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$18 Billion Powerball Jackpot Won On Christmas Eve In Arkansas; Zelensky Says He Will Meet With Trump In Florida On Sunday; U.S. Launches Deadly Strikes On ISIS Terrorists In Nigeria. Aired 9:30-10a ET
Aired December 26, 2025 - 9:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[09:30:00]
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wednesday, eight tickets nabbed $1 million to stuff their stockings. Those tickets were sold in California, Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Nationwide, 114 tickets won a $50,000 prize and 31 tickets won $100,000. Not bad. But again, everybody wondering right now who the winner was of $1.8 billion, Kate. Now back to you.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: I always wonder if that person even knows, like everyone's talking about it, if that person's even checked the numbers yet. I am always curious in these moments before we find out. But a very lucrative and happy Christmas for so many people in winning this jackpot. It's good to see you, Rafael. Thank you so much.
Coming up for us, new details are emerging this morning about what led investigators to the remains of nine-year-old Melody Buzzard as her mother is set to be arraigned now today on first degree murder charges. And brand new reaction this morning coming from Nigeria after the U.S. launches deadly strikes on ISIS targets in the northwest part of that country.
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[09:35:30]
BOLDUAN: This just in. We are now -- we've now learned that Ukrainian President Zelensky is headed to Florida and says that he will be meeting with President Trump on Sunday. In a social media post overnight, Zelensky said that, quote, "A lot can be decided before the new year." Of course, he's talking about Russia's nearly four year long war on Ukraine. And the Ukrainian president is also pushing for a new peace proposal that he detailed just this week to try to bring that war to an end.
And with it is the first time he is really showing an openness to any compromise on the issue of territory in the eastern Donbas region. Zelensky saying that he would be open to withdrawing Ukrainian forces from territory that Russia currently does not control. And Russian forces would then need to cede the same amount of territory to create a demilitarized zone in eastern Ukraine. The goal being to create a free economic zone that is not controlled by either military, Zelensky says.
Also breaking -- on the breaking news this morning, other breaking news we're tracking this morning, the U.S. launching deadly Christmas Day strikes on Islamic State targets in Nigeria on President Trump's orders. A U.S. official now tells CNN that the strikes included Tomahawk missiles fired from a navy vessel that struck two ISIS camps.
The U.S. Military reports that multiple ISIS terrorists were killed in the attack. And Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also took to social media to say that there is quote, "more to come." The attack comes after President Trump has warned for months that the United States could get involved and take action there because he claims ISIS has been targeting Christians in the region.
Joining me right now is CNN military analyst retired Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton. It's good to see, Colonel. Thanks for coming in.
Let's start with where I just left off in Nigeria. More than a dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles it's believed were fired off that navy ship hitting two ISIS camps in northwest Nigeria. How big, how significant is a strike like this?
COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, it certainly makes a big impact on the ground, Kate. And one of the key things here is that they went after two camps like you mentioned. Now tactically it makes a big difference. Strategically maybe not so much. So we'll wait to see exactly what the battle damage assessment is. But launching Tomahawk missiles is kind of the preferred weapon of choice often by U.S. Administrations, and especially this one. But they have tactical utility. But unless they're part of a big campaign plan, they may have limited strategic utility.
BOLDUAN: I wanted to ask you about that because the president asked for plans to be drawn up for to for action there, I'll say, a month ago. And I want to play now what the Nigerian foreign minister said this morning on CNN.
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YUSUF TUGGAR, NIGERIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: It's not a Nigerian problem. It's not a Christian, Muslim problem. It is a regional problem. But we're putting all of that aside. We accept that we need the support of other countries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: And this gets to a little bit what you're talking about strategically because in reality they've been dealing with battling against for decades, a decades long insurgency there. So in reality, how far does a round of strikes get them to stopping this?
LEIGHTON: Yes, it's not very far. And one of the other problems that you have, Kate, the foreign minister is absolutely right. This is a regional problem. But even within Nigeria, you know, take a look at the target set. We're going after a place in the northwest of Nigeria. Most of the attacks on Christians and Muslims happen in the northeastern part of the country and that usually perpetrated by Boko Haram, which is a major terrorist organization. And that is part of the problem here.
We're not looking at this as a regional issue. We're looking at it as in essence a one and done type situation. And none of this stuff is one and done. This regional problem that the foreign minister mentioned is one that requires not only U.S. involvement, but really multiple countries within the region to be involved. And many of those countries are having significant difficulties containing terrorist organizations within their borders.
BOLDUAN: Yes, let's turn to Ukraine if I could, what I was detailing before I came to you, this new peace proposal, this kind of update that President Zelensky is pushing will likely present to President Trump when he speaks with him on Sunday. Basically ceding territory in eastern Ukraine in order to create a demilitarized zone. What do -- what do you think of this? Speaking of strategy, what do you think of that as a possibility? How big of a compromise and concession would this be?
[09:40:26]
LEIGHTON: Well, might not be as big of a compromise as some people are making it out to be, Kate, because what the Ukrainians are doing, they are looking at removing Russian troops from areas outside of the Donbas, such as you listed Nipo Nephros, Mykolaiv and the other areas. Those areas are critical for Ukraine to keep control over. And now, from a military standpoint, they also want to keep control of the Donbas region. But what at least that they're part of it, the part that they control about 18 or so percent of the territory. Now, what they're really doing here is they're saying, okay, we will withdraw as long as the Russians withdraw and as long as we have security guarantees that the Russians aren't going to move into this area. Because the Ukrainians correctly see this as a possible jumping off point for the Russians to attack the rest of Ukraine should they gain control of it.
So the Ukrainians are playing for time. They are also presenting a valuable peace proposal from their standpoint, but it is definitely something that is going to help them at least stall for time at this particular point in history.
BOLDUAN: Yes. And of course, no word that this gets Russia any closer to the actual negotiating table in a real way. Colonel, it's great to see you. Thank you so much for coming in. Sara.
SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, just a short time from now, the mother of Melody Buzzard will face a judge for what prosecutors call the calculated killing of her little girl Ashley. And new details emerging about a back road discovery that led investigators to the nine-year-old's remains.
Plus a real life home alone scenario for a brave young man in New York what the 12-year-old did as burglars rummaged through his home.
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SIDNER: All right. On our radar for you today, the California woman now accused of killing her nine-year-old daughter after a bizarre road trip where she dressed herself and her daughter in disguises is due to be arraigned on first degree murder. Ashlee Buzzard was arrested Tuesday after authorities say her daughter Melody's remains were found in rural Utah. Authorities said the child died from multiple gunshot wounds to the head around October 9th. That was the last time she was seen alive on surveillance video during that multi state road trip. Investigators say they believe the killing was planned before that trip.
It was a real life home alone, just without all those booby traps. Police say 12-year-old Tristen Taylor was by himself when a burglary suspect broke into his Long Island home. But he stayed calm, quietly climbed out a window and managed to call 911 just in time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRISTEN TAYLOR: I said to myself, I have to get out of the house.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: the quickest way possible. And that was how?
TAYLOR: The window. I was on the phone with them. Waiting for them to get here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: And he did so because officers arrived within three minutes and arrested the suspect inside the house. Family and neighbors calling Tristen a hero this morning.
Now in Hawaii, Santa took a traditional Hawaiian route town. Instead of a sleigh, he arrived by canoe along Honolulu's beach. The warm weather, welcoming Christmas Eve tradition, drawing smiles, photos and a little island magic for families and visitors there.
Santa probably want to stay a little bit longer. I think it might have delayed a couple of prices. I mean it got everybody got their stuff on time, but --
BOLDUAN: I'll give him that.
SIDNER: I mean.
BOLDUAN: He can stay a little bit longer. That's fine.
SIDNER: I think he should.
BOLDUAN: I think it's fine.
SIDNER: Maybe spend the week there.
BOLDUAN: Is there -- he needs a shorts version of the Santa costume, however. You got to get some color on the legs. SIDNER: Okay.
BOLDUAN: Moving on. The battle over public health took center stage this year in a whole new way. CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has a look at the top health and medical stories of 2025.
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SUNJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: 2025 was a veritable battleground for public health as it faced challenge after challenge. Mass layoffs, an armed attack on the CDC, and as misinformation gained momentum once forgotten viruses took hold on U.S. soil. But as always with science and medicine, progress does persist.
It is impossible to ignore the impact of MAHA. It's been the rallying cry of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., U.S. HHS SECRETARY: The real overhaul is improved the health of the entire nation to make America healthy again.
GUPTA: The main driver of the movement, reducing chronic disease and a lot of efforts to that end, like condemning ultra processed foods and taking action on artificial food dyes, those have been largely applauded by public health experts. But other targets of the MAHA movement, those have them worried.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We currently have our current vaccine schedule based upon a lot of people who know a heck of a lot looking at things not to make mandates but to make recommendations.
KENNEDY JR.: It makes no sense to have fluoride in our water.
GUPTA: This year, we saw some states take steps to ban fluoride in their water supply. Dentists and other public health experts worry that its removal will increase cavities, especially for people without access to regular dental care. But supporters of these bans point to studies that found children exposed to higher fluoride levels have lower IQs and more neurobehavioral issues.
[09:50:14]
But as with so many things this year, there is important nuance. Those studies looked at levels much higher, almost double than the levels found in the majority of public water systems. In fact, another study found that fluoride at the recommended levels in drinking water did not negatively affect cognitive ability.
DR. MARTY MARKARY, FDA COMMISSIONER: There may be no other medication in the modern era that can improve the health outcomes of women on a population level than hormone replacement therapy.
GUPTA: In November, the FDA announced that it was taking steps to remove what is known as a black box warning for many hormone treatments for women with menopause symptoms. Now, while this change is expected to give women more options for treatments, I do want to stress that it needs to still start with a conversation with your doctor.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: President Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. today publicly linking the rise in the number of cases of autism to the use of acetaminophen or Tylenol by women during pregnancy.
KENNEDY JR.: Today, the FDA will issue physician's notice about the risk of acetaminophen during pregnancy and begin the process to initiate a safety label change.
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Don't take Tylenol. Don't take it.
GUPTA: Now, the FDA was much more nuanced in its warning, saying that pregnant women should use the lowest effective dose for the shortest necessary duration and only when treatment is required. However, there is decades of evidence that Tylenol or acetaminophen is among the safest options for pregnant women dealing with fever or pain, and that it does not cause autism.
DR. EDITH BRACHO-SANCHEZ, PRIMARY CARE PEDIATRICIAN: I understand the risk of a fever in pregnancy, which is risk of miscarriage, risk of birth defects, and I said, no way am I taking that risk.
TIM ANDREWS: It may shorten your life, but you're going to do something for humanity.
GUPTA: This year, we follow the courageous journey of Tim Andrews, the fourth living patient in the United States, to get a genetically modified pig kidney transplant. It's a process known as xenotransplant.
ANDREWS: And the little pig is right there. So I can pat it.
GUPTA: Tim lived with a pig kidney for a record 271 days. And while he did have to have it removed, his case helps move this field farther into the future, especially as larger scale human clinical trials are just on the horizon.
When do you think this might be available for the average person?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think less than five years.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: We just learned that Robert Kennedy, Jr., the Secretary of Health and Human Services, will announce huge layoffs today. Some 10,000 jobs across the agency. And this comes on top of some 10,000 employees who left the department voluntarily.
GUPTA: Thousands of jobs, billions of dollars in research funding stripped. It's almost unimaginable to predict the long-term impacts of the Trump administration's cuts to public health.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is going to make it more challenging to bring the best new treatments for children with cancer.
GUPTA: And the cuts extended beyond America's shores.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Withdrawing from the World Health Organization, sir?
GUPTA: Global programs like GAVI and USAID also had funding pulled by the administration.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please just give us medication. We still want to survive.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In Milwaukee, one kid was found to have really elevated blood lead levels. And that sparked this whole public health investigation.
GUPTA: And that investigation led them to Milwaukee's public schools and several other children who had elevated blood lead levels. For the first time, they were able to link lead poisoning in children to the city's aging schools. The problem we found when traveling there is that most of the school buildings were built before 1978. That's before lead paint was banned.
And to further complicate the city's efforts to handle this crisis, those cuts I was just talking about that left the city without federal support.
DR. MICHAEL TOTORAITIS, MILWAUKEE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH: Investigation into the potential chronic exposures of students at the districts is a part that were really looking to the CDC to help us with. And unfortunately, HHS had laid off that entire team for childhood lead exposure. These are the best and brightest minds in these areas around lead poisoning, and now they're gone.
SIDNER: The FDA just did something that could be a game changer for people living with pain.
GUPTA: For the first time in more than 25 years, the agency approved a new class of pain medication. It's called Suzetrigine. It's not an opioid. It works by preventing pain signaling nerves around the body from firing in the first place. So that message of pain never makes it to the brain.
And even cooler. This medication was actually discovered after researchers learned about a family of fire walkers in Pakistan that lacked a gene allowing those pain signals to be sent. Those people, they could walk on hot coals without flinching.
[09:55:12]
A new FDA approved blood test could help diagnose Alzheimer's by detecting certain biomarkers of the disease. It will still need to be used alongside other diagnostic tools like neurological exams and brain imaging, but for preventive. Neurologist Dr. Richard Isaacson says that he thinks blood tests will be a great new option for screening.
DR. RICHARD ISAACSON, NEUROLOGIST: I believe this is a screening test that may predict if a person is going to be more likely to be on the road to Alzheimer's or dementia in 10, 20, 30 to 40 years. GUPTA: And that means patients including myself who went through a
battery of tests with Isaacson can get a baseline for their risk. And they can also track their progress while applying certain lifestyle interventions.
ISAACSON: Your numbers went from to now working faster and better than your age. You're actually six years younger than your age.
GUPTA: Have you ever seen measles before?
DR. JENNIFER SHUFORD, COMMISSIONER, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES: No. And I'm an infectious disease physician. I've never diagnosed a case.
GUPTA: That's incredible.
SHUFORD: It's because, you know, measles was declared eliminated from the United States back in the year 2000 because of the effectiveness of that vaccine.
GUPTA: A measles outbreak that started in Texas earlier this year. It signaled a worrying trend as cases continue to grow across the country, putting the U.S.'s elimination status in jeopardy. But this is also symbolic of the larger fight over vaccines, especially as the RFK appointed members of the highly influential vaccine Advisory Committee to the CDC has pledged to reexamine the entire vaccine schedule, even for shots that have long established safety records.
DR. PAUL OFFIT, DIRECTOR, VACCINE EDUCATION CENTER AT CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA: The ACIP is full of people who are anti vaccine activists and science denialists. So you know that the decisions that they're going to be making are not science based.
GUPTA: As always, we'll continue our reporting and we'll bring you everything you need to know when it comes to your health in 2026. See you next year.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BOLDUAN: And we are almost there, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Thank you so much to Sanjay and out team.
SIDNER: Few more days. But only a few more seconds for us because guess who's taken over, The Situation Room, up next.
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