Ledeckys dominance to the final fives brilliance. But only one could be the female athlete of the year. We begin with the trump transition and the president elects new tweets targeting president obama and the u. Nited nations. Hallie jackson is covering the president elect near his maralago estate. She joins us from west palm beach. A lot to get to already this morning. Yeah. Lets start with whats on his schedule. He did take christmas off. He was down a little bit, but today hes back to work . Not really, chris. Still kind of the transition into the holiday week, if you will. Theres some transition meetings happening with staff members, but we dont expect the president elect to pick up his full schedule until tomorrow. Tomorrow and thursday, transition official says he will have meetings here at maralago the way we saw him have meetings prior to the christmas holiday. You know, theres still some key positions unfilled as sort of highlevel administration posts. As you know, secretary of Veterans Affairs still open. Agriculture, still open. And importantly, the office of the director of National Intelligence as well. I expect we may see movement on those after the new year. We elected to say via tweet on the United Nations after that controversial resolution aimed at israel, hes not backing down on things he said in the past about the United Nations and what he thinks is a pretty ineffective body. Not in the least, chris. Listen, i think its clear that despite sort of being on a little bit of a break like a lot of us are, the president elect the still watching news because this is a story that has been in the headlines for several days now. The fallout from the United NationsSecurity Council resolution that really has israel now, and israeli officials, up in arms. Heres what he tweeted. The United Nations has great potential, but right now, its just a club for people to get together, talk, and have a good time. So sad. He writes. This was late yesterday afternoon, as you know, highlevel republicans have talked about trying to yank funding for the United Nations when Congress Gets back into session after the new year. In addition to sort of dealing with the u. N. , dealing with president elect trumps attitude towards the u. N. , Congress Also of course dealing with his Senate Confirmations for the picks hes already made for some of the toptier cabinet posts like state and defense. Meantime, a little bit of a back and forth, shall we call it, between the outgoing and incoming president , when president obama talked to David Axelrod, his longtime aide about his chances if he had been able to run against donald trump. Yeah, and lets be clear. The majority does buy into the notion of a one america that is tolerant and diverse and open and i am confident in this vision because im confident that if i if i had run again and articulated it, i think i could have mobilized a majority of the American People to rally behind it. President obama had to know its not possible for donald trump not to respond to Something Like that. Yeah, i dont know about that, but donald trump certainly did respond. Not very long after this podcast was published and came out. Donald trump tweeting, president obama said that he thinks he would have won against me. He should say that, but i say, all caps, no way, citing jobs leaving, he says, isis, and the health care law. And not that it needs to be noted, but this is a hypothetical scenario, and the president speaking if this were to happen, he talked about the vision for what he called a tolerant, more diverse nation, believing he could unify more americans underneath that vision, and he didnt explicitly mention donald trump, he didnt say Donald Trumps name, but he did say he would have won the majority of support, something that clearly the president elect took exception to. Thank you so much, hallie jackson, who is in florida for us. I want to bring in republican strategist reverend joe watkins, aide to former president george h. W. Bush. Could you have imagined a back and forth between the former president bush like were seeing now . Twitter didnt exist, but im going to take that laugh as a no. Lets move on, joe, from the parlor game, which we all love. To some serious stuff, because Donald Trumps far from the first person to question the effecti effectiveness, even the relevancy of the United Nations, right . He says things, though, are going to be different after january 20th. I guess the question is, how . Whats he going to do, how is the United Nations going to change because donald trump is president . Well, i guess one of the ways it may change is with his new appointments. Certainly, as we know, there will be a new u. N. Representative at the United Nations and representing the United States in governor nikki haley. Shes got a great background as a republican governor of south carolina. Shes kind of new to the game of diplomacy, but i think shell do well. But then, hes got an ambassador pick for israel who is a pretty controversial mr. Friedman, some who strongly supports the settlers and the settlements that are being built on palestinian land. Thats going to lead to certainly lots of controversy and discussion. A very, very different kind of attitude and stance from previous u. N. Ambassadors. So this will indeed be very interesting time. Donald trump is not at all shy about messaging, either, because as you know he messages every day on twitter. And although messaging isnt always the same as policy, it none the less clearly starts discussions. So theres going to be lotsf discussion. Lots of discussion going forward. No doubt about the fact this relationship is very different with Benjamin Netanyahu than president obamas is. Its not as if suddenly theres been a breach between the two men. Its been going on for a long time. Do you think were to see some sort of fundamental change in u. S. Policy toward israel . I dont know. Its hard to say. Donald trump does have the capacity to be unpredictable. And so there have been instances where hes beenery friendly with somebody and then is able to turnn a dime and not be so friendly with them. As a matter of fact, even be opposed to them or to where they stand. So you just never know with donald trump. The one thing that hes very good at, of course, is being not predictable. So you really cant predict. Right now, clearly, he is siding very strongly with Benjamin Netanyahu and is showing himself to be a strong ally, certainly in terms of words with Benjamin Netanyahu, but well see what happens when he becomes president. Just a few weeks away. Once he becomes president of the United States, and those words have to translate into policy. Well see whether or not he continues to take the stance hes taking now. Without giving any press conferences, twitter has been his major way of communicating what he intends to do. And he had something to say as well over the weekend about his charitable foundation, which he now says hes going to shut down. He says, i gave millions of dollars to djt foundation, raised or received millions more, all of which is given to charity, and media wont report. The djt foundation, unlike most foundations, never paid fees. Rent, salaries or any expenses. 100 of money goes to wonderful charities. Of course, one of those charities apparently was a fountain outside of one of his properties, and another one was a lifelike portrait of donald trump himself. Having said that, is this really the central issue here . Isnt it really the traditional conflict of interest, posed by his multitude of businesses and the relationship hes going to continue to have with his sons as they run the business . Of course. This is really just kind of the beginning because separating himself, doing away with his foundation is a good first step. Hes got to work really, really hard, maybe harder than past president select in terms of avoiding the conflict of interest issue because hes got some 500 businesses that he owns. Its not just a matter of stock he has in companies. Its ownership of substantive businesses and hes got to figure out how to make sure that there is no conflict of inter t interest. Where so hes got to divest and put his sons in charge and make sure theres no cross over. Joe watkins, always good to see u. Ank you. Great to be with you. Today, history at pearl harbor. With japanese Prime Minister shinzo abe becoming the first japanese leader in decades to visit the world war ii site. He will be joined by president obama who became the first sitting u. S. President to visit hiroshima when he did so this spring. Tammy leitner is following the president in honolulu. What are we going to see today . What the plan for today . Reporter chris, a historic day. The two lyde e leaders will hav bilateral meeting and then there will be a wreath laying ceremony at the uss arizona memorial, and afterwards, both leaders will give remarks, speak to the media, and also they invited some survivors who will be there. Thats the schedule right now. Anything else official that he has planned for what will be, as everything is, his last as president. In this case, his last Family Vacation in hawaii . We know he visited the troops. Obviously, he has these ceremonies today. What else, if anything, isn his official agenda . Well, chris, you have done this trip in the past. So you know there will be a lot of golfing and a lot of working out. But there are no other scheduled events. This was the only officially scheduled one with the Prime Minister. Hell be departing here early in the next year to finish out the fina days in the white house. Chris. And meantime, as i understand it, working on his farewell address tohe nation. Thank you so much. This one is hard to believe. Absolute chaos erupting at a handful of malls across the country the day after christmas. With a large number of dangerous disturbances, police in riot gear even called in. This was the scene in aurora, colorado. Five juveniles arrested in connection with multiple fights. Ultimately leading to the evacuation of the mall. Nbcs Morgan Radford is live at a mall in garden city, new york, where a fight there caused a wave of panic. What is going on . I mean, is there any sort of rhyme or reason or Common Thread through these disturb bss across the country . Well, chris, actually, police show that there are no signs that these separate events are actually connected. But what we do know is this caused chaos and Mass Evacuations in malls like this one behind me here in new york. Take a listen. Postchristmas mayhem striking malls all across the country. In this new jersey mall, pandemonium when a person shouted gun in response to a chair being slammed after a fight. Everybody was running. 5,000 shoppers trying to escape what they believed was a lifethreatening ordeal. Abandoning meals in the food court. In ohio, Police Responded to reports of shots fired at beachwood place mall. We had sort of stampede through saks. Officers used pepper spray to disperse a large crowd fighting, later confirming there were no gunshots. A juvenile taken into custody for assaulting a police officer. On monday, disturbances in more than 15 malls across the country were reported in at least a dozen states. In tennessee, incidents were reported in three separate malls. In manchester, connecticut, several fights broke out all at once. Investigators estimating several hundred teens were involved. They just kind of started yelling and then started pushing each other. This video shows an officer trying to control the crowd. Five other Police Departments responded to the scene. One officer assaulted with no lifethreatening injuries. Eight people were arrested, forcing the mall to close its doors two hours before scheduled. Looked like people were throwing punches, fighting. It was just a huge mob of people. It was insane. Chris, dozens of shoppers were injured. As i mentioned earlier, police havent suggested theres any connection between these incidents, although there is a suggestion that what happened in ohio was perhaps incited by a social media posting. Still, despite the reports of gunfire, police found no weapons and they also said there were no actual shots fired. Chris. Do you know if there are plans where you are or any other places where they had problems yesterday for howeveavier secur presence or even a Police Presence . They havent mentioned an increased Police Presence at any of the malls here in new york or in new jersey, but they have had the malls closed yesterday when this happened, they had early evacuations. They expect everything will resume normally as the week continues. Thank you so much for that. Coming up, israel blames the u. S. For last weeks u. N. Resolution condemning the settlements. Is this simply theest in the rocky relationship between president obama and israeli Prime Minister netanyahu . Well go live to tel aviv for the latest. Later, a massive sinkhole opens up in a detroit suburb. And this isnt the first time. American express open cards can help you take on a new job, or fill a big order or expand your office and take on whatever comes next. Find out how American Express cards and services can help prepare you for growth at open. Com. Find out how American Express cards and services whfight back fastts, with tums smoothies. It starts dissolving the instant it touches your tongue. And neutralizes stomach acid at the source. Tum tum tum tum smoothies only from tums the Israeli Government may go ahead with plans to build thousands of Housing Units in East Jerusalem despite a Security Council resolution banning construction there. They passed the resolution friday. The u. S. Abstained, allowing the measure to go through. The u. S. Has vetoed similar resolutions in the past. That abstention has raised tensions between Benjamin Netanyahu and president obama. Netanyahu accused the u. S. Of initiating the resolution, an allegation the white house deni denies. Lets bring in a former Deputy National security adviser in israel and a senior fellow at the International Security program at harvard. Good of you to join us. Since youre in tel aviv, aside from the official government response, what are you hearing on the ground . Whats been the reaction there in israel to all of this . Well, i think the Prime Minister has actually managed to focus domestic attention on a personal conflict between himself and mr. Obama. Making it look as if mr. Obama is trying to take a swipe at him. But if youre asking what more informed opinion believes, then i think many people in israel recognize that this is the failure of mr. Netanyahus policy. The policy itself and the loose talk in the last few months on the part of the Prime Minister and some of his ministers, especially since the elections indicating now that mr. Trump is coming into office, the american policy will change and israel can do what it wants. To a certain extent, i would say this is selfinflicted damage, as severe as it is for israel. That begs the question, whats next . We saw what the Prime Minister did. He was very prompt in his response to the u. N. Vote. He cut off aid to some countries, he called in the u. S. Ambassador for a talking to. Then he said israel does not turn the other cheek. So what do you think Benjamin Netanyahu is prepared to do next . I would imagine not very much. Talk is cheap. And in practice, there isnt too much israel can do here. Mr. Netanyahus policy managed to unite the entire world, including its one great friend, the United States, against it. And to focus International Attention entirely on the settlements issue, which is certainly one of the major issues to be negotiated in a future peace agreement, but the focus on this issue hides the fact that israel has been willing on a number of occasions to withdraw from virtually all of the west bank, and in so doing, to dismantle most of the settlements and the settlements arent actually the major issue or object of an agreement, but the fact that the palestinians have turned down virtually every agreement to date, including one based on a withdrawal from the west bank, but too much loose talk has created this impression. Israel ambassador to the u. S. Echoed the charge that the obama white house, israel believes, is behind what the u. N. Did. Let me play what he did. Whats new is that the americdministration did not oppose this gang up. What is really outrageous is they were behind the scenes pushing this resolution, which is a hostileesolution to israel. Do you think thats the case . And whatever the evidence is, do you think then that it will come out via the Trump Administration . I dont know what the fac are. What was happening behind the scenes. But i also think it of no importance whatsoever. Ts say that the contention is true. So what. American policy since 1967 has been consistently that israel should withdraw from most of the west bank. The u. S. Has recognized the need for a small territorial exchange for what has been called in the past minor border changes. And that hasnt changed. Mr. Obama didnt change that policy. He continued american policy of 50 years. So now the question is what will happen under mr. Trump. I think his initial intention based on what he said so far, is to change at least the tenor and maybe the substance of policy. I dont know how long that will really be the case in reality. Well wait to see. And administration is of course led by a president , but its not just a president. Its other senior officials. And i think some of the exhilaration on the part of the israeli right and some of the right in the u. S. That the settlements issue is now behind us and the twostate solution is over, i think that is very premature. We could find ourselves in a situation xmonth down the year or a year or two down the road where mr. Trump concludes this policy is not to his benefit and based on his behavior to date, he seems to me to be a kind of one issue type of president. And that issue is whats good for me, mr. Trump . And if this issue becomes an obstacle to his ability to achieve his objectives in other areas, i think we could see a major and rapid change in american policy. We know that donald trump is not someone either as the candidate, nor as the president elect, who thinks swau and im quoting it here, the big loss for israel in the United Nations will make it much harder to negotiate peace. Too bad, but we will get it done anyway. Thats not the first time hes expressed confidence that he, and he has said with the help of his soninlaw, can move the Peace Process forward. Is there anything changing in the evasion with donald trump coming in, his new ambassador coming in, that suggests to you that the Peace Process could indeed move forward . The Peace Process hasnt gone forward for a number of years. As it is. Irregardalize of whos coming into office now. The fact is there is a hardline government in jerusalem, which is not about to make major concessions. Theres a palestinial government which has turned down every possibility for reaching a settlement for the last couple decades, including dramatic proposals. The prospects of peace unfortunately were nonexistent or just about there to begin with. Now we have an incoming president who is stating policies which on the face of them, if he really means is, are just going to make the situation that much worse. I think the prospects are not very good. Chuck, thank you for taking the time. I appreciate it. Thank you. Thousands of homes and businesses still without power after a major winter storm strikes the great plains. Up next, an update on the struggle to dig out. Plus, a state of emergency in michigan. A huge sinkhole on the verge of taking out two dozen homes there. If it swallows his house, it might take ours with it. Lemonheads schoolhouse rock zero really can be a hero. Get zero down, zero deposit, zero due at signing, and zero first months payment on select volkswagen models. Right now at the volkswagen sign then drive event. Got a quarter . Welcome back. Time now for your morning primer. Everything you need to know to start your day. We begin with president obamas candid interview with former adviser David Axelrod, claiming he could have beaten donald trump if the constitution allowed him to run for a third term. President elect trump was not about to let that go unanswered, tweeting president obama thinks he would have won against me. He should say that, but i say no way. Jobs leaving, isis, health care, et cetera. Shinzo abe and po p will honor those who died at pearl harbor today, appearing together 75 years after the attack on hawaii. It follows president obamas historic visit to hiroshima in may. A flight recorder recovered from the russian jet that crashed in the black sea now on its way to moscow. Investigators hope it will shed light on the cause of sundays tragic crash that killed all 92 passengers onboard. Chicago police talliy eied 11 deaths and 49 other gunshot victims over the christmas weekend, doubling the total from this time last year. The city has more than 4300 shooting victims and nearly 800 homicides in 2016. More murders than new york and los angeles combined. A manhunt is under way in tennessee for 54yearold david frazier, a dangerous inmate who escaped the Cook County Jail on christmas morning. Five others escaped with him by ripping the toilet off a jail cell wall. Theyre back in custody. And theres a major winter storm creating havoc in the Northern Plains this morning. Its heading eastward. Thousands without power after a fierce blizzard dumped heavy snow in the dakotas, making it rough for those who have to get back to work today. Officials say power may not be restored for days. Nbcs ron mott joins us live from chicago with the latest as storm heads into the upper midwest. How is it looking there, ron . Hey, there. Looks are deceiving, speaking of looks. It looks warm here in chicago because the sun is out, but its cold. Its 25 degrees colder than it was 24 hour uz go here. Were in the mid to upper 20s right now. Windchills in the teens. Yesterday at this time, it was 50plus degrees where im standing. Today, a different story. The dakotas really got hammered with the latest winter storm system. Take a look at the pictures. They closed several hundred miles of interstate highways because it wasnt just the coinatn of the snow, it was the snow and wind blowing across the highways that made for trencheral travel. They decided to close a lot of the interstates to prevent tragedies really. Then next door, up in minnesota, those folks, they have the 10,000 lakes there. They like to fish. But they may want to wait a little longer to get out there on the frozen lakes. This is what happened there. They had about ten anglers in this one ice house and it started to go under. So that ended that fishing expedition, and then a dramatic rescue in wisconsin as well. All a part of the same system that is now into the northeast, with some snow and freezing rain that you picked up yesterday. Here again, in the midwest, this part of the midwest, largely spared. Again, much colder than it was yesterday, but the rest of the week is pretty mild by chicago and upper midwest standards. Were expecting temperatures in the 30s and 40s for highs. Back a little under freezing for low temperatures by and large going to be dry the rest of the week. Were not expecting any real precipitation in this part of the country between now and the new year, but we will take the dry after what we have been through in the past ten days with the bitter air that came through. Like so many things, temperature is relative, when its mild, relatively mild, when there are highs in the 30s. Thank you for standing out in the cold for us, ron. Lets go to msnbc meteorologist Bonnie Schneider tracking the storms for us. So where are we going to see problems today as this day unfolds . A busy travel day. And for those that are driving on interstate 10, very foggy. We have Poor Visibility all the way from texas to florida. Along the panhandle of florida, and of course, southern alabama. This will improve as we doyne to go through the afternoon hours. A little more sunshine. Another thing were watching for improve is rain moving out of the northeast, leaving behind colder air. As that comes over the warmer waters of the great lakes, look for lake effect snow. Enough to just cause a bit of a nuisance if youre traveling. M expecting about an inch of accumulation. As we head across the country to the pacific northwest, we have rain and snow. The snow here will be heavy. In fact, it could be up to two feet in the cascades. Really heavy snow developing across much of washington, in the higher elevations. The showers continuing, but we could see pockets of heavy rain. Just be aware of that. For those of you skiing, you probably like to see his. If youre driving across montana or idaho, not so much. Really going to be tough out there. Across the country, were looking at such mild conditions. Yesterday, we had so many highs broken from louisville to tampa, florida, cincinnati. Expect more of the warmth coming up as the jet stream stays to the north. What does that mean . Another mild day for many. Temperatures in the 50s, 60s, 70s, and even 80s, and this is above normal even by florida standards. We had record highs in tampa. Expect temperatures to get to the low 80s today. It will stay mild for tomorrow, even into the midatlantic. Not quite as warm as it was earlier today. But still comfortable. As you heard, the temperatures are also more seasonable for chicago. A little colder in minneapolis at 29 degrees. Out to the west, this is where were getting a pocket of colder air. Into boise, High Temperature is only 26 and youre staying below freezing in billings. Much of the country enjoying milder weather. Keep in mind, this is not going to last. The pat. Will be changing just like the calendar will be changing. Soon enough in january, much colder numbers than these, so enjoy it while it lasts. Thank you, bonnie. In the subbrben detroit neighborhood, a state of emergency is in effect after a giant sinkhole developed on christmas eve. Its actually happened there before. But now, theres a new complication. After workers struck a natural gas line this morning and had to pull back while repairs are being made. We get the latest from gabe gutierrez. Reporter this morning, a subbsu subburnen detroit neighborhood is on the edge. Frazier, michigan, under a state of emergency after this massive sinkhole opened up. Three homes deemed uninhabitable. At least 22 families evacuated. We see the bricks fall from the side of the house, the separating at the front of the house. Demetrius smith is terrified her home is next. If it swallows his house, it might take ours with it. Officials believe an 11footwide sewer pipe may have burst, causing the sinkhole to form. That then impacted a nearby gas and water main, forcing the city to shut off the utilities, and this isnt the first problem for the area. The same road caved in back in 2004. This latest sinkhole is even larger. 250 feet long and 100 feet wide. David rushed out, grabbing what he could in minutes. Yeah. Clothes and valuables. And christmas presents. Authorities are now pumping sewage into a nearby river, worried the sludge might back up into basements. Engineers say it could be weeks before residents are allowed back into their homes. Gabe gutierrez, nbc news. The opening bell from the New York Stock Exchange just a few minutes ago. Will today finally be the day the Dow Jones Industrial average crosses the 20,000 mark . So far, its up 30 points. The dow now standing at 19,964. It is expected, however, to be a week of Light Trading on wall street. And coming up, president obama tells former adviser David Axelrod that he could have defeated trump had he run. Of course, donald trump disagrees. Why trump says he would have triumphs even over a president obama. You know what, guys . Theres a lot of tree branches and dry brush over here. We should probably move the bonfire over there. [smokey whistling a tune] im guessing smokey liked that idea. We continue to follow the war of words thats erupted between president obama and president elect donald trump. The latest back and forth after president obama said in an interview that if he had been able to run if a third term in november, he would have beaten trump. I am confident in this vision because im confident that if i if i had run again and articulated it, i think i could have mobilized a majority of the American People to rally behind it. The president elect responded almost immediately, tweeting, president obama said that he thinks he would have won against me. He should say that, but i say no way. And he gave reasons including jobs, isis, and obamacare. I want to bring in our political panel. Chicago sun Times Washington Bureau chief lynn sweet, and niles stanch. Good to see both of you. Lynn, you have been covering this president for a very long time. What did you make of his comments surrounding the idea that i could have won . Well, this was in the context of a very long nostalgic interview that went back to his beginning days in politics in chicago with David Axelrod, and chris, i think he said that because he took, intended or not, a swipe at Hillary Clintons campaign in which he talked about, and his belief that if he could have been entitled or eligible for a third term, he could have made it work. Who is not not surprised that donald trump wouldnt resist taking a swipe back at it . Lets go back to this idea that it isnt really a great thing for Hillary Clinton. In fact, a minute after Donald Trumps tweet, she tweeted, quote, the holidays are a time to be thankful for our blessings. Lets rejoice in this season and look forward with renewed hope and determination. I know were talking about whats going on between the president and the president elect, but Hillary Clinton. Do y think the timing was coincidental there . Who knows. Thats a difficult one to tell, but i think she doesnt want to get involved in the minutia of politics, probably doesnt want to get iolved in this particular debate for obvious reasons, but to lins point, i do think theres an implicit criticism of Hillary Clinton in what president obama said. He talked about the idea that he would be able to mobilize a majority of americans, and you know, her problems with mobile zashz were significant. He also implied that she was too complacent to a certain degree. He talked about the idea that if you think youre winning, you maybe dont do all that you need to do. So i dont think its an interview that will thrill people in the clinton camp, though i actually think president obama makes solid points. You know, if you want to go back to the whole idea of who this was with, lynn, this interview with David Axelrod, longtime friends. You can almost hear them when they stop tape, one of them saying to the other, Donald Trumps not going to be able to help himself. Hes going to have to respond to that, right . Right. And this is this was an interview that went deep into the roots of both David Axelrods experience with barack obama and with obamas own vision of what got him in the race to begin with and what hes accomplished. In the last days of his administration, as he prepares his farewell address to come out in early january, he is being reecve. And i think he is doing a lot of trying to cement what he thinks is the stuff he wants to at least in the very shortterm, in this hectic and chaotic transition period, what he wants people to remember, that he indeed has a story to tell about what he says are his accomplishments, and hes not shying away at all from talking about it. My guess is that the idea of donald trump putting out these inflammatory tweets or maybe inflammatory isnt t right words, but not standing back under the time honored tradition of one president at a time might also have inspired some of the course of the conversation between president obama and David Axelrod, which really was remarkable in that it was between two old friends as opposed to just any old interviewer who might have wanted to go over the same ground. What comes to mind to me is the old phrase, thems fighting words, which is obviously how donald trump took all of this, but it was interesting, to lynns point, that he kind of laid the groundwork for why he was making this argument, which is that he Still Believes that his vision of america, this hopeful vision of america, this vision of america where people are not racist, sexist, homophobic, antimuslim, antisemitic, all of those things is still the vision that most of america has. He is cementing that essentially, trying to cement that, is this is who we are . Absolutely. And ying in that hes talking partly about the way the United States is changing demographically as well. He believes that the Obama Coalition is a winning coalition. Not just because he won with it twice, but because the population is moving in that direction. To your point about the kind of rhetoric that donald trump used in the campaign, not only was that perceived by many people as divisive, but clearly president obama and the first lady were pretty egrieved by that. Michelle obama made very strong statements about that idea of language of division, the language that was misogynistic and had other issues. Let me ask you lynn finally again as someone who has covered the president for so long, since before he was president , i wonding what your take is on the reaction to the more substantive tweets by donald trump. This is a back and forth about who would have won, which were talking about as a great parlor game, but in the end, it has no answer, but when donald trump is tweeting about israel or the u. N. , how president obama really feels about that. Well, what donald trump is doing is telling only half the story. Of the United States and israel. As you know from covering the white house, under obama, israel still is the top recipient of u. S. Foreign aid, the military alliance is as strong as ever. The sale of f35 fighter jets, et cetera. So what will be interesting to watch in the next few days is if whether or not president obama or his surrogates intend to engage more on israel, though right now, it is with this u. N. Security council lack of exercising the veto, it does end the Obama Administration in some choppy waters here. Thanks to both of you. Happy holidays. And up next, an amazing survival story. For an hour, we tried to get the car out. We had no cell service. We couldnt call anybody to help us out. A wrong turn and a family gets their car stuck in the snow near the grand canyon. The incredible details of how they made it out alive, next. Onto the shag carpeting. And his pants ignited into flames, causing him to stop, drop and roll. Luckily jack recently had geico help him with renters insurance. Because all his belongings went up in flames. Jack got full replacement and now has new pants he ordered from banana republic. Visit geico. Com and see how affordable renters insurance can be. Proof of less joint pain. And clearer skin. This is my body of proof that i can fight Psoriatic Arthritis with humira. Humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to both joint and skin symptoms. Its proven to help relieve pain, stop further joint damage, and clear skin in many adults. Humira is the number 1 prescribed biologic for Psoriatic Arthritis. Humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. Serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. Before treatment, get tested for tb. Tell your doctor if youve been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if youve had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flulike symptoms or sores. Dont start humira if you have an infection. Want more proof . Ask your rheumatologist about humira. Humira. Whats your body of proof . What was a fun holiday trip quickly turned into a life or death struggle for a family after their car got stuck in the snow in the grand canyon. The mother set out on foot in the dead of night amid freezing temperatures desperate to find help. Steve patterson is live with the incredible dails. What happened here . Reporter rescuers call this a christmas miracle for good reason. This woman treks 30 miles, 36 hours to save her family. Its incredible how she survives and even better to tell her why she survives. Its just starting to sort of sink in, as far as it still feels somewhat surreal. Reporter karen ine, warm, safe, and lucky to be alive this morning after incredibly surv e surviving a harrowing ordeal. The pennsylvania woman, her husband, eric, and 10yearold son, isaac, for the holiday. They decided to take a road trip, visit a world wonder. We would go to brice canyon and spend the night and go to the north rim. Reporter it was in the harsh north rim everythinwent south. Their cell phone gps recommending a shortcut. It diverted us on a forest road. Reporter the family realized it was a wrong turn to a narrow closed road. Eventually, getting stuck in the mud. And for an hour, we tried to get the car out. We had no cell service. We couldnt call anybody to help us out. And it was decided that, look, there is a main road up ahead and i have professional and Recreational Experience lifelong in the outdoors, so i said, well, ill just walk up to the main road. I can do this. Im a runner. Reporter kline found nothing but the dead of night wandering way off course. It got to be 1 30 in the morning and at this point, i had walked about 26 miles. I kept myself awake. Just talked to myself and rocked back and forth to stay warm. They said in that 36 hours i walked about 30 miles. Reporter she survived off twigs, snow, and the will to see her family again. I cant leave my son without a mom. I cant leave my husband without a wife. Im not letting my parents bury me. Reporter her husband decided to head the other direction, 15 miles until he got lucky. And then got one bar of cell service and called the park ranger, called 911 and sent the rescue team. That was about 3 00 in the afternoon to find me and then they found me 2 30 in the morning. Reporter kline found and air lifted to safety, frostbitten but smiling. I think karen is a very brave woman who did the most she could to help her family. Reporter a dangerous journey turned christmas miracle. I was determined that, you know, this is not, this is not how my life is going to end. Reporter and just hours after they rescued karen, a massive winter storm hits the region that rescuers say would have made it impossible to find her. Doctors are working in the hospital. Theyre confident shes going to make a full recovery. Wow, that is unbelievable. Steve, thank you. Coming up next hour, new details about the Russian Military plane crash that killed 92 people as investigators recover the flight recorder. What may have brought down the plane just minutes after takeoff. But first, it was an incredible year for women athletes, but one was leaps and bounds above the rest. Who the female athlete of the year is next. Nosy neighbor with a keen sense of smell. Glad bag, full of trash. What happens next . Nothing. Only glad has febreze to neutralize odors for 5 days. Guaranteed. Even the most perceptive noses wont notice the trash. Be happy. Its glad. When tamara was diher father who is a doctor searched the world for a place to help save his daughters life. St. Jude si, mi amor. We created a treatment at st. Jude Childrens Research Hospital just for tamara. One that can help save kids like her everywhere. Including near you. I love st. Jude. Me too and so do parents everywhere. Give thanks for the healthy kids in your life. Donate now at stjude. Org or shop where you see the st. Jude logo. Dtry align junior probiotic. Th digestive balance . So she can have a fraction dominating. Status updating. Helloyellowbelt kind of day. Get 24 7 digestive support with align junior. The 1 doctor recommended probiotic brand, now for kids. Put some manwich on the table. And give boring weeknight meals, the night off. Make tonight a manwich night this one for the record books. What we have is u. S. Gymnast simone biles adding yet another award to her mantle following her captivating performance at the summer olympics. The Associated Press named biles their female athlete of the year. Got 31 of a possible 59 votes. She captured four gold medals, one bronze during the games in rio making her, yes, the most decorated u. S. Gymnast in history. Fellow olympian swimmer katy la decky. Brianna stewart stied and ill ask craig who he thinks is going to win this one. You would say lebron. But well see. Interesting. Good to see you, my friend. Happy holidays to you as well. And a good tuesday to you. This morning on msnbc war of words. Week before his white house exit, president obama says he could have beaten donald trump. The president elect said no way and then he moves on to take a swipe at the United Nations. Also, mall brawls. Violence erupting at multiple malls all over this country. Coincidence or coordinated chaos . Well look at that. And final days. George michaels partner speaking out for the first time about the singers complicated life before his sudden death on christmas day. But we start with that war of words between president obama and president elect donald trump. In an interview with his former senior advisor, David Axelrod, president obama said he could have beaten donald trump if he were allowed to run a third term. What i would argue is that the culture actually did shift. That the majority does buy into the notion of a one america that is tolerant and diverse and open and i am confident in this vision because im confident that if i