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Deadline Today For Harvard To Respond To Congress' Demands; Powerful Storm Brings Rain, Floods, High Waves To West Coast; Top-10 Biggest Entertainment Stories Of 2023. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired December 29, 2023 - 14:30   ET

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

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[14:33:17]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Today is deadline day for Harvard University. Their governing board must respond to House lawmakers' demand for wide-ranging documents linked to the plagiarism scandal that involves university president, Claudine Gay.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Yes, Harvard has to give a written response to questions about how the school handled the plagiarism allegations.

CNN's Matt Egan has been following the story very closely.

Matt, has Harvard turned over the information?

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Well, Boris and Brianna, no. As far as we know, as of this moment, Harvard has not responded yet.

Of course, we are heading into a holiday weekend. Harvard is closed, Congress is on recess. It is possible that we do not learn and get to see Harvard's response just yet.

This is not a small ask from the House Committee on Education and Workforce. They are asking for what could amount to a mountain of documents, including documents on the communication of Harvard's initial plagiarism of these allegations against Claudine Gay.

The independent review that was a launch, the public response to media inquiries. Any non-public guidelines on how Harvard reviewed such allegations.

And a list of any disciplinary action since January 2019 against faculty and students related to plagiarism. So that is clearly a lot.

All this comes after Harvard announced last week that President Claudine Gay plans to issue corrections to her 1987 dissertation due to what the university described as inadequate citations.

Harvard has called this matter regrettable but that it does not amount to research misconduct, which is something that would be punishable event. Experts at CNN we spoke to, they were divided on whether Claudine Gay

should be punished and how she should be punished following this. None of them outright called for her to be fired.

[14:35:02]

They did note that it is actually quite rare for academics to be fired or students to be expelled over matters of plagiarism.

KEILAR: A Harvard alum, Matt, who is also a former Facebook executive, warned that the university's brand has never been weaker. Who accepts exact blame for this?

EGAN: You're talking about Sam Lessin, a venture capitalist, who I interviewed. He did not hold back here.

He called these plagiarism allegations against Claudine Gay, very embarrassing. He argued that the top board at Harvard did not do its homework before hiring Claudine Gay.

Let me read what Sam Lessin said to me. He said, "I believe in Harvard, I love Harvard, but the university's clearly in a weak spot."

Lessin is hoping to fix Harvard by getting elected to the university's board of overseers. He's scrambling to gather enough signatures to get on the ballot.

Now to make his case that Harvard needed to be fixed, he pointed to a drop in early applications at Harvard. Those applications fell by 17 percent to four-year lows. That is early admission applications.

Now we should note that the cutoff date for early admission at Harvard was November 1st. That was before Claudine Gay testified before Congress, and before these plagiarism allegations really emerged.

But it is also after some of these anti-Semitism issues on campus.

So, listen, clearly, it has been a tumultuous time at Harvard. The Harvard brand has taken nearly 400 years to build. But it has definitely taken a hit over just the last few months.

KEILAR: Yes, it really has.

Matt, thank you for that report.

Water up to the top of telephone poles as powerful storms lead to damaging waves, up to 40 feet high in some cases along the coast of California. We will take a look at this next.

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[14:40:54]

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) Oh, no! (EXPLETIVE DELETED) (END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Like a scene from a disaster movie. A nice day by the water turning into chaos for beachgoers in southern California on Thursday. A rogue wave tossing onlookers nearly 50 yards, sending at least eight people to the hospital.

It is all due to powerful Pacific storms causing massive 20-foot-plus waves along the west coast.

KEILAR: It's so bad the two random beach goers had to jump in here to help rescue, yes, a lifeguard. Officials now closing all beaches in Ventura County through New Year's Eve.

Let's go to CNN Meteorologist Elisa Raffa who is in the Weather Center.

Those pictures of those folks jumping in to help the lifeguard, those are really something. How long are these monster waves going to last?

ELISA RAFFA, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, I mean, it has been incredible. We are looking at this lasting pretty much through the day on Saturday. Things starting to ease up and get a little better going into Sunday.

But some of these images have been incredible. Some of these massive waves that the Weather Service is calling this event exceptional, something that we haven't seen in many years.

And the rip currents we have seen are extreme. They are dangerous. They're warning people to stay out of the water!

Here is the culprit. You can see this massive storm in the Pacific swirling towards the west coast. It is picking up winds of the ocean. That is what is picking up these waves.

You can see that here. Look at these waves -- the wind, rather, over the ocean. That is what is kicking up the waves. You can see them starting to die down going into Sunday. That is when things will start to improve.

But what's happening is you have strong winds pushing the ocean around. That is creating small waves. You also have an ocean current, as well.

Some of these waves could start to collide and clash and then you get the rogue wave, which winds up being two times the size of everyone around it. And they can be very unpredictable. That is what happened yesterday.

You can see the wave heights, again, up to 20 feet for most of the California coast. And then dying down going into Sunday.

This is what is prompting the warnings, the high-surf warnings for these waves up to 25 feet from Santa Barbara down to San Diego. You can see about 20-foot waves possible near San Francisco. That could also cause the inland flooding. But you also have high tide

happening on Saturday, and it's the highest tide of the month. Adding insult to injury, getting you some of that inland flooding.

Here's a look at that storm. Bringing some heavy rain to California today. It doesn't really make it too far past the Rockies. It starts to die down.

You might have some snow in the Great Lakes going into New Year's but, overall, we had this big dry area of high pressure that sits over most of the U.S. by the time we get to New Year's.

So here is your New Year's evening forecast. If you are headed out for the holiday, temperatures in the 40s up in New York. If you are headed to the ball drop, you will have wind chills in the 30s. Pretty chilly as we ring in the new year.

KEILAR: Pretty chilly. Have got to be prepared.

Elisa, thank you so much for taking us through that.

Now to some of the other headlines we're watching this hour.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine vetoing a bill banning gender affirming bills for minors. He said that signing the bill would be saying that the state knows whether it is medically better for a child than their parents.

This bill sought to prohibit care for trans and non-binary use, including hormone therapies, surgical procedures and some mental health services.

Ohio state lawmakers passed House Bill 68 just before the holiday break. The veto comes after about 20 states passed laws against gender-affirming care for minors.

And a historic milestone. L'Oreal cosmetics heiress is now the first woman worth $100 billion. Francois Bettencourt Meyers was already the richest woman in the world.

Bloomberg's Billionaire Index reports her fortune crossed the $100 billion mark thanks to a rise in L'Oreal stock, which hit a record high on Thursday.

L'Oreal, which is the world's largest cosmetics company, owns many, many brands, from Lacombe to Maybelline and others.

SANCHEZ: Also, a stunning nighttime lift off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. SpaceX's Falcon heavy rocket returning to orbit now with a secret U.S. military space plane on board.

[14:45:09]

Although, it is not clear where the X-37B is going to go, the military says the uncrewed craft will carry out cutting-edge research.

This launch comes after China sent its own secret spacecraft into orbit. The space race is yet again on!

Still to come, blockbusters, record tours, strikes, and some heartbreak as well. A wild year in the entertainment world. We will look at the big stories of 2023 when we come back!

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SANCHEZ: Even with Hollywood on hiatus for much of this year because of strikes, strikes by actors and writers, there were plenty of big entertainment stories to talk about.

KEILAR: CNN's Stephanie Elam breaks down the top-10 of 2023.

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STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "Barbie" takes over the box office. Britney and Prince Harry spill their own tea.

(CHANTING)

ELAM: And Hollywood goes on strike.

[14:50:03]

(on camera): Behind the scenes and in front of the camera, it was a wild year from start to finish. Here's a look at the top entertainment stories of the year.

LISA VANDERPUMP, TV PERSONALITY: I didn't see it coming. Nobody saw it coming.

ELAM (voice-over): Lisa Vanderpump reacting to news that cast members, Tom Sandoval and Raquel Levis, had carried on an affair, unbeknownst to fan favorite, Ariana Madix.

TOM SANDOVAL, ACTOR: Do you want anything?

ARIANA MADIX, ACTRESS: For you to die.

ELAM: The betrayal sent viewers spiraling, as Madix received an apology from the pair. Ratings for the show reportedly doubled as the drama played out.

Coming in at number nine, the end of a TV dynasty.

BRIAN COX, ACTOR: I love you, but you are not serious people.

ELAM: After four storied seasons, HBO's hit series, "Succession," bowed out with thunderous praise, as Logan Roy's adult children engaged in business battles and betrayals to take over the family empire.

SARAH SNOOK, ACTRESS: Excited to get into this knife fight?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's blow it up.

ELAM: Critics and fans largely agreed the series finale was a knockout finish to their "Succession" obsession.

Number eight belongs to the "Avengers" actor, Jeremy Renner, who made a remarkable recovery after he was crushed by his runaway snowplow outside his home in Nevada. He broke more than 30 bones and suffered internal injuries.

But just over three months later, Renner was back on the red carpet for his Disney Plus show, "Rennervations".

Number seven, Ed Sheeran's courtroom battle.

(SINGING)

ELAM: Did a pop star copy Marvin Gaye? The family of the co-writer of "Let's Get It On" filed a lawsuit against Sheeran, saying his "Thinking Out Loud" wrongfully used melodies from the 1973 classic.

(SINGING)

ELAM: A jury found the Grammy winner independently created his song and did not infringe on any copyrights.

Number six, a serious health scare for Jamie Foxx. The Oscar-winning actor was hospitalized in April but hasn't publicly disclosed why.

Rumors ran rampant about his condition for months, until July when he resurfaced on social media.

JAMIE FOXX, ACTOR: I went to hell and back, and my road to recovery had some potholes as well.

ELAM: Foxx found himself in some legal troubles as well. He faces a sexual assault and battery lawsuit dating back to an alleged incident from 2015. He denies the claims.

Number five on our list, the stars tell all.

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ELAM: Prince Harry did it. So did Britney.

(SINGING)

ELAM: They led the long line of celebrities who published a memoir in 2023.

PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: Writing this book has been a cathartic experience for me.

ELAM: Prince Harry's explosive memoirs details his highly publicized split from the senior royals.

And in "The Woman in Me," Britney Spears writes about public scrutiny, rocky relationships, her court-ordered conservatorship, and the Free Britney movement, saying, finally, "I'm roaring back to life."

Number four, "Barbie" kicked off a summer of pink fever.

(SINGING)

ELAM: She revived a cultural phenomenon, broke box office records and unlocked a women-powered boost to the economy.

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ELAM: Taylor Swift's "Eras" tour became the highest-grossing concert tour of all time, according to Polestar.

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ELAM: Beyonce sold out concert arenas with her highly anticipated "Renaissance" tour.

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ELAM: And Pink got the party started with her summer "Carnival" tour.

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ELAM: Coming in at number three, Hollywood goes on strike.

(CHANTING)

ELAM: Two of the entertainment industry's biggest labor unions, the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA, went on strike seeking better contracts with the studios.

FRAN DRESCHER, PRESIDENT, SAG-AFTRA: You have to wake up and smell the coffee.

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ELAM: Negotiations dragged on for months before deals were reached and ratified.

Number two, the loss of a beloved friend.

LAURA COATES, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST & ANCHOR: We are back with breaking news just into CNN. Actor Matthew Perry has died.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: The police found him. They believe he drowned at his home in Los Angeles. He was just 54 years old.

MATTHEW PERRY, ACTOR: And when I dance, I look like this.

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ELAM: Matthew Perry's humor often hit his personal pain of addiction. In the pages of his 2022 memoir, he revealed his darkest days began as his career skyrocketed on screen.

His co-stars mourned his loss, saying they, quote, "were more than just cast mates. We are a family." TAYLOR SWIFT, SINGER: Welcome to the Eras tour.

ELAM: And number one on our list belongs to, who else? Taylor Swift.

SWIFT: Welcome to the acoustic set.

ELAM: She put on a buzzy head-turning concert tour for the ages, had albums skyrocket to the top of the charts, debuted a new relationship with NFL player, Travis Kelce.

[14:55:05]

And was named "Time Magazine's" Person of the Year. 2023 was Taylor Swift's biggest year yet.

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ELAM (on camera): Two of our top-10 news makers, "Barbie" and HBO's "Succession," shared the same parent company as CNN.

And there's big things to come from other favorites on our list. The drama returns to "Vanderpump Rules" in January. And Britney Spears has hinted volume two of her memoir will be out next year.

In Los Angeles, I'm Stephanie Elam.

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SANCHEZ: Plenty to look forward to in 2024.

Stephanie, thank you so much.

KEILAR: And coming up, Maine becomes the second state to throw Donald Trump off its primary ballot over January 6th. The legal challenges still looming, when we come back.

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