this is bbc news. let s take you live to the vatican. this is st peter s basilica where the annual midnight mass is being held. it is being presided over, led by pope francis this year. we understand he has been commenting on the conflict that has been taking place, of course, within the region of gaza, and also at the moment expanding out, the concern there. he has h, our hearts are in bethlehem, where the principle of peace is once more rejected by the futile logic of war. it prevents him from finding room in the world, the very land where he was born. choral singing. the world health organization says the decimation of gaza s health system is a tragedy. the enclave s health ministry says over 20,400 have been killed since the war began in october. health workers from across the uk gathered in central london today, to hold a multi faith vigil for those suffering in the conflict. leaders from the jewish, muslim and christian faiths united to call for a ceasefire. our reporte
this is the faulkner focus. i am in for harris today. so far no splashy events or speeches since the president announced his re-election bid one month ago and one day ago. his rivals on both sides meantime of the aisle already making moves. the president s low profile may be not hitting with voters. a new fox poll shows only 33% see the commander in chief as a strong leader. our own karl rove says it will be tough to change minds. this guy is in real trouble and do we think he is going to get better, people will see him as a stronger leader? only if there s an international or national crisis in which he acts in a way that goes against the type we developed in our minds of him over the last two and a half, three years. i don t see it happening. the president got more competition this week across the aisle. south carolina senator tim scott and florida governor desantis announcing their 2024 bids as biden slogs along. desantis hitting the ground running. he is having a camp
southern new hampshire university has changed my life. and it can change yours too. - [announcer] visit snhu.edu. florida governor ron desantis is hours from announcing his run from the white house on twitter. a source says he is going to ditch his hometown rollout plan we ll tell you how his rivals are reacting and where the gop candidates stand in a new cnn poll. meantime, as the special counsel appears to be in the final stretch of his investigation into donald trump s handling of classified documents, attorneys for the former president want to speak to the nation s top law enforcer, attorney general merrick garland. we have details on that straight ahead. still no detail, but negotiations for the white house and the house speaker kevin mccarthy, they are back on as a country inches dangerously close to a potential debt default. we are following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to cnn news central. we are just a few hours awa
testimony for house, ways means committee. good morning everybody friday, dana has the day off. jacui, welcome back to new york. jacqui: i am jacqui heinrich. veteran tax crimes investigator claiming cover up by the justice department using political interference. shaply saying he was so concerned the way federal prosecutors were handling this case he felt obligated to go pubic. when i saw the egregiousness no longer became a choice. it was something i don t want to do but have to do. jacqui: live at the justice department. david? reporter: gary shaply behind closed doors, members house side. shap ly has been with the irs 1 years as an investigator. he was essentially told the slow walk the investigation. he is still irs employee. we know via various sources that is the hunter biden tax investigation that began in 2018 coming up on half a decade. he joined the probe in 2020. he is going to meet with staff members if they are still in town before the holiday weekend. h
brian: that like [cheering] this is living american country love song lawrence: that s you. what s up, florida? [cheering] lawrence: maybe. it is a big show here in [laughter] bag show here in florida. great folks here. love the country, so proud what is happening in the country. guys, bring you on in. steve: that is right. i saw you serving a bloody mary. i did a couple diners at harry 52. there were people drinking there and it is florida and it is friday. lawrence: that is right, if you re in the area come to sunflower cafe, great people here, great food. when i finish, i m going to have me a bloody mary. ainsley: why not, your job will be done. steve: it s 8:00 a.m. somewhere. brian: you can always get a virgin. ainsley: bloody mary. steve: folks at sunflower restaurant in a little while. let s move on before we get in trouble. a fox news alert, intense fighting in israeli as defense forces pummel hamas stronghold. ainsley: national