just a few taps you have my attention. >> how do i get in on this? >> download it today. >> i can't move again. >> you've gotten used to chaos. we can get rid of that. don't sell. oh my gosh! >> is this our house? >> when leaving just isn't an option. >> the brothers are here to help. >> thank you you're welcome. you're welcome. >> don't hate your house. all new wednesday at nine on hgtv you are in the cnn newsroom, and i'm jessica dean in new york. >> we begin with increasing concern about the about stability in the middle east. tonight, russian and syrian forces fighting back after

rebels took control of most of the city of aleppo. activists and journalists in the city telling cnn russian warplanes have now carried out at least ten strikes on rebel positions in the past several days, as forces have advanced. overnight, syrian rebels entering the city for the first time since government forces regained control in 2016. the rebels say they are also in control of the airport. it's a claim, though, that cnn has been unable to verify. dozens of government soldiers were killed in the surprise attack in what is being seen as a major challenge to president bashar al assad and his regime. joining us now is former u.s. ambassador to nato, kurt volker, who was also the u.s. special representative for ukraine negotiations during the trump administration. thanks so much for being here with us. >> thank you. it's a pleasure. >> i first want to begin with this unfolding situation in syria. this advance of course, appearing to take the syrian army by surprise. i just first want to get your reaction to what we've seen develop over the last couple of days. >> well it's a combination of

many things. first off, i think everyone in the world is trying to take advantage of our presidential transition as we see the end of the biden administration and president trump coming in. >> president trump very likely to take a stronger approach toward iran and to islamist groups in the middle east. >> so they are now striking out in order to establish the best position that they can. >> at the end of the biden administration. >> this happens at the same time that russia is struggling in its war in ukraine. it doesn't have enough forces or ammunition and has withdrawn some forces from syria. and this is something that the islamists have decided to take advantage of. >> yeah. and as you note, putin's been a longtime ally of syria's president and and you note again that the resources russian resources stretched very thin with this war in ukraine. and so it's it sounds like you agree with the fact that that does play a role in all of this. as well.

>> it certainly does. putin has overextended his capabili they're not able to attack in ukraine and defend russian territory at the same time that's why they lost part of the kursk region. >> that's why they brought in north korean soldiers to fight on their behalf, because they can't move their forces from eastern ukraine and they have drawn down russian forces that have been in other parts of the world, including in syria, because they needed them in ukraine. >> now we're seeing that others are taking advantage of those russian decisions and at the same time, we are seeing an urgency on the part of many players, whether it is iran trying to shut down hezbollah a little bit, whether it is these islamists trying to take over more ground in in syria, whether it's hamas releasing this video of a hostage trying to get a deal with israel or whether it's russia, despite their weaknesses, stepping up attacks in ukraine and

threatening nuclear use, all in an order to try to position before trump takes office. >> and so, you know that that that, you know, they are all trying to get the upper hand or make the most of this in-between time before president-elect trump takes office. i'm curious how you see this playing out. once he gets into office well, i think in the middle east, i think it's going to be much easier to discern. >> you're going to see a return to a policy of maximum pressure on iran and holding iran accountable for the actions of hamas, the houthis, hezbollah and an intolerance of islamist terrorist groups such as what we're seeing happen in syria right now so i think that part is clear and they are all positioning assuming that trump will be tough on them. in the case of russia, it's a little bit less clear. russia is assuming that there's going to be pressure for some kind of deal. so it wants to demonstrate as much strength as possible in

this short period of time to try to position itself for the best deal that it can get. that may not actually work. they may be misreading trump on this. i think the trump team and what we've seen from keith kellogg writings is that they understand that the cause of this war is russia's ambitions, and that it's going to take a show of strength in order to convince putin to actually end the war so it may be that what we heard from president zelenskyy this week about saying that they're ready for peace, they they will accept that they can't take all of the territory back militarily. now but hold, you know, hold out for diplomatic solutions later. and in the meantime, gain credible security guarantees now through nato membership that is actually shifting in a direction that really may be to trump's favor it may turn out in a way very different from what putin is actually hoping for. >> and as you mentioned, trump has named general keith kellogg as special envoy to ukraine. we

know he has previously suggested freezing the war's front lines and creating a demilitarized zone. do you think that do you anticipate that we're going to see something like that? and do you think that might be a fair starting place for negotiations yeah, i do actually. >> if you look at the situation that putin is in his economy is coming apart right now. they have inflation over 25% and they're printing rubles so that inflation is going to increase. interest rates are already over 21%. they're having difficulty getting components. the ruble is crashing. so he knows he's in trouble economically and also militarily because he doesn't have the troops that he needs. he relies on north korea for artillery shells relies on iran for drones so putin is actually ready to pause this war. i think zelenskyy is also ready to do that. so i think there will be a short term end of fighting the trick is to turn that into a permanent peace and

that is where i think zelenskyy's ideas of bringing in nato membership and perhaps even european nato members to have troops inside ukraine as a deterrent to further russian aggression. this may be what is necessary, and i think it could actually play out and indeed play out fairly quickly in the new year because it would seem to me that you've got that there has to be a way to deter russia from turning around and invading again right? absolutely yes. that is the thing to watch out for if we just stop the war in place and do nothing else, then that's exactly what putin will do. he will regroup. he will try to undermine ukraine from from hybrid attacks inside and rebuild his military forces for further attacks later. this is why you need something like nato membership and the presence of some european nato forces in ukraine. as a deterrent, so that russia is deterred from attacking the rest of ukraine, just as he is currently deterred from attacking nato members.

>> yeah and to that end, president zelenskyy has said that an offer of nato membership would put it into what he's called this hot stage of the war, and he's pushing for an invite that includes keeping all ukrainian land. do you and do you so you think that could be potentially realistic i do, i think it is. >> you know, as long as we maintain the idea that there is a dispute over parts of ukraine that russia occupies, just as we had west germany join nato and east germany occupied or controlled by the soviet union or the baltic states, occupied by the soviet union. for 40 years. we could see a situation where we disagree with russia's occupation of parts of ukraine, but we can move on and the rest of ukraine is stable and secure. this is the kind of thing that i think actually could happen and we know that russia has been escalating these attacks. >> you're talking about making the most of this moment, trying to show that strength. they've also said that it's in response to the use of these u.s. made weapons in a russian

strike this week, more than a million homes were left without power. do you think this ability for ukraine to now use these long range weapons is it is that the right call? is it worth these consequences? >> yeah, it is absolutely the right call. and it should have been done a long time ago. the biden administration invented these restrictions on range. there was no reason to have done that the international law only requires that a country has a right to defend itself. so ukraine fits that category, and that they only hit military targets rather than civilian. no one's talking about range. and by allowing russia to attack ukraine from a great distance and restricting ukraine from hitting back that was a nonsensical decision that should have long ago been reversed. russia is of course, trying to capitalize on that reversal by claiming that it is some new affront, but we shouldn't pay too much attention to what russia propaganda is. russia is

throwing everything they've got at ukraine in this war right now, and they need to be stopped. and i think they are prepared to be stopped. >> i also want to ask you about the protests that we're seeing in georgia. we're now on the third night of these protests in response to the government's decision to halt the the former soviet union country's bid to join the european union. what do you make of these protests, and what do you make of this just this situation. you know, writ large well, this is very important that you ask about this because russia's fighting a hot war in ukraine, but it is trying to flip the georgian government to get it to break away from the eu and be part of russia's orbit again, all part of putin's strategy of rebuilding the russian empire the georgian people have come out in the streets massively to protest the government's announcement that it is suspending its efforts to get into the european union at least until 2028.

>> the government is now cracking down with all forms of protest control, you know, water cannons and and beating up protesters and so forth. so this is now right on edge, and it is critical that even though we are in a presidential transition we need to be making some very clear statements about our interests in this, which is that there be respect for constitutional and democratic practices, full support for the president of georgia, who as the commander in chief and as the president of the country, has refused to recognize these elections. and the seating of this georgian government sanctions on individuals in georgia who are leading this crackdown against the georgian people. now is the time for swift action, because i think the fate of georgia is going to be decided in the next several days or weeks, and look, the president-elect trump and many in the republican party, not all, but but many

have kind of, you know gone more isolationist, more you know, we want to make america first. >> we want to pull back from from all of these different, you know, engaging in all of these different conflicts around the globe. but i'm curious if you think that the president elect and his team understand just the circumstances and how confident are you in georgia that they will be able that they can see this the way you see it? >> well, in all fairness what you're saying about isolationism or america first, that was eight years ago. after two terms of president bush and two terms of president obama. trump rode in on this wave of america first promising to pull us back right now, what he's campaigned on is peace through strength he charges the biden administration with having been weak, with having created conditions that allow that that caused russia to decide they could get away with invading georgia. that caused iran to decide they could unleash their

proxies in the middle east. so i think they know now we need to reestablish a position of strength. now, what we're talking about here is georgia and russia is not only trying to flip the government, they're also in romania also in bulgaria, also putting pressure on montenegro. russia has a strategy for that wider region here. i think we've been focused only on the big issues, the middle east and russia's war on ukraine and china. but we have to have a comprehensive and a global strategy because our adversaries are out there doing this every day all right. >> ambassador kurt volker, thank you so much for your context around all of this. we really appreciate it thank you so much treacherous weather now impacting a huge portion of the u.s. this thanksgiving weekend. brutal lake effect snow hitting the great lakes region with the worst still to come pennsylvania's governor josh shapiro issuing a disaster declaration for erie county and mobilizing the pennsylvania national guard after heavy snowfall shut down several highways in that area. we know

nearly 2 million people are now under lake effect snow warnings through monday. cnn's polo sandoval is joining us now. polo. what are what are you seeing well, what am i feeling, jessica? >> that's the cold weather that certainly is affecting a lot of many many more people. at least three quarters of the country feeling temperatures at or below 32 degrees. my lucky family in texas, they're dealing with their temperatures in the 60s here, mid 30s. but it feels more like mid 20s. but the one of the biggest issues that we've been seeing, especially since thanksgiving, if you look at some of those pictures that have been coming out from an area about 400 miles northwest of here is mainly erie, pennsylvania. they have been just clobbered by snowfall, record breaking snowfall since thanksgiving night. and it's continued on and off since then so much so that even prompted the closure of several major roads and highways including interstate 79, 90 and 86. at one point, some of those even closed as those plows cleared the roadways. so if you're going to be hitting the road tomorrow for this post, thanksgiving

travel, it's important to to check out those routes before folks hit the road. but again, those temperatures that's what's really extending far beyond just the great lakes. and that's what so many people, even as far as florida are dealing with. some of these warnings. in effect, some of these freeze warnings and advisories as well, in place. obviously, a lot of people making the best of it, especially if you're in that winter wonderland specifically around the great lakes region. but there are others who are a little bit more worried that these chillier than normal temperatures and this record snowfall could perhaps jessica, be a sign of what may be on the horizon later this winter could be could be quite a winter. >> all right. polo sandoval for us. thank you so much for that. after president elect trump threatens canada with tariffs, prime minister justin trudeau headed to mar-a-lago for a face to face dinner. plus, a kentucky man is wheeled into surgery to have his organs harvested. but he woke up before the surgery. more on this here in the cnn newsroom

cnn heroes, an all star tribute meet and celebrate the honorees. >> then find out who will be hero of the year. plus, a special tribute to michael j. fox cnn heroes, an all star tribute. sunday, december 8th at eight on cnn. >> think you've been harmed by products containing talc? you may have the right to vote on the plans of reorganization filed by amyris, talc and cypress mines. it's important because the plans determine how talc claims are treated which may affect your rights and claims. vote by december 16, 2020 for or object by march 26th, 2025 to help determine how injury claims are treated. visit instyle.com for details. that's ink talc. com molly leaving was one thing, but then i thought mom's osteoporosis might keep us stuck on the couch. >> no way. if you have postmenopausal osteoporosis and are at high risk for fracture, you can do more than just slow

bone loss you can build new bone in 12 months with evenity evenity is proven to significantly reduce spine fracture risk. she said the evenity she's taking builds new bone, builds new bone evenity can increase risk of heart attack stroke, or death from a heart problem. tell your doctor if you have had a heart attack or stroke. >> do not take evenity. >> if you have low blood calcium or are allergic to it. as serious events have occurred with evenity. signs include rash hives, swelling of the face or throat, which may cause difficulty in swallowing or breathing muscle spasms or cramps, numbness or tingling. tell your doctor about severe jawbone problems as they have been reported with evenity report hip, groin or thigh pain unusual thighbone fractures have occurred with evenity building bone we dig it. >> want stronger bones? ask your doctor about evenity. >> it's time for the main event. wayfair's black friday savings spectacular is here right now. get up to 80% off furniture and cookware, holiday decor and more at wayfair's. lowest prices of the year plus

score 24 hour flash deals. you have to see to believe and get free shipping on everything. save up to 80% off wayfair's black friday savings spectacular now through december second. >> wayfair every style, every home. >> stay tuned to get this free five piece ultra nonstick bakeware set from gotham steel are you tired of pans that burn and lids that don't fit? worse yet, they're a nightmare to clean. you need a new set, but prices are so high it's obscene. well, now there's a brand new professional cookware set that's ultra durable and nonstick. these pans are super slick, and they can be yours for our lowest price ever introducing gotham steel chef tested cookware designed to make family meals with no sticking and easy cleanup. every time gotham steel is made with cast aluminum and coated with teaserama, a fusion of ultra durable titanium and super slick ceramic, this cookware comes with vented glass lids and is oven rated up to 500 degrees, so bake meals

in the oven that come out perfect every time. even use metal utensils with no scratching. plus, the entire set is pfoa free and dishwasher safe. other professional cookware sets can cost up to $400, but we have a factory direct deal for you you can get the gotham steel 12 piece set not for 400 or even 300, but for just five easy payments of 49.99. but wait order right now and we'll drop one payment. that's just four easy payments of 49.99. this is nonstick cookware that we know you'll love. that's why we're guaranteeing it for a full ten years. we'll even include our self-draining fry basket stainless steel steamer insert and steamer rack a $50 value absolutely free. and there's even more as a special gift, you'll get our five piece gotham steel bakeware set, the fast, easy ultra nonstick way to bake your favorite desserts no grease or oil needed together they're a $110 value. yours free that's an incredible

20 piece cookware set, plus free shipping on your entire order call or click now. >> call one ( 800) 859-6578 or go to gotham city. dot com again. that's 1-800-859-6578 or order online at gotham city.com. berwick. >> every year, millions of noses are ghosted by their plugins. new airwick advanced our groundbreaking plugin that pulses scent for staying power up to 60 days, plus a fragrance boost button. our noses won't be ignored again erin burnett out front weeknights at seven on cnn it has been a busy holiday week at mar-a-lago. >> the president elect having dinner last night with canadian prime minister justin trudeau. trudeau flying down as trump threatens to make good for goods from canada. a lot more expensive by hitting them with a 25% tariff. cnn's alayna treene bringing us more details from west palm beach, florida. elena well, jessica we've since

heard from both donald trump and justin trudeau, both describing the dinner as a productive meeting as an excellent meeting. >> that was, in the words of the canadian prime minister. but i want to read you some of what donald trump posted earlier today. he described the meeting as, quote, having discussed many important topics that will require both countries to work together to address, like the fentanyl and drug crisis that has decimated so many lives as a result of illegal immigration, fair trade deals that do not jeopardize american workers, and the massive trade deficit. the united states has with canada. he went on to say that they also talked about energy and the arctic partnership but the reason i wanted to highlight his mention of the drug crisis is that that was really the motivation that donald trump cited when he issued that threat. both against mexico and canada saying that if they do not do enough to crack down on the flow of drugs migrants and crime over both of the borders, that he would issue that 25% tariff on all products coming from those countries. now, as

for trudeau's part, we did hear him this morning. our own cnn's kip meier caught up with him when he was leaving his hotel in west palm beach. he described it as an excellent meeting and then later posted on social media as well. he posted a photo of them together and said that he looked forward to working with donald trump moving forward. but one thing that's very interesting, i think you know, to take a step back from this all the fact that the significance really, of justin trudeau flying down to florida to meet with donald trump in person, i think really highlights how much he recognizes that donald trump means what he says. and he said as much justin trudeau yesterday in an unrelated press conference hours before making that trip, he described um, you know, what donald trump was doing as not an empty threat. take a listen. >> one of the things that is really important to understand is that, you know donald trump, when he makes statements like that, he plans on carrying them out. there's no question about it. our responsibility is to point out that in this way, he would be actually not just

harming canadians who who who work so well with the united states. he would actually be raising prices for american citizens as well and hurting american industry and businesses. >> now, i also think it's important to point out here, jessica, that both trudeau and donald trump have worked together before. if you look back to his first administration, when they were when donald trump was trying to renegotiate the north america free trade agreement, he had actually imposed steep tariffs on canada. then, as well as sort of a negotiating tactic. so something i'm told that did come up in the conversation over dinner last night but not one that has yet to be worked out. >> jess alayna treene, thank you very much. it has been a challenging season for the women's volleyball team at san jose state. opponents forfeiting games and lawsuits filed over claims of a transgender player on that team. we'll talk about it next right here on the cnn newsroom there are amazing things that are happening all over the

world, things that can make our lives better. >> that's the goal of my podcast to try and find the secrets to a longer and happier and healthier life. and then we bring those secrets to you. listen to chasing life wherever you get your podcast. >> advil liquid gels are faster and stronger than tylenol rapid release gels also from advil. >> advil. >> targeted relief, the only topical with four powerful pain fighting ingredients that start working on contact and lasts up to eight hours. >> shop etsy cyber spectacular until december 3rd for up to 60% off all kinds of gifts. carefully crafted by small businesses save big on the perfect presents for practical parents cute and cuddly creations for kids and other fetching finds made to make the holidays for any hard to shop for person on your list. when you want up to 60% off gifts that say i get you. etsy has it resolve your pet knows if a mess has really gone. >> if not, they may mark the

spot. resolve gets rid of pet messes better than the leading competitor. destroying stains neutralizing odors, and preventing remarking. love the love. resolve the mess you know what? >> you don't see in psoriasis commercials cut the thousands of real people who go undiagnosed. people whose psoriasis can look very different depending on their skin tone as the makers of tremfya, we understand that everybody's moderate to severe plaque psoriasis doesn't look the same. so we undertook a first of its kind study of plaque psoriasis in every skin tone, like hers and his. and yours. >> serious allergic reactions and increased risk of infections may occur before treatment. >> your doctor should check you for infections and tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection. >> flu like symptoms or if you need a vaccine. >> ask your dermatologist about tremfya finish ultimate engineered for the toughest conditions dry.

>> burnt on stains old dishwashers. very hard water. finish ultimate with cycle sync technology helps deliver the ultimate clean your best defense against erosion and cavities is strong enamel. >> nothing beats it. >> i recommend pronamel active shield because it actively shields the enamel to defend against erosion and cavities. i think that this product is a game changer for my patients. it really works at morgan stanley. >> old school hard work meets bold new thinking to help you see untapped possibilities and relentlessly work with you to make them real progressive makes it easy to see if you can save money with a commercial auto quote online, so you can get back to your monster to do list. >> super drop everything and get some magic of your own during the xfinity black friday sale.

xfinity internet customers, our best deals of the year are back! switch to xfinity mobile and get your choice of a free 5g phone, plus your next unlimited line free for a year. get amazing savings and connect to wifi speeds up to a gig on the go with xfinity mobile. fly don't walk to get our best deals of the year. connect to the world of wicked this holiday, in theaters now. beautiful natural coverage learn more at laura clellan. com i'm rafael romo at the georgia state capitol in

atlanta. >> this is cnn closed captioning brought to you by inventhelp. call one ( 800) 710-0020. >> do you have an invention idea but don't know what to do next? >> call inventhelp today. they can help you get started with your idea. >> call now ( 800) 710-0020. >> this hour a university volleyball team at the center of a months long controversy over the issue of transgender athletes is playing for the mountain west conference title. the san jose state university women's volleyball team is facing off against carlos sainz colorado state right now, and it comes as san jose state cruise to the finals after multiple college teams forfeited against them over unconfirmed claims one of the players on the team is transgender. cnn's camila bernal is following this story. and camila, the team is playing right now. walk us through what's been going on here. >> yeah, and if you see me looking down, it's because i'm watching the game. just keeping track of it right now it's two sets to none. colorado state is

leading, but it's interesting because what we're talking about is san jose state, who did not even play a semifinal. but they're right now playing that final. and that's because boise state decided to withdraw from playing that semifinal against them. and they're not the only team refusing to play against san jose state. and this in part is because of something that happened in april. what happened in april was that a conservative news site published the name and the gender identity of one of the players in the san jose team. this is a player that had been on the team for two years. she started playing for san jose in 2022, had been on for three years of volleyball at the college level and two at san jose. another with another team, but nothing had essentially come up until this news article came out and revealed her name and her identity. now san jose state not commenting on her gender as well as the player not commenting publicly about this. and so what happened here is that after this news article,

at least one of her teammates and other players filed a lawsuit asking a judge to not allow this player in question to compete in this championship. the judge, a denver judge, a denver federal judge said that she would be allowed to play and allowed her to continue. then an appeals court upheld that decision, which is why right now, this game is ongoing and the conference the commissioner of the conference she put out a statement also saying this. the student athlete in question meets the eligibility standard. she added, it breaks my heart because they're human beings, young people, student athletes on both sides of this issue that are getting a lot of national negative attention. and again despite the negative attention this game is going on. the lawsuit here that we're talking about, the co-captain of the team brooke slusser, who i was just watching as she was serving in this game, said that it wasn't fair for the girls on the team and also said that they were at

physical risk here. but again, a judge said that that was not the case and is allowing them to play if san jose state pulls through and wins, well, the thing here is that then they would advance and they would essentially get a spot to the ncaa 64 team tournament that would give this whole controversy more light and even a bigger stage. so we'll see what happens after the game today. but if they win it could continue this controversy jess. all right. >> camila bernal walking us through all of that. thank you so much for your reporting. and joining us now, cnn sports analyst christine brennan. christine, good to see you. thanks for being here thank you. >> you, as well. >> yeah. and as camila, just kind of laid it all out there for us. this team in the game now at the center of a national debate over transgender athletes in sports. i just want to get your thoughts first on why and how and what you think about san jose state being at the center of all of this. >> yes as camille obviously report and there is a political

tone to all of this. i mean, this story is sports story at its heart jessica has been set against the backdrop of the presidential election, and donald trump's adds $200 million. i believe, is the reported amount that they spent anti-transgender ads and if, as camille again said, if this conservative website in april had not outed this player who we are not naming, if because of course this player herself has not said that she is a transgender woman but if that website had not outed her we would never have known about this because again, the key point to me is she had played two years already at san jose state and a year before that, and there had been no incidents. there had been no injuries. there had been no concerns at all. so it is a story i think that is going to be with us for a long time. i hate to say it it's an issue at the olympic level issue around the world this is not just a controversy in the u.s. about

women, transgender women playing women's sports and in some sports in the olympics have said no if you've gone through male puberty, you cannot compete in women's sports. obviously the ncaa listening to usa volleyball, the governing body for the sport in the united states, the ncaa of course, did allow this player to continue to compete. and then the court the federal court ruled in her favor earlier this week. >> and i also want to get your reaction to another story that we've been following over the last couple of hours. the tonight we saw ohio state and michigan football players and that a photographer may have been hit by pepper spray by police after this altercation between players of a very big game obviously, ohio state and michigan huge rivals this is a very important high stakes game for both teams. this was an upset victory but christine, that the issue here is the potential of law enforcement using pepper spray on college

athletes. >> exactly. and this is going to be a big story for several days for sure. i grew up going to michigan, ohio state games as a michigan fan, as a as a girl growing up in the suburbs of toledo, ohio, i know this rivalry very, very well. and yes emotions can run high. but in this case, what happened is very similar to earlier this season at michigan, where the texas after they beat michigan, they had their flag and they wanted to put it in the middle of the field. michigan was doing that today with their flag. that is relatively normal these days. in college football. and the ohio state players stuck around, as opposed to the michigan players that day at michigan, a couple of months ago, they left the field. ohio state lost, but they stuck around and i think that's in many ways we will find out that that just led to the energy and the antagonism and the fighting that was going on. and the police, the security role absolutely. if they were actually pepper spraying athletes to try to get

them to stop versus, for example, the ohio state coach, ryan day, was standing on the sidelines apparently watching it happen. why wasn't he trying to get his players away from the michigan players who were celebrating many many questions here for the game. the rivalry of all rivalries in college football, lots of questions and a very bad look all around, and especially at ohio state. why did those players stick around and want to fight with the michigan players who were celebrating understandably, after their huge upset win? >> yeah, there's a lot of questions to your point, and hopefully we'll get some more answers as the days go by. christine brennan great to see you. thanks so much thank you jessica. a 33 year old man wakes up after an overdose in the nick of time next. hear how he very narrowly avoided becoming an organ donor anderson cooper 360 weeknights at eight on cnn look out, cause

here i come. >> have you always had trouble with your weight? >> same. >> discover the power of wegovy with wegovy. >> i lost 35 pounds and some lost over 46 pounds. >> and i'm keeping the weight off. >> i'm reducing my risk. >> wegovy is the only weight management medicine proven to reduce risk of major cardiovascular events such as death, heart attack or stroke. >> in adults with known heart disease and obesity don't use wegovy with semaglutide or glp one medicines or in children under 12. don't take if you or your family had mtc men2 or if allergic to it. tell your prescriber if you are breastfeeding, pregnant or plan to be. >> stop taking and get medical help right away. if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or any of these allergic reactions serious side effects may include pancreas inflammation and gallbladder problems. call your prescriber if you have any of these symptoms wegovy may cause low blood sugar in people with diabetes, especially if you take medicines to treat diabetes. call your prescriber about vision changes. if you

feel your heart racing while at rest, or if you have mental changes, depression, or thoughts of suicide may occur. common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea constipation, stomach pain, flu or upset headache, feeling tired, dizzy, or bloated, gas and heartburn. some side effects lead to dehydration, which may cause kidney problems with wegovy. >> i'm losing weight i'm keeping it off and i'm lowering my cv risk. >> check your coverage before talking to your prescriber about wegovy sarah vital advance has been such a game changer for me. >> sarah vital advanced reduces wrinkles and promotes weight loss. >> my skin looks healthier. >> i literally shed a few pounds in the first couple of weeks. >> learn more at tricera. vital.com. >> this is an important message for anyone and everyone with medicare. if medicare is important to you, then you need to hear this message because medicare plans can change every year. and right now is the 2025 medicare annual enrollment period that's right. the medicare annual enrollment period is now, but it ends

december 7th, 2025. medicare advantage plans are now available, so now's the time for everyone on medicare to call in to check up on their medicare plan and benefits. call now for your free 2025 medicare coverage checkup. we can see if there are changes to your plan in the coming year or if there is a 2025 medicare advantage plan available in your area with additional benefits. did you know that medicare advantage plans can change each and every year? call now and a licensed insurance agent can look up your plan and see if there are any changes in your current plan in the upcoming year. the call and medicare checkup are free i'm on medicare. >> should i call yes. >> now is the best time for everyone on medicare to call for your free 2025 medicare coverage checkup why should i call? we can look up your plan and see if there's a medicare advantage plan available in your area with additional benefits. you don't get a plan with additional benefits automatically. call now before the medicare annual enrollment period ends december 7th. if you're on medicare, now's the

time to call 2025. medicare advantage plans are now available so everyone on medicare can call to see if a medicare advantage plan may be better for you, and if there are any changes to your current medicare plan in the coming year. it's your free medicare coverage checkup at absolutely no cost to you. just call the number on your screen and speak with a licensed insurance agent who can check up on your plan and answer your questions anyone with medicare can call the call, and 2025 medicare coverage checkup are free. with no obligation. you can call now, even if you called before and the call is free. >> just call 808 820987( 800) 882-0987. >> this is the carry on closet. >> the suitcase with a one of a kind closet system that keeps you organized anywhere. pack all you need for up to ten days and travel without ever unpacking the comfort of home on the go unpack in seconds at solgaard co sleep more deeply

and wake up rejuvenated. >> purple mattresses exclusive gelflex grid draws away heat, relieves pressure and instantly adapts sleep better live purple save up to $1,500 during our black friday flash sale visit purple.com or a store near you 10,000 years before the birth of paul atreides, we created a network of influence throughout the imperium. >> but power comes with a price doom prophecy. >> streaming exclusively on max 17 people die every day waiting for an organ. >> and while the need is great, the family of a man named t.j. hoover says the organ donor system needs immediate reforms. he nearly had his organs harvested despite still being alive. our chief medical correspondent, dr. sanjay gupta, investigated what happened tell me about that day. >> we were there saying our goodbyes. that was it we felt like we were doing the right

thing as a family and they were trying to kill him. we had made the decision to remove him from life support because we were told, you know, he was brain dead what you are watching is the honor walk. >> it's one of the most revered traditions in a hospital. it's when family friends and staff all pay their respects as someone is wheeled off to give the ultimate gift donation of their organs. you can feel pretty bad you know it's okay but it's really and sometimes they just want somebody except this man, t.j. hoover, was still very much alive so out of respect for moore and for the patient's privacy, we did stop recording at this point i think organ donation is a beautiful, life saving gift. >> when it's done ethically i

was just scrolling through tiktok about different kind of donation stories, and there was a little search bar across the bottom that said he woke up during his honor walk. so i watched it, and the people looked familiar. the hospital looked familiar, and i said that's this is our donor nothing makes me more sad or off. i don't know it's a very emotional thing for me because nobody should have to go through that. and i just feel like there were so many opportunities for someone to step in and say we're not doing the right thing. >> nicky martin worked for kentucky organ donor affiliates, or coda. it's known as an organ procurement organization responsible for recovering organs from deceased donors. nicky was so disturbed by what happened to tj that she penned a letter to congress trying to bring more attention to cases like his. >> i believe in organ donation and have devoted much of my life to it. however, in too many parts of the country like kentucky, it's unsafe and i'm

pleading with the government to change that do you remember when you were driving to the hospital that day? >> what did you hear that sort of triggered the alarm bells? >> the tracking with his eyes and moving around trying to pull his tube out. trying to move his hands away. just all of the reflexes that he had. normally our dcd donors don't have those kinds of reflexes, and they're not awake and they're not, you know, conscious of what's going on. so it was kind of really shocking for all of us to know that cody's admin was pushing to continue is this money i mean, is that the incentive? fundamentally, i think for for cody. it is for for any aleppo, you know, they're they're paid for the organs. >> you think of organs as being a gift of life. but what you're describing is a big moneymaking operation. >> and that's really you think, what sort of incentivized that push? >> yes. >> in a statement to cnn, network of hope said that cody

does not, quote, receive financial incentives based on the number of organs recovered and that its focus is on compassion, not on pressure. baptist health hospital wrote to cnn that they work closely with our patients and their families to ensure patients wishes for organ donation are followed, and cody said it reviewed the case and remains confident that accepted dcd practices and approved protocols were followed. when asked about the specific accusations by nicky cody said she was not present in the hospital and added this case has been inaccurately represented by individuals never involved in the case so we did track down someone who was in the operating room that day and did see what happened firsthand. her name is natasha miller. she's a transplant perfusionist and i'm driving to see her now. from what i understand he was mouthing the word no and pushing hands away and things like that. >> he was very aware of the pronouncing physician comes in, and when she comes in, she

walks back out and she says, i'm not doing this. i'm not doing this case. i don't feel comfortable. the organ coordinator that was there, she steps out to call the supervisor at the time to tell him that the pronouncing physician was refusing to do the case. she said that he was yelling at her, telling her she needed to find another physician to come and she's like, there is no one. there's no one else to come. do this case. >> is there any part of this that makes sense to you? is any part of this defensible? >> no, because it seemed like at first they were saying, well, family family consented, family consented, family consented. and i get that. but again, it seems like family wasn't made fully aware of his actual state. none of it makes sense. we should have never went to o.r. about an hour. >> an hour and 15 minutes later, the doctor came out and got us and told us to pull up a chair. she said he's not ready. he woke up army

humvee tom homan gurney it's gonna be a good day. >> that's right. that's tj, who is now home. >> i just want to check your strength here. can you pull your hand towards your face and try and touch your nose that's pretty strong. good. >> how about with this? this hand? can you do it here? i know you told me that this first thing that he really remembers is being in the operating room and having all these people around him but have you been able to explain to him everything that happened the same way you explained it to me? >> i am. how does he react? why did they want to kill me of course, he remembers he was an organ donor and he has survivor's guilt. he's like all of these people thought they were going to get to live lyft run lyft. i was a registered organ donor, and i'm not anymore. really? because you don't trust the system? i don't trust the system. what does tj's life

like now? he wasn't supposed to make it a year if he made it. >> hold your head up bud. >> for tj, it's not just about being alive, but living and getting to be a part of these moments like walking his sister down the aisle and meeting nikki for the very first time. >> now tj do you know how special you are no you don't you're pretty special bud. well so many reasons you survived. >> bud. >> you're my hero, tj doctor sanjay gupta cnn, richmond kentucky and our thanks to doctor sanjay gupta for that. >> as president elect, trump gets ready to return to washington, the governor, who might be a key foil to his

administration, is getting ready as well. newsom versus trump next. right here in the cnn newsroomnd laura coates forn heroes, an all star tribute. >> thank you guys. >> meet the honorees and celebrate their life changing achievements. >> they're ordinary people doing extraordinary things. >> then find out who will be named the cnn hero of the year. >> it's really incredible. >> plus, don't miss a special tribute to this year's legacy award honoree, michael j. fox cnn heroes, an all star tribute sunday, december 8th on cnn i told you, i don't need these anymore. >> i have sling this critical time calls for the critical news coverage that sling provides. >> okay. >> see you tomorrow. >> the most important news at the best price. sling lets you do that. >> finish ultimate, engineered for the toughest conditions. dry burnt on stains. old

dishwashers, very hard water. finish ultimate with cycle sync technology helps deliver the ultimate clean amelia turn off alarm. >> amelia weather 70 degrees and sunny today. >> amelia. unlock the door. >> i'm afraid i can't do that jen. >> why not? >> did you forget something my protein shake. the future isn't scary. not investing in it is. >> you're so dramatic amelia. >> hi, jen. nasdaq 100 innovators one etf. before investing, carefully read and consider fund investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses and more in prospectus at invesco.com. >> consumer cellular is lowering the price for those 50 and up. get two unlimited lines for $30 each. that's just $60 a month, so switch to the carrier ranked number one in network coverage satisfaction visit consumer cellular.com today. >> it's time for the main event wayfair's black friday savings

spectacular is here right now. get up to 80% off furniture and cookware, holiday decor and more at wayfair's. lowest prices of the year. plus score 24 hour flash deals. you have to see to believe and get free shipping on everything. save up to 80% off wayfair's black friday savings spectacular now through december 2nd. wayfair every style, every home your best defense against erosion and cavities is strong enamel. >> nothing beats it. >> i recommend pronamel active shield because it actively shields the enamel to defend against erosion and cavities. i think that this product is a game changer for my patients. it really works berwick every year millions of noses are ghosted by their plugins. >> new airwick advanced, our groundbreaking plugin that pulses scent for staying power up to 60 days, plus a fragrance boost button. our noses won't be ignored again oh, our beqaa valley went up. >> maybe we should track all our cars value on carvana. >> all of them.

>> all of them we need more trackers. >> i'll track the van. gotcha is that my belt are parts of it? >> yeah. oh, i'm getting a value update. >> do you see which one is going off? >> how's it tracking? >> good. got some dips, some rises. now what? hold sold. >> did we get a little carried away? >> no room for more. >> track your car's value on carvana today. >> advil liquid gels are faster and stronger than tylenol. >> rapid release gels. also from advil. advil targeted relief, the only topical with four powerful pain figaner and

a spotless house for $19. >> i'm hanako montgomery in tokyo and this is cnn california governor gavin newsom is preparing to take on president-elect donald trump and his agenda newsom wants to defend policies on issues including immigration climate and reproductive rights. >> he's asking california's

legislature to hold a special session to trump proof some of the state laws. cnn's brian todd reports get prepared. >> california's 57 year old democratic governor prepares himself and his state to do political battle with donald trump. >> gavin newsom is already pushing back against the president elect this week proposing to offer the state's own tax credit for car buyers who purchase electric vehicles. if trump ends the federal tax credit for those cars as he wants to do, i think this is the first example, and there will be more to come of governor newsom kind of showing tangibly how he would push back on the trump administration. almost immediately after trump won the election, newsom called for a special session of the california legislature to try to bolster california's progressive agenda against trump's plans. >> we had the experience with donald trump. i don't be don't don't fall, sort of prey to somehow this is some new day. listen to what these

guys are saying and telling you. look at what they're prepared to do. day one we're not going to be caught flat footed. >> in addition to electric vehicles and environmental issues overall, newsom is preparing to battle the new trump administration over reproductive rights disaster response and look for a very public fight from newsom over immigration and trump's promise to conduct mass deportations of undocumented migrants. even if newsom's actual power to prevent those deportations is limited, if the president calls up the national guard and the state guards, there's only so much that the that the governor and that the state government can do to try and prevent that. >> i think the area that the governor is really going to be focused on is it's going to be a lot of messaging, and it's going to be a lot of lawsuits. >> newsom has already called for more state money to file lawsuits against trump during trump's first term. the state of california sued his administration more than 120 times. trump, for his part, has repeatedly slammed newsom over california's problems with

crime and homelessness, often calling the governor new scum. >> what a horrible governor newsom has been. he's been horrible. so many people leaving. >> analysts say it's becoming more clear that gavin newsom is positioning himself and his state as possibly the country's biggest antagonist to trump, with possible ambitions for 2028. in mind. >> the governor wants to run for president as much as he says time and time again that he doesn't want to do that. >> he's kind of got two years to raise his profile and see if kind of the way the country is going aligns with the type of campaign he could run. >> is gavin newsom too liberal to win a national election? the analysts we spoke to said that might make him more of a long shot, but one of them said in four years, many voters might want to swing back to a more left leaning candidate. brian todd, cnn washington. >> brian thank you. a surprising development in syria as rebel forces take control of big chunks of aleppo. new details ahead right here in the

cnn newsroom there are amazing things that are happening all over the world, things that can make our lives better. >> that's the goal of my podcast to try and find the secrets to a longer and happier and healthier life. and then we bring those secrets to you. listen to chasing life wherever you get your podcasts giving you got to give a little take a little giving without expecting something in return giving that's possible through the power of dell ai with intel. >> so those who receive can find the joy of giving back that's the glory of love this is the carry on closet. >> the suitcase with a one of a kind closet system that keeps you organized anywhere. pack all you need for up to ten days and travel without ever unpacking. >> magically organize all your

clothes with each of the six unique compartments. >> there's space for your tops, your bottoms, your socks, and undies. >> and on the other side, there's space for your larger items like shoes, hoodies, or a jacket and for each suitcase sold, we save 6 pounds of plastic from entering our oceans through innovative river barriers, the comfort of home on the go unpack in seconds at solgaard co what do you do when your tire goes flat and there's no air anywhere to fix that? >> you reach for bull's eye pro the smarter faster, hands free way to fill it up with air. bull's eye pro is equipped with a rechargeable lithium ion power plant. so fast, so strong and so convenient it's like putting the power of an air compressor in the palm of your hand. >> look, you can inflate all four tires of your car on a single charge or inflate a bag full of soccer balls at practice. bull's eye pro is so advanced it has a built in smart pressure digital sensor that gauges and automatically

stops when the set tire pressure is reached. plus, it can be 100% hands free you simply set the target pressure and walk away, keeping you out of harm's way. bull's eye pro is lightweight, durable and powerful enough to inflate this massive monster truck tire plus, it has four ultra bright led lights to safely inflate at night bull's eye pro comes with three custom air nozzles on board, so you can easily inflate pool toys, exercise balls, and more. forget driving to the gas station. bull's eye pro is your anywhere, anytime inflation station call or go online now and get the complete bull's eye. pro inflation system. all for the factory direct price of just 79.99. >> it comes with a 90 day money back guarantee plus we'll ship your entire order free. >> that's right free shipping. but to really inflate this offer, we'll give you a 50% discount on a second one. you get it all. an

incredible value for one low price call or go online to order now. >> to order, call one ( 800) 778-5617 or go to get bull's eye procom so call one ( 800) 778-5617. >> that's 1-800-778-5617, or order online at get bull's dnipro. com order now for over 25 years, lovesac has been rewriting the rules of comfort it's okay to change your style get messy get immersedit'll

even try and get you some of your money back cnn heroes, an all star tribute sunday, december 8th on cnn you are in the cnn newsroom. >> i'm jessica dean in new york and rebel forces tonight have control of most of syria's second largest city, aleppo opposition forces are mounting a lightning advance, killing dozens of government soldiers in their