perfect shot. >> just the right pitch to cash in on prize picks. download the app. >> i'm hanako montgomery in tokyo, and this is cnn. >> 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. >> 800 821 4000. >> startling new assertions on what may have caused that deadly plane crash in central asia. >> a u.s. official now telling cnn the latest signs point to russia. those details ahead. >> plus fear spreading on college campuses across the u.s., ahead of president elect trump's inauguration. why some schools are advising international students to

return early from winter break. and bird flu is now linked to a pet food recall. ahead, why? this is just the latest in a series of troubling signs on the spread of this virus. we are following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to cnn news central and good afternoon. >> good to have all of you with us. i'm erica hill with jim sciutto. today, for the first time, the u.s. is offering an assessment of what may have caused that deadly plane crash in kazakhstan, killing dozens on board. a u.s. official says early indications suggest a russian anti-aircraft system was responsible. adding that if true, it may also be a case of mistaken identity. the crash came shortly after ukrainian drones struck southern russia. meantime, video and images of the downed plane show various holes in the fuselage. cnn cannot confirm what may have caused them. the kremlin has

reportedly said it would be wrong to speculate before an investigation is carried out. nato is now calling for a full investigation. joining me to discuss is matt bohr. he's the chief intelligence officer for the aviation security firm osprey flight solutions. it's good to have you with us. so this latest assessment that we have now from a u.s. official, this is similar to an alert that your firm sent out right after that crash, noting that the circumstances in your estimation suggest that it was likely shot down by russian military air defenses. can you give us a better sense of the evidence that you've seen pointing to that? >> yes, and thank you for having me on today. and first off, i just want to give my condolences to the families and the staff that were on board that perished and those that are recovering from any injuries. >> and the survivors. uh, the information that osprey is evaluated looks not just at the the damage from the videos of the crash site or the fuselage, externally and internally, but also the security environment in the

airspace over southwest russia during the time after this aircraft took off from baku and azerbaijan while it was over southwest russia and in military air defenses were reportedly engaging ukrainian military grade weaponized drones that had been launched, presumably at chechnya. during this time period. the aircraft was bound for grozny airport in the capital of chechnya, and effectively was in the air at the same time as this, russian military air defense activity was occurring to defend against a ukrainian drone attack. now the reports are from, uh, the, uh, some of the passengers that were on board the aircraft is that an explosion was heard outside of the aircraft, and shrapnel penetrated through the fuselage into the cabin of the aircraft. there is video from

while the aircraft was still in flight showing shrapnel damage inside the aircraft. and then the video of the wreckage shows shrapnel damage to the tail, vertical stabilizer and horizontal stabilizer sections of the aircraft as well. so combining the fact that there was a drone attack being repelled by air defenses in the vicinity of where this aircraft was attempting to land, and the damage that was sustained in flight and visible after the crash points to a russian surface to air missile being launched at this aircraft while it was attempting to land at grozny. this has been not only highlighted by osprey, our company, but azeri media outlets are quoting unnamed azeri government officials. reuters has also reported that it is confirmed from sources that a russian air defense system shot the aircraft down. euronews has reported the same that it has spoken to sources indicating a

russian air defense system downed this aircraft, and ukraine, who supposedly launched the drones at russia, has said that russia shot down the aircraft. so while there are denials or calls for an investigation to be completed before assigning the cause of the crash, all evidence that's being made public at present points to this being a misidentification and shoot down of a civilian airliner. >> i also wanted to ask you about a couple of different things that we saw. there's there's also it's flight 24 that said that the aircraft was exposed to gps jamming and spoofing near grozny. could that in any way have contributed as well to this flight path that we saw? so we were just showing this. i'm hoping we can put that back up on the screen, because what's remarkable to me is we watch the path of this flight. right? and then the plane would be able to fly that long if it had been in distress. and then going back over the caspian sea. do you have any insight as to why how this may have happened when there were other airports? obviously closer by

so the reporting that has came out from euro news, citing azeri officials involved in the investigation, has said that russia denied landing to the aircraft at, i believe, four airports in southwest russia and then the aircraft, uh, pilot and command um, decided to attempt a diversion to aktau airport in kazakhstan across the caspian sea. >> now, this aircraft being exposed to gps jamming during its flight is something that happens to, uh, a large number of aircraft every day that are operating in this part of the world the black sea area, the caspian sea area, and up into russia. uh, effectively, what's taking place is russia is jamming gps as a way to try to defend against drone attacks. so drones guided by gps to their targets, uh, being jammed by russian electronic warfare units with gps jammers trying to to stop them from being able to reach their

destination. now, when you jam gps in a defensive manner, it's going to affect any other aircraft flying over that area that are within the cone of the propagated signal. so civilian airliners flying over the same area would be having gps interference take place. and so that isn't something that osprey views as being outside the norm. um, as in this aircraft's gps was being jammed. that would happen to, um, any aircraft flying over that area on effectively a daily basis. at present, due to the frequency of ukrainian drone attacks deep inside areas of russia. >> matt, i really appreciate your expertise. thanks for joining us. jim. >> all right. let's speak about this more with former cnn moscow bureau chief jill dougherty. and jill, good. good to have you here again. we should we should state at the beginning it's early, though we do have a u.s. official saying initial indications are this

was a russian air defense system that took down this passenger jet, as well as reuters reporting, citing officials in azerbaijan that this was a russian air defense system. the parallels to mh17, when a russian missile shot down a malaysian airlines flight over ukraine are notable here. and despite the fact that that was established by the evidence, right, it was a russian missile that took down that passenger jet and killed all those people on board. russia still denies it to to this day and is floating this idea that this was a bird strike that took place with this azerbaijani jet. i mean, i asked that because i think it's important to highlight that russia does not have good credibility on incidents like this. >> well, yes. in fact, you know, jim, i covered that the mh17 back in 2014 and immediately when i heard about this crash, it reminded me of that because immediately you had theories, you know,

it's birds, it's fog. it is whatever. and again, we have to find out, you know, ultimately what happened. but the similarities really are striking because in that case, back in 2014 and now it would be embarrassing at the least to russia to, you know, have some to take a step, which maybe was not aimed at bringing that down, bringing the plane down. but the effect was the same. and i think if you look at now the situation with drones, which didn't exist back in 2014, this is a major factor and it is having a major effect on russia. and russia is trying to get back at ukraine. stop these and and is quite furious about them. so i don't think that it's surprising that this is a possible scenario. >> and listen, it would speak to a lack of capability, would it not? right. because already

they've had multiple penetrations of of russian airspace by ukrainian drones right up to moscow, sensitive facilities, oil facilities, military facilities to to then again, if this is confirmed to be the case, to have shot down a passenger jet would seem to open very real questions, including among the the russian public as to how good their air defenses are. >> well, that could be one. and then also, i think this issue with the question of gps jamming, i mean, in a sense that that could be even more serious because if the theory is correct and we just heard about this, um, you know, they are they were jamming radar in that region, which meant that it could have affected that plane. and at the ul warn people, warn planes. i remember at that time, after mh17, planes were diverted, you know, there were there was not a lot of traffic going across ukraine even at

that point. and so, uh, a responsible i think, you know, military would warn people that this is an area the civilian planes shouldn't fly in. but again, i am not a technical expert. i'm just basing this on the experience. and it was really one one of the strangest stories that i covered precisely because of that, you know, firehose of theories that came out that literally within minutes. >> yeah. and listen, that's part, you know better than me. that's part of russia's disinformation strategy is to flood the zone with multiple theories. i remember at the time of the mh17, they were they were blaming ukrainians for shooting at putin's jet. and that's how this jet was shot down. they flood the zone, create uncertainty, which, well, our own country can can relate to based on experience in recent years. let me ask you about where you are today in tbilisi, because there are ongoing protests there of recent presidential elections, which which several senior georgian opposition officials as well as international

agencies have called a a not a fair, a free and fair election. what happens now in georgia? the protests haven't stopped. will the people get a new election? >> no. in fact, i'll tell you. as i was arriving, i just arrived tonight. uh, there was a protest going down the main street right in front of the hotel. and these protests sometimes having reportedly. and if you look at the video, i think you can believe it. 200,000 people on the streets now, it's complicated politically, but essentially the the parliament that was elected back in october when i was here for that election, they are considered illegitimate by the existing president. her name is salome zurabishvili. and what you could have on sunday the 29th is you could have a new president that has been named

by this parliament, that the existing president says is illegal. uh, they could be trying to inaugurate a president when there are already is a president. so this is really a constitutional crisis. and it's more than that. i mean, if you look at the streets there, there is worry that there could be martial law. nobody quite knows what's going on. but it is a very big show, i think, by the opposition and by civil society here in georgia, that they want to be part of the eu, they want to be part of europe. and that's essentially what this is all about. >> yeah. and listen, russia, through the last several years has shown when, when countries within its perceived orbit move further closer to the west, they don't like that and often use violence in response. i want to focus, if we can, on ukraine now because president biden is condemning the, quote, waves of missiles and drones

that hit ukraine's power grid deliberately. we should note on christmas day, ukraine says that russia fired some 70 missiles, more than 100 drones. officials report one person killed, six wounded. half a million ukrainian households now without heat in the bitter cold. and that would seem to be the function of these attacks. russia hit in eastern ukraine in the dnipro region, as well as closer to the border in the kharkiv area in the northeast. ukraine's president volodymyr zelenskyy decried the attacks as inhumane. president biden said he directed the pentagon to keep up its surge of weapons deliveries to ukraine. in response, his statement said, quote, the united states will continue to work tirelessly to strengthen ukraine's position in its defenses against russian forces. so, jill, president biden's call to, quote, work tirelessly, tirelessly to strengthen ukraine's position. listen, he only has 25 more days left in office. president elect trump may take a very different view, although i should note

that keith kellogg, who is acting something as trump's ukraine, did condemn these attacks onwhas your read of what happens when trump takes the presidency? does he try to force ukraine to the negotiating table? >> there are a lot of ways that they're talking about. i mean, i don't think that you can say that there is one consistent idea coming from the trump transition people. um, there does seem to be kind of a general approach, which would be putting pressure on both sides, on russia and on ukraine, by either giving more aid to ukraine or not giving aid to ukraine, depending upon how amenable either side is to sitting down at the negotiating table. but i think that's what i, to me, is striking. and just even

arriving here in georgia, every nation in this region is looking to january 20th, and they're trying to figure out how does that affect us. so here in georgia, you know, they were saying the government, which is actually, want to we the party of war. the united states is trying to drag georgia into war. now, guess what phrase they're using? the deep state. they're literally using that the deep state. so i think they're they're focusing on incoming president trump. this might speak to him more directly. et cetera. and every nation here is trying to prepare for whatever comes it's very, very unclear what's going to come, but they know that a lot is riding on their existence, especially here in georgia. yeah. um, you know, it's interesting,

depending upon starts to see these events of the last several days in georgia, in ukraine, as well, is a reminder that russia's strategic interests have not changed with the u.s. election. >> it still wants to bring georgia further into its fold, doesn't want it to move further to the west. it still wants to push ukraine into submission. and that's let's be frank, that's what these attacks are meant to do by targeting the civilian population, making it freeze in the middle of winter by taking out, taking out its heat. that hasn't changed because there's a new incoming president here. can we read that as a as a sign of the limitations of trump's power to fundamentally change the balance, the dynamics of this conflict? >> yes. actually, i think that's a good point, because president trump comes into it from his own viewpoint. you know, what does he want? he wants the war to stop regardless of how it stops.

but if you look at putin, putin has a much broader idea. and it's really to create kind of a zone of influence on that western border of russia to make sure it's almost like a, you know, a cordon sanitaire on the west to protect it from nato, to protect it from the west. and all of these countries that are on the border, small countries, i mean, georgia, 4 million people, you know, ukraine is bigger, of course, but moldova, all of these small nations are really fair game for vladimir putin. if he wants to kind of neuter them or make them at least, you know, kind of a protection for russia, which would violate their sovereignty. so it's a very it's a dramatic, historic moment. and i think, you know, keeping track of it is is pretty complicated at this point, no question. >> good to have you there, jill dougherty, thanks so much.

thank you. and still ahead, the president elect has a new obsession overseas with the panama canal. and now he has a new ambassador who could be facing a much more difficult job. please do stay with us. >> andy, it has been one wild year. >> i know that whole new live stream was crazy. >> dream was crazy. >> what? you have been following actual news, right oh, boy. >> new year's eve live with anderson and andy. live coverage starts at eight on cnn and streaming after home aglow cleaned our place for $19. >> we fired our old housekeeper home. glow tackled everything from our kitchen to our bathroom, all our laundry. you just pick a date, pick a cleaner and enjoy a spotless house for $19. thanks to sono bello, i know i am beautiful. >> i took the plunge. >> i went in for my consultation and signed up right then and there. >> after my procedure. >> i just felt so much better. >> i can feel good putting jeans on again. it only took one visit. >> i was back to work in no time and feeling great.

>> we have performed over 300,000 personalized patient procedures, helping you be your beautiful sono bello. >> america's cosmetic surgery specialist. call or go to sono bello. com and schedule your free consultation with cargurus. >> you can buy or sell your car in person or online. if only you could do things your way all the time. wouldn't that be nice? get it with gurus. >> hi grandma, i played baseball today. oh that's great. >> what position did you play? >> first base. >> that's where grandpa used to play. when our hearing wouldn't allow us to use a regular phone. it made us feel isolated. >> it became difficult to communicate with our friends and family. >> clear captions was an easy solution for us. clear captions provides captions on a phone, like captioning on your tv so you can see what the caller is saying live as they say it, making it easy to understand

and respond immediately. >> there is no insurance or medicare required. clear caption service is provided at no cost to you through a federally funded program. we deliver, install and train you on how to use your phone all at no cost to you. >> give your loved ones the independence and connection they deserve. >> call now to see if you qualify to get a clear captions phone at no cost to you, call one( 800) 592-1334. >> that's one 805 92133 for. >> this is a keepsake frame. >> this is actually a photo from my wedding. >> i'm adam weiss, founder and ceo of keepsake, the mobile app that makes it easy to have your photos printed, framed, and shipped to your doorstep. you just choose a photo that you love. you can preview it in over 100 frames, and in a couple of days, you're going to receive your photo in a beautiful handmade frame. so if you've got a special photo on your phone, install the free keepsake app. we would love a chance to frame it for you.

>> do you have a life insurance policy you no longer need? >> now you can sell your policy, even a term policy for an immediate cash payment. >> we thought we had planned carefully for our retirement, but we quickly realized we needed a way to supplement our income. >> if you have $100,000 or more of life insurance, you may qualify to sell your policy. >> don't cancel or let your policy lapse without finding out what it's worth. >> visit coventry direct.com to find out if your policy qualifies, or call one 800 481 1700. >> coventry direct redefining insurance. >> is here. >> who is olympia. >> nosferatu. for r2. >> we are now playing only in theaters. special engagements in dolby and imax.

>> news night with abby phillip tonight at 10:00 eastern on cnn. >> president elect trump is repeating his desire to expand u.s. territory by assuming control of the panama canal, greenland and even canada. he's now named his pick for ambassador to panama. miami-dade county commissioner kevin marino cabrera. just days after suggesting the u.s. should retake control of the canal. this was also the focus of his christmas message, along with a wish list of adding greenland and canada to the u.s. cnn's alayna treene is live in west palm beach, florida, with more details here. so first of all, let's take a look at his pick for ambassador to panama. what does that tell us, and what are cabrera's views on the canal well, it's very clear that cabrera is someone who is very loyal to donald trump. >> someone will do his bidding. i want to walk you through just some of his background to give you a sense of who he is and how he aligns with donald trump's views. so he is a miami-dade county commissioner.

he was elected two years ago with the endorsement of donald trump, and he has remained very close to the trump campaign ever since. i'm told he actually had once sponsored this idea to name a street in miami-dade after donald trump. he also worked on the trump campaign in 20 2424 as part of the latinos for trump coalition. and he also represented florida on the rnc platform committee. now, again, this is clearly someone kevin marino cabrera who will do donald trump's bidding. but depending on what donald trump's plans are for panama and whether he is serious about his, you know, aggressive pursuit and claims that he wants to take over control of the panama canal. cabrera could have a very hefty assignment, have a big plate in front of him if he is successfully becomes the ambassador to panama. now, i want to walk you just through a little bit of where this is coming from, from donald trump's end. he kind of started talking about this a couple of days ago. he's been arguing that panama and the

panama canal, specifically are, you know, taking advantage of the united states and the way that it's used. of course, the panama canal was made by the u.s., but it has been controlled by panama, the country, for about 25 years now. and i also think i want to just make clear as well, that it doesn't seem like donald trump would be successful in taking back the panama canal, but this is still unclear to us. if, you know, this is a negotiating tactic on his side, or if this is an opening salvo for something that he wants to do, whether it's with tariffs or other trade negotiations or if he's serious about this. but again, kind of unlikely and similar in his in his claims that he wants to buy greenland or also make canada the 51st state. >> elena too. it's fascinating to watch this, especially as we hear the reaction from panama. just walk us through that latest reaction. if you would. >> yeah, we heard from him this morning. panama's president. this is what he said in a statement. he said, quote, there are no chinese in the canal. it is as simple as that.

neither chinese nor any other power is in the canal. again, that is from panama's president, jose molina today. now, that statement from him is kind of referencing what donald trump has said, which is that he believes that chinese soldiers are playing a role and take in taking control over the panama canal, that they are influencing how that is run, something that the president of panama is clearly very much pushing back on. that is something we heard from donald trump yesterday. but all to say, again, it's very unclear how serious donald trump is with these threats and what he would actually task his new pick for the ambassador to canada to do in some of these conversations. i think one thing, though, that is clear, is that he is really trying to assert his dominance over many of these foreign leaders with days to go. still, until he is officially sworn into office on inauguration day. >> erika alaina, appreciate it. thank you. universities across the u.s. are urging their international students to get back on campus before donald trump returns to the white house. we'll tell you why.

just ahead on cnn news central. you 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. >> you make good choices. it's a trait that runs deep. like to step into big shoes and still walk on your own path. 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. >> with cargurus, you can buy or sell your car in person or online. if only you could do things your way all the time. wouldn't

that be nice? get it with gurus. >> my moderate to severe crohn's symptoms kept me out of the picture. now i have skyrizi. i've got places to go and i'm feeling free. >> controlling my crohn's means everything to me. control is. everything. >> and now i'm back in the picture. >> feel significant symptom relief at four weeks with skyrizi, including less abdominal pain and fewer bowel movements. >> skyrizi helped visibly improve damage of the intestinal lining, and with skyrizi. many were in remission at 12 weeks, at one year, and even at two years. >> don't use if allergic. serious allergic reactions, increased infections, or lower ability to fight them may occur. before treatment, get checked for infections and tb. tell your doctor about any flulike symptoms or vaccines. liver problems leading to hospitalization may occur when treated for crohn's. >> now's the time to take control of your crohn's. control is everything to me.

>> ask your doctor about skyrizi. >> the number one prescribed biologic in crohn's disease. >> hi, honey. >> morning breath. huh? >> doctor garcia, who? reality check up. >> that's millions of bacteria growing overnight. >> crest pro-health helps prevent oral health issues before they start. >> i'm so much fresher. >> crest. it. you ready for this? >> are you ready for this new alka-seltzer plus cold or flu? >> fizzy chews? shou chew fizz. feel better? >> fast. >> no water needed. new alka-seltzer plus fizzy juice. >> long after guests leave, viruses and bacteria linger. air fresheners add a scent, but only lysol air sanitizer helps erase the trace, eliminating odor and

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™. minutes. >> get your cult classics full face kit at laura geller.com. >> closed captioning brought to you by inventhelp. call one( 800) 710-0020. >> do you have an invention idea but don't know what to do next? call inventhelp today. they can help you get started

with your idea. >> call now( 800) 710-0020. >> with just 25 days until the u.s. inauguration, fear and uncertainty at u.s. colleges are prompting some universities to tell international students to return to campus early from winter break. the schools want students safely back on campus before president elect donald trump returns to the white house in case he orders another travel ban, such as the one that stranded students abroad at the start of trump's first term. trump is promising more hardline immigration policies quite publicly, including expanding his previous travel ban and even revoking some student visas. joining us now is stuart anderson, executive director of the national foundation for american policy, a nonpartisan research organization. good to have you, stuart. and i wonder, do you believe that worry is warranted? and is there specific guidance circulating as to what specifically trump

might target and who well, international students are vital because they help u.s. >> universities provide more courses and programs for u.s. students. >> they help u.s. students have more access, basically to the world. and. and over 70% of the graduate students at u.s. universities in key technical fields are international students. and we found more than half of the billion dollar startups were actually founded by immigrants. and most of those are international students. so keeping all that in mind is the reason why university presidents and their offices have decided to tell students to be inside the united states, because you're correct that the first travel ban that was announced did include international students for those seven countries. now, later on the final version that the supreme court approved, uh, gave a waiver for international

students. but the reality is we do not know precisely which countries and which classes of immigration will be included in a new ban. but we do know that there almost certainly will be a new ban. and in fact, there already is a continuing ban from the trump administration on certain chinese graduate students that the biden administration continued. and i've had some of those students be in touch with me. and i know one student was a had a phd program at a u.s. university. she went to visit her family in china, and she's been blocked for over two years from coming back to the united states. so these aren't theoretical worries. these are legitimate concerns. >> ucla has said it will not release immigration status or related information in confidential student records, unless it is forced to do so by law. do you believe colleges and universities can protect international students? will they be forced by law to to reveal who's enrolled and from

from which countries? >> well, some of these issues are not really just international students. they actually affect people who are undocumented immigrants who may be enrolled at these universities. and considering that the trump administration has said they really are not going to have any priorities, even though they've talked about going after criminals, really, they're going to go after everyone to drive up the numbers. numbers are going to be the priority of the mass deportation plan. that's already been clear. and and so students who give their information and who are in the country and unlawful status, they can very well be targeted for deportation. and that's what i think universities are concerned about. in addition to the international students who they want to make sure are inside the country, because that's what the authority for blocking people is geared towards blocking them from entering the united states. >> right. so you're saying and just to be clear, this would

not be students who were guilty or accused of any crimes just purely based on their nationalities. >> well, certainly the travel ban would be based on nationality. and in fact, that was clear from the first time. there's really isn't really a good process to, to to discern one person versus another in, in any of the orders they had, they basically did not put a process, much of a process in place. essentially, even people who had u.s. spouses last time weren't able to get into the country. in many cases. >> notable. now, let me ask you this, because the prospect of, say, a ucla not providing these records rings familiar to me because it sounds something like a sanctuary city, right, where you had cities who did not want to comply with some of the more draconian immigration regulations at at the federal level, could universities, in effect be oases from a

policy such as this, or would they be open to raids? i mean, could we see the prospect of raids in which students are picked up at universities and shipped out? >> i think the policy is going to be whoever is easiest to find. they will try to deport. and to the extent that some students information may be out there and they can discern that they're in the country unlawfully, i think they will go after them. it would obviously be very controversial to to to plan a raid at a, at a university. um, but, you know, having shock and awe type policies could be possible. i think the, i think the bigger debate on international student policy is going to be donald trump had talked about allowing more to stay here and get green cards, which is something certainly people like elon musk and other of his silicon valley supporters that supported the president, uh, the president elect in his campaign would like to see. and someone like stephen

miller, who's going to come in with a very restrictive policy and would probably like to keep many of the policies they tried to do the first time around, which made it much harder for international students to stay in the country and work, particularly after graduation. >> well, then it becomes a question as to who is on the acceptable list and who's not which country specifically, and then how would those decisions be made right? would they be made based on, on politics, on on the administration's perception of those countries? i mean, these are major issues. stuart anderson, we appreciate getting your point of view. >> thank you. >> well, still ahead, a nationwide pet food recall over concerns about the spread of bird flu. what you need to know that's coming up next on cnn news central. >> new year's eve live with anderson and andy. live coverage starts at eight on cnn. >> i'm jonathan lawson here to tell you about life insurance through the colonial penn program. if you're age 50 to

85 and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three p's? >> what are the three p's? >> the three p's of life insurance on a fixed budget are price, price and price. a price you can afford. a price that can't increase, and a price that fits your budget. >> i'm 54. >> what's my price? >> you can get coverage for $9.95 a month. >> i'm 65 and take medications. what's my price? >> also 9.95 a month. >> i just turned 80. what's my price? >> 9.95 a month for you too. if you're age 50 to 85, call now about the number one most popular whole life insurance plan available through the colonial penn program. options start at $9.95 a month. no medical exam, no health questions. your acceptance is guaranteed. and this plan has a guaranteed lifetime rate lock, so your rate can never go up for any reason. so call now for

free information and you'll also get this free beneficiary planner. and it's yours free just for calling. so call now for free information call one 800 688 1300 for your free information and your free gift. >> that's one 800 688 1300. don't wait. one 800 688 1300. call now. >> i got this kitchenaid stand mixer for only $56. >> deal. >> dash dot com online auctions since 2009. this playstation five sold for only $0.50. this ipad pro sold for less than $34. go to deal dash dot com and see how much you can save. >> dare to compare. >> bob's playdate versus my competitors. similar set. >> both have a pop up sleeper in storage, but mine is only 7.99. theirs is over two grand. see how much you can save when you dare to compare in store or at my bob's dot com. >> after glow cleaned our place for $19, we fired our old housekeeper home. glow tackled everything from our kitchen to our bathroom, all our laundry.

you just pick a date, pick a cleaner, and enjoy a spotless house for $19. >> you. >> you're making everything orange. >> we're showing we're consumer cellular. gets great coverage. we use the same towers as big wireless, so you get best deal. see if you're

overpaying for car insurance, go to finance buzz.com. >> now coming january 2025. >> founded by the stars of women's basketball, a new style of three on three six clubs. >> more action, more access, unrivaled coming january 17th. >> from brat to box office blockbusters to beyoncé. and tonight, cnn's elizabeth wagmeister counting down the top ten entertainment stories now for 2024. >> from big stars in big legal

trouble to big movies, concerts and a brat summer, our top ten entertainment stories start with a wicked boost at the box office. number ten the wicked pairing of wicked and gladiator two form this year's barbenheimer. with over $150 million in opening weekend ticket sales, the two films energize the typically slow post summer box office. wicked, starring golden globe nominees ariana grande and cynthia erivo, stayed strong through the holiday season, while gladiator two excelled overseas. the pair set the table for the thanksgiving box office with moana two joining to set an all time record for the holiday weekend. number nine. >> maybe now people can understand the truth. >> television takes on the menendez brothers case, pushing prosecutors to take action. >> i believe that they have

paid their debt to society. >> then los angeles district attorney said public attention factored into his decision to reexamine the case and recommend a reduced sentence that would allow the brothers to walk free. nearly three decades after they were sentenced for murdering their parents in beverly hills, the hollywood production spotlighted abuse the brothers say they endured at the hands of their father, with even some of the victims family members calling for them to be released. >> 35 years is a long time. >> ultimately, the judge delayed a decision, while a newly elected district attorney reviews the case. number eight. the hip hop feud between drake and kendrick lamar. >> this may be the hip hop equivalent of asking to speak with the manager. >> in november, drake filed a court petition accusing a record company of using bots to artificially inflate lamar's song not like us on spotify. >> they not like us, they not like us. >> it's the latest chapter in the ongoing feud between two of the industry's biggest names,

who once toured together as rising stars. >> shape the stories. how you want drake. they're not slow. >> each claims the other dissed them in song lyrics with one question at the heart of the feud who is hip hop's biggest star? >> who would have thought it would potentially end in a courtroom? >> number seven. a pop star ignites a brat. summer. charli xcx's album brat not only stormed the charts, it propelled an online political movement. >> very honest, very blunt. >> a little bit volatile. >> with that description, the singer declared. kamala is brat on social media, spawning a torrent of memes that kicked off vice president kamala harris presidential run and a lot of questions amongst a certain generation. >> so is the idea that we're all kind of brat and vice brat. >> i don't well, i don't know if you're right. of us, brat. >> right. you don't just become brat. >> i will, i will aspire to be

brat. >> number six, alec baldwin's courtroom shocker. >> dismissal with prejudice is warranted. >> a judge dismissed the case against the actor accused of involuntary manslaughter. when the gun he was holding on the rust movie set fired, killing cinematographer halyna hutchins and wounding the film's director. the judge's decision came less than a week into the trial, citing the prosecution's improper handling of new evidence in the case. >> bobby. >> the ruling paved the way for baldwin to return to the limelight, appearing on saturday night live as former presidential candidate robert f. kennedy jr.. number five. charges filed in the death of matthew perry. two doctors in perry's assistant are among five people charged in connection with his overdose death. one of the doctors allegedly said, quote, i wonder how much this moron will pay for ketamine prescriptions. three people have pleaded guilty. one of the doctors is

awaiting trial, along with an alleged dealer prosecutors say is known as the ketamine queen. the perry family, relieved that charges were filed nearly a year after the beloved actor died in the hot tub at his los angeles home. >> people who have put themselves in the business of supplying people with the drugs that will kill them, that they are now on notice that it doesn't matter what your professional credentials are you going down, baby? >> number four. beyonce goes country. >> this ain't texas. ain't no holdin the superstar bends genres with the release of cowboy carter, which debuted at number one on the billboard country chart, making beyonce the first black woman to do so in the chart's 60 year history. let me make myself clear. >> beyonce's mega year wraps with what some call the second super bowl a halftime performance on christmas day. during the nfl's first ever

games to stream worldwide on netflix. number three, the death of pop star liam payne. fans held vigils for days in argentina, where payne fell three stories from his hotel balcony. >> you're insecure don't know what the 31 year old british pop star rose to fame in the boy band one direction. >> he went on to have a solo career and spoke openly about his struggles dealing with fame and substance abuse. >> i was like, right, i need to fix myself. >> toxicology reports found cocaine, alcohol and prescription antidepressants in payne system with more than 70,000,001 direction albums sold. payne's impact on fans was undeniable. >> so for me, it feels like, i guess like the end of like us growing up together, which is really that's what makes it so hard. >> number two, the end of the eras tour for taylor swift. are you ready for it? the nearly two year tour wrapped in vancouver on december 8th.

estimated to have made over $2 billion, it's by far the most successful concert tour of all time. not only that, she released a new hit album, the tortured poets department. all this and she's still the darling of the nfl, cheering on boyfriend travis kelce in february to yet another super bowl victory for the kansas city chiefs. and the number one entertainment story of 2020 for the fall of music mogul sean "diddy" combs. after a flood of civil lawsuits alleging combs sexually assaulted dozens of people, federal investigators raided the hip hop star's homes, signaling a federal indictment was imminent. then cnn released this video of combs assaulting his former girlfriend, cassie ventura, at a hotel in 2016. the shocking video prompted combs to speak out for the first time since he came under fire. i mean, i hit rock bottom, but i made no

excuses. >> my behavior on that video is inexcusable. >> but it only got worse for combs with a september federal indictment charging him with racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. the case is sending shockwaves through the music industry. >> the names that we're going to name are names that will shock you. >> jay-z was named in a civil suit alleging he assaulted a 13 year old girl with combs in 2000, charges he vigorously denies, questioning why there was never a criminal charge. combs has also denied all of the allegations against him, saying he never sexually assaulted anyone. his criminal trial is set for may of 2025, and he faces at least 30 civil suits, ensuring that combs legal troubles could be big news for years to come. >> and our thanks again to elizabeth wagmeister for that. a quick programing note the boys are back for the biggest party of the year. be sure to join anderson cooper and andy cohen for new year's eve live

coverage starts right here on cnn and on max at 8 p.m. eastern. we'll be right back. >> i want to be the greatest player that i could possibly become. ken howery elle reeve with cargurus do as much or as little as you want online. >> if only you could do things your way all the time. read a delightful thought. get it with gurus. >> when i hear cancer, i hear death sentence. >> every 15 seconds someone will hear the words you have cancer. at the american cancer society, we're here to help people through their entire journey. and today we're asking for your support. your gift helps fund important research that saves lives.

>> i owe it all to the american cancer society. >> we can't do this without you. donate today. >> no more gross cough sirup. >> we all want you to feel better. >> i want extra tv time or i'll walk. >> how about this? >> introducing the only kids soft shoe for medicated cough relief. new mucinex children's mighty chews are mighty clever. >> my moderate to severe crohn's symptoms kept me out of the picture. now i have skyrizi. i've got places to go and i'm feeling free. >> controlling my crowns means everything to me. control is. everything. >> and now i'm back in the picture. feel significant symptom relief at four weeks with skyrizi, including less abdominal pain and fewer bowel movements. skyrizi helped visibly improve damage to the intestinal lining, and with skyrizi, many were in remission. at 12 weeks at one year, and even at two years. >> don't use if allergic serious allergic reactions,

increased infections, or lower ability to fight them may occur before treatment. get checked for infections and tb. tell your doctor about any flu like symptoms or vaccines. liver problems leading to hospitalization may occur when treated for crohn's. >> now's the time to take control of your crohn's. control is everything to me. >> ask your doctor about skyrizi, the number one prescribed biologic in crohn's disease with dexcom g7. managing your diabetes just got easier. so what's your glucose number right now? good thing you don't need a finger stick. how's all night? wow. it can a your goals. manage your diabetes with most accurate cgm. learn more at dexcom.com. >> effective y blood pressure support. >> it's at the center of your health. >> we know because we're the maker of super beats. the brand

with more five star ratings at walmart than any other beat brand. and at the center of super beats heart shoes, clinically studied grape seed extract for nearly two times more effective blood pressure support than diet and exercise alone. >> scientifically formulated and easy to enjoy. discover why super beats is t

one( 800) 651-0200 coventry direct redefining insurance. >> new year's eve live with anderson and andy. live coverage starts at eight on cnn. closed captioning is brought to you by sokolove law. >> mesothelioma victims call now $30 million in trust. money has been set aside. you may be entitled to a portion of that money. >> call one 800 859 2400. >> that's one 800 859 2400. >> there are growing concerns about bird flu spreading to both people and animals. those concerns come amid an outbreak that devastated a wildlife sanctuary near seattle, killing 20 large cats, including tigers and cougars. >> and in oregon, a house cat

died after eating raw pet food contaminated with the virus, prompting a nationwide recall. cnn medical correspondent meg tirrell has more. mega. you know, i look at this and i remember covering previous concerns about bird flu outbreaks years ago. and always the concern is, does it jump from animals to people? i mean, are we how close are we to that scenario? >> well, right now we have seen the virus infect people from having infected animals. we have seen it from cows. we've seen it from birds. what we haven't seen, really importantly is person to person transmission of this virus. so that would be the real key concern. so what we are seeing now in these latest news reports are really in cats on the west coast. we've heard about this cat in oregon. it was a house cat consumed this raw frozen turkey cat food that had been has now been confirmed to have the h5n1 virus in it. that cat was infected and the cat died. we've also heard about house cats who have drunk raw milk, who've been infected

with h5n1 and died. and then these big cats, of course, in the sanctuary. and we don't actually know what their source of exposure was. and so, you know, there is a concern. but right now, because this isn't spreading person to person, at least that we know of, that the cdc says the risk to the public is low. the most exposures have been from workers exposed to cattle because this is spreading widely among dairy cows. also, workers at poultry flocks. and there are a couple instances where we don't know exactly how people were infected. and one instance of somebody getting infected from a backyard flock. and so right now, the usda is trying to expand its testing of the milk supply, really essentially as surveillance to get a handle on how this is spreading. they now have ramped this up into 13 states. the goal is to make it nationwide testing of raw milk before it's pasteurized. but the advice to the public is really be careful around wildlife, because that's where we're seeing these cases coming from right now, not seeing that human to human transmission, which really would elevate the threat level if we see it. and of course, the recommendation is don't

drink raw milk or feed it to your cats. >> guys, seems like simple rules you could follow. meg tirrell thanks so much. still ahead, a u.s. official tells cnn that a russian anti-aircraft system may have taken down and caused that deadly plane crash in central asia. why? that official says the tragedy might have been the result of mistaken identity. we'll have the details next. >> kelli stump luther. never too much new year's day at eight on. >> he's here. >> who is? >> olympia? nosferatu. for our two rated are now

playing only in theaters. >> special engagements in dolby and imax. >> home oklo just cleaned my entire house for $19. seriously. $19. they showed up right on time and did my dishes, my laundry. >> they even cleaned my windows. you just pick a date, pick a cleaner, and enjoy a spotless house for $19. i love using home glow and i think you will too. i can feel the winds of change. >> hi, i'm regan jane and throughout the years i have seen tons of homes that suffer with worn out, cracked and drafty windows and doors. and my home was no exception. that's not supposed to happen. just so you guys know. but i'm thrilled to be here to talk about how renewal by anderson completely transformed my home with their exclusive acclaimed replacement windows and anderson patio

doors. let's go. when it comes to home improvement projects, i always do my homework. and renewal by anderson has more five star reviews than any other leading full service window company. the expertise of renewal by andersen certified master installers was clear from the start. their rigorous training ensures they can handle any challenge, so your windows and doors are installed right the first time i've seen vinyl windows used in a lot of home remodels, but i knew it wasn't the right window material for me. this project was too important. i needed something that would last. renewal by anderson's fibrex material stood out to me for its strength and maintenance free benefits. i know my windows are going to look great and they're going to perform flawlessly year after year. that's the renewal by andersen. difference. their people, their product and their process. they call it signature service. i call it an amazing experience.

so when you're ready to upgrade your windows and doors, i invite you to discover how they can transform your space to right now. >> save 20% on every window, patio, door, and entry door. get an extra $100 off your entire purchase, plus pay nothing for 12 months. and renewal by andersen is proud to offer an additional $300 discount to our military, first responders and teachers. call today for a free appointment. one 800 501 1400. >> time is running out to give a year end gift like no other. a gift that can help. saint jude children's research hospital save lives. >> cancer doesn't care how old you are, and it's devastatingly scary if you're donating to saint jude, you're supporting finding a cure because the fight never stops. >> every gift counts, and