Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

New Terror Warning About possible Attacks Between Now and New Year's Eve; Unrelenting Rainfall in the Deep South Just Days After A Tornado Outbreak Killed 17 people; Millionaires and Billionaires Writing Hefty Checks To Support Super PACs; Russia's Role In The War On ISIS; Literally Recreate the Beverage of Biblical Times; Top Voter Concern in New Hampshire is Heroin. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired December 26, 2015 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:00:15] POPPY HARLOW, CNN HOST: Top of the hour. I'm Poppy Harlow in New York. Thank you so much for joining us.

Breaking news on a brand new terror warning about possible attacks between now and New Year's Eve. Police in Vienna, Austria telling CNN an unnamed quote "friendly intelligence service" warned several European cities of possible attacks involving explosive or guns. The warning does not specify which European cities will be the target.

I want to bring in our Deb Feyerick here in New York who has been following this for latest. Also with us the retired lieutenant general Mark Hertling in Orlando.

General, we'll get to you in a moment because I know you had a similar experience that you went through when you were in the service.

To Deb, though, first. What do we know? This comes from police in Vienna, but they are not giving a lot of specifics.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they are not giving a lot of specifics. But the really positive development in all of these is that intelligence services are sharing information with one another. And if you remember in light of the Paris attack, there was a 50-year-old man who was caught bringing explosives in who told authorities then that they wanted to hit concert sites. So now, authorities are living no stone unturned. And this really sort of falls in that categories.

So what we have is a warning by an intelligence service to police in Vienna saying they, or other European cities could potentially be the target of a terror attack either with explosives or guns and that they should be on high alert.

The warning does provide names. But Vienna police are telling CNN that those names have been investigated and there's no concrete information in respect to who they are or what they may be doing, essentially they run it into ground and so far there is nothing. Again, what is really critical is the fact that every European country

right now in light of Paris is on a much higher alert than they normally would be. But when an intelligence service gets information even though it doesn't seem specific, even though it doesn't have a lot of details they are passing on that information because you just don't know. It's really all about dotting the I's, crossing the T's and making sure that is something that happens in one part of the world, one country is identified and communicated to another part.

HARLOW: Absolutely, as we have seen with Paris, those boarders are so poor. Remember after the Paris attack, Deb, in Brussels. The terror alert was heightened to the highest level possible for days and days. The city was basically on lockdown. We're not talking about something like that here yet, are we?

FEYERICK: No, we are definitely not talking about anything like that. You know, this is nonspecific. It is a warning. And again, Vienna police are not saying a lot. But they are saying that now they are checking bags, anything that might have appeared to be an empty bag. They're looking at much more carefully. They are adding more police into areas and into public areas where there is a lot of traffic and people may be gathering.

So they are sort of ramping it up just an extra notch. It's not that they're not there. But again, you know, there may be a difference between having nine police officers and then adding an extra tenth police officer that might see something. So that's really kind of what they are doing. That's the psychology behind it.

HARLOW: All right. Deborah Feyerick, thank you very much for that.

Let me go to you lieutenant general Mark Hertling. Because you have very unique eyes on something like this because of what you went through not long ago in 2011. Take us back to then.

LT. GEN. MARK HERTLING (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes. What I said, Poppy, this is extremely tough because the intelligence services are looking to the answers of five different questions of what we call the five Ws and the one H. Who, what, when, where, why and how. If you can answer any of those or part of any of those, you can start put the intelligence pieces together.

We in fact had an incident when I was commanding in Europe in 2011 where we had a jihadist organization that was planning an attack, I don't want to go into the details, but we picked up on some of the intelligence. We watched them very closely. We passed the information to both the German, French and Belgian government. They brought some of their services in, some of their intelligence services. We were eventually able to watch these three individuals until almost to the point they conducted the attack. But we didn't have enough intelligence to actually stop them to pull them over the question them. So you're always running that balancing act between who do you stop for what reason? And you know, the privacy of the individual verses the security of the people. It's tough.

We were lucky in that case. We actually stopped the individual and prevented a major attack. But it caused a lot of coordination between a couple of governments and military services.

HARLOW: And General Hertling, I just want to be very clear to our viewers because ISIS is on the minds of so many in the wake of Paris and the wake of other attacks. This has not been linked to ISIS in any way. We simply just don't know this attack, this attack warning, potential attack warning coming from police in Vienna, not directly ties ISIS. But you have said that you believe the United States, in its fight on terror specifically on ISIS has been successful in its attempts to discredit and to sort of ISIS along the way.

Point us to what tells you that?

[15:05:21] HERTLING: Well, I think a couple of areas. First of all, the fight in Syria and Iraq is starting to pick up momentum. We have seen certainly some things on the battlefield that has effected ISIS significantly. We have seen or heard reports and from these community has reports that ISIS fighters have suddenly taken a cut in pay from the organization. They use to pay fighters about $400 a month. They recently dropped that to $300 a month. That is from Intel reports. That tells me that they are starting to lose their financial edge. It's certainly not where we wanted to be yet. But it's getting towards that way.

Some of the fighters have been stopped going across the border and intelligence services. And it's important to see this report today in Europe. Some of the intelligence services in Europe, especially are releasing information within the past they would hold very close. They see the requirement to share more intelligence, to connect the dots a little bit. Although that those things contribute now. Poppy, as sure as I say that, there's going to be an attack somewhere tomorrow. And it will all be discredited. You can't stop 100 percent of these attacks.

HARLOW: Right.

HERTLING: But I would suggest some of the intelligence services and some of what we are sighing on the battlefield with fewer fighters going to Syria and fewer fighters in the fight and some of the tactical defeats that they have taken in the last several week are all going to influence the aura of this boogie man called ISIS.

HARLOW: All right, General Hertling, stay with me because we have much more to address with you on the broader fight against ISIS. Stay with me.

I do want to get to this so as well because there has been wild and deadly weather across the United States putting 15 million Americans on alert this holiday weekend. Mother Nature pounding the Deep South with unrelenting double digit rainfall just days after a tornado outbreak killed 17 people.

One of the hardest hit states right now, Alabama. The governor there declaring a state of emergency. Home after home inundated with water, sending families to shelter yesterday, on Christmas day.

Farther west, they are embracing for blizzard conditions. Parts of Texas and New Mexico expected to pick up close to two feet of snow tonight. And in southern California, a major wild fires being fuel by persistently heavy winds. Parts of two very busy highways shutdown in parts of the flames spread across hundreds of acres posting mandatory evacuation.

CNN's Sara Sidner here with me in New York.

Generally, though, out west. So she knows this area firsthand following all of it. Give us a sense where it's the worse and how many are impacted?

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So they have evacuations. Luckily, it's in Ventura County in the hills where it isn't as populated as it would be, if it somewhere else. The Ventura county has sort of set in between Sta. Barbara to the north and Malibu to the south.

But basically, what has happened is they closed off portions of two major highways. And you know what happened in Southern California when you close any roads, big traffic problems.

HARLOW: The 101 and Pacific Coast highway.

SIDNER: Pacific coast highway which the 101 is basically a workhorse. Like everybody uses that highway at some point usually on the day.

Pacific coast highway is actually a place where a lot of people that live around there or they use it because they are going to see the beauty of the Pacific coast highway and the tough (INAUDIBLE) is beautiful. And you can see the water.

And so, this is a holiday weekend where people would be likely going down there. But unfortunately, a bit of it is closed off. This has been really wicked because of the winds. And you mentioned the wind, you can see them and you can hear them. You actually - you listen to this video, you hear that?

HARLOW: Yes.

SIDNER: The winds blowing. You can see the fire just blowing. That makes it really, really, really hard for the firefighters. It is about 600 firefighters. It has grown. They have not been able to contain it. It started this morning and it has grown exponentially. It's now at 1,200 acres right now. And so, firefighters are very concerned. There is also an oil field that is not too far away. So if the winds shift or if it gets bigger and bigger and bigger that's at a big concern for them right now.

HARLOW: Unbelievable pictures. And it's been an unreal year, frankly, for California with the drought conditions and if fires.

All right. Sara, stay with us. Thank you very much for that.

A lot ahead this hour. Political super PAC, they have raised, consider this number, $315 million already this campaign season. Who is giving the most and why they are allowed to give millions with few questions asked? We will talk all about that and what candidates is helping most.

Also, it is being called an epidemic. Out Dr. Sanjay Gupta with his special on heroine speaking with a recovering heroin addict working towards change. This is a special report you will not want to miss.

Also, this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[15:10:13] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don't have clothes. This is all I have. This is what I have. It's discouraging. We lost everything. My child didn't get any Christmas items.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Holiday havoc. You just heard about it. We will tell you more about the storms battering much of the southern United States. Why is this happening in December? What is next? Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:13:16] HARLOW: In the northeast, dreams of a white Christmas went completely unrealized this year. You should feel it outside here in New York City. Unseasonably warm temperatures. Ice skaters in shorts at Rockefeller center here in New York. Instead of reaching for hot cocoa, tourist were going for the ice cream truck. It's hard to believe but it is happening.

Also, very, very severe weather. CNN meteorologist Karen Maginnis joining me now.

Karen, some breaking news out of Dallas, a confirmed tornado on the ground, is that right?

KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That is correct. My producer just came in as I was waiting to go on the air, he said there is a confirmed tornado on the ground. This is south of Dallas, in the borough county (ph). I just want to point out this area probably, this particular cell right down here. If you are in that warning area or you have spotted a tornado, you need to take cover immediately. These cells, these particular cells responding to the tornados or the severe weather events are moving off to the north rather rapidly.

Seven million people in the line of fire for that tornado watch which goes until 8:00 p.m. central time. Also, another area that bears watching you head east on interstate 40 from Oklahoma City and there we have has been reported, Doppler radar indicated a tornado. (INAUDIBLE) County is one of those counties effected and the severe weather is going to be popping up all afternoon. And we could look at a scenario where the temperatures are exceptionally warm this time of year.

As you heard for the last week or so running 10-20 degrees of where it should be this time of year. But also, the flooding. As this is a super highway of moisture that's not going to be moving very much over the next 24-36 hours. In this orange shaded area, that is where we have the enhanced chance of tornado activity.

Now, this is put out as we look through time and we go towards Sunday and it looks as if the storm prediction center is only shifting that threat a little bit towards the east as we go into Sunday. Pretty much the area from Shreveport to Dallas, to Houston. That also encompasses roughly seven million people.

Look at the sharply different temperatures. We've got 30s all across the panhandle of Oklahoma and into Texas while it is now 80 degrees in Dallas. That's why we have seen this outbreak of severe weather. The confirmed tornado, Navarro County just to the south of Dallas. Tomorrow, we will be talking about blizzards, ice and extremely different weather than we are speaking about today -- Poppy.

[15:16:12] HARLOW: Absolutely. Karen, thank you very much.

And for all of you watching, we will keep you posted as we get information on this confirmed tornado down just outside of Dallas. Thank you, Karen.

Up next, politics. Donald Trump says super PACs are quote "a disaster and a scam." Many of his Republican rivals have a much friendlier view of super PACs. They bring in millions to their campaigns. You will hear from of those billionaire donor about why he is giving to the super PACs and backing one of Trump's challenger ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:14:30] HARLOW: To the race for the White House now and super PACs bringing in an astonishing amount of money this campaign season allowing wealthy individuals to donate to their candidate of choice and influence presidential elections. We are talking about millionaires and billionaires writing hefty checks to support super PACs that in turn support their favorite candidate.

CNN investigative correspondent Chris Frates looking into the question of why some people are giving to certain super PACs.

You had a chance, pretty rare opportunity, actually, Chris, to talk to one of these billionaires, these moguls who is backing someone who is running against Trump.

[15:20:07] CHRIS FRATES, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's exactly right, Poppy. And what we are seeing is that big money donors are increasingly giving to these so-called super PACs which can take unlimited amounts of money. And it's rare for super PACs donors of politicians, as you said, to speak about the relationships and what that money actually brings him.

But we recently had a chance to sit down with a top GOP money man who is giving millions to the politicians and to the presidential candidate whose benefitted from those do nations.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER FRIESS, REPUBLICAN DONOR: Hi. I'm Foster Friess. FRATES (voice-over): GOP money man Foster Freeze has written his

biggest checks to support his good friend, Rick Santorum. In 2012, the retired billionaire money manager threw Santorum a lifeline when he gave the super PACs supporting him more than $2 million.

FRIESS: I think he's a champion, a little guy. He is very presidential.

FRATES: In his hay day, Friess was making $10 million a month. Friess won't say how much he will give this campaign season but explains why he donates.

FRIESS: I get a sense of satisfaction that I'm continuing the process and pray to my success.

FRATES: Friess refers to give the super PACs which can take as much cash as he is willing to give instead of giving directly to campaigns where the limit is $5400.

FRIESS: When the super PAC came along I realized that I could just write a check. It was a lot more effortless and that seemed to work.

FRATES: Sanatorium doesn't believe that Friess is trying to buy influence.

RICK SANTORUM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If he was in it for access he wouldn't be supporting a guy from four years ago who is at one percent in the polls. If he was in it for access he wouldn't be supporting a guy from four years ago who is at one percent in the polls.

FRATES: Better than GOP fundraiser Henry Barbour says cash-in donors like Friess are out gunned by those seeking influence.

HENRY BARBOUR, REPUBLICAN FUNDRAISER: There are a lot more people that are giving because they believe in something. They far outnumber the people who give for access. Yet, the people who get for access give much larger dollars.

FRATES: According to a nonpartisan watchdog, so far this election cycle, super PACs have raised $315 million and spent almost a hundred million, much of it on ads. But those ads still leave Republican candidates far behind the front-runner who hasn't spent a dime on television advertising.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Super PACs are a disaster. They are a scam. They cause dishonesty. And you better get rid of them because they are causing a lot of bad decisions to be made by some very good people and I'm not blaming these folks but I guess I could.

FRATES: Some experts say big check writers are driven by a mix of business and ego.

LAWRENCE NOBIE, GENERAL COUNSEL, CAMPAIGN LEGAL CENTER: They are giving people they think will support they want and they are giving to people that they know will answer their phone calls if they win and they know will give them access and listen very carefully to what they want on a public agenda.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRATES: So the biggest super PACs so far this election season is the one backing Republican Jeb Bush. It raised more than $100 million dwarfing the competition. You know, the candidates still in the race, the super PACs are supporting republican Marco Rubio has raised the second most in $16 million while a Democratic super PAC backing Hillary Clinton, Poppy, has raised almost $16 million as well.

HARLOW: I think it's fascinating, Chris, when you quote-unquote "follow the money" for Jeb Bush as you just mentioned raising the most by far in super PAC is not panning out at all in the poll numbers. What is it about sort of the effectiveness of the super PACs this election cycle versus, you know, raising the most money even before super PACs are allowed or just the Jeb Bush thing just an anomaly?

FRATES: Well, you know, it is certainly not for a lack of try, right, Poppy? You know, what you have with the Jeb Bush piece there is a guy so has raised the most money by far. And we saw in the recent report, I think those numbers we just head up there. That 80 percent of the GOP presidential political ads that you have seen on television so far have come from the super PACs. But many of those candidates that were supported by super PACs as we point out doing not so well in the polls. Jeb Bush, for example, since we're using him, he has the biggest super PAC and spent almost $26 million airing 15,000 ads. Yet, he is still polling in the single digits.

And the other piece there, let's not forget right? Scott Walker, Rick Perry. They both had huge money super PACs behind them, millions of dollars. But neither man was able to compete. They ultimately dropped out of the race. And of course, Poppy, Donald Trump. He hasn't spent a dime on television ads. Yes, he is leading the Republican PAC here. So, it's not your typical election cycle where you see the big war chest really taking over and bolting people to the top of the polls.

HARLOW: Yes, not at all. Donald Trump like to point that out time and time again as well when talking about Jeb Bush.

Alright, Chris, thank you very much.

FRATES: Thank you.

HARLOW: Coming up, new terror warnings in Europe and a new message purportedly from the leader of ISIS. What did al-Baghdadi say in an audio recording just unveiled today? The fight against a terror group forcing Russia and the United States to rethink their course together. But it's a partnership among the two of them, President Obama and president Putin possible.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:28:27] HARLOW: A warning today to several European cities about possible terror attacks between now and New Year's. The warning coming from police in Vienna. All of this coming as the leader of ISIS Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has purportedly released a new audio message, his first in more than six months. In it, he threatens Israel. He also says that western countries would not dare send ground troops in to ISIS strongholds given previous failures in Iraq and Afghanistan. Several countries are fighting the militant group using airstrikes including Russia. The Kremlin has said that it's exchanging intelligence on ISIS with the Taliban. The Taliban denies that. Russia in its president, Vladimir Putin, had made headlines throughout the year from the war in Ukraine to the countries airstrike in Syria.

Our CNN correspondents show their perspective on Russia's role on the world stage in 2015.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Russia is literally acts with impunity on a global stage and get people wagging their fingers at them. I mean, there's nothing that is stopping any of it. Either, you know, the west, the U.S. actually needs to step it up or say you know what, we're getting out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're done.

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There are a lot of potential challenges that could come with not only Russia intervening in Syria right now and continuing to flex its muscles, but also the repeat the anti-kind of western anti-NATO anti-American rhetoric. But, you know, the Ukraine conflict could flare up at any moment.

[15:30:11] NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: But it is also the response of an extraordinary weak aging regime. It's sad because you're seeing a population demographics aren't doing particularly well. This economy isn't doing particularly well whose reaching out since a foreign military adventures to try and retain a sense of relevance that they were going to give anyway frankly, just by --.

CLARISSA WARD, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Look at them. I mean, it's really worked. I mean, Putin has for better or for worse you can make that argument. But he is certainly commanded the world's attention. There's no question that he has kind of filled the void that America has pulled back from and with a pretty negative impact I think from what we have seen in Ukraine and now in Syria and elsewhere.

WALSH: Putin operates without transparency. He doesn't have Congress to worry about. He doesn't have the media who are asking him uncomfortable question every time --.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is no check and balance.

WALSH: He just does what he wants the next day which is when you loom Obama with all problems he faces, they can't operate in similar experience. This is just a different set of --.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's no shared language almost.

WALSH: I mean, you know, one day he will no longer be the president of Russia.

WATSON: But for the time being there is a guy with surely with apparently limitless power who likes to throw a span in the works for short term political gain.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But it's worked. They make themselves relevant again.

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There's nothing stopping any of it. And either, you know, the west, the U.S. actually needs to step it up or say, you know what, we are getting out. You can't do this in between thing anymore.

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: But then, as someone from a former colony, I always find that kind of narrative very worrying. Because the expectation that a super power should be the police officer of the world comes with a lot of exploitations, a lot of expectations of what the return is going to be. I mean, the reality is.

DAMON: If America is not going to be the police of the world then don't be the police of the world. Stop promising or inadvertently promising people.

ELBAGIR: Even President Obama has made very clear he doesn't want to be the police officer of the world. I don't think --.

(CROSSTALK)

WARD: Then you got to sit back and watch what happens. Then you are no longer able to wag your finger about it.

(CROSSTALK)

WALSH: Middle East in dream of non-American intervention regions finally happening and every not particularly happy about it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Let's talk more about Russia's role especially in the war on ISIS. Lieutenant general Mark Hertling is back with me.

I think there's one question as we head into 2016, right, and that's what everyone in this country and many people around the world want to know. When it comes to Russia and ISIS in the New Year, for the United States is Russia an ally or an adversary for the American military?

HERTLING: It is going to be neither, I think, Poppy, in the best case scenario. Look. I had opportunities to deal with many in the Russian military. And I hate to keep going back to my time as the commander in Europe. But there were engagements and exchanges with the military and some government officials. And the truth of the matter is they cannot be trusted. They are not transparent. There is no give and take. You have to deal with them from a position of strength. That is what they understand.

HARLOW: Doesn't that make them an adversary? You can't trust them.

HERTLING: Well, I think if they are put on the defensive they won't be an ad adversary. But they certainly won't be coalition partner either. You have to understand where their perspective is and how they are viewing the world just like you do any society. But with them, it's on steroids.

They see Russia being attacked from multiple sides. I saw a map that the (INAUDIBLE) house produced a few months ago that showed (INAUDIBLE) into Russia from all different spheres and that's what Mr. Putin is telling his people. They are being attacked by everyone to include the United States and NATO. So once you get that defensive posture, you can have a different narrative.

But truthfully, Poppy, listening to the all the reporters just now, it's interesting because they have all hit an element of Russian style. They have been doing the kinds of things they have been doing since Mr. Putin has been president and beyond. But he is just taking it to a new level. They're in Georgia, they are Moldova, they are in (INAUDIBLE), they are in Ukraine. And there is no pulling back from Ukraine. Make no mistake about it. They see that as Russian territory and now they in Syria wanting their demands.

I think it's going to cause them problems in 2016 because their economy is going to fail. Russia is going to become a problem on the global scene not just because of Mr. Putin's adventurism but because of what's going to the failing economy.

HARLOW: It already has been an incredibly deteriorating economy. And yet, Putin's poll numbers within the country, sky high.

HERTLING: Yes. And that's the other thing. He is doing a seemingly a position of strength which is unfortunate because he is not strong.

HARLOW: I have to leave it there. You will be back with us in just about half an hour. Thank you so much for that. I appreciate it.

Coming up next, a controversial police shooting in Chicago, the man hunt for two escaped fugitives in upstate New York. Next, we will take a look back at the top crime and justice stories that dominated the news this year.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:38:12] HARLOW: In 2015 we saw policing under scrutiny, terror hit our homeland and more horrific mass shootings.

Our Jean Casarez take a look back at the crime and justice stories of the year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A biker shoot out caught on video surveillance. Nine people killed and 18 wounded May 17th at the Twin Peeks restaurant in Waco, Texas. One hundred and seventy seven bikers were arrested. Police recovered 480 weapons.

In this video finally released, an officer fired his weapon after police say the suspect was carrying a knife and acting erratically. An African-American teen Laquan McDonald was shot 16 times. The Chicago police chief Garry McCarthy fired after dashboard video after a suspect being killed was kept under wraps for over a year.

MAYOR RAHM EMMANUEL, CHICAGO: Public trusts in the leadership of the department has been shaken.

CASAREZ: The officer Jason Van Dyke has been charged with first degree murder while many in the community continue to rally calling for the mayor to resign.

The scene heart breaking and too familiar.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are just getting word here of a school shooting.

CASAREZ: A shooting on a school campus, this time at Umpqua community college in Roseburg, Oregon. Gunman Christopher Harper-Mercer shoots and kills nine people. He dies after a gun battle with police at the college.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Somehow this has become routine. The reporting is routine, my response here at the podium ends up being routine. The conversation and the aftermath of it, we have become numb to this.

[15:40:05] CASAREZ: As Bill Cosby maintained his silence, more women came forward saying the television star has sexually assaulted them in the past.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He made me kneel down and I'm not going to repeat what happened next. All I know is that it was the most horrifying thing that could happen to any young woman.

CASAREZ: And Cosby turned the tables on some of his accusers in December filing suit against them for defamation of his character. Mr. Cosby states plainly that he neither drugged nor sexually assaulted the defendents.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's my very, very sad duty to report Allison and Adam died this morning shortly after 6:45 when the shots rang out.

CASAREZ: WDBJ television journalist Allison Parker and Adam Ward shot to death by a disgruntled former colleague during a live broadcast for their morning news. Heinous acts recorded by the killer himself. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just horrifying and shocking. These were young

people. Allison Parker what, was 24-years-old. Adam Ward was 27- years-old. It is just unbelievably sad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's been gut wrenching for me to get through anything without breaking down in tears.

CASAREZ: The killer, Bryce Williams, shot himself as police closed in.

The scene read like a movie, an escape tunnel chiseled away by inmates leading to a manhole on the street.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have new developments for you about the man hunt that's crippled part of upstate New York.

CASAREZ: David Sweat and Richard Matt escaped from the Clinton correctional facility in Plattsburg, New York.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Richard Matt not only didn't surrendered. He picked up the shotgun. He aimed it at the agent who then shot three times.

CASAREZ: Matt was killed. David Sweat is back behind bars. They were on the run for more than three weeks. Prison worker Joyce Mitchell who helped with their escape but got cold feet for the planned get away is now serving up to seven years behind bars.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I did wrong. I deserve to be punished. But, you know, people need to know that I was only trying to save my family.

CASAREZ: In 2015 a jury sentenced bomber Dzakhar Tsarnaev to death.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The convicted Boston bomber Dzakhar Tsarnaev will meet his end by lethal injection for his crime, actions that killed four people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Even in the wake of horror and tragedy, we are not intimidated by acts of terror or radical ideals.

CASAREZ: Nine people died inside the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Carolina when Dylan Roof opened fire at a bible study. Roof was arrested the following day. According to police he confessed and told investigators he wanted to start a race war. Roof faced families of the victims who spoke directly to the killer from court.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have killed some of the most (INAUDIBLE) people that I know.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I have been through a lot of these hearings. This was the most emotional and the most powerful I have ever listened to.

CASAREZ: State is seeking the death penalty. An arrest caught on tape. Freddie Gray died in police custody leading

to riots in Baltimore that devastated the city.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And as soon as the firefighters walked away or turned their backs somebody walked up with a knife and cut two holes into that fire hose.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, THE SITUATION ROOM: I want you to be really careful over there because it looks like the police are moving closer and closer.

CASAREZ: Gray was placed in a police van and sometime during the journey suffered an injury that ended his life one week later. The officers involved charged for numerous crimes including not calling medics and not buckling Gray inside the van. In the first of six trials, a hung jury.

Law enforcement calls this the worst terrorist attack since 9/11.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tonight new answers in the act of terror there that took 14 lives. That is how it's now being investigated, an act of terror.

CASAREZ: Fourteen people shot dead by a co-worker and his wife.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is now a federal terrorism investigation led by the FBI.

CASAREZ: Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik pledged their support to the terror group. This incident, law enforcement's worst fear, lone wolf terrorist.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Jean Casarez, thank you very much for that. What a year it's been.

Coming up next, recreating the wine that Jesus drank.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I never set on top of 4,000 liters of wine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: An experience you have never seen before I can promise you that. CNN goes along for a taste as wine makers in the holy land combine ancient grapes with modern science.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:48:04] HARLOW: The bible is full of references to wine. Noah drinks it after the flood. Jesus turns water into wine. But nowhere in the scripture does it mention what type of wine they are drinking. And that is something wine makers in the holy land, well, apparently they want to change that. Our Oren Liebermann went along as they tried to literally recreate the

beverage of biblical times.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Christmas in Bethlehem, a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the beginning of the New Testament.

At a monastery nearby, they craft a key component of many of a biblical story. Wine is made in the time of Jesus.

FADI BATARSEH, WINEMAKER, CREMISAN WINERY: We are concentrating on making the wine and the history comes with it. Of course, yes. And hopefully God is happy with our work.

LIEBERMANN: The wine making process has come a long way since biblical times with stainless steel fermenting tanks and oak barrels which I would describe as epic.

I have never set on top of 4,000 liters of wine before.

Tradition, history, part of every bottle.

ZIAD BITAR, CREMISAN WINERY: When you say Jesus drank from this wine so it means it's a huge thing. So you have to continue making this wine better and better every year.

LIEBERMANN: Cremisan was the first winery in the region to return to making wine from only local grapes, the same used thousands of years before.

The name is the book of the grape that grows only here in our country.

BITAR: (INAUDIBLE) is the name of the grape that grows only here in our country.

LIEBERMANN: After an intro to local grapes, we pour and tasting, I admit not the first or last tasting on this story. Then a sniff.

Smells good. Smells fresh and ripe.

Swirl, sip and enjoy.

It has that fresh ripe taste to match.

At Ariel University, researchers trace the genetic vine to uncover which grapes are native to the holy land, testing ancient seeds preserved in archaeological digs.

[15:50:16] DR. ELIYASHIV DRORI, ARIEL UNIVERSITY: When finding archaeological finding of seeds occurs, 99 percent of the times it's burned, the seeds are actually charred. This is the reason that they were preserved.

LIEBERMANN: You can see the right seed is burned one. It is darker. It's a little more shriveled and that's -- on the left is a modern day fresh merlot seed.

Up the coast, wine maker (INAUDIBLE) shows us his vineyards of recently harvested dabouki grapes. There were heavy restrictions on wine making in the holy land for hundreds of years under the Ottoman Empire.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Way after the season we can still find a few edible berries.

LIEBERMANN: The grapes that survived were table grapes.

And so, the wine from this grape could be the wine that Jesus drank.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exactly.

LIEBERMANN: Turning them into wine is still a new idea.

It has a tremendous sweetness to it, but it is overripe now.

The French have a word (INAUDIBLE) which describes the place the wine is from.

What does that mean here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It actually expresses the sense of the wine.

LIEBERMANN: A sense of people, place, and crucially, of history.

There is tremendous marketing potential here, a wine from biblical times, a wine that Jesus drank being bottled once again.

Oren Liebermann, CNN, the Holy Land.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Oren Liebermann, thank you very much for that.

Coming up next, a radical response to the heroin epidemic that's sweeping New England and certainly on the mind of many primary voters. How one town is turning the war on drugs on its head by encouraging addicts to go to police for help next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:55:04] HARLOW: In a presidential race that has already defied expectation, yet another surprise. According to a recent university of New Hampshire poll, the top voter concern in that state is not ISIS or the economy, it is drug abuse, namely heroin.

In a special series titled "Primary Concern: Heroin," our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta looks at the epidemic that has become a nationwide crisis. Part one is a story of a recovering addict who is meeting with politicians to make sure they understand the scale and the scope of this crisis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CAREY CURRIVAN, RECOVERING HEROIN USER: My name is Casey Currivan. I'm a volunteer. I'm also a person in recovery now.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You met with Jeb Bush.

CURRIVAN: Yes.

GUPTA: How was that?

CURRIVAN: They were all looking at me and Jeb Bush sitting in the middle. And it was -- the thoughts that went through my head immediately was I'm not worthy of this. And immediately I thought of (INAUDIBLE), the director for health in New Hampshire saying why not you. I thought why not me. What don't I have to offer?

GUPTA: What Casey Currivan is offering is a desperate story, tough to hear, about an epidemic of drug abuse claiming too many lives in New England.

CURRIVAN: It's the number one thing somebody under the age of 35 is going to die from in my state. It beats out car accidents. If you're not paying attention to that, then you have no right to represent anybody. It's ignorant to ignore it.

GUPTA: Fourteen months ago, drug abuse barely registered here in the Grand Estate. Now it's at the top. More important to voters than jobs, the economy, the taxes, you name it.

CURRIVAN: Oxycon (ph) went off like a bomb in New England.

GUPTA: It started with oxy, oxycon (ph). What many don't realize is that pills like these and heroin have a lot in common. In fact, they are so similar that for an addict or an abuser, they are essentially interchangeable. No surprise, then, 80 percent of heroin addicts started off using pills.

How did that happen for you?

CURRIVAN: Somebody in the hotel had offered us heroin. I almost looked at it like a science experiment. That was how my brain justified going through the whole process of using heroin. I sniffed it. And it had an effect, but it wasn't the effect I was looking for. An hour later I shot heroin.

GUPTA: What were you trying to discover here?

CURRIVAN: I just wanted relief.

GUPTA: Relief from?

CURRIVAN: Relief from my thoughts, my feelings, my emotions. If I had the power to choose, I wouldn't choose to use every day.

GUPTA: What Casey is describing is a substance use disorder. That's a new name for an age old disorder, addiction. It's a brain disease. It causes you to seek out drugs, no matter how horrible the consequences. In fact, Casey almost died of a heroin overdose. He now wants narcan (ph), a sort of antidote in the hands of anyone who needs it. Why? Because it saved him like it did for this woman. She has overdosed and is no longer breathing. Now watch closely what happens when she gets narcan. Casey's message along with many others is starting to be heard.

OBAMA: Addiction is not new.

GUPTA: In October, President Obama announced efforts to double the number of providers that can prescribe narcan. It was welcomed news here in New Hampshire where the cries for help, any sort of help are the loudest. And we kept asking ourselves. Why here in New England? Well, the answer in part is because heroin is particularly easy to get and very cheap.

How easy is it to find if you wanted to find it?

CURRIVAN: That's a good question. I guarantee you there's nobody in New England with money in their pocket that is saying, God, I wish I could find heroin if they really needed it.

GUPTA: You have money, you can find it?

CURRIVAN: Yes.

GUPTA: Casey hopes the days he was out buying heroin stay behind him. He spends his free time now with his 3-year-old son and staying true to his recovery. Still this wasn't the life he ever imagined. Slowly becoming the new face of a former heroin addict.

CURRIVAN: People think that a person suffering from alcoholism or addiction they have this image that comes up in their mind. And I like to break that image. Because if I met you on the street, you wouldn't think that two years ago I was a heroin use user.

GUPTA: Yes, Casey Currivan, is a new face.

(END VIDEOTAPE)