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House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler Offers President Trump Opportunity to Participate in Impeachment Hearings; Civilians Subdue Terrorist in London; Joe Biden to Campaign in Iowa; Search Underway for Three Children Swept Away by Flood Waters in Arizona; Storms Likely to Disrupt Travel in U.S.; Republican Challenger to Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) Banned from Twitter after Posting Potentially Violent Tweets; Iraq's Prime Minister Resigns in Response to Ongoing Protests; Violent Arrest in Chicago Under Investigation after Video Released. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired November 30, 2019 - 10:00   ET

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

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[10:00:13]

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, 10:00 is the hour, Saturday, November 30th. The date tomorrow, December 1st.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: The 1st.

PAUL: I'm Christi Paul. We're glad to have you here.

SAVIDGE: And I'm Martin Savidge. You are in the CNN Newsroom.

The top stories this morning, video that you have to see in order to believe. Bystanders tackling the London Bridge terrorist with a fire extinguisher and a narwhal whale tusk. Plus, new details about the terrorist's jihadi past and his part in a plot to blow up the London Stock Exchange.

PAUL: And the impeachment inquiry moves to a new phase. The president this week facing a deadline to decide whether he wants a lawyer to represent him in those hearings. The Democrats are trying to convince a skeptical public, meanwhile, that the president deserves to lose his job.

SAVIDGE: Also ahead, because surviving dinner, Thanksgiving at least, wasn't hard enough, the weather now threatening to spoil travel home for tens of thousands across the country.

We begin with the latest developments out of London, the scene of a deadly terror attack.

PAUL: We want to share with you some of the new video that we're getting in. This is the moment a group of London residents confronted the man suspected of carrying out the attacks. Do you see the one man there? Remember the suspect is armed with a knife, but these others, they grabbed whatever they could. One man used a fire extinguisher, but do you see the other man with the narwhal tusk there? SAVIDGE: At times, this may have seemed comical, but it actually was

a life and death struggle that was playing out before the eyes of not only Londoners, but many tourists as well.

PAUL: Meanwhile, London police say the suspect did have links now to a radical Islamist group that's banned in Britain. Phil Black joining us from London now. So talk to us, Phil, about the new information you're learning regarding the suspect's background.

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Christie and Martin, good morning. So what we understand of the suspect is that he was a known, or really a convicted terrorist, someone who back in 2012 had been convicted of terror offenses, planning, financing, supporting terrorism, someone who wanted to establish a terror training camp overseas, who was then released on license, as they describe here, essentially a form of probation. He was still being tracked and monitored, including with an electronic tag. But all of that was not enough to stop him from carrying out that attack.

Through his actions, killing two people, hurting three others, he has created a lot of headlines, obviously, but equally there is a great deal of interest in the members of the public who acted very quickly and decisively to stop him, seemingly without any great concern for their own safety.

And as you touched on, some of those people who were incredibly quick thinking, improvising with whatever they had to hand. One person used a fire extinguisher, blasting the attacker in the face with that, while another took from a wall a narwhal tusk, that is the long single tusk of a small arctic whale and used that to drive him, to force him up against a wall where other bystanders were then able to also rush in, again, with little regard for their own safety and together. And together they worked to disarm him and pin him down. And then it was some minutes later that armed police finally arrived.

And it was at that time that the police noticed he was wearing something that resembled and explosive vest. And at that point, those officers took the decision to neutralize him as a threat, and he was shot dead. So tremendous regard for those members of the public who rushed in. The prime minister, Boris Johnson, visited the crime scene earlier today. This is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: They were on the scene in four minutes. The terrorist, the assailant was tackled within five minutes, quite incredible response by the police. Also I want to pay tribute, again, as I think the whole country is, to the sheer bravery of those members of the public who went to deal with him spontaneously, putting their own lives at risk.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACK: So, a statement from the queen as well, giving her enduring thanks to police, emergency services, and again, those members of the public who risked their own lives to save, to help protect others. Tremendous regard for those people here today. And the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police put it very well when she visited the scene here earlier. She said that yesterday we saw on that bridge behind me the worst of humankind, but also the best of human spirit. Martin and Christi, back to you.

SAVIDGE: Yes. It was expressed extremely well. Phil Black, thank you very much.

PAUL: Thank you, Phil.

[10:05:00]

Tom Gray is a London tour guide. He was actually on London Bridge as this whole thing was happening. Here's how he describes it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM GRAY, WITNESS: Me and my colleague, Stevie were driving northbound on the London Bridge, and we sort of came up behind a double decker bus, and we noticed several people sort of jumping from the left side of the bridge into the central reservation, sort of out to the right, and sort of just bent our heads around them and saw there was one chap running away from five guys, running with a fire extinguisher. So Stevie and I just thought what to do, and just kind of ran towards it, left the cars where they were and then tried to do our best to apprehend the suspect.

So when we got there, he was wielding two knives. One was duct taped to his hand. So all I could do after the guys held him down was sort of pinning him to the ground, just try to stamp as hard as I could on his wrist trying to release the knife, as it were, and kick the knife away, went to the northbound London Bridge. And then after that, the police on response really, really quick, got there almost instantaneously. And yes, at that point, we were told he had a bomb vest on, so we kind of cleared house and got out the way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: So Congress is returning from Thanksgiving break this week. Impeachment hearings will resume in the House. The Judiciary Committee is holding the first of several hearings scheduled for this month, the first on Wednesday.

SAVIDGE: These hearings may be the Democrats last chance to boost support for impeachment. A full House vote could happen before Christmas.

PAUL: The Trump administration does have permission, they've been invited, in fact, to participate in these hearings. We don't know if they'll accept that offer, however.

SAVIDGE: CNN senior national correspondent Alex Marquardt reports on the two deadlines that are now facing the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler telling President Trump in a letter he has now until next Friday to determine whether or not he'll participate in the next round of impeachment proceedings. That's in addition to a Sunday deadline the White House was given to say if it will take part in Judiciary's first impeachment hearing set for next Wednesday. Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham had first responded to the invitation, saying Nadler's offer is being reviewed, but the president has done nothing wrong, and the Democrats know it.

REP. STEVE COHEN, (D) HOUSE JUDICIARY: When you complain and complain and complain, and then you have an opportunity to put your story to the American public and you don't want to do it and you don't want to be subject to cross-examination yourself, it shows you don't have a very good story and a very good defense.

MARQUARDT: This coming week, the House Intelligence Committee is expected to submit to the Judiciary Committee its report detailing the findings of its eight week long investigation, which included historic public witness testimony with current and former officials with roles related to the Ukraine scandal.

REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, (D-FL): I think there's a mountain range of evidence that has come to light through public testimony, through the private depositions that I've had an opportunity to listen to.

MARQUARDT: Nadler will use the Intelligence Committee's report as a guide to help write the articles of impeachment on those Ukraine- related charges, the allegation being that the president traded a White House meeting with Ukraine and military aid in exchange for dirt on the Bidens. Democrats are also considering additional articles, including obstruction of justice based on the Mueller probe. All this as most Republicans continue to bash the process and stand by the president.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY, (R-LA): This will be the first partisan impeachment in the history of our country. I think Chairman Schiff and Speaker Pelosi knew from the very beginning how they would vote and what they were going to try to prove.

MARQUARDT: Amid all of this, Ukrainian officials are now trying to figure out how to improve the tattered relations with the White House. Two sources telling CNN that Ukraine could still announce new investigations. What kind is unclear. Ukraine, of course, got that security aid money in the end, but they are still very reliant on the U.S. for political and financial support as they fight Russia. They're very much in need of the Trump administration's help going forward.

Alex Marquardt, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE: Next up, Joe Biden revs up the bus. What the next eight days will tell us about Biden's chances in Iowa. PAUL: And there is a search going on right now for three children who

are believed to have been swept away by flash flooding in Arizona.

SAVIDGE: Plus, as millions make the trek home from the Thanksgiving holiday, a storm bringing rain and snow is threatening the weekend rush, and it's doing that from coast to coast.

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[14:13:15]

SAVIDGE: A massive search is underway this morning for three children who were swept away by flood waters in Arizona. There was a torrential rainstorm in the area of the Tonto Basin in central Arizona last night. Police say two adults and seven children were in the vehicle when driver attempted to cross a creek. The water was too swift, it was too high, and the car was swept away.

PAUL: Four children and one adult were able to get out of the vehicle. They were stranded on an island in the middle of that creek until a helicopter was able to get to them. Officials haven't released the names or ages of the three children who are still missing, though.

This weekend, are you one of the millions in the path of the storm that's sweeping, it's from the west coast to the east coast? We're talking about snow and rain, and we know what that's going to do to this weekend's rush home for those of you who went home for the holiday and now need to get back.

SAVIDGE: I would say it's the perfect ingredients for a nightmare kind of travel. CNN's Ivan Cabrera is tracking all of this for us. And Ivan, what can people expect?

IVAN CABRERA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Marty, Christi, I think it's going to be hard for you not to be one of the millions in the path of the storm because this is not only going to be a snow event, but then we're talking severe weather all the way down to the Gulf Coast. I will get out of the way as you can see the crews getting ready to open up again, the lift getting going there. Arizona's snow bowl, boy, did they have incredible amounts of snow over the last several days. But gorgeous day for skiing, they're 14 right now, yes, that's cold, with a seven degree windchill. But the winds have subsided. The storm has moved out of the way, so we're good in the four corners here.

But now it's cranking up across the Midwest and into the plains, and we're talking about not just snow, but combine that with wind, and, as we've been saying, we've got blizzard warnings out. Interestingly enough, the storm is so powerful, right, that we're talking about dry conditions further south, but still looking at 60 mile an hour wind gusts even though we'll have some sunshine out this afternoon.

[10:15:04]

It's further north where we have the precipitation. It's going to be falling in the form of snowfall, and it is going to come down heavily, I think, at 12 to 18 inches certainly likely here across portions of Minnesota and into Wisconsin as well. But notice a sharp cut off here. So further south, not going to be snow. It's going to be rain, and even severe weather potentially this afternoon across the Gulf Coast, so we'll watch that.

But I want to fast forward to Sunday, because that's when a lot of you are going to try to head home across the big metros here across the northeast and into the mid-Atlantic, and what do we have? A wintry mix. We're going to have icing, the potential even for a quarter or plus of ice caking on the roadways and on the powerlines. And then of course on top of that, we have wind, we have snow, we're going to have power outages. They're going to be widespread. And the airports are going to be a mess from the northeast all the way into the south. In fact, in anticipation of that, the airlines are already issuing waivers for passengers that are traveling on Sunday and Monday because you're likely not going to get much further than where you are probably right now. Cross your fingers, though, but if you're heading west, you're looking good. otherwise, you're going to be stuck somewhere, interesting. Guys?

SAVIDGE: All right, Ivan, we'll do our best to bear up as we can. Thank you very much.

CABRERA: You bet.

SAVIDGE: Joe Biden is no longer the Iowa frontrunner. So consider this, the campaign's way to try to recapture momentum.

PAUL: In just a few hours here Biden kicks off an eight-day, 18 county bus tour. His campaign officials say the tour will give voters more of a close-up view of the candidate.

SAVIDGE: The campaign also branding the trip as the no malarkey tour, and for those unfamiliar, malarkey is a classic Bidenism, meaning insincere or foolish talk.

PAUL: Mayor Buttigieg gaining traction in polls nationally and in polls in early primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire. In fact, in the latest CNN poll, he broke double digits with 11 percent, that is fourth behind Joe Biden, Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

SAVIDGE: While he's broken into the top tier of candidates, he still faces challenges fighting support with a key constituency, African- Americans. And some recent comments illustrate why they don't see him as a viable Democratic nominee for president. For example, he said being gay helps him relate to experiences of African-Americans. Critics called it naive at best. Buttigieg supporter and Austin mayor Steve Adler told me those comments were misunderstood.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR STEVE ADLER, AUSTIN, TEXAS: He recognizes the systemic inequities that are involved in the racial issue. I think what he was saying and the way he described what he said was to recognize that he has seen the benefit of having allies, of having people from all walks of life join together to lift those that are marginalized. (END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: Meanwhile, a new ad from a super PAC highlights the resume crossover between two candidates and raises big questions about why one is at the front of the 2020 pack and the other isn't.

PAUL: United we win, that's Cory Booker. If you haven't seen it, here's the new ad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's a Rhodes Scholar, a successful mayor, a uniter. No. Not that guy. It's Cory Booker. Cory doesn't just talk. He brings people together to make things happen. This Rhodes Scholar mayor has what it takes to beat Donald Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: So the ad is part of a $1 million last ditch plan to help Booker qualify for next month's Democratic debate. Booker was asked about the ad yesterday on CNN, and he said he's not really comfortable attacking his 2020 rivals. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did that attack ad make you uncomfortable, going after Pete Buttigieg like that?

SEN. CORY BOOKER, (D-NJ) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Again, I only saw the clip you did. I don't know if it was done tongue and cheek or funny. I just have a philosophy, which is I will do nothing to tear down the character of anybody in this race.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: Meanwhile, in news from overseas, a major announcement from Iraq's prime minister as violent protests continue to claim lives across that country. The embattled leader says change is coming.

PAUL: Also, an outlandish accusation and a threat gets a Republican challenger to Ilhan Omar kicked off Twitter permanently.

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[10:23:23]

PAUL: The prime minister of Iraq says he's resigning after nearly two months of violent protests. But about 380 people have been killed, 15,000 injured since these demonstrations began back in April. News of the resignation, it sparked celebrations yesterday as well as some questions really about what's next for the country and its relationship with the U.S. and Iran.

SAVIDGE: So let's discuss that with CNN national security analyst Samantha Vinograd. She also served on former President Obama's National Security Council in several roles, including in Iraq, and we know that you actually served in Iraq, Sam. So let me ask you this first and foremost. What do you think the impact is going to be of the resignation?

SAMANTHA VINOGRAD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, the impact is going to be short lived at best. The resignation of Abdel Mahdi is likely not going to placate protesters' demands. Abdel Mahdi has become the focus of ire based upon what's viewed as rampant corruption within the Iraqi government, as well as Iranian influence. Abdel Mahdi has been long backed by Iran and in close communication with Iran.

But while this may be a short-term victory for protestors, if his resignation goes through in a special session of parliament tomorrow, it is not going to address the underlying factors that have led to the protests, which are corruption in the government more broadly and Iranian influence. Addressing those demands is going to require a complete overhaul of the system currently governing Iraqi politics, and the commitment by all politicians to govern without interference from Iran, and to take a deep, hard look at how Iraq's revenues and economy are being distributed.

[10:25:03]

PAUL: So how likely is it that any of those modifications would actually be implemented? And if not, do we know how long these protestors are willing to keep going?

VINOGRAD: I think that Iraq's history and the history of the Middle East has shown that these protests will likely keep going for a long period of time. Keep in mind, this is just one set of protests. There were other protests in Lebanon which led to the ouster of the prime minister. There are protests in Iran as well, and in Iraq, I think these protests will continue.

It is highly unlikely that the strategic changes that are needed are going to take place anytime soon. For one, Iran is not going to give up Iraq easily. We've seen Iran really buckle down in other theaters. There are countries where it has an influence. It does not want to lose territory or lose impact in another country. And in overhaul, the government system, and I know this from having worked in Iraq many years ago, but in overhaul, the government system will take a lot of time, and the current president, Barham Salih, has introduced a bill to try to reform some of the political system in Iraq, but that's just a drop in the bucket, and I think it is unlikely that we'll see the strategic changes anytime soon.

SAVIDGE: We want to pivot here to North Korea because we know that this week, North Korea fired off yet more missiles. Kim Jong-un said that he would give the Trump administration till the end of the year to change its negotiating strategy. So are we heading for a crisis now on the Korean Peninsula as the clock ticks down?

VINOGRAD: I think unfortunately we're already in crisis mode. This end of year deadline, let's keep in mind what it is. This is the deadline that Kim has set for the United States agreeing to lift all sanctions on North Korea. We have not been talking to the North Koreans. We have not been talking about what North Korea is prepared to do. So the end of the year, if we have not agreed to Kim's demands, Kim is trying to extort us, what we are likely going to see is an increase in provocative activity on a number of fronts.

Kim has had a significant amount of time to increase his own capabilities, whether it's his rocket launcher that he used recently, submarine based ballistic missiles, intercontinental missiles, and other capabilities. At the same time, Kim has been advancing his cyber capabilities and his chemical and biological weapons. So if what we're seeing now is Kim restrained, I think we should expect to see lot of activity if Kim takes off the training wheels starting January 1st.

PAUL: Samantha Vinograd, always appreciate your expertise. Thank you.

VINOGRAD: Thank you.

PAUL: Still to come, why the Republican challenger to freshman Democrat Ilhan Omar got a lifetime ban from Twitter. Our experts are discussing that. Also, how to deal with politics at your holiday get togethers.

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[10:32:00]

PAUL: It's 31 minutes past the hour right now. Thanks for being with us.

The Republican challenger to Minnesota Democrat Ilhan Omar has been banned from Twitter. Danielle Stella suggested on Twitter that Omar be tried for treason and hanged.

SAVIDGE: Stella posted a baseless smear about the Somali-American last week that Omar passed sensitive information to Iran. There is no evidence to support that claim. But that didn't stop Stella from saying that Omar should be put to death if the accusation could be confirmed.

Joining us to discuss this is Democratic strategist and CNN political commentator Maria Cardona, and former Ted Cruz communications director and CNN political commentator Alice Stewart. Good morning to you both, ladies.

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good morning, Martin and Christi.

ALICE STEWART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good morning.

SAVIDGE: Alice, the Minnesota congresswoman responded on Twitter, saying, quote, "Violent rhetoric inevitably leads to violent threats and ultimately violent acts," unquote. Violation of free speech here, or was Twitter right to give the boot to her opponent. STEWART: She went too far, this Republican challenger, by making such

a veiled threat against the congresswoman. Look, certainly everyone's entitled to free speech, but it shouldn't rise to the level that this specific tweet did. And I think Twitter was right to speak out.

At the same time, it's also important to, to criticize and condemn the actions and the words that the Congresswoman Omar has said. Look, she has been very vocal in her opposition and speaking out ill towards people of Israel, anti-Semitic statements, saying that Jewish Americans are all b about the Benjamins. She's also been critical with regard to 9/11, saying that it was some people did something. Look, she is not innocent herself in saying disparaging things --

SAVIDGE: But that's nowhere near the kind of overt threat of saying that someone should die, in other words, they should be --

STEWART: Exactly. But my point being, this is why the House took action in condemning anti-Semitic and anti-Israel and anti-Muslim statements and taking action. All across the board, people need to be more mindful of the hateful rhetoric they use and the consequences of that. And we cannot let this go on the Republican side or the Democratic side. We certainly need to be more mindful and more respectful of people that have different political persuasions.

PAUL: Maria, I want to ask you about House Democrats, because, of course, they're going to ramp up their impeachment investigation again this coming week. House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler has invited President Trump to give -- essentially to be part of this, and the president has until next Friday to determine whether his lawyers or he will participate in the hearings. Do you think he should do so?

CARDONA: I certainly think he should do so. But we know that he won't, Christi, but time and time again, the president says something, but he never follows up. And it's so interesting because the criticism from the president as well as from Republicans has always been Democrats' process is unfair. Democrats are not letting the president defend himself. Democrats are not letting any of the witnesses that Republicans want to come and testify.

[10:35:06]

Here, we have an opportunity for the president to come and make his case publicly to the American people, which he has groaned about, saying how unfair the Democrats have been, how much of a, quote- unquote, which hunt this has been. This is now his opportunity for him and his lawyers to come and defend himself, and to offer any kind of exculpatory evidence in there is any.

We know that's not going to happen, Christi, because again, time and again, this president, the only thing he likes to do is to rev up his base by saying that the Democrats' process is unfair, by insulting the Democrats themselves. And then when push comes to shove and the opportunity really comes to light for him to come and defend himself with truth and evidence and facts, he is not able to do so. So I don't expect him to. He should, but I doubt he will.

SAVIDGE: We wanted to bring up the subject of just how both of you were able to deal with politics at the dinner table.

(LAUGHTER)

SAVIDGE: This is something every American family in some way has probably had to make some kind of adjustment. Alice, I believe you just finished teaching a course at Harvard University on civility in American politics. I'm wondering how did you deal with this in your own home? Was it a problem that you have to deal with?

STEWART: Sometimes, you just agree to disagree, and I come from the mindset of I'm not really concerned what your true north is, just that you have one. And let's have the conversation from there.

But when you look at, and you boil it down, whether you're in a university setting or you're at your family dinner table, you have to recognize some people just don't want to talk about it. My family is virtually 99 percent conservative. We do have a few holdouts. And out of the respect for them and the fact that they just don't want to talk about it, we don't talk about it.

And we agree we'll have a lot of turkey and dressing on the table, but politics is off the table. And we have pitched around the idea this year of having a politics free zone, and if you want to not talk about politics, we set up a, as you call, a smoking section in the airport if you want to not talk about politics, you're banned to the basement bathroom. And that's our politics free zone in our home.

PAUL: I don't know, Maria. I don't know if I can see you being quiet about this with the family.

(LAUGHTER)

CARDONA: That's right. But here's I think -- I completely agree with what Alice said, but here's I think the problem of the Trump era. In many Thanksgivings past, I have had very robust and passionate conversations with conservatives, with Republicans, when other Republican presidents have been at the White House, and even under Democrat presidents, because we were always able to focus on the policies and have discussions about the merits of each policy and what we reach believed would be best for the country.

Here's the problem with what's going on now. This is not about policy. This has become personal. And when Trump was elected to the White House, he opened up even a bigger divide within the American voting public because he is the one who generously gives to that divide every single time he opens up his mouth, and every single time he tweets, because he makes it personal.

So, Alice, I understand that you have conservatives in your family, and I am sure I would be able to have a political, a decent, civil political conversation with people in your family. But where the problem becomes is when I have conversations, and I try not to have them with ardent, unapologetic Trump supporters who no matter what this man does and says, they are coming to his aid, saying that he is right time and again. Alice is not one of those people because she actually calls him out whenever he does indecent, inhumane, ridiculous, stupid things. But for the people who are unapologetically going to support him no matter what he does, which are so many Republicans in Congress right now, it is very difficult to have a civil conversation, so it is better to not have them.

STEWART: Let me say, Maria is invited to my house for Thanksgiving dinner anytime. We'd love to have you.

PAUL: Wait a minute, wait a minute. I want to be there is all I'm saying.

STEWART: And Christie in Atlanta, Christi and Martin, you all are welcome to come for Christmas there in Atlanta.

PAUL: Same invitation here to Atlanta, ladies. Thank you both so much. It's always good to have you.

CARDONA: Thank you so much, happy holidays.

STEWART: Thank you.

PAUL: You, too.

SAVIDGE: When we come back, caught on camera. A Chicago police officer's actions under investigation as video of a violent arrest surfaces.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police. What the -- Oh!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[10:40:00]

PAUL: We'll talk about that, but first in this week's Mission Ahead, LinkedIn has found a unique way to fight against climate change by using ecofriendly concrete to help construct its buildings.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RACHEL CRANE, CNN INNOVATION AND SPACE CORRESPONDENT: This is the site of LinkedIn's new headquarters in Mountain Wiew, California, and this concrete is helping the tech company reduce its carbon footprint.

JUSTIN LAZENBY: There is no material that will do the same things as this.

CRANE: It is the second most consumed substance on the planet after water.

LAZENBY: Correct.

CRANE: Concrete is a mixture of rocks, sand, water, and most importantly, cement to bind it all together. But one pound of cement releases one pound of CO2 emissions. A company called CarbonCure has developed technology to reduce concrete's carbon footprint by using CO2 in the mixing process.

LAZENBY: This is kind of the brains of the beast here.

CRANE: After capturing CO2 off site, it's brought to companies like Thomas Concrete. The carbon dioxide is directly injected into the concrete as it's being mixed, which actually makes the concrete stronger. When the concrete hardens, those otherwise harmful emissions are sequestered forever.

CHRISTIE GAMBLE, DIRECTOR OF SUSTAINABILITY, CARBONCURE: Ultimately, if this technology was deployed across the globe, we could reduce about 700 megatons of CO2 every year. That's the same as taking 150 million cars off the road.

CRANE: But those lofty goals are still far from reality. Today, CarbonCure says about 200 plants across the U.S. use its technology. That's a fraction of the country's estimated 5,500 concrete plants. But back in California, LinkedIn says that building with CarbonCure concrete will prevent 240,000 pounds of CO2 emissions. It's just one of the many innovations the tech company is using to meet its sustainability goals.

GAMBLE: I'm at the point now where anytime I see concrete being made, I see it as a missed opportunity to save CO2 emissions.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:46:02]

PAUL: It's 45 minutes past the hour right now. And a Chicago police officer has been stripped of his gun and badge after being caught on video slamming a man onto the sidewalk during an arrest. Now, that officer is on desk duty as the Chicago Police Department investigates what happened.

SAVIDGE: CNN's Ryan Young has a look at the shocking video.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: An arrest in Chicago is under investigation after it was caught on video by a passerby on cell phone. In fact, take a look at this video that lasts less than a minute, and in it, you can see what's so troubling. We have to warn you, some of it is kind of graphic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, what the -- Oh. Look what the -- they just did to this boy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh. Oh.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look what the -- they just do to this -- boy, bro, slammed his head on the -- floor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He picking his phone up. Make him put the man's phone down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For nothing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to go around traffic, for real.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He just slammed this boy on the -- floor. Hit his [ -- head on the concrete, bro.

YOUNG: Now the police department has seen this video as well, and they say "this incident is under investigation as the actions in the video are concerning. The specifics of what transpired prior to officers executing an emergency takedown will be scrutinized closely by us and the Civilian Office of Police Accountability. If wrong doing is discovered, officers will be held accountable."

What we've learned so far from police department is according to that officer, when he went to try to make an arrest of the man who apparently was drinking there at the bus stop, he became combative. And during that arrest, he licked his face and apparently spit in his face. At that point, he did that emergency takedown, and then you see him sort of lying on the ground.

We've been told the man has been release from the hospital. He hasn't been charged just yet, but charges could be pending. The mayor has also seen this, and she says there will be a thorough investigation into what happened. It's also something that you should note is that most police officers in the city of Chicago wear body cameras, so as investigators are going through this, we might be able to see what transpired before people who were passing by in a car were able to shoot this video. But leave no doubt about it, this video circulating on the Internet has applied pressure to the police department.

Ryan Young, CNN, Chicago.

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SAVIDGE: Thank you, Ryan.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer is facing a murder charge after police found his wife shot to death at the front door of their home on Thanksgiving. Police tell CNN affiliate KTRK that the couple along with their two young sons were inside celebrating Thanksgiving with family. Dudley Bernard shot his wife, 42-year-old Chauntelle Bernard, multiple times according to police. Both work for CBP. Bernard gave himself up to police without a fight. He's being held on a $200,000 bond.

PAUL: Still to come, nearly 200 troops in Wisconsin, they're back home for the holidays, and there wasn't a dry eye in the house. We've got the homecoming for you.

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[14:51:09]

PAUL: Californians, of course, bracing themselves for more possible wildfires this season, and thousands of people in Paradise, California, are still trying to recover from last year's historic deadly Camp Fire. And like many of us, Woody Faircloth, one of this year's Top Ten CNN Heroes, saw news of the fire unfold on his T.V. He wanted to do something, and he was really inspired to help. Take a look.

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WOODY FAIRCLOTH, CNN HERO: As news of the fires broke and we saw more of what happened to people and the fire and how many people were impacted, that's when it really hit home that wow, this is a really big deal.

Tens of thousands lost their homes. Entire families were sleeping in their cars in parking lots. It was total chaos. Today, the majority are still displaced. When we actually hand over the title and the keys of an RV to someone who doesn't have a home any longer, it's such a powerful thing to provide such a basic human need. How can we not help if we're in a position to help?

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PAUL: Woody has donated more than 65 furbished RVs to people who lost their homes to the fire. Go to CNNheroes.com to vote for him or any of your favorite top CNN Heroes. And thank you for doing so.

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SAVIDGE: Millions of protestors across the world are marching for action against climate change.

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(CHANTS)

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[10:55:05]

SAVIDGE: The demonstrations are happening just days before a United Nations climate conference begins in Madrid. That will be on Monday.

PAUL: From the U.S. to France to India, protestors are calling on world leaders to step up their efforts against carbon gas emissions and other environmental issues, and some protestors disrupted Black Friday shopping. They entered stores, they blocked shopping malls, they were chanting with their signs.

SAVIDGE: In Washington, actress Jane Fonda led another protest as part of the series that she has called Fire Drill Fridays. And 38 people were arrested during those demonstrations.

PAUL: We're going to tell you about six people in a minivan who were rescued yesterday after driving down a flooded road. This happened in San Diego on a popular road that left a nearby mall, which was closed due to rising water levels. SAVIDGE: Police say the car was driven by a ride share driver who

picked up the group from the mall. They were visiting from outside the country.

PAUL: And finally, 190 soldiers from Wisconsin, they got to come home yesterday after being away for nearly a year.

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PAMELA ROBOLD, MOTHER OF U.S. SOLDIER: I'm so happy. My heart is just overfilled. I need nothing for Christmas. I have my Christmas present.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Oh, look at this. This was the first deployment to Afghanistan for the Red Arrow soldiers of the Second Battalion, 127th infantry. The families say at times they had no idea where they were or what they were doing, but the unit commander thanked the families there for staying strong. And we thank you. We thank you for your service, we thank your families because we know that you serve, too.

SAVIDGE: We definitely do.

PAUL: Go make some good memories today.

SAVIDGE: Have a great day.

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