everybody problem. what is it that makes it so easy to get sucked in and you literally lose time yeah you do. >> and first of all, just look at how ubiquitous these devices are. and you raise this point that it's very similar for adults and teenagers now nowadays. but if you look at the data, 95% of teens, 13 to 17 years old, they have access to a smartphone, 46% are using those devices or using the internet almost constantly. compare that to adults because people often say this is a teen problem, but with adults, 90% say they use the web daily, 41% online, almost constantly. there seems to be three factors in terms of the rabbit hole that you that you bring up. one is how much we watch. and what i mean by that is if you if you watch five videos in a row, you are far more likely to watch the next one than if you've just watched one. so it just becomes this spiraling sort of effect. how similar is the

content if you're watching very similar content over and over again? five music videos, for example, you're much more likely to watch another one. and then how we watch, if you're doing it in an uninterrupted environment versus an interrupted environment, this is all so fascinating, but i feel like you can't just watch one video. >> it's like eating one m&m, like it's really hard to do, but nobody wants brain rot. so we got to watch our consumption. doctor sanjay gupta, it's always a pleasure. thank you so much. and don't forget to head over to cnn.com and send us your questions on brain rot. doctor gupta will be back later this week to answer your questions. a new hour of cnn news central starts right now all right. >> we're getting new information from the police chief in madison, wisconsin, on the investigation into the school shooting there. what is the status of the so-called manifesto? and then breaking just moments ago, donald trump just filed a lawsuit over a

poll he doesn't like. is this even a thing? and are we just weeks away from the end of tiktok in the united states? the law right now says yes. i'm john berman with sara sidner and kate baldwin, and this is cnn news central. >> this morning we are learning more and none of it good. it's all sad and tragic as new questions are now swirling as the country and a community faces tragedy again after a 15 year old girl opened fire at her christian school in madison, wisconsin, killing a teacher and killing a fellow student. a short time ago, the police chief was on with us and told us that he hopes to reveal more about the victims a little later today. he did share with us that two of the students who were injured are still listed in his words, very critical

condition. the chief also walked us through some of the questions that he said remain unanswered today, including how much planning went into this teen suspect's attack. how did she get the gun? who owns the gun, and what more do her parents know we also want to look at if the parents may have been negligent. >> and that's a question that we'll have to answer with our district attorney's office. but at this time, it does not appear to be the case cnn's whitney wild, on top of all of the latest in this investigation for us. >> what's the latest you're learning this morning, whitney kate, the shooter in this case was identified as 15 year old natalie rupnow. >> she went by samantha. according to police. and what they're doing now is trying to put the pieces together. what led up to this tragic shooting that unfolded at 10:57 a.m. yesterday in a study hall where there were students of mixed grades, where we know a

substitute teacher was injured, where a full time teacher lost their lives, where a teenage student lost their lives, where two other students were injured so badly they were put into critical condition. law enforcement trying to work backward from the event and try to figure out what led up to this. here's what police chief shawn barnes said about what they're doing at this moment. >> we have been made aware of a manifesto, if you want to call that or some type of letter that's been posted by someone who alleged to be her friend. we haven't been able to locate that person yet, but that's something we're going to work on today. we'll also be looking through her effects. if she had a computer or cell phone to see if there are any transmissions between her and someone else, and that will give us an idea of what type of planning okay. >> we have also learned a lot more about the timeline here. what we know, again, is that this was at 1057 by 11 a.m., there was a dane county deputy there. 11 a.m. and 30s there was a madison police officer

there. they went inside immediately. by 11:05 a.m., they alerted that the shooter was down. they began lifesaving measures on the people inside. people were transported within 15 to 20 minutes from when police alerted that that shooter was down. further, kate, we also know that the student who called 911 from inside that building was tragically as young as second grade. the police chief believes that that student was in another classroom. but certainly we've heard from students who heard that a sound that no parent wants their child to hear. and the hope, of course, is that no child has to hear that again. but at this point, that is only a hope, as this tragic day represents. kate. >> yeah. no kidding. whitney, thank you very much for the very latest. sara. >> all right. with us now is trish kilpin. she is the executive director of the office of school safety at the wisconsin department of justice. thank you so much for joining us. and i'm sorry that the community is and you are

going through this yet another school shooting with a student killed and a teacher killed. can you give us an update on anything you know about the injured students? who two of whom were fighting for their lives in the hospital? >> thank you for having me today i, too, am saddened that this is happening and it continues to happen across our nation. i don't have information to provide for you about the status of those injured. >> okay. what can you tell us about any clues about why a 15 year old female student decided to do this? are you getting any new insights into that? >> well, i obviously cannot talk about an ongoing investigation. i can tell you that school violence is preventable and that when

students decide to use violence, they often do so after being upset, feeling some kind of grievance or upset, and they decide to use violence to resolve that issue. they progressed on what we call a pathway to violence, where we see indicators and warning behaviors that they are struggling. sometimes we see deepening desperation and despair, and oftentimes peers and community members know about somebody's plan to engage in this type of dangerous behavior. we urge all members of the public, students and families to contact us at our 24 over seven tip line. speak up. speak out. wisconsin. if they know anything about any student who may be planning a school attack or who may need assistance, we have here in wisconsin seven tip line. >> i want to ask you about the tip line, because several years ago, the doj did set up this free wisconsin. doj set up this free statewide tip line that

does allow students to report things. and we were looking at at my producer and i, elaine and the tip line had, you know, from 1 to 11 the number of things that people call about and the things that students were calling about the most was being bullied. are there any clues? has that been looked into by authorities as part of this investigation to see if there is anything in that tip line that would indicate that this was either potentially going to happen, or that there is something that they can glean from there i'm sure that information will be clear as the investigation proceeds, but i will tell you that bullying and harassment is our most common tip. >> and since oftentimes school violence events happen after students experience those events, we're pleased to have that be our most reported tip so that we can provide intervention and get that information to the school early, potentially preventing violence. we have received over 350 tips in on our tip line for concerns that there are someone planning a school attack, so

that that attack could be averted. we received tips for guns and weapons. in fact, we've received over 11,000 tips since we began the tip line. >> can i ask you, when you look at what happened at this particular school in madison, what things worked and what things didn't? knowing now that from our reporting that a second grader was the one that called 911, that called police for help no second grader should have to be in a situation where their life is in danger at school. >> um, it's amazing that they had the fortitude and the ability to call in that situation. we in wisconsin have requirements for schools that they have to have a school safety emergency operations plan. they practice drills, they do many things. and this school, abundant life, was actively engaged with their learning about school safety, and they're practicing for events. so it's situated

themselves in a in unfortunately a situation they had to draw upon to practice those emergency actions. >> trish kaplan, thank you so much for waking up early for us and talking through this really devastating time there in wisconsin. i appreciate you coming on this morning, john. >> all right, justin, we're getting new reaction from russian officials said to be furious after a russian general was killed overnight by a bomb in an electric scooter. a woman who stowed away on a flight to paris has been busted for a new stowaway plot, where she was sneaking away to this time. and what if i told you that rats have been trained how to drive cars? and what if i told you they apparently like it? the end is nigh can't fool myself. >> it was the most exciting time in the world. >> his life had extremely joyful moments and some really

difficult moments. >> you only come across an artist like luther vandross once in a lifetime. >> luther. never too much new year's day on cnn. it. are you ready for this? >> are you ready for this? are you ready for this new alka-seltzer plus cold or flu? >> fizzy chews, chew fizz. feel better? >> fast. >> no water needed. new alka-seltzer plus fizzy juice if you have wet amd you never want to lose sight of the things you love. >> we get it. some things should stand the test of time. long lasting ilia hd could significantly improve your vision. more people on ilia hd had no fluid in the retina compared to those on ilia. >> at four months. ilia hd is the only wet amd therapy that helped eight out of ten people go up to four months between injections. after three initial monthly treatments. if you have an eye infection, eye pain, or redness, or allergies to ilia hd, don't use eye injections like ilia hd may cause eye infections, separation of the retina, or rare but severe swelling of blood vessels in

the eye. >> an increase in eye pressure has been seen. there is an uncommon risk of heart attack or stroke associated with blood clots. the most common side effects were blurred vision, cataract, corneal injury and eye floaters, and there's still so much to see if you are on ilia or a similar type of treatment, ask your retina specialist about ilia hd today for the potential for fewer injections. >> there's nothing like. >> welcome to the white lotus in thailand. >> this is very exciting. >> aren't you a brave girl? there's nothing like it. >> where's the money you can't heal something unless you say it out loud. >> it's not the light. >> not the light there's not the light. >> okay, everyone. our mission is to provide complete, balanced nutrition for strength and energy. >> ensure with 27 vitamins and

minerals, nutrients for immune health. >> and ensure complete with 30g of protein type two diabetes. >> discover the ozempic. tri zone oh oh ow ow! >> ozempic. >> i got the power of three. i lowered my a1 c cv risk and lost some weight. >> in studies, the majority of people reached an a1 c under seven and maintained it. >> i'm under seven. >> ozempic lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack or death in adults. also with known heart disease. >> i'm lowering my risk and adults lost up to 14 pounds. >> i lost some weight. >> ozempic isn't for type one diabetes or children don't share needles or pens or reuse needles. don't take if you or your family had mtc me in two or if allergic to it, stop taking and get medical help right away. if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or any of these allergic reactions, tell your provider if you plan to have surgery or a procedure, are breastfeeding, pregnant, or plan to be. serious side effects may include inflammation of pancreas, gallbladder problems, or

changes in vision. call your prescriber if you have any of these symptoms. taking with the sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, constipation. some side effects lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. living with type two diabetes ask about the power of three with ozempic at the salvation army, a rent check isn't just a rent check, it's a hangout, a safe haven, a sanctuary, a place to grow and grow closer, a treasured past and plans for the future. >> with your gift. >> families know that wherever they go, they can always come back home. >> love, i've got this. >> hey, susan. >> toothbrush. big interview, huh? nice new suit, new haircut, ancient bristle stick.

make the sonicare switch. all right, now go knock em dead, boss, can i get the wi fi? am i hang here? >> this is what you want. this is what you need. this is the path to true happiness. that's a good day at the office for me. >> so this morning, the white house is reiterating, saying once again, they have found no threat to public safety or national security from the multiple drone sightings that have been seen across several states. now, white house national security spokesman john kirby telling us earlier this morning that they are following up on the tips and the sightings, but they aren't finding any bad actors. also saying this is highlighting, though, just how much the aviation landscape when it comes to drones is changing. do you think this has been blown out of proportion i wouldn't say that, kate. >> no, i mean, look, people are

right to see see these things and be concerned about it. i mean, i think what you're seeing honestly, is the huge ecosystem of drones now really coming to light. i mean, maybe people just didn't appreciate how many of these things are flying in u.s. airspace every single day, and it's only going to get more. there's the numbers are only going to increase as the utility of these drones for commercial and law enforcement purposes, in particular, become apparent. and that's why we're calling for more authorities from congress. we need some legislative authorities to deal with the gaps and seams that exist between state officials and the federal government in how we manage this, manage this airspace, which is only going to get more crowded. >> yeah, we're actually going to have an expert on to talk about, which is a huge gap being exposed of how advanced technology is here and the laws with regarding all of it. joining us right now is new jersey state assemblyman paul kanitra. for more on this. thanks for coming in. once

again. we spoke with you last week. this is happening. you, you you're very concerned about what's happening in the airspace over new jersey, among many, among many people. what do you what's your reaction to hearing from the white house? john kirby saying, we're following up on all the tips. he thinks what this is really showing is, just, as he puts it, the huge ecosystem of drones that are in the air these days. well, it's concerning because it still appears like the federal government isn't on the same page, because while kirby is saying this on one side of the equation, mayorkas on the other side of the equation over the last couple of days has confirmed that there have been 100 drone sightings that don't correlate to any known flight paths or flight pattern, and that they're sending additional resources, equipment and personnel to two different military facilities in new jersey. >> so they wouldn't be doing that if they weren't still concerned. and obviously, the fbi is looking into those 100 sightings as well. >> maybe they're all saying a little bit of the same, though, because we did hear from john kirby as well. he said out of

they have 5000 tips that have come in that they followed up on, and they do say they still are checking out about 100 of them. so maybe that is kind of in all, all saying the same thing. they've got 100. they're still checking out. still, they say none of them appear to be illegal activity. none of them appear to be a threat to public safety. does that help to calm your concerns? >> well, considering my district is basically ground zero, it does calm concerns a little bit because you certainly don't want the general public taking anything into their own hands. so it's nice to know that finally, after a couple of weeks of this, the federal government is starting to deploy more resources that we're seeing. governor murphy, governor hochul in new york, senator schumer, politicians on both sides of the equation starting to call for more action. and i think they're going to get to the bottom of it. and quite frankly, president elect trump's comments the other day seem to indicate that there is some knowledge of what's going on, especially with president biden and the white house. >> so do you think that the

suggestion from the president elect seem to be that the government is hiding something? do you think that the government is hiding something? >> look, we have no way of knowing what the government's motivations are. if it's top secret, they have every right and every reason to hide something as well. president trump didn't seem overly concerned in his comments. he said he wasn't sure why president biden wouldn't be telling the american people if it was an imminent threat. president trump kind of wears his emotions on his sleeve. i thought he would have told that a little bit in how he was saying that. so i don't think that there's any kind of imminent threat. >> how do you think how do you think this ends in terms of calming it down? if it ends up being in these these additional hundred check out and they are hobbyists, what have you. they're not nefarious. let's just put it into the really bad actors or just people screwing around. i'm generalizing. if it ends up being this, there's just a lot more drones that people are going to see in the air, including at night. and they might and it might not be

something they're comfortable with. but this is the reality. how how does this end? how do you calm your constituents? >> two main things, right. the government is going to need to explain why are some of them so large? what's a fact is our state police put aircraft up and confirmed they were over one that was six feet large. our residents have spotted many that are about the size of small suvs. that needs to be explained and the swarms need to be explained. our ocean county sheriff's department confirmed swarms coming in most nights, and we're talking 50 drones in a swarm. that doesn't seem like a hobbyist activity. so i think if the federal government wants to calm everything down, they're going to need to explain why some of these anomalies are out there, because the general public, even though there's a little bit of a state of hysteria, it's rooted in the fact that some of these things are very abnormal. it's not a small hobbyist drone. >> thank you so much for coming in. appreciate your time. of course. >> thanks, sarah. >> all right. ukraine is claiming responsibility for blowing up a russian general near the heart of the russian

capital. just in. the russians are now responding. and the deadline is looming. will tiktok be banned or not? in the us? details on trump's meeting with the ceo of the popular social media app. just after the break can't fool myself. >> it was the most exciting time in the world. >> his life has truly joyful moments and some really difficult moments. >> you only come across an artist like luther vandross once in a lifetime. >> luther. never too much new year's day on cnn. >> the day you get your clearchoice dental implants changes, your struggle with missing teeth forever. it changes how you eat, how you feel, and how you enjoy life. clearchoice network doctors have changed over 150,000 lives with dental implants because a clear choice day changes every day. finance your new smile for as low as $148 a month per arch for qualified patients. schedule a free consultation

machine learning is advancing, but businesses wonder if some machines can keep up. >> let's welcome our new coworker, jeff copier has a great idea. >> i wonder if it's the same idea as yesterday. >> it's a performance issue. >> really i know people push your buttons, but you still have to deliver. >> anything can change the world of work. adp assist is i informed by workplace data and designed for the next anything. >> some people just know they can save hundreds on car insurance by checking allstate first. >> like, you know, to check the weather first before sailing. >> it's going to get nasty later yep. hey. >> perfect day for sailing, huh? have fun on land i'll go tell the coast guard. >> yep. >> yeah. checking first is smart, so check allstate first for a quote that could save you

hundreds. you're in good hands with allstate. >> you found the right model for sure. now, how can you be sure you're getting the right deal? >> i have to talk to my bestie. >> hey, girl. >> this one's like your last boyfriend. it's got issues. >> let's ask the experts for the right used car. >> just say show me the carfax value. you'll get the most accurate price based on the vehicle's accident history. look, for me and stop overpaying. shop at the all new carfax. com. >> you make good choices. they've shaped your journey to leave all that your life built. rock solid for generations. with ambition like that, you need someone who elevates advice to a craft. at ubs, we match your vision with insight and expertise to shape a unique outcome for you advice is our

craft. >> we just want to have enough money for retirement and travel to visit our grandchildren. >> i understand that's why at fisher investments we start by getting to know each other so i can learn about your family, lifestyle, goals and needs, allowing us to tailor your portfolio. >> what about commission based products? >> we don't sell those. we're a fiduciary obligated to act in your best interests. >> so how do your management fees work? >> we have a transparent fee structure, so we do better. z's bakery is looking to add a pizza oven,

arissa's hair salon wants to expand their space, and steve's t-shirt shop wants to bring on more help. with the comcast business 5-year price lock guarantee, they can think more about possibilities for their business and not the cost of their internet. it's five years of gig-speeds and advanced security. all from the company with 99.9% network reliability. get the 5-year price lock guarantee, now back for a limited time. powering five years of savings. powering possibilities™. approved over-the-counter asthma inhaler primatene mist. >> breathe easy again i want to be the greatest player that i could possibly become clarke reed harry. >> harry. >> all right. we do have breaking news. president elect trump has sued the des moines register and its retiring star pollster ann selzer, over a poll that had vice president harris ahead of him in iowa.

trump ultimately did win iowa. the suit argues the poll constituted election interference. at his news conference, trump telegraphed this was coming. >> i want to expand on the defamation lawsuits. could you see moving that to other people with individual platforms, social media influencers, people that or newspapers? >> yeah, yeah, yeah. oh, i do, i do. i think you have to do it because they're very dishonest. i'm going to be bringing one against, uh, the people in iowa, their newspaper, which had a very, very good pollster who got me right all the time. and then just before the election, she said i was going to lose by 3 or 4 points. >> all right. brian stelter is with us now. brian, you were part of the team that broke this story, along with paula reid and katelyn polantz. first of all, tell us what this suit is. this is not exactly a defamation suit. >> no.

>> unlike a lot of the lawsuits trump has filed in the past, usually unsuccessfully, against news outlets. this is not a defamation suit. this is a case in iowa that relies on a pretty dramatic or aggressive interpretation of the iowa consumer fraud act. that's a law that prohibits deception when advertising or selling merchandise. so you can imagine trump's legal team here looking for a law in iowa they can use to sue ann selzer and the des moines register and its parent company, gannett. and they've landed on this consumer fraud protection law. they're basically arguing that the poll was an example of fraud, that it was, quote, election interference fiction. now, as you said, jon ann selzer has a sterling reputation, or at least she didn't until this year. her pre-election poll was wildly wrong, and she has acknowledged so. she went through the data last month trying to figure out what went wrong, and she came to the conclusion that she did her job the best she could. and and the poll was off for, for a variety of obscure reasons that

just chalked up to the reality of the difficulty of polling. in other words, she's saying she reported the facts the best she could. but trump is saying this poll was fiction. it distorted the final days of the election. this seems like a legal long shot. but oftentimes when trump files suit, the goal is not necessarily to win. it's to make his opponent suffer. and this might be one of those cases. >> john. yeah. look, polls miss sometimes. i mean, that's why there's always a margin of error. this was way out of the margin of error. but polls miss. sometimes you talk about how sometimes trump does this to cause pain. there may be an even bigger strategy here, which trump frankly alluded to at this news conference as he heads into this new administration. >> yes. talking about straightening out the press, that's a euphemism for trying to tone down any and all negative or critical coverage. we know that he spent his first term in office deriding so-called fake news, trying to label fake real news as fake.

now he's taking actions not just using his words, but taking actions. and i don't think it's a coincidence that he was able to prevail against abc with that shocking $15 million settlement on saturday. and then on monday, he has his legal team filed a suit in iowa he has threatened other suits as well, and he has a number of them pending. but let's remember that the law goes both ways. trump is also being sued for defamation by multiple parties. this case, though this is a rarity because it is a fraud case. we will see pretty quickly, i think, whether a judge in iowa takes this seriously. but the broader point, as tara palmieri wrote last night, the broader point might here be to deter polling in general to stop pollsters from coming out with polls that make trump look bad. he has a tremendous amount of power right now, and trump seems intent on using it in aggressive ways. he didn't use the first time around. >> all right, brian, thank you for being on top of all of this reporting coming on live. happy holidays. sarah. >> all right. thanks, john.

this morning, the woman who stowed away on a flight from new york to paris has been arrested yet again, this time for trying to sneak across the border into canada on a bus. cnn randi kaye is looking into the story busted again this time. >> svetlana josh hawley was traveling by bus just last month. she had stowed away on a delta flight from jfk airport in new york to paris. a law enforcement source tells cnn dolly had managed to cut off her ankle monitor on sunday and was taken into custody while on a greyhound bus bound for canada. multiple law enforcement told cnn i don't want to go to united states. that was dolly last month, the first time authorities tried to return the 57 year old russian national and a u.s. permanent resident to the united states from paris. she created such a disturbance, delta kicked her off the new york bound flight. >> what i saw was basically this lady that was

progressively getting more and more irate and raising her voice louder and louder. >> earlier this month, another attempt to bring her back to the united states was successful. dolly sat in the back of the aircraft and was flanked by two french security officials. the entire flight to jfk. a week and a half ago, dolly was charged in federal court with one count of being a stowaway on a vessel or aircraft without consent. among other things, the judge ordered dolly to wear an ankle bracelet with a gps monitor, surrender any travel documents, and told her she cannot go to airports or leave the area where she is staying. that includes, of course, jumping on a greyhound bus to canada. dolly had been staying with a roommate, a law enforcement source told cnn. her roommate reported her missing after he saw her gps ankle bracelet on the floor. randi kaye, cnn, palm beach county, florida also today, 13 republican electors who were once tied to the 2020 fake

electors plot. >> they are now casting legitimate ballots. and it's a funny twist, i guess, on ratatouille the movie, not the dish that adorable rat could cook. now we have rats who can drive, but why grief isn't talked about much, but that's what my podcast is all about. >> join me in my guest for a new season with new conversations about loss, life and love. >> all there is with anderson cooper. >> listen on apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. >> arthritis symptoms can be unpredictable. >> one day, your joints hurt, the next sits on your skin. >> i got cosentyx it feels good to move, feel less joint pain, swelling and tenderness, back pain and clearer skin and help stop further joint damage with cosentyx. >> don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx before starting, get checked for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur like tuberculosis or other serious bacterial, fungal, or viral infections. some were fatal. tell your doctor if you

have an infection or symptoms like fevers, sweats, chills, muscle aches or cough. had a vaccine or plan to or if inflammatory bowel disease symptoms develop or worsen serious allergic reactions and severe eczema like skin reactions may occur. just bust a move. ask your rheumatologist about cosentyx. >> i'm not a doctor. >> i'm not even in a doctor's office. i'm standing on the streets talking to real people about their heart. how's your heart? >> my heart's pretty good. >> you sure? >> i think so. >> how do you know you're driving a car? you have the check engine light, but the heart doesn't have a hey, check heart sign. i want to show you something. put both fingers right on those pads. there you go. in 30s, we're going to have a medical grade ekg reading. there it is. that is you. look at that. >> with kardia mobile, you can take a medical grade ekg in just 30s from anywhere. >> kardia mobile is proven to detect atrial fibrillation, one of the leading causes of stroke. and it's the only personal ekg that's fda cleared to detect normal heart rhythm, bradycardia and

tachycardia. how much do you think this device cost? probably $1,099. >> wow. >> that's impressive. >> get kardia mobile today for just $69, our lowest price ever. and check out our holiday offers for you or your loved one at kardia. com or amazon. don't wait. these offers won't last lawmakers are trying to shut down planned parenthood, the health care of more than 2 million people is at stake. >> our right to basic reproductive health care is being stolen from us. planned parenthood believes everyone deserves health care. it's a human right. future generations are beginning to lose the rights we fought for, the rights for ourselves, our kids and our grandkids gone just like that. i can't believe this is the world we live in where we're losing the freedom to control our own bodies. last year, politicians in 47 states introduced bills that would block people from getting the sexual and reproductive care they need. where does it end?

planned parenthood fights for you every day. but we need your support now more than ever. visit this website. call or scan the code on your screen with your $19 monthly gift. help us win the fight for the constitutional right to control our own bodies. >> truly, like a planned parenthood had not stepped in, i would not be here today. >> they saved my life. >> your support is urgent. our rights and the rights of future generations are at risk and lives are at risk. >> and that's why we have to keep fighting in every state, everywhere. >> donate $19 a month or whatever you can afford, and you'll help us fight against laws that block care and take away our rights. >> we fight to make sure everyone and anyone can get the care they need, but we need your help and there's never been a more urgent time to join. >> so go online, call or scan this code now. sign up with

your monthly gift today and we'll send you this care no matter what t shirt it is your right to have safe health care. >> that's it. >> we won't give up and we won't back down. >> we need you now more than ever. go online, call or scan right now. >> how are folks 60 and older having fun these days? >> family cookouts playing games. >> dancing in the park i'm bill weir on the california coast, and this is cnn. >> today, hundreds of electors will gather in state capitals across the united states to officially confirm donald

trump's win in the 2024 election. the electoral college consists of 538 electors. you know this and a majority of 270 is needed to become president. among the electors casting their votes for president elect trump today are 13 republicans who participated in the 2020 fake elector plot. cnn's jeff zeleny joins us now. how the political winds have shifted. what now happens today. >> well, sir, good morning. it has been 42 days since that presidential election on november 5th. >> and donald trump, of course, is well on his way to building his new administration. he's sworn in in just 34 days. >> however, it is one step closer to becoming official today. >> as you said in state capitals across the the country, electors, slates of electors are meeting today to essentially cast the votes that actually matter. yes, 150 million americans voted back on election day. but this is how america elects presidents by the electoral college. >> so we are going to see state

by state, by state, sort of a go down as the day goes along here to essentially ratify the the outcome of november 5th. >> and you mentioned those fake electors. i mean, certainly a brighter light was shined on the process of how presidents are elected. four years ago when donald trump refused to accept his defeat. so there were slates of fake electors in some states. well, they are real electors. um, this this afternoon in several states. and we are seeing maryland, i believe is right there. that is the where the process is beginning today and as the day goes along. state by state will do these. but it is largely a ceremonial. but we saw four years ago it wouldn't have to be but one big difference. kamala harris is accepting her defeat this time. >> yeah. and that also has to happen shortly after. correct. no. >> sure. >> and one other thing that's

going to be interesting, sarah. i mean, in history we've only seen this a couple times. she will actually be once these electors happen across the state in state capitals. they're sent here to washington. and then of course, on january 6th, as we well remember from a four years ago, um, this actually becomes official in congress, but she will be presiding over this role of accepting her defeat. we, of course, remember that from al gore doing this back when he lost to george w bush. but there have been some law changes. so even if she wanted to, she could not overturn the outcome there. that change from four years ago. but look, she will be sitting in the chair as president of the senate in the waning days of her time in office, presiding over her defeat. that's what a peaceful transition of power is intended to look like. >> that's what it looks like. jeff zeleny, thank you so much for your reporting. over to you, kate. >> thank you. sarah. president elect donald trump is working right now to tamp down some of

the controversy surrounding his pick to be health secretary. robert f kennedy jr. has a long history of pushing debunked conspiracy theories, especially surrounding vaccines, including the false claim that vaccines are linked to childhood autism. and that is something that kennedy did not want to talk about as he made the rounds on capitol hill yesterday to try and secure support for his nomination you can't believe in the polio vaccine. >> should the polio vaccine be revoked, you're going to take away their vaccine. should the should the polio vaccine be revoked? >> polio vaccine. >> sir, do you stand by your previous comments about vaccines being linked to autism? do you stand by those comments, sir? >> at a news conference last night, the president elect was asked about rfk's views and trump said he wants rfk to look into whether there is a link between autism and vaccines. joining me right now is michael osterholm, director of the center for infectious disease research and policy at the

university of minnesota. it's good to see you again. so donald trump said this about rfk. there was a lot. we'll go through all of it. but starting here, donald trump said this, i think he's going to be much less radical than you would think. you've called it both head scratching and outrageous that rfk jr. is up for this job. explain well, you know, when michelangelo once said, when someone tells you who they are, believe them. >> i wish i could say that about rfk jr.. we don't know who he is because he says so many different things to so many different people, and even denies saying things on recorded interviews. and so one of the challenges we have is whatever he says. now, i have no belief that that's necessarily how he's going to practice as a secretary when he's actually in the position. in addition to that, right now, as has been noted by a number of media sources, the people who are doing the vetting for the senior jobs right now at the department of health and human services, are many of the anti-vaccine people, including mr. siri, the individual who petitioned to have the polio

vaccine removed. so i think we have to look not just at his words, but what he likely will do in spite of his words and also all those he's bringing into the fold to help him mold the leadership at hhs. >> yeah, i mean, he definitely has said just on its face when he says, i'm all for the polio vaccine. he also has said recently that there is no such he is all for the polio vaccine, that's saying one thing. according to one of the senators that he met with yesterday, he said that rfk is not anti-vax, but that he wants transparency around vaccines. michael, does that not already exist? what's he getting at with that? >> well, that's another one of the questions we have. we don't know what he means by saying that the vaccines that we have today in this country are studied extensively before they're brought to market. they we look carefully at safety, how effective they are, and even to the extent that he

has noted that the polio vaccine never had a study done where some people got the vaccine, some didn't, to see how the impact of that vaccine would be on polio. we do that kind of study very similar to how we do cancer drugs. we don't tell people to stop their cancer drugs to test it against another one. what we do is we build both of them on the back of the individual who's being treated. and so that in fact, we can say, well, with this drug, you even did better with the polio vaccine. we actually did do studies where we looked at the newer vaccines versus the older vaccines at the same time. so these studies are there. and for him to continue to say they're not confuses the public. it's not truthful. and it surely is. i think the reason why in a few years, we could expect to see in this country many additional deaths in children because of the fear that parents have, that rfk jr. is putting in their minds and stoking fear and creating kind of a space to to allow that fear to fester. >> that's a big question,

because that can have real impact, especially when you're talking about this false claim that he has pushed for a long time of linking childhood autism to vaccines. donald trump just yesterday was asked about it very specifically. michael, do you think there is a connection between vaccines and autism? do you think there's a link? and trump said, right now you have some very brilliant people looking at it. if that takes hold and trump and rfk put resources to that and or move to pull back on childhood vaccine programs, pull back on mandatory school vaccine programs, what's the impact of that rhetoric? >> well, first of all, let's just be really clear. there are no major studies going on right now looking at autism and vaccines, because we've done these studies. these studies have been exhaustive in nature. and so there is no further evidence. we don't need to have another experiment to see what will happen when the apple falls from the tree, where it will go. we kind of know that already. well, we know the same thing about the vaccines, but what happens is by casting this doubt on them, if i'm a new

parent and i'm sitting here wanting to make sure that this is as safe as possible situation for my child, i'll say, well, maybe i'll hold off the vaccine because it sounds like maybe there's a problem with it. that's exactly how we're going to see more and more kids not vaccinated, and more and more kids becoming ill. don't forget, measles on average kills one out of every thousand kids that get infected with it. it won't take long. where we see a reduced vaccination level in this country before we're going to be counting the outcome of this debate in children's deaths, not in rhetoric. >> is there one question you would like to hear? these senators ask in vetting him you know, i think the challenges i pointed out at the beginning of the interview, kate, is the fact that i don't believe anything he says because he changes everything that he has said many times over to just match up with what people want to hear. >> and so if i thought that he was truthful and i thought that the question i could ask him is he would follow through on as you as you would expect, then i

think i could ask a question. i don't think i can ask him a question because i don't believe him. >> that's scary. michael osterholm, thank you for coming on. john. >> all right. quote, this is the beginning of the end of this shameful money grab. why the lawyer for jay-z is confident he can exonerate his client of the rape allegations against him. and then chicken nuggets marinated in jalapeno buttermilk, then crushed in tortilla chips. unclear why this is news, but i expect an explanation. >> from luther. never too much new years day at eight on cnn when you're the leader of a disaster cleanup and restoration, how do you make like it never even happened happen. fired up randy yeah. >> by being prepared for anything

whatever comes your way. >> there's a pro for that. >> servpro. >> like it never even happened. >> 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 as battery sets. happy holidays from steel cut muhammad action louis louie cut mud on her face. >> okay, everybody, that's lunch mud mask.

>> no no no. compare hotels in the hotels.com app. >> as a mom, i want my kids lives to be filled with joy and possibility. and i want that for every kid. that's why i support no kid hungry. they work in schools and communities to make sure every kid gets the healthy meals they need. please join me in supporting no kid hungry for all kids. thank you. >> i wish my tv provider let me choose what i pay for. >> sling let you do that. >> hey, where are you going? >> i wish my tv provider let me choose what i pay for and let me pause my subscription when i want. >> sling lets you do that too. sling. >> i wish my tv provider let me choose what i pay for and let me pause my subscription when i want and have hundreds of free channels.

>> sling lets you do that too. >> mr. fish, choose and customize your channel lineup or watch for free. sling lets you do that. >> sofi is helping me get my money right to achieve my ambitions. >> plus, i'm investing in my game so if i can help fund all your ambitions no matter how ambitious. >> bank with sofi to score a higher apy and an epic welcome bonus. >> transform your website into an immersive 3-d experience with infinite reality. you can tap the power of the spatial and social web, unlock valuable data, and take your brand to the next level. it's time for better shopping. bolder entertainment, and bigger sports it's time to up your web game.

purchases u.s. money reserve is one of the most dependable gold distributors in america. >> i'm rahel solomon in new york and this is cnn.

>> developing this morning, a senior russian general accused of ordering chemical weapons attacks in ukraine has been killed by a bomb hidden in an electric scooter in moscow. lieutenant general igor kirillov was the chief of russia's radiological, biological and chemical protection forces. russia is calling his death a terrorist act. video shows him walking out of a building moments before the blast with an assistant who was also killed. the source tells cnn ukraine's security service was behind the attack, which happened just four miles from the kremlin. an attorney for jay-z calls the sexual assault allegation against him a fantasy. a woman who was identified as jane doe alleges jay-z, along with sean combs, assaulted her back in 2000 when she was 13. jay-z's attorney showed photographs placing him at a manhattan venue the night in question. the lawyer says the accuser's story is not plausible because of the time it would take for him to go from that venue to the suburbs, where the accuser said she was assaulted. she recently admitted to her some inconsistencies in her account, but her attorney insists his

firm thoroughly vetted her claims. jay-z's legal team has now sued the woman's attorney, accusing him of trying to shake down innocent celebrities. all right. this morning, a new frontier for rats. researchers at the university of richmond train them to drive little cars, and apparently they like doing it. they would give the rats the option to walk or drive to a pile of fruit loops. and obviously the rats chose to drive. next, they may try to see whether the rats like to race each other. i can tell you right now the answer is yes. all right. we have important chicken nugget news this morning. a brand new option, apparently at taco bell this week. i'm not 100% sure why this is news. is there controversy over this? if there's not, i'm sure there will be. we need controversy over chicken nuggets. these ones are marinated in jalapeno buttermilk and coated in

tortilla chips and breadcrumbs. the chain says it's part of an effort to appeal to a younger audience that likes breadcrumbs. know that chooses apparently chicken over red meat. and i guess the red meat nuggets was something they weren't going to do anyway. >> they don't sound as tasty, but you know what? those those rats would probably drive their cars to drive right to it. just so you know, all the rats in new york are celebrating now because they might be able to drive. all right. tiktok could be banned here in the u.s. on january 19th, just a day before donald trump back goes back to the white house. but the president elect is suggesting that may not happen. throwing the social media platform a lifeline. >> we'll take a look at tiktok. you know, i have a warm spot in my heart for tiktok because i won youth by 34 points and there are those that say that tiktok has something to do with that. >> all right. trump met with tiktok ceo at mar-a-lago yesterday after making those comments. tiktok wants the supreme court to block the new law requiring the platform be

sold by its chinese owner, or get kicked off cell phones in the u.s.. cnn's clare duffy is here. this is an interesting turn of events. like so many things politically. i remember i'm old enough, and so are you to remember when donald trump did not like tiktok. this whole thing wanted to. yeah. wanted to ban it. wanted to kick it off on the campaign trail. this time around, though, he opposed a ban. so what's happening now? what's what's going to happen? and is it possible that donald trump, because this deadline is coming up before he goes into office, could stop that from happening? yeah. >> it's not clear that he's going to be able to do anything to stop tiktok from being banned. but experts told me that he has essentially for possible approaches here. first, he could ask congress to repeal the law, but that's unlikely, because it's kind of embarrassing to repeal a law that you passed less than a year ago, and there are still many in congress who are concerned about china. second, he could direct his attorney general not to enforce the law, essentially signal to app stores like apple and google,

who are really the ones on the hook to remove tiktok, that they won't face fines for continuing to host the app. but again, it's not clear that those companies are going to want to break the law. even with that reassurance. the third option is the most wonky, but experts say it is actually the most likely trump could take advantage of this kind of loophole in the law. that gives the president the power to determine if a qualified divestiture, essentially a sale of tiktok, has taken place. and experts told me that he could say it has, even if that's not actually true, and it would be really tricky to challenge in court. and then, of course, trump could try to facilitate a sale. he could find one of his billionaire buddies, these companies that are trying to cozy up to him and convince them to buy the platform. this is a platform that has 170 million american users, is really popular, but it's not clear that he's going to be able to convince bytedance and china that they should sell the app. >> so it turns out that john and kate were doing a tiktok dance behind me over there. we're trying to walk on the set and we can't. like there's no actual show people

how hard it is. the explanation is it. >> i think we should finally show how hard it is to actually get into positions of times. i might have. it involves john basically going like this. >> yeah, right through everyone's camera to get to his position. >> and when has that ever stopped him? let's be honest. >> this is true key to success. >> claire, i am so sorry you were a part of this clown show this morning. >> this always happens when claire comes on. i think claire is the. >> instigator. >> i'm the instigator? >> yes. >> you're right. >> put that on tiktok. >> claire duffy, thank you so much for your reporting on this. really interesting. >> why can't you just be grateful we made it to the set? >> i'm very happy you're here. >> i am, thank you very much. >> both of you. truly get out. is this my lying face? that's your lying face again, thank you so much for joining us. >> we must go now. cnn newsroom is up next. it was your face again. >> i literally. >> crunchyroll what drives your business? >> numbers data, sales. sure. but it's your people who define your business. that's

why paychex just reinvented the way to find and keep the best people. smart, streamlined hr technology assisted by ai in our team of hr experts. everything you need to recruit, motivate and support your employees. because your people are your business. start reinventing your business at paychex.com/tv. >> it's because of people like you who support shriners hospitals for children that my son has gotten the gift he's needed. >> because of that, now we can give him the gift he's always dreamed of. thank you

thank you so much. >> when you pick up your phone and call this special number to give your monthly support to shriners hospitals for children, you'll be giving kids a chance to fulfill their dreams because of people like you, i can play baseball because of your gift, i can make the best snowman ever. >> and the perfect snow angel. because of people like you, i can play the violin. >> with your monthly gift of only $19 a month. only $0.63 a day will send you this adorable love to the rescue blanket as our gift to you. it'll be a reminder of how your monthly gift is helping kids get the help they need so they can get the gifts they've always dreamed of. >> it only takes one minute to go to love shriners.org right now to spread some christmas cheer. you'll be helping dreams come true today and all

year. >> thank you for giving. >> your gift is changing lives. >> now and throughout the year. thank you for giving. >> gracias. >> thank you. >> please call or go online now. if operators are busy, please call again or go to love shriners. org right away to give your gift will be the best gift of all. >> harry and david is small batch, gourmet and delicious. so of course they run out fast. >> whether you want to say thank you, i love you or just happy holidays, send something special, beautiful and delicious. >> order your harry and david favorites now before they're gone. >> i had eight utis in one year. >> this inspired me and my partner spencer to launch uqora. uqora makes effective urinary tract health products. >> it truly works miracles. >>fda

approved over-the-counter asthma inhaler primatene mist. >> breathe easy again. >> can't fool myself. it was the most exciting time in the world. >> his life had extremely joyful moments and some really difficult moments. >> you only come across an