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Weather Causes Disruptions At Midway Airport; Weight Loss Users Consider Skipping Doses Over Holidays; Top 10 Climate Stories Of 2023. 3:30-4p ET

Aired December 25, 2023 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: Sara, it's great to see you. Merry Christmas. Thanks for coming on this afternoon.

We just heard of that woman kind of explaining her situation. Airlines, I thought, worked out plans so this sort of thing wouldn't happen.

SARA NELSON, PRESIDENT, ASSOCIATION OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS: Well, that story is a little bit heartbreaking to hear, although I have to say her spirit was pretty incredible --

DEAN: Yes.

NELSON: -- with all that she's been facing.

You know, this is a product of cutting costs over the last couple of decades and being in a time of austerity where staffing has been cut.

And you're right, airlines did a lot to address the operation. We don't have wide reports of disruptions across the system, although, of course, as the weather moves in, that always creates some challenges.

But certainly that story should not be happening. What this woman has been dealing with is unacceptable. And we need to staff up and we also need to get the contracts done.

Flight attendants and gate agents and ramp agents, everybody who's out there at the airports, they're skipping the holidays with their families to make sure that they can bring people together. And oftentimes they're doing so without the new contracts for themselves still really scraping to get by.

DEAN: And, you know, I'm thinking about back to this time last year when we had that absolute meltdown with Southwest Airlines and people were stranded for days and all of that. It was these really long lines.

This year, so far, as you just mentioned, knock on wood, we haven't seen those nationwide delays and cancellations at a really -- at a -- at a high pace like that yet. And hopefully it stays that way.

Do you think this means that the measures, that the major carriers have taken to fix delay issues and how they kind of adapt when there are problems are working? Are we just getting lucky with weather? What -- how do we explain that it's OK so far?

NELSON: Well, look, there's better planning mostly because the airline industry is 80 percent union. And what you're describing, hiring people inside in the infrastructure, building up that infrastructure, those were all demands by unions. So there have been improvements over the year, in addition to hiring more people on the front lines.

And I have to say TSA has been doing a marvelous job too. The pay was increased there so it's easier to attract people to do the security lines as well. It all makes a difference.

But the flight attendants are out there without having hadn't had raises for a very long time. You may have seen the Southwest pilots just got a 50 percent raise before that. The rest of the major pilot union contracts will be in the high 30s and 40s for pay increases. And flight attendants are still waiting for that.

So we're pushing ahead, trying to get those increases and also trying to get paid for the time at work where we're working longer hours, but if we're not in the air, not getting paid. So this is an antiquated system that is a result from the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act that we were exempted from and contracts that were designed around the pilot contracts.

But flight attendants are working during that boarding and de-planing and doing a lot more customer interfacing work. A lot more flights during the day too where we need to get paid. And these are the high demands in the contract negotiations. That needs to get resolved. Everything that the airlines have done internally is not going to last if we don't give these contracts done.

DEAN: That's one thing I didn't know and until I learned is that when they're at the gate, the flight attendants are not getting paid until you're physically in the air, which is very interesting.

I also saw you tweeted about kind of moving through some of the airports and seeing people with smiles on their faces and just kind of commending people for, you know, working during the holidays, as so many people do have to do.

But we haven't heard a lot this year about burnout from pilots and flight attendants and so many people that work within the aviation industry.

Do you see any alleviation inside of that? Do you worry that it's going to get worse?

NELSON: Well, here's the deal. We had stories coming out of the Kentucky truck plant during the UAW strike where people were sleeping in their cars. That's what UAW was, striking for to try to fix.

And that is a common story across the working class. And it certainly is a story for the flight attendants. We have plenty of stories of flight attendants not being able to make ends meet, having to work out of these very expensive cities, sleeping in their cars as well. We've got to get these things fixed and increase the conditions for everyone.

What I saw in the airport, it feels like, is what we saw in the support for the strikes that happened this year, for the riders, for the auto workers, for the almost strike that happened at UPS.

Across the country, people are supporting unions. And that's because there's a very common experience across the working class.

I saw people who were traveling, who are workers themselves saying, thank you to the other workers in the airport. And just feels like this is really a reflection of the kind of solidarity and thinking that's happening across the country, really supporting working people to fight back and make sure that corporations and billionaires are not taking all the money.

Inequality is not growing. And certainly in our industry, we made sure that there would be a cap on executive compensation and a ban on stock buybacks. Well, we got relief money during COVID. That ended about a year ago, but we have been pushing the airlines in so far, so good, no stock buybacks to Wall Street. But we've got to get these contracts done and make sure the operation is fully operational for the traveling public.

[15:35:06]

DEAN: All right. Well, please pass our gratitude onto those flight attendants working on this holiday. I flew yesterday. So thanks to those flight attendants and pilots too. We got there safely.

Sara Nelson, great to see you. Thanks so much.

NELSON: Jessica, thank you so much. Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays.

DEAN: Merry Christmas.

And now to some other headlines we are watching this hour, a 6-year- old flying unaccompanied on Spirit Airlines was put on the wrong flight. The child was traveling to visit his grandmother in Fort Myers, Florida, but was instead put on a flight to Orlando.

The mistake was discovered when the correct flight arrived, but there was no child there. Spirit Airlines tell CNN they apologize to the family, but the grandmother just wants to know how that mix up happened.

Also, the chances are one in two billion. An Alabama woman with the rare condition of having a double uterus has given birth to twin girls. Each baby grew in their own separate womb. And after a combined 20 hours of labor, Roxi was born first on December 19th. Rebel was then born on December 20th. Here's their incredible mother, Kelsey Hatcher.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KELSEY HATCHER, MOTHER OF TWINS ROXI AND REBEL: Everybody got super emotional when Roxy was born because it was like we did it. Like we successfully did this. Lots of tears, lots of clapping. It was -- it was fun.

But then the reality hit that, OK, well, we have another one we've got to take care of too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: Oh, sweet. Congratulations to that family. If you're wondering, even though the girls were born on different days and grew in two different wombs, they are still considered fraternal twins. And also, yes, having a double uterus is rare. It occurs in 0.3 percent of women.

Members of the British Royal family attended the Christmas date service in Sandringham. After the service, King Charles III delivered his annual Christmas message and used his second Christmas broadcast to call for compassion in the face of world conflicts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KING CHARLES, UNITED KINGDOM: So on this Christmas day, my heart and my thanks go to all who are serving one another, all who are caring for our common home, and all who see and seek the good of others. And at least the friend we do not yet know.

In this way, we bring out the best in ourselves. I wish you a Christmas of peace on earth and goodwill to all.

Still ahead, if you're one of the many Americans on weight loss drugs like Ozempic or Wegovy, you may be wondering if you can skip out on using them in order to indulge on some holiday treats. We're going to ask an expert if that's safe, that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:40:52]

DEAN: In the first six months of 2023, nearly six million prescriptions were reportedly written for the class of drugs that include Wegovy and Ozempic.

The drugs help with insulin production and signal the brain to reduce one's appetite. But with many people wanting to indulge on Christmas cookies or other holiday treats, some weight loss drug users are reportedly considering skipping their doses.

Is this a good idea? Well, Dr. Leana Wen is here to share her expertise. Dr. Wen, it's always good to see you. Thanks for being on with us on this Christmas.

There are so many people who are using this drug and seeing positive effects from it. But we're curious if it is dangerous to posit for a holiday or an event or a vacation, something like that. LEANA WEN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Look, I understand why some people may want to pause this drug because for many people, it does cause significant side effects. People often have gastrointestinal side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sometimes constipation, stomach pain, things that may not go so well with vacations or Christmas or other holidays.

The issue though is we have to understand obesity as a chronic condition. And these medications like semaglutide, which is Wegovy or Ozempic, we need to understand these the same way that we would medications for high blood pressure or diabetes or heart disease.

And you wouldn't stop those other medications without getting your doctor's advice and recommendation. And I would advise people to please do that form for semaglutide and similar weight loss drugs as well.

For some patients, it may be fine for them to skip a few doses. Maybe it's a good idea for them to start weaning off and reduce their doses as well. But for others, they could experience blood pressure spikes. They may have a recurrence or worsening of their diabetes that they were trying to control.

And so this is really something that needs to be individualized and should be done in consultation with someone's individual physician.

DEAN: Yes. And so I did want to ask you to say you got added a little bit, but if there would be side effects associated with stopping and restarting a treatment like Ozempic.

WEN: Well, I think there's another related question as well, which is if somebody is trying to reduce the side effects that they have, the question is, is that going to work if they just miss one dose of this medication?

This is supposed to be a weekly dosing. And so you take this injection once a week. But if you end up missing one dose, the drug is still going to be in your body. It's still going to be having an effect.

And so how to time this so that you get the reduced side effect that you want. Again, that's something that you really want to work out with your physician. Because if you're skipping a dose, you may have negative health effects from that without getting the benefit that you think you might be more reasons to consult your physician before trying this on your own.

And lastly, obviously, we're getting to the time of year where there's a lot of resolutions out there and people start setting goals for a new year. Do you expect doctors will be getting a lot of questions about these drugs? And what would your advice be to somebody who's thinking, maybe I should call my doctor, maybe I should look into this?

[15:45:02]

WEN: Well, we know that in the U.S., more than 4 in 10 Americans suffer from obesity. And obesity is something that is a chronic condition that has adverse health effects by itself, and also that it predisposes individuals to a whole variety of other negative health outcomes, including diabetes and heart disease, high blood pressure, et cetera.

So I think it's really good that we have these medications now as an extra tool. But remember that these are medications that also need to be used together with lifestyle changes. So people still need to be eating a healthy diet. They still need to be getting exercise. Because, ultimately, the goal is better health for everyone coming into this New Year.

Dr. Lena Wen, thanks so much. Merry Christmas, happy New Year. Great to see you.

WEN: Thank you. Merry Christmas.

DEAN: Mm-hmm. Extreme weather left its mark all around the world in 2023. Up next, CNN's Bill Weir takes a look at the top 10 climate stories of the year.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEAN: There's been no shortage of climate news this year. Unprecedented global heat fueled deadly extreme weather events. Scientists issued dire warnings that next year may be still worse. And the world's carbon pollution kept rising.

[15:50:04]

And yet, former vice president, Al Gore, told CNN's Jake Tapper that we are still able to control our fate despite 2023 officially becoming the hottest year on record.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AL GORE, FORMER UNITED STATES OF THE UNITED STATES: We still have the ability to seize control of our destiny. Here's the good news. If we stop adding to the overburden of these greenhouse gas pollutants in the sky, if we reach what they call true net-zero and stop adding to the heat trapping capacity up there, the temperatures will stop going up right away.

And if we stay at true net-zero, half of the human cause to greenhouse pollution will fall out of the atmosphere in as little as 25 to 30 years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: CNN's Bill Weir has more on the top 10 climate stories of 2023.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Starting our list at number 10, the water whiplash that became a signature of 2023 in the American West. KYUNG LAH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What you're seeing here is an attempt to try to get ahead of the storm that continues to pound California.

WEIR: After years of mega drought, rivers in the sky unloaded on California, turning dust bowls into raging floods that took at least 20 lives and filled the mountains with record snow. But not enough to end the drought.

At number nine is COP 28 in Dubai.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Allow me please to declare the meeting adjourned.

WEIR: Where the world came together, and for the first time in three decades of climate talks, agreed to transition away from fossil fuels. Over 130 nations were hoping for a more ambitious phase out of oil, gas and coal, but petrostates like Saudi Arabia would not agree.

Scientists warned that to meet the ambition of the Paris Accord, planet heating pollution must be cut by more than 40 percent by 2030, a rate four times faster than the current pace.

At number eight, the Mediterranean Storm Daniel blasted parts of Greece with over an inch of rain an hour on its way to drowning thousands of people in Libya.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everywhere you turn, it's apocalyptic scenes here.

WEIR: Entire neighborhoods in Derna were washed into the sea. A tragedy that scientists say was 50 times more likely on an overheated planet.

At number seven, over a dozen young people successfully sued the state of Montana for ignoring their constitutional right to a clean and helpful environment by developing fossil fuels. For the dozens of states and cities taking big oil companies to court for their role in climate change, it was a key win.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We love you.

WEIR: Number six is the summer of smoke, brought by a record shattering scale of Canadian wildfires, an area the size of Missouri burned north of the border.

If you get any glimpse of the sun at all on these surreal days, it's this apocalyptic, glowing ball in the sky.

American air quality in some cities was the worst in generations, closing schools and filling emergency rooms.

Number five is the ocean water around Florida, reaching hot tub temperatures of nearly 100 degrees in July, bringing devastating new levels of coral bleaching to the cradles of Caribbean Sea life.

And that warmer water is also jet fuel for hurricanes. And at number four, rapid intensification became a watch word phrase of 2023.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, the water has come up and over that sea wall and we're getting sprayed every minute or so.

WEIR: Storms like Idalia and Florida's Big Bend, Otis in the East Pacific, and Hillary in Southern California showed us how modern storms are getting stronger and faster.

At number three, Phoenix, Arizona gave us a new definition of heat wave with 31 straight days at or over 110 degrees. Temperatures hot enough to kill cactus plants also took the lives of at least 100 people, a grim new record. That is just one facet of a warmer globe.

At number two, Earth's record temperature, the highest in 120,000 years. A few days in 2023 were a full two degree Celsius warmer than pre-industrial levels. And if that becomes the new average, science warns of cascading collapse.

And at number one, the Maui wildfires.

We're just pulling into Lahaina now, just getting our first glimpse at this town after hearing these nightmarish stories. And it is worse than you can imagine.

Generations of water theft, invasive grasses, and recent drought created the fuel. Down power lines are suspected of providing spark, and Hurricane winds fan the flame until most of beloved Lahaina was turned ash.

[15:55:09]

With around 100 souls lost, it is the deadliest fire in modern U.S. history and the battle over how best to rebuild has just begun.

Bill Weir, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: Bill, thank you.

A true miracle, a Pennsylvania animal shelter did something that had not been done in nearly half a century. The heartwarming details are next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEAN: As families gather for Christmas today, some are being joined by new furry family members.

Just two weeks ago, an Adams County, Pennsylvania animal shelter was nearly at capacity. It's kennels filled with dogs looking for forever homes. But look at them now.

For the first time in nearly 50 years, there are no dogs at the shelter. Every single one was adopted and is now spending Christmas with its new family. The facilities said it placed 598 animals in new homes and reuniting a 125 strays with their owners. Very sweet.

And a very Merry Christmas to you. Thanks for spending part of it with us. Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown starts right now.