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U.S. Launches Deadly Strikes on ISIS Terrorists in Nigeria; Jim Beam Pausing Production at Main Kentucky Distillery; How to Beat the Flu as Cases Continue Rising; Underwater Drug Trafficking Becoming More Sophisticated. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired December 26, 2025 - 14:30   ET

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

[14:30:00]

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says there is, quote, more to come after the U.S. launched strikes on ISIS targets in Nigeria on Christmas. He didn't elaborate on what that more is that he was referring to. A U.S. official tells CNN the strikes in northwestern Nigeria included tomahawk missiles fired from a Navy vessel that struck two ISIS camps. And we are now seeing some new images of police in that region examining a small crater with burned areas. U.S. military officials do report multiple terrorists they say were killed in that attack.

CNN National Security Analyst Beth Sander joins me now. Beth, it's always good to talk to you and get your perspective on moments like this. So the Nigerian foreign minister telling CNN this was a collaborative effort between the U.S. and his country, Nigeria's president gave the go ahead before the strikes took place. But the fact that we hear Pete Hegseth saying there is more to come, what could that more look like in your view?

BETH SANNER, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Yes. Well, it could look like more strikes in that particular region. But in northwest Nigeria, where the strike took place is actually not the hotbed of kind of Islamic attacks as much as the northeast.

And viewers may recognize the name Boko Haram, but there's another ISIS affiliate there as well that is doing quite a bit of damage in the northeast. So we could see this shift to the northeast where there are these bigger, more established groups, maybe more targets, because in the northwest where this took place, really, this isn't the place where there are a lot of attacks on Christians from this from the Islamic groups. But it is a place where the United States and Nigeria want to prevent the encroachment of these larger Islamic groups and the affiliations that are going on in the neighboring countries where where this kind -- these kinds of attacks are at really heightened pitch.

HILL: It's so interesting because we do have officials from both countries saying, yes, you know, this was a collaborative effort. The Nigerian president gave the go ahead. But the reasoning for these strikes is different because the U.S. and President Trump, very clear this was about Christianity, frankly, and Nigerian officials saying very clearly this is not about religion. This is about terrorism. This is about public safety. When you have these sort of for these differing reasons behind this action, what does that say about future collaboration?

[14:35:00]

SANNER: Well, I think the United States understands that there's a bigger terrorist threat in the region and an Islamic threat that threatens stability in the region. I think that that is something that is understood by the military and probably understood very well by the White House.

But the messaging here, to me, is about domestic messaging. It's about messaging to, you know, to the Republican base where this idea of protecting Christians is very, very heartfelt. And and these are real things happening.

It's just that in Nigeria, a very ethnically and religiously diverse country where people are split about equally between Christians and Muslims, there are as many, actually more attacks against Muslims.

HILL: Right. There is certainly a lot to focus on in that region. We're going to continue to cover it.

I do, though, before I let you go, Beth, I do want to get your take on what we're seeing in Israel, what we're seeing in Gaza. We know that Prime Minister Netanyahu set to meet with President Trump in Florida on Monday. What's interesting to me is everything that is playing out at once.

There is so much focus, rightfully so, on Gaza. But the fact that we now have 12 European countries plus Canada and Japan condemning Israel's latest approval of new settlements in the West Bank, with all of this happening at once and the increase in activity in the West Bank, how does it figure into the negotiations about Gaza and further implementing that peace plan?

SANNER: Yes, it is very linked because for two reasons. One is Defense Minister Katz said earlier this week that they were going to extend Israeli settlements inside Gaza on the side of the yellow line that Israel controls. He then quickly retracted it, but then again doubled down on that today.

So these things are very linked from that perspective. And also because moving forward in terms of the whole idea of peace in the region depends on this idea of a Palestinian state. That is what the Saudis say. We're not going to recognize Israel without some credible path.

But this is an effort not just by settlers, but by members of Netanyahu's government to actually create facts on the ground that prevent any prospect for a pathway to a real Palestinian state. And so you can't separate these things out.

And, you know, meanwhile, every single day there's violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, multiple cases, and they really go generally without any punishment or retribution from -- or any punishment from the government. And in many cases are, you know, encouraged by the far right wing members.

HILL: Yes, certainly important to keep an eye on activity in both areas. Beth, really appreciate it as always. Thank you.

Bit of a challenging holiday season for America's liquor industry. Jim Beam announcing plans to shut down production. Why?

We'll take a closer look at why some distillers are concerned about their industry moving forward.

[14:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: The barrels are piling up at some Kentucky distilleries. This week, popular bourbon maker Jim Beam announced plans to pause production at its main distillery starting January 1st.

Jim Beam's parent company, Suntory Global Spirits, says for now it will continue bottling and warehousing at its other facilities. But this could be a symptom of a much larger issue in the industry. Whiskey and spirit makers have been hit hard by retaliatory tariffs from President Trump's trade war, also from a dip in consumer spending this year.

And that is raising some questions about the future of the market. Joining me now, whiskey critic Fred Minnick, who's the author of the upcoming book "Bottom Shelf, How a Forgotten Brand of Bourbon Saved One Man's Life." Fred, it's good to have you and to help us put some perspective on this.

How big of a move --

FRED MINNICK, WHISKEY CRITIC: Absolutely.

HILL: -- is this from Jim Beam?

MINNICK: Well, this is a strategic move. It's a very sad day in Kentucky. But the fact is, is the sales are not there and they're basically planning for what is ahead.

And the bourbon industry, they have to think three, four, six years ahead. So they're actually making a move today that probably prevents layoffs, you know, this time next year.

HILL: It still feels like a pretty significant move. As I understand it, yes, there's a tariff element to it. There's also a COVID correction element to it.

MINNICK: Yes.

HILL: There's the fact that just in general, people are drinking less. Is it sort of a perfect storm then?

MINNICK: Yes, there's all kinds of things. Tariffs make a big play into it. But also the millennials drink so much that we just expected this new generation to come out and consume as much as the millennials.

But they'd rather pop a gummy and sit on a couch than drink bourbon. And when they do, they want to get something that's a little higher end than Jim Beam made proof. So the brands that are really at risk here are those that are like lower proofs, that are more of what we would consider to be value brands.

People are still drinking bourbon and in large quantities, but they're going for like the Knob Creek 21-year-old over like Jim Beam White Label and Jack Daniels Black Label. So all these companies that are basically focusing on volume plays, they're very much at risk here. But a company like Sazerac and Heaven Hill, some larger companies like that, that really focus on the super premiums, they're in good shape.

HILL: Which is interesting because it seems that that's the same conversation we have when we talk about the economy, right? Spending is still happening for people who are buying, perhaps have more disposable income and are buying more premium brands. And it's at the lower end sometimes of the economy where you're really starting to feel it.

Talk to me about the impact on the local community. If production is shutting down for a year, what does that mean?

MINNICK: Well, we've already seen the local community has already taken a lot of hits. There's been groupages shut down. There's been layoffs in a lot of the cottage industries.

But when it comes to the local community here in Kentucky, one of the things that's still striving is tourism. So there are people who still take their bachelor parties or bachelorette parties and they hit the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

[14:45:00]

So that's one thing that's still pretty strong.

And the Jim Beam Experience Center, it's still open. They're still going to have those tours. They're just not going to be operating there at their Claremont facility. They do have another distillery called the Booker Noe Distillery that's able to take on a lot of that production as well. So the local community has felt it for sure, but it's not as bad as you would expect it to be.

HILL: How much do you think the message is getting through for the portion of this that is related? So you said there are multiple factors here, but part of it is related --

MINNICK: Yes.

HILL: -- to tariffs. How much do you think that message is getting through in Washington about the impact?

MINNICK: Well, I know this, that the Kentucky Distillers Association and the Distilled Spirits Council, I mean, they're calling up Mitch McConnell, President Trump, you know, all the time. Like, they've had meetings with the vice presidents before. They have been in constant communication.

There's actually a whole effort called Toast and Not Tariffs that's basically trying to get to every lawmaker they can to kind of like ease these tariffs. And when Canada issued a boycott on American spirits, that's when everything really started to change. People don't realize how important Canada was for American whiskey, but they are such a big consumer of American whiskey.

And when they started issuing boycotts throughout their provinces, that was really felt in the sales departments.

HILL: Yes, I was just reading a story, I think it was last week, about a bar in Canada selling up the last of its American spirits. There was nothing because of that boycott and how much things had changed in those months.

MINNICK: Yes.

HILL: Fred, it's really good to have you help us put this in perspective. We'll continue to follow it. Thank you.

MINNICK: Cheers.

HILL: Turning now to some of the headlines we're watching for you at this hour. Here in the Northeast, we are bracing for a post-Christmas snowstorm that could really complicate potential holiday travel. New York City and Philadelphia could see snow and sleet starting within just the next couple of hours.

By tonight, the Big Apple could be blanketed by, if you look at some models, as much as nine inches of snow. 23 million people now in the tri-state area are under winter storm warnings.

An emotional Christmas night at Arrowhead Stadium as the Kansas City Chiefs lost what could very well be Travis Kelce's final home game.

The star tight end had spent a cornerstone of the Chiefs organization for more than a decade. He contemplated retiring after last season before ultimately deciding to return. After yesterday's game though, he was asked if he would consider stepping away from the sport.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRAVIS KELCE, TIGHT END, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: No, the only time it ever crossed my mind is I was driving in the other day and I saw how much the Powerball was. And I was like, man, if I could just win that, I wouldn't have to work another day of my life.

Honestly, I've been just focused on trying to win football games, man. I let that be a decision that I make with my family, friends, the Chiefs organization when the time comes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Well, and it turns out Santa, he's just like some of us. An Ohio Sheriff's Department sharing this video of the moment Santa and Mrs. Claus were pulled over for speeding.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Santa has a CCW?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, you have it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Santa with a concealed carry and a lead foot, it turns out. The Sheriff's Department says the pair were let go with a warning to slow down.

All right, speeding around town, the flu, and it's not too late to get your flu shot. That is the good news.

If the virus though does strike, you might find some relief with Tamiflu. It's a medication we've come to hear a lot about, but while it's widely prescribed to treat the flu, it turns out it's not your only option.

CNN Health reporter Jacqueline Howard has a closer look now at some of the other possibilities we could turn to.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JACQUELINE HOUSE, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: The CDC recommends four different antiviral flu medications for this flu season. One of them is Tamiflu. That one's already widely used, widely available.

It's typically taken twice daily over the course of five days, and it can be administered either in pill form or liquid form. It's approved for nearly everyone ages two weeks and older.

Now, there's also Relenza. This is typically inhaled as powder form. It's approved for ages seven and older.

There's also Rapivab. It's an IV infusion for ages six months and older.

And there's Xofluza. Now, this is a single-dose pill, and it's approved for ages five and older. And Xofluza is growing in popularity because of that convenience of having just one dose to take, and then you should be good to go.

Now, if you have flu symptoms, it's important to get tested. If you test positive, call your doctor right away because all of those antiviral medications, they are prescription drugs, so you do need to be prescribed the treatment.

[14:50:00]

And once you're prescribed, it's important to start your treatment as soon as possible because these medications work best when taken within the first 48 hours after your symptoms start. And again, while Tamiflu is widely popular, Xofluza is becoming more well-known. There are slight differences. The side effects associated with Tamiflu are typically nausea and vomiting. But with Xofluza, most people typically experience nausea and diarrhea.

Now, Tamiflu does tend to cost less than Xofluza, but with Xofluza, you could look into getting manufacturer coupons to help lessen the cost. And for both medications, they do work prophylactically as well. So if you've been exposed to the flu virus or if someone in your household has the flu, your doctor may prescribe either medication to help reduce your risk of getting sick as well.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: All right, Jacqueline, appreciate it. Thank you.

A new weapon in the cartel's drug war, submarines carrying narcotics to new markets thousands of miles away. We have a closer look at the fight to stop these subs and how smugglers are often still one step ahead of the authorities. That's after this quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: The U.S. military's fight to track and disrupt the flow of drugs is entering a new phase as traffickers are becoming more sophisticated, releasing so-called narco-subs beneath the ocean's surface. CNN's Patrick Oppmann reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT AND HAVANA BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): U.S. Coast Guardsmen race to board a so-called narco-sub in Eastern Pacific with 17,000 pounds of cocaine aboard. They don't have a moment to lose. Drug traffickers will often flood and sink the vessels before law enforcement can seize the illicit cargo they transport.

Since this 2019 incident, officials say the phenomenon of DIY subs built to traffic narcotics and the distances they travel have increased dramatically.

JOSE FERREIRA, MARITIME ANALYSIS AND OPERATIONS CENTER: This is a modus operandi that the criminal groups are now using a lot more and more. It's a clearly growing threat towards Europe and it's very hard for us not just to detect but also to interdict.

OPPMANN (voice-over): Experts say narco-subs travel just under the surface of the water and are painted to match the color of the ocean. They're often built in mangroves near the ocean in South America where thick tree cover hides them from law enforcement and satellite surveillance. Increasingly, the narco-subs are traveling to new markets thousands of miles from where they are assembled.

Last month, this narco-sub, believed to have crossed the Atlantic from South America, was seized off the coast of Portugal with nearly two tons of cocaine aboard. Portuguese police arrested the four main crew aboard. Even though narco-subs can cost up to $1 million to build, maritime authorities say they're often discarded after only one successful drug run.

In January, police discovered this sunken sub mysteriously abandoned near the coast of Spain. Police divers managed to raise the damaged sub and towed it into port as potential evidence. Increasingly, alleged smugglers transporting drugs by sea face a new threat.

In October, the U.S. military destroyed the suspected narco-sub in the Caribbean.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That was a drug-carrying submarine built specifically for the transportation of massive amounts of drugs. Just so you understand, this was not an innocent group of people. I don't know too many people that have submarines.

OPPMANN: Two alleged crew members of the sub were killed in the strike. Two survivors were transported to their home countries where they were released for lack of evidence. The threat of U.S. strikes is an added danger to an already risky profession.

HENRY SHULDINER, INSIGHT CRIME: There's many, many risks that can happen, whether it's a mechanical failure, whether it's rough seas, you know, bad weather that they encounter, law enforcement. You know, if something goes wrong, there's almost no margin for survival.

OPPMANN: But once again, the smugglers knack for adaptation may be one step ahead. In July, the Colombian Navy seized what they say was an unmanned narco-sub, equipped with a star-like dish. Soon, counter- narcotics officials say drug cartels may deliver their dangerous contraband across oceans by remote control.

Patrick Oppmann, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: Chevy Chase helped define a generation of comedy and became a widely recognized name, from his early days on SNL to his turn as a movie star and the sometimes complicated moments in his private life. The CNN film "I'M CHEVY CHASE AND YOU'RE NOT" explores the man both on and off the screen with candid interviews, including from Chevy himself and those who know him best. The film boldly explores the life and the career of an unforgettable comedy icon.

Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lorne Michaels, when he's given the job to develop a show for Saturday nights, he's got a blank slate.

LORNE MICHAELS, CREATOR AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE: I'd spent my 20s in a television studio, so I was comfortable in that environment. We were just filled with possibility of what we could do and what we couldn't do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I met with Lorne, he described this new show. It spun my head around, said it would be live, be 11:30 to one on Saturday night. I go, what? Who's going to watch that?

You know, angry people, people who are not getting laid.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got a call. Lorne said, do you want to start this show with me?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you could try to look at me instead of looking directly at the camera, unless you --

CHEVY CHASE, ACTOR, COMEDIAN: It's hard for me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why?

CHASE: Because I invented weekend updates so I could look in the camera.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: "I'M CHEVY CHASE ...

END