♪ ♪ it's tuesday, december 20th, 2016. this is the "cbs morning news." breaking overnight -- officials in berlin suspect terrorism after a truck plowed into a packed christmas market, killing 12 people and injuring dozens more. this morning, efforts are under way to step up security in the u.s. also breaking, hours after a russian ambassador was assassinated in ankara, the u.s. shutters its embassy in turkey, just across the street, after shots were fired overnight. turkey, just across the street, after just across the street, after shots were fired overnight.

captioning funded by cbs good morning from the studio 57 newsroom here at cbs news headquarters in new york. good to be with you. i'm anne-marie green. well, german police are investigating a suspected terrorist attack on a berlin christmas market. at least 12 people were killed when a truck loaded with steel beams plowed through the festive crowd monday night, nearly 50 others were injured. elizabeth palmer is in london with the latest. good morning, elizabeth. >> good morning. well, very early this morning, police towed away the truck that had plowed into the square of food and drink into one of berlin's most famous christmas markets. forensic investigators have spent the night examining it for evidence to help explain why anybody would have used it as a deadly weapon. the truck itself was from poland. security forces say it was driven by a 23-year-old pakistani man known to police for minor offenses and was actually staying in a refugee center.

and he, according to witnesses, jumped out of the truck once it had stopped and sprinted away from the dead and dying victims. but he was arrested about a while away from the scene and is now being interrogated. the police are working on the assumption that this was a terrorist attack. as we said, we do know that isis and al qaeda both have called on their followers to use trucks to attack crowds. and security officials had warned in the runup to this christmas season that markets and other festive gatherings might be targeted. we've seen this rather crude form of attack before. this summer in nice, in southern france. a young tunisian living there drove a truck into the crowd that was celebrating bastille day down by the beach. in this berlin attack, another man, a polish citizen was in the cab as it plowed into that crowd but he died at the scene as paramedics treated him. some reports coming out of berlin say he was the original driver of the truck that was badly wounded when the truck was

hijacked. to use to kill people. anne-marie. >> elizabeth palmer in london, thank you so much, elizabeth. less than a month ago, the state department called for increased caution at public gatherings in europe. last night's incident prompted increased security. in this country. several large police vans were placed at entrances to a christmas market in chicago. they were also increased police patrols. the annual market attracts hundreds of thousands each year. and heavily armed officers were patrolling a market here in new york city as well. coming up on "cbs this morning," we will talk about the berlin attack with john miller, the deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism at the new york city police department. in turkey now. the united states embassy and two consulates are closed this morning after a man fired shots in the air just outside of the embassy in ankara. no one was injured.

the u.s. embassy is located just across the street from an exhibition center where the russian ambassador to turkey was shaud shot dead hours earlier. the assailant was a turkish police officer and he was killed in a shoot-out with police. holly williams has details. >> reporter: the assassin shot the russian ambassador from behind. remember aleppo, remember syria, he shouted. murdering andrei karlov apparently in revenge for russia's deadly intervention in syria. shooter was a 22-year-old turkish police officer, later shot in the streets by turkish security forces. it comes a week after thousands rallied in turkey, protesting support for the syrian regime. russian air strikes were escalating to draw back control of the city of aleppo, forcing

the evacuation of thousands of civilians. some of them will end up here, at al kamuna camp in north syria where turkish agents are putting up new tents. we visited the people already living here say they have nothing but mud. we can't keep our children warm said this man. he told us he's been living here with his five children for over a year, after their home in aleppo province was flattened by a regime air strike. we've done everything to stay warm. even piled up plastic bags. there's one shelter for 200 people. this woman told us she's 95 years old and wants to die. god save us, she said. we need your mercy. but even al kamuna, a place of last resort, was bombed last may, according to people here.

this man is a wheat farmer and turned rebel fighter. he joined the hardline islamic group that now controls this area. leaving aleppo isn't the end, he told us. the revolution will continue even if we all die. but if al kamuna isn't the end of the line in this miserable war it's difficult to imagine what is. russia's air campaign condemned by the u.s. has helped the victory for the syrian regime in aleppo but it has not stopped syria's civil war from spilling across its borders infecting other countries with its violence. holly williams, cbs news, near the turkey/syria border. president-elect donald trump addressed the murder of the russian ambassador. in a statement mr. trump blames a radical islamic terrorist. he said the murder of an ambassador is a violation of all rules of civilized order and must be universally condemned.

back here, mr. trump officially won the 270 electoral votes required to win the presidency. the electoral college voted yesterday. just two republican elect tours defected. texas cast the deciding ballot. >> texas now puts president trump over the top. >> a spokesperson for the president-elect calls a report that mr. trump plans to keep a private security team after he's sworn in complete nonsense. politico reports mr. trump will not solely rely on the secret service for protection. this is a major break with tradition. the trump spokesman said mr. trump will continue to be surrounded by longtime allies, including his chief of security. but the main protection will fall to the secret service. but one former secret service agent says even that type of arrangement increases the service's liability, it creates greater confusion and it creates

greater risk. well, this morning, china returned that american underwater drone that it captured last week. the drone was returned to a u.s. navy ship in international waters about 50 miles from subic bay in the philippines. that's where it was unlawfully seized by a chinese ship. the drone uses unclassified technology to collect oceanographic data. first lady michelle obama sat down with her first interview with oprah winfrey. mrs. obama made it clear she will not be running for political office. >> no, i -- look, that's one thing i don't do. i don't make stuff up, i'm not coy. i haven't proven that. i'm pretty direct. if i were interested in it, i'd say it. i don't believe in playing games. it's not something i would do. but it also speaks to the fact that people really don't understand how hard this is.

and it's not something that you cavalierly just ask a family to do again. maybe because we got it wrong or we think you got it wrong. so, it's like, now, you do it. you just go back in there and do it. you're the closest thing to that, so, you do it. but let me just tell america, this is hard. it's a hard job. i said it on the campaign trail. it requires a lot of sacrifice. it is a weighty thing. it's not something that you even look to one family to take on at that level for that long of a period of time. >> mrs. obama says she would never run for office because of the impact it would have on her family. the head of the frontier airlines pilots union said the airlines fell on its face. frontier hopes to return to normal operations today after a major weekend meltdown when frontier cancelled 70% of its flights because there was more snow than expected in denver. some passengers are still stranded.

and others have not been able to locate checked bags for days. >> it was wall-to-wall luggage. i mean, there was luggage everywhere. you could barely walk. >> people were swimming in luggage. >> i chose a budget airline. that's my fault. i don't know, i feel like i paid for a flight. >> frontier apologized and is offering refunds to passengers affected by significant delays or cancellations. coming up on the "morning news" now, a controversial bathroom law may soon be history. the legislature in north carolina moves to repeal the law that limited transgender rights. and a notre dame star gets a courtside surprise. >> i love you and i miss you very much. >> i love you and miss you very much. vicks vaporub. sier with soothing cough relief that starts working instantly.

yep, got tno, no, no,ll she wantebe right home. ♪ (squirrel screeching, birds chirping) (squirrel chittering) hey! hey! (tires screeching) hey! is this yours? yes. thank you! happy holidays. (vo) the real magic of the holidays is when we all give a little more. (man) thank you! fight heartburn fast. with tums chewy delights. the mouthwatering soft chew that goes to work in seconds to conquer heartburn fast. tum tum tum tum. chewy delights. only from tums. listen, sugar, we're lettin' you go. it's that splenda naturals gal, isn't it? coffee: look, she's sweet, she's got natural stevia, no bitter aftertaste, and zero calories. all the partners agree? even iced tea? especially iced tea. goodbye, sugar. hello, new splenda naturals.

with total accumulation of up to three feet.est of the decade. roads will be shut down indefinitely... and schools are closed. campbell's soups go great with a cold and a nice red. made for real, real life. hi, we(laughter)lford quads. we're in 8th grade. technology is the only thing that really entertains us. i'm gonna use this picture on sketchbook, and i'm going to draw mustaches on you all. using the pen instead of fingers, it just feels more comfortable for me. be like, boop! it's gone. i like that only i can get into it and that it recognizes my fingerprint. our old tablet couldn't do that. it kind of makes you feel like you're your own person, which is a rare opportunity in my family. (laughter) ♪ ♪ have a holly jolly christmas it's the best time of the year ♪ well, bus customers always

cheer up when their ride approaches but they're doubling down on that in philadelphia. eight buses were decked out in holiday themes for a santa transit service contest. and the winners will be revealed today in downtown philadelphia. wow, pretty good. in line with the season, president obama grants pre-christmas pardons in efforts to roll back a controversial law. those are some the headlines on the morning newsstands. the charlotte observer reports that north carolina lawmakers will consider repealing the state's notorious bathroom law tomorrow. it was enacted nine months ago to block an lgbt rights law passed in charlotte. charlotte's council rescinded the law yesterday at the urging of the state's governor elect. the "times-picayune" reports there's a policy for crimes committed around katrina. mitch landrieu's statement comes as he detailed the $13.3 million

settlement with victims' families. city police killed four men in less than two months in 2005. the "san francisco chronicle" reports the dismissal of bias complaints against a judge whose sentencing of a rapist was widely criticized. aaron percy gave josh turner six months in jail for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman. prosecutors sought a six-year prison term. "the washington post" reports a record-setting round of pardons by president obama. he pardoned 78 people yesterday. and he shortened the federal prison terms of 153 nonviolent drug offenders. that's the most clemency ever issued by a president in one time. "the new york times" reports a drop in the number of work-related deaths among journalists. a group that monitors journalists says at least 48 were killed this year, but that's down from 72 in 2015. more than half of this year's

victims were killed in war zones. and national public radio says elderly hospital patients cared for by female doctors live longer than those treated by men. why? the march vard researchers behind the study are not sure. previous studies found that female doctors were more attentive to testing and other preventive steps. still ahead, the word of the year. we will tell you the words that people looked up the most in this unbelievable year. that's a hint. >> the other top lookups this year also tell us a lot about what makes us curious among words. among them is the word "bigly." no more questions for you! ooph, that milk in your cereal was messing with you, wasn't it? yeah, happens to more people than you think... try lactaid, it's real milk, without that annoying lactose. good, right? mmm, yeah.

i got your back. lactaid. it's the milk that doesn't mess with you. take delsym, the #1 12-hour uncontrolcough medicine. it helps control the impulse to cough for 12 hours. which means, you're controlling your cough on your morning commute. and later when you're joking with beth... even when most cough medicines stop, delsym is still working. ♪ and when your days' over, your cough is still under control. thanks to the #1 12-hour cough medicine. delsym. the cough controller.

here's a look at here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. the definition of surreal is marked by the intense irrational reality of a dream. >> merriam-webster announced its word of the year. sewer real. the selection was based on the number of searches for the word and surreal topped queries three times in 2016. the turkey attempted coup and the bastille attack in nice. and also in the aftermath of the 2016 election.

so keeping it on topic, deplorable and bigly were also popular searches. bigly is a real word, just so you know. on the "cbs moneywatch," privacy concerns over cell phone tracking. and facebook launches group video chat. hena daniels is at the new york stock exchange with that and more. good morning, hena. good morning, anne-marie. stocks on wall street finished higher thanks to gains of phone companies and real estate stocks. technology and industrial stocks continue to tried around all-time highs. the dow jones gained 39 points. the s&p 500 rose 4. and the nasdaq gained just 20. the head of the international monetary fund christine lagarde will keep her position despite being convicted of negligence. the negligence case goes back to lagarde's tenure as france's finance minister. she was convicted of a role in a controversial arbitration of a businessman in 2008.

the imf executive board praised her, quote, outstanding leadership. a house standing committee calls for tougher rules to regulate cell phone tracking. the key issues that allow law enforcement departments to covertly surveil cell phone data. the devices mimic cell phone towers. the data includes what number of cell phone calls, its location. in most states there are no standards as to whether the devices known as stingrays use warrants. and facebook messenger is starting a group video chat. up to 50 people can listen and join in by sending text, stickers and emojis. facebook has 1 billion users. facebook hopes it will entice them to spend more time online, creates more opportunities to generate revenue down the line. anne-marie. >> hena daniels at the new york stock exchange. thank you so much, hena. still ahead, christmas surprise. >> a notre dame player gets an early present from his soldier

brother. notre dame player gets an early present from his soldier brother. g... ...and his pants ignited into flames, causing him to stop, drop and roll. luckily jack recently had geico help him with renters insurance. because all his belongings went up in flames. jack got full replacement and now has new pants he ordered from banana republic. visit geico.com and see how affordable renters insurance can be. and let roomba from irobot help with your everyday messes. roomba navigates your entire home. cleaning up pet hair and debris for up to 2 hours. which means your floors are always clean. you and roomba, from irobot. better. together. if you could see your cough, you'd see just how far it can spread. robitussin dm max is now better tasting, with the same fast powerful cough relief. robitussin dm max.

because it's never just a cough. investigations into both incidents. plus, this morning, president-elect donald trump is responding to the fatal truck crash in germany and the electoral college vote. what he has to say. and road rage leads to a shooting on a local freeway. who police are looking for this morning. join us for kpix 5 news this morning... beginning at 4:30. ,,,,

here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. [ applause ] a shock last night for notre dame junior guard matt farrell. he and the crowd had just watched the video from his brother bo an army sergeant stationed in afghanistan. but bo was actually in the arena. and to top it all off, the irish won. it is that time of year where the salvation army hopes you'll drop a little something

in their kettle. zeke elliott of the cowboys added his reminder sunday by depositing himself in the huge kettle. and he's also donating $21,000 and the nfl won't scrooge him for his touchdown celebration either. coming up on "this morning," al pacino. even iced tea? especially iced tea. goodbye, sugar. hello, new splenda naturals. to being extremely yellow leading would probably gross me out! my dentist recommended pronamel. it can help protect enamel from acid erosion. pronamel is all about your enamel. ♪ yopantene expert gives you thee? most beautiful hair ever, with our strongest pro-v formula ever. strong is beautiful.

well, a musical prodigy will have a big premiere in vienna next week. seth doane has one girl's cinderella story. ♪ >> reporter: at just 11 years old, her talent is unmistakable. but what makes alma deutsche extremely extraordinarily is not her ability to play this music, but to write it. >> i did it. >> reporter: and not just a song or two, she composed an entire opera. >> here. and then here.

yeah. >> reporter: how is it to see your opera coming to life. >> well, it's wonderful i can't even imagine how exciting it is. i've seen this all in my imagination. how it sounds like, how it looks like. and i find that it's actually coming true. >> reporter: we get a peek of the opera currently in rehearsal. ♪ she grew up on the side of london and sang before she could speak. alma says she does her best work when she's relaxed, often playing and skipping rope. magic skipping rope, why is it magic? >> i wave it around like this. and i tell stories in my mind. and it springs into my head. ♪ >> reporter: that's how she came up with her version of "cinderella." >> my "cinderella" it sounds.

and but in my story, i tell it. >> reporter: she's still getting used to the fairy tale term. >> i think it was many years ago that it was being performed in vienna, the capital of music. and i would laugh. i would have thought it was a joke. ♪ >> reporter: she devours 100 books a year and doesn't have a tv, computer or smartphone. she doesn't have time. >> a piano concherto and i'm also writing a book now which i want to publish and make into a film. and i want to write the music for it. >> reporter: she's excited about opening here in vienna. but she's already dreaming of another venue in new york. seth doane, cbs news, vienna. >> it will probably happen before she's 15. coming up on "cbs this morning," a new report explores the possible dangers of fracking on a water supply.

plus, the year in food, bon appetit magazine looks at the food trends and what to expect in 2017. and charlie talks with al pacino. >> when you get nominated for an oscar or something, it's great. you don't go back and think about where you came from and how got here. so that in and of itself was just different. >> that's the "cbs morning news." thanks for watching. i'm anne-marie green. have a great day. ,,,,

i'm michelle griego. and i'm anne makovec in for kenny choi. time is 4-- good morning everyone

good morning, december 20th. so good to have you. >> did you watch the michelle obama special? >> yeah. >> we don't have any freeze warnings or frost advisories, so it's feeling a little milder. not see to go freezing temperatures like we saw inland yesterday. 46 right now in san francisco. we'll take a look at the seven- day forecast coming up because we have some changes in it. there's now rain, so stay