future of space exploration. part of me kind of wants to keep my distance but i realized my dad died doing what he loved and they're still kind of that little bit in me that if i got the chance to go to space i think i can't pass up the opportunity to see what he saw it would just be so moving to kind of put myself in his shoes

>> hello and welcome. >> i'm lynda kincaid. we're following breaking news and with less than 50 days in office, us president joe biden has made a move. he vowed he'd never do. he has issued a full and unconditional pardon of his son, hunter biden for his crimes. republicans and democrats are weighing in on the ramifications of that broken promise. a senior administration official says that the president reached the decision this weekend while on a family thanksgiving holiday just last month, the white house said a pardon was not on the cards. hunter biden was convicted on three federal felony gun charges in june in a trial that exposed details of his drug abuse. he was facing up to 25 years in prison for those crimes. he also pleaded guilty to nine charges in a federal tax case in september he was due for sentencing in both cases later this month.

hunter biden is the first immediate family member of a sitting us president to be found guilty of a crime hunter biden released a statement saying in part i have admitted and taken responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction. i will never take the clemency i have been given today for granted and will devote the life i have rebuilt to helping those who are still sick and suffering. cnn's evan perez has more now on how the president reached this decision. >> president joe biden has pardoned his son, hunter biden, saying that there were signs that his son was being selectively and unfairly prosecuted. now, hunter biden was facing the prospect of spending several years in prison after being convicted on gun charges in delaware and on tax charges in los angeles. now, the president has repeatedly said that he would not pardon his son. take a listen. >> let me ask you, will you

accept the jury's outcome? their verdict, no matter what it is yes. and have you ruled out a pardon for your son? >> yes you have. >> in a statement on sunday night, the president said the charges in this case came about only after several of my political opponents in congress instigating them to attack me and oppose my election. he also goes on to say that for my entire career, i have followed a simple principle just tell the american people the truth. they'll be fair minded and here's the truth i believe in the justice system, but as i have wrestled with this, i also believe raw politics has infected this process and it has led to a miscarriage of justice. now joe biden took office in 2021, promising to restore faith in the justice system, and this statement on sunday night indicates that he believes the justice system has failed to treat his son fairly. now, hunter biden will be covered under this pardon for anything that happened between

2014 and 2024. so the question remains whether republicans in congress and whether the incoming trump administration will find new reasons to investigate hunter biden and the biden family, as they have said they repeatedly would do. evan perez, cnn washington. >> well, earlier i spoke with cnn's senior reporter edward isaac dovere, about the timing of the pardon and how it prevents hunter biden from facing additional charges there was a feeling that hunter biden might very well have been headed to prison, but this pardon is a blanket pardon. >> i'll just read to you what it says. it says a full and unconditional pardon for those offenses against the united states, which he, hunter biden, has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from january first, 2014 through december 1st, 2024, including

but not limited to all offenses charged or prosecuted. and then list the ones that are that were pending until this pardon was issued. but what that means is that anything that hunter biden might be accused of in the future might be there might have been an attempt to prosecute him of in the future in a trump administration he is now pardoned for it's, of course possible that there could be crimes that are sought out from before 2014, that he would be prosecuted for, but that length of time is one that is very carefully chosen here as a way to in joe biden's feeling shield his son from anything that might be coming at him and was already coming at him. >> and interestingly, this is a complete reversal of biden's long standing pledge not to use his presidential power to protect his son what kind of what does that mean? what sort of message does that send well

he was very clear when he was asked whether he would pardon hunter biden before he said no i believe in the justice system. >> i believe in the justice department. it's a matter of principle. he members of his administration, including the white house press secretary, were asked about this repeatedly. they were also told no or they also said no. he will not pardon hunter biden. but there was a feeling among not only close white house advisers, but among the family and a wider way that when it really came down to it and of course we're in this countdown period of biden's presidency until from now until january 20th, that he would eventually pardon hunter biden in making this pardon biden said that once he made the decision to pardon hunter biden, he figured why not just do it right away? there's no need to drag it out and get to it. but it is this reversal and it puts him now in a position where uh, it is obvious that donald trump will point to this for any decisions

that he makes with donald trump's team has issued a statement on hunter biden's pardon, saying in part, the failed witch hunts against president trump have proven that the democrat controlled doj and other radical prosecutors are guilty of weaponizing the justice system. >> that system of justice must be fixed and due process must be restored for all americans which is exactly what president trump will do. well, republican lawmakers are also seizing the moment to rail against president biden and his decision. house republican james comer posted on social media saying in part, quote, joe biden has lied from the start to finish about his family's corrupt influence peddling activities. it's unfortunate that rather than come clean about their decades of wrongdoing, president biden and his family continue to do everything they can to avoid accountability. senate republican ron johnson also weighed in, posting, quote, just confirming that under democratic governance, there

truly is a dual system of justice, one that protects democrats and another weaponized against their political opponents. i want to discuss this now with ron brownstein, a cnn senior political analyst and senior editor at the atlantic. he joins us from los angeles. good to see you, ron so weeks before president biden leaves office this parting gift to his son, a blanket pardon and, of course, a complete reversal of his decision to abide by the jury's decision. right. >> yeah. look i think it is going to be controversial and in large part because of that reversal. but keep in mind, i mean this is this is coming on the, you know, the same weekend that president, former president trump indicated he's going to be sending wants to send to france, uh, the, the father of his son in law, who he pardoned at the end of his presidency, along with many of his own, you know, senior political advisers that he

pardoned and that he named kash patel to his choice to run the fbi was often who was openly talked about using the fbi for retribution against critics of trump, including journalists and and the prosecutors themselves. i mean, we are, you know we are in a situation where biden has violated what would have been considered a norm. but in many ways, in response to the threat that trump has shown from the outset to those norms. i mean, you know, trump has made could not have made more abundantly clear his intent as president to pursue prosecutions against the biden family. so while this may be controversial, it strikes me as somewhat inevitable. >> but it is interesting, ron, when you think about the parallels in the statement, president biden said he said several of my political opponents in congress instigated this case to attack him. that reasoning sounds awfully similar to what donald

trump has said about his own cases. right right. >> you know and and look, i mean, you know, as i say this is this is the situation that we are in as a society. you know, i think when biden came in and certainly the view among democrats was that if they kind of reassert the pre-trump norms for example, the way merrick garland dealt with the question of january 6th, which was not to deal with it by two years, they could somehow kind of shame or coerce republicans into reasserting those norms and, you know, what did we see? i mean, we saw trump run on an explicit pledge not only to prosecute the biden family, but to pardon the january 6th rioters. we saw him nominate matt gaetz and now pam bondi as attorney general. kash patel as fbi director. there is no going back. i mean the idea that, like, you know, tom cotton said, well, this will you know justify republicans doing whatever they trump doing, whatever he wants to do. trump was going to do whatever he

wanted to do regardless of what biden did on hunter biden. and in some ways, it seems to me the question is, should be should biden go further at this point? i mean, you know given the threats from trump and his allies to prosecute jack smith and his team and maybe the team that worked on the original russia investigation, should he be pardoning them to preclude their uh, um, possibility of being prosecuted? i think you're going to have questions like that asked in the next few weeks. i mean this this is kind of the spiral we are in, in, in this country. and i think as i've said to you before, it is simply not possible for one party alone to uphold the traditional norms of democracy and limits on presidential power it just doesn't work. and what we have seen is that kind of self restraint on the part of the democrats really had no impact on the on the behavior of trump and his allies. and so here we are. >> yeah, exactly. you make a really good point, ron. and you spoke earlier about the fact that donald trump has said that

he wants to seek revenge and retribution, and that would be the focus of his second term. and he has picked people for his cabinet. that would do just that. i'm wondering how much protection this pardon will give hunter biden outside the time frame of this pardon well certainly you've got to think from everything that, you know, donald trump said on the campaign trail and the kind of people he is putting in office, they will look for other, other opportunities to, to to prosecute. >> but, i mean, this is a this is a substantial period of time. and as i said, look, i mean, you know, trump could not have been more explicit on either side of the line. first, you know you have the precedents from his first term pardoning roger stone, pardoning paul manafort pardoning jared kushner's father. now kind of really turning the screw by saying he's going to name him to one of the most prominent ambassadorships that are out there and at the same time, saying that he wants to use the machinery of the federal government to prosecute those

he views as his opponents. and, as you say, putting in place people who are going to go along with that. you know we remember the story that bill barr, who was his attorney general in the first term, you know basically said, over my dead body about the idea of putting kash patel at the fbi. that's not what you're going to hear from pam bondi. that's not what you're going to hear from anybody in the cabinet room in this second term. and so, you know, the risks for anyone that trump views as, as a critic or an opponent are obviously i think, much greater than they were in the first term. and as i say the idea that democrats could kind of shame republicans into upholding these norms by you know, exercising the kind of self-restraint we saw from merrick garland, whatever else you think about garland's decision, the idea that it would influence republican behavior has clearly been shown to be nonsensical. >> exactly. ron brownstein, as always, great analysis. thanks so much. >> thanks for having me. >> well, syrian rebels say they are gaining ground in aleppo and beyond. as president bashar

al assad's allies in moscow send in reinforcements. coming up, we'll have the latest on the fighting in the country 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. >> why do nfl players choose a sleep number bed? >> i like to sleep cool and i like to sleep even cooler. >> and i really like it when we both get what we want. >> introducing the new sleep number climacool smart bed. sleep up to 15 degrees cooler on each side visit a sleep number store near you. >> your parents have given you some amazing gifts, but what about the inherited ones? celebrate them with ancestry dna. the simple test that shows your deep family roots from your mom's side and your dad's side with some serious detail trace the journeys and history

that shaped who you are today and see the traits they pass down. your connections to the past are all waiting. see just how gifted you are. for only $39. >> one second. grandma. this guy's gonna buy my car. okay, you need carvana entering plate number. >> no accidents. right? no generating offer. carvana can pick it up tomorrow. >> that's an amazing offer. sell your car. >> the easy way with carvana lowes knows when it comes to the holidays, everything has to be seamless. >> save on lg's first ever zero clearance refrigerator that has near flush installation for the ultimate built in look. don't miss our best deals of the season during black friday in-store and online with straight talks. >> reel unlimited data say yes a lot more. >> call grandma. >> yes. yes to unlimited video calling. hi sweetie. >> hi. this water would look so good. >> yes. to unlimited gifting. yes, with straight talk. say yes to unlimited holiday moments

no let the festivities begin. yes. get a free phone with plan activation on america's most reliable 5g network. straight talk reel unlimited data. >> i told myself i was okay with my moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis symptoms with my psoriatic arthritis symptoms, but just okay isn't okay. and i was done settling. >> if you still have symptoms after trying a tnf blocker like humira or enbrel, rinvoq works differently. rinvoq is a once daily pill that can rapidly relieve joint pain, stiffness, and swelling. as fast as two weeks for some and even at the three year mark, many people felt this relief. rinvoq can stop joint damage and in psa can leave skin clear or almost clear. >> rinvoq can lower ability to fight infections before treatment. test for tb and do bloodwork serious infections, blood clots. some fatal cancers including lymphoma and skin. serious allergic reactions gi tears, death, heart attack and stroke occurred cv event risk increases in age 50 plus with a heart disease risk factor. tell your doctor if you've had these

events infection hep b or c smoked are pregnant or planning. don't take if allergic or have an infection done settling. >> ask your rheumatologist for rinvoq and take back what's yours everyone's running to subway for three. >> all new spicy footlongs. wait, subway did what? that's right. they're bringing the heat with creamy sriracha jalapenos and all new ghost pepper bread. but hurry! these subs are only here for a limited time welcome back, rebel forces are expanding their control in syria after launching a surprise offensive last week they claim to have made significant gains in the northern countryside of aleppo, capturing several towns and villages. >> syrian state media says president bashar al assad says he intends to fight what he calls terrorist organizations with quote, force and determination as the iranian foreign minister arrived in damascus sunday a show of support for a key ally. russia is also stepping in to help

syria, continuing to strike rebel targets in aleppo hama and idlib. russian state media reports that more than 300 rebel fighters were killed over the past 24 hours. cnn cannot independently verify those numbers with the united nations special envoy for syria is pushing for de-escalation, warning, quote that syria is in danger of further division deterioration and destruction. cnn's nic robertson is following the latest developments from london well, all the indications are that bashar al assad, the syrian president backed by russia, will try to fight, regroup and take back control of aleppo. >> it was a lightning advance by that group, that rebel alliance to get into the city almost fully under their control now. and it does appear that they will take the last neighborhoods in in the coming days. the situation right now for bashar al assad, he has said that he will take on these

terrorists will regroup his forces. he met sunday with the iranian foreign minister who flew into syria for conversations. the iranian foreign minister saying that this was an indication of how much support iran is giving to its neighbors at this time. but it's assad's air force, along with the russian air force, that have been perpetrating the bombing raids in aleppo and some of the other areas in the north of syria trying to hit rebel targets. a couple of locations where at least a handful of people have been killed. the real picture of what's going on is still emerging at the moment, but the rebel groups seem to be having having surprising success. the concern here for the united states is that this is a complicated situation that the principal rebel group at the head of this rapid advance is is a proscribed terrorist organization that the united states has been watching closely for a long time, and it's allied here as well with

with another rebel group. that's not a fundamentalist sunni group. it's a group that's backed by turkey but the picture that emerges is bashar al assad weaker? his allies, russia and iran weaker. and for the united states, a complicated picture. >> it's a complicated question because the group at the vanguard of this rebel advance is actually a terrorist organization designated by the united states. so we have real concerns about the designs and objectives of that organization at the same time, of course, we don't cry over the fact that the assad government, backed by russia iran and hezbollah you know, are facing certain kinds of pressures. >> and the reasons to think that this offensive can continue the rebels appear to want to push further south towards the syrian cities of hama perhaps homs, further south of that, assad

threatening to fight back. but if you look back back to 2016, when bashar al assad took control over aleppo, that was a very long, a very bloody and very destructive fight with a huge number of casualties at this time, it's hard to see that we're not looking at the potential for that again. nic robertson cnn, london for more, i'm joined by cnn military analyst and retired air force colonel cedric leighton. >> good to have you with us. >> great to be with you, linda. >> so firstly, can we just start by explaining who these rebels are that have taken control of syria's second largest city, aleppo yeah hayat tahrir al-sham or hts, is basically an offshoot of jabhat al-nusra, which was an organization that existed during the first part of the syrian civil war. >> it was basically founded in 2011, and what it was really

known for was its close relationship to al qaeda. in fact, that group was founded in part by al-baghdadi. the famous isis in iraq leader. so this group has morphed in several different ways. but the current hts is an outgrowth of jabhat al-nusra that basically was created in 2017, and it has tried to localize its efforts instead of concentrating on doing things outside of syria or iraq or the middle east. it is concentrating on doing things in syria so its main goal is the destruction of the assad regime and also ridding syria of iranian militias so that's a that's why it's basically perceived as a threat to the assad regime as well as, of course, to the iranians. >> and of course, it was so surprising how quickly they were able to take over aleppo. what does this mean? how much

manpower do they have? and do they have the support needed to potentially topple assad yes. >> so when you look at manpower figures, as we know them right now, they're supposed to have somewhere around 15,000 fighters. now i suspect that total has gotten a bit larger, especially with the success that they've had in aleppo and the one thing to keep in mind is aleppo is basically the first stop on a on a journey that could take them all the way to damascus. there's a highway called the m5 that connects aleppo through homs and hama, all the way down to damascus, and they could use that highway to basically advance along that axis and potentially on other axes. and so it is, in essence a an organization that can move very quickly and if the syrian army continues to be as badly organized as it appears to be right now, they can basically overwhelm the syrian army. although, of

course, the syrian army has far more in terms of manpower and in terms of weaponry but that means nothing if they aren't willing to fight and talk to us about syria's key allies, the the regime's key allies being russia iran, hezbollah, all weakened right now, all quite distracted right yes very much so. hezbollah, of course has been weakened because of the israeli attacks on it in lebanon and the fact that their entire leadership structure has been decimated we remember the patriot attacks from a few months ago in lebanon that in essence, took out the middle and upper levels of hezbollah. then of course, you had nasrallah, the leader of hezbollah being killed by the israelis as well as other leaders. so hezbollah is basically out of the mix in terms of the syrian civil war when it comes to iran. iran has a militias and of course, the irgc, the iranian revolutionary guard corps has liaisons with

the syrians, the syrians have received iranian support all the way since the 1980s. all the way back to that period in time. but the iranians are distracted by multiple things, especially by the conflict that it has with israel and also, of course, helping russia fight in ukraine. and then you have the russians, which have bases in syria, including both army and air bases and the basic russian issue here is that the russians wanted to have a foothold in the eastern mediterranean, but that's at risk because they wanted to prop up the assad regime and the assad regime, of course, is a victim of its and its own basic incompetence when it comes to securing the countryside, not only from hts, but also from isis and other forces, including the kurdish forces in the northeast. >> we'll have to leave it there for now, but always great analysis. retired air force colonel cedric leighton, thanks so much thank you linda

well, still to come this hour much more on our breaking news story saying raw politics has led to a miscarriage of justice. us president biden pardoning his son hunter on gun and tax charges their everyday people doing extraordinary things in their communities and in our world who should be the 2024 cnn hero of the year? >> it's your chance to weigh in. meet this year's honorees and discover the life changing work they're doing then cast up to ten votes a day, every day. visit cnn heroes.com. >> why do nfl players choose a sleep number? smart bed. >> i like to sleep cool and i like to sleep even cooler. >> and i really like it when we both get what we want. >> introducing the new sleep number climacool smart bed.

sleep up to 15 degrees cooler on each side. visit a sleep number store near you. >> when a tough car finds you on the go, it would be silly. >> who? >> hey, trying to rob a store juice pack with the power of robitussin and every bite. easy to take. cough relief anywhere. chew on relief. chew on a doesn't lowes knows when it comes to the holidays, everything has to be seamless. >> save on lg's first ever zero clearance refrigerator that has near flush installation for the ultimate built in look. don't miss our best deals of the season during black friday in-store and online. >> when i was diagnosed with hiv, i didn't know who i would be, but here i am being me. >> keep being you and ask your health care provider about the number one prescribed hiv treatment biktarvy biktarvy is a complete one pill, once a day treatment used for hiv in many people. >> whether you're 18 or 80 with one small pill, biktarvy fights hiv to help you get to undetectable and stay there. whether you're just starting or replacing your current

treatment. research shows that taking hiv treatment as prescribed and getting to and staying undetectable prevents transmitting hiv through sex serious side effects can occur, including kidney problems and kidney failure. rare life threatening side effects include a build up of lactic acid and liver problems. don't take biktarvy if you take dofetilide or rifampin. tell your health care provider about all the medicines and supplements you take. if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have kidney or liver problems. if you have hepatitis b don't stop taking biktarvy without talking to your health care provider. common side effects were diarrhea, nausea, and headache. >> no matter where life takes you, biktarvy can go with you. talk to your health care provider today. >> everyone's running to subway for three. all new spicy footlongs. wait. subway did what? that's right. they're bringing the heat with creamy sriracha jalapenos and all new ghost pepp 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. ♪ ♪ ♪ something has changed within me ♪ ♪ it's time to try defying gravity ♪ ♪ ♪ and this is cnn welcome back.

>> you're watching cnn newsroom. i'm lynda kincaid. i want to update you on the breaking news out of washington right now. u.s. president joe biden announcing sunday that he has pardoned his son, hunter biden who faced sentencing this month for federal tax and gun convictions. the decision coming after biden and white house officials repeatedly said in recent months that he would not pardon hunter or commute his sentence. hunter biden released a statement saying in part, i have admitted and taken responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction. i will never take the clemency i have been given today for granted and will devote the life i have rebuilt to helping those who are still sick and suffering for more now i'm joined by cnn political analyst julian zelizer. he is a historian and professor at princeton university. good to have you with us. >> nice to be with you. >> so less than six months ago, you penned an op ed on cnn dot com, writing that president

biden has made it clear that unlike trump, he will respect the decisions of the courts and not use his power to pardon hunter biden, even if the outcome is devastating for his son. how times have changed. what's your reaction? >> well, yeah, he's he's changed. the times have changed. meaning he ultimately withdrew from the race. he was defeated. i think like many of trump's opponents, he's worried about how trump will use presidential power and he's decided to reverse this and protect family in this case through this awesome power of the presidency. so i think president biden is willing to live with the inconsistency and the change in position to protect his son. >> and historically speaking, is this a fair and reasonable way for president to use their power to grant a pardon? >> well, yeah. i mean the power of the pardon is incredibly broad. that's why it's

controversial. people have used it for political reasons. people have used it for very controversial decisions. famously president gerald ford pardoned richard nixon for crimes that he might have committed in 1974. so there's not much of a template in terms of what you can or can't do and this seems to fall under that jurisdiction pretty clearly. >> and of course, biden has tried to reassure the public, the american citizens, that they can trust in these institutions. so what sort of message does this now send that he's saying that these were politically motivated charges well, i think he's being a little more candid and open with positions. >> he was more leery about talking about really, even through the time he was still campaigning and i think some of this is a kind of departing warning. it's not simply about his son, but it's a warning about the need to be proactive and aggressive in protecting

people and protecting institutions against what he is arguing is someone who will make politically motivated decisions like this. and he said elsewhere, uh stretch or abuse presidential power. so i think this serves both purposes. >> let's talk about trump's controversial picks both for cabinet and other positions. quite a few family members have now been picked for particular posts. uh, jared kushner's father, charles, who trump gave a pardon to from criminal convictions that included filing false tax returns. he's been nominated to be ambassador to france. and, of course, tiffany trump's father in law, has been picked to be a middle east adviser. what are your thoughts? >> it's not a total surprise in that during the first term, we saw this obviously jared kushner, for example, was a son in law was a very important adviser. his sons and daughter played a big role in the administration he is not

someone who has felt the need to create a very significant, if any firewall between his family, his business and himself. and so now he is doing it again. he reaches out to people he feels he's close to, who he trusts, but it will cause, you know, concerns there's a reason that many presidents have avoided this kind of familial connection in the last few decades, just to avoid these kinds of issues. but this is not something that troubles the president elect. >> julian cillizza, political analyst. good to have you with us. as always. thanks so much thanks for having me well protests in georgia are spreading as people in the country react to the government's decision to suspend talks on joining the european union. that story when we come back in a minute

it's a beautiful day wow we do this for real. >> look at this. what i do for my art hey. >> that's good man more salsa. >> we do this for real hey i feel like new sunglasses. >> like a brand new pair of jeans. >> i feel like taking chances. >> i feel alive brand new oh book. >> celebrity cruises black friday event today lowes knows when it comes to the holidays. >> everything has to be seamless. save on lg's first

ever zero clearance refrigerator that has near flush installation for the ultimate built in look. don't miss our best deals of the season during black friday in-store and online. >> getting older is part of the journey. even with worsening heart failure. so when i had carpal tunnel syndrome, lower back pain and shortness of breath, i thought that's what getting older felt like. thank goodness i called my cardiologist. i have atcm a rare but serious disease and getting diagnosed early made a difference. if you have any of these warning signs, don't wait. ask your cardiologist about atcm today this is not a drill. >> subway dropped the price on all their subs 20% off any sub, any size. >> subway did what any sub. yep. >> for a limited time, you get 20% off when you order in the app. hurry and get this deal before it's gone. >> at fisher investments we may look like other money managers, but we're different. how so? we're a fiduciary

obligated to act in our client's best interests so we don't sell any commission based products. >> then how do you make money? >> we have a simple management fee structured so we do better when our clients do better. >> your clients really come first then, huh? >> yes. we make them a top priority by getting to know their finances, family, health lifestyle and more. wow

available now on the apple app store android and mercola.com. >> cnn news central weekdays at 7:00 eastern. >> well, protesters and police have clashed in georgia's capital tbilisi, in the early morning hours in a sign that opposition is spreading to the government's decision to suspend talks on joining the european union. tensions remain high between the ruling georgian dream party and its opponents, who accuse it of pursuing anti-western and pro-russian policies. jamal hinton facing down a row of

riot police. a protester in georgia defiantly waves a european union flag, a powerful symbol of what's galvanized thousands of protesters in tbilisi to rally nightly. since thursday, when the government said it was suspending talks to join the eu for four years. night after night, demonstrators have set off fireworks near parliament clashing with police who have responded with tear gas and water cannons protesters say the future of the country is at stake. polls show more than 80% of georgians support joining the eu, a longtime goal of the country that's enshrined in its constitution. >> just the fact that my country deserves to be free from the russian regime that has haunted us for many centuries, and i believe that we need to get into europe. it's truly what we've wanted for many, many centuries but that path has become less clear

lately. >> critics say the country's ruling georgian dream party has become increasingly authoritarian and in recent years has moved away from the west. deepening ties with russia, which the party denies in parliamentary elections in october, which were widely seen as a referendum on whether to align with russia or the west. the georgian dream party claimed victory in a vote. the opposition says was rigged. the european parliament called it neither free nor fair opposition mps are boycotting the new parliament the country's outgoing president, who supports joining the eu, says she won't step down until new elections are held. >> are symbols legitimate parliament? >> there is no legitimate parliament and therefore an illegitimate parliament cannot elect a new president. >> thus, no inauguration can take place and my mandate continues until a legitimately elected parliament is formed. >> georgia's prime minister

says there will be no new elections. he accuses the opposition of plotting a revolution and says georgia is committed to eu membership, despite the delay, the response is very clear, so we have not suspended anything related to the european integration. >> it's just a lie but the protests are not only continuing but spreading to more cities. >> so too concerns over the treatment of the protesters. the u.s. and eu have condemned the use of excessive force against them. on saturday, the u.s. suspended its strategic partnership with georgia, something the georgian prime minister says he will revisit with the new administration in january. that does it for this edition of cnn newsroom. i'm lynda kincaid for our international viewers, world sport is next. for our viewers here in north america i'll be back with much more news in just a moment. stay with us

doge next sunday on cnn. >> it's a night that's good for the soul. join anderson cooper and laura coates for cnn 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 next sunday at eight on cnn come play with me eligible owners can receive up to $2,000 on a new gv70 exclusively at your local

genesis retailers. >> 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. >> why do nfl players choose a sleep number? smart bed. >> i like to sleep cool and i like to sleep even cooler. >> and i really like it when we both get what we want. >> introducing the new sleep number climacool smart bed. sleep up to 15 degrees cooler on each side. visit a sleep number store near you. >> if you're looking for a medicare supplement insurance plan, that's smart. >> now i'm 65 and really smart later, i'm 70 ish. consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan from unitedhealthcare. with this type of plan, you'll know up front about how much your care costs, which makes planning your financial future easier. so call unitedhealthcare today to learn more about the only plans of their kind with the aarp name, and set yourself and your future self up with an aarp medicare supplement plan

from unitedhealthcare lowes knows how to get great holiday deals. >> the best savings of the season are here with doorbuster deals on our top brands all across the store. doorbuster deals start friday the 29th, so get them early before they're gone. lowe's look at the skin, baby. >> she is glowing. >> she is one of one. >> olay hyaluronic bodywash has ten times more vitamin b3 complex for visibly nourished skin. >> my skin is so much more moisturized. >> olay body wash and lotion discover yours. >> everyone's running to subway for three all new spicy footlongs wait. subway did what? that's right. they're bringing the heat with creamy sriracha, jalapenos and all new ghost pepper bread. but hurry these subs are only here for a limited time. >> hi, i'm greg, i live in bloomington, illinois. i'm not an actor. >> i'm just a regular person after working 25 years in the automotive industry, i retired eight years ago. >> i just didn't feel like i was on my game. i started

taking prevagen and i want people to know that prevagen has worked for me. give it a try. i want it to help you just like it has helped me. i've been taking prevagen for eight years now and it's still helping me tremendously. >> prevagen at stores everywhere without a prescription your parents have given you some amazing gifts, but what about the inherited ones celebrate them with ancestry dna. >> the simple test that shows your deep family roots from your mom's side and your dad's side with some serious detail trace the journeys and history that shaped who you are today and see the traits they pass down your connections to the past are all waiting see just how gifted you are for only $39. >> closed captioning is brought to you by skechers. slip ins what a great idea for a holiday gift. >> give hands free skechers slip ins footwear you just step into and they're on. >> there's no bending down and no touching your shoes. hands

free skechers slip ins welcome back to our viewers here in north america. >> i'm lynda kincaid. you're watching cnn newsroom. we want to update you now on some breaking news. us president joe biden's decision to pardon his son hunter biden, president biden made the announcement sunday saying rural politics had led to a miscarriage of justice in the cases against his son, hunter biden faced sentencing this month on federal tax and gun related charges including two counts of making a false statement on a federal gun form as well as unlawful possession of a firearm donald trump's decision to nominate long time loyalist and partisan firebrand kash patel to head the fbi is getting mixed reactions from republicans, even among those close to the president elect it would require trump to force current fbi director christopher wray out of the job. but it wouldn't be the first time trump has made such a move. cnn's brian todd has a

closer look at trump's history of animosity towards the bureau and its directors. >> we need an honest fbi, and we need it fast. >> the president elect, by all accounts planning a shakeup of the fbi as soon as he takes office. >> sources telling cnn donald trump plans to fire fbi director christopher wray even though trump appointed wray in two 2017 and wray has three years left in his ten year term. why has trump turned on wray? analysts say it's trump who believes wray has turned on him. >> donald trump sees the fbi. uh over the last decade as the agency's sort of most to blame for his own legal troubles and the troubles of those around him. >> wray, head of the fbi. when the bureau launched a search of trump's mar-a-lago home in august 2022. >> they broke into my house. >> the search uncovered classified documents that trump had allegedly stored inappropriately at mar-a-lago. it led to federal criminal charges against trump, which were just dropped by the

special counsel. trump has denied any wrongdoing. >> to him, a major sign of how the biden administration was trying to politicize the fbi and use it for political payback. >> agents from ray's fbi also assisted special counsel robert mueller's probe of the 2016 trump campaign's alleged ties to russia. if trump removes ray, ray would be the second fbi director. trump will have fired. >> oh, and there's james comey. will you please? he's become more famous than me then fbi director james comey awkwardly greeting then president trump in trump's early days in the white house after comey said he had tried to blend in with the blue curtains so he wouldn't be noticed. >> soon after taking office, trump pressured comey to drop an investigation into former national security adviser michael flynn. comey claimed trump put the squeeze on him personally. >> i got the sense my job would be contingent upon how he felt.

i conducted myself and whether i demonstrated loyalty. >> trump denied asking for comey's loyalty, but ended up firing comey, later saying he was frustrated over the ongoing russia probe. >> he wanted that investigation shut down. he saw it as a political problem and this was what comey was up to by naming his new fbi director kash patel, a vociferous critic of the bureau. >> trump is making a controversial choice. >> i'd shut down the fbi hoover building on day one and reopening the next day as a museum of the deep state. >> historian garrett graff says donald trump is not alone among presidents who believe the fbi should have been more beholden to them. he points out that john f kennedy, lyndon johnson, richard nixon and bill clinton had all expressed frustration with fbi directors who served during their administrations. brian todd cnn, washington well, post-thanksgiving travel has been treacherous in parts of the great lakes region due

to several feet of snow as cold temperatures sweep across the u.s. >> take a look at this scene just north of cleveland ohio, where poor visibility made for hazardous driving conditions and the city of erie, pennsylvania saw 31in of snowfall since thanksgiving eve. the lake effect warnings are in place for parts of new york, ohio and pennsylvania until tuesday morning. cnn's polo sandoval reports jay rhoten record setting snowfall is complicating the post-thanksgiving ride home for travelers in the great lakes region. >> this could be a 24 to 35 inch snow, for sure. >> daily snowfall totals have paralyzed stretches of the highly trafficked i-90 corridor this holiday weekend. >> there's a car underneath that. yep. >> here in erie, pennsylvania, nearly 23in fell on friday alone. >> yesterday i shoveled for four hours. >> wow. >> shattering a 1979 record. burying cars and interrupting flight operations at erie

international in michigan's upper peninsula. over two feet of snow fell on friday, eclipsing a daily record set in 1942. and the list of cities impacted by the locally heavy lake effect snow goes on in buffalo new york. bills fans are once again being hired as shovelers to clear out the stadium ahead of a snowy sunday night game against san francisco and there's more to come, warn meteorologists. with nearly 2 million people still under lake effect snow warnings come monday, the biggest concern right here along that eastern flank of lake erie, as well as portions of lake ontario. >> now, the reason you're getting that lake effect, you've got the slightly warmer lakes, that very cold air rushing over it. >> then there's the cold. some of the chilliest temperatures since last winter, which are expected to linger into the week ahead. they've been felt as far south as florida, where many residents endured freeze warnings. this weekend. some are making the best of these snowy scenes. >> oh, the weather outside is frightful and the fire is so

delightful but they may also be foretelling a wicked winter ahead. >> polo sandoval cnn, new york u.s. >> president joe biden spanned world aids day on sunday, remembering the 105,000 people who have lost their lives to the hiv aids pandemic. he announced that before he leaves office, the centers for medicare and medicaid services will update its guidance for states on hiv care. he also praised survivors and advocates for their resilience this movement is fully woven into the fabric and history of america, shining a light on the memory and the legacy of all the sisters and brothers, sons and daughters, husbands and wives, moms and dads, partners and friends who have lost. >> we've lost to this terrible disease. together we honor the spirit of resilience and the extraordinary strength of

people families and communities affected by hiv, aids you can see there behind him as he spoke the aids memorial quilt displayed on the white house south lawn for the first time. >> more than five years after a devastating fire at notre dame cathedral, is set to officially reopen to the public this sunday. but french president emmanuel macron is already giving the world a look at the glorious restoration. cnn's melissa bell reports for us from paris a new dawn for notre dame cathedral more than five and a half years after a fire tore through parts of the gothic structure in the heart of paris, sparkling stonework highlighting the stunning results of the estimated $737 million restoration as it was unveiled to france's president emmanuel macron on friday after the 2019 blaze, the president had vowed to rebuild notre dame even more

beautiful than it was entering the cathedral with his wife brigitte on friday it was clear that france had achieved just that. >> no one. >> it was at the same time repaired restored and rebaptized macron said millions had watched in shock and horror as notre dame's 96 meter spire tumbled into the church during the 2019 blaze. now, its renaissance is complete. touring the epicenter of the blaze, the medieval roof structure known as the forest macron saw the beams rebuilt by hand from 1200 oak trees from across france. among the highlights of macron's tour, a mural in the north enclosure of the choir that was badly damaged in the fire, and the virgin of paris, a 14th century statue that became a symbol of resistance when it was found standing resolute surrounded by burnt wood and collapsed stone

monuments and the beautiful saint marcel's chapel, one of 29 chapels that have been lovingly restored. viewing the 12 meter wide grand organ macron described it as sublime more than 1300 people involved in the restoration were invited inside, as the french president wrapped up his final visit to the site before its formal reopening. >> vous avez transformé le charbon? >> you have transformed ashes into art, he told them. the whole planet was upset that day in april, the shock of the reopening will be as big as that of the fire, he said, thanking the crowds at the delicacy of the restoration is really quite extraordinary. not only have they sought to renovate notre dame, as it was before the fire, but they've taken the opportunity to clean it to make it brighter, to restore the paintwork. the gold work. and

so the overall impression is really quite different to what it was many centuries of crowds and worship and candles and smoke had meant that it was fairly dark inside, no longer. now there is really a sense of light and an ability, therefore, to appreciate the majesty of notre dame in a way that really wasn't possible before. >> our thanks to melissa bell there. well, the thanksgiving holiday provided a big boost to the u.s. domestic box office, where the premiere of disney's moana two and the draw of wicked and gladiator two, these three blockbusters pulled in a record estimated $420 million as of sunday with moana two seeing a record five day opening of nearly $221 million in the u.s.. wicked and gladiator two also continue to draw large crowds. they've been named wicked well finally, for all the aspiring treasure hunters out there, a man is hidden more than $2 million worth of loot

in chests scattered throughout the united states all the clues needed to find the five chests are in this book titled there's treasure inside written by the man behind the hunt john collins black. the treasures include everything from gold to pokemon cards, sports memorabilia even a brooch once owned by jackie kennedy onassis. it's a good way to sell a book. well, thanks so much for watching cnn newsroom. i'm lynda kincaid. i'll be back with much more news in just a few minutes i get chills just thinking about it. >> is this really true? >> never did i think that something like this could happen when i was ten years old, my mom and dad said you were kidnaped from the hospital. >> i had no idea. >> i declare to be your only savior. come on. >> poisoned. seriously

with straight talks real and limited data. >> say yes. a lot more. yes yes to unlimited video calling oh. hi, sweetie. >> this water would look so good. >> yes to unlimited gifting? yes, with straight talk say yes to unlimited holiday moments no. let the festivities begin. yes. get a free phone with plan activation on america's most reliable 5g network straight talk, real unlimited data. >> why do nfl players choose a sleep number smart bed. >> i like to sleep cool and i like to sleep even cooler. >> and i really like it when we both get what we want. >> introducing the new sleep number climacool smart bed sleep up to 15 degrees cooler on each side. visit a sleep number store near you details. >> make the holidays eligible.

owners can receive up to $2,000 on a new gv70 or gv80 exclusively at your local genesis retailers. >> lowe's knows when it comes to the holidays. everything has to be seamless. save on lg's first ever zero clearance refrigerator that has near flush installation for the ultimate built in look, don't miss our best deals of the season during black friday in-store and online. >> everyone's running to subway for three all new spicy footlongs. wait, subway did what? that's right. they're bringing the heat with creamy sriracha jalapenos and all new ghost pepper bread. but hurry, these subs are only here for a limited time 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 >> nasdaq 100 innovators one etf. before investing it is inevitable. chloe! hey dad. they will grow up. [cheering] silly face, ready? discover who they are. [playing music] what they want from this world. and how they will make it better. and while parenting has changed, how much you care has not. that's why instagram is introducing teen accounts. automatic protections for who can contact them and the content they can see.

♪♪ year, there's over $2 million in prizes up for grabs all weekend long. start your black friday at stocks dot com. >> this is cnn, the world's news network hello and welcome i'm lynda kincaid ahead on cnn newsroom. >> a shock announcement from the white house as president joe biden reverses course and grants his son hunter, a full pardon. rebel forces in syria say they've gained even more ground as russia comes to the aid of the assad regime, with airstrikes in the north of the country and later we'll talk to the mother of edan alexander houthis days after hamas issued a propaganda video showing the israeli-american hostage alive welcome to our viewers here in the u.s. and around the world. i'm lynda kincaid and we start this hour with the u.s. president's decision to pardon his son. with less than 50 days in office, he made a move he vowed he'd never do. he issued a full and

unconditional pardon of his son, hunter, for his crimes. republicans and democrats are weighing in on the ramifications of that broken promise. senate republican chuck grassley pointed to social media saying quote, i'm shocked. president biden pardoned his son hunter, because he said many, many times he wouldn't. and i believed him. shame on me. senate republican tom cotton says most americans can sympathize with joe biden as a father, but that they can't forgive him for, quote, lying about it repeatedly. republican senator ron johnson also weighed in saying the pardon confirms that, quote, under democrat governance, there truly is a dual system of justice. one that protects democrats and another weaponized against their political opponents. a senior administration official says the president reached the decision this weekend with his family during their thanksgiving holiday. just last month, the white house said a pardon was not on the cards. cnn's evan perez has more detail on the president's

decision and how he reached it. >> president joe biden has pardoned his son hunter biden, saying that there were signs that his son was being selectively and unfairly prosecuted. now, hunter biden was facing the prospect of spending several years in prison after being convicted on gun charges in delaware and on tax charges in los angeles. the president has repeatedly said that he would not pardon his son. take a listen. >> let me ask you, will you accept the jury's outcome? their verdict, no matter what it is yes. and have you ruled out a pardon for your son? yes you have. >> in a statement on sunday night, the president said the charges in this case came about only after several of my political opponents in congress instigating them to attack me and oppose my election. he also goes on to say that for my entire career, i have followed a simple principle just tell the american people the truth. they'll be fair minded and here's the truth i believe in

the justice system. but as i have wrestled with this, i also believe raw politics has infected this process and it has led to a miscarriage of justice now, joe biden took office in 2021, promising to restore faith in the justice system, and this statement on sunday night indicates that he believes the justice system has failed to treat his son fairly. now, hunter biden will be covered under this pardon for anything that happened between 2014 and 2024. so the question remains whether republicans in congress and whether the incoming trump administration will find new reasons to investigate hunter biden and the biden family, as they have said they repeatedly would do. evan perez, cnn washington laurie levinson is a former federal prosecutor she's also a professor of criminal law at loyola law school. >> she joins us now from los angeles. good to have you with us.

>> good to be with you. >> so this pardon relates to hunter biden's federal cases, both the gun possession case in delaware and the tax evasion case in california. can you just remind our viewers what those cases were about? >> yes, absolutely. on the gun case, the conviction was for filling out a form for a firearm in which hunter biden didn't admit that he had used drugs. it's a very unusual case to have been brought in the first place. but then he had tax cases in los angeles and those related to the money that he had, and he didn't pay his taxes. instead, he paid for fancy clothes for women escorts and for drugs so he was convicted on that tax offense as well. and he was standing sentencing was coming up for both of the charges. >> so the sentencing would the sentencing was due to happen in the next week or two before christmas how much time in jail was hunter biden facing well

theoretically, he was facing decades, 42 years in prison. >> but he wouldn't be likely to get that. no defendant would be. but it could be several years. and so he would have been going to prison, at least on the tax offense, if not the false form offense. >> right. and so looking ahead, could the next justice department reopen these cases or any other cases outside the time frame of this pardon well, the next justice department could not reopen these cases because he would have been pardoned on that. >> and a pardon is complete. and president biden has the power to do that. the question is whether they could come up with other charges against him, and that would depend on the statute of limitations. most of this happened more than five years ago. most of the statute of limitations would be limited, but there are some crimes that do have longer statutes. so if you do enough hunting, they might be able to find some type of charge against him. and charges involving other business

activities that he had. >> so what is this decision by president biden say about his faith in the justice department given that, like trump, he claims that these charges were politically motivated well, i think that president biden is saying that there was a political motivation by the special prosecutor that was used against hunter biden and that at this point, even though biden had said he wouldn't pardon his son when he took a look at overall what happened in this case, he felt that it had been very political from the first charge in delaware, which frankly, was a surprise, that it was brought in the first place to all the clamor for him to go to prison he felt that hunter biden was almost paying for the sins of his father because joe biden was running for president. >> the people were after him. the special counsel were after hunter biden trump has taken to truth social to react. >> he said, does this pardon given by joe to hunter include

the six hostages who have now been imprisoned for years now? he, of course, is referring to the january 6th protesters who stormed the capitol. so do these cases have anything in common they really don't have anything in common. >> i just think that this is donald trump's way of saying you can't criticize me when i end up partying. people who stormed the capitol. but i think it's very much apples and oranges. you don't have hunter biden, who hurt anybody during his activities. many of those people who were convicted for their offenses on january 6th did. and donald trump has already done a lot of pardoning. it's remarkable. one of the people he pardoned during his first session was related to him. is now the ambassador to france. so what you have a little bit is deflection by donald trump saying, hey, the people i'm going to pardon are more worthy of pardon than biden's son is

for the country. >> all right, laurie levinson, former federal prosecutor. good to have you on the program. thanks. so much. >> my pleasure well, rebel forces are ramping up their offensive in syria, which will only worsen the humanitarian crisis. >> coming up, i'll speak with an aid worker about the growing needs on the ground. stay with us. you're watching cnn next sunday on cnn. >> it's a night that's good for the soul. join anderson cooper and laura coates for cnn heroes on all star tribune. 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 next sunday at eight on cnn come play with me

eligible owners can receive up to $2,000 on a new gv70 exclusively at your local genesis retailers lowe's knows our deals. >> let you give more and get more to shop now for big black friday deals on holiday decor and tools from our top brands, and rack up more points for you when you shop with milo's rewards. lowe's nothing dims my light like a migraine with nurtec odt, i found relief the only migraine medication that helps treat and prevent all in one. >> to those with migraines, i see you. for the acute treatment of migraine, with or without aura and the preventive treatment of episodic migraine in adults, don't take if allergic to nurtec odt. >> allergic reactions can occur even days after using most common side effects were nausea, indigestion and stomach pain. >> it's time we all shine. talk to a health care provider about nurtec odt. from pfizer. >> what do people want more of? >> more oh yeah. more laughs.

>> more hangouts. more mhm. >> so good. yeah. give us more of all that little stuff that makes life so great. but if you're older or have certain health conditions you also have more risk from flu covid 19 and rsv. vaccines help keep you from getting really sick. and that is huge at fisher investments, we may look like other money managers, but we're different. >> you can't be that different. >> we are. we have a team of specialists, not only in investing, but also in financial and estate planning and more. >> your clients rely on you for all that. >> yes. and as a fiduciary we always put their interests first. >> but you still sell commission based products, right? >> no we have a simple management fee structured so we do better when our clients do better. huh. >> we're more different than i thought. >> at fisher investments, we're clearly different. >> everyone's running to subway for three. all new spicy

footlongs. wait. subway did what? that's right. they're bringing the heat with creamy sriracha jalapenos and all new ghost pepper bread. but hurry! these subs are only here for a limited time. >> introducing new roxon gel. >> the first fda cleared treatment available without a prescription. a roxon gel is clinically proven to work within ten minutes, so you and your partner can experience the heights of intimacy. new or roxon ed treatment gel sail through the heart of historic cities and unforgettable scenery with viking unpack once and get closer to iconic landmarks local life and cultural treasures because when you experience europe on a viking longship, you'll spend less time getting there and more time being there viking exploring the world in comfort welcome back. >> i'm lynda kincaid rebel forces are expanding their

control in syria after launching a surprise offensive there last week they claim to have made significant gains in the northern countryside of aleppo, capturing several towns and villages. syrian state media says president bashar al assad says he intends to fight what he calls terrorist organizations with, quote force and determination as the iranian foreign minister arrived in damascus sunday in a show of support for a key ally russia is also stepping in to help syria, continuing to strike rebel targets in aleppo and idlib. russian state media reports that more than 300 rebel fighters were killed over the past 24 hours. cnn cannot independently verify those numbers. the united nations special envoy for syria is pushing for a de-escalation warning, quote syria is in danger of further division deterioration and destruction. our nic robertson is following

the developments and has the latest from london well all the indications are that bashar al assad, the syrian president backed by russia, will try to fight regroup and take back control of aleppo. >> it was a lightning advance by that group that rebel alliance to get into the city almost fully under their control now. and it does appear that they will take the last neighborhoods in in the coming days. the situation right now for bashar al assad, he has said that he will take on these terrorists will regroup his forces. he met sunday with the iranian foreign minister who flew into syria for conversations. the iranian foreign minister saying that this was an indication of how much support iran is giving to its neighbors at this time. but it's assad's air force, along with the russian air force, that have been perpetrating the bombing raids in aleppo and some of the other areas in the north of syria trying to hit

rebel targets. a couple of locations where at least a handful of people have been killed. the real picture of what's going on is still emerging at the moment, but the rebel groups seem to be having having surprising success. the concern here for the united states is that this is a complicated situation, that the principal rebel group at the head of this rapid advance is is a proscribed terrorist organization that the united states has been watching closely for a long time. and it's allied here as well with with another rebel group that's not a fundamentalist sunni group. it's a group that's backed by turkey but the picture that emerges is bashar al assad weaker? his allies, russia and iran weaker. and for the united states, a complicated picture. >> it's a complicated question because the group at the vanguard of this rebel advance is

actually a terrorist organization designated by the united states. so we have real concerns about the designs and objectives of that organization. at the same time of course, we don't cry over the fact that the assad government, backed by russia, iran and hezbollah, you know, are facing certain kinds of pressures. >> and the reasons to think that this offensive can continue. the rebels appear to want to push further south towards the syrian cities of hama, perhaps homs further south of that assad threatening to fight back. but if you look back, back to 2016, when bashar al assad took control over aleppo, that was a very long a very bloody and very destructive fight with a huge number of casualties at this time, it's hard to see that we're not looking at the potential for that again. nic robertson cnn, london well, for more, i want to welcome abdul

razak awad, who is in northern syria. >> he's a manager for action for humanity and joins us from aleppo. thanks so much for joining us thank you thank you so much for your interest. so you are in aleppo, a city now under the control of rebel forces. how would you describe what has unfolded there over the last few days so two days ago, my my team and i entered to aleppo to, uh, to to see how people how civilians, people in city. >> i saw, uh afraid in in their eyes from, uh, from airstrike plane war plane, uh, from uh, conflict with other with the groups and uh, we, uh we trying to provide them a need basic

need uh, really we we start distribution. uh prayed and we trying to to to to provide them, uh basic need like bread water, uh, all basic need now in aleppo is necessary to to civilians. people in the city, and of course we have reported extensively on the humanitarian crisis in syria for years. >> just how bad could things get as this fighting intensifies uh we we trying to move, uh, between the neighborhoods, city in aleppo, uh, carefully with, with our teams to provide the, uh, basic need and our people, uh, really afraid from, uh future from, uh what happened

in two days, in just two days? >> uh but, uh just just they they they need to say to to to feeling safe uh, with, with them with their family and with their children that's what what what what the families need now. >> have you seen or heard of many people fleeing the city yeah yeah yeah, yeah. >> we have, uh, we we have died uh, two days ago. more than 14 people. uh civilians, people in in airstrike, plane attack in, in, uh in nearby uh, university hospital. nikpai uh, main roads in, in inside city and just talk to us about what sort of

damage there has been on infrastructure there uh just damage who uh not damage in in when, when uh, rebel force entered to to to city. uh not uh, we we don't saw uh, damage in in popularity or uh, in building or any, anything just they standing in in, in street. but we we saw damage from just airstrike uh, a plane attack by assad regime and russia, uh, in just i said in, in, near by main roads or uh, any, any any other other place they attack yeah. we saw they attack. uh civilians,

people in inside city well, we appreciate you spending some time with us. >> we wish you all the very best on the ground there in aleppo. abdul razzak awad thank you so much. >> thank you. thank you so much we are following a developing story out of guinea this hour where the prime minister has confirmed that there has been multiple casualties following a crowd crush at a football match. >> one video from the social media showed fans scrambling to flee the packed stadium, some even scaling a wall. a local outlet says clashes between fans and security began over a series of decisions by the referee, which was then followed by a crush of crowds who tried to leave the stadium cnn has not been able to verify this report, but we will continue to follow this story and bring you the latest developments. still to come, this hour, much more on our breaking news. u.s. president biden says raw politics has led to a miscarriage of justice after granting his son an

unconditional pardon i'm going to let you in on a little secret happiness could lead to living longer. >> you want to know how and my podcast, chasing life. i'm uncovering the secrets of people around the world who are living happy healthy, extraordinary lives. hear how they do it and the science behind why it works. join me as i reveal their secrets and discover how we can chase life together. listen to chasing life with me. doctor sanjay gupta wherever you get your podcasts when i was younger, my calling was to play football. >> but as i grew older, i realized life isn't about how many people you can knock down. >> it's about how many people you can lift up. at ram, our calling is to build game changing trucks. so when you find your calling nothing can stop you from answering it right now during the ram black

friday sales event, get $5,000 total cash allowance on the purchase of most 2025 ram 1500 trucks. >> hurry to your local ram dealer today. >> lowes knows when it comes to the holidays. everything has to be seamless. save on lg's first ever zero clearance refrigerator that has near flush installation for the ultimate built in look. don't miss our best deals of the season during black friday in-store and online. >> your parents have given you some amazing gifts, but what about the inherited ones? celebrate them with ancestry dna. the simple test that shows your deep family roots from your mom's side and your dad's side with some serious detail. trace the journeys and history that shaped who you are today and see the traits they pass down. your connections to the past are all waiting see just how gifted you are. for only $39. >> everyone's running to subway for three. all new spicy footlongs. wait subway did

what? that's right. they're bringing the heat with creamy sriracha, jalapenos and all new ghost pepper bread. but hurry, these subs are only here for a limited time. >> some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking allstate first. >> it's going to get nasty later like you know, to check the weather first before sailing i'll go tell the coast guard, so check allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. hey, jane. what's up? well i'm getting a new car. yeah contemplating the same. >> you know, carvana is super convenient. >> appreciate the tip. definitely a no brainer. >> i didn't think you'd actually do it on a same day

there's over $2 million in prizes up for grabs, all weekend long. start your black friday at stock dot com. >> i'm bill, we're on the california coast and this is cnn welcome back. >> you're watching cnn newsroom. i'm lynda kincaid updating you now on the breaking news out of washington. us president joe biden announcing sunday that he has pardoned his son, hunter biden, who faced sentencing this month for federal tax and

gun convictions. president biden released a statement on the decision, saying no reasonable person who looks at the facts of hunter's cases can reach any other conclusion than hunter was singled out only because he is my son and that is wrong. there has been an effort to break hunter, who has been five and a half years sober even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution in trying to break hunter. they've tried to break me, and there's no reason to believe it will stop there. enough is enough. the decision comes after biden and white house officials repeatedly said in recent months that he would not pardon hunter, nor would he commute his sentence. but as one presidential historian put it biden's announcement was to be expected nothing here is surprising. >> the thought that joe biden was going to leave office and have his son in prison seemed remote at best. >> and so it's more than a

family story of joe biden and beau and hunter. >> but the laptop of hunter biden became part of the political landscape for years now you know, with the new york post story that it was it was that it was a cover up of that by the mainstream media that there was really should have been reported sooner to the fact that there was accusations that it was russian disinformation, to the fact now, all that noise about hunter biden, alas, it comes to rest he's going to go on and live his life. joe biden will leave the white house, and this will become part of our political history and folklore well, cnn senior white house correspondent m.j. >> lee gives us more background on what may have influenced president biden to pardon his son since the president ended his 2024 campaign over the summer. >> the context here of course, is that president biden and white house officials have been asked multiple times whether the president would pardon his son now that his time as

president was limited to a handful of months, and he and his aides repeatedly said he wouldn't do that because of his deference to the judicial system, the reason he was asked that question repeatedly, though, is because in many ways, it was a difficult thing for folks to understand this idea that as president of the united states, you are uniquely positioned to save your son from spending time behind bars of, you know being able to clear your son's name so why not? i think was essentially the question that a lot of folks were curious to have answered as the president continued to insist that he wouldn't do this. and if you look closely at the statement the president released tonight and in my conversation with the white house official this evening two things i think are abundantly clear. you know, one, as he has said all along, the president very much believes that his son, hunter, was targeted by raw politics and that his the president's

political opponents had wanted to hurt his son. as one official told me tonight, the president believed that this was cruel and that his son had endured enough. and the other thing is that, you know what particularly angered and swayed the president in the end is the belief that his political opponents were trying to make hunter his son, even as he as he was recovering from addiction. i think this is particularly what the president saw as cruel for more, i'm joined by cnn senior reporter edward-isaac dovere. >> good to have you with us. >> it's great to be here. >> so president biden made this decision during thanksgiving weekend with his family. what can you more can you tell us about this? >> well, thanksgiving weekend in nantucket, which is where the bidens were those last

couple of days, is a sacred time for the biden family. they started going there in 1972, after joe biden's first wife and baby daughter were killed in a car crash that same car crash. hunter biden and his late brother, beau biden, were in the car, and they were they had been shopping for christmas trees so they went to thanksgiving in nantucket as a sort of respite for the family to try to begin recovery. and that is where they've been going every year since. that is where they were these last couple of days. as joe biden thought about what to do with this pardon, talking to the family, talking about their fears of what might be coming, not just with the sentencing that hunter biden was facing in the upcoming weeks, but also about possible more charges and more retribution that they fear might be coming from the justice department when it's led by the trump administration. so this is a father protecting his son, also acting in a way that he feels like recognizes what he

believes is more stringency on his son and more prosecution of his son than would have been the case had he not been the president or the presidential candidate. and and protecting him through the powers of the presidency from the consequences of his being president in the first place? >> so this pardon essentially covers both federal cases, both the gun related possession charge in delaware, but also the tax evasion case in california. right and obviously, we're going to expect sentencing that would have happened in the next week or two. correct. >> that's right. it was coming up the week after this coming one. and there was a feeling that hunter biden might very well have been headed to prison but this pardon is a blanket pardon. i'll just read to you what it says. it says a full and unconditional pardon for those offenses against the united states, which he, hunter

biden, has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from january 1st, 2014 through december first, 2024, including but not limited to all offenses charged or prosecuted and then list the ones that are that were pending until this pardon was issued. but what that means is that anything that hunter biden might be accused of in the future might be there might have been an attempt to prosecute him of in the future in a trump administration he is now pardoned for uh, it's of course, possible that there could be crimes that are sought out from before 2014, that he would be prosecuted for, but that length of time is one that is very carefully chosen here as a way to, in joe biden's feeling shield, his son from anything that might be coming at him and was already coming at him. >> and interestingly, this is a

complete reversal of biden's long standing pledge not to use his presidential power to protect his son. what kind of what does that mean? what sort of message does that send well he was very clear when he was asked whether he would pardon hunter biden before he said no, i believe in the justice system. >> i believe in the justice department. it's a matter of principle. he members of his administration, including the white house press secretary, were asked about this repeatedly. they were also told no, or they also said no. he will not pardon hunter biden. but there was a feeling among not only close white house advisers but among the family and a wider way that when it really came down to it and of course, we're in this countdown period of biden's presidency until from now until january 20th, that he would eventually pardon hunter biden in making this pardon, biden said that once he made the decision to pardon hunter biden, he figured why not just

do it right away? there's no need to drag it out and get to it but it is this reversal and it puts him now in a position where, uh it is obvious that donald trump will point to this for any decisions that he makes, whether it's about pardoning january 6th. uh people who've been convicted of crimes related to january 6th or things that he may pardon people for, or things that he might have the justice department do when he is president again. now, it should be pointed out that trump will likely be able to point to that or likely point to that in one way, or the other. but he was likely going to do these things anyway. and so there's a little bit of a chicken and the egg here to it. and and of course, we saw just on saturday that donald trump appointed as his ambassador to france or nominated as his ambassador to france, charles kushner who is

not only the the the father of his son in law, jared kushner, but was someone who trump himself pardoned at the end of his presidency four years ago. >> yeah exactly. a good point you're making there. cnn senior reporter edward-isaac dovere, good to have you with us. thank you thank you we are learning more about donald trump's controversial decision to pick firebrand loyalist kash patel to lead the fbi. sources say the staunch fbi critic was one of two candidates the president elect was considering in recent days. cnn's alayna treene reports we're learning that president elect donald trump had been wavering in recent days between two different people that he thought he would want to serve as his new fbi director. >> that includes kash patel, but also missouri attorney general andrew bailey. now, according to my conversations with those working on the transition team, i'm told that trump had long knew that he wanted to have kash patel in a big role in his second term, including some sort of role in

national intelligence, or at the department of justice. but when it became clear that he was going to be a top contender for the fbi director some people close to donald trump had some skepticism about that. they worried that there would be too much controversy surrounding patel particularly as it related to an upcoming and likely contentious senate confirmation battle. however, behind the scenes, i'm told that others and those closest to donald trump, including his sons eric trump, as well as donald trump jr. as well as his incoming deputy chief of staff, stephen miller, had really pushed donald trump to end up choosing patel. they argue that he was likely the only person in their minds that they believed could really disrupt the federal bureau of investigations as much as they believed patel could, as well as root out the bias that donald trump believes has really permeated the bureau over recent years now, donald trump, i'm told, had interviewed both andrew bailey and kash patel at mar-a-lago in

person earlier this month however, i was also told that donald trump was not that impressed by bailey. he thought that he lacked the personality traits to really be the type of legal pit bull that donald trump wants his fbi director to be. i'm going to read for you one quote from a trump adviser who has been involved in some of these conversations. they said quote, it came down to a matter of what trump wants and what he was looking for in terms of an fbi director and bailey didn't fit that mold. he didn't have the personality. now, in addition, we've also heard many of donald trump's incoming cabinet picks but also top allies trying to defend patel online as well as on television over the weekend, they argued that again, they believed that patel was the only person that could reform the fbi and try and restore trust in the agency. take a listen to what some senators said sunday morning. >> donald trump campaigned on reforming the fbi and the department of justice so i don't know why any of this is frankly surprising to people

there are serious problems that the fbi, the american public, knows it. >> they expect to see sweeping change in kash patel is just the type of person to do it. >> i got to say, all of the weeping and gnashing of teeth, all of the people pulling their hair out are exactly the people who are dismayed about having a real reformer come into the fbi and clean out the corrupted partizans who sadly have burrowed into senior career positions at the fbi. i think kash patel is going to be confirmed by the senate now, despite that praise from those, i should add those are some very loyal defenders to donald trump. >> there is still some skepticism from many republicans on capitol hill. i'm told that, like many of the other controversial picks that donald trump has announced in recent weeks, they will likely have patel go to the hill at some point to meet with senators one on one before this confirmation battle plays out in public. alayna treene cnn west palm beach, florida. >> we're going to take a quick break. we'll be right back. stay with us. you're watching cnn

he is the smartest son of a. >> he's ever done this for a living. james was famous for winning races. james believes that change wins. it's the economy, stupid. i ain't apologizing to no one. the man is a two fisted catcher. i am saying publicly what people are saying to themselves. i have enough money. i could just shut up. >> carville, winning is everything stupid. now streaming on max. >> this is not a drill. subway dropped a price on all their subs. 20% off any sub, any size. >> subway did what? any sub. yep. >> for a limited time, you get 20% off when you order in the app. hurry and get this deal before it's gone. >> 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 growing old is part of the journey. >> even when you have heart failure. but when he had shortness of breath, carpal tunnel syndrome, and lower back pain we wondered, could these be warning signs of something bigger? >> thank goodness we called his cardiologist because these were signs of atcm. a rare and serious disease that gets worse over time. if you see any of the warning signs, don't wait. ask your cardiologist about atcm today with straight talks real unlimited data. >> say yes to unlimited streaming. yes. unlimited gifting? no. and unlimited holiday moments? yes. get a free phone with plan activation on america's most reliable 5g network. straight talk, real unlimited data. >> what are folks 60 and older learning? these days? >> new perspectives. this is pretty how to fix things fun recipes

lowe's knows when it comes to the holidays everything has to be seamless. >> save on lg's first ever zero clearance refrigerator that has near flush installation for the ultimate

tailors to you. download the m tailor app on ios or android or visit mtaylor.com. >> all there is with anderson cooper. >> listen wherever you get your podcasts welcome back. >> i'm lynda kincaid us president joe biden is visiting angola on a trip postponed from october it will be his first time in africa as president and he'll highlight several u.s. initiatives. as cnn's sunlen serfaty reports this is certainly a long anticipated trip for president biden. >> this was originally scheduled for back in october

but the trip had to be postponed as biden dealt with the two hurricanes that were hitting the u.s. at the time. now, while in angola, he'll be meeting with the president. he will be delivering remarks, according to a senior administration official, about both countries shared history and highlight the growth and strength of their relationship. but while he's there, administration officials say that he's going to spend a lot of time talking about china's growing influence in the region and about investing specifically for that reason into africa's infrastructure referencing the rail corridor project that the u.s. supports and a white house official suggesting that this is the same sort of initiative that they hope these sorts of initiatives can be carried on in the trump administration. and that is certainly going to be one thing that is hanging over this trip for president biden the fact that in just two short months, he will be leaving office and handing the reins over to president trump. sunlen serfaty cnn at the white

house. >> well, health officials in northern gaza say israeli airstrikes killed at least 200 people over the weekend. the director of kamal adwan hospital says five buildings in two different areas in the north were hit during the attack saturday leaving many buried under the rubble. gaza's civil defense says 40 people in the same family were killed in one strike. the deadly airstrikes are adding to the worsening humanitarian crisis. the un agency for palestinian refugees says it's halted aid deliveries through the main crossing between israel and gaza after more trucks were stolen. the unwra chief says, quote, the difficult decision to stop deliveries to the kerem shalom comes at a time when hunger is rapidly deepening an israeli official says prime minister benjamin netanyahu has called a meeting to discuss the hostages still being held by hamas, amid renewed protests and calls for a deal to free them. on saturday, hamas released a

propaganda video showing israeli-american hostage edan alexander pleading with mr. netanyahu and the incoming u.s. president donald trump, to do whatever they can to free those being held. mr. netanyahu says he spoke with aydan's family on saturday and on sunday israeli president isaac herzog met with aydan's mother and his family. well, for more on this, joining me now live from tel aviv is zidan's aunt, adi levy. i appreciate your time today i'm so very sorry for what your family is dealing with. how are you all holding up well it's really hard um to see him after over a year and to hear him speak to us. >> also it it's like we have like, a conflict and motionless um he's very strong. uh, but

it's hard to see him. you can see him suffering like no family should see their sibling like that. like that. also my sister and her husband it's really hard. >> and your. your nephew is just 19 years old. when he was captured, you and the rest of the family saw that hostage video. can you explain the reaction from your sister from jordan's mother? how was she well um, since we saw the video, we we started to act um, prime minister benjamin netanyahu called us one hour later, and um, to say that um, uh, good words and to give us strength to hold on. >> and also, he told us that he's doing the maximum to bring them home. and it's

really important that benjamin netanyahu and also, uh president biden and president-elect trump to work together to free them iran is a live proof that the hostages are still alive and they are waiting for us. and we must do everything we can to bring them home. they are still seven american hostages over there, and this video, this hostage video, it was titled soon time is running out. >> it has been a prisoner of hamas. for more than 420 days. when you spoke to bibi netanyahu, did you get any indication of where these negotiations are at to get a deal to to bring the hostages home um we just he just said to us that they're doing now everything they can and um and

and that he he gave us hope that they will bring them home but but we are now like just doing everything we can as a family. >> um, to speak with everyone so that nothing will be on the way for, for this to happen. he said to us in the video that he needs us to be strong and um, he also to talk to biden and trump and benjamin netanyahu so we need to hear him. he speaks for all the hostages over there yeah. and when he did hear them and do it when he did speak to bibi netanyahu and incoming president trump, he did say, use your power to end this

nightmare, essentially. >> and he called on the people of israel to to demonstrate, um you know, given he was speaking under duress, we don't know if he was being told to say any of that when you heard him speak does it sound like the sort of thing that he would say? does it sound like something he would want well i think that when he talked to us, to the family, to his grandmother and grandfather, his parents and sister mika and brother roy, he was like full emotional and it was our iran. >> it was really hard to see him. and this was not like, no one told him to say that. it was really heartbroken to see it. the other things i'm not sure i don't know i don't know

when you and your family speak to other families of hostages, because we know there are about 100 hostages still believed to be in gaza what do they say to you about what needs to happen to end this? >> to bring them home we need to come together that's what we should happen everyone should come together to get an agreement everyone in israel and united states all all like the headquarters of everyone should just work together to get it done. >> that's what everyone thinks. and everyone knows that we should do a deal. >> levy the art of hostage. adam. we really appreciate your time. we wish you and your family all the very best. and thank you for for talking with us. >> thank you. goodbye we're

going to take a quick break. >> we'll be right back next sunday on cnn. >> it's a night that's good for the soul. join anderson cooper and laura coates for cnn 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 next sunday at eight on cnn i feel like new sunglasses, like a brand new pair of jeans brand new book celebrity cruises black friday event 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 fighting ingredients that start working on contact and lasts up to eight hours. from creating memories to finding the perfect gift let us make this holiday season a little easier right now, save up to $60 on select a.s. battery sets. happy holidays from steel i got my together. i got my together. >> the whole class knows i got my together just say it. >> you can get your shots together too. your covid 19 shot and your flu shot at the same visit as recommended by the cdc. i got my shots together, dude. ask your health care provider about getting this season's covid 19 shot. when getting your flu shot. if

you're due for both are you getting your together? >> everyone's running to subway for three. all new spicy footlongs. wait. subway did what? that's right. they're bringing the heat with creamy sriracha jalapenos and all new ghost pepper bread. but hurry! these subs are only here for a limited time. >> 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 lowes knows when it comes to the holidays, everything has to be seamless. >> save on lg's first ever zero clearance refrigerator that has near flush installation for the ultimate built in look. don't miss our best deals of the season during black friday in-store and online. >> nothing dims my light like a migraine with nurtec odt, i found relief the only migraine medication that helps treat and prevent all in one. to those

with migraine, i see you. >> for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura and the preventive treatment of episodic migraine in adults don't take if allergic to nurtec odt. allergic reactions can occur even days after using. most common side effects were nausea indigestion, and stomach pain. >> it's time we all shine. talk to a health care provider about nurtec odt. from pfizer. >> why do nfl players choose a sleep number? smart bed. >> i like to sleep cool and i like to sleep even cooler. >> and i really like it when we both get what we want. >> introducing the new sleep number climacool smart bed sleep up to 15 degrees cooler on each side. visit a sleep number store near you. >> closed captioning brought to you by book.com if you or a loved one have mesothelioma, we'll send you a free book to answer questions you may have. >> call now and we'll come to you. >> 808 two one 4000. >> welcome back. tsa security officials saw a record number of travelers during this year's thanksgiving holiday. cnn's rafael romo reports from

atlanta the transportation security administration announced last week it expected this to be the busiest thanksgiving travel period on record, protecting to screen a total of 18.3 million people from tuesday, november 26th to monday, december. >> the second. that's about 6% higher than last year and we have seen many of those passengers here at atlanta's hartsfield jackson international airport. a passenger told us earlier it took her an hour to get through the security line. another passenger shared with us some tips that allowed her to always be on time and never miss a flight, even during the busiest travel period of the year. this is what she had to say. >> definitely have your id and documents prepared and make sure that you're adhering to the tsa like guidelines so you don't get pulled over and you have to wait for them to check your bags. >> typically, i'm the person that shows up like 2.5 hours before the plane leaves so i usually just like, take my time

through everything and most of the time it works out well, which is probably why i've never missed a flight so yeah. >> at the national level, the transportation security administration processed 2.4 million passengers wednesday and 2.7 million friday, the day after thanksgiving. they were expecting more than 3 million passengers on sunday. atlanta's hartsfield jackson international airport remains the busiest in the world. but since we don't have to put up with the kind of blizzard conditions affecting parts of the midwest, things so far have been smooth here. rafael ramos cnn, atlanta. >> and finally, for all the aspiring treasure hunters out there a man has hidden more than $2 million worth of loot in chests scattered throughout the united states. all the clues needed to find the five chests are in this book titled there's treasure inside written by the man behind the hunt john collins black. now the treasures include everything from gold to pokemon cards, sports memorabilia, and even a

brooch once owned by jackie kennedy onassis good way to sell a book thanks for joining us. i'm lynda kincaid. stick around. cnn newsroom continues with the lovely rosemary church in just a moment they're everyday people doing extraordinary things in their communities and in our world who should be the 2024 cnn hero of the year? >> it's your chance to weigh in. meet this year's honorees and discover the life changing work they're doing then cast up to ten votes a day every day. visit cnn heroes.com cori close knows how to get great holiday deals. >> the best savings of the season are here with doorbuster deals on our top brands all across the store. doorbuster deals start friday the 29th, so

get them early before they're gone. lowe's everyone's running to subway for three. >> all new spicy footlongs. wait subway did what? that's right. they're bringing the heat with cream of sriracha, jalapenos and all new ghost pepper bread. but hurry these subs are only here for a limited time sailed through the heart of historic cities and unforgettable scenery with viking unpack once and get closer to iconic landmarks local life and cultural treasures because when you experience europe on a viking longship, you'll spend less time getting there and more time being there viking exploring the world in comfort. >> why do nfl players choose a sleep number bed? >> i like to sleep cool and i like to sleep even cooler. >> and i really like it when we both get what we want. >> introducing the new sleep number climate cool. smart bed. sleep up to 15 degrees cooler

on each side. visit a sleep number store near you with straight talks. >> real unlimited data. say yes to unlimited streaming. yes. unlimited gifting no and unlimited holiday moments? yes. get a free phone with plan activation on america's most reliable 5g network. straight talk unlimited data. >> your parents have given you some amazing gifts, but what about the inherited ones celebrate them with ancestry dna. the simple test that shows your deep family roots from your mom's side and your dad's side with some serious detail trace the journeys and history that shaped who you are today and see the traits they pass down. your connections to the past are all waiting. see just h your business needs a network it can count on... even during the unexpected. power's out! -power's out! power's out! comcast business has got you covered, with wifi backup to help keep you up and running. wifi's up. let's power on! let's power on! -let's power on!

it's from the company with 99.9% network reliability. let's power on! power on with the leader in connectivity. get wifi backup for your business, or get started with comcast business internet. and for a limited time, get an $800 holiday bonus. call today. than $20. go to deal dash dot com and see how much you can save. >> i'm elizabeth wagmeister in los angeles and this is cnn