jim ross says the tweet was intentional and a ploy to drive the news cycle. >> the president of taiwan doesn't just call the president-elect of the united states. that's not how diplomacy works. that's not how the world works. >> when questions poured in about trump's tweet, he tweeted back saying, interesting how the u.s. sells taiwan billions of dollars of military equipment but i should not accept a congratulatory call. taiwan's president wasn't the only asian leader trump spoke to this week. he talked to the philippine president who welcomed trump's election. >>> he was a victim of a targeted attack. los angeles police say the usc professor who was stabbed to death on campus yesterday knew his attacker. boss co-juan was a psychology professor and joined the faculty in 2001. a student in his 20s was taken into custody. students and faculty are rattled. >> my thoughts are with his family and you just don't -- i mean, the everyday interactions you have with your students are not -- are very positive and affirming. you just -- your mind generally doesn't go there. so it's just a shock

. >> reporter: political strategist jim ross weighing in on the donald trump tweet that's got the world talking. >> the president of taiwan doesn't just call the president-elect of the united states. that's not howdy ploem the dip works. >> the world is looking at a tweet from the president-elect, saying -- >> this is very intentional. the sunday morning shows will all be about trump and his diplomacy. >> reporter: taiwan and china have been at odds for decades. the u.s. and taiwan have had unofficial relations since 1979, when the u.s. government recognized beijing as china's sole government. he tweeted back by saying -- >> the world is a dangerous place, and i think you have to be really careful what you say to world leaders. >> reporter: one person we talked to in chinatown says america shouldn't overreact. >> it's just a phone call for now. we don't know like what the real policy trump is going to roll out after he gets into the white house. >> reporter: now, taiwan's president wasn't the only asian leader that trump spoke with. he spoke with the president of the philippines who con

so something to keep an eye on if you take betsy ross, jim? >> thanks very much, path the path. we have breaking news from the fishtown section of philadelphia an apartment building was on fire in the 1200 block, of shackamaxon street and it has turned deadly. this is live look, authorities found a 60 year-old man unconscious, inside of an apartment here, the victim apparently suffered cardiac arrest, two fire fighters, also suffered minor injuries. >>> new this morning one man is in critical condition after a shooting in the southwest philadelphia bar. this happened, investigators say about 11:30 at lounge 62 at 62nd and wood land. they say two men were shooting pool when an argument broke out and one man shot the other suspect got away in the car heading westbound on wood land police say other patrons may know the gun man. >> it is a neighborhood bar. it seems like everybody in here knows each other. there is no doubt in our mind this individual knew each other, laying pool against one another and most people in the bar probably know the individual who fired the shot but we ne

ross ensign. nice district, michael banerian. 10th district, brian fairbrother. 11th district, ken crider. 12th district, mary vaughn. 13th district, jimades. 14th district, william rotter dink -- rauwerdink. great, although there's -- all electors are present. the chief justice. [applause] chief justice: thank you. there are many occasions i have been blessed. none more poignant than this. will the electors please stand and raise your right hand? it looks like all of you figured out the right hand. good. [laughter] chief justice: now, do you solemnly swear you will support the constitution of the united states and the constitution of this state and that you will gratefully discharge the duties of the office of elector of president and vice president of the united states, according to the best of your ability? congratulations. [applause] >> i would now like to appoint the sergeant of arms for the 2016 electoral college. from the 11th congressional district, and from the six congressional district, from the fourth congressional district, and andrea pollack of the third congressional district. please be recognized. [applause] >> thank yo

ross bridge. and the forecast next. >>> action news. delaware valley's leading news program. with jim gardner. >>> it is just about as cold as you would ever want it to be. temperatures are in the teens, wind chills even lower than that. but put all the numbers aside and you're left with this. tonight will be the coldest december night in eight years. it is thursday night, and the big story on action news tonight is a brutal night in the tristate area. our sub-freezing temperatures stay with us for another day. meteorologist cecily tynan has the latest information from accuweather. >> and, jim, it's a bit of a shock to the system. afternoon temperatures never out of the 20s. now in the teens. philadelphia, 18, allentown and wilmington, 17. the poconos, 7. if you factor in the winds, they have diminished a lot since earlier. we had wind gusts near 50 miles per hour. but even with a diminishing wind, the wind chill is brutal. feel like 4 in philadelphia and wilmington. feels like 1 below in allentown, 1 in reading and the wind chill in the poconos a whopping 13 degrees below zero. wind

ross ensign. nice district, michael banerian. 10th district, brian fairbrother. 11th district, ken crider. 12th district, mary vaughn. 13th district, jimades. 14th district, william rauwerdink. all electors are present. the chief justice. giving the oath of office. [applause] chief justice: thank you. there are many occasions i have been blessed. none more poignant than this. will the electors please stand and raise your right hand? it looks like all of you figured out the right hand. ok, good. [laughter] chief justice: now, do you solemnly swear you will support the constitution of the united states and the constitution of this state and that you will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of elector of president and vice president of the united states, according to the best of your ability? congratulations. [applause] >> i would now like to appoint the sergeant-at-arms for the 2016 electoral college. from the 11th congressional district, and from the six congressional district, from the fourth congressional district, and andrea pollack of the third congressional district. please be recognized. [applause] >> thank you for your

jim mattis is such a remarkable guy. i look at what he's done up until now, wilbur ross is a brilliant guy, and knows how business works. has proven it himself. steve mnuchin was described to me as one of the smartest finance people in the world, and the treasury secretary is an operational job. you have to make it work every day. it's not theoretical, and he will bring great experience and intelligence to making the job work. >> the idea that donald trump is tweeting this morning about companies leaving the country and there will be consequences. there's some debate about that. i understand making america, you know, the most favorable place to do business, and making the tax code so attractive that you don't want to leave. but to warn companies that there will be consequences, do you worry about this kind of tone? >> no, i don't, because i think he's trying to jar the system. you know, he isn't going out and saying i'm going to pick on you individually. he's saying look, there's a class of behavior which we're going to have a response to and we're sending a install this is going to be different, and it is going to be d

jim, with less than two months until he becomes president, donald trump says he plans to become more statesman and less businessman. donald trump is close to filling out his cabinet positions. he named wilbur ross, a 79-year- old billionaire to lead the commerce department. and steve mnuchin to he is expected to play a major role in the tax reform plan. >> i know what it take to make sure we can make loans to small mid market companies. >> reporter: mr. trump also tweeted he plans to step away from all of his businesses to focus on running the country. but, the watchdog group crew released a statement critical of mr. trump's decision saying what he does not seem to realize or does not want to admit, is that the conflicts arise from his ownership of the mr. trump is making good on a campaign promise. >> they think they will make air conditioners in their beautiful new plant in mexico and sell them accruers the border and make a lot of money and we have all the unemployment. not going to happen. >> reporter: mr. trump will travel to indiana tomorrow to announce a deal with carrier that could keep a thousand jobs from being shipped to mexico. later he kicks off his thank you tour in ohio. still on

i'm joe kernen with andrew ross sorkin and melissa lee. our guest host jimork times" columnist and also a cnbc contributor. that's how he introduced himself at dinner parties just to elevate himself a little. take a quick look at the futures which have been flat for most of the morning. finally turned positive, but only a little. the dow is indicated up 5.3. the nasdaq still indicated to open down a little bit less than a point. treasury yields have been moderating. the 10-year now below 2.5%. 2.48%. similar things in currencies as well. a little backup from the recent moves we've seen that we thought would last. just keep going and going all the way to 3% on the 10-year. and parity on the euro. >> never goes straight. no straight lines. >>> making headlines this morning, russian president putin says a syrian cease-fire agreement has been reached to take effect at midnight tomorrow. he added that russia will continue to support the syrian government. russia's news agency quoting the defense minister there saying the u.s. would be invited to join in the peace

ross ensign. ninth district, michael banerian. 10th district, brian fairbrother. 11th district, ken crider. 12th district, mary vaughn. 13th district, jimes. 14th district, william rauwerdink. great, although there's -- all electors are present. the chief justice. [applause] chief justice: thank you. there are many occasions i have been blessed. none more poignant than this. will the electors please stand and raise your right hand? it looks like all of you figured out the right hand. good. [laughter] chief justice: now, do you solemnly swear you will support the constitution of the united states and the constitution of this state and that you will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of elector of president and vice president of the united states, according to the best of your ability? congratulations. [applause] >> i would now like to appoint the sergeant of arms for the 2016 electoral college. from the 11th congressional district, and from the six congressional district, from the fourth congressional district, and andrea pollack of the third congressional district. please be recognized. [applause] >> thank you for your servic

ross nice district, michael banerian. fairbrothict, brian er. 11th district, ken crider. 12th district, mary vaughn. rhoades.rict, jimliam erdink. -- allalthough there's electors are present. the chief justice. chief justice: thank you. than this.oignant will the electors please stand ?nd raise your right hand it looks like all of you figured out the right hand. good. [laughter] chief justice: now, do you solemnly swear you will support the constitution of the united states and the constitution of this state and that you will faithfully discharge the office of all elector of president and vice president of the united states, according to the best of your ability? congratulations. [applause] >> i would now like to appoint the sergeant of arms for the 2016 a electoral college. from the 11th congressional sixrict, and from the congressional district, from the fourth congressional district, and henry from the third congressional district. please be recognized. [applause] thank you for your service. in order forre now the office of president of the united states. anerianecognize michael b for the purpose of the nomination

ross. stuart: would you say you are pleasantly surprised with trump's cabinet pick? >> more than personally surprised. jimng defense secretary and jim matus, hero of iraq, commander of central command and the middle east, knows the area. couldn't think of a better pick. i more than plainly surprised at how it has been going. stuart: read all about it in the wall street journal, the headline from dan hettinger. thank you very much. i want to get back to some news, not exactly breaking news but this is important. mortgage rates have gone up and we are above 4 person. ashley: just a tick, 4.08% but that represent the highest level in 16 months for the average rate you get on a 30 year mortgage, 3.93% a year ago, not screening hire but the trend is to move up as our other loans. stuart: interest rates up, the downside what we are about to show you, stock market has gone straight up and still going up, well over 19,000, nice trump rally, the downside is much higher mortgage rates and generally speaking higher interest rates as well. back to caterpillar, it was halted pending a news development, that the compan

ross as their kinds of conservatives. we have to wait and see what happens. >> jim, apart from ideology you hear questions about, and particularlye involved in transitioning over to the people, the successors going to replace them, some concerns about competency and how much this transition team exactly knows the scale of the job, understands the job, and is aware of what they need to do. are you hearing any of that? >> there's no doubt that there's a level of improvisation of pulling the cabinet together because they weren't prepared for the moment. but he's not that far behind in terms of filling it, and all of the hankering about whether warren or sanders likes the pick, he's going to have a republican senator, probably not going to have a difficult time getting any of these people through, and because he's donald trump, he doesn't care what the "wall street journal" editorial board has to say. he can get picks through that no other republican could. he will have a more eclectic cabinet. what does it actually look like? his first picks were a lot of hard liners. then in some of the less important cabinet posts, he's gone with