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Israel to Vote on Hezbollah Ceasefire; Trump Investigating Top Aide; Harris Supporters Grapple with Election Results; Russia Launched Record Attack on Ukraine; Bird Flu Detected in Raw Milk. Aired 8:30-9a ET
Aired November 26, 2024 - 08:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[08:30:25]
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, this morning, you can see these live pictures from in and around Beirut. An airstrike. A series, actually, of simultaneous airstrikes taking place in Lebanon.
This comes even as the Israeli cabinet is set to vote on a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah, which, of course, operates inside Lebanon.
The White House Middle East envoy has arrived in Saudi Arabia, as U.S. officials say a deal is, quote, "close." Getting to the region to help finalize the details of that deal.
Again, you can see here where the strikes are taking place in and around Beirut, even as the negotiations go on.
With us now is retired Air Force colonel, and CNN military analyst, Cedric Leighton.
Colonel, great to see you.
People can get a sense of what's been taking place in Lebanon over the last several months here. You can see this area in red is where Israel has made ground incursions over the border to root out the Hezbollah militia groups, the areas in yellow here, areas where Israel has called for evacuation so they can carry out airstrikes.
So, talk to us about a ceasefire deal. Why do you think Israel would agree to this now? What have they achieved in Lebanon?
COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, good morning, John.
Yes, the main thing is that they think that they've achieved enough of their military objectives to agree to a ceasefire deal. So, basically, the area that you were pointing out is the area that is south of the Litani River. That is basically the border line between southern Lebanon and basically serves as a buffer zone between Hezbollah forces and - and the Israelis.
Now, what the Israelis want to do is they want to bring their 70,000 or so people that live in northern Israel back into northern Israel. Those people have evacuated their homes. And it's very much in the interests of the Israelis to bring them back, to make that region economically viable, or at least attempt to make it economically viable again.
As far as Hezbollah is concerned, they've basically been decimated. I think we have to remember the pager attacks and, you know, those efforts by the Israelis to go through every single layer of command that Hezbollah has and to include killing the leader of Hezbollah. So, when you go into all of the details here, the Israelis have achieved a considerable portion of their military objectives. And if they push Hezbollah back to above the Litani River, they believe that that will at least give them the breathing space that they need in order to make that region of northern Israel one that they can consider safe and relatively secure.
BERMAN: And just to be clear, Hezbollah negotiating here at a position of weakness, correct?
LEIGHTON: Yes, absolutely.
And that's - that's really part of the Israeli effort. They've been able to make this - make Hezbollah a very much weakened force. And that also means, because Hezbollah is a proxy of the Iranians, that Iran's position against Israel is also a much more weakened position than it was just a few months ago.
BERMAN: Yes, talk to us a little bit more about that. If there is a - some kind of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah, which again operates inside Lebanon, what would that mean for the region, and what would it mean or could it mean for Israel's continued war against Hamas in Gaza.
LEIGHTON: Yes. So as far as the region is concerned, just before the October 7th attacks on - from Hamas against Israel, from Gaza, those - there were efforts between Israel and Saudi Arabia to achieve a comprehensive peace settlement. Saudi Arabia is not going to agree to a peace settlement unless there is a deal with Hezbollah, and unless there's a deal with Hamas. So, this is basically the first stage for the Israelis to try to get back on track that way. In other words, have that - that track toward a peace settlement with Saudi Arabia and basically other countries in the region. So, this is, in essence, an extension of the Abraham Accords that were done during the first Trump administration.
Now, as far as Iran is concerned, they are definitely looking at this from a different perspective with their fairly recently inaugurated president. They are looking at a very different way to try to engage with, not only Israel, but also with the United States. Now, whether we or the Israelis take them up on that is, of course, a completely different question. But it seems as if the Iranians are starting to begin a bit of a policy of, in essence, making things a bit more of a detente like situation than was the case just in the last few months.
[08:35:04]
BERMAN: Look, they've lost some of their assets in the region to be clear.
All right, Colonel Cedric Leighton, thank you so much for being with us this morning. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
So, this morning, the largest retailer in the country becomes the latest company to roll back DEI initiatives as companies face pressure to be, quote, "less woke."
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KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: So, lawyers for Donald Trump are conducting an internal investigation right now into allegations one of his top aides is involved in a pay to play scheme. Boris Epshteyn, one of Trump's most loyal advisers, is accused of asking for money in exchange for promoting candidates for cabinet positions. In one instance, he allegedly asked for as much as $100,000 per month for his services and help.
CNN's Sara Murray is in Washington tracking this.
Boris Epshteyn says the claims are fake and wrong and not true.
[08:40:00]
What are you learning, Sara?
SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we learned that this was - these allegations were concerning enough that attorneys for Donald Trump decided to move ahead with this internal investigation. Again, this isn't a criminal probe, but half a dozen sources told me, Kristen Holmes, our colleague Kate Sullivan, about this internal investigation that was looking into allegations that Epshteyn, for instance, requested payment in exchange for promoting people's names with Donald Trump and around Mar-a-Lago for administration positions.
And one of the people he allegedly did this to was Scott Bessesnt, who was Donald Trump's pick eventually to be the Treasury secretary. Allegedly, Epshteyn asked Bessesnt for tens of thousands of dollars, which is a fee that Bessesnt refused to pay. And all of this kind of reached a head last week at Mar-a-Lago and there was a very heated exchange between Epshteyn and Bessesnt.
You know, what the lawyers found was so troublesome to them that they actually recommended that Epshteyn should be removed from Donald Trump's proximity and that he should not be paid by any Trump entities.
Now, Boris Epshteyn has denied all of this. He said in a statement to CNN, "these fake claims are false and defamatory and will not distract us from making America great again."
Kate.
BOLDUAN: But with that, what does all of this mean for kind of his future in working with Donald Trump, in the Donald Trump orbit? And he really was part of the inner circle. What does this all mean? MURRAY: Yes, I mean, it's a great question because, as you point out,
he has been with Trump for so long. He's been an advisor. He's been, at times, a lawyer. You know, he helped shepherd Donald Trump through these four criminal indictments.
But he's also been a very divisive character. People kind of see him as one of the key in-fighters in Trump's world. You know, they see him as a very brash personality who often boasts about his closeness to Trump. He sits in regularly on these very important transition meetings.
Now, a spokesperson for the transition told us as we were doing this story that essentially this review is not really a big deal. It had been conducted, completed. Everyone was moving together ahead as a team. But Donald Trump himself struck a different tone when he was talking to a conservative news outlet. He basically said that people should not be trying to profit off of those who are trying to join his administration. He said, "no one can promise any endorsement or nomination except me. I make these decisions on my own, period."
So, Kate, for now, Boris Epshteyn still very much in the Trump orbit, in the Trump universe. But I know people are watching closely to see how this plays out over the next couple of days as these allegations have become public.
BOLDUAN: Sara Murray, great to see you. Thank you.
John.
BERMAN: All right, this morning, new reporting on how some Democrats are gearing up for the next four years. And not just any Democrats, but Democrats in one of the swingiest swing counties in the whole country. So as part of his wonderful "All Over the Map" reporting, John King went back to Northampton County, Pennsylvania.
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JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Pat Levin is 95 years young, fit and feisty.
KING: Trying to keep up with you, Pat.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's off to the races.
KING (voice over): A lifelong Democrat, scared and stunned Donald Trump will be president in her twilight.
PAT LEVIN, PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: I want to fight, I think. I don't want to fight, but I think I have to, because I think there's no such thing as staying neutral. I think once you stay neutral, it's the oppressor who wins and the oppressed who suffer.
KING: You used the term "oppressor." I assume when Richard Nixon won or Ronald Reagan won, or either of the George Bushs won, even though you're a Democrat, I'm guessing you didn't use that term.
LEVIN: Never. Never.
KING: What does that tell you about how you feel and what you see?
LEVIN: Well, I see a man who is not - or a regime now who is not paying much attention to our history and to our - to our norms, the democratic norms, that we have always lived by.
KING (voice over): Republican friends tell Levin to relax. That Trump will fix the border and juice the economy. That all will be fine. FDR was president when Levin got her first taste of politics. She's seen a lot, trusts her instincts.
LEVIN: His willingness to go around the intent of our Constitution and the democracy that we live in scares me. His people that he's nominating now, they scare me. Is Elon Musk the shadow president, or is Vance really the vice president? Isn't that scary to have to ask that question? Have we ever had to ask that before?
KING (voice over): Levin sees mass deportations as mean and harmful to the economy, sees Trump rewarding men accused of sexual misconduct, sees women's rights in retreat, sees her American dream, the idea you leave things better than you found them, at severe risk.
LEVIN: That's why I'm afraid. I'm not so afraid for me. I'm not going to be around long enough to experience it. But I'm afraid for those I love, for those I don't love, those I know, those I don't know. Its' all those people coming after me who might have to live under this.
KING (voice over): This is Northampton County, Pennsylvania, a place that picks presidents. The county has now backed the winner in five straight presidential elections, and in all but three over the past 100 years. Northampton's rural stretches are ruby red Trump country. Democratic hopes rest on the county's two urban anchors, Bethlehem and Easton.
[08:45:05]
MARVIN BOYER, PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: A good deal of it goes to our food pantry.
KING (voice over): Lifelong Easton resident Marvin Boyer is still shocked at the size of Trump's win, but not shocked he won.
BOYER: There's any number of reasons why it went the way it did. The economy being one. I believe racism played a role in it. Misogyny.
KING (voice over): Plus, more black men voted for Trump this time.
BOYER: Why would you vote for an individual who I think's a racist, who is a misogynist, who is with the January 6th situation? Why would you vote for a guy like that? Because he tells it like it is. And that resonates with me. It's - it's one of the things that I hear from black men who support Trump, you know?
Can't have Thanksgiving without the turkey. KING (voice over): Boyer is a lifelong civil rights and community
activist. These Thanksgiving meal bags filled in a room dedicated to his mother.
BOYER: If there's a hero, that's the one.
KING (voice over): The Easton Community Garden, another way to lend a hand. Helping others helps Boyer channel his disappointment, and he urges angry Democrats to do the same.
BOYER: Because I often run into people who complain a lot, you know, and I'm a doer. And I said, be the change that you want to see in the community. Get involved in a local organization. Be more of an activist.
DARRELL ANN MURPHY, PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: You're not going to believe this, ladies. Look at the jokers.
KING (voice over): Darrell Ann Murphy is already doing just that.
MURPHY: Friends of mine have started groups. We're calling it the "Quiet Resistance." Because I feel like I'm standing on the edge of a cliff and like everything's kind of falling down around me. It's falling down. What happened to the foundation? What happened? Will America fall down? I never had thought this. I never thought this. This is just a - this is just a huge shock to seniors, John. Huge.
OK, now we're going to rack them and see what we got.
KING (voice over): Murphy teaches the Chinese tile game, mahjong. Our third time at the table over the past year. Third time Murphy and Catherine Long have sparred with Pam Aita.
PAM AITA, PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: I don't have to have dinner with Donald Trump. I don't care what he does. Just keep me safe, keep my grandkids safe and have money in our pockets. That's all.
CATHERINE LONG, PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: I'm scared to death of what he's going to do. And some of that comes from what's happening with his cabinet choices.
AITA: I think we have to just knock it off. He's president for four years. We'll have another election.
LONG: We hope.
AITA: And then, you know.
LONG: I have fears that he won't leave.
AITA: Oh, come on. That's ridiculous.
LONG: I'm not kidding. I have fears that he won't leave.
KING (voice over): A debate for the next four years.
MURPHY: If we're still here on this earth.
AITA: Yes, we might not even be here, John. Do you ever think of that? Yes.
KING: I'm not - I'm not going to allow myself to think about that.
KING (voice over): Back to the game. Won on this day -
MURPHY: Mahjong.
KING: By the Trump supporter.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KING: And those voters critical to our series "All Over the Map" because of who they are and where they live. Who they are, senior citizens among the country's most reliable voters.
Nationally, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump split the senior vote, 49- 49. But in five of the seven battleground states, Trump won it by four points or more, including Pennsylvania. So, senior voters, a key part of his coalition.
And, John, they're also important, as you noted at the top of the piece, because of where they live. Northampton County now one of only 15 counties across the country. Only 15 that have gotten it right in five straight presidential elections. Twice for Obama, then for Trump, then flipped to Biden, and now flipped back to Trump. Fifteen of them across America.
BERMAN: It really is extraordinary. It's so few.
Do you play mahjong, John? Were you playing there? Just to be clear.
KING: So, I was not. I'm learning, though, slowly. And I promised the ladies - you know, it's fascinating having these conversations. They admit their own vulnerability because they're old. They're mad at the Democrats that Trump's president in their twilight. And I said I wanted to come back four years from now. And they said, we're not sure we're going to be here. And I said, how about if I learn the game. If I learn the game, will you be here for me in four years? And so they're going to hold me to that bet, they say.
BERMAN: It's going to - they want to clean your clock is what they want to do. They want - they want to jump in the table. They want -
KING: They will clean my clock. I have - I have no doubt about that.
BERMAN: All right, John King, terrific report, as always. Thank you very much.
KING: Thank you.
BERMAN: So, a new poll finds who is among the more popular of Donald Trump's cabinet picks. It might surprise you. It sure surprised scientists. And Drake is taking his very public beef with Kendrick Lamar to court, accusing record companies of using bots to illegally boost Lamar's diss (ph) track.
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[08:53:31]
BERMAN: All right, new this morning, Georgia police believe a car found underwater with human remains might be tied to a New York couple who disappeared in 1980. A human bone was found inside a Lincoln Continental, the same type of car that Charles and Catherine Roemer were driving when they went missing in April of 1980. The couple had been on vacation in Miami. They disappeared near the Brunswick Holiday Inn while on their way back to New York. Their bags and personal items were found in the hotel room the next day. Police have not officially confirmed the identities of the remains.
This morning, the largest private employer in the United States is reducing some diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Walmart will stop racial equity training and reassess programs meant to boost supplier diversity. The decision follows pressure from some conservative groups.
And this morning, Drake is suing Spotify and record label Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar's song "Not Like Us." The song earned five Grammy nominations. It is perhaps the most famous diss (ph) track to be released. And it's part of an ongoing feud among the two artists. Drake is accusing Universal of using bots to artificially inflate the number of streams to make it go viral and maximize profits.
All right, this morning, dictionary.com has announced its 2024 word of the year. If you were watching one hour ago, you know what it is. Here's a hint.
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JULES LEBRON, TIKTOKER: See how I do my makeup for work? Very demure. Very mindful.
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[08:55:00]
BERMAN: All right, the word "demure" exploded in popularity thanks to that post from TikToker Jules Lebron.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: See how I'm reading this book. Very demure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You see how I show up to work. Very demure. Very mindful.
LINDSEY LOHAN, ACTRESS: Straight hair, very demure. JAMIE LEE CURTIS, ACTRESS: Wearing a seatbelt, very mindful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: That was Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis, I think doing like a "Freaky Friday" remix of the word "demure" there, which makes it all worthwhile.
Kate.
BOLDUAN: Absolutely.
Breaking overnight, major strikes on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. Russia launching a record breaking 188 drones.
CNN's Salma Abdelaziz has much more on this for us.
Salma, what's the latest you're hearing?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely striking number. Again, as you said, a record number of drones. More than 180 fired overnight. Our teams on the ground said that they could hear those air raid sirens just going off all night.
Most of those drones were intercepted. But, of course, some debris did fall, causing damage to homes and residential buildings.
But it's part of this larger uptick that we've seen on the ground, Kate, really in the last couple of weeks, as both sides prepare for a President Donald Trump.
Let me just remind our viewers here. It was only a couple of weeks ago that President Biden approved the longer range missiles to be used in Russia. Those are being used on the ground right now by Ukrainian forces. The U.S. made ATACMS. The response from President Putin was to change the country's nuclear doctrine, lowering the threshold for using nuclear weapons and to continue to push on those front lines in the east, where he keeps grabbing territory back in Kursk, this Russian region, also pushing, of course, in Donetsk, the major prize for him, and then, of course, that massive attack that we saw in Dnipro with an experimental new ballistic missile.
All of this taking place as G-7 foreign ministers are meeting in Italy today alongside Ukraine's foreign minister. You can expect that they're going to use that same rhetoric we've been hearing throughout, which is, we are in lockstep with Ukraine. We will stand with you for as long as it takes.
But you can very much look at the happenings on the ground and see that both of these militaries are preparing for, again, for that possibility of talks once there's a President Donald Trump in the White House.
BOLDUAN: Salma, thank you so much for your great reporting.
John. BERMAN: All right, new this morning, California state officials have issued a warning that bird flu has been detected in a batch of raw milk. They are urging consumers not to drink it. A recall effort is in effect as health officials are seeing bird flu outbreaks in wild birds, poultry and dairy cattle.
Let's get right to CNN's Jacqueline Howard for the latest on this.
Good morning.
JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: Good morning, John.
Yes, this is really showing how health officials are staying on top of tracking raw milk and other dairy products, looking for bird flu. In this particular recall, what happened is the virus was detected in a batch of cream top whole raw milk produced and packaged by the company Raw Farm in Fresno County. If you have this product, look for the lot code number 20241109. And health officials say to return the product back to the store where you got it. If you do, in fact, have this product, of course do not drink it.
We do know that this recall is just for raw milk, not pasteurized milk. The pasteurization process, which is a heating process, is effective in killing bacteria and viruses like bird flu. So, this is just raw milk.
But again, John, this is health officials really staying on top of tracking for this virus. And, like I said, they're telling everyone, if you have this product at home, don't drink it. Return it to the store.
BERMAN: What are some of the risks associated with raw milk?
HOWARD: Because raw milk isn't pasteurized, you do have the risk of bacteria, like salmonella and E. Coli, viruses like with this recall, like bird flu. So, that's why health officials say to very - be very, very cautious and not drink raw milk because of these risks.
And symptoms of any foodborne illness, like salmonella and E. Coli can include vomiting, can include stomach cramping, diarrhea. So, again, these are symptoms that can come with exposure to bacteria that are typically killed during the pasteurization process.
So, those are the risks to be mindful of.
BERMAN: All right, Jacqueline Howard, thank you very much for sharing that reporting.
A brand new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.
BOLDUAN: Prepare yourself to be thankful and a little bit chilly. The Thanksgiving travel rush is upon us and early - an early blast of wet winter weather could be hitting you and delaying your arrival time at your friends and family's homes.
[09:00:02] We've got an update. We're tracking it all for you.
And Donald Trump vowing to make good on one of his most consistent campaign promises, pledging to impose tariffs.
