alaska airlines canceled some flights as well. there's been disagreement in the industry on how to handle this new pandemic surge as air travel rebounds to pre-pandemic levels. cnn's pete muntean has the latest from regan national airport. >> reporter: christine, paula, things are getting busier by the moment here at regan national airport. some of the numbers we have seen are already higher than where they were back in 2019 before the pandemic. the tsa screened 2.08 million people at airports across the country on wednesday. that number actually higher than the same day back in 2019, 1.84 screened back then two years ago. just a bit of context here, though. that same wednesday two years ago, that was christmas day itself when passenger loads are low, but even still we have seen numbers at or near 2 luis palomino per d 2 million per day. there are long lines to get tested for coronavirus. this one at b.w.i. thurgood marshall airport, there was a line for testing either earth because of international travel requirements or holiday gatherings. airlines insist traveling is safe now, so safe they are asking the cdc to shorten the required isolation period for somebody who gets coronavirus who is already fully vaccinated. the recommendation right now is ten days. airlines want it to be shortened to five days because they say it will allow them to keep more airline workers on the job and avoid operational problems like we saw this fall. christine, paula? >> all right, thank you so much for that. a disagreement is emerging in the airline industry how to respond to breakthrough covid cases. as pete just said, the airline's top lobbying group wants shorter vaccination time for vaccinated airline workers who test positive from the ten days currently down to five. this plea from delta airlines to the cdc earlier this week, warning, quote, with the rapid spread of the omicron variant, it may significantly impact our work force and operations. the flight union wants the cdc to keep the isolation period as it is. it calls ten days a prudent middle ground. the union says the decision should be based on science, not staffing and should be made by public health officials, not airlines. with all the discussion about isolation times, a big change from the centers or disease control. health care workers who test positive for covid no longer need to isolate for ten days. under the updated guidance, the cdc says they can return to work after seven days if they test negative and have no symptoms. and the agency says that isolation time can be cut further if there are staffing shortages. >> i welcome it. it's been a long time coming. and my guess is that the cdc has been watching closely what's going on in the united kingdom. london has seen a 125% increase in sick days for health care workers in the city of london over the last week. >> it was made out of necessity. the most important thing right now is to preserve the integrity of our health care system. we cannot have our hospitals be at such over capacity simply because we don't have enough doctors, nurses and other workers. i think this is the right move for that reason. >> it is a step in the right direction. i think it's long coming. there's no reason that people are fully vaccinated need a ten-day isolation. >> new real world analysis from the uk reinforcing data from the last few days hospitalization is lower with the omicron variant compared to delta. because omicron is so much more contagious, they are still concerned the new surge could lead too big, big numbers of people being hospitalized. >> this surge has been the most acutely ill patients that we've ever seen. they are young. they're unvaccinated. they have -- we can't allow the visitors in. the ones that can speak that aren't requiring ventilators tell us they wish they got vaccinated. unfortunately most of these patients are gasping for breath and can't actually talk to us. we are exhausted and i'm not sure how long this is going to keep up. >> new york city adjusting plans for new year's eve in times square. mayor bill de blasio announcing a scaled-back celebration with a maximum of 15,000 people allowed in and masks required for all. normally about four times that number are packed into times square on new year's eve. more good news on new covid treatments. for the second time in a week the fda green lighting a pill to fight the virus. for this to make a dent in the pandemic, testing capacity and turn around time will need to improve. senior medical correspondent elizabeth cohen has more. >> christine, paula, on thursday the fda authorized a second antiviral pill to treat covid-19. the first was from pfizer. now this one from merck. it is important to point out something about both merck's and pfizer's antiviral pill. they were taken early, within five days of the on set of symptoms. so you have to know that you have the symptoms. you have to get tested for covid. call the doctor. get the doctor to call in the prescription. that can take time especially as we've seen. there have been issues with testing. let's take a look at a comparison between pfizer's antiviral and merck's antiviral. for pfizer there was an 830% reduction in risk for authorization and death and authorized for people ages 12 and up. for merck there was a 30% reduction in risk. the fda said to use it only when there are no alternatives available. the concern is about side effects. so merck's pill is only for adults because there are concerns about side effects for children. also it is not recommended for pregnant women. we should see supplies of these drugs ramping up in the coming weeks. but remember, a vaccine is better. it's better to prevent covid-19 than to get it and treat it because these pills don't work 100%. christine, paula? a former minnesota police officer is facing years in prison convicted of killing a young man at a traffic stop. really make my dry skin healthier in one day? it's true jen. this prebiotic oat formula moisturizes to help prevent dry skin. impressive. aveeno® healthy. it's our nature.™ new daily moisture for face. ♪ this holiday, let them shine like never before. ♪ ♪ ♪ this is how we shine. ♪ find the perfect gift at zales. the diamond store. my family's been devastated by covid-19. and we're not alone. we've all had to find new ways to keep going. and cue has made that easier. with cue, you get lab-quality covid-19 test results in just 20 minutes. speed and accuracy. it's just for the nba; it's for you too. cue health. the official covid-19 home test of the nba. go cue. go you. pain hits fast. so get relief fast. only tylenol rapid release gels have laser drilled holes. they release medicine fast for fast pain relief. and now get relief without a pill with tylenol dissolve packs. relief without the water. we are grateful as we were able to have accountability. burr but like everybody has been saying, we still don't have daunte home. and this is just a step forward in the bigger issue with policing and hopefully there has to be no more dauntes. >> daunte wright's mother grateful for accountability but grieving her loss. the former police officer convicted of killing her son convicted of manslaughter. he was pulled over for expired tags. they played a crucial role in a number of high profile cases. the prosecution of derek chauvin and killers of ahmaud arbery. kim potter may receive 6 to 8 1/2 years in prison. cnn's adrienne broadus is on the ground in minneapolis. >> we the jury on the charge of manslaughter in the first degree find the defendant guilty. >> reporter: former brooklyn center police officer kimberly potter guilty on both counts of manslaughter tonight in minnesota. daunte wright's parents relieved by the verdict. while potter's husband could be heard yelling, i love you, kim, after her bail was revoked, as she was escorted from the court in handcuffs. potter said she intended to deploy her taser during a traffic stop in april, but fired her gun instead, killing 20-year-old daunte wright almost instantly. >> i shot him! oh, my god! >> reporter: shortly after the verdict, crowds outside the courthouse chanted wright's name, while the state pushed to reassure potter's police family. >> when a member of your profession is held accountable, it does not diminish you. in fact, it shows, it shows the whole world that those of you who enforce the law are also willing to live by it. >> reporter: the jury took nearly 27 hours to deliberate whether potter's actions were criminal. over eight days in minneapolis, jurors heard from a 33 witnesses, including tearful testimony from potter herself. >> i didn't want to shot anybody. >> reporter: the defense aimed to prove the 26-year police veteran was protecting her fellow officers during a risky traffic stop. >> she didn't cause this and she had a right to use deadly force. >> reporter: in closing arguments, they faulted wright for not cooperating with law enforcement. >> she says, taser taser, taser, he said, okay, stop, i give up. no, no. daunte wright caused his own death unfortunately. >> reporter: the state pushed back. >> carrying a badge and a gun is not a license to kill. >> reporter: the state asked jurors not to focus on potter's intention, but on the consequence of her actions. >> this was a colossal screw-up, a blunder of epic proportions. it was irreversible, and it was fatal. >> reporter: wright's family reacting to the news outside court. >> i only got one thing to say. we love you, daunte! >> reporter: and when the verdict was read on thursday, we learned members of the jury found potter guilty on that second degree manslaughter charge tuesday morning. that was the same day members of the jury asked the court what steps they should take if they were unable to reach a consensus. so it appears they were hung up on that first degree manslaughter charge. and now we know the outcome. potter found guilty on both counts of manslaughter. christine and paula? the texas border paroles and pardons has spared governor greg abbott some potential political trouble by withdrawing a clemency recommendation for the late george floyd. floyd was killed by a minneapolis officer's knee on his neck and floyd and two other names were scrubbed from the clemency list over what it called procedural errors. at first the board recommended a full posthumous recommendation. they will review the procedures. in los angeles a 14-year-old girl was shot and killed in a department store dressing room when a police officer fired at a man suspected in an attack. officials say they will release body cam video on monday that captured the officer's response to the apparent assault at a burlington coat factory. now, the suspect was gunned down and the woman he was attacking was injured when police opened fire. police say the girl who was in a connecting dressing room was hit when bullets pierced the wall. the district attorney in jefferson county, colorado, is preparing to ask a judge to shorten the sentence of the truck driver in the fatal 2019 crash to 20 to 30 years. the original sentence of 110 years for maderas sparked a national outcry after the cause of the crash was determined to be brake failure. they are also reviewing the driver's request for clemency. but a brother of one of the four victims said he should serve time. >> we thought that he should stay out of it honestly until the court proceedings has been done. accident reconstruction that day showed his truck went directly between two semis. i'm not going to say what his intent was. it is pretty obvious to me he saved his life without regard to people there. >> the sentencing earlier this month, the district judge said he was bound by the state's mandatory minimum sentence laws. a hearing is set for monday. and bogus claims have real consequence. why two georgia election workers are suing rudy giuliani and a tv channel for amplifying phony claims of voter fraud. refighterd knows how to handle dry weather... ...and dry, cracked skin. new gold bond advanced healing ointment. restore healthy skin, with no sticky feeling. gold bond. champion your skin. ho ho ho! not again. oh no. for the gifts you won't forget. the mercedes-benz winter event. get a credit toward your first month's payment on select models. it's the last minute gift sale. get up to 40% off storewide. 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>> all right, jessica. paula, you've been covering the january 6th committee extensively. this question of executive privilege is something the supreme court has never really resolved, right? >> well, certainly not the question that they've been posed here, which is what protections do a former president have to a congressional request when the current president does not want to assert executive privilege. that is a novel constitutional question. it's unclear, though, if the court will take it up. look, it is possible that these documents are covered by executive privilege, but historically the supreme court has said this particular privilege, it's not absolute. and here president biden has repeatedly said he's not going to assert privilege here, citing the extraordinary circumstances of january 6th. but, look, if they do take this up depending on the outcome, there could be enormous implications for the investigation. several people according to the chief of staff who are relying on this idea of protecting themselves via executive privilege. >> certainly an unprecedented territory again. what's in store for the holiday weekend forecast? 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"early start" continues right now. ♪ good morning. this is "early start." i'm paula reid. >> i'm christine romans on this christmas eve. happy christmas eve to everyone who celebrates. 30 minutes past the hour. time for our top stories to keep an eye on, the centers for disease control shortening the covid isolation period for health care workers. workers asymptomatic can return in 7 days than 10. more in a moment. the omicron surge leading delta and united airlines to each cancel more than 100 christmas eve flights. holiday travel now exceeds pre-pandemic levels. japan will not send government officials to the winter olympics in beijing. they stopped short of calling it a boycott, but a top japanese official says tokyo believes respect for human rights is important. former minnesota police officer kim potter is awaiting sentencing after a jury convicted her of manslaughter for fatally shooting daunte wright with her gun instead of a taser during a traffic stop. state guidelines recommend a sentence between 6 and 8 years in prison. ted kusinski transferred to a medical facility in nickell robey-coleman income. he spent two years at a colorado super max facility for targeting scientists. no specific reason for the transfer. after years of delays, nasa prepares to launch one of the most powerful telescopes into space. it expects to look deeper into the universe than we've been able to before. launch is set for christmas day off the coast of south america. and the cdc announcing a major change to address covid surges at hospitals. the new guidance says fully vaccinated health care worker who get covid can return to work after seven days instead of ten if they are symptom free and test negative. >> this new change by the cdc allows what is basically an entirely vaccinated staff who will almost certainly have either asymptomatic or low-impact illness to get back to work quickly. >> it is time for three questions in three minutes. holiday edition. let's bring in dr. ali raja, chair of general medicine at mass general ral hospital. thank you for taking time-out of your day to be here. you are in the thick of it in the health care universe. should the same rules apply to the general public? are you expecting this is -- i assume you're welcoming this move from the cdc. >> it's a great question, christine, and i am. i'm really glad the cdc changed its stance on this. the evidence shows immunized people are less likely to transmit the virus. health care facilities general have strict protocols in terms of vaccinations for employees, masking, distancing for everyone. but your question is really good. it's still a calculated risk. we know omicron is more infectious, but we've got staffing challenges in hospitals that really need this to happen. we know that more broadly in the general public, people don't have the same vaccination requirements, they don't have the same masking and distancing. i don't think they can go out much more broadly than this. >> and the head of the top lobbying group for airlines asked the cdc to shorten isolation period for fully vaccinated airline workers who experience breakthrough covid infections from ten to just five days. what do you make of this request, especially as millions travel for holidays? >> paula, i get it. i understand where it's coming from given the pressures on the industry, but i don't think it's a right move. anyone who has been in an airport or on an airplane recently knows despite the fact the staff are working so hard, there just isn't strict adherence to safety protocols. the surge of cases we're seeing now is bad enough. we don't need to make it worse by lowering that isolation protocol number. >> yesterday the fda approved merck's antiviral pill. the company says it is effective against omicron. pfizer has an anti-viral pill that was authorized on wednesday. vaccines are still the best first line defense full stop. but how do these pills fit into the fight against covid, doctor? >> it's really fantastic to have some more options for the treatment of patients with covid, especially since these pills can be given at home and keep people out of hospitals. now, the merck pill isn't quite as effective as the pfizer pill. it's about 30% compared to 88% for keeping people out of the hospital. but it's still good to have another option. >> and one bonus christmas eve question. with all the progress we've made this year, look, this is an hour we thought we'd be in the fight against covid at the end of 2021. what has happened in the new year or what do we hope will happen in the new year to get us out of this once and for all? is there anything? >> paula, here's the thing. we're getting there. we have vaccines and more rapid tests than we had last year. we're all becoming much more familiar with how to keep ourselves safe. it's still not easy to find tests. i have to tell you, my family and i canceled a christmas eve plans because we can't find rapid tests. we drove around all day after my shift. i'm hoping we can see more rapid tests in addition to vaccine and booster rates so we can connect with each other safely again next year. >> dr. ali raja, massachusetts general hospital. thank you for all the work you and your colleagues do. this is an incredible couple of years. hats off to you. >> thanks, christine and paula. looking for clues, the biggest question in the economy, will the fastest spreading omicron boost the economy? it is down 1.4% in october. rising case numbers leading to under staffed businesses shutting down, universities are shifting to online classes. some events are canceled or postponed. data from open table shows consumers dining in restaurants nationwide, 16% lower in the week ending than the same period in 2019. >> it's very much a struggle for restaurants. even if we're not faced with clothes you're, many restaurants are hanging on by a thread. this is december. this is their souper bowl month. people are having to close because staff are getting covid. reservations are down because guests are afraid to go out. even if there isn't a mandate to close your restaurants, you're seeing a decrease in numbers. >> yeah, not necessarily official restrictions, but people are reining themselves in a little bit to stay safe. economists are lowering projections for next year because of the growing concern about the latest surge. also not helping, inflation. a key measure hit a four-decade high in november. the personal consumption expenditures index rose 5.7% from last year. fastest increase since 1982. paula, you have the strongest economy really since the regan administration, the highest inflation since the regan administration, too. that is the covid economy contradiction, right? very strong and also prices running hot. >> the covid economy certainly full of contradictions as we've seen over the past two years. well, overnight, two more tiananmen memorial statues removed from hong kong university campuses. cnn's will ripley live in hong kong with more. will, is this an extension of the crackdown in hong kong? >> reporter: it is perhaps not a chinese government directly imposed crackdown, paula, but it is continuing self-censorship which we've seen in the media and also on the campuses of academic institutions, including the university of hong kong, which is one of asia's most prestigious universities, it has been, a bastian for free speech and education on chinese-controlled soil. a removal of three statues here in hong kong is another scientific that time of freedom in hong kong is rapidly coming to an end. it stood for more than 20 years, the pillar of shame. it was a statue, very bold, very dramatic, contorted torsos. it was a reminder of the massacre at tiananmen square in 1989. it stood there defiantly. there were orders from university leadership to take it down and that's what happened. under the cover of darkness during the christmas holiday when most people were off campus, the construction workers moved in, you could hear their equipment, and now that iconic statue sitting in storage along with two others, including two that were created a china-born new zealand artist. >> now in hong kong, they started the new law so the broken one country two system. now it's one country, one system. >> reporter: he was at two other universities here in hong kong. both artists are asking for their work to be returned so that they can be reassembled and possibly even displayed in washington in front of the chinese embassy. this is an ongoing disappointment for those who have hoped that education here in hong kong would remain untouched despite the imposition by beijing of a national security law last year that has radically and quickly changed the face of this once bastian of free speech. where the tiananmen massacre was marked, it has been canceled by authorities because they cited covid safety protocols, and the museum that was commemorating the massacre also was forced to shutdown. they say it was because of political oppression. >> interesting. will, thank you so much for that report. we'll be right back. ♪ [laughing and giggling] (woman) hey dad. miss us? 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[girls laugh] -nice smile, brad. -nice! thanks? crest 3d white. 100% stain removal. crest. the #1 toothpaste brand in america. the ones that get very sick and go to the hospital are the ones that don't take their vaccine. but it's still their choice. and if you take the vaccine, you're protected. look, the results of the vaccine are very good. and if you do get it, it's a very minor form. people aren't dying when they take the vaccine. >> an important and frankly long overdue message from former president trump. now three times this week he's been publicly backing the coronavirus vaccine developed on his watch, and the white house is praising him for it. >> we are grateful that the former president got the booster. we are also grateful that he made clear in a recent interview that they are effective and they're safe. we believe that, you know, the former president being out there and stating what is factually accurate about the efficacy of vaccines, of getting boosted which he recently did, of course, is a good thing. >> he was sitting next to bill o'reilly, talking about how he got the booster. there was a smattering of boos. it was an important movement. there. been real consequence to vaccine rhetoric. it runs higher among supporters of the former president. for an entire year states that voted for president biden have been getting vaccinated more than states that voted for donald trump. >> it's too bad he couldn't come out more forcefully with this message sooner. he's been waffling, no mandates, but it's good to see him do this the past week. a lot of people who are questioning the science are at the root of a disturbing trend. hostility towards doctors and nurses across the country. once celebrated as the heroes of the pandemic, that good will appears to be gone. front line workers are dealing with threats from patients and their families demanding unproven treatments. we'll get more from cnn's ed lavandera. >> my name is jeff. i'm an i.c.u. doctor here. >> reporter: he sprendends his fighting for covid-19 patients in a hospital in minnesota. like so many other doctors, he feels the strain. what's it been like to work in this atmosphere? >> it's exhausting. it is frequently heartbreaking. it is demoralizing at times. >> reporter: dr. lions says it is also getting hostile as patients are demanding bogus medical treatments. are people treating these treatments like they're picking items off aime menu at a restaurant? >> absolutely. folks act as if they can come into the hospital and request any certain therapy they want, or conversely, decline any therapy that they want, with the idea being that somehow they can pick and choose and direct their therapy, and it doesn't work. >> reporter: that's putting health care workers at risk. hospitals are facing a slew of lawsuits, demanding risky treatments. across the country there are reports of growing hostility between medical workers and patients and their families. it's a daily dose of threats and vitriol. >> they insult your intelligence, insult your ability. most hurtful they say by not using these therapies, you are intentionally trying to harm the people that we've given everything to save. >> reporter: what has been the worst experience you've had? >> the most difficult experience we've had is a patient family who, under pseudonym, had made threats against the hospital. there was a reference to making sure the hospital is locked and we've got people that are coming for you. >> reporter: was it a death threat? >> i'm not sure how a person would take, we're going to come to that, we're going to march on the hospital, we're coming for you, as anything other than a death threat. >> reporter: barbara chatman is a nurse practitioner and works at the university of texas at tyler. last summer she started a hotline offering teachers and health care workers mental health support. >> i used to think of it as being overwhelmed. health care workers are overwhelmed. that doesn't even address it. the way i address it now with folks when i talk to them is i refer to it as moral injury. >> reporter: what do you mean by that? >> you want to help folks, and now that folks aren't getting vaccinated, they're not believing us. they're questioning our education and our background. it's hurtful. we're exhausted, we're tired, and so we have been morally injured. >> reporter: chatman says some nurses have endured so much abuse that even getting them to walk from their cars into work is a challenge. >> it's like when a veteran comes back from the war, he may be out of the war, but he hasn't left that war. >> reporter: it's crazy to me that you're talking about a health care job as if it was walking into a battle field. >> it's a battle field. it is a battle field. >> reporter: dr. jack lyons often thinks of the pandemic's early days when thankful communities banged pans to honor health care workers. >> the vast majority of patients come to our interactions with distrust. >> reporter: that feeling of good will is gone. >> long since dissipated. >> reporter: the medical workers we spoke with say they sympathize with patients and the families who are desperate for any kind of treecatment that ca help save their loved one's lives. doctors say the people requesting and pushing for these bogus treatments are victims of misinformation. christine and paula? >> a whole different kind of pandemic, pandemic of misinformation. overwhelming, targeting and harassing health care workers, just unacceptable. financial markets closed today in observance of the christmas holiday. u.s. stocks closed higher thursday ahead of the long weekend. the s&p 500 rising 0.6%. that is a fresh record high. investors balancing inflation fears and uncertainty about the spread of omicron which are negatives against record high profit margins and solid earnings performances for companies amid the pandemic. the blast at a texas oil refinery yesterday will probably push already high gas prices higher. analysts say the accident could hamper outputs at the refinery for months that could weigh on gasoline supply. gas prices have been falling for weeks now. the average price for a gallon of gas is at about $3.29. down 11 cents. the national highway traffic safety administration says tesla will send out a software update for the passenger play feature. the agency had just announced a formal investigation into risks posed by drivers distracted by video games. and here's the good news we all need. audi is promoting its season of giving and the car company proved worthy after a "wheel of fortune" contestant lost out on a new car when this happened. >> choosing the right -- word. >> you know, this one is tough because you said all the right words, including the word "word," but as you know, it's got to be more or less continuous. we'll allow for a little pause. >> oh, come on, pat. the technicality cost charlene, but not for long. audi stepped up and gave her the prize she was denied on the show. a luxury suv. tweeting, there's no community like the audi community. with your help, we tracked down charlene. lovely, lovely ending to that story. >> that is the easiest p.r. move, the best money spent by a corporate p.r. department. well done everyone solving that problem. all right. a covid outbreak forces the cancellation of the hawaii bowl. andy scholes has the bleacher report, hey, andy. >> there is good news and bad news with this story. bad news, you travel 4,000 miles to have your bowl game canceled 24 hours before taking the field. good news is the place you traveled to is hawaii. i'm sure memphis is making the best of this. this is the first college football bowl game to be called off because of the virus. university of hawaii forced to pull out on the eve of the game after some 30 players and staff recently tested positive. last year's hawaii bowl was also called off due to the pandemic. now, the gator bowl, meanwhile, has a replacement for texas a&m. rutgers who finished next to last in the big ten eastern division is now going to play wake forest one week from tonight in jacksonville, florida. this will be the first time the scarlet knights will play in a bowl game since the 2014 season, the second longest bowl drought in power 5 programs in kansas. the aggies had to pull out of the game after a large number of players tested positive. the nba continues to struggle with cases. anthony towns the latest to enter the health and safety protocol. he lost seven family members including his mother to the virus last year, and towns previously tested positive for covid on january 15, tweeted about his status before the game against the jazz posting, can't catch a break. we have no games in the nba today, but we have five tomorrow for christmas starting with the hawks and knicks at noon eastern. all right, titans and 49ers kicking off week 16 last night. then they're playing a thriller. san francisco ties the game at 17 with jimmy garoppolo's two-yard touchdown pass to brandon aiyu. down the field, setting up randy bullock for a 44-yard field goal with four seconds left. the niners hoping for a christmas miracle with a bunch of laterals, but it didn't work. tennessee wins this one 20-17. moving a win or a colts loss away from clenching the division. san francisco loss also means dallas cowboys have officially clinched a spot in the playoffs the first time in three years. while the holidays bring people together, not like this. the bowl in tampa had to take a time-out after ucs kole snyder had a helmet face mask. the ref couldn't do it. got a little knot here. the equipment crew, took a little while to get those apart. they ended up beating the gators first time in school history 29-17. i'm not sure i had seen the two helmets getting stuck together. at least for that length of time, guys. got it all figured out and gave us a laugh. >> couldn't do it if you tried. that's one of those things. nice to see you, andy. >> all right, guys. >> love the griswold reference. appreciate that. the holiday spirit shines bright in central tennessee. each year larry jenkins transforms the front of his nursery business into a christmas tree lot. he gives away trees to people who can't afford them during a year tree prices are at an all-time high. >> i know how cold it's been, people out of work, family having a rough time. i decideds, you know, why not give trees to people who couldn't afford it. you see people shedding tears because they're not used nobody giving them nothing like that. they really appreciate it. >> that's lovely. this is the first time he's publicized it. he helped people in the past. he hopes to spread kindness beyond the christmas season. >> hope ffully they will reward him with business this spring. prince harry and meghan markle sharing the first picture of baby lilibet. he sits next to them with 2-year-old son archie. archie made us a mama and papa and lili made us a family. living the dream in santa barbara. >> absolutely. santa claus' sleigh is packed and you can track his every move. norad is about to activate its santa tracking system. people can follow santa's journey around the world on norad's website or call the command center. the santa tracker started by accident in 1955 when a newspaper misprinted the number in an ad for kids to contact santa, and the call went to a defense base. >> yeah. now they do this really well every year. my little guys line up and we watch this all night long. it's really very fun. so well done. merry christmas, everybody. thanks for joining us. i'm christine romans. so nice to have you here these few days, paula. thank you. >> thank you so much. it's been great to be with you. i'm paula reid. 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