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Benjamin Netanyahu Saw Support from his Party Once Again; the Bet for Republican Senate Support for Donald Trump's Impeachment Proceedings; Almaty International Airport's Recent Fokker Plane Crash Kills 15; Alexei Navalny Claims his Employee, Ruslan Shigabutdinov, was Abducted by Russian Authorities; Southern California's Huge Winter Storm; 15 People Killed in Plane Crash in Kazakhstan; Source: Trump's Defense Team in Talks with Dershowitz; Israel's Netanyahu Retains Likud Party Leadership; At Least Two Hurt At Ski Resort In Swiss Alps; Philippines: Death Toll From Storm Rises To 28; Top Sports Stories Of 2019. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired December 27, 2019 - 02:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[02:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Live from CNN world headquarters in the Atlanta. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. Happy holidays to you. I'm Natalie Allen, and this is CNN Newsroom. Up next this hour, there could be a crack in the Senate wall, a Republican supporting Donald Trump.

Also, Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu gets a strong show of support from his party yet again. But how will he do in the country's upcoming election. Also, California gets walloped by a snowstorm right in the middle of the holidays. We will show you where this massive weather is heading now. Thank you again for joining us, our top stories.

Since Donald Trump's impeachment last week, it has made much of the fact that no House Republicans voted against him. But maybe the U.S. Senate isn't a sure bet he was counting on. Just a handful of Republican defections there could spell big trouble for the Trump White House. And there are already signs of dissent in the ranks. We get the latest from CNN's Boris Sanchez in West Palm Beach, Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: His impeachment looms over President Trump's holiday vacation. One GOP lawmaker is speaking out.

SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI (R-AK): We have to take that step back from being hand and glove with the defense.

SANCHEZ: Senator Lisa Murkowski's openly criticizing the way Republicans are handling the impeachment process, specifically taking aim at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's close coordination with the White House. MURKOWSKI: When I heard that, I was disturbed.

SANCHEZ: The moderate Republicans senator is now a wildcard for McConnell, who can't lose more than three Republicans in order to keep control of the impeachment trial, and possibly a problem for the president. After also admitting she remains undecided on whether she would vote to remove Trump, the image of a united party that the president frequently brags about.

DONALD TRUMP, UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: We have had 196 or so Republicans voting 100 percent. We didn't lose one Republican vote in the House.

SANCHEZ: Now, showing some cracks. Just hours after a Christmas Day call for Americans to exemplify Christ by fostering a culture of deeper understanding and respect. President Trump went on the attack, blasting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a barrage of tweets. Again, calling the speaker crazy, and saying her district is one of the worst anywhere in the U.S. when it comes to the homeless and crime.

She has lost total control. As Russia, China, and Iran announced joint military exercises in the Indian Ocean, and the world awaits if North Korea will make good on a threat of a Christmas gift. Trump is also accusing Democrats of hindering his foreign policy. Tweeting quote, "despite all the great success that our country has had over the last three years, it makes it much more difficult to deal with foreign leaders and others when I am having to constantly defend myself against the do-nothing-Democrats and their bogus impeachment scam.

Bad for USA. Back to Senator Murkowski, the president is keenly aware of just how precarious the situation is in the Senate. It would be a surprise to see him lashing out against the Republican senator, suggesting that she is being disloyal. After all, President Trump knows that he needs every single vote he can get in the Senate to maintain control over an impeachment trial through Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Of course, the president has been aggressively quoting Republicans lately, inviting them for weekly lunches at the White House, and writing glowing reviews of their work on Twitter. Boris Sanchez, CNN, traveling with the president in West Palm Beach, Florida.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: CNN Senior Political Analyst, Ron Brownstein, joins us now from Los Angeles. Ron, good to see you, thanks for coming on. Hello, well, the president there is asking how could the deal with foreign leaders with this quote, "bogus impeachment scam", When it was his dealings with the foreign leader that led to impeachment.

But bottom line, he is frustrated. It is not moving. There is not a sign this impasse between Republicans and Democrats is going to break anytime soon. Is there?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yeah. Well, you know, this is the one point of leverage Democrats have over the process in the Senate, is holding up the deliberating articles of impeachment, manning of the managers, and really pressuring all of us and the country to kind of talk about what Mitch McConnell has been saying and the rules that he envisions in the Senate.

[02:05:08]

Obviously with 53 votes, McConnell can set the rules unless former Republicans break. And it is hard to see it getting up to quite that many. The one leverage that I think Democrats have is this period where attention is being focused on McConnell's rather remarkable, you know, remarks about, you know, wanting to essentially pre-judge the case.

And the question of whether that leaves at least a few of the Republican senators uncomfortable enough about the substance (ph) of the trial to pressure him to go in a slightly different direction.

ALLEN: Well, Ron, we know who is doing that. And that is Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski. She is questioning McConnell's cooperation with the White House over the trial. The first Republican to really speak out about that, is that significant?

BROWNSTEIN: Alone, no. But, you know, it, you know, it is one of the several that Democrats need to kind of create momentum for a different approach. Look, in the end, it is highly unlikely that any Republican is going to say this rises to the level to justify removing the president from office, which is something that we have never done.

But that doesn't mean that all of them will be comfortable with what -- it looks to the public like a sham trial that is designed to simply sweep this off the table as quickly as possible. It is kind of remarkable that we are talking about something this consequential with the prospect of so many key witnesses directly involved in the critical events.

Being offstage, that the president has, you know pressured figures like Mick Mulvaney and John Bolton not to testify. And the idea that we would resolve this one way or the other, without hearing from them, still seems to me just utterly remarkable.

ALLEN: Yes. And as this impasse goes on, it looks like it is going on. Does it favor either side?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, look, Democrats eventually want this to be tried in the Senate. But as I said, their point of leverage, really, their soul point of leverage is the ability to focus on public attention on the reluctance of the majority to have anything that approaches a trial. Do not forget, even in the Bill Clinton case, there were several witnesses deposed in the Senate trial.

And that came after -- council investigation, in which everyone relevant spoke, including the president himself. We are in a very different situation today when so many key figures have essentially been blocked. And any document -- documentary evidence has been blocked by the administration. The thing that surprises me is there are not a few more Republicans,

that while, you know, desiring to support the president don't see the institutional implications of allowing the executive branch to completely stonewall the legislative branch. There will be another Democratic president some day.

And the precedence are being established that can make it very difficult for a future Republican Congress to conduct oversight on the Democratic president.

ALLEN: Well, President Trump will no doubt continue to use his tweets and name-call and say this is unfair, a power play by Nancy Pelosi. And in doing so, will this help him get support? His approval ratings went up the day he was impeached.

BROWNSTEIN: Yeah. Well, look, I think the -- what is happening in American politics right now is that you have a very powerful tailwind behind the president, which is improving perceptions of the economy. I'm sure Americans are saying the economy is excellent good. It is up to about three quarters. And seeing and polling and polling by other organizations, that is a pretty remarkable number.

But the president's approval rating is not rising nearly as fast as these -- policies or perceptions of the economy. And that is because of the offsetting of the government, which are these very endemic doubts about his behavior, which has produced a situation where essentially half the country in polling were split 50/50 on whether he should be removed from office.

You get some perspective on that. For Bill Clinton, he never rose above of about a third of the country saying he should be removed from office. And from Richard Nixon, it only reached that high in the very last poll before he resigned in August 1974. So the president is unquestionably being void by growing optimism about the economy.

But there are real doubts about his behavior, his values. All of the issues that have come up in the Ukraine scandal that are preventing him from capitalizing on those improved sentiments about the economy as much as a typical president would.

ALLEN: Can you perceive that he could potentially give the state of union and there has not been an impeachment trial yet?

BROWNSTEIN: I had trouble seeing it going quite that far. I don't see how the Democrats extend this all the way through January. As I said, at some point, they want the Senate to be considering this. The Bill Clinton trial went on long enough, and that could in fact overlap with the scheduled date on the state of the union.

So we will have to see how far, you know, 51 senators are willing to go in allowing Mitch McConnell to truncate this process as much as possible.

ALLEN: Ron Brownstein, thank you so much for your insights. Thank you.

BROWNSTEIN: Thank you for having me.

[02:09:59]

ALLEN: Our breaking news, at least 15 people have died now after a passenger jet crashed shortly after takeoff from Kazakhstan's Almaty International Airport. Just seconds into the flight, just seconds into the flight, the plane lost altitude, broke through a fence, and hit a two story building. The Bek-operated flight was heading to Kazakhstan's capital.

Let us bring in our CNN Moscow Bureau Chief, Nathan Hodge. Nathan, what more are you learning?

NATHAN HODGE, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Natalie, Kazakh authorities just announced over the past hour that they suspended operations of flights by Bek Air. This is the regional airline that was operating the flight of this Fokker 100 Aircraft. They've also suspended flights by that air frame. We have learned a little bit more and we have seen some of the really quite shocking images of the crash site not far from Almaty.

Where the plane crashed and into a building and crashed through a concrete barrier. Rescue workers are on the scene now. They have been taking out the injured and bringing them to various hospitals in the vicinity. The casualty toll has mounted slightly, as you noted, to 15 dead. But aviation experts have pointed out that this could have been far worse.

For instance, there was no fire that followed this crash. Parts of the plane did break apart. But if we are looking at images from the scene, we do see a good portion of the fuselage still intact. So rescue workers have been working there on the scene. We have seen a note of condo -- messages of condolence from senior Kazakh officials, as well from Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan's first president.

And still a very senior and important political figure. He is known as the Leader of the Nation in Kazakhstan. So certainly, we are watching for more developments and more news as it comes in from the ground in Kazakhstan, Natalie.

ALLEN: All right. Thank you so much, Nathan Hodge, following for us. We will check back in with you. Let's talk more about it now with our guest. Jeffrey Thomas is the Editor-in-Chief at Airlineratings.com. He joins me now from Perth in Western Australia. Jeffrey, we appreciate you coming on. I want to ask you first, as Nathan just pointed out.

The death toll has risen to 15. But they were 95 people, I believe, on this flight. What do you make this -- so many appeared to have survived when you read about what happened?

GEOFFREY THOMAS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AIRLINERATINGS.COM: Look, it is quite amazing really, because the plane reached an altitude of 40 feet and slammed back down to the ground and then smashed into a building. So it is big tick for the integrity of the air frame built by Fokker, who are very well-known for building very, very rugged airplanes. But very fortunate, as your bureau chief said, that there was no fire.

And so obviously, the fuel tanks remain intact and did not rupture. So the passengers there are very, very lucky that there was no fire involved in this very tragic crash.

ALLEN: Right. And we do not know how they were evacuated. But you can see the rescue teams right there. And you can clearly see where the front of the airplane ran right into that building. The investigation, of course, will take some time. But what stands out to you when you read about this crash and only being in the air for such a short time coming right back down?

THOMAS: Look, there's two things that strike me very quickly here. Possibly, there was at a very -- it was a freezing cold morning. So there's possibly an icing issue on the wings. Maybe they were not de- iced or the ice was not picked up. That is a possibility. And the plane suffered a narrow dynamic storm with the wind. That is where the lift collapses on the top of the wing.

And the other possibility is an engine -- major engine problem, because we know the plane reached a speed of about 175 miles an hour where it lifted off. But within seconds, that speed decade (ph) back to 140 miles an hour when all the data was lost on flight right around 24, so a possibility of a significant engine issue or a stall.

But having said that, any twin engine aircraft is designed to take off with full payload on one engine, so we can lose an engine on takeoff and still continue to fly satisfactorily. And that is the way they are designed. So there may have been a multiple engine failure for all we know, possibly to do with the weather, icing conditions, extremely cold. They may have been factors.

ALLEN: Right, and fog as well. But you were saying that as far as this airplane or the airline, they have a good record, or were you just referring to the airplane itself?

[02:15:08]

THOMAS: Well, both, in fact. Bek Air has a good record. They have been in business since 2011. It has been fatality free. They've had a couple of incidents but nothing too serious. The Fokker 100 itself, excellent airplane. Certainly, a few have been lost. But we have to bear in mind where the airplane is operated, in some very remote rugged parts of the world, where runways are very short.

They're very mountainous regions, that sort of thing, with limited navigation aids. So therefore, in a more hostile environment if you like, so a higher casualty rate is to be expected.

ALLEN: Well, I did say 95 on board. But with the crew, there were 98 on board. And again, as of now, 15 have lost their lives. Geoffrey Thomas, we often talk with you at these times. From Perth Australia, thanks so much for your insights.

THOMAS: It is a pleasure. ALLEN: Other news we're following, Russian opposition leader, Alexei

Navalny, says one of his employees was detained in his own home by authorities in Moscow, only to resurface a day later on a military base in the Arctic Circle. Ruslan Shigabutdinov worked at Navalny's anti-corruption foundation, which was raided by Russian security forces on Thursday.

He is accused of dodging the track that says he has medical exemption from military service, and the matter was currently being fought out in court. That is one we will continue to investigate here. Next up on CNN Newsroom, post Christmas travel is turning into a nightmare in southern California. More ahead on the wild mix of fraying snow and wind that has shut down the major roadways.

Also, a landslide victory for the politician who just keeps going, Benjamin Netanyahu within his Likud Party, but can he extend this record streak in office. We will explore that after this. You are watching CNN Newsroom live from Atlanta.

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[02:20:00]

ALLEN: Emergency crews in Southern California are trying to clear a major highway that has been shut down due to a fast moving winter storm. I think that video right there kind of tells the story. They are removing stuck vehicles on Interstate Five, while some motorists are giving each other a hand as they often do to push cars stranded in snow and ice.

A high wind advisory is in effect for the region. It is not clear when roads will open, authorities advising motorists to use alternate routes. Our meteorologist, Derek Van Dam, is on top of this story. Derek, of all times people are trying to get home from the holidays, this happens.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. This is not what they want to experience. And I cannot reiterate, Natalie, about how just how dangerous it is to be on the side of a highway in one of those situations where your car can't move because the roads are simply too slick.

It doesn't take much of low visibility, white out conditions for vehicles behind you to not see those cars and cause the pilots that we often see on the news, which, of course, if people get out of their vehicles that can be so scary, because they could be struck by oncoming cars that do not see them in time.

Now, here is just another look at some of the bad road conditions taking place in Southern California. And here is a look at the storm system. We talked about Highway Five being shut down, there it is. That is a major artery for the west coast that traverses all the way to the border of the U.S.-Mexican border all the way to Canada.

In fact, running north and south, and this is the storm system on current radar. And lots of snow across the San Bernardino Mountains, we are talking over two feet of snow. We have had winter storm warnings and advisories in place from Southern California. Now moving its way across the four corners which is Utah, Colorado, into Arizona, and New Mexico.

And I will show you this. Because we got to go forward in time, as we work our way through the rest of the holiday season, people are traveling home or perhaps maybe getting out on vacation. We do have quite a winter storm that is setting up across the nation's midsection, and really in particular across the planes, where we have winter storm watches in effect.

Here is a look at the snowfall totals from the current storm system, again, over two feet for a few locations. Other locations seen at least a foot of snowfall and the evolution of this storm is going to take an interesting trek. Like I said, it is located across the south western portion of the U.S. at the moment. Here it is evolving over the next 36 hours, maybe a chance of severe weather taking place across the Oklahoma and Texas panhandle.

But then it is going to tap into moisture not only from the Pacific Ocean but also to the Gulf of Mexico. That means it'll bring in rainfall and copious amounts of it for the eastern two-thirds of the country. It's the backside of the system that brings the snow. That's where the cold weather will be. And if you're just northwest of Minneapolis into the northern plains, that is where we had the potential to see upwards of one to two feet of snow.

That will grind our transport to a halt across that area. So we are looking out for that potential of another major storm taking place across the nation's midsection, Natalie, back to you.

ALLEN: And if I recall, Derek, you told us about a storm over Thanksgiving, pre-Christmas, and now after Christmas. It has not been the ideal holiday travel week.

VAN DAM: The bearer of bad news, I hate to be that guy but I -- that's my job.

ALLEN: All right. Derek, thanks.

VAN DAM: Yeah.

ALLEN: All right. Israel's conservatives are not ready to give up on Benjamin Netanyahu. The embattled prime minister has won a challenge to his leadership with the Likud Party with 72.5 percent of the vote by party members. Mr. Netanyahu, you may recall, faces criminal indictments for fraud, bribery, and breach of trust.

[02:24:48]

But he will now lead his party in the general elections set for March. This is Israel's third vote in 12 months. On Thursday, he tweeted this. Huge victory, I thank the Likud members for the support, the trust, and the love. With God's help and with your help, I will lead the Likud to a great victory. In the coming election, and will continue leading Israel -- the state of Israel, excuse me, to unprecedented achievements.

Mr. Netanyahu path to victory in the Likud party, and possibly in the March election, has followed an increasingly familiar pattern. Our Oren Liebermann reports from Jerusalem.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: This is becoming a familiar image among friends, a black and white picture of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointing at the camera. The caption says, they're not only are they after me, they're after us. It is copied from President Donald Trump who used a similar image with a similar message days earlier.

The well-documented political bro-mance has been a focus of Netanyahu's messaging, featuring heavily in election campaigns, on Christmas Eve --

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Merry Christmas to all our Christian friends.

LIEBERMANN: Netanyahu promising another political gift from the Trump administration.

NETANYAHU: We are going to bring American recognition of Israeli sovereignty in the Jordan Valley, and pay attention in all of the settlements, those in the blocks and those that are not.

LIEBERMANN: Netanyahu and Trump share much more than style. As Trump faces impeachment, Netanyahu faces criminal indictment, charges of bribery and fraud and breach of trust, and three corruption investigations. Netanyahu has insisted that he is innocent, calling the charges an attempted coup and a media-driven witch hunt.

TRUMP: I call it the rigged witch hunt.

LIEBERMANN: Language we have heard from Trump as well. In messages like this, Netanyahu has painted himself as the victim, while leaning once again on his relationship with Trump to boost his standing. But Trump borrowed this one.

TRUMP: I want to especially thank a great man and a great leader, the leader of India, Prime Minister Modi, my friend.

LIEBERMANN: It was with another populist leader, Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, that we first saw the message.

NARENDRA MODI, INDIAN PRIME MINISTER: A great American president, Mr. Donald Trump.

LIEBERMANN: Modi's supporters created and spread a meme, a picture of the Hindu leader with the words, in reality they are not after me, they are after you. I am just in the way. With his India first style of politics, Modi has celebrated Trump's America first brand.

MODI: I believe in American future and a strong resolve to make America great again.

LIEBERMANN: Modi has also shown his love for Netanyahu. In 2017, becoming the first sitting Indian prime minister to visit Jerusalem. While Modi isn't facing any personal corruption scandals, his government has been facing massive protests. After the passage of a controversial immigration law that critics say discriminates against Muslims.

That's three nationalist leaders united by a love of brash tactics and strongman strategies. For Modi and Trump, this style of campaign worked. It's less clear with Netanyahu who faces a third straight election within 12 months, having already failed the former government twice. Oren Liebermann, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: And still ahead this hour --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- someone is going to throw eggs at me or I am going to be shunned from the Hispanic community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Donald Trump's uphill battle to win over Latino voters. We will have a report. Plus, six skiers in Switzerland get caught in an avalanche where there wasn't supposed to be one.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:30:00]

ALLEN: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Natalie Allen. Let's take a look at our top stories.

A commercial airliner has crashed near Kazakhstan's Almaty Airport killing at least 15 people and injuring 50 others. Authorities say that the Bek Air flight lost altitude shortly after takeoff and collided with a two-story building. It was carrying 93 passengers and 5 crew members. The cause of the crash of course is under investigation.

A source says legal scholar Alan Dershowitz is in talks to join President Trump's impeachment defense. Dershowitz and Mr. Trump were seen talking recently at the President's Mar-a-Lago resort. Dershowitz has been a frequent defender of Mr. Trump and has offered his legal advice in dealing with the upcoming impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate.

Benjamin Netanyahu has scored a resounding victory in his bid to continue leading Israel's Likud Party. The Prime Minister won 72 percent of party members votes. Despite several looming criminal indictments, Mr. Netanyahu now faces a general election in March.

As President Trump looks to the 2020 election, he faces an uphill battle with Hispanics. One recent CNN poll shows only 29 percent of those U.S. voters approve of the job he is doing. But one group of Hispanics in Texas insist Trump is the candidate most in line with their values and their campaigning hard for his reelection. Here's Nick Valencia with that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAY BACA, CHAIRMAN, BORDER HISPANICS FOR TRUMP: Are you a member of border Hispanics yet?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I am not yet.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ray Baca has his work cut out for him. As the chair of the Border Hispanics for Trump, living in the democratic stronghold of El Paso, his goal is to get Latinos to get help reelect the President. But the odds are against him.

BACA: I'm with Border Hispanics for Trump. How are you? Have you heard of us?

VALENCIA: As the 65-year-old sees it, there are countless Latinos who support the President but are afraid to admit it. He hopes to convince them that their values are more in line with the GOP and with Trump.

BACA: I look at President Trump as the one who most closely represents my values.

VALENCIA: People will hear that and say, values? You know, what values does the President have? So, when you say that, what do you mean?

BACA: I mean, supporting things that I support, like being against abortion, being for a limited government involvement, being for border security.

VALENCIA: Indeed, support for Trump in Texas among Latinos has remained steady at 30 percent, according to a recent CNN poll. The unwavering support comes in the face of criticism over the President's rhetoric on the Latino community which is critics at best, see as offensive and at worst, racist.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When Mexico sends his people, they are not sending their best.

[02:35:07]

VALENCIA: How can you still support somebody who they see as saying racist things against the Latino community?

BACA: I disagree. I really don't think he said things that are racist.

VALENCIA: In August, 22 people were killed in a racist attack, targeting Latinos at an El Paso Wal-Mart. Baca says anyone who blames Trump because of his rhetoric and border policies is trying to make political hay of the shooting.

BACA: I just don't think you can hold a president, or President Trump in particular, responsible for the actions of a single mad man.

VALENCIA: Baca agrees with the President on most things, but not everything. Mainly, though he supports the idea of a wall, he questions the practicality of building one across the entire U.S.- Mexico border -- a signature issue for Trump and his base.

BACA: I see him with his faults. You know, I see him warts and all. I don't want to spend, you know, $200 billion on a wall if you can do it for $50 million and solve the problem.

I'm Ray Baca.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I remember you, Ray.

BACA: Well, good to see you. Good to see you.

VALENCIA: Tonight, Baca's pitch for Trump comes at an impromptu gathering of conservatives. But even in a friendly crowd, it could be a hard sell.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'll think about. I'll think about it.

BACA: Thank you. Bye-bye. Can't win them all.

VALENCIA: But there are already some unlikely voters he doesn't have to win over.

President Trump is the first president that you voted for?

BLANCA BINKLEY, RESIDENT, EL PASO, TEXAS: Yes.

VALENCIA: Originally from Mexico, 29-year-old Blanca Binkley became a U.S. citizen just five years ago. She plans on voting for Trump again in 2020.

BINKLEY: Oftentimes when I'm asked but why? You know, like, I feel like someone is going to throw eggs at me or I'm going to be shunned from the Hispanic community, you know.

VALENCIA: Shunned by some perhaps, but that's what Ray Baca and Trump are counting on.

BACA: We need to get our Hispanic brethren to quit voting Democrat simply because that's what they have always voted.

VALENCIA: Nick Valencia, CNN, El Paso, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: For hundreds of thousands of Syrians, the idea of a home and a warm bed no longer exists. They live their life on the move, hoping to out-run air strikes and barrel bombs. Over the last week, the fighting in Idlib, Syria's last opposition-held territory has intensified. An A group say they cannot keep up with the growing humanitarian needs. CNN's Arwa Damon reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Abu Ismael's children don't need an explanation anymore. They have done this so many times that the notion of a home, a warm bed to feel safe and snug, that cease to exist long ago.

We go, we come back, Abu Ismael says. We don't know where to go or where we will end up. It's an existence on the move, trying and praying that the bombs won't catch up to them or when they do, that they will somehow survive.

But this time, it feels different. The bombing is more intense, final, deliberate. Entire areas in and around Idlib province are emptying out again. Upwards of 130,000 people are on the move. The children couldn't sleep through the night, they were crying every hour. Abu Osama says, holding his daughter, so young, this is all she knows.

It's a cycle they all know well. One that starts with the renewed intense bombings, then the panic packing up, the overwhelming sense of feeling lost, not knowing where to go, but having to flee, finding some sort of makeshift shelter.

I'm taking my family and we are heading to a tent. Ibrahim Aktar says. Whether or not we can have a tent, is still unknown.

The province Syria's last rubble stronghold has never been able to meet the humanitarian needs of the growing displaced population. One of the few aid organizations, the Turkish IAH that operates in Idlib says they don't have the resources.

The first night we came, we slept on the ground. We didn't even have blankets, this woman says, begging for a tent, a stove, anything.

Many end up just establishing themselves along the road, once they think they have reached safety. But as a regime with Russian-backing closes in, that may not be far enough. Arwa Damon, CNN, Istanbul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: A popular ski slope in Switzerland is declared safe from an avalanche and then the unexpected happened. At least two skiers were buried. We'll have more about it coming up here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:40:00]

ALLEN: Take a look at this, video from a ski resort in Switzerland shows the moment a mountainside of snow suddenly gave way. As you can see, numerous skiers were on the slope at the time, somewhere able to outrun the avalanche, but six people got caught. Avalanches in the Alps are not uncommon, but this one was unusual. It was on a well- used ski slope where the avalanche risk was not considered high. For more about it, here's Scott McLean from London.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: These skiers in the Swiss Alps are probably lucky to be alive after getting caught in an avalanche that no one saw coming. Video taken by a skier in a nearby gondola captured the avalanche after it started to slide. If you look closely at the video, you can see little black dots. Those are people. Some of them are safe off to the side, at least two of them managed to outrun the slide on their skis. And according to local authorities, six people were swallowed up. Amazingly, four of them were able to dig themselves out while a search party involving dogs, three helicopters, and about 25 other skiers dug out two other people with minor injuries, and flew them to a hospital.

Now, the avalanche was triggered late Thursday morning on a mountain about 70 miles south of Zurich. The search for survivors lasted well into the evening. Thankfully, officials now believe that everyone has been accounted for. What makes this unusual is that it didn't happen in the back country, where avalanche risk is typically much higher. This happened at a ski resort inbounds on a run that they believed was safe. That part of the mountain will be closed while officials try to sort out what went wrong. Scott McLean, CNN London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: Very fortunate skiers there. We are starting to see the extent of the damage in the Philippines after a typhoon made landfall, Tuesday. Officials say at least 28 people were killed, 12 others are missing. Our meteorologist, Tom Sater, has more about it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[02:44:58]

TOM SATER, CNN INTERNATIONAL METEOROLOGIST: Fierce winds and pounding rain. A deadly typhoon battered the Philippines over the Christmas holiday. Typhoon Phanfone known locally as Typhoon Ursula first made landfall in Eastern Samar Province on Tuesday. With sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour and a gust of 195, the storm had the strength of a Category 1 hurricane, then, grew in strength to a Category 2, and left a trail of destruction, heavy rain, and storm surges that caused massive flooding.

Trees were toppled, power lines down, homes were destroyed, and more than 58,000 people had to be evacuated. It was a nightmare for thousands of people traveling over Christmas in the predominantly Catholic country. Flights were canceled and Kalibo International Airport sustained damage.

Even with the widespread power outages, area residents are now assessing the destruction. Some roads are blocked and school buildings damaged. Some stores and restaurants completely devastated.

At the Vatican, Pope Francis said a prayer for the country. POPE FRANCIS, SOVEREIGN OF THE VATICAN CITY STATE (through translator): I joined in the pain that affected the dear people of the Philippines because of the Typhoon Phanfone. I pray for the numerous victims, for the injured and for their families.

SATER: This typhoon followed a similar path as Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. Haiyan was one of the most powerful storms on record, killing at least 6,000 people. Tom Sater, CNN.

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ALLEN: Next here on CNN NEWSROOM. It was quite a year for the U.S. women's soccer team with the World Cup victory in this celebratory parade through New York City.

We'll see where it lands on our countdown at 2019's biggest sports stories of the year. Just ahead here.

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[02:50:48]

ALLEN: Lions and Tiger, and Biles. Oh my. It's kind of a cute little lion, and you'll get it in a moment because what a year it was in sports. We had controversy, we had people overcoming incredible odds, we had women dominating the World Cup, and yes, we had the Washington Nationals.

Andy Scholes has a look back at the biggest sports moments of the year.

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ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: From dominant performances, to controversy, to comebacks. This past year had it all when it comes to sports. Here's a look at our top nine moments in 2019, and we start with a single tweet that rocked the NBA.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: The NBA is standing up for free speech and behind Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fallout has been huge.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Chinese businesses are cutting ties with the Rockets and the league.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: China's sports channel now says it will not broadcast any of the NBA games being held in China this week.

SCHOLES: Before the start of the season, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeting support for Hong Kong's pro-democracy protesters. This caused a firestorm in China, where the NBA is the most popular sports league.

Chinese officials condemning the tweet and response from Commissioner Adam Silver. The whole controversy greatly affecting the NBA's bottom line.

ADAM SILVER, COMMISSIONER, NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: We will have to live with those consequences.

SCHOLES: Number eight, what were you doing when you were 15 years old? Well, Coco Gauff was capturing the hearts of sports fans everywhere with an incredible run at her first Wimbledon Tournament.

COCO GAUFF, AMERICAN TENNIS PLAYER: (INAUDIBLE) tweeted me.

SCHOLES: Coco, the youngest player to ever make the main draw at Wimbledon, she beat Venus Williams in her first match and advanced all the way to the fourth round before losing to the eventual champion, Simona Halep.

Number seven, controversy on the track.

ANA CABRERA, CNN ANCHOR: A stunning outcome at the Kentucky derby.

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: The horse that crossed the finish line first did not win.

SCHOLES: The winner of the Kentucky Derby was disqualified. Maximum Security winning the race, but upon review, was seen veering out of his lane.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He came on a little bit and I grabbed and ran away, I stayed straight, you know.

SCHOLES: Country House was declared the winner at odds of 65-1. Country House had the second-longest odds of any Kentucky Derby winner.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Did that really just happen?

SCHOLES: Number six, on January 3rd, 2019, St. Louis Blues had the worst record in the NHL, but that's when they turned it around.

The Blues' season culminating with them beating the Boston Bruins in Game Seven of the Stanley Cup finals to win their first-ever championship. And Blues super fan, Laila Anderson, an 11-year-old battling a life-threatening autoimmune disease, was an inspiration for the team all season. And she got to celebrate with the team on the ice after they hoisted the Stanley Cup.

Number five, 2019 was a year of more controversy for the NFL.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was simple, they blew the call.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Blaming easy call for sure.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's tough, tough to swallow.

SCHOLES: The Saints were robbed of a chance to play in Super Bowl 53 when the refs failed to call a pass interference.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Worst call in history. I felt like somebody just robbed my house.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Honestly.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They didn't throw a flag.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The guy has to be blind.

SCHOLES: The NFL responded by making pass interference reviewable for the next season.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It doesn't help us at all. It's too late.

SCHOLES: The New England Patriots meanwhile beat the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl, making Tom Brady the first player in NFL history to win six rings.

Number four, finally something everyone in Washington, D.C. could agree on, that's cheering on the Nationals. The team taking their fans on a miraculous run in the post-season.

And for the first time ever, the road team winning every game in the World Series. The Nationals beating the Astros in seven games to win their first-ever title.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hope they're ready for a party because we're coming home.

SCHOLES: Number three, it was an emotional year for Simone Biles, as she opened up about being one of the victims of Dr. Larry Nassar and the failure of USA Gymnastics to intervene.

[02:55:00]

SIMONE BILES, AMERICAN ARTISTIC GYMNAST: We've done everything that they asked us for, even when we didn't want to. And they couldn't do one damn job. You had one job. You literally had one job and you couldn't protect us.

SCHOLES: Despite the controversy, the 22-year-old dominated the World Championships to become the most decorated gymnast ever.

Number two, the U.S. Women's National Team capturing the hearts and minds of people everywhere with their efforts on and off the field.

BALDWIN: The U.S. thoroughly dominant so far.

DAVE BRIGGS, CNN HOST: The U.S. Women's Soccer Team rewriting the record books.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: This couldn't have been a bigger story.

SCHOLES: As the team took on opponents in the World Cup, they were battling the U.S. Soccer Federation in their fight to be compensated the same as their male counterparts. The team winning their second consecutive World Cup title beating the Netherlands 2-0 in the final, with fans chanting equal pay.

The women's equal pay lawsuit now looks like it's headed for a trial in 2020 as the team prepares to take the field in the Tokyo Summer Games.

And finally, the number one sports story on our list for 2019, Tiger Woods was back on top of the sports world winning the Masters.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news, Tiger Woods is donning the green jacket once again.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tiger Woods has made a fairy tale comeback worthy of the silver screen.

DON RIDDELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL SPORTS ANCHOR: It is an extraordinary comeback.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The greatest comeback ever.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tiger Woods is back.

SCHOLES: It was Tiger's first win ever in a major since the 2008 U.S. Open after multiple knee and back surgeries. Many didn't know if Tiger would ever win major number 15, but the 43-year-old won the Masters in dramatic fashion, making his ever final-round comeback in a Major. Tiger shared the incredible moment with his 10-year-old son, Charlie.

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ALLEN: Well, will 2020 bring in sports? Can't wait. Thank you for joining us this hour. I'm Natalie Allen. Back to our top stories, another hour of CNN NEWSROOM right after this.

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