pacific. just 30 days to the iowa caucuses. dangerous fires are raging in southeast australia. two people south of sydney found dead after they were reported missing when a fire ripped through that town. smoke darkening the sky to an eerie orange color at an evacuation center in bateman's bay up the coast. thousands of people are trapped on a beach in malacuda after fleeing their homes. strong winds brought wildfires and smoke so thick, the morning sky turned dark. a resident tells us there's no way in or out. >> the rural fire service warning people along the coast taking refuge are facing a long, difficult, dangerous night. and across new south wales, more than 100 fires burning with reports of people unaccounted. of course, the fear there is that people are losing their lives. as the day wore on, theskylight enned to a bright orange as the fires spread. and smoke as far as the eye can see. simon cullen is there. >> reporter: christine, leyla, this is a fire crisis that continues to get worse every day. as you can see behind me, the air is thick with smoke, there is bush fire ash falling from the sky. in fact, the nearest fire front is just a few miles behind me over the hill. now, this is a state, new south wales, where dozens of fires are continuing to burn out of control, tragically claiming more lives, including that of a young fireman who died when the truck he was in flipped over in hot, gusty winds. he sadly leaves behind a young, pregnant wife. now, further south in the state of victoria, thousands of people there have been forced to flee their homes and seek shelter on the beach front. now, there is nowhere for them to go because major roads have been cut and authorities are saying it is too late to leave. now, these people are gathered on the beach front just watching and waiting to see what the weather conditions bring, but it is a very scary time on new year's eve. nationally, of course, many states have imposed total fire bans, which has forced the cancellation of new year's eve celebrations. fireworks in many towns and cities has been canceled tonight, but sydney has applied for and been granted an exemption, despite public pressure for them to be canceled as well. they will go ahead tonight, but the thick smoke that's in the air, it's just an eerie reminder that this bush fire crisis is far from over. christine, leyla? >> simon cullen, thank you for that. handwritten journals and the internet search history of the new york hanukkah stabbing suspect seem to express anti-semitic sentiments. his journal refers to adolf hitler and nazi culture and the searches include one for prominent companies founded by jews in america. he's now facing federal hate crime charges on top of several state counts. cnn's sara sidner has the latest from the scene in monsey, new york. >> reporter: christine and leyla, the suspect in this vicious stabbing attack at a rabbi's home during a hanukkah celebration is now facing at least 11 charges. he has pled not guilty to five attempted murder charges and a burglary charge, but he is now facing even more charges, federal charges, federal hate crime charges. there are now five of those after investigators combed through his handwritten journals. they also say they are looking through his electronics as well. and in those handwritten journals, they found references to nazis and hitler as well as a star of david and a swastika. they also found searches when they looked through some of his electronics for synagogues in new york, in new jersey. according to the complaint against grafton thomas, he also appeared to make a reference to the black hebrew israelite movement, which is linked to one of the attacks and the attackers in the new jersey attacks that left four people dead in a kosher market. now, while investigators say there is evidence of anti-semitism here, his attorney and pastor say this is a man who suffers from mental illness. the attack has left the hasidic community here in monsey, new york, reeling. we spoke with joseph gluck. he was inside the home when a man wielding a huge knife or sword came walking in. >> there were kids in there, so i decided to run back in. so i came back in through the front door, and he was still in the kitchen. and i heard people screaming, "hide, hide!" for people, one baby was pushed into a coat closet. there was a boy, 5, 6, 7-year-old boy, hiding beneath a pile of coats. >> reporter: was he saying anything? >> nothing. he didn't say a word to anyone inside. he just spoke to me outside once. >> reporter: what did he say? >> hey, you, i will get you, after i threw the table at him. >> reporter: eventually, the suspect left the home and started walking next door towards this synagogue next door. gluck decided to follow him at a distance, concerned he would get in there, but indeed, he went to his car and that's when gluck had the presence of mind to take down his license plate. he shared that with police, and about an hour later, the suspect's plate was picked up by a plate scanner on the george washington bridge going into new york. soon after, the suspect was arrested. he now faces, again, 11 charges in this case. christine, leyla? >> sara sidner in monsy, thanks so much. security will be tight today as crowds descend on times square and pack new york city for new year's eve. you're taking a live look here from earth cam. here's what you need to know, the weather expected to be relatively mild tonight, in the low to mid-30s. for the northeast and new england, snow and ice early today ending later. what to expect once the new year begins? let's turn to meteorologist ivan cabrera. >> well, better conditions this year for new year's eve in new york city. it's not going to be pouring rain or snowing. temperatures actually comfortable, 40 degrees. we'll be in the 40s across the eastern seaboard. these are temperatures at midnight. teens and 20s across the midwest. then the new storm system that's moving into the pacific northwest, those are the wet areas, portland and seattle for midnight. but this is what we're going to get rid of for today. so, these winter storm warnings and the ice storm warnings, those will expire later on today. we still have some leftover snow and that will be accumulating a couple more inches, but not going to be a huge deal as things begin to improve as these slowly lift to the north and leave us alone here. so we'll be in much better shape by midnight. in fact, over the next several days, where is winter, right, the arctic outbreaks? not seeing that. in fact, temperatures going in the opposite direction. the next boundary will have showers, but temps in the 50s for the weekend. next week, another front comes in, into the lower 40s. happy new year, christine and leyla. back to you. >> and a programming note, ring in the new year with anderson cooper and andy cohen. "new year's eve live" begins tonight at 8:00 eastern on cnn. my alarm went off at 2:00 a.m., so i'll need a nap before i can restart for tonight, but i will. >> make it happen. make it happen. the former head of nissan flees criminal charges in japan. where he went and what he's saying this morning. my psoriatic arthritis pain? i had enough! it's not getting in my way. joint pain, swelling, tenderness... ...much better. my psoriasis, clearer... cosentyx works on all of this. four years and counting. so watch out. i got this! watch me. real people with active psoriatic arthritis are feeling real relief with cosentyx. cosentyx is a different kind of targeted biologic. it treats the multiple symptoms of psoriatic arthritis to help you look and feel better. it even helps stop further joint damage. don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx. before starting, get checked for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections and lowered ability... ...to fight them may occur. tell your doctor about an infection or symptoms, if your inflammatory bowel disease symptoms develop or worsen... ...or if you've had a vaccine, or plan to. serious allergic reactions may occur. i just look and feel better. i got real relief with cosentyx. watch me! feel real relief. ask your rheumatologist about cosentyx. we don't see who you're against, our or for, whether tomorrow will be light or dark, all we see in you, is a spark we see your kindness and humanity. the strength of each community. the more we look the more we find, the sparks that make america shine. ♪ happening now, several hundred pro-iranian protesters gathering outside the u.s. embassy in baghdad on tuesday to demonstrate against air strikes by the u.s. against militia groups in iraq, backed by iran. the protesters marching through a restricted area and smashing embassy windows. at least 25 people killed, 51 hurt in the air strikes targeting five facilities controlled by an iran-backed militia in iraq. now, iraq's government warning that the air strikes put its relation with the u.s. at grave risk. all right, drama in the business world this morning. a major figure has fled japan while awaiting trial. carlos ghosn, the embattled former nissan chief, has left japan and is now in lebanon. in a stunning statement, again gone said, "i am now in lebanon and will no longer be held hostage by a rigged japanese justice system where guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant, and basic human rights are denied. i have not fled justice, i have escaped injustice and political persecution." ghosn was a titan of the auto industry who successfully merged renault and nissan. cracks began appearing in that alliance after ghosn's arrest in november 2018. he faces a number of charges in japan, including allegations he understated his income and funneled $5 million of nissan's money to a car dealership he controlled. ghosn has both french and lebanese citizenship. it's not clear how he was able to leave japan. his lawyer told reporters that the flight from japan was a complete surprise and they hold his passports. one month, three days to the iowa caucuses. joe biden signaling how far outside the box he might go to beat president trump. one woman in new hampshire told the former vp that he'd have to pull out all the stops, and then she relaid a question from her 21-year-old son. >> reporter: i wonder if joe biden would consider choosing a republican as a running mate? >> the answer is, i would, but i can't think of one now. [ laughter ] no, no, no, no, no, no. look. no, i'm serious. here's what i mean. let me explain that. you know, there are some really decent republicans that are out there still, but here's the problem right now, of the well-known ones, they've got to step up. >> andrew yang criticizing the dnc over the january 14th debate. yang was the only nonwhite candidate on stage in december. right now under heightened donor and polling requirements, only five candidates qualify for the debate, not including yang. after the dnc rejected new polling, yang said the committee should push harder to expand the stage. >> if they heard back that it was not going to be in time for the january 10th deadline, they should say, why don't you start it as soon as possible? the dnc saying we can do nothing about it seems disingenuous because they can clearly just reach out to any of the approved polling organizations and ask for a poll to be conducted in a given timeline. >> to elizabeth warren now. she is commemorating one year since she launched her exploratory committee with a speech back home in massachusetts. and for bernie sanders, a clean bill of health after a heart attack earlier this year. the attending physician at the u.s. capitol says that he has the, quote, mental and physical stamina to undertake the rigors of the presidency. on friday, secretary of state mike pompeo will fly to ukraine, the country at the center of the president's impeachment. pompeo's set to meet with ukrainian president volodymyr zelensky and several top officials. they say he withheld military aid and a meeting with zelensky until investigations into joe and hunter biden were announced. ambassador to the eu gordon sondland testified pompeo was specifically in the loop on the deal. >> just yesterday, "the new york times" reported pompeo attended a previously undisclosed oval office meeting where top officials tried but failed to convince the president to release the aid. the current top diplomat in ukraine, bill taylor -- there he is -- won't be there for pompeo's arrival on friday. he'll have to hand off his duties the day before. taylor was an early voice raising concerns about withholding aid for political reasons. all right, the gators run wild in the orange bowl. florida making a statement in the first minute of the game. coy wire has this morning's "bleacher report." leyla's happy. >> i'm a gator! >> that's next. it's the next one. you always drive this slow? how did you make someone i love? that must be why you're always so late. i do not speed. and that's saving me cash with drivewise. my son, he did say that you were the safe option. and that's the nicest thing you ever said to me. so get allstate. stop bossing. where good drivers save 40% for avoiding mayhem, like me. this is my son's favorite color, you should try it. 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[tina] you're an old lady. us. it's what this country is made of. but right now, our bond is fraying. how do we get back to "us"? the y fills the gaps. and bridges our divides. donate to your local y today. because where there's a y, there's an us. what if your clothes could stay fresh for weeks? smell clean? now they can! downy unstopables in-wash scent boosters keep your laundry smelling fresh way longer than detergent alone. pour a cap of downy unstopables into your washing machine before each load and enjoy fresher smelling laundry for up to 12-weeks. this towel has already been used and it still smells fresh. if you want laundry to smell fresh for weeks make sure you have downy unstopables in-wash scent boosters. mucinex cold & flu all-in-one. fights... oh no. no-no-no. did you really need the caps lock? mucinex cold and flu all-in-one. hey. ♪hey. you must be steven's phone. now you can take control of your home wifi and get a notification the instant someone new joins your network... only with xfinity xfi. download the xfi app today. a kansas police officer has resigned after making up a story about a mcdonald's employee writing an insult on his coffee cup. there's been a string of incidents involving servers writing derogatory words on to-go cups, and this week an officer claimed that someone wrote an expletive on his cup, but the harrington police department admits this report was false, and the officer is no longer employed. >> the duty of every police officer is to protect and serve with the highest level of integrity and trust. this incident has been an obvious violation of that public trust. >> and according to the chief, the officer claimed that he fabricated this story as a joke. mcdonald's says that it's glad none of its employees were involved. all right, 20 minutes past the hour. the florida gators chomp on the virginia cavaliers in the orange bowl. >> yes! blue and orange. coy wire has more in the morning's "bleacher report." coy, you know this, i'm a little biased here. a little biased. go gators! >> absolutely. congratulations. good morning to you and christine. as you know, college football is loaded with players from across the country who have incredible stories about determination and perseverance. florida's lamical perine is one of them. he's a senior, team leader playing in his final game for the gators. a few years ago, he was a high school kid from mobile, alabama, not being heavily recruited, saying he wasn't fast enough, the coaches told him. he scraped money together for bus fare to get to a football camp in florida, hoping to get noticed. now, after a career-high 138 yards and three touchdowns in the 36-28 win over virginia, he's orange bowl mvp. florida finishing with an 11-win season for the first time since 2012. two-time super bowl mvp eli manning's time with the new york giants appears to be at an end, but the quarterback isn't quite ready to call it a career yet. yesterday he was asked about his future. >> yeah, everything's an option, so i think, i mean, that's the first decision, whether i want to continue to play or not. i don't have, no plans. i think just sit on it, and hopefully, you know, kind of have that answer on what i want to do and what my next steps are. and so, i think, you know, i don't want to linger out. i want to try to make it as soon as possible. >> the giants made a decision on head coach pat shurmur's future quickly. big blue fired him yesterday after winning only nine games in two seasons. meantime, jason garrett's future as the cowboys head coach is still in limbo. according to multiple reports, he's set to meet with team owner jerry jones and his son, steven, the team's executive vice president, later today. the team has yet to announce whether garrett will get a new contract or go separate ways. his current contract expires january 14th. he has led the cowboys for the last ten seasons, made the playoffs just three times. now, after missing two games with a sore back, league mvp giannis antetokounmpo is back. look at this dunk, sending the bench into a frenzy, including his older brother. he can't believe it. giannis had 23 points as the bucks beat the bulls, 123-102. red hot. they're the first team to reach 30 wins. three of the last four teams to be the first to 30 have made it to the finals. best moment, though, in this one, leyla, christine, came in before the game. a young man made giannis a book, gave it to him, got a picture with the superstar. >> that's sweet. >> even made his teammate, chris middleton, one, too. sweet inspiration, i'm thinking, because giannis and middleton were the team's highest scorers in this game. >> love it. >> yeah. sweet story there. and what a great way to end my "early start" for 2019. leyla doing the gator chomp? >> yes, you're welcome. >> it doesn't get any better than that. >> you're welcome. >> awesome. all right, coy, happy new year to you. >> thanks, coy. >> you, too. 23 minutes after the hour. breaking overnight, raging wildfires turn deadly in australia. thousands now trapped on a beach after fleeing their homes. and the u.s. embassy in baghdad the target of big protests after air strikes by the u.s. against iran-backed militia groups. tom: my mom always told me actions speak louder than words. she was a school teacher. my dad joined the navy and helped prosecute the nazis in nuremberg. their values are why i walked away from my business, took the giving pledge to give my money to good causes, and why i spent the last ten years fighting corporate insiders who put profits over people. i'm tom steyer, and i approve this message. because, right now, america needs more than words. we need action. welcome back to "early start," 26 minutes past the hour. uber and postmates both suing to block a california law that offers employment protections to gig economy workers. this law, known as ab-5, takes effect tomorrow. the two companies compete in the food delivery market. they and others like lyft and doordash argue that california should establish regulations to protect gig workers. they say forcing them into existing employment categories violates the constitution. a stunning study suggests a strong link between opioid overdose deaths and closings of auto plants. that's a key part of the u.s. economy. the study published in jama internal medicine looked at the ripple effect of plant closures on the community. it found an 85% higher opioid overdose death rate after five years. researchers also found that the link was largest among white men. it is estimated more than 130 people die every day as the result of an opioid overdose in the u.s. president trump and former president obama couldn't be more different, but there is one place where they look like they're the same. they're tied as gallup's most admired man in 2019. both men scored votes from 18% of u.s. adults. it's barack obama's 12th time topping the list, president trump's 1st. mr. trump has previously come in second place the last four years. former first lady michelle obama won the top spot as america's most admired woman. she is the only woman to poll in double digits. "early start" continues right now. swastikas in handwritten journals and more evidence of anti-semitism. hate crime charges now filed against a suspect in the hanukkah party attack. and breaking overnight, wildfires spreading and turning deadly in australia. thousands flee their homes under a very eerie threatening sky. a kansas police officer is off the job. why a coffee from mcdonald's led to his ouster. good morning, everyone. this is "early start." i'm christine romans. >> and i'm leyla santiago. it is 5:28 right now in new york. happy new year to you. or no, not happy new year yet! >> happy new year's eve. >> coming up. that's correct. we're beginning with breaking news. hundreds of pro-iranian protesters demonstrating outside the u.s. embassy in baghdad. they're angry about air strikes by the u.s. against militia groups in iraq backed by iran. cnn's arwa damon is live with more. what can you tell us is happening there, arwa? >> reporter: well, these are not your run-of-the-mill, pro-iranian/iraqi protesters. this is something of a show of force by the popular mobilization forces. remember, that militia that the u.s. said it was targeting is part of this popular mobilization force that is part of the iraqi security forces. and so, you had hundreds, if not more, members of this paramilitary force carrying forward this funeral procession turned demonstration all the way into this still heavily secured part of the green zone that houses the u.s. embassy, a number of other embassies as well as key locations, managing to get all the way to the gates of the u.s. embassy. among those in the crowd are leaders of some of the more powerful, if not the most powerful paramilitary unit. this protest so far has by and large been to a certain degree peaceful, but we have seen videos that we're trying to confirm. we are getting information that we are trying to confirm that the protesters were throwing rocks, breaking the security cameras, trying to perhaps breach the back wall of the u.s. embassy. looking at all of this, for these protesters to reach this area, the security forces who are protecting this area either had advanced information and allowed them through or chose not to try to attempt to stop them. remember, from the perspective of the iraqi government, this strike that was carried out by the u.s. was not carried out against a militia, as the u.s. calls it, but actually against members that make up the broader iraqi security forces. you have senior members within the iraqi government saying that they now need to review their relationship that iraq has with the united states, but all eyes right now waiting to see if this situation escalates. if this does escalate, that could potentially have very, very severe consequences, not just for america's relationship with iraq but also for the very stability of iraq, which right now is already incredibly unstable. >> yeah, absolutely. all right, you continue to monitor what's happening there and check through those videos and come back to us with more details. arwa damon, thank you. handwritten journals and the internet search history of the new york hanukkah stabbing suspect seem to express anti-semitic sentiments. his journal refers to adolf hitler and nazi culture, and the searches include one for prominent companies founded by jews in america. he's now facing federal hate crime charges on top of several state counts. cnn's sara sidner has the latest from the scene in monsey, new york. >> reporter: christine and leyla, the suspect in this vicious stabbing attack at a rabbi's home during a hanukkah celebration is now facing at least 11 charges. he has pled not guilty to five attempted murder charges and a burglary charge, but he is now facing even more charges, federal charges, federal hate crime charges. there are now five of those after investigators combed through his handwritten journals. they also say they are looking through his electronics as well. and in those handwritten journals, they found references to nazis and hitler as well as a star of david and a swastika. they also found searches when they looked through some of his electronics for synagogues in new york and new jersey. now, according to the complaint against grafton thomas, he also appeared to make a reference to the black hebrew israelite movement, which is linked to one of the attacks and the attackers in the new jersey attacks that left four people dead in a kosher market. now, while investigators say there is evidence of anti-semitism here, his attorney and pastor say this is simply a man who suffers from mental illness. the attack has left the large hasidic community here in monsey, new york, reeling. we spoke with joseph gluck. he was inside of the home when a man wielding a huge knife or sword came walking in. >> there were kids in there, so i decided to run back in. so i came back in through the front door. and he was skill still in the kitchen. i heard people screaming, "hide, hide!" people, one baby was pushed into a coat closet. there was a boy, 5, 6, 7-year-old boy hiding beneath a pile of coats. >> reporter: was he saying anything? >> nothing. he didn't say a word to anyone inside. he just spoke to me outside once. >> reporter: what did he say? >> "hey, you, i will get you," after i threw the table at him. >> reporter: eventually, the suspect left the home and started walking next door towards this synagogue that is right next door. gluck decided to follow him at a distance, concerned he would get in there, but indeed, he went to his car, and that is when gluck had the presence of mind to take down his license plate. he shared that with police. and about an hour later, the suspect's plate was picked up by a plate scanner on the george washington bridge going into new york. soon after, the suspect was arrested. he now faces, again, 11 charges in this case. christine, leyla? >> sara sidner for us in new york. thanks for that. to australia now, where breaking overnight, dangerous wildfires raging in southeast australia. two people in cobargo, south of sydney, found dead after they were reported missing when a fire ripped through that town. smoke darkening the sky to an eerie orange color, and an evacuation center in bateman's bay up the coast. thousands of people are trapped on a beach in mallacoota after fleeing their homes. a resident tells us there's no way in or out. >> and the rural fire service is warning people along the coast taking refuge are facing a long, difficult, dangerous night. across new south wales, more than 100 fires burning with reports of people unaccounted for and feared dead. as the day wore on, the sky lightened to a very bright, almost ominous orange as the fires spread. our simon cullen is there. >> reporter: christine, leyla, this is a fire crisis that continues to get worse every day. as you can see behind me, the air is thick with smoke, there is bush fire ash falling from the sky. in fact, the nearest fire front is just a few miles behind me over the hill. now, this is a state, new south wales, where dozens of fires are continuing to burn out of control, tragically claiming more lives, including that of a young fireman who died when the truck he was in flipped over in hot, gusty winds. he sadly leaves behind a young, pregnant wife. now, further south in the state of victoria, thousands of people there have been forced to flee their homes and seek shelter on the beach front. now, there is nowhere for them to go because major roads have been cut and authorities are saying it is too late to leave. now, these people are gathered on the beach front just watching and waiting to see what the weather conditions bring, but it is a very scary time on new year's eve. nationally, of course, many states have imposed total fire bans, which has forced the cancellation of new year's eve celebrations. fireworks in many towns and cities has been canceled tonight. but sydney has applied for and been granted an exemption, despite public pressure for them to be canceled as well. they will go ahead tonight. but the thick smoke that's in the air, it's just an eerie reminder that this bush fire crisis is far from over. christine, leyla? >> all right, simon cullen, thank you so much for that. all right, if joe biden is the nominee, would he turn to a republican running mate to beat president trump? hear from the former vice president next. ♪ (sensei) beautiful. but support the leg! when i started cobra kai, the lack of control over my business made me a little intense. but now i practice a different philosophy. quickbooks helps me get paid, manage cash flow, and run payroll. and now i'm back on top... with koala kai. hey! more mercy. (vo) save over 40 hours a month with intuit quickbooks. the easy way to a happier business. ♪ work so hard ♪ give it everything you got ♪ strength of a lioness ♪ tough as a knot ♪ rocking the stage ♪ and we never gonna stop ♪ all strength, no sweat. ♪ just in case you forgot ♪ all strength. ♪ no sweat secret. all strength. no sweat. too many after-parties. new neutrogena® bright boost with dullness-fighting neoglucosamine. boosts cell turnover by 10 times for instantly brighter skin. bright boost neutrogena®. security will be tight today as crowds descend on times square and pack new york city for new year's eve. you are taking a live look at times square from earth cam. the weather expected to be relatively mild tonight, in the low to mid-30s. for the northeast and new england, snow and ice early today ending later. so, what to expect once the new year begins? let's go to meteorologist ivan cabrera. >> well, better conditions this year for new year's eve in new york city. it's not going to be pouring rain or snowing. temperatures actually comfortable, 40 degrees. we'll be into the 40s across the eastern seaboard. these are temperatures in the forecast at midnight. we'll be looking at teens and 20s across the midwest, and then the new storm system that's moving into the pacific northwest. those are the wet areas, portland and seattle for midnight. but this is what we're going to get rid of for today. so, these winter storm warnings and the ice storm warnings, those will expire later on today. we still have some leftover snow, and that will be accumulating. a couple more inches, but not going to be a huge deal as things begin to improve as these slowly begin to lift up to the north and leave us alone here, so we'd be in better shape by midnight. and in fact, over the next several days, where is winter, right? the arctic outbreaks? not seeing those. in fact, temperatures going in the other direction and the next boundary will have some showers but temps back in the 50s for the weekend and then heading into early next week, another front comes in, into the lower 40s. happy new year christine and leyla. back to you. >> you, too. thank you, ivan. one month, three days to the iowa caucuses. joe biden is signaling how far outside the box he might go to beat president trump. one woman in new hampshire told the former vp he'd have to pull out all the stops and then relaid a question from her 21-year-old son. >> i wonder if joe biden would consider choosing a republican as a running mate? >> the answer is, i would, but i can't think of one now. [ laughter ] no, no, no, no, no, no. look here. no, i'm serious. no, here's what i mean. let me explain that. you know, there's some really decent republicans that are out there still. but here's the problem right now with the well-known ones -- they've got to step up. >> let's bring in "washington post" white house correspondent. good morning, happy new year. is he really going to pick a republican running mate or is he trying to show that he's the guy who has worked with this other party for years and can get things back to normal and get things done? >> happy new year to you as well. i do not expect vice president joe biden to select a republican running mate. i think this is some signaling trying to show some moderate voters, trying to bring over some potential previous trump voters and show them that he's not one of these far-left progressive democrats who's going to upend the system. he's going to continue to try to work with republicans and he's going to make verbal decisions to try to reach out to them with his words, with his rhetoric, even if it doesn't mean he's going to actually take the action of choosing a republican running mate. i do think this is something where he's trying to differentiate himself from the rest of the field, show that he's a moderate, show that moderate lane that he's been in since the beginning of the year continues to help him to remain at the top of the polls, at least nationally. he's stuck in that lane, even as the race has shown several democrats going further and further to the left. he's managed to keep his top position in the national polls in part by staying moderate, and i think he's doing that with this language as well about working with republicans, even potentially putting one on the ticket with him as vice president. >> okay, so, you mentioned the need to differentiate himself, for biden, anyway. let's take that same thought process to sanders and warren. warren has a big night tonight. she has a speech that will be on the one-year mark of her exploratory committee. what will she need to say to sort of see that momentum we saw in the summer, that surge that we saw during the summer months? and do you think that the new year will bring a new strategy in differentiating herself from senator sanders? >> that's a really good question, because i think over the course of the last year, she has gone through a few different phases of her campaign where she's been very consistent in putting out a large number of plans, being very detailed about policy, but it's run into a little bit of a struggle in the later part of the year as she went into health care and her campaign started to stall out, at least when it comes to the polls. this is a bit of a reset. it aloolows her to try to have new, fresh start going into 2020 and present a new phase of her campaign to voters right before the voting starts. it will be very interesting to see if she does decide. over the past year, she has not decided to go against senator sanders in any major way. they've been simpatico on policy and haven't gone after each other on tactics, so it will be interesting as we get closer to voting if either of those candidates decide to take the gloves off against their fellow liberal. >> and getting closer. iowa voters are getting -- you know, they're back home, they're listening to these candidates. i mean, you can't go to the grocery store -- i keep saying, you can't go to the grocery store without seeing a campaign bus in des moines or davenport these days, and there will be five on the debate stage january 14th to really kind of, like, give their final, final messages to the american people. let's talk a little bit about year end. i mean, it has been kind of a rough, divided year. give me something to be optimistic about for 2020. >> well, 2019 was very divisive. we impeached the president. there were all kinds of political machinations going on. but 2020, we are going to see the political experiment of this country play out, democracy playing out in its purest form. people are going to go out in the primaries, they're going to get out and caucus. we're going to see the messy process, but we'll see it take place and the american people are going to have their choice as to whether or not they want to keep president trump, who has in some ways been divisive himself, or whether or not they want to have a new president, but that entire process is going to be left up to the american people, and that is something to look forward to. as messy as it is, it's our democracy and it works, and it's something that every country around the world looks to in terms of a model, and we're going to be able to watch it play out in its purest form for the next 12 months. >> we sure will. >> ending on a good night. >> all right, nice to see you. have a great day. >> same to you. happy new year. >> you, too. we'll be right back. the zip code you're born into can determine your future. your school. your job. your dreams. your problems. (indistinct shouting) but at the y, we create opportunities for everyone, no matter who you are or where you're from. for a better us, donate to your local y today. and my lack of impulse control,, for a better us, is about to become your problem. ahh no, come on. i saw you eating poop earlier. hey! my focus is on the road, and that's saving me cash with drivewise. who's the dummy now? whoof! whoof! so get allstate where good drivers save 40% for avoiding mayhem, like me. sorry! he's a baby! here, it all starts withello! hi!... how can i help? a data plan for everyone. everyone? everyone. let's send to everyone! wifi up there? uhh. sure, why not? how'd he get out?! a camera might figure it out. that was easy! glad i could help. at xfinity, we're here to make life simple. easy. awesome. so come ask, shop, discover at your local xfinity store today. breaking news this morning, hundreds of pro-iranian protesters trying to storm the u.s. embassy in baghdad. sources say they tried to go through the embassy's gates, climbed the outer walls. security personnel kept them out by firing tear gas. they're angry about air strikes by the u.s. against militia groups in iraq backed by iran. more on "new day" in just a few moments. and the man who stopped the texas church gunman within seconds says that he had eyes on the shooter right away. jack wilson is a reserve deputy and head of security at west freeway church of christ. wilson now being called a hero for stopping the gunman almost immediately. >> my training, you know, says that if i see a weapon, especially in that scenario, because that's my job. you train, but you hope you never have to go to that extreme. but if you do, your training will kick in, and that was evident yesterday. >> the senior minister at the church says that he knew the gunman, ministered to him on more than one occasion, even giving him food. >> the minister honored both men killed in the shooting, anton "tony" wallace and richard white, whom he called his best friend. >> we're choosing to step over the line of death, whether it's physical, spiritual, sinful, and we proclaim christ's name to a fallen world. we will not be swayed by evil speech or evil acts, and we will stay strong in the midst of the adversity that we know came on us because we know that god is with us. >> the gunman had several arrests and convictions over the past decade and lived on the streets for a time, according to police and his sister. in a phone interview, she expressed sympathy for the victims and said they were caught in the crosshairs of childhood trauma. seven people have been arrested in connection with last month's lebaron family massacre. three women, six children, all members of a mormon community holding dual u.s./mexican citizenship gunned down in three cars on a remote dirt road south of the u.s./mexico border. mexican officials say that the arrest warrants were issued december 26th against three men. and because of the secrecy of the investigation, more on the four others will be revealed later. the u.s. army calls the hit social video app tiktok a security threat. it's joining the navy in barring the app from government-issued phones. the army sent a message to soldiers telling them to delete the chinese-owned app to prevent any exposure of personal information. senate republicans and democrats warn tiktok could be forced to cooperate with chinese intelligence agencies, but the company says no u.s. user data is subject to chinese law. a chinese national has been arrested for allegedly going into a restricted area at a naval base in key west, florida, and taking some pictures. court documents say he passed a security fence with numerous warnings and continued to walk after being warned. he told officials that he reads english better than he speaks it and gave military police permission to look at the actual camera. they found images of government buildings, and he is now facing charges. microsoft suing a mysterious north korean hacking operation, claiming it steals highly sensitive information from computers in the u.s. this new lawsuit alleges that thallium tries to access high-value computer networks run by the government, universities, think tanks, and groups that work on nuclear issues and human rights. microsoft wants companies that host web domains tied to thallium to hand over control of the sites. a kansas police officer has resigned after fabricating a story about a mcdonald's employee writing an insult on his coffee cup. there have been a string of incidents involving servers writing derogatory words on the to-go cups, and this week an officer claimed that someone wrote an expletive on his cup, but the harrington police department admits this report was false. >> the duty of every police officer is to protect and serve with the highest level of integrity and trust. this incident has been an obvious violation of that public trust. >> and according to the chief, the officer made up the story, he says, as a joke. mcdonald's says it's glad that none of the employees were involved. let's get a check on cnn business this morning, looking at markets around the world, closing out the year. the hang seng closed lower but is up 9% this year. hong kong markets up 9%, despite being rattled by the trade war and by the city's ongoing protests, and that hasn't been enough to erase big gains of earlier in the year. japanese and south korean markets were closed for new year's eve. on wall street, for the last trading day of the decade, futures are leaning a little bit higher here. i'd call that noncommittal, after stocks finished lower monday. the dow down 183 points, the s&p and the nasdaq fell. the worst one-day percentage drop for all three averages since the start of the month. but who cares about that? the s&p 500 on track for the strongest year since 2013, up 28.5%. all three major u.s. averages up at least 20% this year and the nasdaq the real winner there, very big year for tech stocks. some good news for the chinese economy. government data shows china's factories performed slightly better than expected in december as easing trade tension with the u.s. boosted demand. the data points to signs of some recovery in china. the world's second largest economy has struggled as trade talks with the u.s. continue. the white house trade adviser peter navarro said phase one trade deal would be signed next week at the earliest. i don't want to give it away. it was the butler. the butler did it. >> leave my books alone, okay? just let me read. >> timber. >> in a year of huge hits, "murder mystery" was netflix's most popular release in the u.s. for 2019. it beat out impressive titles including "the incredibles 2" and "the irishman." >> our kids are in danger. >> so, why wasn't "stranger things" higher on the list? netflix bases its list off the number of subscribers who watched at least two minutes of a series, a movie, or a special during its first 28 days on the service. netflix is celebrating a big year with 158 million subscri subscribers worldwide. i think they both agree here, president trump and former president obama really couldn't be more different, but here's something they now share -- they're tied as gallup's most admired man in 2019. both men scored votes from 18% of the u.s. adults. it's obama's 12th time topping the list and president trump's 1st. mr. trump came in second place the last four years. and then there's former first lady michelle obama. she took the top spot as america's most admired woman. >> fascinating. all right, this is the time of year, guys, to really give thanks, really, for the people who put this program on the air every day, team no sleep, the people who are the talented and dedicated professionals. leslie ziegler, phyllis paris borum, nicoliena marrero, dean baxter, jimmy marsek, mike stein, robin wallace, john rappa, robert melendez, judy hunter, roseanne jennings, paul cutting, jamie vogt and more. hanna guerrero, ryan miller, jorge mitssunaga, mallory leonard, andrew seger, emily mcnulty, ale freitas, kwegyirba croffie, mark friedman, brian s seligson, jake perez, isabella rivera, joanna preston, veronica marin, tim curran, thank you. >> applause back there. >> thank you for coming on board the last couple days. >> how lucky i was to work with that team. team no sleep, i like that. should be a hashtag. >> team no sleep. we are off tomorrow. laura jarrett will be here on thursday, so we'll see you then. happy new year's everybody. i'm christine romans. >> i'm leyla santiago. "new day" starts right now. >> announcer: this is cnn breaking news. welcome to our viewers here in the u.s. and around the world. this is "new day." it is tuesday, december 31st, last day of the year. i'm jim sciutto along with poppy harlow. nice to be here on this tuesday morning. >> john and alisyn are off. we begin with breaking news. hundreds of iraqis tried to storm the u.s. embassy in baghdad, this after funerals were held for 25 fighters from an iranian-backed shiite militia. they were killed by u.s. air strikes on sunday. >> the protesters are gathered right now outside of the united states' largest embassy in the world. it is in the iraqi capital. there are reports of tear gas being fired at demonstrators. let's find out exactly what is going on the ground. let's get to our arwa damon, joining us with the breaking details. this is in response to those u.s. air strikes. what can you . >> reporter: well, poppy, these are not your ordinary demonstrators. these are mostly individuals who are part of what's known as these popular mobilization forces. this is a paramilitary force that is predominantly shiite and mostly made up of former shia militia members. among those who were just outside the gates of the u.s. embassy are three very prominent leaders of the three most powerful or among the most powerful paramilitary forces within iraq and included among them is the leader of the pro-iranian militia group that the u.s. was targeting in these strikes. these protesters attempted, according to numerous reports, to try to storm the u.s. embassy. they were throwing rocks, taking out the security cameras. th