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Hala Gorani Tonight
U.S. Senate Repulican Calls For Bipartisan Congressional Review; Rex Tillerson Under Fire Over Russia Relation; Trump on One China Policy; Syria On Final Phase Of Flushing Rebels; Turkey Mourning Twin Terrorist Attacks Victim; Cristiano Ronaldo's Fourth Ballon d'Or Award; Tenth CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired December 12, 2016 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:06] HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Hala Gorani and look at your headlines.
There seems to be a split within the GOP, the top U.S. Senate Republican is joining calls for a bipartisan congressional review of allegations that
Russia computers during the election. Mitch McConnell says, he has the highest confidence in the CIA which included that Moscow engineered cyber
attacks to try to help Trump win the election. Donald Trump calls those allegations ridiculous.
Meantime, the Senate confirmation fight could be shaping up over Trump's likely nominee for Secretary of State. ExxonMobil CEO, Rex Tillerson is
under fire for close ties to Russia among other things. But a top Trump advisor says that relationship is in fact a good thing for America.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO THE PRESIDENT: A leading candidate, Rex Tillerson of Exxon has dealt with Russia for many years. It's not like his
pounding down vodka with Vladimir Putin at the local bar but he's dealt with his in a business context. If he can go ahead and improve
relationships and advance U.S. interest and advance the Trump doctrine, they we should all welcome that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Trump has signaled a major break from diplomatic norms when it comes to Taiwan as well. The President-Elect has questioned why the U.S.
should be bound by these so-called one China policy. That doctrine has formed the basis for U.S. China relation since the 1970s. It states that
Taiwan is part of China and Beijing says it is "seriously concerned by Trump's comments."
And on other top stories, Syria's military is in the final phase of flushing rebels from Eastern Aleppo. They've taken several more
neighborhoods in the last few days. The rebels now control just a very small fraction of the area that they once did. Thousands have fled the
fighting with nowhere to go. You see some of their image there.
Turkey has gone on the offensive after weekend of mourning the victims of twin terrorist attacks. Fighter jets have struck 12 different targets
belonging to a Kurdish militant group in Northern Iraq.
And in something completely different, sports news, Cristiano Ronaldo is -- has been given the prestigious Ballon d'Or Award for the fourth time in his
career. So well done to him.
That's a look at your headlines. We'll be back tomorrow same time, same place for the World Right Now. But for now specialization of CNN Heroes:
An All-Star Tribute starts now. Stay with CNN.
UNIDENTIFED FEMALE: From the American Museum of National History in New York City, this is 10th annual CNN Heroes: All-Star Tribute. Ladies and
gentlemen, please welcome your hosts for the evening, Anderson Cooper and Kelly Ripa.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks so much. Welcome to CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute. This night is always special as we gather in the
Milstein Hall of Ocean Life here at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, underneath the enormous whale to honor ordinary women and men
who are changing the world.
But tonight is extra special not just because the amazing Kelly Ripa is here as my co-host, but also because it's the 10th Annual CNN Heroes Show.
KELLY RIPA, ACTRESS: I love this night, and the heroes, and that is not just talk. I've been here three years in a row now. I'm practically your
CNN Heroes wife.
COOPER: Yes. Which must be deeply unsatisfying for you.
RIPA: You'd be surprised.
COOPER: Really?
RIPA: You'd be surprised.
COOPER: All right.
RIPA: CNN is giving this year's top 10 honorees $10,000 so they can continue their amazing work. And later on tonight --
COOPER: They can edit that part.
RIPA: -- yeah, one of the honorees will be named the 2016 CNN Hero of the Year, and they will receive an additional $100,000.
COOPER: Yeah. This -- as we were saying, this is our 10th show, our 10th year. We have honored 159 heroes. We've been graced by more than 145
presenters, more than 25 musical performers over the years. That's 20 hours, 72,000 seconds of us celebrating what is good in this world. And we
can't revisit every moment from the past 10 years but take a look at some of the highlights.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't build statues to these people, we might not even notice them. But they don't care. What they do is who they are, just
ordinary people, until they're heroes.
[15:05:01] COOPER: Tonight you're going to meet real supermen and superwomen from across the globe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These are the heroes who walk among us, and we applaud their stories tonight.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One person really can change this world.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the only reality television that I absolutely love. This is like the Academy Awards for good people.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A simple thing can change lives.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One woman working hard to bring hope to this world.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A fearless young person trying to right a wrong.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never give up and always believe. You're never too young to change the world.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He is my hero because one day he rolled a window down and asked, "Are you hungry?"
BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH, ACTOR: But even in the darkest of places, decency, compassion and love can persevere.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There will be no man left behind as long as we are this nation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ladies and gentlemen --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please join me --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Join me --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In honoring --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: CNN Hero.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: CNN Hero.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: CNN Hero.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: CNN Hero.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: CNN Hero.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And with the biggest heart ever --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: CNN Hero.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My message to the world is very simple.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: May we all find the hero inside us by reaching out to others.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: God is calling many of you to make a difference in people's lives.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do not be afraid and never give up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Love and support one another.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The work that I do, this is like the air that I breathe, so I can't stop.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: God bless this country.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you so much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIPA: Looks like I picked the wrong night to introduce glue-on eyelashes to the evening. I'm crying already. It's going to be a mess.
COOPER: I -- that makes me feel very insignificant. Let's get started on this year's show. We're going to meet our first hero in Nashville,
Tennessee. She created a place for women who struggled on the streets. To tell her story tonight is an ambassador of the Alicia Keys Charity Keep a
Child Alive and a proud supporter of City Year, please welcome the stars of the upcoming film Hidden Figures, Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer.
TARAJI P. HENSON, ACTRESS: Tonight, remember these two words, love heals. It just does. When Becca Stevens was five, her father died, and soon after
that tragedy, she experienced long-term abuse at the hands of a family acquaintance. She moved mountains to overcome that horror. She
persevered. She became a priest, a wife, and a mother. And when Becca saw a woman caught up in the cycle of prostitution, she sensed that that
woman's life had started out in pain too.
OCTAVIA SPENCER, ACTRESS: So Becca launched a movement for women's freedom from the streets. It's called Thistle Farms. She created five beautiful
and safe homes where women could come and stay for free for two years. In that time, they mend their bodies and their souls. They build self-worth,
and a business, by making bath and body care products. More than 200 women have been transformed because of Becca and these two words, "love heals".
HENSON: Love heals.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BECCA STEVENS, THISTLE FARMS FOUNDER: Truthfully, I think it was my own abuse that gave me compassion for the women that I was meeting in the jails
and on the streets. Those scars are deep, but it didn't have to be the end of the story. All I wanted to do was say, "Come stay for two years, no
cost, and tell me what it is you need."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I walked the streets for over 20 years. I can remember just thinking that I'm going to die out here. When I walked in,
it was absolutely gorgeous. It made me feel worthy.
[15:10:04] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: From the day I got here, I immediately felt the love. The drugs took everything from me. Now I don't feel alone
anymore.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're changing who?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ourselves.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're changing ourselves.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This community helped to put me back together again.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They sent me to therapy. Because of my excessive drug use, I had maybe 11.5 teeth left in my mouth. So they sent me to the
dentist.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bring it in, girl.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whatever I needed, they did it for me.
STEVENS: The women that we were serving were still dirt poor.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm going to pass it. You're going to snap it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got you.
STEVENS: It made perfect sense to me to make products that were about healing bodies, bodies that had been used and abused for so long.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The lavender and the peppermint, it calms you. I'm working hard for my own money, and it feels wonderful.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's a bigger story to be told. It's how powerful love can be for healing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I see people that I knew on the street, and they'll say, "Is that you, Doris (ph)?" And I'll say, "It's me."
STEVENS: We're just a community of women helping each other. When we come together and find our voice, it's powerful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SPENCER: Ladies and gentlemen, please join us in honoring CNN Hero, Becca Stevens.
HENSON: Becca Stevens.
SPENCER: Congratulations, and thank you for all that you do.
STEVENS: I am standing here tonight barefoot, and I do that with compassion and solidarity for all the women who are still walking the
streets.
And for all of the other people for years and years who have done this work, Thistle Farms is just hitting its stride, and we welcome you into the
circle of hope for survivors. You can abuse women, you can exploit them, you can jail them, you can prostitute them, but you cannot kill hope in
them. Women recover, women heal. And we don't have to leave anyone behind. Love is the most powerful force for change in the whole world.
Thank you, CNN. I love you, Levi, Caney, Moses, and we got a lot more work to do. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Coming up next, Diane Lane, and later, Neal Patrick Harris.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:15:35] COOPER: Welcome back to CNN Heroes. Tonight, we're doing something new. Not only are we celebrating our top 10 honorees of 2016,
we're actually showcasing five previous heroes of the year. CNN is recognizing all five of them for their incredible accomplishments that
continue to embody the spirit of the CNN Heroes campaign.
RIPA: Each have also received $10,000, and we're asking you to choose which one should be honored later tonight as the tenth anniversary CNN
superhero and receive an additional $50,000 to carry on with their work.
COOPER: So here's how it's going to work. We are -- we're going to introduce you to them throughout the evening to all five, but you can learn
about them all right now watching at home and here in the room, and vote right now at cnnheroes.com. Voting has actually been underway since Friday
night. You can also vote on Facebook Messenger and on Twitter. All the details are at cnnheroes.com.
RIPA: So let's meet our first one tonight. Liz McCartney was voted hero of the year in 2008 after the destruction of Hurricane Katrina along the
Gulf Coast. She packed up her life in Washington D.C. to help families rebuild in Louisiana. Since we met her, that community became her home, and
she and her team have brought hope and healing to so many in need.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After CNN Heroes, Liz McCartney's nonprofit went national.
LIZ MCCARTNEY, SBP FOUNDER: The Heroes program helped us help so many more people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Her group has now rebuilt homes in seven disaster stricken communities, including Baton Rouge, which suffered disastrous
flooding in August. Liz has enabled almost 1200 families to start again.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It would have taken us years to move back in.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There you go, and then bend it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got a call from Liz one day and everything started falling into place.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just like that, here you go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We can move in in hopefully six to eight weeks.
MCCARTNEY: I never would have imagined that we'd still be here helping families get back home, but I feel very lucky to do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIPA: Ladies and gentlemen, Liz McCartney is with us tonight. Liz, stand up and take a bow.
COOPER: So our next hero transformed his horse farm into a sanctuary for children. Here to share his story is the champion for Oceana and its
effort to restore the world's oceans, Academy Award nominated actress, Diane Lane.
DIANE LANE, ACTRESS: You've just spent the last 40 years of your life working hard. It's time to retire, kick back on that front porch, smell
the Carolina pines, and take in another sunset. Well, if you're 87-year- old Harry Swimmer, not so fast.
He met a family friend whose granddaughter lived with a disability. Harry invited her to his farm, put her on a horse, and her face lit up like a
candle, and so did Harry's. He knew then that retirement wasn't for him, and he started Mitey Riders.
For 20 years, he's provided free equine therapy to children with cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome, autism, and other disabilities. These kids have
defied the odds, because this one man heard that powerful calling, there's more work to do.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My daughter has a condition called kernicterus.
We're going to have such a fun birthday party.
She doesn't communicate real well. She has these erratic muscle spasms, and sometimes has to have her arms strapped down.
[15:20:01] It does not affect intelligence. She does know what she's missing. I think about our hopes and dreams for her. It would be great if
her world could open up.
HARRY SWIMMER, MITEY RIDERS FOUNDER: Every community has children with disabilities. A lot of these children have very little to look forward to.
This is their place today.
Hi, pal. How's my boy? Ready to ride?
We put them on a horse and they ride like anybody else.
What do you say now? Go on around, and go over the pole.
Besides fun, it is therapy for them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm getting stronger and stronger.
SWIMMER: You are getting stronger and stronger.
Just the other day, I had a little boy get off the horse and walk to his mother, taking his first steps, and it just really (inaudible). This is
what I wanted to do.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's been riding every week.
SWIMMER: Already there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ready. When you take a kid who can't sit up even by herself.
SWIMMER: Oh, look at that smile.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And we can put her on the horse, and she's suddenly the biggest thing in her environment.
SWIMMER: Was that cool? Yeah.
The smiles on their face is worth everything. This has become my life. And I don't ever want to do anything else.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LANE: Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in honoring CNN Hero Harry Swimmer.
SWIMMER: A most sincere thanks to CNN, and all those responsible for this enormous honor. The real heroes are the beautiful and courageous
youngsters who come to us from all walks of life. I love them all. You know, if everyone will lend a helping hand to those in need, we would take
a giant step towards a more peaceful world. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Next on CNN Heroes, Olympic gold medalist, Laurie Hernandez. And later, Liev Schreiber, Edie Falco, and Richard Gere.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:25:49] RIPA: And we're back with CNN Heroes. Throughout the night, as you meet our top 10 honorees, go to cnnheroes.com and click on the Donate
button to help support them. And while you're watching, you can also get involved on Facebook, Twitter, and visit us on Instagram to see exclusive
behind-the-scenes photos.
COOPER: Our next hero overcame incredible odds growing up with a disability in one of the most impoverished areas of Cali, Colombia. Here
to tell us his inspiring story is one of the members of the gold medal winning gymnastics team from 2016 Olympics, and the current champion of
Dancing with the Stars. Please welcome Laurie Hernandez.
LAURIE HERNANDEZ, OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST GYMNAST: Believe me when I say this, you can achieve anything. And Jeison Aristizabal is here to prove
that to us. When he was born, he had a difficult birth and lack of oxygen to his brain causing permanent damage. For Jeison, it meant that he would
grow up with cerebral palsy, a condition often shunned in his country.
But he had a spectacular mom. She took him everywhere, fought for him to go to school, and made him feel part of this world. That sense of self and
belonging that Jeison wants every person to feel when they come to his center called Aristizabal. It is a place where 480 kids with mental and
physical disabilities can go and triumph. For 15 years, this one man filled with love, strength, and grace has taken down terrible stereotypes
and built a place where dreams can come true.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEISON ARISTIZABAL, FOUNDER, ARISTIZABAL (through translator): When I was a child, a doctor told my mom that I would amount to nothing. Every year I
would get surgery. I was completely dependent on my family and that was very difficult for me. But my mom taught me to face challenges. And I
learned that I would be able to accomplish everything I put my mind to.
I live in one of the poorest areas in Cali. Many children with disabilities here grow up with no type of opportunity, because families
don't know how to take care of them. They think that it's God's punishment. It's very important to change that way of thinking.
Hello, Julian.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): How are you?
ARISTIZABAL (through translator): Great. Let's go to physical therapy.
I began doing therapy out of my parent's garage. The foundation now has its own location. We have therapy services, medical treatment, school.
Good morning class.
Our greatest interest is for the children to be happy.
Bravo.
They sing, they play, they dance. We have transformed the lives of many children. The message I want to give people with disabilities is, "Yes,
you can. Never give up. Always fight for your dreams."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HERNANDEZ: Please join me in honoring CNN Hero Jeison Aristizabal.
ARISTIZABAL: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
[15:30:14] HERNANDEZ: One day, fighting against my prognosis, I asked an existential question to God, "Why was I born with a disability?"
ARISTIZABAL: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
HERNANDEZ: Today, I realize, God chose me to help children with disabilities and their families and build a chain of dreams. I am about to
graduate as a lawyer, and I want to do more to change my country's laws.
ARISTIZABAL: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
HERNANDEZ: Open your hearts and join this beautiful work too. There are many children hoping for your support.
ARISTIZABAL: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
RIPA: You know, you can't really see the CNN Hero awards from your seats there or from your couches, but let me tell you that these awards our
heroes receive every year are so gorgeous and so personal. And Anderson carves each and every one himself.
COOPER: It takes all year. It's true. Each one tells the hero's stories. They use words to describe their work and their spirit. They're each
individualized and you can watch how they're made at cnnheroes.com. I do not, of course, actually make them.
RIPA: OK. I want to remind everyone to hop on their laptop or their phone right now and vote for the 10th anniversary CNN superhero. You can check
out all five of the previous heroes of this year that we're recognizing tonight and vote for your favorite at cnnheroes.com.
Now, in 2009, Efren Penaflorida was our hero of the year. He pulled together his young friends and form the dynamic teen company. Thousands of
young volunteers bring pushcart classrooms and education to poor children in the streets of the Philippines. His work has energized his country and
changed lives.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EFREN PENAFLORIDA, FILIPINO TEACHER: Thank you, thank you.
RIPA: Being named CNN Hero of the Year made Efren Penaflorida a national hero back home in the Philippines. A T.V. movie was made about his life,
and he even got his own television show. But for Efren, the support for his mission meant the most.
PENAFLORIDA: When we started this, people were laughing at us. That crazy idea have gone a long way.
RIPA: Today, his pushcart classrooms can be found all over the country. He's also built two education centers and a high school. The work Efren
started when he was just 16 has now reached around 40,000 children.
PENAFLORIDA: We are never too young to give back to society. And one is never too ordinary to be a hero.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIPA: Ladies and gentlemen, Efren Penaflorida.
COOPER: Efren.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Next, Edward Norton honors a woman who helps young war refugees adjust to their new home in America. And still to come, a
special performance by Idina Menzel.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:36:25] COOPER: Kelly keeps trying to get me to dance out, and I refuse to.
RIPA: I said we should do a kick ball change, kick ball change. Doesn't that look amazing?
COOPER: I don't know what that means.
RIPA: I showed you what it means.
COOPER: I still don't know what it means.
RIPA: It's incredible.
COOPER: Welcome back to the 10th annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute. Now, as you watch tonight, if you want to support any of our top 10 heroes,
we have extra incentive for you. One of our great sponsors, Subaru, they are matching donations dollar for dollar up to $500,000 to each of their
organizations when you donate through CrowdRise, which is the leading online site for charitable fundraising.
RIPA: You'll find the links to donate at CNNHeroes.com. And our next presenter is the founder of CrowdRise and the star of the upcoming film
"Collateral Beauty". Please welcome Edward Norton.
EDWARD NORTON, AMERICAN ACTOR: Thank you. At CrowdRise, our motto is, if you don't give back, no one will like you. And it is true really, because
who inspires our deepest admiration, attraction, aspiration more than someone that we see devoting themselves to making the world a better place
and caring for other people? That's -- that is sexier than any movie star, it's more heroic than any athletic feet, and also true that when we give
back, we often get more than we gave.
Supporting, engaging with people like tonight's CNN heroes can transform our own spirits. It can widen our sense of the world, make us more
optimistic about the world. You can plug into that positive feedback loop right now. Go to cnnheroes.com, click on the Donate button, act on that
impulse to do something that these heroes inspire in us and help them change the world. Let's get to the end of the night and have every one of
these heroes gotten the full match from Subaru. This is an incredible opportunity.
And now, meet Luma Mufleh, she is one of our heroes doing extraordinary work, welcoming refugees into this country. And if you want to know how
profoundly her work is built into our national ideals, 100 blocks towards south out in the harbor is a beautiful statue of a lady with a torch. At
its base are these words, "Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." Luma came to America from Jordan and
settled in Clarkston, Georgia, a city where many refugees had found their homes too.
One day, she played a pickup game of soccer with a group of young kids who had just moved to the country. They spoke to her about their isolation,
their academic hardship and fears. And so to help, she started a soccer team and then she opened a school. It's all called Fugees Family. And
more than 800 young people have passed through its doors now. So to the tired, to the poor, the huddled masses, come. Come here. Luma waits for
you with open arms to ensure you breathe free and thrive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I first came to America, this girl told me to go back to my country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I could not interact with other people because I could not understand English.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When people say that Muslims should leave the United States, it really hurts me.
LUMA MUFLEH, FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR, FUGEES FAMILY, INC.: They've been forced out of their home. They've all seen horrible atrocities. They come
to the United States, they don't know the language, they don't know the culture.
[15:39:58] All right. You get four minutes at each one. Ready? We're going headers. Chan. Go.
The one thing they understand is soccer. Nice. It's a universal language. It's a part of home that they can bring with them here. For kids that were
robbed of their childhood, this is one place they get to be kids again.
Good morning. Good morning.
But their needs were so much more. I needed to look beyond the field.
Good morning.
Our school addresses their individual academic needs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
MUFLEH: So does this make sense now? OK. It creates a safe space for them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All people have feelings but they don't understand our pain.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have to be patient.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can't forget about like what we've been through.
MUFLEH: This year, the new influx of refugees is from Syria. The trauma is just so fresh. The war is still going on and we're retraumatizing them
by not welcoming them. It's heartbreaking.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eighteen.
MUFLEH: Possibly an 18.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I come to America last six months.
MUFLEH: Good job.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Coach Luma helped me feel my home here.
MUFLEH: We all know how much is stacked against them. As hard as we try to level it, there are so much more work to be done.
There you go. You're in. And I'm trying to give them all the opportunities that they deserve.
There we go.
The Fugees Family is the biggest mismatch of kids and ethnic groups and faiths, and isn't that what America is about?
One, two, three. Go blue team.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NORTON: It's my enormous honor to present this award to CNN hero Luma Mufleh.
MUFLEH: I say this as a new and proud U.S. Citizen, as a Muslim, and as a mentor, to refugee children who inspire me every day, let us honor Lady
Liberty and show America's heart. Let us remember immigrants make America great. Please help us give refugee boys and girls a new and a safe home by
showing the kindness and compassion that's always defined us. They need your support now more than ever. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Next on CNN Heroes, Neil Patrick Harris. And there's still time to vote for the 10th anniversary CNN Superhero.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:45:34] GORANI: Welcome back to (inaudible). A look at our top stories.
The top stories on U.S. Senate Republican is joining calls for a bipartisan congressional review of Russia hacking. Mitch McConnell says, he has the
highest confidence in the CIA and the CIA concluded that Moscow engineered cyber attacks to try to help Donald Trump win the election. Trump call
those allegations "ridiculous"
Mealtime, a Senate confirmation fight could be shaping up over Trump's likely nominee for Secretary of State, a man with no diplomacy record.
ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson is under fire for his close ties to Russia by some.
Now the top Senate Democrats tell CNN that Russia's cyber attacks did help Trump defeat Hillary Clinton. Harry Reid spoke to CNN's Manu Raju.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Are you saying that the Russian government was, in fact, trying to steer this election to Donald Trump?
SEN. HARRY REID, (D-NV), SENATE MINORITY LEADER: My opinion is yes. And we got no basis in fact from the FBI. They ignored it. Now we're hearing,
and you guys are reporting all of this stuff from the intelligence agencies. They clearly see it.
RAJU: So do you think that Trump in any way is an illegitimate president because of the Russian involvement?
REID: No, I never said that. No, I never said. Of course, I wish someone else had won, even though Hillary Clinton is going to get about 3 million
more votes than he did and we have a system, Electoral College system, and he won. We accept that.
RAJU: Well, would Trump have won -- in your opinion, would Trump have won this race if Russia did not get involved?
REID: All I know is that Russia helped a lot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Harry Reid there.
Now in other news, we're following Syria's military. It's in the final phase of flushing rebels from eastern Aleppo. It really does look like a
decisive moment there. Several more neighborhoods have been taken by the regime in the last few days. Thousands have fled the fighting and many of
them have nowhere to go.
Turkey has gone on the offensive after weekend of mourning the victims of twin terrorist attacks in Istanbul. Fighter jets had struck 12 different
targets belonging to a Kurdish militant group in Northern Iraq.
That's a look at our headlines. CNN Heroes continues next.
RIPA: And so we're back with the CNN Heroes. If you voted for the 10th anniversary CNN Superhero, good for you. But if you haven't, you have to
do it now.
COOPER: No, you don't have to do it right now. I mean you can do it at any time during this broadcast.
RIPA: Do it right now. Do it right this second.
COOPER: Oh, yes. Before the show ends.
RIPA: Or we will utilize these microphones and sing and nobody wants that.
COOPER: All right. One of the superheroes is Robin Lim. She is -- in 2011, she was honored for her life-saving work assisting thousands of low-
income women in Indonesia, have a healthy pregnancy and a safe delivery. Since then, she's used her money to build her dream center where she is a
midwife, a friend and still called Mother Robin by the kids she helped bring into the world. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This year, Robin Lim fulfilled her long-time vision when her group opened its new maternity clinic for women in need.
ROBIN LIM, FOUNDER, YAYASAN BUMI SEHAT HEALTH CLINICS: And now that we have a big enough space, we're able to do free ambulance service,
ultrasound, nurses, and midwives present 24/7. Doctors every day. We help the people who are falling through the cracks and those mothers know
they're going to get the same beautiful, loving service here as wealthy people get. It's all the same. I'm just so blessed to walk down the
street and see the faces of these kids. Most of them I've seen them arrive into this world. And when they run up to me and hug me, just makes life
worth living.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome, Robin Lim.
[15:49:55] RIPA: Guys, check out this puppy. This is Marny. She's 15 years old. She used to be in a shelter, but she was adopted when she was
11 years old. Guys, she's an Instagram superstar. Look at her. Guys, she has 2 million followers. That's like a million more followers than I have.
OK, that's like 100 million and a half more followers than I have. And where is the other baby? Is she coming? Oh, hi
COOPER: All right.
RIPA: Oh, hi.
COOPER: This is Sugarplum. She --
RIPA: Yeah.
COOPER: I'm not kidding. She is seven. She is still looking for her forever home and we want to thank pup pupstarzrescue.org for letting us
meet her tonight. Have you done a tight shot though of Marny's face? Because --
RIPA: Have we seen Marny's face?
COOPER: -- I think she's been drinking. I don't know for sure but --
RIPA: She's just like, "I got 2 million followers, what's up?"
COOPER: All right. She's like, "I don't need to stick my tongue back in. I got 2 million followers."
RIPA: You should -- you look adorable with that baby. You should take that baby home.
COOPER: Oh, yeah.
RIPA: You should take the baby.
COOPER: Nice. Put me on the spot.
RIPA: All right.
COOPER: I know.
RIPA: Let's find this --
COOPER: I can barely care for myself.
RIPA: Let's find the baby a nice home. Come on. Let's change her life too. I love senior dogs. I love a senior dog when they go -- when they
get all gray and their soulful eyes, their crystal blue eyes looking with a certain amount of wisdom. Like they know things. They've seen things.
COOPER: Are you talking about dogs?
RIPA: Huh?
COOPER: Are you -- I think you found your next, you know, cohost right there.
RIPA: Cohost? Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. I --
COOPER: Marny and Sugarplum.
RIPA: Yeah.
COOPER: Our next hero rescues thousands of senior dogs in California. To share her story is a supporter of so many causes including Red and God's
Love We Deliver which brings nutritious meals to people too sick to cook themselves, the star of "A Series of Unfortunate Events", Neal Patrick
Harris.
RIPA: Go for it.
NEIL PATRICK HARRIS, AMERICAN ACTOR: Yes. Look at this. Can I just say off-script? I am so inspired and moved to be here tonight. This is
unbelievable. What you guys are doing is phenomenal.
There are a million reasons as to why senior dogs arrive at a shelter but there is one reason all of us should try and bring one home. Love. Am I
right? Sherri Franklin experienced that love every time she took a senior dog for a walk at our local shelter in San Francisco. But the place was
loud and cold and she thought that those dogs deserved better. Dogs deserved better. Am I right?
Sherri started Muttville to provide a safe place where senior dogs receive care and are prepared for adoption. Since 2007, 4000 dogs have found new
homes. That's 4000 slobbering kisses, hugs and drool covered tennis balls to these blessed creatures who is still love us, flaws and all.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I haven't had a best friend ever in my whole life like Tiger. I love you. When we adopted him, everyone thought he would bite.
But when I came in, he just came right up to me and I saw that spark in his eyes saying, "I don't bite. I just like barking." And like talking, so we
were actually a perfect match together.
SHERRI FRANKLIN, FOUNDER, MUTTVILLE: Hi, Cherry. Old dogs have so much to give. I'm going to spring you today.
Let's go, mama.
They know you are offering them that second chance.
Let's get you in, OK? Hi, everybody.
When an old dog in a shelter gets to Muttville, it's like woo-hoo. Our dogs get the gold treatment.
Baby, it's Dexter. Yes. You're going to get groomed today, mama. We get them all fixed up.
Oh, look at that. Do you feel better?
And the adoption process will start right after they get cleaned up and vetted. Chulo's got a new mommy because he is getting adopted.
[15:55:03] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I need somebody to hug.
FRANKLIN: And he needs you to hug him.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you even know what just happened to you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eventually they will die. Before they do, I want to give them a life that they can remember.
Tiger, Tiger, Tiger, Tiger.
I hope that they will always stay with me in my heart.
FRANKLIN: These dogs have taught me so much. They've taught me about what is important. Love is important.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Join me in honoring CNN Hero Sherri Franklin.
FRANKLIN: First of all, a tongue like that, that's called the Muttville salute. I am so proud to be in the company of these inspirational people
who saw something that needed to be done and went for it. When I started Muttville, senior dogs were routinely euthanized in every shelter. We're
changing that. We believe that age should never be a death sentence. During this holiday season, there are over a million animals in shelters
all over this country waiting for your love. Please adopt. Thank you, CNN.
RIPA: Hi again.
COOPER: Hello.
RIPA: So, this is what Anderson and I looked like back in middle school.
COOPER: Yes. That was the year before I went gray.
RIPA: Yes. I know. Were you a good student?
COOPER: You have a bow in your hair just like Sugarpop or --
RIPA: Sure. Yes. Sugarplum.
COOPER: Sugarplum.
RIPA: We are sisters from another mister. Literally. Were you a good student?
COOPER: Yeah. I was, yeah. I was, yeah.
RIPA: Yeah.
COOPER: I was often crying which is why I look so soulful there. It's between meetings with my friends.
RIPA: Oh.
COOPER: Many schools have incorporated our CNN Heroes into their service curriculum. And as we celebrate the 10th Anniversary, it heartens us to
know that our show is encouraging a whole new generation to become change makers. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN O'CONNOR, MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER: As a fifth grade SOL Studies teacher, I'm constantly wondering what am I going to do in here that these
kids are going to remember and is going to help them down the road.
COOPER: Welcome the CNN Heroes and all-start tribute.
NORTON: I discovered the CNN Hero shows and I just kept thinking I need to show this to the kids in school. As you're watching think about what makes
your heart feel good. Here we go.
I've never had any specialized training in dealing with people with disabilities. But I know the bomb, ready? Reach.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
NORTON: Reach, reach.
You can't help but be moved by the goodness just radiating off of these people. All right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We got it, Ned.
NORTON: Yeah, you got it. Beautiful.
So here's what we are going to do next. We are going to jot down as many of these awesome qualities that we noticed.
END
