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U.S. Launches Deadly Strikes on ISIS Terrorists in Nigeria; Trump Says U.S. Struck ISIS in Nigeria to Stop Christian Killings; More Rescues in California as Final Round of Heavy Rain Hits; CA Mom Pleads Not Guilty to Murdering Her 9-Year-Old Daughter; $1.8 Billion Powerball Jackpot Won on Christmas Eve in Arkansas. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired December 26, 2025 - 15:00   ET

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

CHEVY CHASE: It's hard for me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why?

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

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ERICA HILL: CNN HOST: "I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not" premieres right here on New Year's Day, 8 P.M. Eastern. And you can also catch it the next day on the CNN app.

A new hour of CNN News Central starts right now.

Deadly U.S. Strikes; President Trump says he ordered a Christmas night attack on ISIS targets in Nigeria, who he accuses of killing Christians. Now Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warns there is, quote, "more to come."

Plus, Mar-a-Lago meeting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy he'll sit down with President Trump in Florida on Sunday while signaling new progress and talks to end Russia's war.

And worried about making and then quickly breaking your New Year's resolutions? How about you think less about the resolution, more about the theme? That's a little trick for 2026, still ahead.

We're following these major developing stories and many more coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

Good to have you with us this hour. I'm Erica Hill in New York. Boris and Brianna are off today. Well, the new year is now just a matter of days away. For President Trump, though, some big foreign policy decisions may still be left in 2025. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he'll be heading to Florida to discuss peace plans with Trump on Sunday. And there's new reporting in Axios today that Zelenskyy is ready for a referendum. We're waiting to hear more from the White House on this.

Meantime, we're also closely following developments with those deadly strikes carried out by the U.S. military overnight targeting ISIS in Nigeria. CNN's Kevin Liptak is near Mar-a-Lago, where the President, of course, is spending his holidays.

So, Kevin, first of all, walk us through what we know at this hour about these strikes in Africa.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. And what the President says is that these were, quote, perfect strikes. I'm told it involved more than a dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from a U.S. Navy vessel directed towards two ISIS camps in the northwestern part of Nigeria in Sokoto state.

What U.S. Africa Command says is that multiple terrorists were killed as part of these strikes. And what we've heard from the Nigerian government is that they were consulted. And I think that's significant, because in the past, Nigerian officials have bristled somewhat at President Trump's suggestion that the U.S. could interfere in Nigeria and intervene in what he calls the slaughter of Christians there. And this has been something that the President is talking about for some weeks now.

Just back in November, he ordered the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, to come up with options for the U.S. to get involved here. He said that the U.S. would go in, quote, "guns a-blazing" if the country didn't do more to protect Christians.

Now, the security status in Nigeria is highly complex. You know, both Christians and Muslims have been the target of violence, and it has been due to a host of different reasons, religious persecution, to be sure, but also just normal crime, disputes between herders and farmers over land and limited resources. It's a very complicated security situation. And, in fact, where these -- these strikes occurred in Sokoto state is actually a majority Muslim part of the country.

And so, I think there are still some questions about what particular group that the U.S. was targeting, and also what actually happened on the ground there. You hear reports from one village when they say that some of these missiles just sort of landed in a field, and they themselves did not witness any casualties, so still some information to be ascertained from Nigeria about what exactly happened here.

At least for President Trump, he says that this might not be the end of it. In his post on Truth Social, where he announced it, he said that there could be many more strikes and many more terrorists killed if, quote, "their slaughter of Christians continues." Erica.

HILL: So, we'll be continuing to watch. Meantime, I did want to ask you about this meeting with President Zelenskyy, which he has announced he'll be meeting with President Trump on Sunday. What more do we know about where things stand in terms of these negotiations to end the war in Ukraine?

LIPTAK: Well, they really do seem to be heating up. Remember, it wasn't that long ago, I think it was only a matter of weeks, that President Trump said he did not think a meeting with Zelenskyy would be useful unless they are close to reaching a peace deal, unless that deal is close at hand. Now that this meeting seems to be put on the books, it does, I think, signal some significant progress being made. And those talks have been kind of heating up over the last several days, including down here in Florida.

[15:05:02]

The President's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, meeting with the delegation of Ukrainians, also meeting with a delegate from Moscow to discuss this multipoint plan that the President has put on the table. We heard from American officials a couple weeks ago that they were 90 percent there. But it is that 10 percent that continues to be a huge sticking point. One, you have the status of the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia that's yet to be resolved.

But also -- and the biggest thing is this question of territorial concessions. You know, all -- all sides seem to agree that Zelenskyy will have to cede some territory to Russia in order for this war to end. Moscow has not backed off some of the maximalist demands they have as part of this conflict, namely that Ukraine give up the entire Donbass region.

And so how all of that has worked out is certainly something that's going to be discussed on Sunday. What we've heard from Zelenskyy in that interview with Axios is that he's ready to put this peace plan up for a referendum as long as Moscow agrees to a ceasefire. Erica.

HILL: And that is a big if. We'll continue to watch that space. Kevin, appreciate it. Thank you.

The rescues are frankly just incredible amid the record-breaking rainfall in Southern California, including -- take a look at this -- this Los Angeles County fire helicopter, I think we have that video for you where it moves in low, hovers over a roof to lift residents safety to safety in the Pinyon Hills. Their neighbor, Cody Burgess (ph), telling CNN at one point he could actually see the mud in the water flowing out of the windows of the home. He says in his view, there's no way the fire crews would have been able to get to that family on foot. We'll try to find that video for you.

Meantime, take a look at some of these images. This is what's been left behind. You see, that's a car there just covered in mud. These back-to-back storms have left homes and cars encased in mud, prompting forced evacuations, countless water rescues.

The images you're looking at are from the town of Wrightwood, also in Southern California. Ashley Cron is a business owner there, and she's joining us now by power -- by the phone rather because power is out in her area.

First of all, just how are you doing right now?

ASHLEY CRON, BUSINESS OWNER, WRIGHTWOOD, CALIFORNIA: We're holding up. We're okay. We don't have any power until Tuesday. So, a lot of our neighbors have been sticking together and helping each other out.

HILL: Yes, understandably, and no power. I understand your water may be compromised as well.

CRON: Yes. Some of the channels that take our water off of the mountain got really full and the force of the water had actually knocked out a couple of fire hydrants, therefore contaminating our water source. And so, we've been advised to boil or filter our water before use.

HILL: Wow. I was speaking earlier this afternoon with someone from the San Bernardino Fire Department who was talking about just -- I mean, just the damage that they've seen, at least 50 homes destroyed. This is a community of correct me if I'm wrong, but about 5,000 people. Have you been in touch? Have you been able to talk to many of your neighbors or people that you know in town?

CRON: Yes, I've driven through town multiple times and I've gone by the gas station where I've seen a lot of people there. Everybody's doing what they can to help each other out. I mean, we have a lot of road crews that have been up here trying to clear the roads and Edison's (ph) working on our power backups to get that going. But we haven't received much in assistance for food and water for some of our elderly up here.

HILL: Which are really getting -- I mean, images are just -- I am struck. I have been looking at these all day long and I'm still struck every time I see them. Just the force of that water, these muds. I mean, I know that you all knew things were coming, but did you have any sense it could be this devastating?

CRON: No, not to this extreme. I've lived here for 37 years and I've never seen it like this before.

HILL: You, I know, are a small business owner. You have a cigar and a gift shop. How is your business?

CRON: It's okay. A little bit of water got in through the back door, but not much to do any damage.

HILL: Okay.

CRON: I could go by and check on that yesterday. It is currently raining again, though, now, so I'll go check on it again pretty soon.

HILL: Yes, which is the last thing that you want to see I'm sure. I know you said the power is supposed to be back on Tuesday. There is clearly a lot of cleanup that's going to be needed. Days, weeks, months ahead.

CRON: Yes.

HILL: I know you said the community is checking in on one another. I mean, how important is that going to be moving forward that this -- that this community does, you know, continue to stick together and -- and the resilience of your neighbors?

CRON: We always have -- we've always -- we've gone through blizzards before and -- and we've been evacuated multiple times for fires. This is just something that's very new for us. We've never had this happen before. HILL: Yes. You also -- real quickly before I let you go, you mentioned

some of the elderly population in town that they need assistance with food, with water, probably with getting things to them. What else? You know, because there are a lot of people watching right now. What else is needed in Wrightwood right now?

CRON: Blankets, any kind of generators, heat. A lot of people's houses have were gas based for our heat and for stoves and everything.

[15:10:06]

But, you know, like my house personally is -- got four feet. Where the electricity is what pushes it through the vents in the house, so I have no heat in my house. We only can survive on fires. And so, firewood getting scarce because everybody's trying to pass out firewood with everybody else and so we've got limited resources up here, but we're doing the best we can.

HILL: Yes. All right. Ashley, I appreciate you taking the time to join us and best of luck to things as things move forward.

CRON: Thank you.

HILL: And I hope you get a little bit more of that and hopefully the power comes back ideally before Tuesday. But at least then appreciate ...

CRON: We're all hoping.

HILL: Yes.

CRON: Thank you.

HILL: Still to come here -- still ahead here, a mother accused of killing her daughter during a cross-country road trip makes her first court appearance. How investigators were finally able to find the body of nine-year-old, Melodee Buzzard.

And new details about a major drug bust in Kentucky. Police discovering more than 50 pounds of meth wrapped as Christmas presents. What tipped the officers off that and much more coming up on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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[15:15:11]

HILL: A Central California woman accused of killing her nine-year-old daughter has pleaded not guilty to a first-degree murder charge. Ashlee Buzzard entering that plea during her first court appearance following Tuesday's arrest. Prosecutors say she shot her daughter, Melodee, in October and then left her body alongside a remote road in southern Utah before driving back to California. Authorities say a local couple walking in the area discovered Melodee's decomposing remains on December 6th. CNN Senior Correspondent Josh Campbell is here with more on today's hearing. Josh, what more did we hear?

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: So, this was -- oh, go ahead, sorry.

HILL: No, go ahead.

CAMPBELL: Yes, sorry, I interrupted you there. Yes, this is very brief, Erica. She came into court. She was dressed in civilian attire. The judge asked her whether she would like to enter a plea. Her attorney said that the plea is not guilty. Interestingly, she is being held with no bail. The next hearing in this case will be scheduled for January 7th.

As you mentioned, very serious charges here. She's accused of murdering her young daughter, the nine-year-old girl who was missing, Melodee Buzzard. This started in October when it was the girl's school. They called police because they hadn't seen her for some time. Authorities launched an investigation. They determined that the couple had engaged in this long road trip from California as far east as Nebraska. They released CCTV footage images from different businesses that showed both the mother and the daughter in this kind of clumsy disguise wearing wigs. They said that the license plates on the rental car, they were swapped out. The mom came back to California. The young girl was not with her.

Now, there was a recent development in the case. I'll let you hear from the sheriff in Santa Barbara County explaining how the girl's remains were found in the state of Utah.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF BILL BROWN, SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: Members of the Wayne County Sheriff's Office in Utah responded to a call from a man and a woman who were taking photos. This couple had discovered the decomposed body of a deceased person. The FBI Crime Lab notified our agency that DNA analysis had determined that the remains found in Utah were a familial DNA match to Ashlee Buzzard.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMPBELL: So, just a tragic ending to this missing persons case. It is worth noting CNN has reached out to the public defender representing Ashlee Buzzard for comments. Still no word on motive right now, but one last piece of evidence we did learn from investigators, Erica, is that authorities say that ammunition found at the crime scene allegedly matches ammunition found at the Buzzard family home.

HILL: This is an important detail. We also, Josh, the judge has issued a gag order in this case. Why?

CAMPBELL: You know, it's interesting, so this was at the request of the defense. They don't want the sheriff's department there in Santa Barbara County to be able to speak about this case as it moves forward. Now, there wasn't an indication of why, but all we have to do is look back at that press conference earlier this week. The sheriff there in Santa Barbara was quite forceful likely unapologetic in calling this a heinous crime. Using his words, he described this as calculated, heartless, ruthless, cold-blooded murder.

Now, judges can be conservative in these cases, especially high- profile cases. They want to ensure that a defendant can get a jury that isn't tainted or has some kind of preconceived view of the case. And so, the judge did issue a temporary gag order. The sheriff's department is no longer able to talk about certain aspects of this case moving forward until this case, you know, moves forward into trial.

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

CAMPBELL: You bet.

HILL: When we come back here, one lucky person in Arkansas, talk about a life-changing Christmas when you're the person with the winning $1.8 billion Powerball ticket.

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[15:23:15]

HILL: One lucky Powerball player celebrating the second largest lottery win in U.S. history. That winning ticket for the $1.8 billion jackpot was sold on Christmas Eve at a gas station in Cabot, Arkansas. CNN's Rafael Romo joins us from that station.

I know you're hoping the good luck will rub off, perhaps, on you. What more do we know about the winner, Rafael?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Erica, that's the thing. We don't know anything and by Arkansas law, they're not obligated to let us know who that person is. Because they can keep the person anonymous for as long as three years. And the lucky winner, or winners, it could have been a group of people as well, bought their ticket at this Murphy USA gas station. We are, you mentioned it, at Cabot, Arkansas. Population 27,000. Located about 25 miles northeast of Little Rock.

I've been talking to people here, and what they tell me is that they used to feel like they never won anything. Well, now they say that has surely changed. The winning ticket was sold at this Murphy USA gas station behind me. According to Powerball, the jackpot on Christmas Eve was $1.8 billion, with a B, with an option to take a one-time payout of almost $835 million, making it the second largest U.S. lottery jackpot ever. The winner, or winners, will have to go to the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery's downtown office, claim their prize within 180 days of the drawing.

What should the lucky winner be doing right now? That -- people are asking that question. Well, this is what Sharon Strong, the executive director of the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery, and an attorney herself, told me about that.

[15:25:03]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHARON STRONG, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ARKANSAS SCHOLARSHIP LOTTERY: I would be talking with my attorney. I would be talking with my financial advisor. I would probably get some accounts set up to invest that money, and to, you know, maybe set up a trust. I would definitely lock the ticket away in a safe place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: And Erica, the store that sells the winning ticket gets here in Arkansas a 1 percent commission on the prize, but that commission is capped, unfortunately, for them at $50,000, which is the amount this Murphy USA gas station will get. Arkansas is one of a growing number of states that allow lottery winners to remain anonymous. We were talking about it before. Since 2021, the state has allowed winners of prizes over a half a million dollars to shield their identities, though those names become public after three years.

And we were talking about it before, Erica, that this store is lucky one, so I couldn't help it. I had to get a couple of tickets myself.

HILL: All right. Well, my fingers are crossed for you, my friend. I do hope you win a little something. We should point out ...

ROMO: Thank you.

HILL: ... even though people didn't get that big $1.8 billion jackpot, there were some other fairly significant early Christmas presents, I guess we could say.

ROMO: Yes, that's right. Eight people won a million dollars. A number of people got $100,000. There were some smaller prizes at $50,000. Honestly, I would have taken any of those, Erica. You know, Christmas, the holidays, a little bit of tear with that.

HILL: Yes. You know what? You might have a winner in your hand there. So, keep us posted. Good to see you. Thank you.

ROMO: You, too.

HILL: And still to come here, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he will be meeting with President Trump in Florida this weekend. So, could a peace plan be close to becoming reality? We'll discuss next.

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