And we begin with the attacks that have shaken two u. S. Communities during the holiday season. In texas, a man opened fire killing two people during a Church Service before he was shot by armed parishioners. We will have details in just a moment. And then also in monsey, new york, the suspect accused of stabbing five people during a hanukkah celebration inside a rabbis home, that suspect has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and first degree burglary. The attorney for Grafton Thomas says that he has a long history of Mental Illness. And we must warn you the video youre about to see may be disturbing. These are photos from inside the rabbis home right after that attack. You can see blood on the floor and chairs overturned. Despite the attack, the Jewish Community in that area, they continued with the celebrations on sunday. That was the eve of the final day of hanukkah. Cnns alison kosik has more now on what happened. Reporter were learning more about the suspect, how 38yearold Grafton Thomas got inside the rabbis home. According to police and witnesses, he walked through the front door. It was unlocked, but that wasnt unusual. The rabbi often left the door unlocked, had an opendoor policy during celebrations like the one that were happening that night. It was the seventh day of hanukkah. Almost 100 people were inside the house. A guest at the celebration tells us it was during the moment that the rabbi was lighting the menorah that thomas allegedly walked in with a long machetetype knife and began his stabbing spree. Five people were stabbed including the rabbis own son. One of the guests is being hailed as a hero. Joseph gluck, he talked with cnn telling us that he threw a coffee table at the suspect and wrote down his license plate number before he fled. And thats a good thing because the car was electronically tagged as it drove across the George Washington bridge and into harlem. Thats where Police Caught up with him, as you can see in this nypd video. Police apprehending thomas. They say he was covered in blood. Prosecutors at his arraignment would later say that he also smelled of bleach, indicating that he was trying to cover up a crime. Cnn talked with a pastor and longtime friend of thomas who defended thomas, saying that he isnt a terrorist, and hes not a violent person. In monsey, new york, im alison kosik. Now back to you. Thanks, alison. The brutal nature of the attack is striking a chord with jewish communities around the world. Cnns Oren Liebermann has reaction from israel. Reporter news of the attack broke early sunday morning in israel just as the country was starting its workweek and getting ready for the eighth and final night of hanukkah. The chairman of the Jewish Agency says the attack in monsey, new york, turned the festival of lights into dark days. On the holidays when jews are supposed to be able to feel their safest, whether theyre celebrating at home or in a synagogue or with a congregation, these are the days when jews are being targeted. We saw it obviously with the attack here in monsey, new york, on the seventh night of hanukkah and we saw it in pittsburgh and san diego, two attacks that happened on the sabbath. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack at his weekly cabinet meeting. Translator israeli strongly condemns the brutal attack in the middle of hanukkah holiday at the rabbis house in monsey, new york. Reporter beyond offering well wishes, netanyahu pledged israels aid to any country thats interested in looking for help in fighting antisemitism. Next month israel will host a conference about antisemitism at israels holocaust museum. The conference will coincide with the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the auschwitz concentration camp. Heads of state will be here, World Leaders and dignitaries trying to figure out and discuss how to fight antisemitism. At least part of that answer is education, education about antisemitism and about the holocaust. But it will take more than that. This conference has taken on added significance in light of the attack in monsey and all of the other antisemitic incidents in new york and elsewhere. As the chairman of the Jewish Agency pointed out, antisemitism is a symptom of a bigger problem. He said it begins with the jews, but it never ends with just the jews. This isnt a problem only in monsey or new york or america, and it should be treated as a much bigger phenomenon. Oren liebermann, cnn, jerusalem. Fighting antisemitism, it is front and center. To talk more about it now, live from london, gideon falter is with you, the chairman of the campaign against antisemitism. Its good to have you with us. Good morning. Obviously the focus right now is on what happened in monsey, new york. Theres still a lot of questions about the suspects motive, questions about Mental Illness. But just in this past week alone in new york state, there have been several incidents targeting jews, and it plays into a trend across the United States, an increase in hate crimes against jews in new york and nationally. From a global perspective, how concerned are you about a rise in antisemitism . This is something very worrying because for a lot of American Jews, theyve observed whats been going on in europe and other parts of the world with horror and with mounting fear for jews around the world. But they have been thinking that in the United States, the same sort of phenomenon wouldnt take root. And then of course with each attack from pittsburgh to poway, now to all of the attacks happening in new york and this weekends attack in monsey, weve seen that sense of safety of American Jews really shattered by whats been happening. And what were now seeing is that the exact same trends, attacking jews around the world, are now starting to threaten American Jews as well. In certain ways, American Jews are even more at risk than jews around the world because in europe we have hate crime laws. We have strong gun control laws. In the United States, those things are not in existence. So what you have is the ability of people to incite hatred against jews much more easily and to carry out their attacks and their weapons for their attacks much more easily. Without taking a view on gun control or issues like that, there are certainly a couple of areas where the United States does seem to have very little focus although theres been a little bit of a change in that under President Trump. One is the social Media Networks which have become real incubators of antisemitism. What were seeing a lot of time after these attacks against American Jews is a discovery that perpetrators were radicalized online. Thats where they learned to hate jews. Thats where they planned their attacks. Were also seeing a lot of antisemitism and incitement incubation on university campuses. I think thats why the executive order the president signed just now has been so important because it has enabled jewish students on campuses to make use of the International Definition of antisemitism, and i believe that the first lawsuit has already been filed against a university over its antisemitism on campus. I think what were seeing now is the entry of american jury into that wider global phenomenon of antisemitism. And as one of your contributors just said earlier, what starts with the jews never ends with the jews. And the other question you touched on this as far as people getting access to that type of material online, the mainstreaming of antisemitism, where people feel more emboldened, people feel free to engage in this hateful behavior, is there a concern that when one incident happens, that it encourages another and then another and then another . I certainly think thats what weve seen in the United States. You know, the pittsburgh attack was the largest attack on american soil in peacetime, domestic terrorism attack. And you see Something Like that happen, and then you see an attempt to repeat it at poway. You see whats going on in the new york in the Greater New York city area where you see these attacks happening against jews. And i think what were seeing in america is very similar to what weve seen in other parts of the world, including britain, including europe, where perpetrators see that there is no real consequence for attacking jews. They understand there is no major attempt to find them, to find the perpetrators, to prosecute them, to put them in prison. And so with each attack, what were also seeing is this gives power to those people who are inciting this hatred. And some of the conspiracy theories we see about jews, once somebody attacks jews in the name of that conspiracy theory, it emboldens other people who also believe those conspiracy theories then also carry out attacks. Gideon, just briefly here, a very important question. Do you feel that enough is being done to curb this trend . No, and thats not just in the United States. Thats globally. We are seeing a massive resurgence of antisemitism in living memory of the holocaust. We are seeing jews who feel so threatened in some countries that they are feeling that they are forced to leave. We are seeing now the murder of American Jews at their places of worship, in the places where they just go about their daily lives, community centers, their shops even. Now is the time for the american authorities as well as authorities across europe particularly to stand up and say this is an area where were going to have masses of resources of Law Enforcement to actually protect ou jewish communities because if they do not do that now, it will soon become too late. We appreciate your time. Thank you. And now we turn to the Deadly Church shooting in texas. Cnn has obtained video of the attack just outside of fort worth. We do want to warn you it is very disturbing. Just watch the top of your screen here. The whole attack unfolded in just six seconds. The shooter killed two people before two parishioners returned fire killing the gunman. Our Paul Vercammen has more now. Reporter streaming video of the Church Service shows a man sitting in the back. He stands up and begins firing with a long gun. According to authorities, two parishioners also security guards, volunteer guards, returned fire. And within six seconds, the suspect is taken down. According to authorities, the gunman died on the way to the hospital, but so did two of the parishioners. The senior minister from the church said evil invaded our home, and he said two men have left a legacy. We lost two great men today, but it could have been a lot worse. And im thankful that our government has allowed us the opportunity to protect ourselves. We have a congregation here of openhearted people. We help people. Were here to help people. And to have Something Like this happen destroys my heart. Reporter those men being praised as heroes by the pastor and by Law Enforcement officials. They say there were 240 members of the congregation or so whose lives were spared. We understand that two people were also injured during the crossfire according to the ambulance company. They had ducked during that fire and hit their heads. They were treated and released. Now, as for that gunman, according to Law Enforcement officials, he was transient but had roots in the area. He had had contact with Law Enforcement before, arrests contact in multiple different jurisdictions. Reporting from los angeles, im Paul Vercammen. Now back to you. Thanks for that. Earlier cnns jessica dean spoke with Texas Attorney general ken paxton and asked him what can be done to keep people safe. We cant stop this from happening in all cases. Theres just no way we can predict what every person in our states going to do. I think a focus on Mental Illness is obviously something we need to be mindful of. But the reality is i think our laws in texas allow for allow us to protect ourselves. So more people need to carry in our state in churches, in places of business, so that if Something Like this horrible thing does happen, at least we have people that can react and save the lives of those around them. Yeah, and we dont know details yet of how this gunman got a hold of his gun, what his state of mind was. That is information that will come out in the days to come. In the meantime, what message do you want to send tonight to the people there in White Settlement and to people, you know, who are going to worship like the people in new york, the Jewish Community in new york who may be afraid right now, people in texas who may be afraid right now to go to their church . Well, i do know that theres always discussion about, you know, imposing more gun restrictions. The reality is somebody like this who is willing to kill somebody is unlikely to follow a gun law. And so we need to continue to be vigilant, and we need to allow our citizens to protect themselves. Exactly what happened tonight or today, and im so grateful for the Quick Reaction because what happened in other churches, you know, about a year ago, in other places around my state when people were not armed, we had a lot more people die. Still ahead here on cnn newsroom, u. S. Air strikes targeted a Militia Group backed by iran. Well tell you where the attacks happened and the impact theyve had as newsroom continues. Stay with us. Welcome back, everyone. Well, the u. S. Has carried out air strikes in iraq and syria, hitting facilities linked to an iranianbacked militia. U. S. Officials say the strikes are meant to defer the group from aggressive behavior against american forces. They blame the militia for recent attacks on iraqi bases including one that killed a u. S. Contractor on friday. Cnns arwa damon joins us now from istanbul with more. So, arwa, what more are you learning about the impact of the u. S. Air strikes in iraq and syria . Reporter well, there is great concern about what the potential repercussions of these strikes are going to be. Now, of the five strikes, three occurred inside iraq. The other two in syria, and all were targeting this militia that is known as Kataib Hezbollah. Now, this militia is under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilization forces. That is the predominantly shia force that was instrumental as a ground unit to bring about the defeat of isis in iraq. But it is a militia, an entity that was formed specifically to respond to isis, but it brought underneath its fold all of these other smaller groups like Kataib Hezbollah that are very allied to iran. Now, the u. S. Secretary of defense reportedly called the iraqi caretaker Prime Minister to warn him that these attacks were going to be taking place about half an hour before they were actually launched. The Prime Minister saying, no, please stop these attacks, but the u. S. Went ahead despite that. Now we are hearing from the upper echelons of the Iraqi Government that this was a violation of the iraqs sovereignty and that it could lead to a very serious escalation in the future. Iraq has, for some time now, really found itself stuck between the United States and iran, and this is a position that iraq has repeatedly warned is untenable because ultimately the use of iraq as a proxy battlefield between washington and tehran is extraordinarily destabilizing for the country at a time when it can hardly afford it, rosemary. And just very quickly, u. S. Officials say that the aim of these strikes is to avoid further aggression, but you indicate there it sounds like the worry is that this could actually lead to some sort of retaliation. Reporter well, if we look at iraqs history since 2003, there have very rarely been occasions where the u. S. Military has responded in this kind of a manner, especially when it comes to these shia Militia Groups, which are known as the special groups during the u. S. Led occupation of iraq that were at the forefront of attacks against u. S. Forces. Very rarely have counterattacks by the u. S. Against them not led to some sort of very serious escalation, and that is the main concern that iraq has at this stage. It doesnt want to once again, as i was saying, be used as a proxy battlefield between these two forces. And iraq right now is in severe political turmoil. Remember, the Prime Minister stepped down earlier in december following mass protests in baghdad. Hes now the caretaker Prime Minister. The president himself has missed two deadlines to nominate a Prime Minister simply because the candidates being put forward by the political blocs are viewed as being too linked to iran. So on the one hand, you have forces within iraq who are trying to move iraq from iranian influence, but then you have an escalation like this one carried out by the u. S. As a retaliation for an attack carried out by these iranian proxies that risks driving certain elements within iraq further towards iran. So theres so many factors at stake when we look at everything that this could potentially implicate, all of whom have a direct effect on the stability of iraq. Right. Arwa damon joining us there with that live report from istanbul. Many thanks. Somalia says that it conducted several air strikes in coordination with the United States military against alshabaab. This comes just one day after a Suicide Attack in mogadishu, an attack that killed dozens of people. Following this story, our farai sif enzo is in nairobi in neighboring kenya with details. Farai, is there any indication that these air strikes had anything to do with direct retaliation for that Suicide Attack that we saw in somalias capital over the weekend . Reporter absolutely, george. Good morning to you. Yes, since last time we spoke, events moved rather quickly. It was indeed a retaliatory strike by the federal government of somalia in partnership with the u. S. Command. We learned from the government spokesman, who told cnn that, yes, the strike demonstrated the resolve of the federal government of somalia and its partners in continuing the fight against alshabaab, and it was a response to saturdays attack. Remember, 79 people died. Our reporter in mogadishu tells us people are still flooding the hospitals in search of their lost loved ones. Indeed the u. S. Africa command did not mince their words. Let me read you a section of what was said. He said, alshabaab, they have killed african bapartners, alli. They are a global menace. So of course we have seen as we cover this story, george, many drone strikes against militants from al shabaab, and we gather that several leaders were killed in sundays attack, leaders of alshabaab, that is. This still raises the question that despite all these attacks, despite the presence of troops and despite all the drone attacks, al shabaab still manages to kill so many somalis. This attack happened near a university, so students, complete innocents, the brightest somali citizens in their country, theyve all lost their lives because this menace just will not go away, george. Farai, live for us in nairobi. Thank you for the insight and the reporting. The russian president , Vladimir Putin, is crediting the United States for helping to prevent a terror attack in his country. According to russias Intelligence Agency, u. S. Information led to the arrest of two russians on suspicion of plotting a new years attack in st. Petersburg. The kremlin says Vladimir Putin expressed his gratitude in a phone call to the u. S. President donald trump on sunday. For those of you watching around the world, thank you for being with us. The 100 club is next on cnn international. If youre joining us from here in the United States, do stay tuned. Well have more news for you on the other side of the break. Sometimes your small screen is your big screen. And with the Xfinity Stream app, which is free with your service, you can take a spin through on demand shows, or stream live tv. Download your dvrd shows and movies on the fly. Even record from right where you are. Whether youre travelling around the country or around the house, keep what you watch with you. Download the Xfinity Stream app and watch all the shows you love. Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States. Youre watching cnn newsroom. Im rosemary church. And im George Howell with the headlines were following for you this morning. U. S. Forces struck five facilities in iraq and syria linked to an iranianbacked militia. The United States says the air strikes are in response to recent attacks on iraqi bases that host american troops, including the one that killed a u. S. Contractor on friday. The u. S. Warned it would take further action if necessary. The kremlin says russian president Vladimir Putin thanked President Trump sunday for helping to prevent a terrorist attack. Russias Intelligence Agency said a tip from washington led to the arrest of two russians suspected of planning attacks in st. Petersburg during new years celebrations. In texas, police are trying to find out the motive behind a Deadly Church shooting there just outside the city of fort worth. Two people were killed during a Church Service on sunday. Authorities say two parishioners who were also volunteer members of the Church Security team returned fire, killing the shooter. A resilient Jewish Community in monsey, new york, will be celebrating hanukkah on monday despite a terrible attack at a rabbis home. The suspect, Grafton Thomas, is accused of stabbing five people on saturday. His Attorney Says that he has a history of Mental Illness, and hes pleading not guilty. We now have video of the moment he was arrested in new york city. Two officers stopped his car, and he was handcuffed without a struggle. Meanwhile, new york citys mayor is promising to increase security in front of homes and Worship Centers so people feel safe. And were hearing from the mayor of new york, bill de blasio, telling cnn that the Jewish Community just wants to feel safe, but he says it appears antisemitic attacks are on the rise. I think its a combination of real fear that weve seen these attacks now all over the country, most horribly at the tree of life synagogue in pittsburgh. And theres a fear that antisemitism is growing in america and becoming more and more violent. And for folks, thats very personal. Its literally if their kids go out in the street, are they going to be endangered . If they wear a symbol of their religion, will they become a target . Its getting very, very personal. What the Jewish Community is asking for is support and protection, and what i announced today was three things. One, more nypd presence in jewish communities, more security cameras, the physical measures, but also the communitybased measures. Were going to have patrols of Community Folks who go out, working with the nypd, from a variety of ethnic backgrounds to make sure particularly if young people are in any way, shape, or form thinking of getting involved in hate crimes and anything negative, that theres intervention, that theres Community Members out there to find them and put them on the right path and stop them from doing the wrong thing. And then lastly in our schools, we have to continue to improve our curriculum to talk about the consequences of hate. If someone commits an act of antisemitism, well, they may think thats against a different community, but you know what . Thats eventually going to come back to hurt you and your own community because that hatred spreads and never ends up in a good place. Joining me now on the phone is cedric alexander. He is the former chief of police for Dekalb County in georgia, and he was a member of president Barack Obamas task force on 21st century policing. Hes also author of the book the new guardians policing in americas communities for the 21st century. Thank you so much for being with us. Thank you for having me. So new yorks governor says words are not enough, and its time for action. Hes calling this attack domestic terrorism. Do you agree . Well, certainly. I think new york is probably better than anyone in terms of having to have dealt with a great deal of terrorism, and certainly i think the governors move to put into effect his hate Crime Task Force was clearly evident of them taking this attack upon the Jewish Community last night very seriously. So i think youre going to see a lot of cooperation there between the state and local and federal Law Enforcement who are going to seek out as much information and intelligence information as they can as to what was the motive behind this attack. And even just as importantly, to begin to look at other attacks to the Jewish Community around this country and particularly around the new York Community over the last week, over the last month, and a number of years. Right. Because theres clearly an uptick in attacks towards our jewish communities here in this country. But we can also note that other communities of color and those in the gay and lesbian and Transgender Community have also seen an increase in violence. Right. And that is something that is just not going to be tolerated here in the United States. And i do want to read you a statement from the Antidefamation League saying, this is at least the tenth antisemitic incident to hit the new york area in just the last week. When will enough be enough . Its time for leaders everywhere, jewish and nonjewish, to recognize that additional actions to protect the Jewish Community are urgent. The Jewish Community is under assault. All of america must hear our cry. So, cedric alexander, how should Law Enforcement agencies, especially on the local level, respond to this . Well, not just local Law Enforcement, but how do we as a community as a whole, both Public Safety at our local, state, and federal level have already begun to investigate. Theyre doing things to add patrols to jewish communities there in and around new york. But in addition, you have a governor and a State Government there that is certainly going to do everything that they can to keep the Jewish Community and other communities safe. And the Jewish Community is absolutely right. An attack upon their community is an attack upon all of us. And as a nation, its something we cannot stand for. So it is incumbent that all of us in this country speak out publicly, verbally, public, not just at home, but speak out against this type of violence that is currently occurring in our jewish communities across this country. And its something none of us can tolerate, and it puts all of us at extreme risk. Yeah, and certainly the governor of new york has made it clear he will not tolerate this. So how much cooperation is there between the hasidic Jewish Community particularly and police, and could a better relationship between the two perhaps help prevent more violence and attacks like this . Well, you know, i dont i cant you know, i dont know the history between the Hasidic Community there and nypd. But i do know this, that i have a number of friends and colleagues within nypd, and they work diligently every day to make sure that they establish and maintain relationships throughout that entire community. So i am pretty confident that the Hasidic Community and nypd are working together collaboratively to make sure that that Community Remains safe. Theres reports that are currently going out today, and we heard them from the governor, is that there are going to be increased patrols in and around certain jewish communities and in certain locations. So it is just not incumbent upon police. Its incumbent upon all of us, the citizens there in new york and across this nation to do what we can to keep those in the Jewish Community and those that are part of other groups that may feel that they are being threatened and have experienced violence. It is just something that none of us can tolerate and we must stick together, do this, and stand with those in the Jewish Community who are certainly seeing this type of violence being imposed upon them for the last number of days. It is just absolutely unacceptable for any of us to stand on the sidelines. Cedric alexander, thank you so much for talking with us. We appreciate it. Thank you for having me. The latest battle for a u. S. Civil rights icon is personal. Congressman john lewis opens up about his health and what lies ahead. I got this Mountain Bike for only 11. Dealdash. Com, the fair and honest bidding site. An ipad worth 505, was sold for less than 24; a playstation 4 for less than 16; and a schultz 4k television for less than 2. I won these bluetooth headphones for 20. I got these three suitcases for less than 40. And shipping is always free. Go to dealdash. Com right now and see how much you can save. A u. S. Civil rights icon now faces a battle for his health. John lewis says that hes been diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. He writes in a statement, quote, i have been in some kind of fight for freedom, equality, basic human rights for nearly my entire life. I have never faced a fight quite like the one that i have now. Please keep me in your prayers as i begin this journey. Lewis has received well wishes from across the country including from former president barack obama. He says if theres one thing i love about representative john lewis, its his incomparable will to fight. I know hes got a lot more of that left in him. Praying for you, my friend. Cnns chief medical correspondent dr. Sanjay gupta talked about the possible treatments for john lewis. Its obviously a tough diagnosis. People who have heard of pancreatic cancer at all know its a challenging cancer, and when its stage four, that basically means the cancer has spread somewhere outside of the pancreas itself. So thats what that statement is basically telling us. You know, he also talks about the fact that he had this diagnosed on a routine visit, and thats important to note. I think part of the reason this cancer is often found late is because theres no symptoms typically. And i think thats what the congressman was telling us. One of the goals typically, if its earlier cancer is to rye and remove the cancer surgically. If its stage four, that means the cancer has spread, so surgical removal is not going to be a cure. Thats one thing that doctors are sort of thinking about in terms of going forward. They may do surgery to if theres blockages or something that the cancer is pushing on to sort of relieve that pressure. But really most likely its going to be some form of chemotherapy and possibly radiation. But typically chemotherapy is given into the bloodstream and specifically targets these cells and tries to prevent them from growing. Lewis has represented the atlanta area in the u. S. House since he was first elected back in 1986. Cnn Political Correspondent dana bash describes his stature in congress. When it comes to his role in American History and obviously more recently his 30plus years in congress, its hard to overstate how much of an impact hes had, first of all, on that bridge in selma, alabama, i had the honor of going back with him. He does this every year. He makes a pilgrimage, a bipartisan pilgrimage, takes some reporters with him in order to tell the story of what happened in 1965 when he was walking across that bridge with so many other civil rights activists just for the sole purpose of getting the right to vote for africanamericans. And he got his head bashed in. Mmhmm. He almost didnt survive. He said he remembers feeling like he was going to die. He was 25 years old, and that moment was really a turning point in the movement for africanamericans to get the right to vote, that led to the Voting Rights act. And that was such a critical time that, as i said, he makes a point of bringing people back every single year. Sometimes its the president. Sometimes its, you know, firstterm members of congress from across the aisle, republicans and democrats. Its a really, really special event that he does. But also in washington, john lewis is the heart and soul of the Democratic Caucus. Mmhmm. And even beyond the Democratic Caucus. When theres a big fight coming up, whether its a policy fight or even a political fight, the Democratic Caucus turns to him many, many times for the leadership that they know he can give, for the sort of the heart and the soul that they know he can provide. You know, he always says we need to get into trouble, good trouble. A true icon. The sacrifice by people like him opened the door for my parents, for me. Its so important to pull for him. He has been a great leader. Indeed. And shown great leadership too. Indeed. Well be right back after the break. Super emma just about sleeps in her cape. But when we realized she was battling sensitive skin, we switched to tide pods free gentle. Its gentle on her skin, and dermatologist recommended. Tide free gentle. Safe for skin with psoriasis and eczema. The climate crisis, a Measles Outbreak, and the Opioid Epidemic all made news in 2019. Cnns chief medical correspondent dr. Sanjay gupta takes a look at the Top Health Headlines of the year. Reporte reporter beyond some of the hottest temperatures on record and month after month of natural disasters, 2019 also showed us how Climate Change is directly impacting our health. It also makes it so these plants have less of the good stuff like zinc, iron, and protein. Its turning some of the best foods we humans have into junkier food. The cannabis craze is here to stay, and as we reported in our documentary weed 5, this year was all about cbd. While there have been some remarkable stories of success as weve shown you, no medicine works for everyone, not even cbd. It wasnt the benefit that they were necessarily seeking. All of it underlying how much we still have to learn when it comes to cannabis. We also saw some major recalls, including several popular heart medications, including one known as lo skrks artin. Also pharmaceutical giant allergan issued a recall of breast implants and tissue expanders. They were found to have been linked to a rare cancer. Some of the best news of 2019 came in our fight against hiv aids. At januarys state of the union, President Trump announced his commitment to ending the aids epidemic. My budget will ask democrats and republicans to make the needed commitment to eliminate the hiv epidemic in the United States within ten years. Scientists also discovered a new strain of hiv for the first time in nearly two decades. It doesnt pose a new threat, but it did prove that the current testing for hiv continues to be effective. Also good news in new york city. They hit their hiv aids target two years early, meaning now more than 90 of people who have hiv are on treatment. I still cant believe this one. U. S. Life expectancy continues to be on the decline despite the fact that the United States spends more on health care per capita than any other country in the world. Suicides, dhoalcohol related illnesses and drug overdoses are largely to blame. Which brings us to the Opioid Epidemic. The odds of dying from an opioid overdose in the United States are greater than those of dying in a vehicle crash. In october, two ohio counts received a landmark settlement of 260 million from a top drug maker and three major drug distributors. We need resources from the parties that caused this problem. They need to make it right, and thats the benchmark that this sets. Reporter the spotlight on the importance of vaccines continued to shine as the United States saw the largest Measles Outbreak since it was declared eliminated back in 2000. There have been more than 1,200 individual cases that have been confirmed across 30 states, and still there are people out there that are not getting vaccinated. I said it before, and ill say it again. Antibiotic resistance is one of the Biggest Health concerns of our time because its creating these superbugs that have the ability to outsmart even our most sophisticated medications. You can pick something up just about anywhere. It literally has the potential to affect every person on the plant. A report shows a person dies from one of these superbugs every 15 minutes in the United States. Thats about 35,000 deaths every year from superbugs. In 2019, a story that started out as a cause for concern turned into a fullon outbreak. The cdc has narrowed its investigation into the vapinglinked lung disease. Reporter since the first report of a vapingrelated death in august, all 50 states have now been hit by this illness. That includes more than 2,000 that have been hospitalized and more than 50 deaths. The outbreak of pulmonary injury associated with vaping or ecigarettes is an emergency. Were seeing young people become critically ill and die. The cdc has zeroed in on thc products and a cutting agent known as vitamin e acetate. I think the larger issue is the staggering rise in vaping among young people. How would you describe the vaping situation in your school . It got kind of bad last year. Some people did it too much, like a lot too much, and it escalated, i think. Reporter the cdc says that more than 6 million middle and High School Students used a tobacco product this year. Thats up from about 4. 9 million last year and ecigarettes were found to be the most common. Many organizations are pushing for a fullon ban now of flavored ecigarettes. Theres others that worry that a ban would hurt those who do use ecigarettes successfully as a Smoking Cessation tool. There have been some big issues in 2019 but a lot of possible solutions here as well. Heres to 2020. Yes, indeed. Thanks for your company. Im rosemary church. And im George Howell. Early start is next. For a cold sore, i dont use some waxy cover up. I use herpecin l, it penetrates deep to treat. It soothes moisturizes and creates a spf 30 barrier to protect against flare ups caused by the sun. Herpecin l. It does more for a cold sore. Horrific attacks on people of faith. Two people shot to death at a texas church. Jews stabbed at a hanukkah party. Larger massacres narrowly averted in both cases. A civil rights icon faces the battle of a lifetime. Congressman john lewis has up pancreatic cancer. Were going to let you know what one man is going with