world mourning the death of george michael at the age of 53. ♪ last christmas i gave you my heart but the very next ♪ ♪ day you gave it away >> british pop icon first rising to fame in the 1980s as part of the two-man group wham!. michael went on to have a solo career selling more than 100 million records and collaborating with the biggest names in the music business. his manager telling british press it is suspected george michael died of heart failure. cnn's ian lee outside michael's home in london where the fans are gathering. what are they saying this morning, ian? >> reporter: that is right, joe. i'm in highgate where michael had a home. we have been seeing fanning trickling in all day leaving tributes at his door step. when you think of a pop star or

pop icon and legend, you rarely think of the person as an individual. that's what we have been fortunate to get here with fans coming by. a lot of these people knew him because he was a member of the community. he would shop here. he knew people. so they were giving us personal stories about how he was such a loving and caring person. yes, he struggled with drugs, but this is a person they remember as just a big heart who really cared about the community. here is more about the late legend. ♪ wake me up before you go-go ♪ don't leave me hanging on >> reporter: george michael launched into pop culture history in 1984 as half of the british boy duo, wham!. singing "careless whisper." ♪ time can never mend the

careless whisper ♪ >> by 1986, michael has a solo career. "faith" raising eyebrows with the first single. the risque lyrics drawing sharp criticism of those who want to bring awareness to the growing especialpidemic of aids and tho wanting to have sex. "faith" with "father figure." ♪ put your tiny hand >> "one more try" and "monkey." ♪ why can't you do it >> by the '90s, michael celebrating his independence from the pop machine. ♪ freedom, freedom >> refusing to appear in the video "freedom" which featured

came cameos. the late '90s, he was arrested and charged with engaging in a lewd act in a park in beverly hills. leading to an interview with cnn with a statement he was gay. in later years, there were drug-related arrests and nasty car accident in 2010. he served a month in jail for driving under the influence of marijuana. but his career continued to flourish thanks to his powerful vocals. at nearly 50, michael found critical success with the sixth and final album which was a masterpiece backed by a full orchestra. ♪ the first time ever i saw your

face ♪ >> i've been so lucky. amazing, amazing life. ♪ i would be the one who loves you until the end ♪ ♪ of time >> reporter: joe, george was gearing up to go back in the studio to create another album. sadly he won't be able to do that. this is also a legend that's known more than his music. raising awareness of aids. elton john releasing a statement. i'm in deep shock. lost the beloved friend and kindest soul. my heart goes out to his family and friends. joe, a lot of people mourning here. really a lot of people in shock over george michael dying at the age of 53. >> and ian, to your knowledge, he has not started recording

that album yet? >> reporter: as far as we know, no. it doesn't appear he was in the studio yet. this announcement was made earlier this month. naughty boi was the producer on this. they were looking forward to the collaboration. it did not look like they were able to make it in the studio. probably not any recorded material out there. >> ian lee in london. thank you for that. ♪ someone else i see tensions rising between the u.s. and israel in the last days of the obama administration. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu summoning the u.s. ambassador days after the u.s. refused to block the u.n. resolution over the settlements in the west bank. from the information we have, we

have no doubt that the obama administration initiated it and stood behind it and coordinated on the wording and demanded it be passed. we will do whatever is necessary so that israel will not be damaged by the resolution. cnn's oren liebermann following the resolution and story. oren, talk to me about the significance of netanyahu summoning the u.s. ambassador. netanyahu is making a big statement here, isn't he? >> reporter: absolutely. he could have waited a few weeks. he made it clear he is done working with president obama and looking forward to working with donald trump. the relationship between obama and netanyahu is now deteriorating rapidly in the final days. netanyahu calling in the u.s. ambassador to israel. dan shapiro. letting him know what he thought about president obama and john kerry. he called in the ambassadors of

ten others who voted for the resolution. it was the u.s. ambassador who met specifically with netanyahu. netanyahu expressing his anger. anger he made clear if tn the cabinet meeting. >> the governments have disagreed about settlements. we agreed the security council was not the place to resolve the issue. we knew going there would make negotiations harder and drive peace further away. as i told john kerry on thursday, friends don't take friends to the security council. >> reporter: let me also point out, alison, this is the israeli cabinet meeting. netanyahu is addressing israeli politicians and israeli public. he hararely speaks in english. when he does, it is a big statement. he wasn't addressing the israeli public, but here he was addressing president obama.

>> and donald trump tweeted as to the u.n., things will be different after january 20th. what potential action could we see the u.s. take against the united nations next year? >> reporter: it was already senator lindsey graham who said the u.s. would consider pulling funding for the u.n. netanyahu announced after the vote that israel would cut funding to five u.n. organizations totally $8 million. he also said israel would reconsider relationships with the u.s. representatives working here and promised more steps may be ahead. >> and taking waway the funding could be a big deal. the u.s. funds 22% of the u.n. oren, thank you. 25 days until donald trump takes office. the president-elect is moving to address potential conflicts of interest in the administration. that includes dissolving the charitable foundation that bears his name.

it appears the plan is already hitting a legal snag. we get more from cnn's jeremy diamond. >> reporter: good morning, joe and alison. president-elect trump is staying at his mar-a-lago residence in palm beach, florida. he has nothing publicly scheduled. that comes after the weekend where he spent the christmas weekend with his family and attended christmas eve services at a church here in palm beach, florida. on saturday, he did make a bit of news. the president-elect announcing in a statement that he plans to shutter the trump foundation. the charitable foundation in his name. that may be a little bit easier said than done. new york attorney general's office saying trump cannot legally shutter that foundation because of the investigation. the new york attorney general launched that investigation. accusing trump of using the foundation to settle private

legal disputes involving him. using the charity's money. trump has not donated himself to the charity since 2008. he has not released his tax returns. there is no public record of how much money donald trump has given over the years to charitable causes. democrats have been quick to pounce on the trump's announcement of shuttering the foundation saying it is nothing but a fig leaf and distraction. showing nothing that trump is resolving the conflict of interest. we will see over the coming weeks. trump is expected to announce more steps to disentangle himself from the conflicts of interest between business and duties as president of the united states. we expect him to give a press conference on the matter some time next month before he takes office. joe and alison. >> jeremy, thank you very much.

we have eugene scott with analysis when we come back and discuss more on the trump transition. anmxecutive produ ...at marvel studios. we are very much hands-on producers. if my office... ...becomes a plane or an airport the surface pro's perfect. fast and portable but also light. you don't do this 14 hours a day, 7 days a week for... ...decades if you don't feel it in your heart. listen, i know my super power is to not ever sleep. that's it. that's the only super power i have.

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it was a quiet holiday weekend. that's only relative term in the political world. donald trump looking to ease conflict of interests and concerns are easier said than done. let's bring in political reporter eugene scott. merry christmas. donald trump dissolving the foundation. big news, certainly. on the other hand, expected, but very difficult to do especially when you have an investigating body saying you can't dissolve until we finish looking at this. >> absolutely. we are seeing he is intending to dissol dissolve. whether or not it remains to be seen. there is criticism of the

foundation through the campaign because the contributions have been questionable. he has not given to his foundation in a decade. it is currently under investigation by the new york state attorney general's office. whether or not he can do what he said to avoid conflict of interest is still not clear. >> another big talking point over the weekend is the action by the u.n. the inaction by the u.s. to veto resolution to condemn settlem t settlements in the west bank and jerusalem. we saw prime minister benjamin netanyahu summon ambassadors from china and france and angola and egypt. even summoning the ambassador from the u.s. to israel. what ramifications does this have? clearly he did not wait until trump came into office. obviously where he is standing after his tweet things will

change come january 20th in the u.n. what are the ramifications of what benjamin netanyahu is doing on the world stage? >> one of the biggest ramifications this is appears to be the end of the potential collaborations with the prime minister and president obama. regardless of what was said in november, we only have one president at a time. the current president is barack obama. it seems prime minister benjamin netanyahu is finished working with him and putting his sights on the trump administration to support policies that benefit the israeli government. >> do you agree what critics are saying this is president obama's parting shot on his way out the door? no love lost between netanyahu and obama. some are saying it was obama thumbing his nose at netanyahu after years and years of less than friendly relations and mid east peace process.

>> it was a clear move from the obama administration articulating their frustration with not being able to reach the two-state solution they were hoping they would get with the israeli government. they see things very differently. >> israel is pointing the finger at the obama administration. very directly. in fact, we have a little sound from the spokesman. lights li let's listen. >> we have iron clad information that the obama administration helped push this resolution and helped craft it from sources internationally and sources in the arab world. >> you listen to that and it sounds like subterfuge. you hear the concerns. >> this is not new. the obama administration has said they were not pushing this. they were not the originate orsf this. their commitment to hapelping

remain peaceful stands with u.s. policy. >> eugene scott, thank you for analysis. we will bring you back in 25 minutes. >> great. see you. the holiday shopping season is wrapping up and americans unloaded hundreds of billions of dollars on gifts. the national retail federation forecasting a 3.6% jump in sales from last year. the total amount spent $655 billion. americans plan to spend $935 on gifts. that is second only to last year. mobile was a bright spot for retailers. stores like macy's and best buy revamped sites to make it easier for shoppers. also an employment bump from the holiday rush. as many as 690,000 seasonal workers scored jobs this holiday season. that is in line with last year's 675,000 new holiday positions.

many jobs will disappear in the new year, a steady rise of jobs shows consumer demand is strong and sales in the first quarter will be important to the broader economy. it has been a sluggish past few years. it is interesting to see the numbers and how much retailers have been able to make up. things are looking up. at least so far. the defending super bowl champs are out and the pittsburgh steelers are in. punching their ticket to the playoff was a thrilling come-from-behind win over their arch rivals. coy wire has the bleacher report coming up next. hi, we're the hulford quads.

(laughter) we're in 8th grade. technology is the only thing that really entertains us. i'm gonna use this picture on sketchbook, and i'm going to draw mustaches on you all. using the pen instead of fingers, it just feels more comfortable for me. be like, boop! it's gone. i like that only i can get into it and that it recognizes my fingerprint. our old tablet couldn't do that. it kind of makes you feel like you're your own person,

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it was christmas, but it was football sunday. the chiefs punched their ticket to the playoffs and knocked out the defending super bowl champions at the same time. >> we have coy wire with more. >> good morning. chiefs had to play second fiddle and the broncos own the afc the last five seasons, but broncos were ripe for the taking. they don't have peyton manning anymore. they were willing to weather conditions. rain, winds, blustery. wasn't going to keep the fans away. santa wasn't the only jolly fellow delivering gifts. throwing a pass for a chiefs touchdown. dante poe. chiefs dominate.

33-10. in one of the nfl's heated rivalries. steelers and ravens in christmas day classic. steelers with the ball down by three with ten seconds to go. slings to antonio brown. look at that effort. delivers that christmas day gift if front of the home crowd. steelers scored 21 points in the fourth to complete a comeback. 31-27. earning the first division title since 2014. they knockout ravens out of playoff contention. finally, basketball fans expecting a great game and rematch of the nba finals. not disappointing. lebron james and the cavaliers plunging this down the chimney. kyrie irving with 15 of the 25 points in the fourth quarter. the most important were these two. the fade away. look at that with 3.4 seconds to

go. remarkably similar to the shot that won the finals in june. cleveland with the 14-point comeback last ten minutes of the game. final score, 109-108. a lot of great stuff. >> that was a great game. what a score. >> i watched a little bit. incredible. very big ending. >> joe, your hair's looking great this morning. >> i'm following your lead. an update now on carrie fisher. her mother debbie reynolds tweeting this on christmas. she says carrie is in stable condition and if there is a change, she will share. reynolds thanking fans and friends for good wishes and prayers. fisher suffered a cardiac event on a flight from london to los angeles. the music world is remembering a great voice. george michael. the pop icon passing away on christmas at just 53 years the

age. we're live in london where fans are remembering the one-of-a-kind talent. ♪ wake me up before you go-go is it because theinetwork was built six years ago? e six years ago? that's like a hundred... in phone years. their lte network is older, slower, and they limit you. switch to t-mobile. the newer, faster, and unlimited network. we cover 99% of the americans verizon covers. get 4 lines, just $40 a month. rrowl.

♪ freedom freedom freedom ♪ you got to give >> the eternal sounds of george michael. this morning, we're remembering the pop legend who passed away on christmas. a harsh response from israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu after the u.s. abstains from anti-israel resolution at the united nations. netanyahu summons the u.s. ambassador and hints the resolution all on president obama. we have more from jerusalem. and donald trump trying to quiet critics who say conflicts

of interest will hurt him in the white house. he says he will close his charitable foundation. good morning. welcome to "early start." i'm joe johns. >> i'm alison kosik. it is monday, december 26th. john and christine are off. this morning, fans and musicians are remembering george michael who died suddenly at the age of 53 on sunday. ♪ i gave you my heart ♪ but the very next day ♪ you gave it away >> he rose to fame as a pop idol in the 1980s. part of the british boy band wham!. he went to a solo career and selling more than 1 100 albums. his manager releasing a statement saying it is suspected

he died of heart failure. we have cnn's ian lee. i ian. >> reporter: that's right. we have been able to talk to some of the fans, alison, here who have been coming over time paying tributes and lefaving messages and nflowers. one of the things is who he was away from the music and stage persona. a man loved by the community. someone who everyone had a personal story about him. coming into their shops and you knew them and would talk to them. someone who wasn't just a celebrity. selling over 100 million albums. when you talk to people here, that music, they said, people say get them through tough times. a man who talked about love and

hopefully people saying the message of inclusion would continue. here is more about the late singer. ♪ wake me up before you go-go >> george michael launched into pop culture history in 1984 as half of the british band wham!. singing "careless whisper." ♪ time can never mend the careless whisper ♪ >> by 1986, michael had a solo career. his album "faith" raising eyebrows with the first single. the risque lyrics and video drawing sharp criticism of those wanting to bring awareness to the growing aids epidemic and need for safe sex. "faith" producing four number

one singles. including "father figure." ♪ put your tiny hand >> "one more try." ♪ you >> and "monkey." ♪ why can't you set your monkey free ♪ >> michael became a more serious artist celebrating the independence from the pop machine. ♪ freedom, freedom >> refusing to appear in the video which featured cameos from top models lip syncing his lyrics. but the late '90s, he was arrested by an undercover police and charged with a lewd act in a park in beverly hills. leading him to an interview with cnn saying he was gay in 1988. in later years, drug-related arrests and nasty car accident

in 2010. he served a month in jail for driving under the influence of marijuana. but his career continued to flourish thanks to his powerful vocals. at nearly 50, michael found success with the sixth and final album "symphonica." backed by a full orchestra. ♪ first time ever i saw your face ♪ >> i've been so lucky. amazing, amazing life. ♪ i will be the one who loves you until the end of time ♪ >> reporter: alison, george michael was prepaparing to get back in the studio to produce new music. he will be known for advocacy.

he was a strong supporter of lgbt community and raising awareness. elton john said i'm in deep shock. i lost a beloved friend and brilliant soul and artist. my heart goes out to his family and fans. >> it was interesting to see in your clip and story how we saw george michael with the orchestra behind him. he was really in his element. there were so many songs that were favorites for so many people. do you have a favorite? >> reporter: i would have to say my favorite is "faith." i will save you from singing it or trying to carry that tune. i could not hold a candle to george michael. that song for me is one that stood out. he has a catalog of music that really moved people and touched their lives. people who grew up in the '80s, really the soundtrack of their lives growing up. he will be deeply missed. >> we're playing "faith" so you

don't have to sing it. do you hear it? >> reporter: i do hear it. thank you. ♪ >> we will continue to celebrate the music that george michael brought to our lives. ian lee, thank you for your report. alison, tensions with u.s. and israel rising in the last days of the obama administration. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu summoning the u.s. ambassador days after the u.s. refused to use its veto power to stop a u.n. resolution that condemned israel settlements in the west bank. netanyahu saying quote from the information we have we have no doubt the obama administration initiated it and stood behind it and coordinated on the wording and demand it be passed. we will do what is necessary so israel will not be damaged by

the shameful resolution. cnn's oren liebermann following the latest. >> reporter: benjamin netanyahu is furious are president obama and secretary of state john kerry. he summoned the ambassador of the u.s. on christmascountries. the ten other ambassadors met with the foreign minister. the u.s. ambassador met specifically with netanyahu. netanyahu expressing anger with the resolution and expressing anger at the cabinet meeting here. >> over the decades, the administration and the israeli government disagreed over settlement. we agree the u.n. is not the place to resolve. we know going would make

negotiations harder and drive peace farther away. as i told john kerry thursday friends don't take friends to the security council. >> reporter: the question is still out there. what happens next? the resolution is non binding. a guideline or recommendation. there is a question of will there be another resolution? parameters for peace negotiations. that question is on the table in the closing days of the year. >> so, oren, one thing is clear. 2017 could be very different from 2016. could you talk a bit about the potential for action that the u.s. might actually take against the u.n. in the coming year? >> reporter: president-elect trump promised things weill be different. senator lindsey graham said the u.s. could cut funding from the united nations. israel has taken some concrete steps.

netanyahu announced israel would cut to five u.n. organizations totaling $8 million. he said israel would reevaluate relationships with staff here. he said more may be coming. >> oren liebermann, thank you. 25 days until donald trump takes office. the president-elect is moving to address potential conflicts of interest in the administration. this includes dissolving the charity that bears his name. it appears the plan is hitting a legal snag. let's get more from jeremy diamond. >> reporter: good morning. president-elect trump is staying at his mar-a-lago residence in palm beach. he has nothing publicly scheduled. he spent the holiday weekend with his family and attended christmas eve services at a church in palm beach, florida. he made a bit of news. the president-elect announcing in a statement he plans to

shutter the trump foundation. the charitable foundation in his name. that may be easier said than done. the new york attorney general's office releasing a statement saying that donald trump cannot legally shutter that foundation because an investigation is ongoing. the new york attorney general launching that into accusations of self dealing. meaning trump has been accused of using the charitable fou foundation to settle business and private suits using the charity's money. donald trump has not donated himself to the charity since 2008 and has not released his tax returns. there is no public record of how much money donald trump has given over the years to charitable causes. democrats have been quick to pounce on the announcement of shuttering the foundation. saying it is nothing but a fig leaf and distraction. not really showing anything as

far as donald trump resolving conflicts of interest. we will see over the coming weeks, donald trump is expected to announce more steps to disentangle himself from conflicts of interest between his business and duties as president of the united states. we're expecting him to give a press conference on the matter some time next month before he takes office. joe and alison. >> the question here is will trump's plan to quiet critics work? we will ask cnn political reporter eugene scott sitting here when "early start" returns.

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built for business. okay. donald trump says he will close his charitable foundation to ease concerns about conflicts of interest. the question is, is it too late for any meaningful action before he swears in and becomes the president of the united states. let's talk to political reporter eugene scott. good morning. >> good morning. >> had a good christmas? >> i did. you? >> i did. you were working on this story over the weekend? >> i was. >> realistically, will he sort of get rid of all of the conflicts before he takes the oath of office or is it a work in progress? >> he intends to dissolve the foundation. the foundation is under investigation from the new york state attorney general's office

concerned about irs violations. whether or not that will be handled before he can actually close the doors we mains to be seen. it is not likely. they want to wrap up the investigation. >> when the announcement happened over the weekend, it felt like a distraction. we are talking about the charitable foundation which has a legal obstacle to overcome before that can be shutdown. we haven't addressed or he hasn't addressed the business conflict of interests. that is the bigger conflict. >> it is. some democrats and republicans are hoping this is a step forward in that direction of conflicts of interest which is a constant criticism of his since being elected and during the campaign. >> russia. this is the other big political story over the weekend. essentially what we had was the obama administration deciding it would not veto or abstaining

from the veto in the settlements in the west bank. israel is pointing the finger at the united states. unravel it. the united states has held the position for a long time, but said it wasn't behind the resolution. >> no, the obama administration made it clear they did not draft or propose this resolution and they have always been committed to the israel government and hoping that the country and other countries in the region achieve peace. they did abstain from the vote that attracted a lot of criticism not just from prime minister netanyahu, but also from donald trump who signalled once elected, things would be different. >> trump signaling things being different. i'm talking really different. the u.s. is 22% of the funding for the united nations. that is a big deal when you talk about ripping the funding away from the united nations.

it is like the punishment is coming in the form of a pocketbook. >> i wrote a story that senator lindsey graham suggested that the u.s. step away from funding the united nations given this move. whether or not this will happen is not clear. conservatives and democrats are really upset with the approach that the obama administration took this past weekend. >> we actually had a tweet from donald trump over the weekend. the big loss for israel and the united nations will make it much harder to negotiate peace. too bad. we'll get it done anyway. is it true? the development in the u.n. actually is sort of a big loss for negotiating peace? >> i think perhaps what may be a bigger challenge in negotiating peace is the gentleman that president-elect trump is proposed to be ambassador to israel is very conservative and more people sympathetic to

palestine don't think peace can move in that direction. >> we have talked about george michael all day. switching gears. the death of george michael. a lot of us grew up with his songs. what is your favorite? >> "faith." >> shocked by this? >> very much. especially on christmas considering "last christmas." i had not heard "last christmas" until his death. >> we get to hear his songs more. >> and his fiphilanthropy. and say you got a gift card and you don't shop at that store? site nerdwallet says gift card granny and card pool let's you sell your gift cards for 90% of your value. you get to shop at the store you want. you can shop at other stars on the sites.

some coin star machines at grocery stores let you trade in gift cards as well. many target locations will make you an offer on gift cards from other retailers. you load the amount on to a target gift card. as for those gifts you don't want, consider returning sooner rather than later. you won't have to deal with expiring return dates and lots of stores after christmas sales. you could score bargains on the stuff you actually want if you want to fight the lines. >> my daughter accidentally got a onesie. >> how do you accidentally get that? >> i ordered the wrong thing. some life threatening weather could make it difficult to get home from the holiday in some parts of the country. we have a look. we will go back to london for more on the life and legacy of george michael. the pop icon dies as 53. more next. ♪ gave it away

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we have some crazy weather. whiteout christmas from the rockies to the northern plains. blizzard warnings in effect this this morning with black ice on the roads. parts of north dakota buried in a deep freeze. the department of transportation closing three highways because of what they call life-threatening conditions. no travel advisory in effect for bismarck where the national weather service says traveling is quote dangerous if not impossible. let's get more from meteorologist derek van dam. >> good morning, joe and alliis. i'm sure the calendar says it is the day after christmas, but we have the chance of breaking 22

record-high temperatures across the united states. look at the map and the four-day temperature forecast for chicago. 54 degrees today. atlanta, lower 60s. potentially breaking the 70-degree mark by this time tomorrow. temperatures for the big apple also relatively mild. we're talking 10 to 15 degrees above where we should be this time of year. we have a full fledged blizzard on the back side of the cold front producing whiteout conditions for north and south dakota. that continues through the day today and part of the system is bringing a wintry mix to new england. including new york and massachusetts and vermont and new hampshire. drive with care as you travel through the course of the rest of the week. back to you. derek, thank you. japan's prime minister is set to make a historic visit to hawaii. shinzo abe takes part in the celebrations today before visiting pearl harbor.

he is the first japanese prime minister to visit the wreck of "uss arizona" before the attack on pearl harbor which left 1,600 military members dead. this comes months after president obama visit to hiroshima. actress carrie fisher recovering after a flight emergency on friday. her mother debbie reynolds tweeting carrie is in stable condition and thanking friends and family for well wishes. she suffered a cardiac incident from london to los angeles. let's get an early start on your money. we have four trading days left in 2016. today is not one. stock markets are closed following the christmas holiday. check out the gains for the year. the 401(k) is likely showing similar returns. these are darn good. the dow is up 14%. the nasdaq with a 9% gain. the s&p 500 which is really the

broadest measure of the stock market and one your 401(k) tracks. rising more than 10%. so who are the big winners? the dow posting stunning gains. caterpillar up 38%. getting a boost thanks to the infrastructure plan for trump. united health care up 37%. that's despite worries of obamacare going away. and jpmorgan chase is up more than 30%. look at oil giant chevron. a major recovery there as crude oil prices rebounded late this year. perhaps the most impressive gain belongs to goldman sachs. not only a former employer to trump's picks for top administration posts, but also the darling of the dow's post-election rally. the iconic wall street bank is up a stunning 32% since trump's victory. that had helped goldman recover from the financial meltdown of

2008. the jump contributed to 24% or 385 points of the dow's 1,600 point rally since november. it is the most expensive stock in the average trading at $240 a share. because the dow is calculated, it makes the moves more influential al on the dow. what is behind the strong performance? higher interest rates and more trading activity and less regulation. election lexcellent. it is great celebrating boxing day with you. >> i'm alison kosik. >> i'm joe johns. friends and fans are reacting to the sudden death of pop icon >> friends don't friends to the security council. >> suspend fighting the united nations. >> the two-state solution and you should be happy and

celebrating. >> i look forward to working with the new administration when it takes office. >> trump foundation -- >> donald trump is looking to calm concerns about conflicts of interest. >> the money 100% goes to different charities. >> donald trump accused of using his charitable foundation to settle private legal dispute. entertainment world is mourning the sudden death of singer george michael. >> absolutely devastated. >> i'm really upset. i just love him. >> somebody who made a very big impact and who was just a terrific singer. ♪ freedom, freedom, freedom >> announcer: this is "new day" with chris cuomo and alisyn camerota. >> you don't have to adjust your sets. i'm not chris and she's not

alisyn. >> the day after christmas and i'm here with poppy harlow. begin with the heartbreaking news that george michael has passed away. he died outside his home in london on christmas day, poppy. >> celebrity and fans around the world mourning the star's sudden death. being remembered for his indelible voice and ian lee is live outside of his home in london. good morning, what is the reaction there? >> good morning, poppy. yeah, there are people here coming in, streaming in with their tributes. a lot of people remembering the late singer george michael. i'll show you some of the tributes down here that we have. what the people are saying. here we have dear, george, one of the world's sensitive souls. the world has yet to embrace those who feel deeply and hold the flame of love for all. over here, we have another one that says, you have been loved. you were loved. you w