Latest on our top story. Jon, the 11 russian chinese warships near alaska represent the largest combined armada from both countries to ever sail so close to the United States and history. The pentagon says there is no interaction within the u. S. Military assets. General keane spoke earlier offer the following warning progress china has considerably warships vent our navy does they have more airplanes, they have more missiles we have got to catch up we have to move with a sense of urgency. Quickly u. S. Navy dispatch for warships in a pa Reconnaissance Plane to shatter the russian and chinese Flotilla Course the u. S. Military routinely does the same thing to both russia and china sailing warships and sending spy planes near both countries while keeping just outside territorial waters but we call that chinese Fighter Jet Buzz the u. S. Air force wsrc 135 Reconnaissance Plane in the South China Sea back in may wasnt exactly sightseeing russians and chinese are just returning the favor w
Mitchell reports, House Republican leader Kevin Mccarthy 24 hours from the biggest moment of his political career and still no closer to securing the votes he needs to become the next speaker of the house. Also this hour, i will speak to dr. Zeke emanuel about a tough holiday flu season along with new concerns about a new strain of covid19 in the u. S. And we will have a live report from rome as catholics travel to the vatican to Pope Emeritus Benedict during the three days he will lie in state ahead of thursdays funeral mass. Good day, im andrea in mitchell. Happy new year, everyone. Well, the pressure is on republican leader in this in you year, Kevin Mccarthy has to win over the hard line House Conservatives that he needs to become the next speaker of the house. Tomorrow the new Congress Returns to washington with the speaker vote as the top item on the agenda. But at this hour no one knows how long its going to take for republicans to secure the Majority Vote needed to appoint a le
russia has made a rare acknowledgement that 63 of its soldiers were killed in a new year s eve attack by ukrainian forces. the strikes were carried out with himars rockets supplied by the us and destroyed a former school in the donetsk region, where the soldiers are said to have been temporarily deployed. several russian politicians have said commanders must be held to account for allowing such a large number of troops to be concentrated in an unprotected area. in ukraine, the country s armed forces say the strike killed hundreds of russian soldiers, as our correspondent in kyiv, hugo bachega reports. in a town in eastern ukraine, rubble and many questions. this used to be a school, apparently turned into a base for russian soldiers. at around midnight on new year s eve, ukraine struck. how many were killed remains unclear. in moscow, the army claimed the attack was carried out was also a rare admission of casualties. translation: as a result | of the strike by four rockets
of wounding three police officers with a large knife just blocks from times square. the man accused of killing four college students in idaho expected to make his first court appearance tomorrow. law enforcement sources telling abc news they identified the suspect by using dna evidence found at the crime scene and a public gone yol. website. police now looking for evidence in the car he drove across the country. the war in ukraine. russia suffering a massive blow. ukraine claiming to have killed hundreds of russian soldiers in a major strike, but the kremlin saying 63 troops died in the attack. one of the deadliest attacks on russian forces since the start of the war. republicans on the eve of controlling the house, the potentially messy battle for house speaker. does kevin mccarthy have the votes within his own party? the deadly skaf fouling collapse in north carolina. at least three people killed, toe injured. the victims falliing 70 feet. actor jeremy renner re
placed on a terrorist watch list. all of this after his family became increasingly concerned about his desire to travel to afghanistan and join the taliban. what this could all mean, particularly as he awaits charges. we re also learning more about the man arrested in connection with the brutal stabbing deaths of four idaho college students. his family underscoring his presumption of innocence in their first statement. he s set to make his first court appearance tomorrow. just ahead, we ll take a closer look at what the seals criminal complaint could tell us. let s begin with the latest in the investigation into the new year s eve machete attack here in nypd on three officers. gloria pass partlmeano joining live. and what more do we know? reporter: that is right, erica. we re learning more about trevor bicford, the 19-year-old man from maine who law enforcement tells us is believed to be behind this attack on three police officers on new year s eve as you mentioned. rig