Ill Queen Elizabeth Misses 2nd Holiday Service; Choir Member Quits over Trump Inauguration Performance; Trump Mania Sweeps Kurdistan in Iraq
NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Atlanta. Let's update you on the top stories this hour.</s>ALLEN: Britain's Queen Elizabeth has missed a second holiday service due to a heavy and lingering cold. The 90-year-old monarch decided to skip the annual New Year's church service on Sunday after missing the Christmas service a week before. Phil Black has the latest on the queen's health from London.</s>PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A nasty, persistent cold but nothing to worry about. That's what we're being told about the queen's health after she missed the traditional New Year's Day church service. Other royals did attend, including Prince Philip, her husband. He was also struck down by a cold around the same time, but he appears to have bounced back, while the queen is still recovering after almost two weeks indoors, out of sight. The same cold, of course, forced her to miss the Christmas Day church service. These absences are not insignificant. She is the head of the Church of England, something she takes very seriously. So, we can only assume she has been feeling terrible. But her advisers at Buckingham Palace is going out of their way to assure journalists that she is OK. They're stressing that she is still in residence at the Sandringham estate. She hasn't been moved for medical or any other reason, and they say she's up and around. She's still working, receiving the documents, the briefing papers she has to stay on top of as part of her official role as Britain's head of state. Now, they're doing this to ensure there isn't any speculation or exaggerated concern about the queen's health. They want everyone to know that it just an awful cold but she is battling through it. Phil Black, CNN, London.</s>ALLEN: We'll talk to a royal analyst about her condition in the next hour here on CNN NEWSROOM. With less than three weeks left in his term, U.S. President Barack Obama took to Twitter Sunday to reflect on his legacy. He wrote, "From realizing marriage equality to removing barriers to opportunity, we've made history in our work to reaffirm that all are created equal." He continues, "It's been the privilege of my life to serve as your president. I look forward to standing with you as a citizen. Happy New Year, everybody." Donald Trump's inauguration is less than three weeks away. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has signed on to perform, but the attention is now on one member, who not only refused to sing for Trump, but quit. Jean Casarez has that.</s>JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Marching bands across the country are going to Washington for Donald Trump's inaugural festivities. 40 organizations will be in the parade, 8,000 participants.</s>CASAREZ: But a new controversy surrounding those performers. Jan Chamberlain, a four-year member of Utah's Mormon Tabernacle Choir, a state Trump won handily, has written a lengthy public Facebook posting that she is quitting the choir because it agreed to sing for the president-elect. "It is with a sad and heavy heart that I submit my resignation to you and to choir. I simply cannot continue with the recent turn of events. I could never look at myself in the mirror again with self- respect. I also know, looking from the outside, in, it will appear the choir is endorsing tyranny and Fascism by singing for this man." The Mormon Tabernacle Choir said the performance is voluntary, and the choir's participation continues its long tradition of performing for U.S. presidents of both parties at inaugurations and at other settings. Late Friday, Chamberlain responded to criticism.</s>JAN CHAMBERLAIN, FORMER MEMBER, MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR: I value that in our country we have freedom of speech under the First Amendment. For me, this is not a political issue. For me, this is a moral issue where I'm concerned about our freedoms being in danger.</s>CASAREZ: This coming just days after it was announced the legendary New York City Rockettes would be performing at the inauguration. In an interview with MarieClaire.com, one Rockette spoke out about the decision, "The majority of us said no immediately. Then there's the percentage that said yes, for whatever reason." The dancers' union ultimately deciding that participations in the inauguration will be voluntary. Madison Square Gardens, which employs the dancers, adding, "We had more Rockettes request to participate than we have slots available."</s>BORIS EPSHTEYN, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, TRUMP INAUGURAL COMMITTEE: It's not about the big names. It's about the American people. And that's who will be represented all over this inaugural. And we've gotten such an outpouring of support, of positivity from all the country. It's been truly humbling. Jean Casarez, CNN, New York.</s>ALLEN: The president-elect may have a hard time filling out his inauguration lineup. But he's gaining fans in an unlikely place, Iraq's Kurdistan region. Here's CNN's Ben Wedeman.</s>BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At three weeks old, little Trump isn't bothered by his pesky brother, Rasheed. Yes, you heard right. This is baby Trump. Trump Hassan Jamiel (ph), to be precise, born in Kyrgyzstan. The father explains what's in a name. "I called him Trump," he says, "because Trump is charismatic and has clear policies. That's why he won the election." This man heard Trump say he was a big fan of Kurdish forces calling for the fight against ISIS. In his honor, he named his recently opened fish restaurant in the city of Dohuk after the Donald and even designed the catchy logo. In Iraq's murky waters, Trump has inspired some here to hope he'll also make Kyrgyzstan great again. (on camera): This fish is your standard carp. It's the way it's cooked, it's called mezguf (ph) here in Iraq. It is big-league popular. And this is a catch fit for a president. (voice-over): There's no flip-flopping here. It takes just 45 minutes for the carp, a bottom feeder, to go from the tank to cutting board to grill to plate. No time wasted. "What I admire about Trump's personality," he says, "is that he's decisive, tough, and hopefully, with that toughness, he'll finish off ISIS." This man shrugs off as mere campaign rhetoric Trump's pledge to cast a wide net banning all Muslims from entering the United States. He even wants to open a branch of his restaurant near the White House, Maybe Trump will invite him in. Here's one man ready to serve the incoming administration. Ben Wedeman, CNN, Dohuk, northern Iraq.</s>ALLEN: A U.S. company claims the light this machine makes is equal to 10,000 suns in a coffee cup and it could replace electricity. But some say, not so fast. Is this a clean-energy breakthrough for the New Year? We'll show you next.