Return to Transcripts main page

New Day Sunday

Terror Attack In Istanbul; North Korea Close To Testing Ballistic Missile; Pope Delivers Message of Peace; Queen Elizabeth To Miss New Year's Service; Tornado Threats In Parts of the Country; The History of The Band Chicago Aired 6-7a

Aired January 01, 2017 - 06:00   ET

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

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning and, boy, Happy New Year 2017.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.

PAUL: I'm Christi Paul.

BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. Good to be with you.

We're starting this morning with breaking news. This is out of Turkey. Officials are looking for a gunman who shot and killed at least 39 people, wounded 69 in a deadly attack on an Istanbul nightclub.

BLACKWELL: Take a look at some of the surveillance video we're getting in here. This shows the gunman entering the club. We've highlighted it for you here so you have a better image of what you're seeing.

This was just after 1:00 a.m. and a flash as he shoots there. He killed a police officer before firing indiscriminately at New Year's revelers who were still partying at this club. This is a club popular with foreigners.

CNN's Ian Lee is following this story for us in Istanbul. Lee, what can you tell us about what is happening on the ground right now?

IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right now, there is a massive manhunt underway. They are looking for the gunman who carried this crime. He was able to slip away after it took place and one of the crucial pieces of evidence right now is going to be that security footage that we've been seeing that has been released trying to identify him. But we're also hearing from authorities that the gunman switched clothes possibly after shooting up the nightclub. Take a look at last night's terror.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shot in the (inaudible) leg, man. These crazy people. I saw one man shooting and hiding.

LEE (voice-over): More than three dozen people killed, many more wounded in a nightclub attack early Sunday. The assailant opened fire during a New Year celebration. The governor of Istanbul province saying the gunman entered the club and attacked innocent people calling it a cruel, cold blooded act. Turkey is still recovering from a recent wave of terrorist attacks that left many citizens weary.

DR. AYKAN ERDEMIR, FORMER TURKISH PRIME MINISTER (via telephone): This attack, of course, is a horrible development but not shocking to many Turks who choose to stay inside this New Year's Eve.

LEE: Officials say the attacker shot and killed a police officer guarding the front gate. A security camera captured the moment the gunman dressed in dark clothing dashed into the nightclub as bullets ricocheted into the streets. More than a dozen of the dead are foreign nationals.

There have been no claims of responsibility. The fate of the attacker also unclear. Turkey faces numerous battles across different fronts. Not only has the Syrian conflict and refugee crisis spilled over, but Turkey is also battling ISIS and Kurdish militants. Both staged attacks in Turkey which is still reeling from a bloody and failed military coup in July.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: And while no one has claimed responsibility for this attack, it does bear the hallmarks of an ISIS attack. Turkey has seen two different types. Those from ISIS and those from Kurdish militants, the PKK, but ISIS tends to go after soft civilian targets while the PKK predominantly goes after security forces.

But we are expecting the authorities once they know who carried it out to release that information. Also typically we do get someone claiming responsibility so we'll be waiting for that as well.

WHITFIELD: Ian Lee, we appreciate so much. Thank you.

I want to bring in CNN national security analyst, Juliette Kayyem now. So Juliette, as you hear about what's happening here. No terror group has claimed responsibility yet. The U.S. is calling it the first terror attack of 2017. Based on what we know, who do you believe may be responsible and do you believe they're likely to be caught?

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, I think that the evidence does suggest that this is an ISIS-inspired attack. We don't know if it was ISIS planned or directed or if it was an individual. The reason why it's exactly like your reporter is stating, ISIS' MO at this stage is civilian soft targets.

This was a nice time party event, a party atmosphere on New Year's Eve and it was also a bar notably that anyone in Istanbul knows really does cater to foreign nationals. We are hearing report that up to half of the casualties may be non-Turks. That's very appealing to ISIS.

As far as the manhunt, in almost all of these cases with the help of an international manhunt these individuals are often found and so in the next couple of days one would hope that he would be found and a determination whether there were more involved could be made then.

PAUL: To my count based on what I can deduce, there have been at least five terror attacks in the last six months in Turkey, a total of 156 people killed in those and more than 500 hurt.

[06:05:07]How does the Turkish president move forward and is there anything the U.S. can do to help?

KAYYEM: The terrorist attacks were both Kurd and ISIS inspired. You have a combination of attacks. You also have the coup attempt. So what all of these actions are doing is really steering power towards Erdogan and the federal or national government. They are quashing descent.

We hear a lot about journalists and others being detained. So what this will likely do is continue that centralization of power. The United States has always been an ally with Turkey. What we've seen in the last couple months even or despite the death of the Russian ambassador in Turkey just last week is Turkey's move towards Russia.

We saw Putin comment just a few hours after this attack and really sort of state his sympathies towards Turkey. You are seeing alliance of Turkey towards Russia, which sort of put the United States out of this whether it has to do with Syria, ISIS, or the refugee problem.

PAUL: What message does the president send to the people there if they cannot find the perpetrator in this case?

KAYYEM: This is the challenge always in these manhunts. As I said, I'm pretty optimistic. Most of them come to fruition because an international search tends to get their guy. But what we've seen and has been reported is the Turks are changing the way they behave in response to these terror attacks.

Either they're not going out or we see much greater police presence in places like Istanbul. The other factor that Istanbul has to factor in is, of course, tourism and the international community. Istanbul is a central haven of terrorism.

The more attacks that there are that are successful, the more that will hurt Turkey economically as well and that's something that they are very cognizant of it at this stage.

PAUL: We keep seeing this video and we want to keep it up on the scene there, the video of highlighting the suspect, they believe, who's running into that club. There were initial reports that there was more than one attacker. They have now narrowed it down to one, they say. Do you believe they can be certain that it was only one person behind this at this point?

KAYYEM: I don't think you can be certain at this stage because we've seen in almost all of these cases whether it's a domestic like Orlando or other cases abroad, the story tends to change. Eye witness testimony is sometimes inconsistent.

But at least a few hours later the manhunt for one person because of the video surveillance seems right. If they can catch this guy they might be able to determine how did he get there, who is he planning with?

Unfortunately, as we are all too aware of, both here and abroad that an individual with a gun can enter a soft target like this, but in a lot of these cases they obviously have help whether it was direct training or just inspiration and a hideout. Right now this guy is hiding and those people, of course, are also complicit in this crime.

PAUL: No doubt. Juliette Kayyem, thank you so much for the insight. I really appreciate it this morning.

BLACKWELL: The malware found on the computer of a Vermont utility company is the same code that was allegedly used by Russians to hack the DNC. That information is now confirmed by the Department of Homeland Security. It was found after the DHS sent out an alert to utilities nationwide.

But they say the hack may not have been intended to shut down the power. The company says there was never any danger of the grid being compromised. Here's the general manager of Burlington Electric.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEALE LUNDERVILLE, GENERAL MANAGER, BURLINGTON ELECTRIC: We found an I.P. address that is tied back to some of the recent malicious cyber activity that was communicating with one of our computers. Let me be very clear, that computer was not connected to our grid control systems. Our grid was not penetrated. It was not breached and we have no indication of compromise with any of our systems or any of our customer data.

But what we did is when we saw that traffic, we immediately isolated the machine, pulled it off the network, alerted federal authorities and begin to work with them so we could help trace that back to further their investigation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: All right, some answers and action there, but Donald Trump still casting doubt on the idea that Russia may be behind the election hacks. This time from his annual New Year's Eve event at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.

Next, we'll talk with two political reporters about why Trump says we should be cautious on linking the Russians to hacking and also his old-fashioned security advice. What he says is the only way to keep your communications safe. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:12:12]

PAUL: Well, if you're out and about, you probably saw one celebration yesterday. We want to show you some of the others you might have missed across the U.S. (VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: A lot of kissing going on in Times Square yesterday. That, of course, New York City. Take a look at what was happening in Dallas.

(VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: I don't know how I feel about this. That poof, poof, poof. I don't know if I like that for New Year's. For the west coast, let's head out there. Celebrating in style. The big fireworks display. The space needle in Washington.

(VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: That's cool, isn't it? Happy New Year, everybody.

Well, Donald Trump, he said, you know what, I may be president-elect, I'm still doing what I do in terms of my own New Year's tradition.

BLACKWELL: Yes, as he does every year, Trump said goodbye to 2016, hello to the New Year at his Mar-a-Lago estate partying with an estimated 800 paying attendees. On the list, Sylvester Stallone, Fabio, and the Trump sons and daughters, their family. The president- elect took time for questions from the press. He talked about the transition, his doubts about Russian hacking allegations and the old- fashioned way he prefers to send important messages.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT-ELECT: Very important, you know, if you have something really important, write it out and have it delivered by courier the old-fashioned way because I'll tell you what, no computer is safe. I don't care what they say, no computer is safe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: All right, joining us now live from Washington to talk about this, CNN politics reporter, Eric Bradner, and Sarah Westwood, White House correspondent for "The Washington Examiner." Good morning to both of you.

How are we supposed to read this, Eric. If you have something important to say, write it out and send it via courier. No computer is safe. This can't be a government directive. How would you -- how would you work that?

ERIC BRADNER, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: No. Obviously it can't be a government directive. People use computers. Instead of making fun of Donald Trump, I think it's just worth pointing out that most people don't send things via courier and the way business is done today is via computer. He's sort of casting doubt on the possibility that cyber security is possible at all rather than being willing to assign blame.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

BRADNER: He's sort of muddying the entire thing saying there's just no way to ever be safe.

[06:15:07]You know, as if the government is just as unaware of who might be hacking the systems as you and I might be as to who is sends us spam, right? I don't know how to make sense of it.

BLACKWELL: Yes. I know we were talking this morning, one of the producers pointed out that, remember, that's how in part U.S. intelligence found Osama Bin Laden via his courier. So the courier isn't always the most secure way to send a message.

Let me come to you, Sarah and let's play another (inaudible) moves.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Well, I just want them to be sure because it's pretty serious, George, and I want them to be sure. If you look at the weapons of mass destruction, that was a disaster and they were wrong. And so I want them to be sure.

I think it's unfair if they don't know, and I know a lot about hacking and hacking is a very hard thing to prove so it could be somebody else. And I also know things that other people don't know and so they cannot be sure of the situation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you know that other people don't know?

TRUMP: You'll find out on Tuesday or Wednesday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: All right. That's Trump talking about the Russian hacking allegations of the election and he says that he knows things that other people don't know. We're going to find out on Tuesday or Wednesday. Is there any evidence that the Trump transition team is collecting their own evidence, their own investigation into this, Sarah?

SARAH WESTWOOD, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, "WASHINGTON EXAMINER": You know, it would be tough to get resources of the president-elect. They don't have the kind of resources the administration has. I'm not sure how they would be conducting their own investigation. Donald Trump is in a really tough position in regards to Russia because he spent so much of the campaign promising to normalize relations with Russia.

Now President Obama is issuing sanctions against Russians. He's clearly escalating things in response to this Russian cyber-attacks. Now Donald Trump is in a position where he has to deal with the fact that Russia did launch cyber-attacks on Americans at the same time as he's trying to stabilize the relationship with the kremlin.

He's exchanging Christmas cards with Vladimir Putin. He's tweeting how smart Putin is and so he is trying to walk a tough line. I think Eric put it correctly. He's trying to muddy the waters on the cyber security issue so he doesn't have to confront it with the type of aggression he's promised to offer people who come after Americans.

BLACKWELL: Eric, returning to that narrative of the weapons of mass destruction and that intelligence being wrong.

BRADNER: Yes, that's an interesting point because it sort of gets the liberals, right, who were critical of news media for accepting the government's conclusions without casting a more skeptical eye on it. But what Trump is doing is not really saying I need more facts, he's casting doubt on the ability of the intelligence community to draw conclusions about cyber security at all.

He's sort of vaguely promising more details after we get through the New Year's Day holiday. I'm not clear at all on what he plans to make public at that point, but we do know the Obama administration is going quite a bit further than usual in laying blame on Russia in this instance.

We don't usually get this sort of aggressive public effort to blame a specific country for cyber-attacks. So it remains to be seen what Trump is going to offer. I don't know if he plans to reveal details about it.

BLACKWELL: He's going to have to offer something. He's got to say I've got something on Tuesday or Wednesday, he's going to be held to that.

Sarah, let me come back to you before we run out of time. This is something that happens every year at Mar-a-Lago, about 800 people there. Tickets more than $500 apiece. There have been questions about there being conflict of interest.

This was not a charity event so the money presumably goes to the Trump businesses. Now we know that there is this statement out from a spokesperson from the transition and she says this in "Politico."

"The transition is not concerned about the appearance of a conflict. This is an annual celebratory event. It has continued to occur since the election. The president cannot and does not have a conflict." Does he have a conflict here?

WESTWOOD: You know, in this particular instance in the case of a New Year's Eve party that's a long-standing tradition at Mar-a-Lago, I'm not sure that that in and of itself is a reason to get concerned, but it's part of the broader traditions and the way Donald Trump has operated for so many years that is going to have to change.

The Trump organization can't be the first priority anymore. He has to view all of these decisions through the lens that everybody else sees them, which is he is now an elected official, the highest elected official in the country. His organization is so far reaching that any decision he makes could affect some aspect of it.

[06:20:04]And so that is how he has to start approaching these things even something as innocuous as a New Year's Eve party.

BLACKWELL: All right, Sarah Westwood, Eric Bradner, thank you both.

WESTWOOD: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: Christi.

PAUL: New Year's Eve showdown on the gridiron. I'll let Andy Scholes take it away.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Christi, yes, you know, it's 2017, but national championship game, it's staying that same. Alabama and Clemson headed for a re-match. We're going to hear from both teams after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: All right. For the second straight year, it's Alabama versus Clemson for college football's national championship.

PAUL: Andy Scholes, he spent the afternoon in front of the television watching football. It was a tough game.

BLACKWELL: Rough game.

SCHOLES: I was actually at the Peach Bowl, Christi.

PAUL: It was even tougher.

SCHOLES: And you know --

PAUL: He's reporting from the scene.

SCHOLES: The Peach Bowl, it was weird. Washington was only down by three, but it felt like Alabama was up by 30. The Huskies couldn't get anything going against Alabama's defense pretty much the entire game. The play of the game came from linebacker, Ryan Anderson. He picks it off and tosses the Huskies player to the ground.

Alabama has scored 11 touchdowns on defense. They've only allowed 15. Unbelievable. It made it 17-7 at the half. They put the game away in the fourth quarter with this 68 yard touchdown run. Alabama won 24-7.

I caught up with some of the players on the field after the game asked them how it feels to be heading back to the title game.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIM WILLIAMS, ALABAMA LINEBACKER: It's feeling great, you know what I'm saying? We trust in the process. This Alabama football, man, we stand away, baby.

SCHOLES: After a performance like this, how comfortable are you, guys, heading to Tampa?

JONATHAN ALLEN, ALABAMA DEFENSIVE END: Comfortable but we're not cocky. We understand that whoever plays is going to have a tremendous offense.

RYAN ANDERSON, ALABAMA LINEBACKER: We're confident. You have to be confident.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Feels good. This is what you work for. To have it pay-off is a tremendous lesson. We're not finished.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Alabama is taking on the winner between Tampa. Watson had two scores on the ground. Clemson shutting out Ohio State 31-0. The Buckeyes first bowl game shutout since the 1920 Rose Bowl. Our Coy Wire, he spoke with the winners after the game.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[06:25:08]DESHAUN WATSON, CLEMSON QUARTERBACK: We're one of the best in our country. We want another opportunity to go play for the Natti. We came out and played football.

BEN BOULWARE, CLEMSON LINEBACKER: Clemson's back. We're back in the Natti. We're back for revenge. We're back for redemption and we're coming for Alabama. We've looked for this game in the past year.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Are you going to be dancing on New Year's Eve?

DABO SWINNEY, CLEMSON HEAD COACH: They call this Fiesta Bowl, right? I think that means party or celebration. There's going to be a fiesta in Arizona tonight. I'll promise you that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: All right, it will be Alabama against Clemson for the national championship game next Monday night in Tampa. Alabama opens up as a touchdown favorite in Vegas. After watching the tide in person, I can't see them losing a game. They are so good and their backups are better than most teams. I think it's going to be another tough fight.

BLACKWELL: Even after the shutout over Ohio State, you don't think the Clemson could take it?

SCHOLES: I don't. I think Alabama is that good all the way around.

PAUL: They have the fans. Thank you so much, Andy. Appreciate it.

BLACKWELL: Up next on NEW DAY, Pope Francis delivering a message of peace in his New Year's Day mass. CNN is live in Rome.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: We're so glad to have you with us because very possible you were up late as it was so good morning to you. Happy 2017. I'm Christi Paul.

BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've got shot in the (inaudible) leg, man. He's crazy. I don't know. I saw one person. They're shooting. There might have been.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: You can hear the distress there, it's palpable in that man's voice. A survivor of the nightclub massacre in Turkey. Officials are looking for a gunman who shot and killed, get this, at least 39 people, 39 people killed, and 69 wounded in this deadly attack on that nightclub in Istanbul.

PAUL: We're going to show you some of this surveillance video here, too. We're going to put a highlighted circle around what is the focus. That, they believe, is the gunman entering the club after 1:00 a.m. and a flash as he shoots.

The thing is, he killed a police officer who was guarding the gate there before he got in and then he went in, firing discriminately at New Year's revelers who were still partying at the club, which is very popular with foreigners, we should say.

Now the U.S. released a statement condemning the atrocity.

Here's Ian Lee. OK. Ian Lee is coming up in just a bit so we'll talk to him.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: All right. We'll get to Ian in just a moment.

Let's go down to North Korea where the leader says the country is close to test launching a missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads. In a New Year's Day speech Kim Jong-un says the nation needs to protect itself against threats from the U.S.

KIM JONG-UN, SUPREME LEADER, NORTH KOREA (through translator): ... successfully conducted our first hydrogen bomb test. Tests for various striking means and the tests for nuclear warheads to cope against the vicious threats for nuclear war by the imperialists.

BLACKWELL: CNN correspondent Saima Mohsin is live in Seoul, South Korea with more. There in South Korea they're hearing this loud and clear.

SAIMA MOHSIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Victor, Kim Jong-un chose his national address on New Year's Day to talk about an epoch making turn in bolstering national defense capacity. And during this speech yes, again, we heard him making claims of a hydrogen bomb test which we simply can't verify, and then he said that North Korea is close to test launching an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Now again there is no way to independently verify this, but we can speak to experts who have been watching North Korea. And just a few days ago the former deputy ambassador from North Korea's embassy to London had defected to South Korea spoke here in Seoul saying that Kim Jong-un is determined to forge ahead with his nuclear development program by the end of 2017 and no amount of money will be able to stop him. He had also said -- this man Thae Yong-ho (ph) said that Kim Jong-un is timing this development in nuclear technology with President Donald Trump moving into the White House because he believes that Washington, D.C.'s hands will be tied. They won't be able to take any kind of action against the north.

Now Kim Jong-un also talked about doing more nuclear tests in the coming year. Of course, in 2016 two nuclear tests was carried out. The fifth and largest nuclear test North Korea has ever carried out on September 9th, 2016 which resulted in yet more sanctions with the support of China this time. But those sanctions don't seem to be stopping or deterring North Korea. Now he ended his speech by saying that his country has soared as a nuclear and military power declaring themselves as a nuclear state in the east. No formidable enemy dare encroach upon us -- Victor.

BLACKWELL: Could be another simmering hot spot for the incoming president. Saima Mohsin for us in Seoul. Thank you so much.

PAUL: Meanwhile, the Pope delivered his New Year's Day mass delivering a message of peace. The Vatican marking today as World Day of Peace, and he prayed for those who were killed overnight in the Istanbul nightclub.

CNN's senior Vatican analyst John Allen is with us now. John, I understand the Pope also talked about motherhood. What specifically did he say?

JOHN ALLEN, CNN SENIOR VATICAN ANALYST: Well, January 1st, New Year's Day -- and first of all, happy New Year's to you, means two things in the Catholic Church. It is both the World Day of Peace, as you said, it is also the great feast of Mary as the Mother of God. And we heard the Pope today touch on both of those themes.

On the peace front he addressed the terrorist attack on the Istanbul nightclub that has reported left 39 people dead, expressing his closeness to the Turkish people and calling for an end for what he called the scourge of terrorism that wraps everything in a climate of fear and loss. Then earlier this morning when he led the mass in St. Peter's Basilica which is, as I said, dedicated to Mary as the Mother of God, the Pope delivered a kind of tribute to mothers everywhere saying that a society without mothers would be a cold society, one that has lost its heart, its flavor of family. And that led him to talk about the importance of young people saying we need to make sure that youth have opportunities for jobs and chances to build a better future.

So for an activist Pope who is constantly trying to move the ball on social and political themes that he cares about, we saw him at it once again today, even on New Year's Day.

PAUL: Do you get the sense that he was speaking directly about the refugee situation and the crisis in that regard?

[06:35:00]

ALLEN: Yes. He talked -- and this was in the context of talking about mothers. Pope Francis talked about how much he has taken away over the years, how much he has learned from mothers in very difficult situations. He talks about mothers of refugees, mothers of war victims, mothers whose children are in prison or who are on drugs but who never give up and keep fighting for kids. And the Pope said that that ought to be a source of inspiration for all of us.

PAUL: I understand he also was asking people to find non-violent responses to allow the conflict that we're watching. How did he speak to people about that, people who might be very angry and having a lot of angst in what we're seeing in the world today?

ALLEN: Well, because this is the church's World Day of Peace, the Pope earlier this month issued a message for this day. The title of which was non-violence as a style of politics and his argument in that document and again today is that while he certainly understands the roots of violence, you know, his point is that violent responses to tensions in conflict inevitably make things worse.

They coarse the soul. They lead to hatred. And he's calling on people, not just Christians, because the World Day of Peace is really addressed to the entire world, so he's calling on everyone to embrace non-violent means of resolving conflict. So he is obviously not under the illusion that that is going to necessarily going to take root immediately.

I mean, obviously on New Year's Eve we saw this violent incident in Istanbul, but his point is that ultimately that's the only way forward.

PAUL: All right. John Allen, always learn from you whenever we hear from you. Thank you so much. And happy New Year. Happy 2017 to you as well.

ALLEN: Buon anno.

PAUL: All right. Thank you, John --Victor.

BLACKWELL: We've got new information just in on the health of Queen Elizabeth. You remember she has this persistent illness that caused her to cancel some Christmas travel plans. There are new changes to her health and to New Year's Day plans. We'll have those for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[6:40:12]

PAUL: It is another absence for Queen Elizabeth. She's missing another high profile event due to illness today. She will not be attending New Year's Day church service we understand.

BLACKWELL: Yes. Buckingham Palace say she's still recovering from a heavy cold that caused her to miss Christmas day service, cancel a Christmas trip. Despite that a royal source says the queen is up today and working.

CNN correspondent Phil Black is live in London with details. What is the queen working on today? PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Victor, we're told that she still is fulfilling her usual duties as the head of state. They say she's up and about. She is working. She is still receiving and going through the boxes of paperwork and briefing documents and so forth that she receives from the government, and she stays on top of, as I say, in her capacity as the British head of state.

But there has been a great deal of speculation about the Queen's health. Her reason not to attend -- decision not to attend the church service today seems to be taken at the very last moment, right up until late last night. Buckingham Palace was saying, we don't know. And they've decided that she would no (ph) -- she has decided that she won't attend today. And the reason as you've said the same lingering heavy cold that has kept her out of view and indoors now for some two weeks or so. Stopped her from getting to the church on Christmas day for the first time in around three decades.

So on one hand that is potentially a concern because it's a decision that wouldn't have been taken lightly. The queen is the supreme governor of the Church of England as (ph) titular leader. Something she takes very seriously, but at the same time her advisors are taking the precaution of telling journalist the today that she is doing OK, that she is up and about as what we've been talking about.

She is working. She is still fulfilling her duties. She is still crucially in residence at her Sandringham estate. She hasn't been moved elsewhere, for example, to receive further medical treatment. So all of this while potentially a concern because the monarch is 90 years old, remember. Any sort of illness that knocks her out for a couple of weeks must be taken with some seriousness. At the same time, the message from Buckingham Palace is that this is just a cold, albeit a persistent one, and the queen is fighting through, Victor.

BLACKWELL: All right. We'll be thinking of her. Phil Black for us there. Thank you so much.

PAUL: Some of you are waking up today under a severe weather threat today. And believe it or not, we're talking about possible tornadoes here. Jennifer Gray is working on this. This isn't characteristically tornado season.

JENNIFER GRAY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, we do get tornadoes this time of year, albeit not many, but if we do get them, they're usually in the south. And that's where we'll see the threat not only today but tomorrow. We'll tell you exactly where that is coming up after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:45:55]

PAUL: Well, 2017 apparently weather wise wants to make sure you know it's here. Tornadoes are possible in parts of the country today -- tornado.

BLACKWELL: In January. CNN meteorologist Jennifer Gray is live in the Severe Weather Center.

So where is the threat greatest here? Where are we talking about?

GRAY: We're really talking about the south, Victor and Christi. It's not going to be just today, it's going to be tomorrow as well. You can see the lingering showers. These are the showers we were talking about yesterday that are going to impact places like New Orleans all the way through the Deep South.

But as we get into the next couple of days that is when we're really going to see the threat move to, say, Houston for today and then a little farther to the east tomorrow. These are just some morning showers. We will start to see the main threat develop a little bit later this afternoon.

It's what we see right here. All of these showers are going to push into portions of Texas, the hill country. Really a target as we go through the next 24 hours or so. And let me show you exactly what we're talking about. Dallas included in that, Houston, Austin. We could see some airport delays as well as we go through the day today into the afternoon.

And look at this. You can see those showers developing rolling through Dallas, Austin, Houston, Shreveport the same. And then on Monday that threat moves a little bit to the east. We're talking about places like Jackson, New Orleans, Mobile included in that threat. So the possibility of large-scale damaging winds and, yes, even isolated tornadoes.

But as we look forward to next weekend, things don't get much better in a different way. Look at this freezing line. The 32 degree line gets very, very far south. As we get into next weekend, guys, we could be talking about wintry weather in the south. So nothing definite now, just something to keep our eyes on as we go through the next week.

BLACKWELL: Chance of tornadoes on Monday, chance of snow by the weekend.

GRAY: Always interesting.

BLACKWELL: Indeed, it is.

PAUL: Jennifer Gray, thank you so much.

GRAY: Thanks.

PAUL: And thank you for the heads up. Sleep at the office next weekend, Victor.

BLACKWELL: Maybe. I'm ready. I'm ready.

PAUL: All right. Tonight on CNN, "The History of Chicago." I don't mean the city, I mean one of America's greatest bands. We're going to give you here in a second a little peek as we catch up with the band on, get this, their 49th tour. BLACKWELL: Wow.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:51:12]

BLACKWELL: So this New Year's Day we've got a new CNN film for you. This one's really, really good. It explores the more than 50-year history of the band Chicago.

Now, what started as a six-person rock band with horns in 1967 transformed into a nine member group that still tours the country today.

PAUL: Poppy Harlow met up with the band and some of its original members as well on the last leg of their, think about this, 49th tour.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): After 47 gold and platinum records, dozens of charting songs and more than 100 million albums sold...

CHICAGO, BAND (singing): I was walking down the street one day.

HARLOW: ... Chicago, the legendary band, is still rocking today. A brotherhood started with a handshake nearly 50 years ago.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was a handshake and a jam session.

HARLOW (on camera): Did you ever imagine the success?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. None of us did.

LEE LOUGHNANE, FOUNDING MEMBER/TRUMPET/VOCALS: To have this kind of success for this long is unprecedented.

HARLOW: So, guys, when was the -- when was the pinch me moment?

LOUGHNANE: We're still having it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, Poppy, do you want to walk up on stage?

HARLOW: Yes. Yes. You --

HARLOW (voice-over): We caught up with Chicago on the final leg of their tour in Omaha, Nebraska.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Omaha, how the hell are you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a true band. A band of brothers, yes.

HARLOW (on camera): A band of brothers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. ROBERT LAMM, FOUNDING MEMBER/KEYBOARD/VOCALS: We would build these songs and build these albums together. And at some point I realized, and I think we all realized that that music is, indeed, what we're going to be doing pretty much for the rest of our lives.

I distinctly remember getting the first album in my hands and I was thinking that this is a lifetime achievement, you know? Chicago transit authority, vinyl, double album. What could be better than this?

JAMES PANKOW, FOUNDING MEMBER/THROMBONE/VOCALS: This music has transcended time. It has no demographic. People are still coming here. The audience, young people that discover the music through their older siblings or their parents, it strikes a chord in them and people in the audience are 15 to 75 and they're all getting this on their level. They're celebrating this with us.

CHICAGO (singing): You know our love was meant to be.

HARLOW (voice-over): There have been ups and downs. Band members have come and gone, but the glue that keeps them together, they say, it's a musical democracy.

RAY HERRMANN, SAXOPHONIST: It's a total family. It was like immediately you feel like you're just, you know, one of the guys and they bring you in. It's not like, you know, you have to be over there or don't play too loud or -- you know, and being a sax player, too, getting to play with, you know, these two guys right here that, you know, it's just the best horn section I've ever played with. They're -- talk about democracy, we're always talking about phrasing, talking about music. It's wide open.

HARLOW (on camera): As the newest, youngest member of Chicago, what is it that makes the decade not matter when it comes on the radio?

JEFF COFFEY, BASS/VOCALS: It's just become the backdrop of millions of people's lives. And when they come to the shows they bring back those memories of where they were when they heard these songs before. I think that's why it's so transcendent and timeless.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The music talent is amazing. Transcends all ages.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can't find bands producing this kind of music today. This is it.

HARLOW (voice-over): The great Jimi Hendrix gave Chicago advice they'll never forget.

PANKOW: He said, just keep giving it back. Paying it forward. You know, share your gift. And we did.

[06:55:04]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We all lived in a little house under the Hollywood freeway. Each guy had a shelf in the medicine cabinet, each guy had a shelf in the refrigerator. Whoever had to take the last shower got the cold shower.

TRIS IMBODEN, DRUMS: I joined about 26 years ago. I actually saw the band when I was 16 years old before the first album came out, and I couldn't believe my ears and eyes. And it was the best band I had ever seen in my then 16 years. And I flappingly said, somebody said, you know, you're going to be the drummer some day, it would be, yes, right, I'm Napoleon. You know, I wouldn't have believed it. I'm still pinching myself. I really am, Poppy.

LOU PARDINI, KEYBOARD/VOCALS: When I joined seven years ago I tell the guys this often that I waited a long time to be in a band where everybody gets a little bit of the spotlight and also supports the others at times.

HARLOW: There have been decades more wild than others, like their years at Caribou Ranch.

CHICAGO (singing): Singing Italian songs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Caribou ranch happened to be very close to a college town. There's a ton of drugs. There are really good drugs.

LAMM: And it ended up just kind of like being a party in the Rockies.

PANKOW: There was nothing else to do. There's, you know, chase elk. You know?

HARLOW: You could have chased elk.

PANKOW: I actually fell in love with an elk. I got to the point where they started looking good.

CHICAGO (singing): If you leave me now --

HARLOW: Chicago was flying high, but then came their heart break. Original guitarist Terry Kath died suddenly accidentally shooting himself.

LAMM: That made us all -- pulled us short and we didn't know what we were going to do.

HARLOW (on camera): You said that you were still working through Terry's death.

LAMM: Yes.

HARLOW: Decades later.

LAMM: I -- to be honest with you, I give Terry a look every night when we play "Saturday in the Park."

CHICAGO (singing): Another day --

LAMM: There's a lyric in there that refers to him.

CHICAGO (singing): A man playing guitar, singing for us all. LAMM: I still dream about Terry.

LOUGHNANE: He was like the musical leader of the band at the time. He would want us to stay together as well.

HARLOW: You loved him?

LOUGHNANE: Mm-hmm.

LAMM: He was very loveable.

HARLOW (voice-over): They did, they say, what Terry would have wanted. They stayed together and kept playing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please welcome Chicago!

HARLOW: Chicago has toured every single year of its existence. Finally in 2016 the ultimate honor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is my honor to finally induct Chicago into the rock and roll hall of fame.

HARLOW: But no sign these rockers are slowing down, not even for a second.

LAMM: I've always contended that music, creating music, keeps me in a child-like state. That's not too bad.

HARLOW (on camera): That's a good state to be in.

PANKOW: Yes. That's right. Yes.

LAMM: We wanted to be as organic as it started out being, and that's why we're still together.

HARLOW (voice-over): Poppy Harlow, CNN, Omaha.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: Now more than ever "The History of the Band Chicago" it airs today on CNN at 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN. Do not miss it.

BLACKWELL: Got a favorite Chicago song?

PAUL: There are too many to count.

BLACKWELL: Too many?

PAUL: And the fact that I knew all of those...

BLACKWELL: Yes.

PAUL: ... well, it ages me.

(LAUGHTER)

BLACKWELL: No, it doesn't. No, no.

PAUL: (INAUDIBLE) I mean it -- yes. It's -- it is truly one of the great American bands of all time like many of them said.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

PAUL: They're just not around anymore like that.

BLACKWELL: A lot of (INAUDIBLE).

PAUL: No doubt about it. So 8:00 p.m. tonight. We want to show you, too, some of the best, most memorable moments from CNN's coverage of New Year's Eve in case you missed it.

BLACKWELL: Yes. As we say good-bye to 2016 and hello to 2017. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHARON STONE, ACTRESS: Anderson. Anderson. Kathy? Happy New Year.

MEGAN MULLALLY, ACTRESS: Hey, Anderson. It's Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman here. We just wanted to wish you a happy New Year and wanted to extend an invitation to you to join us in our bed.

NICK OFFERMAN, ACTOR: Bring it.

MULLALLY: See you soon.

OFFERMAN: Hello, Kathy.

MULLALLY: We love you.

[07:00:00]

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Don't get blood on the jacket. It has to go back. It goes back to Brooks brothers.