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Powerful Winter Storm Lashes Southern California; More Documents Found Related to Epstein; Flu Cases Rising Across U.S.; Financial Tips Heading into the New York. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired December 25, 2025 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR (voice over): -- who at the time was Canada's prime minister, overheard making a jaw-dropping admission to business leaders back in February, essentially telling them that President Trump's talk of making Canada a 51st U.S. state was no joke. So, far, Canada remains Canada.

Number five. Cramer speaks out. Famed CNBC broadcaster Jim Cramer appearing on Erin Burnett's show earlier this year, admitting he was misled by the Trump administration's tariffs policy. Listen.

JIM CARMER, FORMER CNBC BROADCASTER: Over and over again the president said, listen, it's going to be reciprocal. So, you do it. We do it. And that was going to be so great. And I really believed in it. And I feel like a sucker tonight.

SANCHEZ (voice over): Number four, swallowed whole. A father on a kayak captures the moment his son, Adrian, was briefly swallowed by a humpback whale off the coast of Chile. Adrian told CNN he didn't realize at first it was a whale and thought he just got caught up in a big wave.

ADRIAN SIMANCAS, KAYAKER SWALLOWED BY WHALE: If the whale had hit me, it would be more dangerous.

SANCHEZ (voice over): What a story to tell his grandkids.

Number three, beauty influencer gunned down. Valeria Marquez was shot and killed by a man who entered her salon, all while on a TikTok livestream in Zapopan, Mexico. Her death sending shockwaves through a country grappling with frequent suspected cases of femicide.

Number two, Jimmy Kimmel. Speaking out after a brief suspension following controversial comments he made about conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Jimmy Kimmel returned to ABC late night to say he never intended to make light of Kirk's murder. Also delivering powerful remarks about freedom of speech.

JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE": This show is not important. What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this.

SANCHEZ (voice over): And the number one viral video on CNN's countdown, the feud seen round the world.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Get out so --

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Wait a minute. No, no, you've done a lot of talking.

SANCHEZ (voice over): On the left, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, hoping to win more lethal aid from the president. On the right, President Trump, moments before he would launch into a verbal rampage against Zelenskyy.

Boris Sanchez, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Merry Christmas, happy holidays to you. Thank you for joining us on this holiday edition of CNN News Central. I'm Sara Sidner.

Millions of Californians across the state are bracing for more powerful winter storms this Christmas Day. Severe flooding brought on by heavy rain and wind triggered multiple evacuations and states of emergencies in half a dozen counties. You're looking at just some of the flood damage left behind from yesterday's deluge in the mountain town of Wrightwood. Residents say several muddied roads are virtually undrivable or just completely washed out. Today's flood threat is most great in Southern California, where 15 million people are under flash flood warnings. CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar tracking all of it from the CNN Extreme Weather Center.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: More than half a foot of rain has already fallen across portions of California, and these numbers are expected to go up over the next 24 hours as more rain is expected to come into these areas. We have an excessive rainfall risk for the remainder of today, as well as portions of Friday across Southern and Central California, in anticipation of the extra rain that is coming in.

Now, that first wave already began earlier this morning, that will continue through the afternoon and early evening hours, but then we have our next round. That's to come in maybe around 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. local time tonight across portions of Northern and Central California, but that system begins to slide southward so that by the time we really get into much of the latter half of the day Friday, the focus for rain will be over Southern California.

Then the good news comes. Take a look at this as we head into the weekend, finally getting some much-needed drier conditions across that state.

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Unfortunately, until we get to that drier portion, we still have more rain in the forecast. You're looking at widespread rainfall totals of an extra one to three inches, but some of those spots, especially where you see the orange and red color here, could be looking at an extra four to six inches total before this is all said and done.

In terms of snowpack, still looking at least an additional three feet of snow across the Sierras. This is going to make it very difficult for travel over the next 24 to 48 hours, especially say if you're headed from Reno and Tahoe, maybe going west over to Sacramento or San Francisco or vice versa in the opposite direction. You are likely going to encounter some delays on the roadways there just because of how much snow is expected to come down.

In addition to the rain and snow, we also have very gusty winds, and that's not just for California. You can see several neighboring states here also looking at those high wind alerts where you could be looking at wind gusts up around 40, 50, even as much as 60 miles per hour as we head through the next couple of days. So, that's also going to cause some travel concerns, mainly in the airways.

[14:05:00]

So, keep in mind, you may end up having some airline delays in some of these major cities. One thing we talked about again is the heavy amounts of snow. Keep in mind, these three to six feet of additional snowfall is on top of what these areas have already had. And we know that many of these locations have already picked up one to three feet just in the last few days, which is likely going to incur some additional travel problems.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER: All right. Our thanks to Allison Chinchar. Now, the Justice Department says it has uncovered more than a million additional documents possibly related to the late convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The process of releasing these documents, which has been criticized for heavy redactions, is now expected to take weeks to finish.

CNN Senior Reporter Marshall Cohen joining us now. Marshall, what are you learning about these new documents? They're not actually new documents. They're documents that the DOJ says that it has just realized is out there and they have to release them all. We now know it's going to take weeks, not days.

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, this was a bombshell on Christmas Eve, Sara. The announcement yesterday from the Justice Department that potentially a million more documents about Jeffrey Epstein are out there and will be reviewed as part of this massive wave of document releases that's been underway for a week.

Remember, the law that Congress passed required everything to be released last week, last Friday. Hundreds of thousands of documents have already come out. But now we're learning that there might be a million more, obviously creating a ton of frustration.

Let me read for you what the Justice Department said in its announcement yesterday. They posted this, quote, "We have lawyers working around the clock to review and make the legally required redactions to protect victims, and we will release the documents as soon as possible. Due to the mass volume of material, this process may take a few more weeks," like you mentioned, Sara. They are pleading for patience, but they're not getting any so far from Capitol Hill.

Lawmakers from both parties, Democrats and Republicans, have already responded to this with outrage and frustration. And they have even continued to ratchet up their threats, Sara, of possibly holding DOJ leaders in contempt if this goes on.

SIDNER: Yes. And then, of course, the victims, they are extremely frustrated with all the way this has been rolled out. Marshall Cohen, thank you so much. I hope you have the rest of your holiday to celebrate. We do appreciate you.

I want to turn now to Kevin Liptak in West Palm Beach as the president spends the holiday in Mar-a-Lago. How is the White House reacting to this new major complication of all of these documents that the DOJ now says it has in its possession? And it's going to take a while to release.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, and I don't think that there is any more appetite in the White House for this kind of continued drip, drip, drip of these disclosures from the Justice Department. There's a recognition that this has just become a massively politically inconvenient issue for the president. And you've heard President Trump say himself that he thinks this is all a distraction from what he's been accomplishing in office. So, any sort of continued slow drip disclosure I don't think is welcome.

I think they also realize that this just makes the Justice Department look sort of incompetent in some ways. You know, realizing after the deadline that they have a million more documents on top of the million documents that they were already going through to try and put out. You know, this is all, I think, been handled in a questionable way, according to some officials that you talked to.

And even Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, acknowledged in that extraordinarily candid interview that she thought Pam Bondi, the attorney general, had whiffed this entire thing. But there is now, I think, a recognition that the only way around all of this is to get through it. And they realize that they're just going to have to sort of buckle down and sort of get through these constant disclosures.

The strategy seems to be to lean on the Justice Department to try and bat down any mention of President Trump. And you saw them do that earlier this week. The Justice Department's social media account's really going to bat for President Trump, saying that some of the claims were untrue, that they were sensationalist. In one instance, when it came to that letter from Jeffrey Epstein, saying that it was just altogether false.

And so, I don't think it was necessarily welcome news that they still have a million more pages to go through, but a recognition on the part of the White House that they're just going to have to get through this. All right.

SIDNER: Kevin Liptack, thank you so much. Live for us there in a sunny West Palm Beach, Florida.All right. Holiday cheer isn't the only thing spreading this season. So, is the flu unfortunately. The CDC says the virus sent nearly 10,000 people to the hospital last week. So, what can you do to try to prevent from getting sick? CNN's Jacqueline Howard has some tips for you.

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(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: More people are testing positive for flu. When you look at the most recent CDC data during the week ending December 13th. So, this is just recently. We know that about 4 percent of all doctor visits that week were due to people having respiratory illnesses. And during that same week, nearly 10,000 people were admitted to the hospital with flu. So, this virus is spreading. Sadly, so far this flu season, we know that three children have died.

So, this is a reminder that if you're experiencing symptoms, it's important to get tested. You can take an at-home flu test. If you test positive, definitely talk with your doctor. They may want to prescribe flu medications. And it's important to take those medications early. They're most effective within the first 48 hours after developing symptoms.

And during your time having symptoms, you want to avoid contact with other people. So, stay home until two things happen for at least 24 hours until your symptoms get better for at least 24 hours. And until you're fever free without the help of fever reducing medications like Tylenol for at least 24 hours. So, that's how long you want to quarantine while you're experiencing flu symptoms.

Final note, it's not too late to get your flu shot. If you are feeling well and you haven't been vaccinated yet, now might be the time to get that added protection against the flu. Think about it as a holiday gift.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER: All right. Our thanks to Jacqueline Howard there. All right. So, one person in this entire world is getting a present like none other. All because they picked a few numbers correctly. A ticket sold in Arkansas is the single winning ticket of the $1.8 billion Christmas Eve Powerball jackpot. The second largest jackpot ever in the U.S., according to Powerball. The jackpot now resets to 20 million dollars. Not bad, you all. The next drawing is set for this Saturday.

And still to come, with economic strain hitting a lot of households, with the exception of that person who just won that ticket, we have some tips on how to start 2026 on the right note, especially when it comes to finances. Stay with CNN News Central.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) SANCHEZ: If you pair the holiday spending hangover with an already rocky economy for many Americans, it is enough to give anyone financial anxiety. Americans have been facing rising costs for just about everything, and the balance on their credit card is proof.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: In November, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported household debt levels had hit a record high. Q, personal finance guru, Michelle Singletary. Michelle, American Paychecks, they just, they aren't getting bigger, much bigger, but their bills are about to be after this holiday season. Where do they start?

MICHELLE SINGLETARY, AUTHOR, "WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR MONEY WHEN CRISIS HITS: A SURVIVAL GUIDE" AND WASHINGTON POST SYNDICATE PERSONAL FINANCE COLUMNIST: Well, start with any debt that you've accumulated. Hopefully you didn't, but if you did, start with trying to get rid of as much of that debt as possible.

And then if you don't have debt, but maybe your emergency fund is super low because prices are higher, it costs more to rent the place where you live, then try to build up your savings as much as you can. Listen, most of us in this business save three to six months, but for the average family, they can't do that. But start somewhere, even if it's just $2 or $20, just so that you have some sort of cushion when life happens.

SANCHEZ: I also wonder, given that you said that tackling debt is supremely important, what if interest rates get lower, would you prioritize investing or just keep tackling that debt?

SINGLETARY: I would say do a little bit of both. I don't think it's sort of an either-or situation. If you are getting closer to retirement, you've got to save for retirement. You know, I want you to prioritize the debt, but not at the risk of not having that emergency fund. And money for your future, for retirement. If you've got children and you want to send them to college, you want to put some money aside.

But if you are just drowning in debt, make that a priority. Make the second part of that to have a little bit of cushion, because if you don't have that rainy day fund and it rains, then you end up piling on more debt.

KEILAR: Yes, and talk about that, because you said, listen, if it's $2 or $20, I mean, a lot of people, they're going to look at two bucks, they're going to say, what good is that going to do me? But over time, it does do some good, right? So, if you are an American who's living paycheck to paycheck, talk to us about how you save.

SINGLETARY: Yes. You know, listen, I'm doing well now for my life, my husband and I, but I didn't come where I am now. I didn't start out this way. I was abandoned as a child and raised by my grandmother. My grandfather, you know, had a drinking problem, so all the money didn't always come home. I know what it's like to actually be hungry, not open up the refrigerator door and look in and go, oh, I don't have anything I like. I mean, you open it up and there's nothing there. So, I can identify with a lot of Americans who are living paycheck to paycheck. But I also know the one thing that my grandmother, Big Mama taught me is that every time you get paid, you put a little bit aside. Like I said, if it's $2 or $1, and over a couple of weeks, if you don't need that money, it could be enough for groceries. It could be enough to pay your rent for that next month if you lose your job until unemployment kicks in or you get another job. You know, I grocery shop and there are deals that could be, you know, money for a meal for a couple of days.

[14:20:00]

I mean, you have to look at it like that. What can I cover when I don't have my income coming in? What can I stretch out until I get more income or my situation changes?

SANCHEZ: What are the most common pitfalls that folks face? What do you see as the biggest mistake that Americans make?

SINGLETARY: For those who have extra money coming in, you know, they got enough food and the roof is pretty secure over their heads, it's eating out. I mean, after rent and maybe transportation, it's that eating out constantly that riles people of the ability to save. I've seen people budget family of four $1,500 a month in eating out.

So, I run a ministry at my church, a financial ministry at my church, and I have them do a financial fast a couple times a year, but at least one time a year. And when they do that, they shut down all unnecessary spending. They don't use credit. This one family in particular, and this has happened a lot of times, found that they were spending $1,500 eating out. You know, one woman realized she was spending $500 just shopping, like even discount shopping. She's like, oh, you know, I shop. I don't pay a lot of money. But then when we looked at how much of it, it was like $500. So, then I encourage you to take that money and build up our emergency fund and start putting money in her retirement fund.

So, lots of people have money in their budget, but we're such a consumeristic kind of society, right? We just spend without really thinking about it. And a lot of times they don't realize that there actually is money in their budget to build that emergency fund, to save more for retirement, to maybe save more for college so your kid doesn't have to leave college in decades in debt. And those are the folks that I'm talking to, and they know who they are. There's some extra, there's abundance in your budget. You just got to get that money and put it to the things that you value, not what I say you value, what you value.

KEILAR: Yes. The little things add up as you spend. And to your point, they add up as you save. Michelle Singletary, always great to have you. Thank you so much.

SINGLETARY: Thank you for having me.

KEILAR: And we'll have much more right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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KEILAR: Want to go somewhere? Well, sounds like you are not alone. According to the 2026 Travel Trends Report from the Point Sky, Americans are still keeping travel high on their budget priority list this year. But an uncertain economy and government policies are playing a role in where they're going. And then there's the use of A.I. and its role in how people are booking their travel.

Let's talk about all of this with Clint Henderson, the managing editor at the Point Sky. All right. Clint, let's talk about priorities here. Americans are facing these rising costs, but they're still making sure that they travel. Why is that?

CLINT HENDERSON, MANAGING EDITOR, "THE POINTS GUY": Yes. So, I think people decided during the pandemic that they were going to travel once they were able to leave their houses again. And we have not seen any decrease in the appetite for travel really since the pandemic. Interestingly, though, 39 percent of people we polled with YouGov suggested that they're going to look for ways to cut their expenses when they travel next year. So, that's a trend that we'll definitely be watching.

KEILAR: And where are they going? Are they making adjustments to these plans because of the economy? It sounds like it. How are they doing that?

HENDERSON: So, it's really interesting. I think what you're seeing is the classics continue to be super popular. So, Paris, Rome, Greece, all the usual suspects, Japan, I would throw in there as well. But people are looking for alternative lodging. So, they're looking for Airbnbs. They're looking for ways to cut back on the amount they're spending, especially with the decline in the value of the U.S. dollar. Europe in particular and the U.K. are more expensive for Americans as well.

So, I think you're not seeing people saying, oh, I'm not going to go. But they are saying, I'm going to cut back a little bit on what I'm spending when I'm there.

KEILAR: What are some of the government policies that are influencing their decisions?

HENDERSON: So, it's really interesting. The biggest thing that's affecting everyone is the uncertainty. So, you know, tariffs are on and they're off. And I think that's affecting people's ability to budget. We saw a cut back in the beginning of 2025. But that is sort of ease since then. I will say the inbound tourism is what's really changed. And we're seeing huge drops.

First half of the year, inbound international tourism to the U.S. down about 14 percent. We expect about $21 billion in losses to the U.S. economy because of a decline in foreign visitors. So, that's one area that we're really watching carefully into the new year.

KEILAR: Tracking costs and also the way that people are booking travel, that's changing. Talk to us a little bit about that.

HENDERSON: Yes. So, it's really interesting. People are having to be more flexible and having to change their booking patterns to try to save money. I think tools like Google Flights, there's all kinds of new award search tools. If you have a lot of points and miles to use that people are using, people are changing when they travel.

So, it used to be I would tell people, oh, go in the shoulder season, you know, fall and spring, instead of the peak summer. But that secret is out, and people are traveling now all the time, all year long, so -- including fall and even winter. So, it's interesting to see those travel plans change. And I think one of the reasons is to save some money, because generally hotels are going to be cheaper in fall and spring as opposed to the summertime.

KEILAR: Saving money is such a priority. I wonder if there is any advice when it comes to the way you travel or maybe places you should consider that perhaps might not be on --

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