national attention. late last night the state's supreme court ruled to temporarily block kate cox's attempt to obtain an emergency abortion. cox says her unborn baby has a fatal genetic condition that results in the baby not living more than a few days outside the womb. that's according to the lawsuit she has filed against texas. cnn's camila bernal is following this story. how big of a setback is this for her? >> reporter: it's very significant, fred, and that's because kate cox is 20 weeks pregnant at the moment. she's just 31 years old. as you mentioned, her fetus has a fatal genetic condition, and she says the complications of this pregnancy have essentially put her life in danger, and she says not only is her health at risk here, but she also says that her future fertility is also at risk if she doesn't get an abortion. so that is why she sued the state of texas asking for her to be allowed to get a legal abortion in the state of texas. a judge in the state granted that and agreed and allowed her to get a legal abortion in the state, which was actually very significant for the state. specifically when it comes to medical exemptions, because the state has such strict abortion laws, which could define those exemptions. but, of course, the attorney general there, ken paxton of texas, does not agree, and asked the supreme court of the state to intervene in this case, and that's exactly what they did. the texas supreme court essentially freezing the lower court's decision temporarily and saying that this case is now pending. now, there is no specific timeline as to when they would take up this case. again, she's 20 weeks pregnant, which is why it's so important for her to get that decision, to figure out what she's going to do next. her attorney is saying this is why people shouldn't beg for health care from a court of law, because she says this is a medical emergency at the moment that kate cox is going through. now, the state's attorney general, ken paxton, saying that she has not proved that this is life-threatening, that she has not proved that this is something that puts her life at risk, while on the other hand, you have kate cox in the court filing saying that she's had a very difficult pregnancy, that she's had to go to the emergency room multiple times because of what she's been going through, and because of her diagnosis, and also saying that her child, if born, would only live for a couple of days. so, again, she says that she's at risk and that her fertility here is at risk, which is also very important for her at the moment, fred. >> all right. camila bernal, thank you so much. with me is caroline kitsch ner, a politics reporter who covers for the "washington post." great to see you. how likely is it that this halt could ultimately end kate cox's chance of having that emergency abortion? >> it's really hard to say. doctors and lawyers that i've talked to in texas, a lot of them are guessing that the most likely outcome of this is that kate cox leaves the state of texas and obtains an abortion elsewhere, because we have seen so much of this abortion litigation, and one thing i know as a reporter who covers this issue is that it takes a really long time. there's so much back and forth, waiting, and there is a ticking clock on this case, in a way there just hasn't been so far. so we're really in uncharted territory here. >> as someone who covers abortions, what kind of signal is this sending nationally, particularly to other jurisdictions where there are restrictions, and even in the case of a court-ordered emergency procedure, it, too, is still at risk? >> doctors across the country are watching this case extremely closely. this is the most really direct confrontation that we have seen between law enforcement, between a state attorney general and doctors and hospitals that are performing abortions. ken paxton came out in his letter and he said, look, even under the court order that granted her permission to get an abortion, he said to the hospitals, if you allow this procedure to go forward, you will still be subject to these abortion laws, subject to a class 1 felony. he is making the most direct threat here that we have seen, and i just think everybody is just waiting with baited breath to see how this all pans out. >> so there's this texas case, there's the kentucky class action. are there other states that are going down similar paths with individual cases or class action cases? >> well, these two really stand apart. it's kind of remarkable that they happened in the same week. so before this texas case, earlier this week, it had been over 50 years since a pregnant adult woman had gone to a judge to ask for permission to access abortion. now that has happened twice in one week. so i think what that tells us is that this is going to be a test case, and i think if kate cox is successful and she is able to get that care in the state of texas that she needs right now, we are going to see a whole lot more similar cases across the country. >> what kind of impact do you believe cases like this will make at the ballot box? is it energizing voters? >> i do think people are watching and it reminds people this is happening. i mean, i notice, as somebody who covers this full time, people get distracted, there are other things that rise to the top of the mind. and cases like this that really have a face and a person behind them, i think are really easy for people to connect with, and it reminds people across this country of what's happening with abortion rights right now. >> thank you so much. good to see you. >> thank you. just weeks before key 2024 election contests take place, president biden is hitting the campaign trail amid new legal distractions hovering over his son. on friday the president kicked off a campaign swing out west, just hours after his son, hunter, was indicted again. hunter biden is now facing new federal tax evasion charges, prosecutors accuse him of a four-year tax evasion scheme and spending millions of dollars on things like drugs, escorts and exotic cars. if convicted on all nine criminal counts, he could face up to 17 years in prison. cnn senior white house reporter kevin liptak is in los angeles where the president is fundraising. how is the white house reacting to this latest hunter biden indictment? >> reporter: well, certainly the white house isn't responding very forcefully. they say the president remains in love with his son, that he supports his son, but they aren't weighing in beyond that. and certainly the issue of hunter biden's legal issues is one of the most sensitive inside the west wing. there are very few aides who feel comfortable raising this issue with the president. in fact, when you talk to them, there aren't that many that have a firsthand knowledge of how the president is processing all of this. but it is certainly true that hunter biden's legal issues do weigh heavily on president biden, and this one is no different. certainly because of all of the personal information that was included in the indictment about what hunter biden was spending this money on, this lavish lifestyle that is in some ways embarrassing for him and for the president. and so this is a political headache for president biden as he enters what will be a challenging re-election contest, and you've already seen some republicans try and conflate hunter biden's legal issues with those that trump is facing. there isn't really a comparison there, of course. president trump was president and is running to be president again. hunter biden was never been president and won't be in the future. that isn't stopping comparisons from going forward. when you talk to president biden's aides, they do not believe that voters will make the hunter biden issue central to their decisionmaking. there's certainly other issues that they are focused on, including the economy, and i think the challenge for president biden will be trying to frame this election as a choice between him and between president trump. and you have seen him start to talk about president trump in much more forceful terms than he has been willing to previously. yesterday he was in las vegas making an announcement on passenger rail investment, and he went after his predecessor by name. listen. >> trump just talks to talk. we walk the walk. look, he likes to say america is a failing nation. frankly, he doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. >> reporter: so those are certainly the kinds of arguments that you can sort of anticipate hearing in television ads, digital ads over the next year. of course that will cost a lot of money and that is why president biden is in los angeles this weekend. he has two major fundraising events, including last night with some hollywood heavyweights, steven spielberg, shonda rhimes, rob reiner. i was talking yesterday to jef jeffrey katzenberg and he told me it will be the most successful in campaign fundraising since president biden announced his election in the spring. >> kevin liptak, thank you so much. still to come for us, the u.s. is facing backlash after it vetoed a u.n. security council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in gaza. this comes as israel advances its military operations in southern gaza amid a worsening humanitarian crisis. > "the lead"d" with jake ta, cnn mondayay at 4:00. new today, reports of heavy clashes across gaza between israel defense forces and hamas. the idf says it is engaging militants in northern gaza near the refugee camp, as well as in areas of khan younis in southern gaza, and it comes as the israeli military issued an urgent appeal for civilians to evacuate areas of khan younis today. the fighting showing no signs of slowing down, after the u.s. vetoed a u.n. resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in gaza. cnn's alex marquardt is in tel aviv. what more do we know about the clashes happening in gaza today? >> reporter: well, fredricka, the idf claims to have control of much of northern gaza where most of the fighting has taken place over the course of the past two months. but it is clear that they have not fully taken control. there are still clashes between the two sides in northern gaza. we did see some strikes in central gaza today, a place which has been hit repeatedly over the past few days by israeli air strikes. that is what residents said happened again this morning. at least two strikes at a building that was housing some 150 people, many of whom, those residents said, had come from the north after being told to evacuate. a local hospital in the central part of the gaza strip saying that there were at least eight people killed in those strikes, and dozens of people wounded. they have seen dozens of people killed in the strikes over the past few days. but so much of the focus for the israeli military has been on khan younis over the past week or so. that is the second biggest city in all of gaza. it's where israeli officials believe that some of hamas' top leadership may be. we've seen intense operations on the ground. they say they are trying to encircle khan younis. they're going door to door, they say, tunnel to tunnel. of course we know about this extensive tunnel system. and tonight, fred, the idf issued what they called an urgent appeal to residents and civilians in the central part of khan younis, in five very specific areas on a map they published, with hundreds of different little blocks. but five areas, they said, need to evacuate immediately, that is an indication, perhaps, that fighting is coming soon. they said people need to move to the southwestern part of the strip where the idf claims there are established shelters. we've asked the idf what they mean by shelters, that is not clear, and we have yet to hear back from them. >> and then, alex, we're also learning some new information about the death of an israeli hostage. what more are you learning? >> reporter: he's a young man, 25 years old. he was from one of the kibbutzes near the gaza strip that was attacked on october 7th. his kibbutz put out an official statement saying that he had been kidnapped on october 7th and they say he was murdered by hamas in gaza. we haven't heard anything from the idf themselves, but what hamas is saying happened is that the idf was attempting a rescue operation that was clearly not successful. we have seen a hamas video which we are not going to be showing, but it shows baruch when he was still alive, saying that he had been held for 40 days and he wanted to go home. and then the video shows him dead. it's not exactly clear how he was killed, but hamas is saying that this rescue operation was unsuccessful, they also show in the video some equipment from the idf. the idf separately had said that there had been an unsuccessful rescue operation to get hostages out in which two of their soldiers were severely injured. it's unclear whether these two incidents are connected, fredricka. >> alex marquardt, thank you so much. so israel says there are still 137 hostages who remain captives of hamas, all ripped from their homes 63 days ago. and among them, a 39-year-old and 26-year-old. i'm joined by a close friend, and noah's roommate. so great to see both of you. i cannot imagine what you're going through, the anguish that you have endured for over a month now, and then hearing about this attempted rescue mission, possibly, for one of the hostages and now hearing about his death. i'm sure that just has you worrying even more about your loved ones. so i wonder if you can give me any details about what's going on through your mind, and if you've been given any updates at all about carmel. >> thank you for inviting us. carmel was kidnapped 63 days ago from the kibbutz while she was visiting her parents. we didn't hear anything about her for 52 days, she was defined as missing and we didn't know if she was dead or alive. the first sign of life we got was 52 days ago when two hostages that were released last week said that they were with her in a room, so we know she's alive. but more than that, we didn't get any update and there is no footage or something that hamas has posted before or after. >> and then, amir, what have you been going through? what has this been like for you, watching all of this unfold, and just really being in the dark? >> it's very difficult. it's very difficult to see our loved one over there in gaza and there is nothing we can do to help them, especially when we hear about this kind of oppression, this is the only way to get our hostages back. it's not safe, anything in gaza is not safe now. it's devastating. we think about it all the time, what they're going through, are they having food, do they have any kind of life, or is it just being a hostage in captivity, in a difficult situation and conditions. >> and then, give me an idea -- this is also a very confusing time, too, because there are hostages, you know, and getting the information about their condition is very difficult, as you've just explained. then you have the israeli defense forces who say we are moving and intensifying our efforts in areas where possibly some of these hostages may be held by their captors, hamas. so where are you on watching the developments of the military mission, yet at the same time worried about what does this mean for hostages? >> yeah, i trust the idf. i know that the army and the government are doing the exact -- the right thing they're supposed to do, and they are doing it smartly. this is how fights work and how war works. there's not another option, because we see that hamas is not letting the hostages go back home. so we need to operate in different ways. i just trust the idf. >> and then, amir, noa was abducted along with her boyfriend from the music festival on october 7th. have you been told anything, even perhaps from the released hostages who were able to offer some information, have you heard anything about whether the two are being held together, if they've been seen individually, anything? >> well, unfortunately, we didn't hear anything from any hostages. we only saw the two videos of noa being kidnapped, and after that there was another video of her drinking water and that's it. we don't know. we're just hoping and praying they're good and still safe and sound. >> and how is the family of carmel feeling, what do you say to one another when you are in this space of not getting information, holding out hope, praying, but what is that doing to everyone? >> this is, like, a nightmare. it's extremely difficult, especially the first days, like the 52 days when you don't know even if she's alive or dead, and the government was saying some of the missing people are likely to never be identified because of the situation, the bodies that were burned with strong chemical materials. so since we got the first sign of life, it was a very kind of happy moment to know that she's alive. but she's now leftre and we know that there have been horrific conditions there, and we really need her back home, like every second counts. she's in danger and they are all in danger. so we're trying to do our best to raise awareness and put some pressure and we are helping each other to cope through the situation and the family, our lives stopped since the 7th of october. >> amir, i wonder if you've had an opportunity -- well, this is an opportunity to speak directly to many lawmakers in the u.s. who have their finger on the pulse, have their finger on the strings of whether more arsenal, more money will be devoted to israel during this juncture. what is your message to them? >> so, my message is just to understand we're talking about human beings being held in captivity, in bad conditions, and we're talking about women, noa and carmel, and there are other women in captivity and males, and even some children are still in captivity. and every human being has the right to go home and be safe. and these people got their right taken and it's not okay. it's a humanitarian issue, we need to solve it right away. we need to do anything to get the hostages back. and noa's mother is very sick now, she has brain cancer. the doctor says she only has a few weeks or maybe a month left, and i think it's right for the mother to see her daughter and for her to see her mother for the last moments. >> you were describing noa's mom, noa's mother is sick. >> yeah. >> well, our prayers go out to -- >> she has terminal brain cancer. >> my goodness, my prayers go out to her, to all of you, all of those who remain captive, and to their family members who are just worried sick. thank you so much for your time. >> thank you. and the violence in the middle east is dampening the spirits of many americans beginning hanukkah celebrations this week. some people are even afraid to put a menorah in their window because of a spike in anti-semitic incidents. polo sandoval is here with more. more than 70 lawmakers demanding that the presidents of three top universities be removed because of their response to questions about how to handle anti-semitism and threats of genocide. >> reporter: essentially it's not what they said but what they did not say, the failure to directly announce any calls for genocide. that is what continues to fuel that criticism and calls for the heads of those three universities, m.i.t., harvard and upenn to step down. while that's playing out, we continue to see that increase in anti-semitic incidents. statistics released by the nypd are showing that recently we have seen a total of 284 crimes specifically targeting the jewish community. that's a significant increase over what we saw at this time last year. when you look at the numbers, for example, that specifically target the muslim community, those number 19. greatly lower. however, when you hear from the mayor of the city just yesterday very sharply condemning violence against any faith. >> in this moment of heightened tension around the globe, it is more important than ever that we stand together as one, united against the rising tide of hatred and religious intolerance. >> reporter: after a gunman opened fire outside of an albany synagogue on thursday, not injuring anybody, certainly sending shockwaves through the community. new york governor kathy hochul has ordered a police presence throughout the state to be increased on top of what we saw play out after the october 7th attacks, and also governor hochul issuing what we can call a preemptive letter to colleges and universities in new york state, basically issuing a warning that any sort of calls for genocide on campuses would be a direct violation of the institution's code of conduct. and if said institutions would fail to react or address that with disciplinary action, then they could potentially lose out on receiving funding. so what we're seeing here as the state's chief executive, seeing what played out just this week on capitol hill with the heads of those three universities, and basically reminding institutions here in new york that that can not happen, and for her part, her office saying the heads of many of those universities here in new york are responding saying that they are very well aware and are prepared to respond with any disciplinary action should those calls for genocide play out on their campus. so not to mention losing funding, but also facing serious fallout, what we're seeing play out at those three universities you mentioned during the lead. >> polo sandoval, thank you so much. in just a few weeks iowa voters will be the first in the nation to choose a presidential candidate. but florida's first lady seems to suggest anyone can take part. now the campaign is clarifying her comments. tomorrow on cnn, get ready to be inspired and honor some of humanity's best. >> this is amazing. >> a night where the stars meet with heroes. >> please join me in honoring cnn hero of the year. >> a night full of hope. >> we have a whole world to build. >> join anderson cooper and laura coates live. cnn heroes, an all-s-star tribu, tomorrrrow at 8:0000 on cnn. several of the republican candidates hoping to take on president biden next year are in iowa today, where the first in the nation caucus is just over five weeks away. today gop hopeful ron desantis and his wife casey are seeking to clarify comments after the florida first lady made comments that appeared to encourage out of state voters to participate in the iowa caucuses. cnn's steve can is joining us. >> on fox news casey made this call out to moms and grandmothers all across the country and said, look, you don't have to be a resident of iowa to participate in the iowa caucuses, and called on them to descend upon the state. those were her exact words. participate in the caucus, i guess that's true, depending on your definition. you are allowed to volunteer, to speak, to encourage, to persuade other people in iowa on behalf of a candidate, but obviously you can't vote or have your voice heard in the caucuses themselves. they say this is obviously what they meant, they didn't mean you could go to iowa and vote. governor desantis tried to clarify the remarks later after she spoke. here is what he said. >> obviously you can't vote in the caucus, but you can help with it. they even let people go and speak on behalf of candidates. so you may have people who really can speak strongly about our leadership that are going to come. we're looking forward to doing that. >> reporter: now, they tried to brush this off as no big news, nothing to see here. i will point out that the iowa gop actually put out a message on social media reminding people that, yes, you must be a resident of the state of iowa in order to participate in these caucuses. >> okay, and, steve, desantis is also looking to boost his campaign by hitting on some of his culture war themes and policies. tell us about his strategy. >> yeah, right before desantis launched his campaign for president, actually just a week before, he signed a package of bills all aimed at restricting transgender people in the state of florida. and that issue has sort of subsided, after becoming sort of a rallying cry for many of the republican candidates in the race. in wednesday's debate this became a flashpoint between not just the governor and chris christie, who are sort of on opposite ends on how health care for gender children should be handled, but also it sparked a heated back and forth between south carolina governor nikki haley and governor desantis. take a look at what they had to say. >> first of all, ron has continued to lie because he's losing. >> that's not a lie. >> you are lying. >> you said it on tape. >> first of all, i will say that when i was governor, ten years ago when the bathroom situation came up, we had maybe a handful of kids that were dealing with an issue. and i said, we don't need to bring government into this, but boys go into boys' bathrooms, girls go into girls' bathrooms, and if anyone else has an issue, they use a private bathroom. now, ten years later, we see this issue has exploded. this shows how hypocritical rn continues to be. when he was running for governor and they asked him about that, he said he didn't think bathroom bills were a good use of his time. you can go look that up. >> i signed a bathroom bill in florida, so that's obviously not true. >> so the idea that you would say that i was against it -- >> i signed it, you didn't. i stood up for little girls. >> reporter: this is obviously an issue where desantis feels like he has the upper hand, because he has been talking about it persistently since the debate. he talked about it on the road in iowa, all the rest of this week. clearly, there's a lane for a social conservative candidate and this hard right turn he has taken has hurt him in other states, but in iowa where there are evangelical influences in these caucuses and they have a strong impact on the result, the governor is betting that by trying to occupy the social conservative lane he can have a chance at beating trump in that state. >> thank you so much. he is the defending masters champion, and now jon rahm makes a deal that he says he couldn't refuse. >> king charleses, wednesdad 1010:00 on cnnnn. the number three golfer in the world, jon rahm, is taking some heat for his huge payday. this week the reigning masters champion announced he will leave the pga tour and join liv golf series. his three-year deal is worth $300 million. that includes an ownership stake in a new liv golf team. cnn sports anchor patrick snell is joining us. patrick, that's big bank, but he's getting a big pushback, too. >> yeah, there has been some criticism, no question about that. jon rahm, basically, i think really the criticism comes, when i think about it, because of his previous stance. he made it clear that he was all about legacy, history, playing in the big famous tournaments, and that should continue to some degree, at least, as far as the majors are concerned. he's the reigning masters champ. i never saw this coming, but the rumors had been growing in recent weeks. there had been gathering momentum. mas massive for liv golf. for context, for many, jon rahm is simply the best player in the world. you mentioned he's the reigning masters champ, former u.s. open winner, and at 29, he's likely not even yet at the peak of his playing power. ram was one of the loudest voices, this is what i mean, one of the loudest voices of opposition to liv when it first launched with an event in england. i remember it well. it was back in 2022, just our side of london. rahm insisting he wasn't interested in the money being offered. his total career prize money on the pga tour up to this point has been over $50 million. rahm was born in the bath country and will make his liv debut in mexico in early february. we understand it's a three-year, $300 million deal, and he will have an ownership stake in a new team, again to espn citing unnamed sources. here is another plot twist. northern irish golf superstar rory mcilroy was also a huge critic of liv golf before they proposed a deal with pga and dp world tours. now he's saying that rahm should be allowed to play for europe at the next ryder cup in new york. >> the reason we play a sport, we're entertainers at the end of the day, and you want to have the best product and the best chance for your team to succeed. i believe you should give a chance to every single player. right now to hear rory say that, honestly, it makes me a little emotional. i respect the man so much. he's done a lot for the game of golf and accomplished a lot. so for him to have my back from day one, it's important, it's important for this process to change faster than later. so the earlier we can get a way back for people like me to maybe be able to qualify for that team, the easier it's going to be for us to compete and try to get on that team. >> reporter: the days ahead are going to be important, especially after we get through christmas. we've got the pga tour, the dp world tour. they're talking about the framework of joining forces. big blow to the pga tour and the european circuit as well. back to you. >> wow, change is here, isn't it? patrick snell, thank you so much. we'll be right back. cnn heroes is s brought totu by byby -- long awaited rules that would ban menthol flavoring and cigarettes are being delayed by the biden administration. the decision is now expected this march. as cnn's renee marsh reports, the delay has some critics crying foul. >> we are extremely outraged. >> reporter: anger and disappointment from the naacp directed at the biden administration for slow walking a ban on menthol flavored cigarettes. for decade, tobacco companies have aggressively targeted minority communities with marketing and it's been effective. more than 83% of black smokers choose menthol, and black people die at significantly higher rates of smoking related illnesses. >> if you don't ban menthol flavor, you're sending a clear message that black lives do not matter. it raises a real question, is this a discriminatory act by this administration to neglect the health concerns of the african american commute? >> reporter: government schedules show on november 20th, top administration officials met with prominent black leaders and representatives, including an executive with al sharpton's network and stakeholders and lobbyists, including former congressman g.k. butterfield, now a lobbyist. all opposed the ban saying it that lead to an illicit market. >> it's becoming a political issue because of black leaders trying to make it such. you have black leaders that are taking the stand of tobacco companies rather than saving black lives. >> reporter: a ban would only allow the fda to ban the sale and distribution which means it would focus on retailers, manufacturers and distributors, not individuals. in an election cycle, conservative groups have seized the opportunity to capitalize on the issue. >> biden's priority is banning menthol cigarettes. >> reporter: zeroing in on a potential political liability for biden, their strategy includes more ads like this one. republican senator tom cotton tweeting joe biden wants to ban menthol cigarettes, which are favored by black smokers. meanwhile, he wants to legalize we'd for white college kids. public health groups say the biden administration is putting politics over people. >> there's no reason for this day and one can only include that the industry has had an influence on the administration's decision. >> reporter: ail other flavored cigarettes were banned under the obama administration except for menthol. while the white house has not given any substantial reason for the delay, republicans are hard at work planning even more ads on this issue. renee marsh, cnn. >> thanks so much. we're back in a moment. tomorrow on cnn -- >> we provide by lingual education for children at the mexican border. >> people making a difference in our world. >> we are rebuilding the coral reefs here in the florida keys. >> i'm going to ensure that people in ghana have access to healthcare. >> if i see a pet in need and a person who cares for them dearly -- >> trauma can be a pathway for growth. >> we install child friendly reading space in the barber shop. >> we all are connected because of the shared experience of having an incarcerated parent. >> there should be no homeless vets, period, none. i don't want to be defined as a victim of my circumstances. >> i do want to make sure they get all the attention and love that they deserve. >> cnn heroes, an all-star tribute, tomorrow at 8:00 0 on cnn.n.