore such a crucial part of your identity. >> reporter: college advisers like tracey ramos are encouraging black students not to shy away from race in their applications, especially in their essays. >> it paints a holistic picture of who you are. >> reporter: you think without boxes to check it's even more important to write about these issues? >> i do. a lot of the elite colleges are looking for ways to identify these students. the key piece of advice is make it easy for the colleges to know all of who you are. >> reporter: many schools have added questions to their applications so students can discuss their life experience and how they would add to campus diversity. >> as a student athlete, vice president of the black student union, and vice president of the national society of black engineers, -- >> reporter: sean manley essays captured his unique experience as a black student in rural maryland. >> i was scared at first that they wouldn't be able to see my race and all the challenges

that come with it. i'm very proud of like why am, and it's a very important part of why i am here. >> reporter: do you think it will put you in a better spot? >> i don't know if writing it in my essay is good or bad yet. we are kind of the experiment class. >> reporter: the supreme court decision has added a new level of stress to an already stressful college application process for students like shawn and lynijah. experts expect historically black colleges will see higher enrollment and more applications, and some students are taking a very different approach. you took race out of most of the recipes? >> yes. >> reporter: harmony moore we wrote her essays about being a black student at a mostly white houston school. why did you feel that was necessary? >> i did not want the wrong admissions officer to read it at all of a sudden they don't want to let me into the school because i'm trying to push my race on them. i think i stand out on my own with my extracurriculars and the honors i have received. i don't want to just have the exact same story as hundreds of

other black students. >> reporter: another student told me she is looking at each college individually and only writing about her racial identity for the schools that she believes are more progressive, which again speaks to the calculations that these students are making right now, and it's going to be really interesting to see how this all plays out in terms of admissions rates where there has been a lot of concern after the supreme court decision, that we will see less diversity in these student bodies and classes. we will see what it looks like in the fall and we might see colleges continue to make adjustments depending on the numbers that they see. >> because this is the first class since this is happened. >> reporter: exactly. >> great report, thank you so much. up next, a winter storm hits at the worst time possible, right as people are making their way home after christmas. we will look at just how bad it could get after the break.

today while many americans are getting ready to head home after christmas, millions more are under winter weather alerts. a majority winter -- part in, a major winter storm

on the impact there. major winter storm sweeping across the plains into the rockies. 14 counties went so far as to issue a no travel advisory. >> it doesn't look good. we were saying the blowing snow is never great. cnn's chad myers joins us with the latest now. chad, is there a chance to storm actually lets up so people can find a window to get home? >> reporter: yeah. i mean there's only 98 cancellations at the airport right now. it's not really that bad. 3000 delays, sure. planes are being 15 or 20 minutes late, but if you are only canceling 100 planes in a day that's pretty good. the people who have to drive through this, proof of a white christmas in nebraska, also south dakota and parts of colorado. what if you have to drive in this, this is where it is slow driving. it's still good across parts of the east and northeast. tomorrow is when the fog rolls in, the low clouds into those big airports in the northeast, that will be slowing things down again. we are kind of a big pinwheel here, and this is the area we

are seeing snow. back out here towards the west, those are the blizzard conditions. we have some spots here with over a foot of snow. if you take that and you blow it around at 60 miles per hour you are going to get a blizzard without a doubt. some spots are already at 30 miles or 40 miles per hour. visibility at a quarter mile and that's really over some of these i interstates, i 76, i-80, all the way up towards i-90. into the dakotas as well. here's the rain for right now. a little heavier for tomorrow. could be a little flash flooding. possibility across the east, but we will take the rainfall when we can get it. you just don't want to have to drive through it or flight through it. especially since things will slow down tomorrow again. >> yeah, i don't want to do that. doesn't sound fun. chad myers, thanks so much. now to some other headlines that we are watching this hour. republican congresswoman marjorie taylor greene was the target of a christmas day swatting incident. authorities are investigating whoever cement police to greens

north georgia home at the report of a possible murder suicide. police say the caller claimed he had killed his girlfriend at greene's home and threatened to kill himself. the congresswoman later posted on social media that she has been the target of this type of prank several times before. also, early christmas day, houston firefighters racing to beyoncé's childhood home after it caught fire. cnn affiliate ktrk reporting her family no longer lives there, but the house is still considered an iconic landmark. firefighters quickly doused the flames and the current residents were not injured. the fires cause is under investigation. and there was no winning powerball ticket under the christmas tree for anyone. that is why jess and i are here at work. that is -- so the jackpot has jumped to an estimated $685 million. we've got to get some tickets. >> yes. >> no one matched all six numbers last night to grab the grand prize. if someone wins tomorrow and chooses the cash payout, a measly $345 million.

right? that's not enough. >> we would take it. [laughter] >> we would even split it. still to come, there were some truly shocking crime and justice stories in 2023. jean casarez will l run down t e totop ten, nexext.

the past year did not lack for drama when it came to crime and justice. >> we will not forget a kidnapping in broad daylight or some new twists and high profile cold cases. cnn's jeanne casarez takes a look at the top ten. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> reporter: hundreds dead in mass shootings, cold case arrests, and murderers on the run. all part of the top ten crime and justice stories from communities around the country. in 2023. . number 10, a young girl kidnapped and found alive. >> they have found her. we are told she is in good health. >> reporter: the upstate new

york elementary school student on a camping trip with her family, taken while riding her bicycle at a campground. >> we are leaving no stone, no branch, no table, no cabin unturned. >> reporter: fingerprints on a ransom note left in her family's mailbox led to her and the arrest of the 46 year old craig nelson ross junior. he has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and other charges. number nine, a daring escape leads to a weeks long man hunt. 34-year-old convicted murder danelo cavalcante got out of his pennsylvania prison by climbing sideways of the walls in the exercise yard. >> i want to reiterate this man is very dangerous. >> reporter: hundreds of law enforcement searched by land and air while local spotted on trail cameras and

allegedly breaking into homes before being captured and returned to prison. >> our nightmare is finally over, and the good guys won. >> reporter: he now faces 20 new charges. number eight. a 17-year-old las vegas high school student beaten to death by his classmates. authorities call it senseless. ten students against one. this video is very graphic. >> what you see in the video is approximately 10 students kicking, stomping and punching. >> reporter: police think it started over stolen headphones. >> he's on the ground, not defending himself. to the point he becomes unconscious. >> reporter: eight students arrested, ranging in age from 13 to 17. facing murder charges. number seven. an arrest. after more than a decade, unsolved killings on long island, new york.

nearly a dozen sets of remains found, including four on gilgo beach. authorities long suspected a serial killer. >> he's a demon that walks among us. >> reporter: he is facing multiple murder counts involving three women. he's pleaded not. number six. a confession in the death of natalie holloway. 18 years after she disappeared on a high school graduation trip to aruba, the prime suspect in her death admits to killing her. he was flown by fbi's agents to face federal extortion and wire fraud charges. >> despite their grief, the holloway family kept fighting for justice for natalie. >> reporter: he pleaded guilty, sentenced to 20 years for his financial crimes. he will serve his sentence

while back in peru where he's serving a murder sentence for killing another woman. >> it's been a very long and painful journey, but we finally got the answers we've been searching for all these years. >> reporter: number five. an arrest in the 1996 killing of tupac. the prominent rapper was shot in las vegas and died six days later. >> for 27 years the family of tupac has been waiting for justice. >> reporter: dwayne keith davis arrested. he is not accused of pulling the trigger but handing the gun to someone else. >> dwayne davis was the shock collar for this group of individuals. >> reporter: police say tupac was in a feud with davis and a gang he was affiliated with. no other suspects are still alive. davis pleaded not.

number four. from billionaire crypto currency whiz kid to convicted felony. sam bankman freid found guilty of stealing billions of dollars from customers of his crpto exchange company. >> this fraud and corruption is as old as time. >> reporter: before the company imploded he lived the high life. he could go to prison for life when sentenced. his lawyers says he maintains his innocence. number three. a disgraced attorney. descendent of southern prestige found guilty of murdering his wife and son. alex murdock practicing law in south carolina, wealthy. a beautiful family. but stealing clients' settlements and plotting the murder and coverup of those he should have loved the most. >> we can't bring him back but we can bring justice. >> reporter: he filed a motion

for a new trial. number two. tyron nicols violently beaten by police. he died three days later. his death ruled a homicide. >> i know i'll never see him again. but we have to start this process of justice right now. >> reporter: the five officers were charged in state and federal court. all initially pleaded not. however, one later agreed to a plea deal. number one. mass shootings kill hundreds of americans. >> so much loss in this community. >> reporter: from the lewiston, maine, mass shooting where 18 were killed in a bowling alley and a restaurant. >> there is such a deep sadness here. >> reporter: to the covenant school in nashville where three

children and three adults died. >> we have an active shooter. >> reporter: a bank employee in louisville killing five of his colleagues. >> clearly this community completely shaken. >> reporter: asian americans celebrating lunar new year in january, 11 shot dead. 2023 was a year of more than 600 mass shootings in this country. according to the gun violence archive. >> a lot of loss there. our thanks to jeanne for that piece. still ahead, a top ally of prime minister netanyahu is in washington for meetings. can he bridge the divide between the white house and what israeael is plalanning? that's after a quick break. to duckduckgo on all your devie

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