Planes have been taking off in atlanta. And people who were supposed to travel today from that airport. Stay tuned. We have a live report from atlantas airport in just a few moments. Its a very busy night of news. First, President Trump saying he has no intention of getting rid of special counsel Robert Mueller. Listen. No, im not. So the president s insistence, however, comes as his own Transition Team launches new attacks against the special counsel. It accuses Robert Mueller of unlawfully obtaining thousands of transition emails. It claims the documents were private property even though they were on government servers and registered to gov. Com addresses. This is significant theyre putting this out defending the investigation. A spokesman says, quote, when we have obtained emails in the course of our ongoing criminal investigation, we have secured either the account owners consent or appropriate criminal process. President trump and Vladimir Putin appear to be gaining a close relationship. Today the two talked for the second time in four days. First to these transition emails. What are the Transition Team and the white house saying about this . Reporter the trump Transition Team is making the case that Robert Mueller obtained these emails unlawfully. This winds down to a dispute between the General Services administration and the trump Transition Team over who actually owns these emails. The General Services administration provided email services and support for the Transition Team during the transition, and as you mentioned, they used a dotgov domain. Theyre maintaining these are part of the public record, they belong in the public domain, so they didnt really have any issues legally handing them over to the special counsel and Robert Mueller. Well, the executive director of the trump Transition Team spoke to me this afternoon, and he refutes that idea. He says there was an agreement in place, an understanding between the Transition Team and the gsa that though the gsa was providing the transition with email support, the Transition Team owned those emails. It was their property, and, therefore, they had discretion over who they could or could not be shared with. Higgen went further and tried to create some space between the Transition Team and the white house in light of several comments from republicans that this is a sign that Robert Muellers investigation is tainted. Nahigian telling me he does not speak to the white house, he doesnt have an official relationship with them. We did hear from the president about this as he was returning from camp david. Heres some of what the president said about how Robert Mueller obtained these emails. Mr. President , do you believe your Transition Team emails were improperly taken . Not looking good. Its not looking good. Its quite sad to see that, so my people were very upset about it. I cant imagine there is anything on them, frankly, because as we said, there is no collusion. There is no collusion whatsoever, but a lot of lawyers thought that was pretty sad. Reporter so the president saying it is quite sad the way Robert Mueller obtained these emails. This all maintains a stronger interest with those emails and the meeting thats supposed to take place between the Trump Legal Team and Robert Mueller. What can you tell us about the meeting that took place today . The two leaders speaking for the second time in just a few days. Apparently the russian leader thanked President Trump for the United States role in thwarting a terrorist attack being planned in st. Petersburg on a cathedral there. Apparently they had gained information about an isis plot to blow up a cathedral there, potentially causing hundreds of casualties, so that was what was discussed between President Trump and Vladimir Putin today. The white house put out a readout of this call saying this is an example of the good that can come from cooperation between the two countries, ana. Here to offer some perspective on all of this, foreign Senior Adviser and former federal prosecutor michael zeldin. He has worked closely at the justice department. Is it normal to work with the the russians, and if so, is it often made public . We share intelligence with the russians after we go through a process to make sure its releasable and we share it in a way that doesnt compromise theories and methods. Remember last month President Trump shared something in the oval office that wasnt supposed to be shared . It does look like this time this was appropriately vetted and it was releasable. It is interesting to note, however, that the cia was probably sharing this information with russian counterparts in the Russian Intelligence Services that were probably part of russias attack on the United States. So while theyre working together on thwarting a terrorist attack, i imagine the cia is deeply aware that the very people theyre speaking to has an ongoing interest in undermining the cia and this investigation broadly. Coming on the heels of the Oval Office Meeting, which we all remember, the president got a lot of flak when those pictures were revealed and they were said to have exchanged intelligence information. Given what comes of sharing intelligence information and highly classified information with russia, does it help the trump team support their idea that sharing intel with other countries, including russia, is a common practice, so maybe that Oval Office Meeting wasnt as big of a deal as was made . As samantha said, though, that wasnt the process that was followed when you share information. You dont just blurt out in the oval office that hes fired an fbi director that will relieve pressure on him. Sharing as we saw today is appropriate, and is in the best interests of both countries to this exchange. Samantha, do you think putin was really genuine in his thanks to the president , given this is a guy who has previously said no way his country, his Intelligence Officers medaleddln the election, and if it was, putin wouldnt be able to figure it out . Anything that he can do even with the americans to thwart what he will probably call domestic terrorism under any scenario, hell be genuine about. I do think, though, it is ironic, to use your word from earlier, we now have two leaders cherry picking what information from the cia they credit us with. We know that president putin has a track record of not. We know that President Trump has unfortunately denigrated the cia. But now, on this particular thread, both leaders are choosing to treat the cia analysis as credible. I hope that that forebodes more respect for the cia going forward. Michael, i want to ask you about these emails that were obtained by muellers team. Thousands of trump Transition Team emails. Does it appear to you that he may have gotten his hands on these illegally . Well, its impossible to know. What muellers office said was that they acquired them either by consent, that they acquire emails either by consent or by process, which would be a subpoena or a summons. Assuming they did that, then there is no illegality to their position, and the complaints from the Transition Team that they own them and that they had a right to cull through them fir first. Sort of utility in the face of a criminal subpoena or consent. Samantha, the president says he doesnt think there is anything in these emails. I know you have some experience working with the white house involving security. What could be in these emails . Anything could be in the emails. Weve seen members of the campaign and the Transition Team have used these emails for subverting property, for example, when speaking with the russians about sanctions or votes with the u. N. I think thats interesting to see if theres any other attempts going around u. S. Policy. As well as engagements with foreign officials. We do know that the Trump Campaign and the Transition Team either had a series of emails they either didnt report or misreported in some way. The very clip at the top of the show, trump said he is not considering firing mueller. His attorney said that. Could this idea that President Trump could be fired be put to arrest now . He tells other politicians that to do so would have calamitous consequences. But thats not to say that people who want to sort of interfere with the credible organization do not want to bang that buck. The Transition Team has some good points about the act and whether it should be nullified. Then they go into this dialogue about mueller and the credibility of his team which makes the letters seem that much more political. I think well still see political attacks against mueller, but i dont think mueller is going to be fired any time soon. All right. Michael zeldin, veronica vinegarette. John mccain will miss the vote on the tax reform bill. He is on his way home. Hes spent several days at the hospital. He has brain cancer, as you know. He said to the white house that he had spoken with the senators wife and he wished him well. Watch. I did speak to cindy mccain. I wished her well, i wished john well. Theyve headed back, but i understand hell come if we ever needed his vote, which hopefully we wont. The word is john will come back if we need his vote. Mccain tweeting, thank you to everyone for their kind words. My father is doing well and we are all looking forward to spending christmas together in arizona. Senator mccain is 81 years old. Thousands of passengers stranded at the worlds Busiest Airport after a massive power outage. Well take you live to atlantas hartsfieldjackson airport next. Plus, fallen tribute. They stood along the roads and overpasses. Fire truck ladders, flags raised at half staff, all to honor a fallen comrade. To Southern California ahead, youre live in the cnn newsroom. Hes a nascar champion whos shes a worldclass swimmer whos stared down the best in her sport. But for both of them, the most challenging opponent was. Pe blood clots in my lung. It was really scary. A dvt in my leg. I had to learn all i could to help protect myself. My doctor and i choose xarelto® xarelto®. To help keep me protected. Xarelto® is a latestgeneration blood thinner. Thats proven to treat and reduce the risk of dvt and pe blood clots from happening again. In clinical studies, almost 98 of patients on xarelto® did not experience another dvt or pe. Heres how xarelto works. Xarelto® works differently. 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To help protect yourself from dvt and pe blood clots. Talk to your doctor about xarelto®. Theres more to know. Wildfires have taken a huge toll in Southern California. In the past two weeks, residents say the deadly fires have turned what was once a paradise into a war zone. Sadly, like any war, there is a human cost. Cory robinson died of burns and smoke inhalation while battling the flames last week. Firefighters held a silent procession for him today. His procession traveled to san diego where he worked as a firefighter and another woman who tried to flee from the flames of the thomas fire. The thomas fire has become the Third Largest and the seventh most destructive wildfire in california history. So far its burned more than 278,000 acres. More than 8,000 fire personnel are still fighting the fire. It is 40 contained. House and senate reached a tentative tax deal, so will the trend continue . Allison takes a look at the week ahead. Allison . Reporter its the moment the world has waited for. The goal was to have the tax reform bill on President Trumps desk by wednesday. They are in anticipation of this legislation and the market could rally even higher this week if the president signs it into law. Investors are salivating over the cut and the tax rate which falls to 21 down from a current rate of 35 . The gop argues lower corporate taxes will help everyday americans. But there is no guarantee companies will add jobs or raise wages. Wall street is clearly betting companies will use their tax cut to buy back stock and beef up dividends. In new york, im allison cosyk. Lets begin. Yes or no . Do you want the same tools and seamless experience across web and tablet . Do you want 4. 95 commissions for stocks, 0. 50 options contracts . 1. 50 futures contracts . What about a dedicated service team of trading specialists . Did you say yes . Good, then its time for power e trade. The platform, price and service that gives you the edge you need. Looks like we have a couple seconds left. Lets do some card twirling twirling cards e trade. The original place to invest online. Its the most wonderful time of the year ding dong, ding dong 50 gift card for them, 10 bonus card for you. Only at applebees. Now thats eatin good in the neighborhood. Give a little bit give a little bit. Hello. Give a little bit. Of your love to me oh, haha. Theres so much that we need to share so send a smile and show that you care ill give a little bit of my love to you good evening, im andy co men. We have some surprising news tonight its our breaking news. Right now a minor inconvenience for Airline Passengers is now a major nationwide travel emergency. The Busiest Airport in the United States, atlantas hartsfieldjackson international is in the dark right now. No power. The electricity suddenly went out around 1 00 this afternoon eastern time, more than five hours ago. Since then no planes have taken off. Planes that landed have not moved from the tarmac and thousands upon thousands of people are stuck inside the airport terminals with no word on what happens next. I want to go live to atlantas normally busy International Airport and now joining us is correspondent katy hartung who is on the phone with us. Kaylee, i know youve been trying to figure out what is going on. Whats the latest . Reporter ana, just like thousands of others here at this airport, i am trying to understand what caused this power outage and what happens next, and we have no understanding of why the power went out at the Atlanta Airport a little after 1 00. There is no explanation given to me or travelers in this airport when power will be brought back to speed in atlanta. Were told no flights will be taking off from this airport. That means no flights can come in, either. This airport ate standstill. What youre seeing now in terms of movement of passengers are people essentially evacuating themselves. They are not going to stick around a minute longer to wait for answers theyre not getting. What officials here are telling us is that their priority now is to get people out of the airport. Theyre not calling it a mandatory evacuation, but they would like very much for people not to stick around. There wont be lights inside this airport. They have now brought in, i should say, light towers like you see at a construction site run by generators at the outside area where you would meet someone to pick you up or the area around the ticket counters where theyre trying to communicate what they can to individuals to get them out of this airport. But still, so many questions and very few answers. Many frustrated travelers trying to find a place at this point just to lay their head down tonight. Kaylee, were looking at live pictures tonight outside the airport where we are seeing a lot of people pouring out. I imagine theyre trying to get rides out of there whether theyre heading back home or turning around or trying to link up with somebody else on the ground if theyre midtransit somewhere else. What are you hearing from some of these passengers . What are they being told . Reporter we have heard stories across the spectrum of the experiences theyve had inside this airport today. I would say the moment of the greatest sense of urgency came from the d terminal a couple hours ago when people started smelling smoke, seeing a little bit of it. One man described it as the smell of burnt rubber, another man said it smelled like an electrical fire of some sort. Passengers were mandatorily evacuated from that area. But then walking from the d terminal to the main course, usually a trip taken by the sky train which now, of course, isnt working with the power out. One group told me it took them about 30 minutes to make that walk in the dark with the lights flickering. Others telling me it took them closer to an hour. We would see passengers walking up to the stopped elevators after this walk. One woman told me her plane was equipped with stairs brought down, passengers then walking across the ramp of the tarmac and into the airport. Another flight there, i was told they actually manually pushed the jet bridge i should say airport workers manually pushed a jet bridge to the plane to deplane. That continues to be one of the priorities at this airport, to get the people who are still sitting on planes off of their planes onto solid ground and then hopefully out of this airport. But this process continues, and it will for many for several hours as they find a place to end their day. Kaylee, of course, the big question still remains, how did this happen . Ask t and the fact it did happen and that they dont have a backup generator is catching people by surprise. Jodi green, in the meantime, and her husband are among those stuck on a plane right now. Theyve been there since they landed at hartsfieldjackson International Airport for hours, and they were supposed to catch a connecting flight to their home in hartford, connecticut. That was more than five hours ago. Shes joining us on the phone right now. Jodi, whats going through your mind . The fact that i cant believe ive actually been on a plane for six hours sitting in the airport in the terminal. Ive seen it on the news before, people stuck on the plane on the runway, and i am now one of those people. So whats happening where you are . Im sorry . Jodi, i cant imagine the situation. What is happening where you are . Well, we were finally after five or so hours, we were going through a gate, and then it seems that the gate workers had a shift change, and there were no workers to meet us at the gate, and then we just had another announcement that we were going to a different gate, but were still at a standstill. Not at the airport yet, but listening to the report you just had, it appears there is no power in the airport, and i guess were not going anywhere tonight, so i dont want where to wait once we get off the plane. The fact youre still laughing is impressive, i have to say. Your attitude is wonderful. I would be frustrated if i were you. What have officials been telling you about what happened . Well, ive only been hearing murmurs from other passengers getting information off the internet. The pilot did not know anything. He was not communicated about anything concrete that has happened. He did tell us about smoke in one of the terminals and that the fire trucks were going underneath the airport. But weve seen a few planes moving around, but it looks like the long line of planes that was on the tarmac either took off or went somewhere where i cant see. But its been i just want to get home to my dog. Yeah, im sure. We are now getting word from united, delta, southwest and american that all flights tonight that were supposed to come and go from atlanta have been canceled. I hope that you make it home very quickly, jodi green. Thank you so much for joining us and lets stay in touch. Of course, if we can help in some way, let us know. All right, thank you. Bye bye. All right, bye bye. Residents in baittyville, kentucky voted overwhelmingly for donald trump a year ago because he gave them hope. Up next well go back to that town that once earned the distinction of the white town in america to see how people feel about his presidency. Dont miss this powerful piece of storytelling part 2 when you come back. Stay with us. Connect with certified dealers who offer prices based on this same information. None of those other sites do that. This is true car. vo take home something in for 999 or more,ds box and you also take home an xbox one s, with a terrific bundle now, thats thinking outside the box at helzberg diamonds. While supplies last. This holiday, the real gift isnt whats inside the box. Its whats inside the person who opens it. Give ancestrydna, the only dna test that can trace your origins to over 150 ethnic regions. And open up a world of possibilities. Save 20 for the holidays at ancestrydna. Com. Helping Small Businesses. Ut, jamie damage your vehicle . We got you covered. [ glass shatters ] Property Damage . Thats what general liabilitys for. What . injured employee . Ow. Workers comp helps you pay for a replacement. Whats happening . This is carla. Hows it going . And if anything comes up, our experts are standing by. Boo President Trump could be days away from signing his tax reform into law, signalling the first major victory of his presidency legislatively. When he returned to michigan one year after the election to talk to the voters that helped trump flip that state from red to blue, many told us they were banking on his tax reform promise. I want to bring in poppy harlow. Poppy, good to see you. Your first piece in baittyville, kentucky was so heartening. Many had voted for democrats previously. This was their first time to vote for a republican, and despite not having many accomplishments, they blame congress, not the president. In a stunning election upset, President Trump did what no republican candidate has done for decades. He flipped michigan from blue to red, helping him cinch the 2016 election. I think trump has done a great job in the face of tremendous opposition. Reporter these are the voters that helped trump flip michigan. We met him just after trump took office. We came back a year later to find out how they think hes done. A bplus. A b for accomplishment. I would say cplus. I would give him an a. An a . Yes. A sprawling factory in adrian, michigan, about an hour and a half drive south of detroit. Decker is very happy with what he says the president has done for his business. Were growing 25 to 30 , so everything here as well. So youre saying President Trump gets the bulk of the credit . Personally, i would say 99 . We doubled down. Doubled down despite Major Concerns about trumps threat at the time of tariffs on chinese goods. Decker reports all these cabinets from from chichina. Youre saying the reason you cant make cabinets start to finish here is because of the regulations. Yes, the regulations. State and federal. So when the president talks about less regulation, less regulation, less regulation, you want that, but you dont have it yet in your business . No, and i think its going to take time. You are concerned about the president s stance on immigration. Fewer hispanics are worse for your business . Worse. Far worse. The president has not completed any legislative promises yet. No wall, no health care and no infrastructure plan yet. But most dont blame him. Could the president lose your support . I dont think thats possible. Reporter since nafta was signed in the 1990s, michigan has lost nearly a quarter of its manufacturing jobs. The promise you heard so much on the campaign trail is that he would bring those back. The reality is, though, most bugs across the state have survived. More than 170,000 manufacturing jobs have been added this year, compared with a loss of 440,000 last year. You called it a shakedown of america. It was. A lifelong auto worker at ford and immigrant from sicily, some of the president s promises have come up short. Reporter what grade do you give the president . Right now i would just give him a c. What do you think the president could do to get a higher grade in your book . Everyone is waiting on the taxes. It is tax reform for you number one now . Numero uno. If tax reform does not happen, does he get your vote in 2020 . No. Simple as that. President trump is the first republican candidate sal has voted for after casting his ballot twice for president obama. Now its the division hes seeing that brings him to tears. Reporter this is really personal for you. You bring up your kids. Im afraid. Theyre not going to have a pension. Theyre going to be dependent on a government for assistance, for medical, okay . You want your child to be dependent on that . No. You want them to be free and have a future. Its called the human race, not the represent can or dem its called hr. I think President Trump has done a very good job considering the fact hes had very little or no cooperation from congress. I think hes done well considering the level of pressure to literally have half of a country so against you. Reporter but didnt president obama face that same challenge . Youre always going to have those sections that were not going to support obama no matter what. Mitch mcconnell said, were going to make hmim a oneterm president. Mitch needs to retire. Not a Mitch Mcconnell fan . I think Mitch Mcconnell serves a different agenda. He doesnt deserve the wall if it cant be built. You have mccain and many others who do not like trump and are willing to put our nation at risk, our sovereignty, and not have the wall just because they have a personal ven did he tell vendetta. You really think that . Oh, i know it. Reporter there is personal disappointment about health care reform. Repealing and replacing obamacare was a signature promise. Ricky flynn says his Health Care Costs are too high. About 600 a month. Thats what they take out of my pension check. The cares account is more than that because weve gone to autoworker. He works now as a security guard. Its the best job he can find at this point, he says. Its going to sound like im a 100 trump guy, but thats not the case. I really dont think he would would have won. I think hes trying as hard as he can, but when youve got people fighting like that, i dont think he thought it would be that hard to do. I still think hes going to get it done. So does it mean to throw down system. Like preexisting conditions need to say. As far as that, i think its wrong. Both have been hoping for higher wages. Peggy did not vote for him, her husband did. The fight against him is just unsurmountable. Ive never seen a president be so disrespectful and fight the way he is. So what did they get . Their salary hasnt changed. Their health care hasnt changed. Hes a man thinking on his own two feet. Thats what i like and thats what im getting. Do you not think President Trumps way of treating people makes a difference . Maybe he could be a bit more diplomatic in his presentations. After voting for mike pence twice, peggy saw hope in President Trump. But she doesnt like everything hes selling. Do you want parts of it . There should be universal medical. You want universal health care . We could. One thing just about all of these voters would like to see is the president break up with twitter. Please stop tweeting, please. Do his tweets hurt him . I believe they do. Hes tweeting about it and im like, why did you even answer that . Come on mr. Hes different and i kind of like it that hes different, but i wish we would just do not the, but they havent cost the president the support of many voters like who dont feel like hes succeeding yet. You heard a lot of the same thing. Did you talk to anybody who said, this president is not who i expected him to be as president . Right. So i did in kentucky, which i heard yesterday on your program fr from eric cumer. Most of the people give the president a long leeway. But he says tax reform, but if you let those few weeks ago. And they blame the lack of lefrk live. When you talk to them. Did they talk about any specific themes that they didnt like in tweeting about . You heard from peggy, the woman at the end, who told me i kind of like videos himself and hes unique on gs and flour. So i think they could do. We heard the Mitch Mcconnell not so popular. Thank you. For many this time of year, its all about giving back. The 11 th annual all stars. It airs live tonight in a little over an hour, cnn heroes. We want to make sure they make better choices when it comes to violence. When you lose your child, the love doesnt go away. It has to find a place. How lucky i found a place to put that love. They are truly what it means to be a hero. It is people helping people the best way. They can do something of the day. Im Anderson Cooper. And im kelly ripa. Join us live for the cnn heroes tribute. Test s welcome back. The holidays are all about giving back, and tonight the 11th annual cnn allstars tribute gives back in extraordinary ways. In just hours Anderson Cooper and kelly ripa are presenting the starstudded event live here from new york. Were on the red carpet. Were seeing some famous people behind you, polo. What are you seeing . Brooke baldwin. But the real stars who everyone is here to celebrate are those cnn heroes, those top ten heroes, and tonight we find out who gets the prestigious title of the year. Having been on the red carpet, ive spoken to some of the heroes. This is her first time in new york city. She told us a little bit about her effort that essentially takes in orphan children, many of whom lost their parents to ai aids and basically takes them under her wing. This is why they call her mama rosy. Sometimes in the town where im working, you feel like youre isolated. You are doing your thing. You youre alone. Here i can see that so many people all over the world are making a difference to the lives of the children. Ah, yes. Rosie. We have heard from important figures who have offered their time including diane lane who i happen to be standing with. Hello, polo. Good to see you. Thank you so much for taking time not only for us but for this project. What does it mean to you . It warms my heart so much that it exists and so many people write up and write in and say look at my friend and the amazing work that theyve done and there are so many people every year. Thank gorksd thank good rns. Im so grateful. Its sort of like the holiday gift to the world to be reminded of the human spirit and how we dont take no for an answer when its for something good. We must continue the furtherance of helping where we can. I have heard from many others on the red carpet. Many perhaps play heroes of television and in movies and hollywood and there are so many around us in an everyday setting. Thats true. Its good to remember that heroes dont have super abilities but as a mere mortal human, we can band together and create improvements in the world around us. And to see the stories of what motivated these people, the trials they went through themselves and why they did what theyre here to be celebrated for tonight, i cry every time. Im at home. Tonight i have mascara on, so its going to be messy. Im the first one off. Then ill be off camera and ill cry all i want. Thank you so much for taking the time and sharing with us in this effort. Enjoy tonight. I will. So many recognized faces. Its time to celebrate the heroes of today and perhaps thinking about future heroes as well. The rest of the people around the world can nominate those that they feel are making a positive difference and they should be walking the red carpet as well. Thank you so much. Polo sandoval. Cnn heroes an allstar tribute airs tonight at 8 00 p. M. Eastern. Dont go away. The 1 gas relief brand. It relieves pressure and bloating fast so you can wear whatever you want. Americas Small Business owners. And heres to the heroes behind the heroes, who use their expertise to keep those businesses covered. And heres to the heroes behind the heroes behind the heroes, who brought us delicious gyros. Actually, the gyro hero owns veros gyros, so he should have been with those first heroes. Ha ha thats better. So, to recap Small Business owners are heroes, and our heroes help heroes be heroes when theyre not eating gyros delivered by ah, you know what i mean. Its the most wonderful time of the year ding dong, ding dong 50 gift card for them, 10 bonus card for you. Only at applebees. Now thats eatin good in the neighborhood. Captions by vitac www. Vitac. Com top of the hour. You are in the cnn newsroom. Lets get right to the breaking news. A major travel emergency unfolding right now, and this is going to be felt coast to coast by Everybody Holding a plane