to keep your celebration safe? and the affluenza teen's mom back in the u.s. her son? still fighting to stay in mexico. what is his end game? let's talk, in the cnn "newsroom." and good morning everyone. i'm debra feyerick. thank you so much for joining me. no surprise and unjustified, that's how bill cosby's lawyers are describing the criminal charges against him for sexual assault. this is the scene on wednesday as cosby tripping as he enters the chous with his legal team by his side after the arraignment. team by his side after the arraignment. today cosby is out free after posting a million dollars bail. the charges stem back to a 2004 incident involving a former temple employee women's basketball employee angela constand. this morning we're hearing from her let's all stay classy please as to anybody inserting their opinion as to whether anything was investigated, period. and slipping her a cocktail of wine and pills that her in her words paralyzed. cosby's legal team in their words is innocent. >> he denies it vehemently and speaks specifically with respect to this incident. >> and he's a 78-year-old blind man who they have chosen to charge. that is not a defense to a crime. that is just a fact. >> well let's get right to cnn's jean casarez in elkins park pennsylvania where cosby was arraigned yesterday. very interesting to hear his attorney call him blind at 78 years old. these charges happened a decade ago. so why the case? why now? >> well prosecutors must believe beyond a reasonable doubt they can prove to a jury the evidence they have now. further more the statue of limitations has not expired. they can still bring the case and the deposition that was unsealed over the summer presented new evidence to them which allowed the case to be reopened. and this was the courthouse right behind me he walked through the door, now defendant at the arraignment of bill cosby. once america's beloved tv dad. now disgraced comedian bill cosby stumbling as he ae arrives for his arraignment wednesday, facing criminal sexual assault charges for the first time. the 78-year-old released on a $1 million bail for three counts of aggravated indeet assault of angela constand in 2004. filing weeks before the statute of limitations was set to expire. constand worked with the basketball program and accused cosby of assaulting her when she visited his pennsylvania home. >> he urged her to take pills he provided to her and to drink wine. >> cosby told her the pills were herbal. after taking them she felt dizzy, nauseous, frozen, paralyzed but was aware of cosby fondling her breast and putting his hands into her pants. though she came forward in 2005 the dea did not file charges citing lack of evidence. cosby settled a suit with her, the terms of which were sealed. in his own words unsealed this july and the original criminal case reopened. in it cosby admits to giving women quaaludes but never without their knowledge. constand the first to publicly come forward accusing cosby. since them some 50 women have come forward with similar allegations over four decades hoping now they may finally get justice. >> for many of my clients, seeing him criminally charged and having to face a trial is the best christmas present they could have received. >> he's yet to have directly answered a question about the allegations. >> there is no response. >> but in may he tells abc news. >> i've never seen anything like this. and reality is a situation. and i -- i can't speak. >> in a statement his toeshs called the charges unjustified and vowed he will be exonerated by a court of law.attorneys called the charges unjustified and vowed he will be exonerated by a court of law. >> it is true there was recently a brand new election. kevin steele has now been elected as the new district attorney. and there were some slangs. >> first assistant da with a 98% conviction rate. and castor refused to president bill cosby. he said we don't charge for making a mistake or doing something foolish. many more come forward and castor didn't even try. bruce caster was not looking out for the victims. >> and bruce castor, who opted to not bring charges in 2005 obviously lost the reelection to assume that position again right now. as part of the campaigning though he said that he publicly had an agreement with bill cosby to not use that civil deposition against him from 2005. we repeatedly put phone calls in to ask him for documentation on that. what agreement? where? can we see it? never got a response. but deb, one thing that is also interesting in regard to bruce castor is that he wanted to resume this post but he still believed there wasn't enough evidence. but the fact is bill cosby had given that statement to police in 2005 basically admitting sexual contact with andrea constand but saying it was consensual. so the evidence may have possibly been that he didn't believe the accuser. >> and very interesting. the accuser actually sued bruce castor saying that he was essentially defaming her, saying her accusations just were questionable. jean casarez, thank you. and today many of cosby's accusers are speaking out and reacting to the charges. >> my first reaction i was just sort of in shell shock. relieved. elated. emotion emotional, i think. when i saw the mug shot i started to cry. it just hit me so hard. and i really didn't anticipate that i was going to react that way. >> i just started to cry. and we were in a public place, my husband and i. and i just put my arms around him and stood there and cried. it was very, very emotional for me. >> and among the reactions to yesterday's bomb shell announcement, the daily news cover inside the publication it refers to cosby as america's predatory step uncle. and you can see the cover there saying he said, she said, she said, she said, she said. let's bring in victim's rights attorney gloria allred. she currently represents 29 of the women who say they were sexual assaulted by the comedian. >> also the fact is that this case will be tried in a court of law and that's what, you know, many of my clients had hoped would happen. because they think that it is time for a judge and a jury to hear this case for andrea constand to have an opportunity to testify. of course for mr. cosby to testify, unless he decides to invoke his fifth amendment privilege against self incrimination. and apparently this is what mr. cosby's attorneys have been calling for for a long time. they have been saying well he hasn't been charged with any crime. and you know, there is no court finding against him. so now he's going to have his opportunity to be in court. of course he may also have that opportunity in the lawsuit that we are litigating, the civil lawsuit on behalf of judy hut. we also took his deposition but that is a subject of a protective order and still under seal. part of the case for prosecutors is going to be a lot of information put together for this civil case. a civil case is a preponderance of evidence. in a criminal case it is proof beyond a reasonable doubt. so how do prosecutors go about showing that cosby drugged these women given that no blood tests were ever taken, for example. >> i think in the case of andrea constand, looking at his deposition, which is his sworn testimony under oath that he gave in that civil lawsuit. he admits sexual contact with andrea. he admits giving her pills although he says it is benadryl. and his suggestion in essence is that she didn't say no and therefore he felt that he could proceed with the sexual contact. of course the important point and that was made by assistant da kevin steele yesterday, soon to be the elected da of montgomery county would be that if in fact she was incapacitated by bills she could not consent, yes or no. she alleges she was paralyzed and couldn't say anything. and then that would constitute if believed by the jury indecent sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault. >> cosby's lawyers are going to eviscerate some of these women who have said they want to testify against them. that is a pretty brave thing for these women to come forward. are they up to the challenge of giving this testimony when the response by his lawyers is as we can anticipate going to be brutal. >> i do imagine that it will be a very, very vigorous cross-examination of any other women who may be called as witnesses, who may be called because they may have alleged or do allege same or similar conduct by mr. cosby. if it's relevant, if it's admissible. and if the prosecution thinks it might assist them in supporting the idea that there was a common scheme and plan. that in fact andrea is credible. then i think that many of these women have indicated -- i know they have, at least to me, that they are prepared to testify. they are going to demonstrate that kind of courage. they are going to tell what they say is their truth. and mr. cosby's defense team, highly paid army of lawyers, will have an opportunity to examine them. and i do think that they will be ready. and they know that they have a duty really to participate in the justice system in a criminal trial if they are subpoenaed as witnesses and they will do so. >> gloria allred, as you say the fact that he has now been charged in a court of law, now these women will have their say against him. thank you so much and be sure to stay with us. because next hour i'm going to be speaking to one of cosby's accusers live and get her reaction to the charges. and counting down in the united states as the other side of the world already welcomes in 2016. in sydney, australia revelers welcomed in the new year just last hour. but today old traditions are tempered by new fear. in brussels belgium a heightered alert has canceled festivities and even fireworks. with investigations under way and new things coming in every hour it seemed like the right thing to do. police detained six more people today in terror raids launched across that country. and today much of the world is on edge in new york. 6 thousand police officers will fan out across times square to give people a little peace of mind. they are on alert from everything to lone wolf attackers to a potential radioactive bomb. one of their big fears. other american cities are also bolstering security as a grim year with the specter of isis enters its final hours. and in london with terror concerns sweeping across europe and in new york. gentlemen, happy new year. first tell us about thank you these new terror sweeps in belgium. >> well they happened in the early morning hours of today when the security forces in belgium really went on raids across the country. and i know belgium a little bit. so it really is from all over various regions of that country there. and now six people were detained in those seven raids that went on. it is unclear whether or not they are going to be charged. but of course we know that the situation in brussels at this point in time is very, very fluid. the cancellation of the new year celebrations there came on very very short notice. a lot of the people there are quite confused. what you have right now is you had them already set up the stage for the new year celebration. that is being taken down and instead the military and police are patrolling the streets. it is unclear how much they knew about what could have happened on new year's eve but as you said there are these two who were arrested just a couple of days ago, part of that muslim biker gang who have now been charged for trying to attack the main square in brussels the grand pla-place. possibly someone who was fairly high up in the hierarchy as well. certainly a very scary situation for the people there . >> i think the ideology is better safe than sorry. and in new york nypd police snipers will be perched on rooftops and boom sniffing dogs will be mingling with the people. promising extraordinary safegua safeguards. cnn's miguel marquez life in times square where local and federal authorities are on alert. and mig al terrorism advisory says there is no threat. >> reporter: small attacks inspired by isis are what has authorities concerned. they always have security here for this enormous party and it is going to be bigger than ever where. these pens, there will be 65 of these. and they are expecting a crowd of more than a million people coming in here. individuals have to go through two million magnetometers before they get through the pens and once they are in they are in and they can no longer move. they will have everything from bomb sniffing dogs to radiation detecters to cameras and dogs to keep people safe and all across the city. tens of thousands of police and law enforcement to keep the entire city safe. they say they are ready for anything that may happen. they even have a special response team which they have developed over the last year or two that they say can respond to dozens of simultaneous attacks if it comes to that. debra. >> well it will be certainly fesive and hopefully safe. miguel, happy new year. and the mother of the so called affluenza team now back in the u.s. her son still in mexico, and fighting to stay there. how long will he be able do that? while so called affluenza teenite b couch is in mexico fighting extradition, his mom is back on u.s. soil today. she was seen in handcuffs in the custody of u.s. marshals and on her way back to texas where she could be facing as many as ten years in prison for her role. to discuss we are joined by cnn legally analyst and criminal defense attorney joey jackson. let's talk about this woman and what is going on. her son is fighting to stay in mexico. what does he gain remaining there? in a mexican prison? >> that is a wonderful question. because the net effect would be the same. and when i say that, when he comes back to texas, which he eventually will, or whether he remains this mexico he's still in detention. so i will never begrudge anyone who decides to exert all of the rights available to them. and of course he filed a writ of amparro to say look i haven't violated any laws in mexico. why should you turn me over to officials? so it is something of a bump in the road but a mexican federal judge ultimately will send him back. >> ultimately people go to mexico. but what are the extradition agreements between the two countries? >> we have very good relations with mexico? a treaty since 1980 and base upon that there are three things the u.s. needs to establish. number one that we have jurisdiction over ethan couch because he was a resident of texas. number two that he's violated some type of procedure or law that would be extradictable and three, that there is probable cause to believe he violated the policy or protocol. so as a result of that we'll get him back and this is a tactic his lawyers are using to keep him there. the end result will be that he'll be back here. we don't know when and -- >> some believe he got a free pass from the judge, saying he didn't know the difference between right or wrong and his parents never instilled that in him. the fact that his mother now goes essentially on the run with him to protect him sort of speaks to that issue. but he killed four in a drunk driving accident. judge puts him on probation. he violates the terms by attending a party where alcohol was served. was set to have a hearing to determine whether he would be tried in an adult situation. and he runs. his case now is far more serious. because now how can you argue he doesn't deserve jail time. >> i think it is more serious and it certainly becomes more complex for him. i think the big issue though is he's largely protected by the laws of texas. of course when he's brought back the juvenile detention facility will only have jurisdiction until he turns 19 on april 11th. the big issue will be whether or not the judge permits that probation to be transferred from juvenile to adult court. why? whenever you are in juvenile court it is all about rehabilitation and where it centers. in adult court the focus becomes on punishment and deterrence. so if there is a violation, now you have significant consequences of jail. so that is going to be the real big issue. does a judge grant the transference to adult court. >> and ethan couch likely going to have a lot of time now to consider his choices those he made in the past and perhaps those he will make in the future. >> and plenty when he comes back here too. but he'll be back. >> joey jackson. thank you. still to come, this is how high waters are in missouri right now. and debris floating in flood waters crashing into a bridge. live on the ground next. announcer: it's time to make room for the new mattress models! during sleep train's huge year end clearance sale... get beautyrest, posturepedic, even tempur-pedic mattress sets at low clearance prices! save even more on floor samples, demonstrators, and closeout inventory! plus, same-day delivery, set-up and removal of your old set. why wait for the new models? sleep train's year end clearance sale is on now! superior service, best selection, lowest price-- guaranteed! ♪ your ticket to a better night's sleep ♪ and good morning everyone. i'm debra feyerick in for carol costello. we are now hours away from nowing just how historic the flooding in missouri will be. rivers are cresting many, many feet above all-time record levels making today the benchmark for future flooding events. interstates shut down, 12 million people are under flood warnings. across 19 states. look how big this is. there are harrowing rescues. this man and his dog clinging to a roof until help arrived but the man loses his footing plunging into the frigid waters. we're going to have the forecast in a moment but first alongside the meramec river this morning martin savidge is there and describe for us what you are seeing and how you are getting around for that matter. >> reporter: getting around is the most difficult part of all of this deborah, good morning to you. you mentioned you have that problem there on 44. also a shut down of 95. that is a major artery here, a nightmare for commuters. which means they are struggling to keep this open, a bridge over the meramec river. in arnold, highway 61. this is one of the last ways to get across that river in this region. and even though now the river has clearly begun to infringe on the roadways here and people are driving through, it is the only way and they have to try to keep it open because here in arnold they are getting cutoff both from the north and the south. 22 thousand live here and there are hundreds of homes now threatened. let's show you valley park. this is another community under water. and their problem there is sewage. the water treatment plant there is completely surrounded and undau inundated and that is going to cause a pollution problem on top at probles they already have. here are some of the residents evacuating. >> we're just getting everything out of here. my son's gone, the kids are gone, the pet's gone. just trying to get the rest of the stuff i can out of the here. i'm on the second floor. but it is a pretty scary thing but you can't madge the water taking this whole time over. >> this is the last time i want to do this. if it does flood i probably won't move back here. >> 1993 is the benchmark everybody seems to talk about. that is looking like it will be the past. because this flood is coming close to shattering all of those records. and it is very different too. the flood that usually happens here is a springtime thaw. this is the middle of winter. and this is a flash flood. the other floods are usually events they know are coming and they can prepare. in many communities they have had only hours to get people out of way. the water still rising in this community here. deborah. >> and martin just quickly, are you hearing any reports about critical infrastructures, whether hospitals or nursing homes? are they okay? are they working on back up generat generators? does it seem okay? >> most of those kind of facilities are okay. because in this area they have figured out over the decades where the low-lying areas where, which areas are in danger. so that's been a long time effort to make sure those areas are secured or on higher ground. the problem is going to be power supplies and there are certain areas where they have had to redirect power. that kind of infrastructure is okay. the real problem is roadways. as we're looking at here the water is going to go away. but there are hundreds of roads and bridges that have been inundated in ways they haven't before. so even after the water is gone they have to be inspected and looked at. you are going to feel the traffic problems especially for some time to come. >> martin savidge in missouri. thank you so much and stay safe. and for the latest on the forecast we're now going to turn to meteorologist karen mcginnist in atlanta. >> the temperatures are running a little bit below average for this time of year. we've got readings in the mid 30s. it is going to take weeks for this, for the water to recede. after just a couple of days you will start to see the water go down but it is not going to be anywhere near normal. and before we get too ahead of ourselves. here is the meramec river. this is notorious for flooding as it winds through valley park. fenton. valley park also reporting now historic flooding. we also are anticipating later on that right around arnold we'll see historic records of the meramec river. very notorious as i mentioned for flooding. now in st. louis it probably is going to be the third highest crest that we see since that benchmark of 1993. the national weather service out of st. louis said this morning to put it in perspective, interstate 70, portions of to the west and south of st. louis. that did not happen in 1993. let's go ahead and bring up ktvi, our affiliate streaming live pictures now coming out of the st. louis area. probably this is in the meramec area. you have your homes that are under water. your cars under water. your memories, your children's toys. everything that you have come to know as your memory as your life is under water. and this goes on for miles and miles and miles. it effects the infrastructure. it effects your life. it effects your livelihood. your way of life. just hour by hour deborah. this is historic. and this is going to remain on the minds of people around the st. louis area for many, many generations to come. back to you. >> yeah and you got to keep thinking about how people are getting provisions and food and taking care of those who might be unwell. karen maginnis. thank you for that report. and for ways you can help in the ongoing recovery visit cnn.com/impact. still to come, jerry seinfeld's coffee chat with president obama. how obama describes life inside the white house to the comedian. jer seinfeld made a visit to the oval office, sneaking up on the president and taking him to coffee as part of his comedians in cars getting coffee. the two joked about the white house as well as politics in the nation's capital. >> people you spend most of your time with, are they really smart? are they mostly head strong agenda-laden idiots? >> when you are dealing with congress it varies. there are going to be some folks there are that are foolish. >> what sport is it politics? is it chess? is it liar's poker? >> that's interesting. that's a good question. it's probably most like football. >> football. >> yeah. because a lot of players. a lot of specialization. a lot of hitting. >> a lot of attrition. >> a lot of attrition. but then every once in a while you will see an opening. >> how many world leaders do you think are just completely out of their mind. >> a pretty sizable percent. >> and he got a laugh out of the comedian. while he did get some chuckles out of seinfeld it is ted cruz laughing all the way to the bank. the campaign says they have strong fundraising numbers for the fourth quarter. we're following the story from washington. >> reporter: ted cruz did end very strongly in 2015, bringing in nearly $20 million in the last quarter according to his campaign. and that is expected to put him near the top of the gop fundraising race. cruz got out early with the good news. the fundraising, put it all in perspective. think of it this way. cruz raised a total of about $45 million this year. almost half in just this t last three month asks that momes and matches the rise in the polls. he's enjoying positive momentum in both the campaign cache and polling before the iowa caucus and that is a state really crucial for cruz to win. he's not without competition in the fundraising department, deb. ben carson's campaign said they raised about $23 million. and those are good for carson. he's had a tough month. he's slid from second to third in the polls and has had to push back from reports that his campaign was considering what is really a major staff shake up. so bringing in more cash for carson is really good news. >> the money game hasn't been so kind to jeb bush. he's moving around resources in iowa and has decided to ship money away from tv ad buys and more towards staffing and getting them into the field to communicate with those crucial voters. is that good course correction? >> it is not great news but i don't care it is fatal, deb. and as the bush campaign itself was quick to point out yesterday the plan was always to beef up staffing on the ground in the final weeks before iowa and new hampshire to make sure they do get people out to vote. but bush's campaign did cancel $3 million in advertising in iowa and in south carolina and they are spending that instead sending dozens of staffers to the early voting states, ai a, new hampshire, south carolina, nevada. and while it is not unusual to strengthen the ground game ahead of the voting, pulling ad campaigns in iowa is really raising questions how hard he's trying to compete there. the tv ads just weren't breaking through so they felt maybe there wasn't a lot of value there for the money but also important to note that bush's super pac still planneds on spending about $3.5 million in iowa. and that was not lost on donald trump. he said earlier this morning why do you tweet and retweet to millions about jeb bush when he's so low in the polls? because of his big money hit ads on me. so bush still obviously enough of a factor here to get the front runner's attention. >> and he's now investing on a more hands on person to person approach than these television ads that one can possible mute. happy new year, thank you chris. still to come tightening security is greeting sports fans. and college football playoffs kick off in this afternoon. college football semi-final playoff games are on tap today. clemens facing oklahoma in the orange bowl and alabama takes on michigan state in the cotton bowl. both sites and several other stadiums are expected to ramp up security. live in arlington texas, home of the cotton bowl, andy, what you are you seeing? what precautions are being taken? >> light of the new terror warnings in new york, l.a. and washington d.c., officials are beefing up the security for these big college football games. as the rose bowl tomorrow more than two dozen federal agencies are joining forces with police at the big parade. surveillance, bomb sniffing dogs, radiation detecting devices. and here in dallas they are treating the cotton bowl just like every single game they host. checking all the trucks that enter the stadium and fans that enter and also the clear bag policy in place. a big storyline for the actual football game features alabama coach nick saban taking on mike dantonio. these two go way back. sabin hired dantonio has one of his assistants. and of course sabin went on and won a few titles and dantonio has turned the spartans into a power house meanwhile. and they continue to have the utmost admiration for one another. >> he's obviously blossomed into a fantastic job in terms . >> coach saban has had great success and, quite frankly, a lot of the things we do with patterned after things i learned from him. >> over the years nick saban has faced many of his former assistant, including dantonia. >> a lot of people are getting ready and hunkered down. . andy scholes, thank you very much. when heartburn hits fight back fast tums smoothies starts dissolving the instant it touches your tongue and neutralizes stomach acid at the source tum, tum, tum, tum smoothies! only from tums more than one word -- trump. cnn's chief political correspondent dan that bash counts down 2015's top campaign moments. ♪ >> reporter: in politics 2015 was the year of one-liner, insults, interruptions and controversy. it was the escalator ride that changed the republican race. donald trump kicked his campaign off full-on trump style. >> when mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. they're bringing drugs. they're bringing crime, their rapists and some i assume are good people. >> reporter: those comments caused a huge backlash, especially in the latino community, but rocketed trump to the top of the field. the provocative statements continued on the campaign trial. at an early event in iowa, trump sparked another wave of criticism after saying this about former p.o.w. john mccain. >> he's not a war hero. >> he's not a war hoor row. >> he's a war hero because he was cap pureed. i like people who weren't captured, all right? >> reporter: many thought that would mean trump's campaign was finished but so-called blunders that failed to knock him from the top of the polls. on the democratic side, questions about e-mails and the benghazi attack plagued front-runner hillary clinton's early campaign, culminating in a contentious 11-hour congressional hearing that backfired on republicans and gave clinton a boost. >> who else was at your home? were you aalone? >> i was alone, yes. >> the whole night? >> well, yes, the whole night. >> you don't know why that's funny. did you have any in-person briefings. i don't find that funny at all. >> a little note of levity at 7:15. >> after months of fielding questions about her e-mails, clinton got an unexpected boost from bernie sanders at the cnn debate. >> the american people are sick and tired of hear being your damn e-mails. >> thank you. me, too, me, too. >> reporter: that may have hurt sanders' campaign but good for "saturday night live." the black lives matter was shaping the national debate and shutting down sanders event in chicago. the most defining moment on the contempt side may be one that never happened. after months of speculation, vice president joe biden decide not to run for president, solidifying clinton's spot as at the expected democratic nominee. >> while i will not be a candidate, i will not be silent. i intend to speak out clearly and forcefully. >> reporter: in the republican race, friends turned rivals on display as jeb bush looking to finally find some campaign mojo took on his former protege marco rubio. >> when you signed up for this, this was a six-year term. and you should be showing up to work. >> someone quinsd you that attacking me is going to help you. >> rubio bested his old mentor and rubio has numbers stuck in the single digits. carly fiorina called trump out for controversial comments he made about her face. >> i think women all over this country heard very clearly what mr. trump said. >> reporter: from fiorina to trump to neurosurgeon ben carson, 015 was the year of the outsider candidate. carson, who has no political experience, briefly topped the republican polls this fall, but his inspiring personal narrative of a violent past and spiritual redemption was called into question about a cnn investigation. >> you know, when i was 14 another youngster angered me and i had a camping knife and i tried to stab him in the abdomen with it. fortunately, he had a large metal belt buckle, he fled in terror. >> reporter: making great campaign trerl for trump. >> the belt moves this way. it moves this way. >> reporter: and the year ends back at the beginning with a trump shocker. after paris attacks in paris and san bernardino, trump came this policy prescription. >> donald j. trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of muslims entering the united states. >> reporter: once again, those controversial comments did nothing to stop trump's rise, but the real test for trump is going to be on february 1st, in 2016, when voters first go to the polls. >> dana bash for us. the next hour of "cnn newsroom" begins right now. happening now in the "newsroom" -- criminal charges for comedian bill cosby. >> anything to say? >> he may not have a lot to say, but his accusers do. >> i'd like him to own up. >> by bring charges now? >> it was the right thing to do. >> this morning i'll talk to one of those accusers. also, it's already 2016 in parts of the world. as we count down, police ramp up. >> new year's eve in new york city will be the safest place in the world to be. >> metal detectors, sealed manhole covers, what's being done to keep your celebration safe? plus the affluenza teen's mom back in the u.s. her son still fighting to stay in mexico. what's his end game? let's fauk in the cnn news room. good morning. happy new year. i'm deborah feyerick in for carol costello. counting down in the united states as the other side of the world already rings in 2016. just a couple hours ago in sydney where it's now 2:00 a.m. ♪ >> this is seoul. it celebrates with with a ring ringing 33 times in a practice that dates back hundreds of years. it's midnight now there. today old traditions, as we look at this -- and traditions are te tempered here in the u.s. belgium a terror alert canceled festivities and fireworks. the prime minister saying with active investigations and information coming in every hour, it seemed canceling fireworks was the right thing to do. at least two people will there are charged in a year-end plot. police detained six more people today in terror raids launched across belgium. today most of the world is on edge. in new york 6,000 police officers will fan out across times square searching for any signs of a potential threat. other major american cities such as washington and los angeles are also bolstering security as a somewhat grim year because of isis threats enters its final hours. we're following all the latest developments. cnn's miguel marquez in times square, in new york fred pleitgen with the threats across europe. miguel, what is the mood and what are the precautions? >> reporter: well, already joyful the mood out here at times square. that's the spot where the famous ball will come down just above the 2016 sign up there. people already gathering. lots of police already gathering. that 6,000 police contingent that protect the area from land, sea, air and even from the underground, the subways. across new york in general, tens of thousands of police will fan out to protect parties and venues and other celebrations. all those things that used to be just parties and celebrations, now potential soft targets because of paris and the attacks in paris and in san bernardino. a new world security order, essentially for politicians as they go about planning these events. here in new york you'll see hardened security wherever you are. you'll have to enter through various checkpoints. there will be lots of bomb-sn f bomb-sniffing dogs. that's one thing they're beefing up, lots and lots of those to get out into the crowds even before people tried getting through security barriers. they'll have radiation detectors and lots of cameras, by the thousands, to keep track of as. much as they can. they say this will be the most secure area in the world from the crossroads of the world to the most secure area in the world. the people here will be putting those pens over a million people they are expecting here. before they get to those pens, there will be -- they have to go through magnatomters. if you can't make it to cnn, let me suggest cnn and its famous now year's eve celebration with anderson cooper and kathy griffin. that will be coming up at 8:00 p.m. eastern time. it might be just a little easier to watch it with them and have a much better time than sitting in once of those pens, where once you're in, you cannot leave. no restrooms. happy new year. >> that's not how i will be starting my new year. now we're going to go to london and cnn's fred pleitgen. tell us about the new terror threats in belgium. things are ongoing and changing hour by hour. >> reporter: things are changing hour by hour and the mood a lot more subdued than we saw in times square. belgians caught offguard by the fact these new year's celebrations were canceled. they were already setting up the stage for the new year celebrations when all of a sudden the mayor of brussels came forward and said, listen, we're going to cancel these celebrations. they took the stage down and soldiers started flooding the streets. fluid situation and scary for people there in belgium. there were terror sweeps that took across over belgium in the past 24 hours, especially the early morning hours of belgium. some six people were taken into detention. police say they confiscated information material as well as cell phones, too. now, of course, this is all part of the investigation into that apparent plot that was uncovered two days ago where two people were taken into custody and they were allegingly wanting or, quote, hitting emblematic targets, where people gather in belgiums, especially the main square. those two people have been charged. one with being a member of a terrorist organization and also for being a recruiter of a terrorist organization, which seems to indicate this might have been a fairly senior person. again, right now the belgian authorities very much on the edge, very much keeping a look out. of course, many belgians really very much confused as to what exactly is going on. how specific these threats were that were the lean for these fireworks to be canceled, deborah. >> belgium has one of the top counterterrorism teams there, so we know when they decide to make changes, it's for a reason. cnn's frederik pleitgen. thank you so much and happy new year to you, my friend. now to those bombshell charges against disgraced comedian bill cosby. his legal team promising a fierce fight against charges of sexual assault they say are unjustified and politically motivated. >> we're focused on getting to the facts in this very old case that was once decided such that the former d.a. said there was no need to go further and that it mronged in the civil courts. now through a game of political football, which my client's life is the center, we're back again. >> the da did not have access to a deposition cosby gave as part of that civil suit. this was the dramatic scene on wednesday as cosby entered this one-room courthouse with his legal team by his side to be arraigned. it's the first time after decades of accusations by at least 50 women that cosby's been formally charged. today cosby is out free after posting $1 million bail. the charges against him, aggravated indecent assault, stem back to a 2004 incident involving this woman, a former temple university basketball employee, andrea constant. speaking out for the first time since charges were announced, she tweeted this -- let's all stay claegs, please. that includes anybody who may be inserting their opinion as to whether anything was fully investigated, period. she says cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her after slipping hr a cocktail of three pills that left her, in her words, paralyzed. cnn's jean casarez has the latest. >> reporter: the defense is saying this morning they are actually glad this has happened so they can ferret it all out in court. the courthouse bill cosby went into yesterday is right behind me. walk through the door and you're in the courtroom in montgomery county, pennsylvania. there are moments in american juris prudence are historic and the anment of by the way bill cosby may just be one of them. once america's beloved tv dad shgtsdz now disgraced comedian bill cosby, arm in arm, stumble, as he arrives for his arraignment. facing criminal sexual assault charges for the first time. the 78-year-old released on a $1 million bail for three counts of alleged aggravated indecent assault of andrea constant in 2004. the montgomery county da filing the charges before the 12-year statute of limitations was about to expire. constant worked with athletic program and considered cosby a friend and mentor. she accused cosby of drugging and assaulting her. >> he urged her to take pills he provided to her and to drink wine. >> reporter: in the complaint constant tells her cosby told her the pills were herbal. after taking them she felt nauseous and was aware of cosby putting his hands in her pants. district attorney did not file charges, citing lack of evidence. constant forced him to be deposed. the settled the sult with her, the fermz of which were sealed. unsealed this july and the original criminal case reopened. in it cosby admits to giving women quaaludes but never without their knowledge. constant, the first to publicly come forward accused cosby. since then some 50 women have come forward with similar allegations over four decades, hoping now they may finally get justice. >> for many of my 29 clients, seeing him criminally charged and having to face a trial is the best christmas present they have ever received. >> reporter: the comedian has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has yet to directly answer a question about the allegations. >> there's no response. >> reporter: but in may he tells abc news -- >> i've never seen anything like this. and reality is the situation. and i -- i can't speak. >> reporter: in a statement, his attorneys called the charges, quote, unjustified and vowed he will, quote, be exonerated by a court of law. andrea constant is tweeting this morning saying in regard to anyone expressing an opinion about this investigation, let's be classy, please. the preliminary hearing is set at this point, deb, for january 14th. >> excellent job. jean casarez there for us. with me is heidi thomas, who says she was drugged and sexually assaulted by cosby in 1984. she's trying to get the statute of limitation on sexual assault cases dropped all together in kol. we thank you for being here with us. i know this has been a long time coming for you and the other victims. cosby's legal team issued this statement, make no mistake we plan to mount this vigorous defense against this unjustified charge. first of all, would you be willing to testify against bill cosby if called to do so? >> in a heart beat. and i think i can speak for anybody else who's come forward and gone forward. we would love to sit in a courtroom and stare him down, if that's all we were able to do, but if we were called to testify, absolutely, we would love that opportunity. >> it's so interesting listening to him say the reality is the situation. this is about consent on some levels. him saying he thought he had -- this was consensual but you and all the others saying this was in no way consensual. if you were to talk to him right now, if you were to face him down, what would you say to him? >> i don't know how it's consensual, when in my case, i never saw a pill. i was completely -- i thought i was doing a monologue that was supposed to be -- i was getting acting coaching. of course, he gives me a script that's supposed to be taking place in a bar because he didn't like the mondologue i brought. the monologue he gave me was me being an intoxicated person. by the way, this is the story for a lot of his victims. the prop he gave me was a glass of wine. i didn't drink. he thought if perhaps i would sip on this prop, that would help a little bit. so, i literally took, i think, a sip of white wine. whatever he had was very potent. i don't remember after that. >> yeah? >> i remember a hazy voice of his saying something like, are you feeling the part better now, or something along that line. >> you know, when you think about it, his defense team is trying to portray him as a blind old man. you know, his attorneys saying, he can't see, he's 78 years old, these charges are unspecified. how do you react to that? >> of course they are. now, remember, that up until just last fall he was going to have a brand-new show. oh, this was going to be the resurgence of his career. you can't play both sides of the field here. he says that this ruined his comeback. well, how was he going to come back if he's such an old, blind man? he's got to walk with a cane. the man is an actor. he is a cameleon. he is a predator. his job is to make sure that people believe the act he's putting on. and he's very good at it. but you cannot tell the american people, the world, that you were ready to come back and do a whole new show just last fall and then suddenly all of us speaking out have ruined your comeback and suddenly now you're so old, you're so feeble, you're so blind, you can't testify in court. no, huh-uh. >> heidi, let me ask you, in terms of very quickly, the evidence, obviously, has to be presented and it's got to be beyond a reasonable doubt. is it good enough if the charges are brought but ultimately the evidence being a dozen years ago is not good enough to find him guilty, are the charges enough, or do you want the whole thing? >> well, obviously, we would like the whole thing, otherwise the man is out on the streets and he's a predator. i'm hoping that some of the people who aided and abetted him over 50 years will have the integrity to come back and testify. >> all right. heidi thomas, we thank you. we thank all the other women who have worked tirelessly to get this brought to court and, perhaps, we will see what happens in front of a judge and in front of a jury. heidi thomas, thank you. >> thank you. and still to come, rivers are swelling, levels we've never seen before, as thousands face the brunt of catastrophic flooding today. a live report from one of the heartest hit towns coming up straight ahead. ♪ (vo) some call it giving back. we call it share the love. during our share the love event, get a new subaru, and we'll donate $250 to those in need. bringing our total donations to over sixty-five million dollars. and bringing love where it's needed most. love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru. choose, choose, choose. but at bedtime? ...why settle for this? enter sleep number, and the lowest prices of the season. sleepiq technology tells you how well you slept and what adjustments you can make. you like the bed soft. he's more hardcore. so your sleep goes from good to great to wow! only at a sleep number store, find the lowest prices of the season. save $600 on the #1 rated 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reportedly fulfill a promise by the president to take further unilateral steps that would or could curb gun violence. we'll have more coming up from jim acosta who's with the president in hawaii. new images from that catastrophic flooding in missouri. the flooding so massive, so historic, it's hard to put into perspective how devastating and long-term the damage will be. major interstates shut down this morning around st. louis, including a 24-hour stretch of i-44. you can see it there in red. rivers are cresting many feet above the all-time record levels. they're breaking those records. today officially the benchmark for future floodings and what we're seeing. we learned a second wastewater treatment plant has breached, releasing untreated waste into those floodwaters, complicating the potential and future clean-up. we'll have the forecast in a moment. first, we want to go to martin savidge in the city of arnold. it just seems poor folks cannot get a break. >> reporter: they can't. it's not just arnold, it's many communities in this year. you can see the water and the meremec river. the roads had to be shut down. this river has inundated cars, homes. basements are flooded. the water is continuing to rise here. you can see the whole neighborhood back there has water deep into it. the folks who live here say it came up last night and overnight. it's the worst they've ever seen. not '93, '82, worst ever. let's show you what's also going on. you mentioned that sewage problem. they have clear video that shows you. this is just another complication they're up against. this raw sewage will be flowing into the water that's already flowing everywhere. you can see the pollution problem it would create, not to mention a massive humanitarian and clean-up problem they have. and it's also extremely cold. lastly, the highways. the problem is there are hundreds of roadways and bridges that have either been cut off or covered by water. that means that getting around, even if you're not directly being flooded in your neighborhood, is extremely difficult today but hazardous for those trying to evacuate. they're struggling to keep roads open, even here in arnold for people to get in and out of town. and the water is not expected to crest until later. >> i'm looking at the house behind you and what is the power situation? likely, no electricity in the area for safety reasons, but when they come in, they'll have to get new cars. those cars won't work. and then dry out their homes. this is a long-term clean-up we're looking at. >> reporter: it is. the governor has said he expects the water rose quickly, it should go down quickly. you're right, cleaning up after the flood is about the absolute worst disaster because of what you just described. everything is totally inundated. electricity is off, gas has been shut off as well. people knew it was happening. they had to do that for safety reasons. there are a lot of things that make floods particularly difficult, painful, and 14 lives have been lost in missouri as well. that's not to be overlooked. most of those people driving into water in the dark. >> oh, boy. let's hope people's food and their water holds out while they try to ride this out. martin savidge there, thank you very much. for the latest on the forecast we turn to karen mcginnis in atlanta. the temperatures are now falling and that will make it more complicated. >> they're below normal. we saw record-setting rainfall across st. louis. 61-plus inches for the year. all-time wettest temperatures. we have historic record rainfall. this is a level of misery that no one should have to endure, but it certainly is here. these temperatures are going to stay a little bit below normal. pump up by the weeken and go down, so they'll fluctuate between upper 30s and low 40s. life as people know it in st. louis is over with for the next week or so. i want to take you across the meramec river. notorious for flooding quickly. eureka, which is essentially cut off. valley park where the river has crested at historic level. we talked with the mayor at fent fenton. arnold, the river will crest that later on. historic levels. this is the new test for st. louis. the missouri river, looks like that will crest later. meramec, missouri, mississippi, those three rivers have come out of their banks at historic records. people's homes, cars, where they go to work, they're under water for miles and miles and miles. deb, it looks like a retched situation and this is not going to go down -- those rivers are not expected to recede for at least a week and probably more like two weeks. >> and what's incredible is you're talking about 12 million people facing flood warningses in some 19 states. karen mcginnis, thank you very much. for all of you watching this, for ways you can help victims of the flooding in missouri and the ongoing recovery from tornadoes in texas and mississippi, visit us at cnn.com/impact. the treatments discovered at st. jude help save kids with cancer in like where?verywhere. like here and here. in those spots. donate now at st. jude dot org or shop wherever you see the st. jude logo. even tempur-pedic mattress sets getat low clearance prices!c, save even more on floor samples, demonstrators, and closeout inventory! the year end clearance sale is on now at sleep train! ♪ your ticket to a better night's sleep ♪ good morning, everyone. i'm deborah feyerick in for carol costello. thank you for joining me. breaking news -- a white house source revealed to cnn that president obama is set to announce a new executive action with the aim of expanding background checks on gun sales. the announcement is expected to happen in the coming days. the set of executive actions would reportedly fulfill a promise by the president to take further unilateral steps to help curb gun violence. let's bring in senior cnn analyst ron brownstein. happy new year. thanks for being with us. ron, is this something we expected? >> it had been kind of floated for the last several weeks. they went through an initial round of scrubbing of the gun laws a couple years ago and concluded they could not take this step, but now have reconsidered. look, it continues a pattern of president obama's second term of moving aggressively to use unilateral executive authority on issues from climate and now guns and essentially daring congress or the courts to stop him. i think we'll see another confrontation like that. it's tough for congress to stop him. the courts are another question. >> peter, how does this change the dynamic of the 2016 race, especially when it comes to gun control being such a heat issue? >> it's really interesting. a couple election cycles the republicans were skiddish about gun control law. they didn't make it. they thought it would hurt them among white working class voters in the midwest. hillary clinton has really em brarsed this issue, taking her lead from barack obama, and so i think we're seeing this setting up to be a very, very hot and divisive issue in the general election. >> let's turn the tables and go to donald trump, who is now lashing out at jeb bush. he treated moments ago. i would feel sorry for jeb bush and how badly he's doing with his campaign other than the fact he fook lls of dollars of hit ads out on me. bush's campaign now canceling $3 million in ad spending in iowa and south carolina in favor of sort of a more direct approach with campaign staffers going out on the ground and it's one month until the iowa caucuses. trump going after jeb bush. bush is not polling very well, obviously. what does trump gain by this? >> first of all, for trump, defining himself against jeb bush has been critical all the way through. in essence making bush the embodiment of the republican establishment of a more centrist approach, that he is consciously playing off. he says to his supporters, i will do and say things no other candidate will do. which is an important part of his appeal to the most disaffected parts of the republican party, he's willing to go beyond boundaries. the other point that's worth noting, presidential politics has been the level of american politics where paid media matters relatively less compared to the free immediate, yeah the coverage. this yooer that balance has shifted more than ever because all of the money they spent on advertising by candidates so far is being overwhelmed bit sheer level of national attention to this particular race, particularly around the debates. >> remarkable. every time trump tweets, he gts on air. let's go back over the past year. if you were predicting something unbelievable to happen this year, what would it have been? what's taking you offguard? peter, you first. >> obviously, the revolt inside the republican party manifested by donald trump, also the toppling of john boehner. you've had a full-scale rebellion against the leadership of the republican party and you won't know until 2016 that whether that revolt actually succeeds. >> and so, ron, how about you? are. >> i agree but the biggest was the resurgence of terror as central focus in u.s. and europe and something driving our politics from 2016 beyond. >> one party over another? >> i think the challenge for democrats is so prove they can keep the country safe. the paradox is the country viewed bush's approach as a failure when he left office. i think they have a negative verdict on obama's approach. they're sour on the iron fist and the velvet glove. the concern about the stagnation of living standards where the public isn't sure either side has the answer. >> gentlemen, unfortunately, we have to leave it there. thanks so much. happy new year to you both. >> happy new year. and still to come, handcuffed and in custody. that's momma tone yecouch back u.s. after extradition. why she could be facing a decade behind bars. you both have a perfect driving record. >>perfect. no tickets. no accidents... >>that is until one of you clips a 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prosecution after he violated the terms of his parole. we're joining by joey jackson. >> good morning, deb. >> the son was accused of being an indulged child and then his more and he go on the lam. what's his intense? >> more indulgence. she has defenses regarding her apprehension and hindering apprehension. i don't know how successful those defenses will be. we know based upon her harboring him and knowing he was on probation and fleeing to mexico, him missing his appointment, that becomes problematic. what she has to argue is more mitigation. when i say mitigation, i mean this. any mom would do the world, of course, for their son, and based upon that, she obviously was very concerned what the system would do to him if he were back. perhaps she didn't know or understand at that time that his exposure would only be four months. in light of that she felt it was best and appropriate to be there. she certainly may make the argument she was in mexico having a vacation, enjoying her son, et cetera. >> except he was supposed to show up for a hearing, which he didn't do. he is willing to stay in a mexican jail and take his chances with that system rather than come back to the united states. is this just a stalling tactic? >> it is. that's a short-term type of solution. i wouldn't even call it a solution. what happens is mexico has what's similar to our writ of habeas corpus to assure your rights are not violated in any way. he's saying, i'm in mexico, i violated no mexican law, so to what extent should i have to leave mexico and be deported back to the united states? the reality is we have a treaty with mexico. we have very good relations with mexico and in light of that, i think it's going to be respected. the law of the united states, the extradition of the united states. three things need to be established. the u.s. will say, we had jurisdiction over him because he was in the u.s. and texas. number two, it's an extraditable offense when you violate probation. number three, there's probable cause to believe you violated some offense in the united states. once we do that, certainly he'll be on his way here. justice delayed will not be justify denied as it relates to the person we're looking at. >> do you think more charges will be brought? for that matter, do you think the court system is running out of patience with this young man? >> i think many people are running out of patience. if you look at the underlying offenses and we talked about this, there was a real feeling there was a mischaernlg of justice. >> he killed four people. >> absolutely. in addition to the two that were significantly injured, one brain dead, the feeling was, why give him probation? the juvenfctionz for that -- an we're looking at the beautiful people who are dead now. it's about it's rehabilitation with a juvenile. the fact he's doing this now, which is flouting the system and thumbing his nose at the system because problematic, too. i think he'll face the four months he'll do, maximum, because remember the juvenile detention only has jurisdiction of him until he reaches age of 19, which is april. after which, he'll remain on probation. i think what they want to do, the authorities in texas when they get him, is they want to transfer that to adult court by virtue of that it will be much stricter. adult proceedings are predicated upon punishment whereas juvenile is rehab, rehab. he'll be back. >> if he thought he had problems before, now that he fled to mexico, the courts will not look favorable on that. he's setting himself up. >> it shows consciousness of guilt. why leave if you didn't do anything wrong. quite frankly, puts the families in a horrific situation. >> joey jackson, we appreciate your insight as always. >> happy new year. >> to you, too. four months after she shot in the back on live tv, vicky gardner is finally finished with surgeries and almost ready to return to work. what she's saying now after surviving a very public shooting that left two journalists dead. ♪ (cell phone rings) where are you? well the squirrels are back in the attic. mom? your dad won't call an exterminator... can i call you back, mom? he says it's personal this time... if you're a mom, you call at the worst time. it's what you do. if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance, you switch to geico. it's what you do. where are you? it's very loud there. are you taking a zumba class? that's why i switched from u-verse to xfinity. now i can download my dvr recordings and take them anywhere. ready or not, here i come! (whispers) now hide-and-seek time can also be catch-up-on-my-shows time. here i come! can't find you anywhere! don't settle for u-verse. x1 from xfinity will change the way you experience tv. it was one of the scariest scenes to play out on live television, unscripted and horrifying. a beloved tv reporter and photo journalist gunned down as friends, family and juers watched. alison parker and adam washing from cnn affiliate wdbj were shot and killed in august. the shooter, a disgruntled former coworker. four months later, the lone survivor in the attack is finally finished with surgeries and is nearly ready to return to work. vicky gardner talks to our brian stelter about how she's moving forward. >> reporter: on the day of the attack you were standing with alison in what was supposed to be her last live shot of the day. did you see the attacker coming up to you, in the cameraman's position? >> i did. i did. whoever would have guessed in a million years what was about to happen. >> reporter: you didn't think he was threatening. he came out in your peripheral vision? >> it was definitely peripheral. again, we were speaking live. as he approached, i could see it. and i was a little distracted but i was not concerned. when he open fire, it was still difficult to understand, to comprehend what was happening. it was something one does not expect to happen. your mind very quickly goes into a lot of scenarios. but it was very horrific. >> reporter: initially he shot at the cameraman, adam, he shot at the reporter, alison. alison fled and he chased alison. did you think the threat for you was over? >> no. i dropped to the ground and i had not been hit. i laid very still. he did come back and he did shoot me. it is my mental thought that he had run out of bullets. i think that he would have continued to shoot. but he -- it was just one load of bullets, but i didn't hear him leave. so, there was much concern there. >> reporter: maybe that's what people misunderstand when they hear these stories. it all happened so quickly that you can't process or understand or do anything about it. >> and that's exactly right. as i relive this, in my mind, was there anything that i could have done that would have made a difference? absolutely not. i had to lay very still. and i thought that perhaps i'm not going to be here by the time help arrives because the stores and everything didn't open for another two hours but it was just a matter of minutes before law enforcement came and they were truly the heroes. they put their life on the line to protect mine. and got me up and out of harm's way not knowing where this shooter was. >> you said something in an interview after the attack that surprised me. you said you watched the live broadcast to see what actually was televised. why did you decide to watch it? >> your mind can play a lot of tricks. my memory, i want to make sure my memory matches reality. and you can convince yourself of a lot of things, but seeing it and just having a clear understanding of what exactly transpired and so, yeah, it was -- it was horrific to watch, obviously, but it gave me great insight. >> reporter: did you also watch the gunman's point of view, the sick video he recorded on his own body and uploaded to twitter and facebook? >> saw parts of it. >> reporter: does part of it almost resent the fact this was so public, that he wanted everyone to see it? >> i'm still in disbelief that anyone could do that. it is hard to even accept a human being could do that. >> reporter: you've been interacting with journalists for many, many years. i wonder if you makes you think differently about journalists, about the exposure sometimes they face when they're out doing a live shot or about the risks they might be taking without even knowing it. >> reporter: >> that's true. who would have guessed this would happen, but it did. >> reporter: there's been this disgusting phenomenon after shootings, people on the internet who say they're truthers. they say all the shootings covered by the press are fake, are made up. >> i've read that. >> reporter: you've seen this? >> i have. >> reporter: it's appalling to see it. i wonder what it's like for you to see it. >> why would you give contradict to someone that is just looking to create chaos. we already have a horrible situation where people are impacted, where families have lost family members. how dare someone come in and second-guess. yes, i saw a few of them. i did not take the time to read them. lived it and i didn't think i needed to prove -- that the families that have lost, go to the funeral. just go to the funeral of those people. or for myself, i did have someone that wrote and said, if you could just show us pictures of your wounds. >> reporter: they wanted proof. >> they wanted proof. my proof was, delete. >> reporter: you know what happens after every shooting nowadays, there's media talk about gun regulations or shouldn't be gun regulations. >> i sat back and thought about it. we know gun legislation is taking place but it does take time. if you look back on some of these shootings, there are mental health issues that need to come into play that may serve to prevent something horrific like this from happening in the future. but i also think that immediately tomorrow, today, that we can take a look at what we allow in our house. we've become desensitized. while i was in the hospital and i turned on the of it. the three shows i happened to click on, each and every one of them had a violence component to it, which at that time i didn't care to watch. it made he me think, gee, have we become so desensitized to violence that it is now part of our entertainment, our daily entertainment? >> the attack happened four months ago at this point, but you're still living with it every day. you recently had a final surgery. >> i did, i did. had three surgeries so far. and i think it's over with now. it is the recovery, the physical, gaining the strength back, mental, all of the above. >> reporter: have your doctors given you a sense of when you can go back to work? >> we're still working through that. i'm still in somewhat the healing process. >> reporter: but you're going back? >> oh, i'll be back. i'm so looking forward to it. >> reporter: you'll be going back to the building where this shooting happened. do you have any hesitation about returning to work there? >> i don't. not at all. it's such a joyous place. again, something horrible happened, but that is not defining where i work. and it was right outside my window that this tragedy happened, and there is this wonderful monument, so to speak, with a plaque on it in memory of alison parker and adam ward. and it's binoculars. that's exactly what was chosen. instead of people coming in, pointing to the sight, that's where it happened, they're saying, i can see what they were looking at, what they were talking about. it's become a focal point with a positive nature to it, just the way that it was done. i'll be looking out my window and seeing that. when i'm back at work, i'll be seeing it every single day and seeing people take a look at our lake as a result. >> reporter: at the end of the year, what are you most thankful for? >> oh, goodness. that's a broad range. i am so thankful, first of all, to be here, to be surrounded by the community that we have. it has been an eye-opening experience. i've seen the worst that society can do, and i have seen the best that society can do. 99.9% of the population out there is so positive, so helpful. when i think about the cards, the letters, the gifts, the outpouring of support and prayers, it's just amazing. i never would have guessed there was so much good in this world. i have seen it up close and personal. nobody move! get on the floor! do something! oh i'm not a security guard, i'm a security monitor. i only notify people if there is a robbery. there's a robbery. why monitor a problem if you don't fix it? that's why lifelock does more than free credit monitoring to protect you from identity theft. we not only alert you to identity threats, if you have a problem, we'll spend up to a million dollars on lawyers and experts to fix it. lifelock. join starting at $9.99 a month. perfect driving record. >>perfect. no tickets. no accidents... >>that is until one of you clips a food truck, ruining your perfect record. >>yup... now, you would think your insurance company would cut you some slack, right? >>no. your insurance rates go through the roof. your perfect record doesn't get you anything. >>anything. perfect! for drivers with accident forgiveness, liberty mutual won't raise your rates due to your first accident. and if you do have an accident, our claim centers are available to assist you 24/7. for a free quote, call liberty mutual at switch to liberty mutual and you could save up to $509 call today at see car insurance in a whole new light. liberty mutual insurance. and checking our top stories -- deadly violent storms in the north sea now prompting evacuationses at bp oil fields. the company says a barge broke loose and drifting out of control. after one worker for a norwegian company died when a wave crashed into a drilling rig. two others were hurt. bp shut down the oil field this morning as helicopters flew workers to safety. authorities accuse marquez with working to farook. he's accused of buying the rifle the used in the shooting by farook and his wife. they planned terrorist attacks together but never carried them out. more e-mails will be released from hillary clinton's time as secretary of state. this is the eighth of nine batches put on the internet. this release over 8,000 pages is the largest to date. thanks for joining me. i'm deborah feyerick, wishing all of you a very happy new year and a great 2016. hello, everyone. happy new year. breaking news, at least if you're in manila, hong korngs taiwan. look at this. it is, in fact, 2016 there already. unless you're in manila, where there appears to be a little bit of a delay. the fireworks taking place on the other side of the world. ringing in the new year. which is your favorite? tweet me. that's taipei right there. beautiful fireworks taking place. ♪

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