cnn this morning starts right now. good morning, everyone. i m phil mattingly with erika hill in new york. poppy is off today. there s a lot of news on this thursday, december 21st. starting with a new delay tactic from donald trump and his legal team. trump asking the supreme court to stay out of a key case for now as the justices face several issues that could reshape the entire race. and the political fallout continues from colorado s top court banning trump from the ballot. and hamas growing worldwide influence since the brutal attack on israel. u.s. intelligence warning hamas credibility has expanded dramatically not just in the middle east but beyond. and ten americans freed from venezuela, six who were wrongfully detained, what they had to say after arriving back on u.s. soil. cnn this morning starts right now. the u.s. supreme court could soon decide the fate of donald trump and the fate of the 2024 election. but the former president is turning to a favorite
applies we ll let the supreme court make that decision but he supported an insurrection, no question about it, none, zero. good morning, poppy is off today. erica hill is with us. that was president biden on donald trump being left off the colorado ballot for the primary. the supreme court could soon take up the matter. u.s. and venezuela agreeing to a key prisoner exchange. the ally that venezuela got back. one wrongfully detained american says he feels abandoned. the israeli military said it uncovered a substantial and elaborate network of tunnels used by hamas in gaza. cnn this morning starts right now. good morning, this is morning there is a clear reality, the supreme court facing huge decisions that could determine the fate of the 2024 election and donald trump a former president is adding to the chaos with his lawyers asking the supreme court to layoff the decision on whether or not trump is immune from prosecution. jack smith has been pushing for a quick answer.
now, in one legal fight he s facing just as he could soon be asking the high court to jump in and please intervene in another. and new u.s. intel on hamas growing influence. american officials warning the terror group is more popular since the horrific and brutal attack on israel. the holiday travel season is in full swing. today is expected to be the busiest day at the airports in this crazy holiday travel period. it s also officially the first day of winter. welcome. a look at the potential of storm cloud ahead for your travel plans. i m kate bolduan with omar jim jimenez. sara and john are off today. this is cnn news central. there s a new star taking the spotlight of the 2024 presidential election, no not a candidate but the supreme court. the justices could take up several cases that could decide the fate of republican front runner donald trump including if trump is even eligible for the white house. trump s team is expected to file an appeal with the high court
unraveling of the plot. masud now, perhaps, offering up details previously unknown. yeah, nic robertson, thank you so much. so the top u.s. hostage affairs official says brittney griner spoke about her ordeal as a russian prisoner during her flight to the united states, but ambassador roger carston told cnn on sunday that griner was healthy and in good spirits and mainly focussed on gratitude towards those who helped get her home. when she finally got onto the u.s. plane, i said brittany, you must have been through a lot over the last ten months. here s your seat, please, feel free decompress, we ll geoff give you your space, and she said oh, no. i ve been prison for ten months listening to russian. i m ready to talk. it was really amazing. officials say griner is
brittney griner. but very upset that he has been there much longer, four times as long and is still sitting in a russian prison. and what roger carston said was we will get you home. he seems very optimistic about the notion of doing it. how they re going to do it, i guess probably we shouldn t know because that would blow up a deal. but we don t know how. but it does seem according to you talked to fred pleitgen before coming on with me, it does seem that at this moment, the exchange for the prisoner in gunman gunmany in germany was not on the table. he was very much not even close to giving up hope which there are a lot of families all around the country who have their loved oned ones wrongfully detained abroad because they don t want to lose hope as well. it is great to see you. thank you. thanks, kate. so the man accused of building the bomb that brought