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Trump's Foreign Policy Win; The Moment Of Impact; Study: Facebook Making Us Miserable; Unprecedented Phone Call Stops UNSC's Israel Vote; Trump On Facebook: Veto Settlements Resolution; Putin and Trump Call For Beefed-Up Nuclear Arsenals; Lockheed Martin Stock Dips After Trump Tweet; JetBlue Forces Man Off Flight With Ivanka Trump; Brother Arrested Suspected of Plotting Mall Attack; CA Officials Gear Up for Showdown with Trump; Death Toll Rises in Mexico Fireworks Explosion; Study: Facebook Makes You Depressed; Less Stressful Holiday of Festivus. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired December 23, 2016 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:00] JOHN VAUSE, CNN NEWSROOM LA ANCHOR: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. Ahead this hour, Donald Trump scores his first foreign policy win, with a diplomatic end run around the Obama administration, killing off a U.N. Resolution critical of Israel.
Killing new images of the moment a truck plowed in a Berlin Christmas market -- an official say they foiled another terror plot targeting a German shopping mall. And if all those happy perfect family photos on Facebook are getting you down, you're not alone. New research shows they can actually make you depressed. Hello and welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. Great to have you with us. I'm John Vause. This is NEWSROOM L.A.
In four weeks, Donald J. Trump will be sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Until then, Barrack Obama is still officially commander in chief, but unlike most other Presidents in waiting, Trump has now jumped in with both feet into one of the most complicated and difficult foreign policy issues for any president -- the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. As the latest letter report, the President- Elect has been working the phones and calling world leaders to scuffle an anti-Israel resolution at the U.N.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELISE LABBOT, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Tonight, a dispute over peace, politics and the role of the U.S. presidency may be coming to a head at the United Nations. Just hours before the Security Council was set to vote for a resolution calling for Israel to stop building settlements, the ballot was abruptly cut off, averting a potential clash between the current and the future U.S. presidents over U.S. relations with Israel.
JOHN KIRBY, UNITED STATES STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: We just have to wait and see what the results of those consultations are to see if the text moves forward.
LABBOT: The resolution demands Israel quote, "Immediately and completely cease all settlement activities," calling it a "flagrant violation under international law." CNN has learned that President Obama was prepared to let the resolution pass either by abstaining or voting in favor of it. The U.S. has traditionally seen Jewish settlements in areas controlled by Palestinians as an obstacle to a peace process, but has never gone so far in a U.N. vote. The move today would have been seen by many as a provocation, a parting shot at Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom President Obama has strained ties.
Around 3:00 a.m., Netanyahu took to twitter, writing in English, and appealing for a U.S. veto. But before the White House could announce its support for the resolution, this morning, President-Elect Donald Trump sent out this statement calling for a veto and saying peace between Israel and Palestinians needs to be negotiated not quote, "through the imposition of terms by the United Nations."
A Senior Israeli official tells CNN, the Israeli government reached out to Trump to weigh in, after failing to persuade Washington to cancel the vote. Then Egyptian President Sisi, whose country offered the resolution, put the vote on hold after a call from Trump. Today, gratitude from Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer who tweeted Israel quote, "Deeply appreciates the clear and unequivocal call by Trump".
DONALD TRUMP, UNITED STATES PRESIDENT-ELECT: The United Nations is not a friend of democracy.
LABBOT: Trump's statement appeared to again signal his desire to shift U.S.-Israel Relations. During the elections, he said he would move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and he denounces U.N. involvement in the peace process in an interview with Wolf Blitzer.
TRUMP: This has to be a deal between the Palestinians and the Israelis.
LABBOT: Trump says he wants to be seen as an honest broker in the Mid-East.
TRUMP: I would love to be neutral if it's possible. It's probably not possible because there's so much hatred. There's so much going on.
LABBOT: Israeli officials argued that by allowing the resolution to go through at the United Nations, President Obama would be tying Donald Trump's hands once he takes office to negotiate what the President-Elect has called the, "Ultimate deal between Israelis and Palestinians." Elise Labbott, CNN, the State Department.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Well, for more, joining us now, Democratic Strategist Dave Jacobson, Republican Consultant John Thomas, and International Law on U.S. foreign policy lecturer Josh Lockman. Thank you all for being with us.
Dave, first to you, how extraordinary is this Split that we're looking at right now between the incoming administration and the outgoing administration on an issue like this, which is so crucial and one of the biggest foreign policy challenges for any administration?
DAVE JACOBSON, DEMOCRATIC STARTEGIST: Of course, there's no doubt it's unprecedented. I mean, the reality is there is a certain etiquette and level of respect that the incoming president should have with the outgoing president. According to the constitution, Barack Obama is still president for whole 29 more days, right? And so this I think really underscores the clash -- or the looming clash that we're seeing as President Obama starts to leave office and Donald Trump starts to come in, but I do think it really undermines the transition of power and the fact that President Obama is still Commander-in- Chief.
[01:05:09] VAUSE: So John, I mean, there is a tradition, one president at a time.
JOHN THOMAS, REPUBLICAN CONSULTANT: This is a major decision that Donald Trump is going to have to live with over the next four years. Donald Trump is a dealmaker at his heart- not just that he right the Art of the Deal. This is something he's passionate about. He thinks the U.S. Foreign Policy is wrong in many instances -- this being one of them. Look, Israel is excited about what he is weighing in and I would expect, this isn't-this isn't - Donald Trump will not be a shrinking violet now, nor as president.
JACOBSON: But I think the question is like how he handled it. Like if he really felt so passionately about this perhaps like a private phone call to President Obama-
THOMAS: It's like Barack Obama passing a last minute executive orders banning offshore drilling. I mean, come on, what is he doing?
VAUSE: OK, well, the Israelis may be excited -- the Palestinians are not, so too many other Arab countries around the world. But Josh, to you, I want to look closer at the actual resolution which got pulled by the Egyptian president. The language seemed to be incredibly broad. If you looked at it closer, I guess in theory, it meant that, you know, East Jerusalem would be considered occupied territory which would mean that, you know, the old Jewish quarter and the old city rather, as well as the Western Wall would be off limits for Israelis.
JOSH LOCKMAN, LECTURER, USC GOULD SCHOOL OF LAW: Yes John, the resolution is quite broad but largely comports with what the international community including the United States believes regarding Israel's settlements and settlement building, which is that the settlements are illegal under international law and every administration since the 1970s, Republican and Democratic alike, has espoused that view.
It's important to note here, though, that had this American abstention gone forward, it's not without precedent. In the waning days of the Bush administration before President Obama took office, the Bush Administration abstained on a resolution that was calling for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas. So there would have been a precedent here and this may have been a parting shot by President Obama and also may have been his desire to cement his position on the Israeli's settlement building which has been contentious issue throughout his presidency.
VAUSE: I just want to say with what previous presidents have done because there is a lot of criticism that Barack Obama, you know, has not been supportive enough of Israel, but the Obama Administration has stopped every Anti-Israeli Resolution at the U.N. Security Council unlike every president going back to Lyndon Johnson -- I mean, Ronald Reagan, you know, either approved or allowed to pass, 21 resolutions. So, it seems that if Obama have allowed this one to go through, it would have been quite the diplomatic message to Bibi Netanyahu.
LOCKMAN: Yes, it would have been a strong signal to Bibi Netanyahu. They've obviously had an acrimonious relationship -- Obama and Netanyahu -- throughout the last eight years. But I think also, it kind of underscores the calculus that the president has demonstrated on Israeli-Palestinian conflicts. You know, in 2011, the United States vetoed a similar resolution and the main logic was that if this resolution were to go forward, it would be an impediment to the American mediation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict itself. Now, that we have seen such a stalemate, since 2014, it talks between the Israel and the Palestinians. The calculus here may have been that the president wanted to cement his position that Israeli settlement building - a continuous settlement building, is an active obstacle on the Israeli side. VAUSE: And John, I mean, there is this process here. You do have
this President-elect, you know, making calls, picking up the phone, calling other world leaders in this case, the Egyptian President, el- Sisi. Again, it does not seem to be in keeping with what other Presidents-in-waitings have done.
THOMAS: Yes, I mean, at this point, President Obama is a lame duck. I mean, really, we are in what President-elect Trump thinks is a dangerous times in the world and we need a dramatic and quick shift in foreign policy. You saw that in his conversation with Taiwan. I think it started with --
JACOBSON: And talk about his tweet, though, today, right, calling for more nukes all across --
VAUSE: We're going to get to that in a moment, but --
THOMAS: Right. But I just don't think the Obama Administration has been no friend to Israel and not just on issues with the U.N. I mean, allowing Iran to get nuclear weapons or start the proliferation of it, Israel is scared to death. I'm sure they're welcoming this action by President-Elect Trump.
VAUSE: Dave, you would argue that Obama is not a lame duck right now. He seems to be passing, you know, more executive orders right now than -
(CROSSTALK)
THOMAS: out, left and right. Yeah.
JACOBSON: I guess the question is like how does President Trump want to - want to, you know, act and be president in four years from now hopefully -- fingers crossed -- when a democrat is coming into the White House and there is this transitional period like is Donald Trump going to think of himself as a lame duck and let the incoming president walk all over him? Those are real questions that need to be asked.
VAUSE: And Josh, all of this seemed to be tightly coordinated between, you know, the Knesset in Jerusalem and Mar-a-Lago, Trump's resort there in Florida. This is part of the Israeli Prime Minister's statement which was released on Twitter. Listen to this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[01:10:01] BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: I hope it will abide by the principles set by President Obama himself in his speech in the U.N. in 2011, that peace will come not through U.N. Resolutions but only through direct negotiations between the parties.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And just as a reminder it's almost word-for-word what the President-Elect posted on Facebook as the United States has long maintained peace between the Israelis and Palestinians will only come through direct negotiations between parties and not through the imposition of terms by the United Nations. What will be the reaction in the Islamic world to this high level of coordination between the incoming president and the Israeli Prime Minister?
LOCKMAN: Well, it's a serious concern, John. It could be easily inflamed by the position that Trump is taking on the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. It's important to note here that Trump's choice for U.S. Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, could himself instigate, incite violence on the street. This is a person that's trafficked in hate and Islamophobia and has also called for, you know, the dismissal or the discarding of two-state solution.
So Trump's position which may bolster settlement building in Israel itself, is one that's really dangerous and reckless. It could absolutely lead to an inflammation of violence or even a possibly a third (INAUDIBLE) so, it's a huge concern going forward.
VAUSE: OK, Josh, thanks for staying with us. Josh Lockman there, Foreign Policy Expert or International Law Expert as well.
I want to move on now to the issue of nuclear weapons. The president- elect could also be rewriting more than half a century of Foreign Policy when it comes to nuclear capabilities with just 140 characters, Donald Trump has suggested it was time to expand the U.S. Nuclear arsenal sparking fears of a Cold War style arms raced. Details from Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARAB STARR, PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Did Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump just have their first nuclear standoff? Today, Russia's President vowing more nuclear weapons are needed.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We need to strengthen the military potential of strategic nuclear forces especially with missile complexes that can reliably penetrate any existing and perspective missile defense systems.
STARR: A clear shot at U.S. defense plans in Europe, something Russia believes is a threat. Within hours, President-elect Trump tweeted quote, "The United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes." The two declarations raising the specter of an arms race renewed. Donald Trump briefed just yesterday by Senior Air force Officers on the need to modernize the aging nuclear infrastructure. During the second presidential debate, a hint of his thinking.
TRUMP: Russia is new in terms of nuclear. We are old. We're tired. We're exhausted in terms of nuclear, a very bad thing.
STARR: Nuclear weapons are limited by treaty. Today, Russia has 7300 warheads, the U.S., just over 6900. The Obama Administration gave up on the idea of a U.S. pledge for no first use of nuclear weapons, worried the idea could embolden Russia and China. U.S. dismantling of its own nuclear arsenal has slowed in recent years. Putin's nuclear vow came as he boasted of Russian military superiority after a year which saw successful Russian hacking of the Democratic National Committee by the Russian Military, sustained airstrikes in Syria, and continued occupation of Crimea.
PUTIN: Today, we are stronger than any potential aggressor. I repeat any aggressor.
STARR: The Trump transition team later issued a statement saying the president-elect was really referring to nuclear proliferation trying to make sure nuclear weapons are kept out of the hands of terrorists and rogue nations. But it is still not entirely clear whether Mr. Trump supports more nuclear weapons. Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: You know, Dave, it's one thing to use Twitter to get the message out which, I think everyone thinks is, you know, kind of a good thing. It's new, it's old. But there are some issues, maybe like things like nuclear annihilation which require a little more nuance and depth that you couldn't get in 140 characters.
JACOBSON: Right, it's jaw-dropping and downright scary and dangerous and Donald Trump's Twitter account, increasingly, is becoming a national security threat. I mean, the reality is it is one thing to say something at Twitter when you are a candidate, it's another thing to do when you're president-elect. But when you're actually sitting in the Oval Office as Commander-in-Chief, theoretically, you could start a war with 150 characters. It's scary.
THOMAS: You've got, first of all, it's refreshing to actually to be able to hear from our president-elect, future president, directly rather than through mouthpieces.
[01:15:00] But furthermore, this illustrates the dramatic difference between the last administration and the current administration -- not just using Twitter. But Barrack Obama's idea of applying pressure to Putin is telling him to cut it out, OK. Donald Trump says we're going to arm up. And it's not -- Donald Trump understands that there's peace through strength so part of it is rebuilding our military and rebuilding our nuclear infrastructure.
VAUSE: OK, you say the tweeting is refreshing. Maybe not if you're Lockheed Martin. They know about the power of a Trump tweet. The president-elect posted this, "Based on the tremendous cost and cost overruns of the Lockheed Martin F-35, I've asked Boeing to price out a comparable F-18 Super Hornet!" Next thing you know, $1.2 billion wiped off its value of Lockheed Martin shares. I mean, this tweeting about companies and all this, John, this seems to be a scandal in the waiting here, isn't it?
You know, someone gets the inside information about what is happening or they provoke a tweet, they cash it in, the shares go up, the shares go down.
THOMAS: You know, it is hard to speak for - it's hard for me to speak to that. I can tell you these other defense contractors that he's picked fights with -- fights with over Air force One and one, I think is Boeing, the stocks rebounded in 24 hours. Remember, Donald Trump has been elected to be the CEO and Chairman of the Board for the American people. And the people are going to benefit from a tweet like that are the taxpayers. So I'm not mad about it at all.
JACOBSON: I guess but if you look at like the carrier, for example, like look, he's putting his thumb on the scale; he's picking winners and losers.
THOMAS: That's not true; he's competitively bidding it rather than listing the lobbyists.
JACOBSON: This is one example. But the question is like, is he going to continue to pick winners and losers as president and what kind of conflicts arise when it -- whether or not it benefits the Trump Organization?
VAUSE: And you can make a lot of money in 24 hours if you know which way the share prices are going to go. I want to talk about what happened with Ivanka Trump on a JetBlue flight today. She was out with her kins and her husband, a passenger, who was eventually removed from the flight basically, abused her, you know, yelling her about her father, Donald Trump.
Everyone seems to agree this guy is a total moron and it's good that he was taken off. But, you know, a lot of people raised the question what is -- you know, Ivanka Trump, a successful business woman, daughter of a billionaire, soon to be first daughter her, father's about to be president, what is she doing, flying on a commercial airline? Flying on a budget commercial airline and sitting in coach?
THOMAS: Yes, I thought the same thing when I saw the story although I got to say, I have flown JetBlue, it's not that bad.
VAUSE: But I know they have billions of dollars.
THOMAS: They do have a lot of legroom, John.
JACOBSON: And they've got Trump Force One.
VAUSE: Exactly.
THOMAS: But I think the bigger takeaway here besides flying coach, just still a head-scratcher, is the left's obsession. They can't get over that Donald Trump is the president and they're not just taking it on Donald Trump, they are taking it out on his family. I mean, Ivanka Trump is arguably, you know, one of the shining examples that people look to (INAUDIBLE) hey, he's a really good dad, he raised a good kid.
JACOBSON: This is one thing that we can agree on, as Democrats- Republicans, this is disturbing. She wasn't on the ballot -- it was her dad. She's not saying these sexist-misogynistic things that he said throughout the last two years.
VAUSE: Leave the families alone?
JACOBSON: Yes, of course.
VAUSE: OK, on that note we shall leave it there. Thanks, guys.
THOMAS: Thanks.
JACOBSON: Thanks.
VAUSE: Well, take a short break. Next here on NEWSROOM L.A., as the hunt goes on for the main suspect in Monday's terror attack in Berlin. What did officials know about Anis Amri before his deadly rampage? Also, how one man rescued his mother from a massive fireworks market explosion in Mexico.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:20:00] RHIANNON JONES, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: I'm Rhiannon Jones with your CNN "WORLD SPORT." After we learned that Petra Kvitova faces a minimum of six months away from tennis after the shocking night attack she's suffered earlier this week. Some good news from her management team, they've told CNN, the two-time Wimbledon champion will be out of hospital as early as Friday. She'll be giving a short statement to the press briefing before heading home to spend Christmas with her family.
To the English Premier League where Alan Pardew has been sacked by Crystal Palace that follows eight defeats in 10 Premier League matches for Palace. The 1-0 home loss to Chelsea last Saturday left the Eagles just one point above the relegation zone in 17th. The clubs had abysmal 2016 so far just winning six of their 36 games and picking up a lowly 26 points. Pardew, who led Palace to that first FA Cup Final in 26 years and may have 18 months left on his contract.
The doping storm continues as Russia has pulled out of hosting biathlon world cup event in March and the World Youth Championship. Comes the mid (INAUDIBLE) extent of the country's doping program highlighted by the McLaren report. The Czech Republic and Britain have threatened to boycott the World Cup event if it was held in Russia. That's look at your sport headlines. I'm Rhiannon Jones.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody. 23 past 10 here on West Coast. German authorities may have foiled yet another terror plot just days after a deadly Christmas market attack in Berlin. Two brothers have been arrested in the City of Essen suspected of plotting an attack on a shopping mall. And police have carried out a series of raids across Germany in the ongoing manhunt for the main suspect in Monday's attack on a Berlin Christmas market. Authorities say Anis Amri's fingerprints were found on the truck which plowed into a crowd, killing 12 people.
Chris Burns is in Berlin right now. He joins us live with the very latest. So Chris, what more can you tell us about the two arrests overnight? What were they allegedly planning?
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: OK, these two arrests were of two Kosovo brothers. One was 28, one is 31. They were arrested in a town of Duisburg which is near Essen and they were arrested in connection with a plot of, I guess, a Christmas market in an Oberhausen that is near the Dutch border. Police had sent their -- some of their reinforcements there to that market to make sure that nothing happened and that's about all we know at this point. There is no indication that we have heard yet of a connection with what has happened here in Berlin on Monday with 12 people killed in that truck attack, John.
VAUSE: And as for Anis Amri, the - you know, the alleged driver of the truck, what are the details that we're now finding about his ties to ISIS.
BURNS: Right. Well, he has been connected with a group led by a -- what they call the faceless preacher, Abu Allah, who -- this is an organization, this is a group that not only trains, it indoctrinates. It has a boot camp kind of program where they go backpacking for 10 miles. It is in part led by a German Serb. This is serious business. They are training to wage attacks. So this - and Abu -- I'm sorry, Anis Amri was connected with these guys. So that raises a question, you know, why didn't they arrest this guy earlier, John?
VAUSE: OK. Chris, thank you. Chris Burns live with us in Berlin with the very latest. And for more, we are joined here in Los Angeles with CNN Law Enforcement Contributor and Retired FBI Agent Steve Moore. Steve, first for those arrests overnight, would you expect more arrests now in the hours and the days ahead?
STEVE MORRE, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, I would, because what they've done is essentially lower the bar on what's arrestable. They're looking at Amri's situation saying, we made a mistake. We were holding things to too high a standard before we intervened. And now, I think what they're doing is changing the rules under which they operate, and you're going to find a lot of ongoing investigations that are at the point where Amri's was and they're not doing anything yet. Now, they will be doing something.
[01:25:03] VAUSE: And with regard to a lot of these plots, look at what happened in the United States for instance with Omar Mateen, the Orlando shooter or the Tsarnaev brothers and in this case with Amri, that, you know, they have these people under surveillance, there is an ongoing investigation but for some reason, these people are not brought in, they're not arrested. And, you know, even last month the counterterrorism people in Germany were saying that they believe he was preparing a serious act of violence against Germany. So, why is it that they can't go from the surveillance and the investigation to stopping these attacks?
MOORE Because they're waiting for the big hit. They're saying, yes, I believe he's going to do something so let's watch him until we know what he's going to do, catch him in the act and then we wrap everything up and it looks good. In the real world, what people have to start realizing and what some people have realized all along is that these terrorist cells plan and finance their acts by small crime, whether it's credit card fraud, cigarette smuggling. When you get somebody who's affiliated with a radical group and doing small crimes, you can't afford to wait to see what they're doing because they may do it before you figure it out.
VAUSE: OK. We have a situation now with the German police, they detained the wrong guy and then 24 hours later, they found Amri's identification in the truck. There seems to be a lot of criticism that, you know, they bungled this in -
(CROSSTALK)
MOORE A lot of things fall under a seat, those are hard to find.
VAUSE: Exactly. Yeah.
MOORE This astounds me. The Germans are so meticulous but this may have been a case where they were too meticulous. They may have started at one end of the truck and gone meticulously through, inch by inch by inch. I get that. That's what you do for a prosecution.
But when you have something ongoing, you can't do that. You have to do a macro search right away. You have to see what's in the truck and even if it means possibly disturbing evidence. Then you go to a smaller search, you know, small things like is there change on the floor and finally, you let the microscopic people come in and look for DNA and fingerprints.
VAUSE: But why would he have left his wallet in the - in the truck, you know? There's a lot of, you know, conspiracy theories out there that say, this doesn't make sense.
MOORE Well, it does make sense, unfortunately. This guy didn't think he was going to live through this. He volunteered to be a suicide bomber. How many of these guys who do these kinds of things live? They don't. They get killed. So my belief is that when he got in that truck, he believed he was going to die. And if you do that, you're really not afraid if your wallet is not in your pocket, it's on the floor. And when he realized nobody's here and he started to walk away, he's certainly not going to go back to the truck for it.
VAUSE: Sure. And also, the situation now, he has connections to what could be ISIS cells in Germany. He has support. He probably has resources and open borders. So at this point, would you suspect he's still in Germany? Would he be in Italy? Would he be back in Poland? Where would he be?
MOORE My blank on this, is he's still in the area because that's where his support is. If you send him to Tunisia, he's a fish out of water. His support, his cell is protecting him or friends of friends are protecting him. This is the only place where he can be and be supported. I don't think he's out of the area.
VAUSE: OK, Steve, thank you so much.
MOORE Thank you.
VAUSE: We'll take a short break. When we come back, California not going down without a fight, top democrats say they will do whatever it takes to oppose Trump's more controversial campaign promises. You're watching CNN live around the world.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:32:05] JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everybody. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. Just getting up to 10:32 here. I'm John Vause, with the headlines this hour.
(HEADLINES)
VAUSE: And after Donald Trump's election, one thing seems clear, there are Americans and then there are Californians. They live on the left coast. Hillary Clinton's huge win in the popular vote came entirely from California, a progressive state with a high minimum wage, tough environmental laws and health care for undocumented immigrants.
And as Kyung Lah reports, officials here are gearing up for a showdown with the new Trump administration.
Kyung?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRSEPONDENT: John, before Trump has been sworn into office, he is facing opposition, opposition from the lawmakers in this state, the state of California. They are preparing for what appears to be a collision course with the incoming head of state.
STATE SEN. KEVIN DE LEON (D), CALIFORNIA: I got your text.
LAH (voice-over): California's most powerful lawmaker is preparing for the looming war against Trump's agenda.
DE LEON: We don't want to fight. We're not looking for a fight but if necessary we will fight to protect the values of California. (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
LAH: What Kevin De Leon is fighting to protect --
DE LEON: He got hurt. And you have this hipster.
LAH: -- what he sees in his Los Angeles district a far cry from Trump's America.
DE LEON: i'm confused with let's make America great again. Does that mean go back to the '50s?
LAH: California refuses to turn back the clock.
DE LEON: Given what I have seen so far, there is probably going to be a fight around the corner.
LAH (on camera): Are you up for the fight?
DE LEON: Of course, I'm up for the fight.
LAH: Are you up for the fight?
DE LEON: I'm up for the fight, there's no doubt.
LAH (voice-over): De Leon leveraging the power of America's largest state against Trump. California is 13 percent of the U.S. economy with the GDP bigger than Brazil. While Trump won the country, California, 40 percent Latino, went more left, voting in a supermajority of Democrats to the State House, growing more progressive on the environment, minimum wage, gay rights and immigration.
[01:35:05] DE LEON: We will not let you down by backing down.
LAH: Opening his final term as Senate leader, De Leon led the charge on state bills protecting undocumented immigrants, sending a message to Washington.
DE LEON: We can't prohibit them from doing what they want to do, moving forward on mass deportations, but we don't have to help them.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: We block the funding. No more funding.
(CHEERING)
LAH: Trump has pledged to take away federal funding from sanctuary cities.
TRUMP: Cities that refuse to cooperate with federal authorities will not receive taxpayer dollars.
LAH: With all major California cities declaring themselves sanctuaries, hundreds of millions of dollars are on the table.
DE LEON: It's my hope it won't be political retribution.
ROBIN HINDSTON, DIRECTOR OF GRASSROOTS GROUP: They are creating a hysteria in our state.
LAH: Robin Hindston, head of a conservative group in California, says state lawmakers are ignoring the four million Californians who voted for Trump.
HINDSTON: We should be a state that upholds and respects the law. That's what our lawmakers should be focused upon in Sacramento.
LAH: The Senate leader says this is more about California. It's about setting an agenda protecting the Americans who did not vote for Trump.
DE LEON: They can look to California for to lead the way.
LAH (on camera): In the battle against Trump?
DE LEON: In the battle for things we hold dearly. So, yes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAH: De Leon has a unique perspective on immigration. His mother was an undocumented immigrant, a single mother raising three children on her own. It is that upbringing that informs him as a lawmaker today.
It's not just De Leon, who is a powerful Latino politician in this state. The head of the California assembly and the incoming attorney general are both Latino -- John?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Kyung Lah, thank you.
The death toll has risen again after a massive explosion at fireworks market in Mexico. At least 35 people are confirmed dead. Dozens of others were hurt.
Leyla Santiago met one survivor who also rescued his elderly mother.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Seeing something like this can be tough to watch. For Miguel, seeing this video is too much. He can't watch the entire video and he doesn't need to. He was there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANUGAGE)
SANTIAGO (on camera): So Miguel is telling me he thought he was dead but thank God, he wasn't.
(voice-over): When Miguel heard the explosion Tuesday afternoon his instinct told him to run, but he couldn't believe behind his 84-year- old mother. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANUGAGE)
SANTIAGO (on camera): He went back to help her.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGAUGE)
SANTIAGO: And that's when as they were getting out together something struck him in the arm.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
SANTIAGO: His mother then fell down.
(voice-over): Struck by debris. They waited for rescue together and he remembers thinking his single mother never abandoned him. This time he was not about to abandon her.
(on camera): And then his nephew and co-workers came in and had to take him out, carrying him and his mother as well.
(voice-over): She's in the hospital in stable condition now. They had been one of the hundreds of vendors in the fireworks market north of Mexico City. Days ago, state officials called it one of the safest in Latin-American. Yet, he lived through blasts that rocked the market in 2005 and 2006.
(on camera): I'm asking if he would go back to work.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANUGAGE)
SANTIAGO: And he says, yeah, that's what they live off of, and that's what they will keep -- that's the industry in which they'll keep working.
(voice-over): He lives a mile from the fireworks market. This is a market that sells 100 tons of fireworks annually. This industry, he explains defines who they are and who he is. His family depends on it. So, he plans to continue this life once he can overcome the physical pain and the emotional pain.
(on camera): He tells me he's crying not only for himself but the lives that were lost.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANUGAGE)
SANTIAGO: And all the injured that he saw there beyond himself.
(voice-over): Leyla Santiago, Tultepec, Mexico.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: It's coming up to 10:40 here in Los Angeles. We'll take a short break. When we come back, you don't need to break up with Facebook friends, maybe just take a break. Why social media might be your worst enemy during the holidays.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:42:44] VAUSE: Ikea will settle a wrongful death suit paying $50 million to families whose children were crushed to death by faulty designed furniture, which toppled over. The deaths led to the recall of millions of Ikea dressers, like the one shown here. The victims were all just 2 years old. The company will also donate a quarter- million dollars to three childrens' hospitals and a child safety charity.
If you want to put the happy in holidays, stay off Facebook. A study in Denmark confirms what other studies found: Facebook makes you depressed.
To explain more, i'm joined by Dr. Judy Ho, a clinical and forensic psychologist.
Judy, thank you for coming in.
So, the bottom line here is it's all about comparing your life to everybody else. Is it just comparing up and I guess comparing yourself to people you know?
DR. JUDY HO, CLINICAL & FORENSIC PSYCOLOGIST: No. So, earlier studies said it was the comparing up, comparing people to people you think are better than you, it doesn't matter what kind of comparison as long as you are someone who checks in with other people to decide what you're going to the.
VAUSE: I assume people who post the happy pictures on Facebook, the Martha Stewart Perfect Home scenes. I think they are axe murders or something and the photos are hiding a deep, dark secret.
HO: That's right. Why are you tailoring your image online?
VAUSE: There's something weird about people that do that, right?
HO: Yeah, but it's one of the ways that people try to gain self- esteem through putting stories up. But it really does a lot of detriment to other people.
VAUSE: The trick here is -- the point is not to lurk, just to go through and everything and just engage. That is sort of what?
HO: Because when you just scroll through the feed and doing this passive reviewing on Facebook that's what depresses people. You are not actively socializing. Online socialization is the same as in person. If you are scrolling that is not interaction. You need to set a time limit for Facebook so you are only on Facebook for 20 minutes and shut it off. Set a timer for yourself.
VAUSE: No one likes posting that mundane stuff all the bad stuff but that can be emotional good in one way?
HO: It captures what our life is about. We have mundane moments and horrible moments. You don't want to be the one always posting horrible moments but post a mundane moment. He's me just hanging out at a coffee shop working late. I'm going to start doing that next month.
(LAUGHGTER)
[01:45:29] VAUSE: Is it wrong to look for people you went to school with and lost their jobs and put on weight and lost their hair just hypothetically speaking here?
HO: No. That's not good either.
(CROSSTALK)
VAUSE: Why?
HO: That's bad, too, because there's something -- even when you are comparing down you feel a bit of a guilt i'm happy this person is not doing well. That messes with you.
(CROSSTALK)
VAUSE: There's guilt?
HO: Do you not have it?
VAUSE: I'd never do that.
HO: Me either.
VAUSE: The solution to Facebook depression is to get off Facebook.
HO: But if you have a black-and-white view of life. Somebody's going to have social media and the results of Facebook don't just apply to Facebook. They can apply to Twitter and Instagram. So, I think it's just limit your time, stop posting the highlight reel and don't passively watch feeds. Engage.
VAUSE: And get a real life.
HO: And get a real life. Hang out like this in real person.
VAUSE: Exactly.
Judy, thanks so much.
HO: Thanks, John.
VAUSE: Appreciate it.
Up next, if you are annoyed by Christmas carols and tired of holiday cheer, you will like Festivus, the celebration for the rest of us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:50:38] VAUSE: The holidays are here, time for cheer, gift giving and heading off to church. If that is not your thing, there is a less stressful holiday created by the TV show "Seinfeld," Festivus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Many Christmases ago, I went to buy a doll for son.
(LAUGHTER)
I reached for last doll they had but so did another man. As I rained blows upon him, I realized there had to be another way.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: What happened to the doll?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: It was destroyed.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: But out of that, a new holiday was born, a Festivus for the rest of us.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Instead of a Christmas tree you get a metal pole like this one. And instead of giving presents, well, this is how the holiday starts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: The tradition of Festivus beginning with the airing of grievances.
(LAUGHTER)
I got a lot of problems with you people! Now you're going the hear about them.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: OK. Entertainment journalist, Segun Oduolowu, is here with us right now.
So, let's have the airing of the grievances and, given the year that we have had, you cannot start too soon.
SEGUN ODUOLOWU, ENTERTAINMENT JOUNALIST: Can I air my first grievance? i'm the only one in this ugly sweater.
VAUSE: You fell for it.
ODUOLOWU: I was told like we were all going to be doing this. I was sold a bill of goods, like the election.
VAUSE: The media told you.
ODUOLOWU: The media told me.
VAUSE: You were stupid enough to wear the sweater. I'm blaming CNN.
ODUOLOWU: The pundits were like we're all wearing ugly sweaters.
VAUSE: Yeah, and Hillary Clinton will win.
ODUOLOWU: Yeah. I was there with the Festivus pole, believing polls. This is what it gets you.
VAUSE: Very good.
ODUOLOWU: We lost Muhammed Ali and Prince and David Bowie. We lost a lot of good people. And there was a lot of ugliness in the world. So, you know, police shootings, all types of stuff. We go on forever.
VAUSE: did we lose more people this year than in the past? It seems that way, doesn't it?
ODUOLOWU: We lost more influential -- that spoke to your core. I grew up on Prince music and remember the socialist stances that David Bowie took and we all knew Muhammad Ali. If you are a kid of any age you knew that and he's the challenge. But we lost people -- even Zsa Zsa Gabor, darling --
(CROSSTALK)
VAUSE: Larger than life.
ODUOLOWU: Larger than life people passed.
VAUSE: This was the year of police shootings. That was a depressing thing this year.
ODUOLOWU: We lost creditability and faith in those who are there to protect and serve in cities like Baton Rouge and Dallas we had cops killing people and people killing cops. We have a litany of names and people that were either shot or were in police shootings. Our protectors -- we watched Charlotte. We were watching Charlotte burn on TV as people rioted.
VAUSE: One of my big grievances this year is how every discussion has seemed to have gone insane. You cannot have a fact-based discussion because it becomes partisan or political. And it just don't seem to be any room any more for a civil discourse with people who may not agree.
ODUOLOWU: Think about the war on Christmas. How is there a war on Christmas?
VAUSE: It's won now. It's over.
ODUOLOWU: It is. But people are like, if I say happy holidays, it's Christmas, i'm an American. If you say Merry Christmas to me and I say i'm Jewish, Merry Christmas to you and Happy Hanukkah. It's a made-up conflagration of anger for no reason.
VAUSE: As we look at everything that happened through this year. There are some people who are happy with how some things turned out this year and that's fair enough. But 2017 could be a lot worse than 2016.
ODUOLOWU: 2017 is the unknown. And for last eight years we went into the next year. We knew who the president was going to be and kind of had an idea what his politics were and where we stood in the world and now in 2017 we are still dealing with hackers that hacked Hillary Clinton's e-mails and dealing with the election fixed. We're dealing with people saying "Hail Trump" at Maggiano's, which I will never eat at again, because when you put the words Nazi and hail in the same president as the same sentence as the president of the United States --
(CROSSTALK)
[01:55:12] ODUOLOWU: Yeah. You lose faith in government and politics. And we're going into 2017, kind of what do we do?
VAUSE: Give us a reason to be hopeful.
ODUOLOWU: We're alive.
VAUSE: That's it.
ODUOLOWU: I know it seems silly, but we woke up today breathing and we get to face another day. And I know people may be down on Christmas. I've seen things in parking lot while I've been shopping. We will go into debt but we are alive to do it. But we're alive to do it, and, hey.
VAUSE: Merry Christmas and have a little Fareed Zakaria in your life.
(LAUGHTER)
ODUOLOWU: i'm mad that i'm the only one wearing this sweater. This is where my career dies. Right here.
VAUSE: That happened years ago.
(LAUGHTER)
Thanks, Segun.
ODUOLOWU: It's over.
VAUSE: You've been watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause. I'll be back with a lot more after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:59:57] VAUSE: This is CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles.
(HEADLINES)
