Russian Military Plane Crashes with 92 Aboard; Trump to Dissolve Charitable Foundation; Illness Keeping Queen from Christmas Service
CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, what a voice. Thank you so much for making us part of your Christmas morning. We are privileged to be part of it and so grateful to have you with us. Merry Christmas to you. Happy holidays. I'm Christi Paul.</s>VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Victor Blackwell. Merry Christmas to you. You are listening to the Spelman College Glee Club right here in Atlanta. They're going to be with us throughout the morning. You're going to love what they have for you a little later.</s>PAUL: Their voices.</s>BLACKWELL: Yes.</s>PAUL: We also have the very latest news for you, of course, and a look at some of the biggest stories of 2016. I want to start with Alison Kosik with today's top stories.</s>ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Christi and Victor, and merry Christmas to all of you. We've got some developing news overnight. Debris from a crashed Russian military plane has been found in the Black Sea. The plane disappeared from radar shortly after taking off from Sochi. Russia's defense ministry says 92 people including 8 crew members were aboard. It's unclear what caused the crash but one Russian official is ruling out terrorism. For more on this, let's go to CNN senior international correspondent Matthew Chance who's joining us live from Moscow. Good morning.</s>MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alison. That's right. This aircraft, which is a Tupolev 154 model aircraft, which is an old type airliner, which used to be the workhorse of the Soviet fleet, but it's now used almost exclusively by the Russian defense ministry for VIP transports, supposedly. This flight was on route for Moscow to Syria, and it was -- it stopped in Sochi on the Black Sea for refueling, but it was carrying, interestingly, the Red Army choir. The Alexandrov Ensemble, as it's called, which is the official choir and dance artists of the Russian military. And they were en route to Syria to stage a performance for the Russian troops stationed there. We understand from the defense ministry that 64 of the people on board, 92 that were killed, were members of the choir and/or were dancers with the choir. So, you know, complete tragedy for them, obviously. But, already, Vladimir Putin, the Russian president has sent his condolences. But let's take a listen to what Igor Konashenkov, the Russian defense ministry spokesman, here in Moscow had to say.</s>IGOR KONASHENKOV, RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY SPOKESMAN (through translator): Now at a distance of 1.5 kilometers off the Sochi coast, at the depth of about 70 meters, parts of a TU-154 aircraft body have been discovered. A search operation is underway. Four boats and five helicopters are currently operating in the plane search area, as well as drones. Reinforcement has been dispatched to the area.</s>CHANCE: Well, the Russian officials at the moment are sort of ruling out any possibility of this being a terrorist attack, although they're doing that before the investigation has been completed. They said they're focusing right now on the possibility of mechanical or pilot error to try and understand why this Tupolev 154 aircraft plunged into the sea off the Russian southern coast.</s>KOSIK: Certainly, a devastating event, especially happening on Christmas. Matthew Chance -- thanks so much. President-elect Donald Trump's controversial foundation is going away. Trump says he's doing away with the charity to avoid potential conflicts of interest once he enters office, but shutting it down may not be so simple. The foundation is under investigation in New York state for alleged misuse of donations and can't be dissolved until the investigation is over. DNC deputy communications director Eric Walker said the move was a wilted fig leaf to cover up his, quote, "pitiful record of charitable giving." The Trump Foundation has no employees and $1 million in assets. The man who was going to be communications director in the Trump White House has changed his mind. Jason miller who was named to the post just days ago says he's declining the job to spend more time with his family. Miller's wife is due to have the couple's second child next month. Miller's joined the Trump campaign in June. President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania celebrating Christmas in Palm Beach, Florida. They're celebrating today but last night as you see the Trump's attended a midnight church service. They were greeted by a standing ovation from the congregation. Buckingham Palace says a bad cold will keep Queen Elizabeth from attending a Christmas Day service. A statement put out by the palace a short a time go said she was staying home to help her recovery but will still take part in the royal family Christmas celebrations during the day. Her grandson Prince William went to church on Sunday morning with his wife Catherine and their children Gorge and Charlotte. At the Vatican, Pope Francis delivered his annual Christmas blessing before the crowd at St. Peter's Square. The pope offered his thoughts and prayers to victims of terrorism around the world. He also urged an end to fighting in Syria saying far too much blood has been spilled. Christmas has returned to one Iraqi town after years of ISIS domination. The terror group seized Bartella in 2014 but was driven out in October. Muhammad Lila has more now on how Christians there are celebrating.</s>MUHAMMAD LILA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a moment that many at this historic church thought they would never see. Celebrating the birth of Christ in a place once desecrated by</s>ISIS. ARCHBISHOP TIMTHAWES AL-SHAMANI (through translator): Even if it's ISIS, the Lord taught us to love and forgive our enemies and to pray for them. The most important thing is for us to live in harmony and peace.</s>LILA: ISIS overran this town more than two years ago. Everyone fled. Look closely. Bullet holes on the walls are scars that remain. ISIS broke the church's glass but not its heart.</s>RAIDA SHMOUN, BARTELLA RESIDENT (through translator): Happiness and sadness at the same time. This town used to be full of life but now look at it, such a desolate place. We can't live here now.</s>LILA: The town was recaptured by Iraqi forces in October this year. Thousands of ISIS fighters are just a few kilometers away. This is now a place of razor wire, broken buildings, and the reality of war.</s>NORI YOUNANI, BARTELLA RESIDENT (through translator): I could never imagine this would happen. We have lived here for more than a dozen years. We never thought we would be displaced. Our houses are destroyed. Will it be able to come back?</s>LILA: In town, the green of a single plastic Christmas tree breaks up the misery surrounding it. This is a place guarded by the army now. Just holding this mass requires armed soldiers at the door.</s>REV. PAULIS MATI, PRIEST (through translator): We need the guarantee of international protection. If there is no safety, we cannot live in this area. Today, we have no dignity. We are displaced in our own country.</s>LILA: Displaced but not disheartened.</s>YOUNANI: We have to have hope in this life. If we don't have hope, then we are finished.</s>LILA: The ancient hymns of one of the world's oldest Christian communities are being sung here again. A small act of life in a country that's seen so much death. Muhammad Lila, CNN.</s>KOSIK: All right, Muhammad. Thanks very much. Let's check in on the Christmas forecast and also update you on the super typhoon that's bearing down on the Philippines. Our Karen Maginnis is at the weather center live. Good morning.</s>KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: And good morning and merry Christmas. We do have quite a bit of weather to tell you about all around the globe. If you're looking for a white Christmas, it can be found, but a good portion of the United States is looking at some exceptionally warm temperatures, 15 to 20 degrees above where it should be for this time of year. But the snowfall from the four corners region of the United States, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, extending up towards the south provinces or the central provinces of Canada and into the Dakotas. But there's quite a bit of fog, also some ice. And that's going to be very problematic from folks who are going to try to get some plans for Christmas Day. If you are not ready in place, it is going to be slow going on some of the secondary roads and certainly the interstates where you might see some whiteout conditions, especially all the way from grand forks to Bismarck to Rapid City, where wind gusts could be as high as 55 miles an hour. But just to give you some indications just how varied these temperatures are across the U.S., we've got teens in Billings, Montana. We've got 30s and 20s across the northern tier. But look at this, 70s across the Deep South, and if you think that's exceptionally warm, it certainly is. Some areas will come close or even beat their record high. Huntsville, Alabama, could make it to 75 degrees. Tallahassee, Florida, 82 degrees on Christmas Day. The old record goes back to just last year. They were 81 degrees last year. Here comes some of that wet weather even in places where you would normally expect some snowfall. We're looking at rain in the forecast from Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., all the way down towards Memphis. Now for the typhoon, it is super typhoon intensity. It has already made landfall. Winds associated with this put it at just near category five intensity. Let's go ahead and show you some of the statistics associated with this. It has made landfall right around the Catanduanes region. It is moving towards the west. As it does it is going to weaken a little bit but not before plowing across the region. And over the past 70 years, there have been about seven Christmas Day super typhoons that have made landfall. Right now the winds associated with it at 155 miles per hour with higher gusts. Back to you, Alison.</s>KOSIK: Wow. Karen Maginnis, that is one monster storm. Thanks very much. And merry Christmas to all of you. I'll throw it back to Victor and Christi.</s>PAUL: So, in today's fast-paced, modern world, it takes a lot more than enthusiastic reindeer to get all of the gifts to the right people in all the right places.</s>BLACKWELL: So, when we come back a look at all that it takes to get your presents where they need to be on time.