cvs health agreed to buy etna for almost $70 billion. more on how the deal would affect us. >> reporter: let's talk about the numbers here. cvs health purchasing for 9 billion, as if cutting a check for $101,000 for every resident of dc. it goes beyond that. it could shake up the health care industry. cvs health is doing it because they are terrified of this guy, amazon. that mega company expressed interest in selling prescription drugs online, transforming the market. think about it. imagine if you could buy your prescription drugs for your living room. wouldn't that be better than waiting in a line at cvs? that's why they want to transform the store fronts to community health hubs. the chief executive describing it as creating a new front door in america. pharmacists and nurses provide monitoring for patients, offering preventative care, and basically it's a one-stop shop for all nonemergency health needs. it's etna is massive. 22million members nationwide, but they have to compete with united health group, the largest insurer in the c

you can imagine a fundamentally different way that health care is delivered, and i think that is what cvs talks about, and that is the goal. in fact, it's something pharmacists have been talking about for a long time, finding a way to put the pharmacy more the center of all health care is delivered. host: we are talking with dr. walid gellad about the proposed merger between cvs and aetna. we have regional lines. if you are in the eastern or central time zone, 202-748-8000. ion the mountain pacific regions -748-8001. cvs in its press release gave some insight into what they merger will do with some bullet points saying that it will combine cvs's health unmatched local presence and clinical capabilities with aetna health care's benefits, providing better integration of care -- and help them make more informed decisions. the transition expects to generate significant synergy for shareholders. and sort of, sort of putting this in the light of something that is really going to help its customers. is it really? dr. gellad: yeah. i mean, those are a lot of grand things they can happen, but it r

. >> our big corporate story cvs health will buy aetna for $69 billion. made aetna a deal that they couldn't refuse. >> nice. well done. >> cvs ceo larry merlo and aetna ceo mark bertolini will join us. let's bring in bertha coombs she joins us you've looked into this because you were like, i need help some of the nuances. i don't understand exactly why this is going to help. i don't know if this is defensive or offensive >> it's both it's both defensive and offensive. cvs wants to get out of the business of being a middleman. $69 billion. this would be a record health care deal valuing aetna at about $205 a share 13% premium to friday's closing price but investors would get $145 in cash for that, 67 in cvs stock. cvs has already secured promises from financing from its banks and expects the deal to close in the first half of next year. for aetna coming off of a block deal to acquire humana, this transaction is one of the only options really to leverage its assets and scale up as an insurer. for cvs, it's transformative buying a rifle wouldn't have done it

this one is more difficult until a little over three years ago, cvs health was known as cvs care mark. the company changed its name when it stopped selling cigarettes as tobacco is antithetical to that whole health care business a lot of good that did stocks only up modestly since then again, like disney, it's a company perceived as being left in the dust by others, this time amazon by acquiring aetna for cash and stock -- by the way that stock could put more pressure -- cvs become astrue health care business with a brick and mortar kicker in one fell swoop cvs will go from a low multiple retailer to a high multiple health care company. that's no longer shadow boxing with amazon. it doesn't matter how much cvs pay for aetna, the story changed and that's what's important. don't worry, stocks got hit today, they'll come back i think there's a great opportunity. now like when cbs bougvs boughte mark, we know there will be collateral damage. the care mark deal was an attempt to head off walmart's cheap generic drug initiative. this time they're taking a hit too gird itself for war against

. >>> breaking deal news cvs health is buying aetna for $69 billion. >>> plus, wild swings in bitcoin. the digital currency rebounding from a 20% plunge to hit another record high this morning it's monday, december 4th, 2017, and "worldwide exchange" begins right now. ♪ ♪ >>> good morning very warm welcome to "worldwide exchange." i'm wilfred frost. >> and i'm seema modi. i'm in for sara eisen. it's on spotify right now. >> we aim to please. it seems like we have done this morning. let's get into the market picture. a very rosie market picture this morning. futures were as much as 200 points higher moments ago just shy at the moment on the dow 192.4 to be precise. the s&p higher by 14 the nasdaq up 22 markets did pull back on friday albeit only slightly closing down .2 and the s&p a little bit more that for the nasdaq for a week performance was fairly divergent. the dow was up 3%. dow up 1.5 the tax reform bill we'll discuss that passed the market late friday night. ten year treasury note has responded as well in a risk on fashion somewhat we've seen the yield move up a little bit, 2.

the retail chain cvs health says its buying the country's third biggest health insurer aetna in a dealve move to see off amazon's impeding entry into selling medicines. the white house is willing to accept a slightly higher corporate tax rate if it means getting a final version of the us tax reforms through congress. budget chief mick mulvaney implied it could settle at 22% despite the senate passing a 20% rate in the early hours of saturday. the bill still needs to be reconciled with the house version before president trump can sign the reforms into law. greece is looking to a meeting of eurozone finance ministers in brussels later to approve the release of its latest bailout funds. an agreement was reached with the eu and imf over the weekend for the almost $6 billion loan. greece has been struggling for years to restructure around $350 billion of public debt. a quick look at asian financial markets. the us tax reform bill is still on the minds of investors. a mixed day on friday to close in the united states. i will see you for the news briefing. nearly three quarters of a million c

it's going to be a wizzy week. >> cvs is buying aetna, a $69 billion deal it does shake up the healthoth ceos appeared on "squawk box" earlier this morning to talk about the tie-up. here's cvs's ceo on the timing behind the deal. >> as mark and i continue to have discussions in terms of how can we do things more strategically, it was clear at cvs health, moving to become more of a health care company and getting closer to payers, mark had a similar strategy in terms of getting closer to the consistmer it's really the perfect time to bring these two companies together, to create a new health care platform nat can be easier to use and less expensive for consumers and really create a new front door to health care in our country. >> for more now, we're joined by former medtronnics ceo bill george does it make sense to you? >> yes, it makes tremendous sense to me. i think far beyond the cvs/aetna merger, david, larry merlo is triggering a wave of consolidation health care and dramatic change. we tried for 25 years to change primary care, and nothing has happened hospital costs continue to

about 90 million americans, in fact, have prescription drug benefits, drug benefits through cvs healthrk. 45 million americans are actually insured patients or insured folks from aetna health care plans. >> you're going to probably see your co-pay go down when you buy drugs at cvs. >> whether or not it happens that way is up for debate. like you said this is maybe not as much about the 1100, you know, minute clinics in 9700 retail locations in cvs as it is whether or not amazon will compete in the coming years. >> i like to keep agreeing and i just want to know, cvs, are you going to make receipts a little shorter? they're like a mile long. >> i like the mile long receipts. >> i always forget to keep it. it's like my bed bath and beyond problem. we're taking a break. >>> next, two former members of trump's inner circle speaking out this morning. their thoughts on flynn and reports that president trump is calling the access hollywood tape a fake. if yor crohn's symptoms are holding you back, and your current treatment hasn't worked well enough, it may be time for a change. ask your doct

cvs health, aetna. that is the $69 billion. cv is down 4 1/2%.ast but not least, disney number one performer on thedown average today. see it up 5%age points. pixar movie "coco," the news they started their talks again, interesting once again in parts of twenty-first-century-fox. we'll give you that as thatç develops. back to you. connell: our parent company, nicole. your point, clock ticking as house and senate work to get on same page with their tax plans. in order to give americans this big tax cut, that we've heard so much about. adam shapiro now, as we move into conference committee, where do things stand, adam? >> 6:30 tonight we'll have a vote in the house to go to conference committee. then sometime later this week the senate will vote to conference committee. we'll find out who the house is sending, the senate is sending to hash out the details of the final tax reform bill. so they can do it all over and vote ben. expect that roughly around week of december 18th. that is where we stand on the conference committee. here we have to hash o

you can imagine a fundamentally different way that health care is delivered. i think that is what cvs talks about and the goal. in fact, it's something that farmsists have been talking about for a long time is finding a way to put pharmaciests and pharmacy more at the center of how health care is delivered. >> we are talking with dr. walid gel add about the oposed merger between cvs -- if you are in the mountain or cific regions call 202-748-800 1. in gel add -- gellad, cvs its press release gave insight into what they believe the merger will do with top bullet points saying it will combine the unmatched local presence and clinical capabilities with aetna's benefits, provide better integration of care empowering consumers and their health professionals make more informed decisions and the transactions expected to generate significant synergy for share holders and benefits for customers. certainly putting this in a light of something that is really going to help its customers. is it really? guest: yeah. those are a lot of grand things that could happen but it really will, really can do

you can imagine a fundamentally different way that health care is delivered, and i think that is what cvsalks about, and that is the goal. in fact, it's something pharmacists have been talking about for a long time, finding a way to put the pharmacy more the center of all health care is delivered. host: we are talking with dr. walid gellad about the proposed merger between cvs and aetna. we have regional lines. if you are in the eastern or central time zone, 202-748-8000. ion the mountain pacific regions -748-8001. cvs in its press release gave some insight into what they merger will do with some bullet points saying that it will combine cvs's health unmatched local presence and clinical capabilities with aetna health care's benefits, providing better integration of care -- and help them make more informed decisions. the transition expects to generate significant synergy for shareholders. and sort of, sort of putting this in the light of something that is really going to help its customers. is it really? dr. gellad: yeah. i mean, those are a lot of grand things they can happen, but it rea

insurance aetna for $69 billion making it the biggest health care deal ever cvs lost 5% today john rowe will join us shortly in an exclusive interview to weigh in on the deal and potentially more consolidation across the health care space >>> joining me now is cnbc senior markets commentator michael santoli at post 9. next to jeannie why yayatwyatt. all the way from san antonio welcome. cnbc contributor guy adami checks in from the nasdaq. good to see you, sir the big leader on the dow was disney with a big move higher. we'll talk more about some of the deals potentially going on in that space. nearly 5% higher close for disney, while microsoft went the other way shedding nearly 4% today. over in the s&p, macy's led the day. retail had a pretty good session. while alliant technology was down 11% and all of health care today lagged michael, what the heck is going on >> yeah, i mean, look, it's a pretty ugly backslide move over the course of the day for the market you don't want to sugar coat it, on the other hand, if you woke up and said this is going to be the day we got after

the retail chain cvs health says it's buying the country's third biggest health insurer aetna in a dealit's being seen as a pre—emptive move to see off amazon's impending entry into selling medicines. the white house could accept a slightly higher corporate tax rate in order to get the reforms through congress. budget chief mick mulvaney implied it could agree to a 22% rate, despite the senate passing a 20% rate on saturday. the bill still needs to be reconciled with the house version before president trump can sign the reforms into law. greece is looking to a meeting of eurozone finance ministers in brussels later to approve the release of its latest bailout funds. an agreement was reached with the eu and imf over the weekend for the almost $6bn loan. greece has been struggling for years to restructure around $350bn of public debt. you may have noticed ben's voice is different. you need a hot toddy! it isa different. you need a hot toddy! it is a good opportunity for you to speak more. let douse that now. let us speak more. let douse that now. let us look what the is going on in busine

this news actually broke officially over the weekend but cbs -- cvs health by aetna.e price tag a cool $69 billion. it still below that price there. it looks like the go to pharmacy. companies looking to really will this deal hold up to antitrust scrutiny. breaking down the merger twists and turns with the department of justice under president trump. when you compare to what the department of justice did under president obama he may see more similarities -- similarities than differences. fox is trading at near two and have your highs. the merger in acquisition talks.ç from about three half and half weeks ago. twenty-first century box now stands up a full 4%. the very best cable assets. the dow up a hundred and 35. it had been up 302 points. you have seen these gains chopped in half. president trump just wrapped up speaking in salt lake city utah. he offered a strong endorsement of embattled alabama candidate for senate roy moore. we are live at the way house. a set essentially to shrink district the two national monuments. those who think that it needs to stand subst

block buster deal that could affect the way millions of people across the countrymanage their health care. after cvsnnounced it is buying aetna, the health insurance giant in a deal worth over $69 billion. nbc's jo ling kent has the details of how it could impact you and your family. >> reporter: it is a landmark merger that could change the way millions of americans get health care and prescription drugs. cvs agreeing to buy aetna for $69 billion means for the first time ever one company will own and control an insurance provider. a retail pharmacy chain and a pharmacy benefit manager which negotiates the price and discounts for your prescription drugs. >> it's really the perfect time to bring these two companies together to create a new health care platform that can be easier to use and less expensive for consumers. >> reporter: the combined company will operate nearly 10,000 cvs fapharmacies and clinics like this one. cvs plans to turn it into one-stop shopping for patients. you'll find more primary care services for aetna's network all in one place. it will continue to serve customers with other

cvs health is buying aetna for $69 billion in cash and stock in a long-expected deal that reflects andscape. aetna stockholders are to receive around $207 a share - $145 in cash and $62 in stock - and winner: cvs buying aetna in deal valued at $69 billion . . . in a move to fight off future amazon.com. cvs health is buying aetna for $69 billion in cash and stock in a long-expected deal that reflects a rapidly shifting health care landscape. aetna stockholders are to receive around $207 a share - $145 in cash and $62 in stock - and will own about 22% of the combined company. cvs shareholders will own the remainder. including the assumption of aetna's debt, the total value of the transaction climbs to $77 billion. the deal could result in lower costs to both cvs and aetna, though it's unclear how much of those savings consumers will receive.if cvs- aetna is approved, the union could ignite additional mergers in health care. amazon is poised to enter the drug business in some fashion, leading to further disruption and uncertainty in the industry. loser: facebook launches a messaging app

very interesting on the sports case, too. >>> cvs agreeing to buy aetna in a move designed to create one-stop shopping for basic healtheds, but will it work bertha coombs is at the nasdaq to get us started. >> a lot of questions, indeed. cvs is a big pharmacy, now analysts are asking by rolling up aetna, what's going to be the real driver of this combined firm will it be a pharmacy with health benefits on the side, or a benefits firm with retail on the side in a cnbc exclusive this morning on "squawk box," cvs ceo larry merlo and aetna's chief say they are going to leverage the 9700 cvs stores to create a new kind of hybrid, one-stop shopping for simple medical care, prescriptions, and health coaching, making it simpler and cheaper for consumers. >> it's really the perfect time to bring these two companies together to create a new health care platform that can be easier to use and less expensive for consumers. >> we can make the insurance the back room of the operation we can waive prior authorizations and co-pays as people use the system in a way that's more effective. >> they say this will be great particularly for

chain cvs is buying health insurer aetna for $69 billion in cash and stock that is the largest deal ofs year and including debt it amounts to $77 billion in total. the tieup is into integrating the two firms into a more fully grounded company it could stabve off of threats f the like of amazon. >>> talking with generic drug makers about possible partnerships. >> the possibility of amazon entering the pharmacy space has weighed on the sector. amazon's plans are still not clear. the tech giant is having exploratory conversations with makers of generic drugs. the nature of those conversations implies that amazon is still considering what role it may play some expect could seek to disrupt the drug distribution area it's also possible that amazon won't pursue the space at all, but drug makers on the whole are enthusiastic about the prospect. >> we're quite interested in this i mean, obviously it could be a very disruptive change in the overall distribution model to have a company like 578 amazon this space we'd welcome a conversation with amazon and what they're thinking and how we can work

cvs will buy aetna. aetna is one of the nation's largest health insurers. billion deal is approved, it will help both companies. cvs gains a huge number of members for the prescription business just as it faces a possible new threat from amazon, that's right, amazon in prescriptions. for aetna, it creates new growth. that's been critical to offset the huge losses under obamacare. the deal is also a response to soaring health care costs customers want cheaper access to care. cvs and aetna say joining force was help on. that they plan to transform cvs' 10,000 locations into community health centers promising lower cost medical care and a place to purchase coverage. that is if the deal is approved, especially after the justice department sued to block another so-called vertical merger. at&t's purchase of time warner, the parent kplp company of cnn, are not direct competitors. >>> the open rashgs the met, suspending famed music director james lavine pending an internal investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. "the new york times" reporting three men

cvs health buying at the, creating a health care and retail giant. wo thirds in cash, the rest in stock, a 29% premium to the share price on october 25. china's once acquisitive hna group is stoking concern about its debt burden. sold 270 day bonds to yield 2.8%, the highest coupon rate ever. subsidiary another issued similar notes at the highest coupon rate in five years. honda and ford does proved black friday and cyber monday don't drive traffic. they both reported sales ahead of expectations as discounts and cut-rate financing brought drivers into the showroom. total deliveries fell, but both said retail demand was strong. industry is facing its first year of shrinking so since the financial crisis. north korea says monday's drills are aean and u.s. forces grave provocation that pushes the peninsula closer to nuclear war. the north would consider hardline countermeasures in response and washington would have to accept responsibility for any outbreak of violence. pyongyang said the u.s. wants an excuse to declare war. visit in chinais to call for f

cvs health has agreed to buy aetna in a $69 billion deal. evamp the healthcare industry. if approved it could result in lower costs to both cvs and aetna. some analysts say the deal could lead to the expansion of cvs's minute clinic program and lead to a cheaper easier way for clients to access medical care. >> talks resumed between the two sides about a potential partial merger between 24 century fox a fox is expected to make a decision about whether to pursue a sale by the end of the year. >> chipotle is making changes to one of their newest products, the food chain is tweaking its case so. altering the unpopular recipe. the queso change comes amid rumors that the chain may add nachos to its menu. >> that's not a good sign. queso experts you guys have to weigh in after this. >>> in light of national cookie day cinnabon is celebrating with a new sweet treat. it's a mashup between a cookie and the cinnamon bun. it will be handing out a free bottle of milk with each purchase. >> forget the queso. i want the bon bites. >> nice little breakfast

this is a direct response to aetna's purchase by vcs as the health -- cvs. d health is hoping to control the urgent care and the outpatient surgery centers. >> wal-mart is changing the legal name. something you height not have noticed. early next year it will change from wal-mart stores incorporated to wal-mart incorporated. officially dropping the hyphen and the word "stores" to reflect the shift to online business. >> 190,000s are added in november. solid. not the pace for october. >> this is the payroll processor a.d.p. they are expanding a it a healthy pace. look out for the federal report for november due this friday. >> after if tsunami a boat washed up ashore. some of the writing still seen on the paint. jonathan: on this day in 1884 the washington monument was topped with the marvel cast and aluminum. check out the picture. the completed construction of the 555-foot obelisk almost five decades after the design was chosen. by code it is to be the tallest structure in the federal city. nothing can go above the washington monument. nancy: very cool. mich

that is cvs health agreeing to buy at not. -- aetna. undred $40 billion in annual sales. let's explain the price action. cvs trading lower by about 3%. aetna trading well below the deal price come even though shares are higher. there is a lot of question about what type of antitrust scrutiny the deal will receive. the businesses do not overlap much, but there are new questions about critical deals after the justice department sued to block the at&t purchase of time warner. the ftc has also successfully sued to block some health insurance deals in the past, including one between aetna and humana. the second thing is what effect we will see, not just from this deal, but from the assumed entrance of amazon into the health business. what affect will that have on health care inflation? jonathan: one deal down paper eventually another one coming up. disney. abigail: we are looking at disney, popping higher along the open, along with 21st century fox. there are reports disney renewed discussions to buy some fox assets. renewing discussions with

health ca indu is changing. companies are combining, including a potential deal between cvs and health insurer aetna.and everybody is looking for ways to adapt. i'm meg terrell in new york. >>> late today, there were reports that amazon has held preliminary talks with makers of generic drugs about its potential entry into the pharmacy business. as first reported by cnbc, the talks had been with mylan and a unity of novartis. amazon's plans are not yet clear but may be about the company taking a role in drug purchasing, competing against drug distributors. shares of mylan got a lift on the news in afte showes trading. >>> kroger's heavy discounting leads to higher sales. the supermarket giant reported stronger than expected earnings as promotions brought more customers into its stores. the company said sales were especially strong on black friday. kroger sees that momentum continuing. it is forecasting upbeat results for the holiday period. shares rose 6% to $25.86. >>> same-store sales fell for the 24th executive quarter at seri but the struggling retailer said a smaller footprint and focus on stores

other consumer news come a massive deal could shake up the health care industry. cvs pharmacy is buying health insurance giant aetna for $69 billion. the buyout is not a done deal yet. it has to be approved by regulators. and a health alert tonight -- we could be in for a very dangerous flu season they share. health officials are warning tonight a new flu warning. doctors fearing the virus is hitting faster with some cases already spiking in some regions. the cdc reporting louisiana, mississippi, and south carolina are showing high levels of flu activity compared to this time last year. the national institutes of health warning this season's vaccine mailman be 10% effective against the severe strain of the flu, a grim reality for this family. >> never in a million years would we have thought we would have lost her. kellye: the 20-year-old mother of two was perfectly healthy until she got sick last week. >> it is not at all like a bad cold. people are hospitalized and die of applications. kellye: the cdc is reporting hundreds of new week, and fears that the numbers cou

could: aetna could -- cvs remake the u.s. health care industry with its proposed takeover of aetna. nd in everything from drug prices to insurance. cvs operates more than 1000 walk-in clinics. the takeover will test the trump administration's approach to antitrust issues. republicans will try to shout the differences between house of the taxversions bill. each calls for the corporate tax rate to be slasged shed to 20%. of the tax bill. the u.s. and south korea are defying north korea with wargames. the five-day exercise began today. north korea is warning it will take merciless revenge. theresa may takes her best offer to lunch today in brussels. is offered all she can in a rejection now would risk a breakdown in talks. the role of the european court of justice in enforcing the rights of citizens. global news 24 hours a day powered by more than 2700 journalists and analysts in more than 120 countries. i'm taylor riggs. this is bloomberg. tom: thanks so much. let's take a look at equities. a great set of guests in politics and markets to frame this. 185.utures while not part of the st

. >>> cvs could become a one-stop shot for health care, thanks to a mega deal, cvs is buying the etna. the deal nation's largest pharmacies with one of the oldest health insurers. it could add to cvs's already growing list of medical services. >>> a very special birthday party today for a local holocaust survivor, who also volunteered at the holocaust memorial museum. the milestone marked. >>> plus, we h a ( ♪ ) as a person who loves the finer things, this holiday season, i've asked for a luxurious new buick suv. ( ♪ ) fingers crossed. ( ♪ ) ring in the holidays with buick. get up to 20% below msrp on most 2017 luxury suv models. that's almost $7,400 on this buick enclave leather. experience the new buick this holiday season for remaining 2017s. >>> a live look tonight from our city cam at the kennedy center for the annual kennedy center honors. a number of stars will be recognized tonight, and the red carpet event started a little more than an hour ago. it's the 40th year for this event. some of the stars being rec

. >> a merger between health care giants is moving markets this morning after news cvs the drugstore n will buy aetna, the health insurance company, for about $69 billion. the megadeal is one of the biggest of the year and it comes as rumors swirl about amazon's potential entry into the pharmacy business. the move could shake up the health care industry with cvs poised to provide a broad range of health services to aetna's 22 million medical members and its pharmacy -- at its pharmacies and walk-in clinics. leaving the competition scrambling. >> still ahead, a christmas list for a prince made by a prince. snl makes their own anthem in light of sexual harassment allegations, welcome to hell. we're share next. he came to st. jude children's research hospital where we developed a new treatment that reduces chemotherapy. and because we freely share our discoveries, we're giving kids like nolan everywhere a chance to beat cancer... and live healthy adult lives. story, done. story, just beginning. give thanks for the healthy kids in your life. visit stjude.org or shop where you see the st.

. >>> a merger between health care giants is moving markets. cvs will buy aetna for about $69 billion. it could shake up the health care industry with cvs poised to provide a broad range of health services to its 22 million medical services in pharmacies and walking clinics leaving the competition scramble. >>> the mideast is on edge with a senior palestinian official. the official says tread carefully. that official says recognizing jerusalem as the capital will promote anarchy. president trump is set to announce policy decisions about the u.s. position on the status of jerusalem any day now and the president may follow through on his promise to move the u.s. embassy to tel aviv to jerusalem while simultaneously declaring jerusalem the capital of israel. that has the warning about the potential for violence and we are hearing from his son-in-law jared kushner. here's what he said about an impending decision. >> all the reporters called saying they have inside sources saying they know what the position is, but i'll say this. the president is going

mean lower costs for consumers and more health services at the drugstore. cvs plans to uses low-cost clinics provide its medical services to is more than 23 million members and in addition to health clinics and medical equipment cvs can provide assistance with hearing and vision and nutrition and is the biggest healthcare merger for more than a year but the deal needs approval by shareholders and regulators. >>> gas prices are going down. trilby lundberg industry analyst says they've gone on seventh of a gallon over the past two weeks and the national averages $2.54 a gallon and the highest prices are in san francisco at three dollars and 26 a gallon and also has the lowest prices at $2.18 a gallon. >>> still to come, a man goes on a deadly rampage, stabbing one person and using his car to drive into a crowd of people. >>> homeless man who people in las vegas are calling a hero. >> and in whether it is perfect timing as you see the live camera toward san francisco bay and the sunday's super moon lighting up the waters, coming up the title impacts and also talki

this is all happening when just a few days ago we heard about this deal between cvs health and aetna. drive down drug prices, to better track health care information. tell me for us, is a lot of this reality, or is it just hype we talk about big data and health care. ? >> it is a pleasure to be on the program. the reality is this is happening. this is very serious. the intent of the capital to have intelligent technology and health care is very meaningful. reconciling the equation of health care and the reduced cost of data management with integration, data is absolutely required. as all the other big data technologies, machine learning, computing into quantum computing are absolutely necessary to rio leash the prod -- the promise. the last transaction that we have seen over the last couple of days, weeks and months are focused on creating large health care delivery platforms by bringing all this data together and trying to dive -- drive efficiencies out of those systems. betty: the data is so different. there is a difference between data on your phone that is tracking where you are a

. >> a merger between health care giants is moving markets this morning. cvs will buy aetna for about $69 billion. the megadeal is one of the biggest of the year and the move could shake up the health care industry with cvs poised to provide a broad range of health services to aetna's 22 million pharmacy members. leaving competition scrambling. >> the senior palestinian official warning the trump administration to tread carefully. that official says recognizing jerusalem as israel' capital won't promote international anarchy, disrespect global law and sew ethnic conflict. president trump is set to announce policy decisions on the status of jerusalem any day now. and the president may follow through on his promise to move the u.s. embassy from tel aviv to jerusalem while simultaneously declaring jerusalem the capital of israel. that has the palestinian side warning about the potential for violence. and now we are hearing from the man the president tasked with leading mid east efforts, his son-in-law jared kushner. and here's what he said about an impending deci

. >>> next, to that proposed megamerger that could bring major changes to health care. cvs offering to buy aetna health insurance, to become a one-stop shop for americans health care. you could get a checkup from a doctor there and your prescription right there at the store. federal regulators tonight must still approve that merger. >>> next, winter weather alerts in eight states at this hour. a storm heading east across the country. plunging temperatures for much of the country this week. blizzard conditions in the northern plains. snow and wind closing schools in north dakota. we knew it was coming. meteorologist rob marciano tracking it all for us. hey, rob. >> reporter: hey, david. nearly everybody east of the rockies going to deal with a massive temperature swing. right now, blizzard conditions up in minnesota and parts of the dakotas and severe thunderstorms across the cold front record-breaking high temperatures from kansas city up through minneapolis. the rain and the warmth will squeeze east. that cold air, it's going to feel 50 degrees colder in minneapolis. the h

cvs runs nearly 10,000 drugstores and 1100 walk-in clinics. wall street analysts say if the acquisition is successful, it would fuel an expansion of health care t cvs. >>> big day today, not only is it national cookie day, but it's also a big anniversary. you might want to put your phone down if you're texting. >> all right, cool. we just passed a historic milestone in the history of texting. it was exactly 25 years ago that the world's first ever sms, short message service was sent. >> the british engineer sent the text from a computer to the mobile phone of the director of vodafone. there were two words "merry christmas". >> those two words were the beginning of a seismic change in how we communicate with each other. here's how we reported on the growing phenomenon in 2001. >> the latest edition of the concise oxford dictionary came out today with an interesting new section on abbreviations, such as bblr, call back later, and hnd, have a nice day. it sounds to some people like a whole new language, and it is. here's abc's ned potter. >> h-e-l-l-o and an exclamation point is a capitalized a. >> and now you're thinking why not just give me a p

cvs storefronts like this would become the front doors to patients' entire health care experience. a one-stop shop for all types of medical needs. for regular customers like bob reinhart, this sets off alarms about fair competition and fair pricing. >> too many businesses buying out other businesses and becoming controlling everything. >> reporter: cvs' $69 billion acquisition of aetna, they plan to add more medical services inside cvs stores and get more involved in managing patients' conditions. according to this health ceo this morning. >> the next step is executing and beginning the integration process. >> they can go way beyond dispensing medications. they can broaden their services and target specific customers. >> reporter: michael howley says there is a potential for customer convenience with merger sharing because it's two players in adjoining space, not competitors. he also acknowledges possible pit falls are real. >> the fears are well-founded across a broad he can spectrum. it could be choice limiting for patients. >> judging from cvs stores across our region, those fea

. >> well, coming up, a game-changing deal in health care. cvs looking to buy aetna. what it means for the future of health in america. >>> plus, a new messaging app for kids. the way facebook wants to connect kids and still keep them safe. opening bell. a live look at the big board. >>> and that is the opening bell at the new york stock exchange. right now the dow is actually up. we're looking at it drag up 159 points. right now the dow jones industrial average rose 203 points with boeing and walt disney leading on the 30 stock index. >>> now to a deal that could change health care forever. cvs is pushing deep noor customer care. the retail and health company is looking to buy health insurer aetna -- with an insurer that covers about 22 million people. the $69 billion deal could generate a new stream of customers to cvs stores as the list of services offered at cvs stores continues to grow. >> this is a sneak peek of what the city of san jose will unveil in less than an hour. they are tiny homes designed to be part of the city's emergency sleeping cabin system. all ne

it's an exciting development happening, we're talking company cvs announcing plans to buy health insurer billion. we're talking pop-up clinics, dock seeing all is coming on with me next to talk about it don't go away. it's an exciting development happening, we're talking company cvs announcing plans to buy health insurer aetna for $69 billion. we're talking pop-up clinics, dock seeing all is coming on with me next to talk about it don't go away. retail. under pressure like never before. and it's connected technology that's moving companies forward fast. e-commerce. real time inventory. virtual changing rooms. that's why retailers rely on comcast business to deliver consistent network speed across multiple locations. every corporate office, warehouse and store near or far covered. leaving every competitor, threat and challenge outmaneuvered. comcast business outmaneuver. or a little internet machine? [ phone rings ] it makes you wonder. shouldn't we get our phones and internet from the same company? that's why xfinity mobile comes with your internet. you get up to 5 lines of talk and text

if approved the deal could reshape the health care industry. cvs operates nearly 11,000 drugstores and walk-in clinics and aetna covers 22 million people. combining the two would create a company that would offer most of the basic health services regularly used by americans. it would be a serious challenger to amazon which is reportedly preparing to enter the pharmacy business. >>> and the metropolitan opera here in new york has now suspended world famer conductor james wle convenient as it investiga investigates allegations of sexual misconduct. three teenagers are involved from the 1960s. >>> apparently prompting many mp a survey finds that the number of companies serving alcohol at their holiday party is expected to drop from 62% last year to 49% this year. some companies actually say they'll start enforcing a two-drink limit but 11% are actually skipping the parties altogether this year to try to prevent bad behavior. >> wow. >>> coming up, the new warning about the flu and where it's already starting to spread. >>> but first breaking his silen

you can influence conversation with the button at the bottom of the screen. ,anus: cvs is buying aetna creating a healthretail giant. cvs will buy with $207 a share. the deal is amongst the biggest in health-care mergers and the past decade. anna: timothy joins us from hong kong with the latest. why does this deal makes sense? what is attractive? surface, it ise easy to see these two companies and businesses complement each other. we have the largest u.s. drugstore chain plus the drug benefitshealth icvs also s plans throughout companies and insurers. see that more of aetna's customers will be stopping by cvs. manus: let's talk about the benefits. there has got to be an opportunity when you put the two together. what are the opportunities when they combined these? off the bat, there is not going to be no major financial in the near-term, but longer-term, as customers gradually change the way they ,ccess both companies products the combined company expects to see benefits to shareholders. anna: tim, thank you very much. up, prime minister trudeau embarks on his second visit to china. what will he get? an

. >> and the drug store chain cvs is buying health insurer aetna in a 6 99 billion deal merged today. customers won't see any changes overnight and the company combined will add more clinics and expand store services to include eye care at cvs tries to gets more involved in customer care. share shoulders from both companies okayed the deal and anti-trust regulateers still vl to give approval of this. >> well if you're having trouble finding those mus must-have toys this holiday surprise it could be because online bots are snatching them up quickly. senate minority leader chuck shumer has a warning about technology that most commonly known for scooping up concert tickets? cyber bots we call them grinch bots are expandreacp the hottest toys for parents to even click five. >> smumer says this results in up natured prices for the most popular items sold on third party sites and at a press conference today he called on national retail federation and industry lead others to block the so-called grinch bots and plans to expand legislation to fight them. >> stay with us everyone, coming up on

cvs-aetna merger "washington journal." this is 25 minutes. is the director of the center for pharmaceutical policy and prescribing at the university of pittsburgh. also an associate professor of medicine and health policy and he is here to help walk us through the impacts of the proposed merger between cvs and aetna. dr. gellad, thank you so much for joining us today. dr. gellad: good morning. host: so, tell us, i also want to note that cvs health changed its name three years ago. in some say

the pharmacies in the in-store health clinics, that cvs and at a together are looking at that is already an existing editor for this combination. driving down the health care cost, the cost reduction with the discounts you might get on drugs is potentially like the sky's the limit for driving pharmaceutical costs. >> one of my questions as puzzled as to and many within the industry. are we going to see the health care in the pharmacies across the sector. >> the answer is yes. it is going higher as well and that is one of the things we thought would be an offshoot of tax reform getting done. one of the key elements was repatriation close to $3 trillion back to the united states. certainly health care is going to be one of the key areas. >> r&d is one of the questions this morning. one of the unintended consequences in the senate bill where they reinstated, reinstalled the corporate alternative minimum tax could undermine research and development tax credit. >> it's your top story in the journal today how businesses how they started revolting the fact he turned and the r&d. >> that is not

cooper is an assistant professor at the yale school of public health. >> a company like cvs has 10,000 brick and mortar locations. if you're a customer, you can access the health care system through cvs which a lot of us see around the corner from where we live day to day. >> reporter: the companies face new competitors, including amazon, which after expanding beyond basic retail products and groceries started inching into the health care business. >> that made companies like cvs sit up and take notice. >> reporter: still, the merger needs to be approved by antitrust regulators who recently put the brakes on at&t's $85 billion purchase of time warner, as well as another health care merger between anthem and cigna corporation. >> i think one of the questions is when these two firms come together, they might do a better job lowering drug prices but do they pass those drug prices on to consumers. that's frankly the question regulators are going to look at when they scrutinize this transaction. >> reporter: what does this mean for the aisles of your local cvs? even if the merger goes throu