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Five Dead In Small Plane Crash Near Louisiana Airport; Biden Clarifies Comments Initially Saying He Wouldn't Comply With Impeachment-Related Subpoena; One-On-One With Democratic Candidate Andrew Yang; Schumer In 1999: Senate "Not Like A Jury Box"; Schumer Rails Against McConnell For Failure To Be "Impartial"; Daughter-In-Law Of LSU Coach Killed In Plane Crash; Impeachment Stalemate Continues As Frustrated Trump Stews; Elie Honig Answers Your Questions On Impeachment; Police Concerned Over Series Of Anti-Semitic Attacks In New York City; Businesses Face Uncertainty Months After Massive ICE Raids. Aired 4-5p ET
Aired December 28, 2019 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[16:00:14]
JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. And I'm Jessica Dean, in for Ana Cabrera in New York this afternoon.
Breaking news right now on CNN: brand new information about a fiery plane crash in southern Louisiana. We know at least five people are dead and CNN is now learning some details about those victims. This is Lafayette, Louisiana. A twin engine private plane crashed and caught fire there this morning, five people again onboard killed.
According to a TV station in New Orleans, WDSU, a member of the station's on-air sports team was one of the victims, sports reporter Carley McCord. She is also the daughter-in-law of a football coach at LSU, a team playing in the Peach Bowl today in Atlanta between LSU and Oklahoma. And that plane was scheduled to fly to Atlanta.
Now, the crash happened shortly after 9:00 a.m. local time. The twin engine private plane had just taken off from Lafayette's airport when it went down and caught fire in a field near a busy road about four miles away. Of the six people on board the plane, five were killed.
We're going to talk about the weather conditions at the time of the crash in just a moment, but also, we do know that the airport was reporting dense fog throughout the morning.
A few minutes ago, I spoke with a woman in Lafayette, Louisiana, who saw the plane go down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEXIS WEST, EYEWITNESS: What happened was I was just outside and I saw this plane coming in. And it was really low to the ground. And it was shaking. And I didn't really -- it looked like it was coming to land. And then it just skidded through the parking lot at the post office and then exploded. There was like a big wave of fire that just pummeled down the yard. And it was just horrible. DEAN: Yes, it had to be incredible to see and probably just so
jarring to see. What did you notice about the plane as it was crashing, did you see were the wheels were? Was it trying to fly level or did you hear engines?
WEST: It looked like that it was just coming down it land. It looked like it was having a bit of trouble like it was really shaky. But it looked like it was just really coming down to land to try to make like a safe landing.
DEAN: So it looked like a plane would normally, like coming down level. And when did it -- when it crashed, it came on impact there?
WEST: Whenever it hit the concrete, it just skidded. And then it was just a big explosion.
DEAN: OK. And tell us a little bit about that area where you were, where the plane crash happened. What does it lack like there, are you seeing homes, businesses, a lot of cars? What is it like there?
WEST: A lot of cars is and then I just know that they took one guy from the plane and took him out from the fire and like saved him. And he was burnt really bad. Like police clothes and his clothes and everything was ripped. And I never seen something like that. Just the fire and cars and people trying to save the people that were in the fire.
DEAN: And obviously just a horrible thing to see, heartbreaking for the families of those victims, but also for you. Listen, it is not normal to see something like that happen. How are you feeling after kind of witnessing all of this, is it replaying in your mind?
WEST: Oh, yes, very much so. It was just -- it was a lot of anxiety and just freaked me out, I was shaking on bad. Like I didn't know -- it was kind of like you watching a movie but in real life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: And that was Alexis West. Our thanks to her.
The plane was a twin engine Piper Cheyenne made to carry eight passengers. I spoke to the former head of the NTSB about what federal investigators will be looking for first.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETER GOELZ, FORMER MANAGING DIRECTOR, NTSB: Well, the NTSB and the FAA have a standard procedure. They're going to look at the pilot, and he appeared to be a very experienced certified pilot. They will look at the company, it looked to be a well-known and well thought of charter company.
They will look at the aircraft, whether there has been any maintenance on it, what kind of maintenance has been performed over past year, whether all the air worthiness directives that govern special maintenance were followed. The weather looked a little overcast, but nothing too challenging if the pilot was IFR certified, which I understand that he was.
And then they're going to look at the engine and see how the engine performed. There was an eyewitness report that said one of the engines was smoking and this was a turbo charged Piper about almost 30 years old.
[16:05:02]
They'll look carefully at the engine. Thirty years old is not old for one of these types of planes. But they're going to look carefully at the maintenance on those engines.
DEAN: Uh-huh. And tell me, you mentioned it is the Piper Cheyenne is the plane that crashed here. What do you know about that particular type of plane, do we know anything about its safety record specifically for that model?
GOELZ: Yes, it is part of a family of two-engine planes, the broader family Piper probably made 5,000 of them, of this specific type, maybe 450. They are considered workhorses. But they have had some problems with their engines over the years. They need -- that will be looked at carefully. But it is a good solid aircraft. And it is a workhorse in the charter industry.
DEAN: Uh-huh, uh-huh. And the visibility at the airport this morning was less than a mile because you mentioned that there was dense fog there. In those conditions, who makes the call a go or no go, is that the pilot? Is that air traffic control? Who says it's good enough, we can do this?
GOELZ: Well, it is the pilot's call first and foremost. And charter pilots understand that one of the great things that you have to avoid is get there-itis. People that chartered the plane want you to make the mission and their responsibility is to weigh everything to see whether it's appropriate to take off. And this guy was an experienced pilot.
And it looked to me from the videotape that the visibility looked to be upwards of three quarters of a mile, to a mile. So, I mean, it was not particularly challenging. And I'm sure that they waited for a while until it was appropriate to take off.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: Weather conditions at Lafayette Regional Airport were listed as foggy throughout Saturday morning. And for more on those conditions, let's go to CNN Meteorologist, Gene Norman.
Gene, what can you tell us?
GENE NORMAN, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, Jessica, there was low visibility because of that fog and even as early as 7:00, 8:00 in the morning. Fog and mist being reported, look at the visibility values, three quarters of a mile until just a couple hours ago when the fog began to lift. Warm humid air is in place across a good part of the southeast being drawn inland of course when the warm air cools at night, that is when you get the fog forming. Things are breaking up right now.
But there could be more fog east of there tomorrow. This same air mass was part of the reason that we had the dramatic pictures coming out of Lubbock just a couple days ago. But the humid air feeding into a large storm system in the middle of the country, where there's any kind of combination of bad weather, as folks were trying to make their way back for the holidays, including snow and ice in sections of Minnesota, even Denver seeing their first snow of this month of December as we end the month. About 15 million people under some kind of winter storm warning, even an ice storm warning in sections of southwest Minnesota.
In addition on the southern part of that system, with that warm air being drawn out of the Gulf of Mexico, there is severe thunderstorms potentially developing later on this afternoon. No warnings in effect right now, but you do he see lightning there in sections of Oklahoma and north Texas. That system as it moves east could produce damaging wind gusts, even some isolated tornadoes especially in the yellow shaded areas that you see here in portions of Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas. So, watch out for later on this afternoon.
That whole system gets on the move slowly tomorrow, and look at all the rain and showers and thunderstorms. In addition to that, there will be a lot of low clouds and more visibility. So if you have to drive anywhere in the Southeast, keep those low beams on and be prepared for dense fog to develop along with those storms.
A mess in the middle of the country, Jessica. Hopefully, folks were able to navigate. It is a tragedy what happened down in Louisiana as they continue to investigate, but weather was not ideal for flying.
DEAN: Yes, heartbreaking conditions. All right. Gene, thank you so much.
With just 37 days now until the Iowa caucuses, former Vice President Joe Biden is wrapping up a two day swing through the state, meeting with voters there.
And it comes after a comment that has gotten a lot of attention, Biden telling the "Des Moines Register" that he would not comply with a subpoena to testify in Trump's impeachment trial if served with one.
Today, though, he clarified saying he would do whatever is legally asked of him, but didn't think that it would come to that. Republicans have called, though, for Biden and his son Hunter to testify.
CNN's Maeve Reston is joining us now from Iowa.
And, Maeve, talk about Biden and these comments. It sounds like he spent the last 24 hours clarifying a lot of them.
MAEVE RESTON, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: Yes, Jessica. And he certainly does not want to be talking about this topic here in Iowa. But what he was really trying to emphasize today is that he does not think that there is any legal basis for a subpoena for him to testify in an impeachment trial. What he said is that he has no more knowledge of the president's interactions with the leader of Ukraine than any random person on the street.
[16:10:09]
But he was pressed in the press gaggle about whether or not he would in fact comply with a subpoena. And let's take a listen to what he said, Jessica.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't think that's going to happen. Again, let's cross that bridge when it comes. I would, in fact, abide by whatever was legally required. I always have.
This is a trial that relates to Donald Trump's behavior. Did he violate the Constitution? Pure and simple. And I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that stays the focus. Not anything else.
REPORTER: Great. Thank you, sir.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RESTON: Right. So, obviously, Jessica, he wants to move on to these other topics that he's been talking about. This town hall behind me -- climate change, health care, and his more centrist place in the presidential field and how feels that he can bring the country together. Definitely, he wants to move away from the topic of impeachment, Jessica.
DEAN: Yes. And, Maeve, it's interesting, I followed the Biden campaign as well. I was in Iowa just before, Christmas, and it is sometimes striking that maybe what we are talking about maybe in cable news is not what they're talking about all the time in these town halls and everything, as you were just expressing. But when I was there, people were still shopping around, seemed to be pretty fluid in terms of people still seeing the candidates.
Again, do you get the impression yet that the support is -- people are making those final decisions, or are they still in the going back-and- forth mode?
RESTON: Yes, it is so interesting. I was here a week ago as well and there was more indecision among Democratic voters than I could remember. But at Biden's events today, I did talk to a lot of the people who said that they are almost 90 percent of the way towards supporting him. Kind of coming back around to what they see as a comfortable safe choice at a time when they are really worried about defeating President Trump.
So that is the closing argument that he is trying to make here.
DEAN: Right.
All right. Maeve Reston for us in Iowa, thanks so much for taking the time. We appreciate it.
And we're not done with Democratic presidential hopefuls. This afternoon, after our break, Andrew Yang joining us live on set to talk about the 2020 race.
This is CNN NEWSROOM. We'll be right back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFED MALE: She came to Los Angeles.
UNIDENTIFED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, it's Linda Ronstadt.
LINDA RONSTADT, SINGER: I was 18 years old and we formed a little band. We called ourselves Stone Ponies.
UNIDENTIFED MALE: The L.A. scene was in gear, and then the whole damn thing broke loose.
UNIDENTIFED MALE: It was rock music, folk music, comingling.
UNIDENTIFED MALE: How can we define what this is going to be?
UNIDENTIFED FEMALE: Linda was the queen. She was like what Beyonce is now.
UNIDENTIFED MALE: She was the only female artist to have five platinum albums in a row.
RONSTADT: "I Can't Help It If I'm Still in Love With You" was a hit on the country charts, "You're No Good" was a hit on both the R&B chart and the pop chart. I became the first artist to have a hit on all three charts.
UNIDENTIFED FEMALE: She was the first female rock 'n roll star.
UNIDENTIFED MALE: "LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE", New Year's Day on CNN.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:15:25]
DEAN: One Democratic presidential candidate is vowing to overperform in the Iowa caucuses, now barely a month away, believe it or not. But most recent polling shows him far from frontrunner territory, though.
Andrew Yang is here with us.
Mr. Yang, thanks for coming in on a holiday weekend.
ANDREW YANG (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's good to be there. Thank you for having me.
DEAN: We really appreciate it.
Before we get into the race itself, I'm curious, you just celebrated holidays and Christmas and all that. What -- did you guys talk any politics at your holiday table?
(LAUGHTER)
YANG: I think Christmas was a politics-free day.
DEAN: Zone, yes.
YANG: We figure no one wanted to hear from me that day, so I got to deal with the family and my family --
DEAN: Yes, did they want to hear from you?
YANG: -- did not really want to talk about the campaign.
My boys have no idea what daddy is doing. I just tell them I have a very big deadline coming up.
DEAN: And remind us how old they are again?
YANG: Seven and 4.
DEAN: Yes. So, they're still pretty little.
All right. Well, I'm glad you got some family time in.
Let's get down to it now. 2020, of course, the Iowa caucuses just right down the way now as we turn to the New Year, and you predict that you're going to do well.
YANG: Yes.
DEAN: That you think that you're going to overperform in Iowa. But you say that that state isn't make or break for your campaign.
So, where do you stand on that? Do you still think it's not make or break in Iowa?
YANG: Well, we're going to do really well in Iowa, but I just came from South Carolina where the energy is growing. I'm heading to New Year's to celebrate -- sorry, I'm heading to New Hampshire to celebrate New Year's.
DEAN: Uh-huh.
YANG: And we're really, really strong in New Hampshire. So, Iowa is pivotal, but we're seeing strength in all of the early states.
DEAN: Yes. And so, what are you -- is it from a fundraising perspective? I mean, if you don't come in let's say the top four or five in Iowa, that's not going to kind of -- you think kind of start to dwindle and narrow the field a little bit? YANG: Well, anyone looking at the campaign sees that we have some of
the strongest support from people online. We raised $10 million last quarter. We're going to do better this quarter. And so, that support is going to be very, very resilient because the Yang Gang has been with us from the beginning and they want to see this through, all the way through the spring.
DEAN: Yes.
And what state would say is -- is there one that's really the one that you're going to -- this is -- this is it, this is this is my line in the sand, or are you open to every --
(LAUGHTER)
YANG: Well, I think that we're going to do really well in New Hampshire.
DEAN: Yes.
YANG: I think that we're striking a powerful chord there. But I think the same thing about Nevada, South Carolina. And I can't wait for the Super Tuesday states because California, Texas, we've had thousands of people come out for the campaign in each of those places. I think that we're going to shock a lot of people come February and March.
DEAN: It is interesting to remember that in Democratic primaries, it's not winner-take-all with delegates. So, it does become a math game as it were in terms -- in terms of collecting delegates.
YANG: Yes, yes, of course.
DEAN: You don't have to win the state to get delegates all the time. You do have to hit a certain percentage though.
That next debate in Iowa is in January. CNN is going to host it, along with "The Des Moines Register".
Now, at this point, you've not qualified under the DNC's tougher criteria. If you don't make it in, this is going to be the first time you won't have been on the debate stage. What's going to mean for your campaign if you don't make it on that stage?
YANG: We're very confident that I'll be on that stage in January. I love it when CNN moderates a debate.
DEAN: Oh, thanks.
YANG: I'm looking forward to it.
But we've already exceeded the donor threshold by a very wide margin. We have one of the qualifying polls. And as soon as they start running polls in the early states, people will see that we're above the threshold needed to qualify. So I'll be on that stage. DEAN: So, you think looking forward, you're going to keep showing up.
Andrew Yang will be on the stage as we move down and the field begins to winnow.
In the last debate, though, you said it was an honor and a disappointment that you were the only nonwhite candidate on the stage. Obviously, we haven't had an historic field of candidates in this Democratic primary. What do you make of where we are and now, you're the last nonwhite candidate there on the stage as of the last debate?
YANG: Well, I said it on the debate stage -- our politics reflects the disposable income of our citizens. And if you have lower levels of disposable income, you are much less likely to be in the less than 5 percent of Americans who donate to a political campaign. So that influences very profoundly the kind of people that make it to the debate stage in these later months.
But we expect to be the lone candidate of color unless Cory joins me. I was a little surprised that the DNC elevated their threshold. I thought that they were going to keep it the same.
DEAN: Yes, and I do want to talk to you about the threshold because the DNC has pushed back and said that it has let a very fair and transparent process, and even told campaigns almost a year ago that the qualification criteria would go up later in the year and not one campaign objected.
What is your reaction to the criteria? I know there's been a lot of debate around it. They've -- the DNC said they put a lot of thought into this and try to make it as fair and equitable as possible.
[16:20:06]
YANG: I've had absolutely no issue with the DNC's thresholds throughout. They've actually been very fair and transparent like they said. I was still surprised that they elevated the threshold for January in part because I thought that they wanted to give Cory a path back to the stage to have more representation on the stage.
And the only concern I have is that they haven't been running many polls in part because of the holidays. So, it's very difficult to have a higher threshold when there aren't that many polls out in the field.
DEAN: And it was interesting because Cory Booker's campaign, along with the rest of the Democratic field, came forward with this letter earlier in December, asking the DNC to do away -- to go back to some of the earlier thresholds.
YANG: Yes.
DEAN: And your campaign did sign on to that. But I was told by a source that some campaigns were calling the DNC, asking them -- saying, hey, we're going to sign this, but hold the line because we like the thresholds, they're working for us. Was your campaign one of those? What do you think about that? YANG: No, Cory and I are friends. I was eager to have Cory on the stage. I'm eager to have Cory rejoin us on the stage in January.
So, I can't speak for the other campaigns, but our communication has been sincere.
DEAN: And I want to turn -- you were here when we were talking about Joe Biden. This afternoon, he clarified his position on what he said to the "Des Moines Register" yesterday. He had said yesterday that he wouldn't participate in a subpoena to testify. He said today that he will do whatever is legally asked of him, that he just doesn't think -- he was making the broader point that he doesn't think it's going to get to that point.
If he is subpoenaed and again, that's a big if because it hasn't happened yet, do you think he should testify?
YANG: Well, I would take Joe at his own word. I mean, he said that if he gets subpoenaed, then he would naturally comply. That seems like the right approach.
DEAN: Yes, what -- impeachment hovers over 2020. I mean, so many times -- I'm out on the campaign trail. You guys are talking to voters. They're not necessarily asking you particular questions about impeachment. We're talking about it. It is driving the news cycles.
How does that affect how you're campaigning and how you move forward with your message?
YANG: My experience has been the same as yours out there. When you're in Iowa, or New Hampshire and South Carolina, they are not as fixated on impeachment as the cable news networks are.
And so, we have to take every single opportunity to solve the problems that got Donald Trump elected, create a new way forward and present a vision of a 21st century economy that works for people. To me, that's where my attention is as a candidate. I wish that the media was making that case more consistently to the American people rather than having all of its eyes on D.C.
DEAN: But President Trump does do a very effective job of driving the narrative, of really taking up a lot of the news cycle. And you all are really forced to kind of reckon not only within your own party and competing against each other, but also with him before you even get to the point where you have a Democratic nominee.
YANG: What I've said is that anytime we're talking about Donald Trump, we are losing and he is winning. He is a creature that thrives on attention. And for better or worse, generally for worse, the media networks have found that talking about Donald Trump drives ratings.
And so, you have this cycle of coverage and controversy that crowds out the chance to present a positive vision that Americans will get excited.
DEAN: Yes. YANG: That's where my attention is, and that's where I think all of our attention should be.
DEAN: But he is the president, you know? You have to follow along what he's doing, but yes.
YANG: Yes. I mean, I don't blame people because it is historic.
DEAN: Yes.
YANG: He is the president.
DEAN: Quickly before we go, Speaker Pelosi is holding on to those articles of impeachment. They are trying to kind of hash out what that's going to be like in the Senate. Do you think that's what she should be doing?
YANG: Nancy has been driving this entire process. She's very savvy. She knows what she's doing. If she thinks that's the right approach, I'm sure she's on point.
DEAN: All right. Andrew Yang, thanks so much. Enjoy your new year in New Hampshire.
YANG: Thank you so much. It's so great to see you.
DEAN: Thanks for coming on. We appreciate you making time.
Well, what a difference two decades makes. That was the last time Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer was part of an impeachment trial. And now, his 1999 comments are coming back to haunt him. We'll have more on that.
You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:27:29]
DEAN: It's been ten days since President Trump became just the third U.S. president to be impeached. In his speech on the Senate floor that day, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer took time to slam Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for his comments on his role in an impeachment trial.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): The Republican leader said proudly, quote, I'm not an impartial juror. I'm not impartial about this at all. This is an astonishing admission of partisanship.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: However, 20 years ago, Schumer seemed to be singing a different tune as uncovered by CNN's KFILE. Here he was in 1999 on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE." (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCHUMER: This is not a criminal trial, but this is something that the Founding Fathers decided to put in a body that was susceptible to the whims of politics. And it is not like a jury box in the sense that people will call us and lobby us. You don't have jurors called and lobbied and things like that. I mean, it's quite different than a jury.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: With me now is the senior editor at CNN's KFILE, Andrew Kaczynski.
And you reviewed many media appearances by Schumer in the '90s. What else did you find in your investigation?
ANDREW KACZYNSKI, CNN KFILE SENIOR EDITOR: So, we found a number of instances where Schumer made similar comments to the ones we just played where he said that the Senate was basically not like a jury in that you come into this pre-opinions, people can lobby you.
The context of it is actually really interesting because Schumer in 1998 was still in Congress in the House, and he actually voted against impeachment both in the full House for their vote and in the Judiciary Committee. Now, when he was running for Senate, he ran very hard against impeachment. He said, I'm not going to vote for impeachment. I'm going to, you know, vote for acquittal in Senate. And he attacked his Republican opponent who was in the Senate at the time, saying he won't tell us where he stands, everybody in America has got a view, and he is the only person who doesn't.
So when Schumer gets to the Senate, takes office in January of 1999 and starting the impeachment trial, he was talked by the RNC and people who said that how can Chuck Schumer be a juror in this trial when he has already said how he is going to vote. And that is where we saw Schumer came in saying, you know, the Senate is actually not like jury.
[16:30:00]
And when it did come time to vote, he voted to acquit Clinton, like most Democrats. And he said that he had made up his mind five months earlier in September of 1998 in the middle of the campaign and he voted in the House.
So he came into this, you know, like you said, sort of with his mind made up on sort of the facts of the case.
JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: And has the Senator responded to any of this?
KACZYNSKI: So what his office told us is that they argued that the quotes that we put there from Senator Schumer came after the Starr investigation had been completed.
And they made the case that the facts were already out there, we heard from the witnesses, and that they basically said now McConnell is withholding the witnesses and evidence from us. So he argued that it was a different circumstance.
(CROSSTALK)
KACZYNSKI: Yes.
DEAN: Interesting.
All right. Andrew Kaczynski, great work. Thank you so much. We appreciate it.
Still ahead, New York's police are stepping up patrols after what appears to be a series of anti-Semitic attacks. Why police are concerned that there might be a pattern.
You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DEAN: Breaking news tonight, a stunning tragedy on the night the number-one team in college football plays its biggest game of the year. We've learned the daughter-in-law of one of LSU's coaches was among five people killed when a small plane crashed in dense fog in Lafayette, Louisiana.
At the time, Carley McCord, who works as a sports reporter for our affiliate, WDSU, was traveling to Atlanta to watch the game where her father-in-law. Steve Ensminger is actually on the sidelines tonight coaching for LSU.
For more on the crash and the investigation, we go now to CNN's Natasha Chen who just arrived on scene.
Natasha, we've also learned the youngest victim of the five was just 15 years old. What else do you know?
NATASHA CHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jessica, this is really heartbreaking because, as you were talking about, WDSU lost one of their sports journalists today. And she is one of five people killed in this crash.
And what we're seeing on scene is really devastating because this plane is in pieces across the field and it landed just beyond right there behind those trees that you can see.
Let me step aside and give you a better view of what is going on. If you can see right directly in front -- at the end of that parking lot, you can see a turned-over car right there that is completely burned. So that is the type of wreckage that this created when it impacted with this area.
And of course, this is a post office to our right here. You see the damage to that building. I'm not sure if it is entirely visible, but there's now a boarded-up window at the front as part of this damage here and there's still debris on the ground. We're seeing still a lot of emergency services standing by around the
perimeter. And we're also see some utilities still working on restoring the cable TV and phone lines to people in the area. Because it knocked out power to about 200 customers, including the Walmart nearby.
So it has created a lot chaos for a lot of people.
[16:35:05]
And beside the five killed on the plane, one person on the plane did survive and is being treated right now for injuries.
And we hear from the fire department that three other people have serious burns, considered life-threatening, and they are being treated as well at the hospital.
Beyond that, there were two people in the post office who were treated for smoke inhalation. They are expected to be OK. So a lot of people hurt.
And of course, this being for a joyous occasion, as you mentioned, this sports journalist was on her way to see the game in Atlanta. So a lot we're still trying to figure out. And a lot here still on the scene -- Jessica?
DEAN: Horrible news on this holiday weekend.
Natasha Chen, thank you so much for the update.
CHEN: Thanks.
DEAN: Still ahead, Senate leaders are deadlocked over impeachment. So how does this contentious process move forward? We have an expert to tell us.
You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DEAN: During the holidays, during rounds of golf and mingling with his family and friends, President Trump is showing signs of increasing frustration with the uncertainty of impending impeachment trial. He has repeatedly lashed out against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Twitter and has expressed frustration as the timing of the trial remains up in the air.
CNN's Phil Mattingly lays out the state of play in Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As President Trump continued his holiday Twitter barrage against Democrats on impeachment, Speaker Nancy Pelosi continuing to press her party's case in her own tweet, saying, quote, "President Trump abused his power for his own personal gain." Yet, for all the 280-character thoughts, the battle over what the looming Senate trial will look like remain where it's been for days, at an impasse.
Sources telling CNN no conversations between the top two Senate leaders have occurred or are likely to before January.
And with tangible action tabled for the moment, it's the rhetorical fights sitting at center stage.
REP. MARK POCAN (D-WI): All the people that Donald Trump has said that can profess his innocence, he hasn't let come before Congress and she's trying to make sure that they're going to be able to testify before the Senate.
[16:40:09]
MATTINGLY: To some degree, a clear Democratic strategy to get under the president's skin, something sources tell CNN is exactly what's happened.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They're playing games. They don't want to put in their articles, their ridiculous, phony, fraudulent articles.
MATTINGLY: But even more importantly, Democratic sources say, to exert pressure on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (D-FL): It would be unprecedented for the United States Senate in an impeachment trial to -- that will decide on whether the president is convicted and removed from office -- to not hear any witnesses.
MATTINGLY: McConnell has rejected Democratic calls to subpoena witnesses and documents in the initial trial rules resolution and has scoffed at the Democratic pressure play.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): I'm not sure what leverage there is in refraining from sending us something we do not want.
MATTINGLY: As Congress moves toward the new year, the most crucial questions still remain unanswered. From the most immediate, like when the articles will even be transmitted to the Senate and who Pelosi will pick to be managers, to how long the trial could last.
And perhaps, more importantly, whether the votes will be there to call witnesses and subpoena documents.
(on camera): The reality is the expectation, at least according to people I've talk to on both sides of the aisle, is the answers to most if not all of those questions should come fairly soon after lawmakers return to Capitol Hill in January.
But the reality here is nobody is actually totally sure. And here's why -- Speaker Pelosi has kept her plans, what she wants to do going forward, when she wants to send those articles to the United States Senate, very closely held. Nobody really has a firm understanding of what her next steps will be.
As one Democratic lawmaker texted me earlier today, "Just stay tuned, I guess."
Phil Mattingly, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEAN: And we will. Our thanks to Phil there.
And as he just laid out, from all indications, the new year will begin with a stalemate on Capitol Hill as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi remain at that impasse over the terms of the impeachment trial.
And that brings me "Cross Exam" with CNN Legal Analyst and Former Federal and State Prosecutor, Elie Honig. Every weekend, he joins us to answer your questions on impeachment.
Elie, one viewer asks, if McConnell refuses to allow witnesses to testify, do the Democrats have any legal recourse?
ELIE HONIG, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Jessica, this is the most important question we face as we heard toward the Senate impeachment trial. Will we see a real substantive trial with witnesses and evidence or will this be an empty political formality?
Democrats could be in a tough spot here. They have a couple of options. One, they can try to go to the courts, very unlikely to succeed. The courts do not like to get involved in what they call political questions. This is sort of the ultimate political question. So I would not count on the courts doing anything.
Second of all, as Phil said, there could be a negotiated deal between the parties. Schumer and McConnell are at an impasse, but they are keeping their options open.
And third, if there's no negotiated deal, then it will just come down to the majority vote of the Senate. Right now, it's 53 out of the 100 Senators are Republicans. So Democrats need four Republicans votes to get their way on witnesses and evidence at the trial.
DEAN: Another viewer pointing out that we saw an internal email from office of Management and Budget official, Michael Duffy, that showed that the efforts to halt the money to Ukraine happened about 90 minutes after the July phone call. And they want to know will we ever see other documents that the Trump administration has withheld.
Elie, what do you think?
HONIG: I think that we will, but the big question is when. Let's remember, House Democrats served 71 subpoenas and information requests and got zero. Not a single document back. The White House blocked them all. And that is what the second article of impeachment is, for obstruction of Congress. And so how then could we see these documents? Well, a couple ways.
First of all, what we call the FOIA lawsuit, Freedom of Information Act. That is a lawsuit filed by the media or private organizations or citizens to try to get documents from the government. That is how we you saw the Michael Duffy email.
We could see subpoenas from criminal prosecutors, federal or state. We could see leaks downs the line. And we could even see future administrations when they take over decide these documents are important, they need to come out.
But timing is key here. We are weeks away from the start of a Senate impeachment trial. I think that we may see little drips and drabs like we saw with the Duffy e-mail. But ultimately, while I think we will see these documents, it may well be too late.
DEAN: And as the president continues to attack the impeachment process, another viewer wants to know if the president is required, from Susan, is the president required to attend a Senate impeachment trial?
HONIG: No, the president is not required to attend the Senate impeachment trial. He certainly could choose to do so, but I would not look for Donald Trump to actually be present in the well of the Senate here.
Our two precedents, Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, in both of those cases, the president opted not to be physically present.
[16:45:01]
By the way, this is different from a criminal trial. In a criminal trial, except for the most extreme circumstances, the defendant does have to be physically present in the courtroom. This is different.
Now, the president can and will appoint a legal team to represent him. Pat Cipollone, the White House counsel, has reportedly been tapped to lead that team. But I would not expect the President Trump himself.
All of this goes to the larger strategic decision, what does the president, what does Mitch McConnell want here. Do they want a long drawn-out, dramatic, substantive process or just do it quick and get it done?
DEAN: And I think that you make such an interesting point that is important to remember as we move forward, which is this is not a criminal trial. A trial in the Senate, though by the same name, is a different thing with different rules.
HONIG: Yes.
DEAN: I also want to ask you what your top three questions on impeachment are for the week.
HONIG: First of all, Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican, has shown some reluctance to go along with her fellow Republicans. She said that she was disturbed with what she saw with McConnell coordinating with the White House. Is that the first sign of some kind of break towards getting those four Republican votes Democrats will need?
Second, will McConnell and Schumer make any progress toward a sort of negotiated deal?
And third, will the Senate set the start date for impeachment trial? They've still not set a date.
As Phil Mattingly just said, there are so many questions open, but I do think, one way or another, we will see that Senate impeachment trial start sometime by mid-January. We're really just weeks away from kicking it off and it will be a sight to see, Jessica.
DEAN: It really is.
And it strikes me, too, as you are going through all of this, it is important to zoom out sometimes and remember this is really unprecedented in so many ways, especially there your perspective, legally, right?
HONIG: Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
HONIG: Absolutely. And let's keep in mind this is only the third time that we will ever see this in our history.
DEAN: It is remarkable.
All right. Elie Honig, thanks so much. We appreciate you being with us.
HONIG: Thanks, Jessica. All right.
DEAN: Still ahead, new concerns over a series of anti-Semitic attacks. Why police are concerned there might be a pattern. We'll have more coming up.
You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:50:27]
DEAN: The New York Police Department is ramping up patrols in several Brooklyn neighborhoods after at least eight possible anti-Semitic hate crimes just this week.
That is according to tweets from New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. He says police will also increase visits to houses of worship and other critical areas in the community, adding that "anti-Semitism will be confronted head on in New York."
CNN's Polo Sandoval is joining us now. Polo, Mayor de Blasio's announcement follows a string of incidents
that took place during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, which we discussed yesterday. What else are you learning?
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's important, Jessica. You and I sat here yesterday --
DEAN: Right.
SANDOVAL: -- and talking about at least six incidents that have been confirmed, some of these incidences, and how that now the number is closer to eight, according to investigators. The numbers are certainly telling.
So is the video. Especially when you see some of the footage that was released by New York City's police Department, their Hate Crime Investigations Division.
When you see the video released by authorities, by investigators, it basically shows a man in Brooklyn, which is video shot on the 25th, in traditional Jewish attire. He's confronted by an individual in the hoodie and he is punched and the suspect flees. Officers trying to track him down.
A very similar incident took place the day before where another Jewish gentleman in the traditional religious Jewish clothing was approached by several suspects and then hit there. So investigators are trying to track them down.
You add it up, and it really begs the question, why is this happening right now, especially as Jewish communities around the world celebrate Hanukkah.
So we turned to the Anti-Defamation League yesterday, asked them that question. They said it's not necessarily -- they are confident that it is not -- I'll let you listen to what they believe are multiple factors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EVAN BERNSTEIN, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY REGIONAL DIRECTOR, ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE: A lot of theories, gentrification, housing issues, unfortunately, old stereotypes that are now rising up again, you know, around money and power.
You also, unfortunately, are dealing with people with mental illness, who are immediately impacted by these things, instead of being able to hold back on their aggression or lashing out. We're seeing that more and more with our talks with the NYPD.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: So groups are in close contact with the NYPD. They are sending officers into Jewish communities throughout the region hear.
It was just about two and a half weeks ago when that awful attack happened right across in New Jersey, that deadly attack on kosher market. Of course, we now know that was driven by hatred of police and the Jewish community.
So authorities certain not taking any chances.
DEAN: All right. Polo Sandoval, thanks for following this for us. We appreciate it.
SANDOVAL: Thank you.
DEAN: Still to come, we'll visit a Mississippi town that has not been the same since a massive immigration raid this summer. The families now without work and living in fear.
You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:55:24]
DEAN: A Mississippi town is still reeling months after one of the largest ICE raids in U.S. history. Nearly 700 workers, mostly Latino, were swept up in the operation back in August. And many families now live in fear that another raid is coming.
CNN's Nick Valencia has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK VALENCIA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Like so many others here, Sofia Hernandez is worried. Three years ago, she used the money she saved while working at the local chicken plants to buy this Mexican market.
But now with business crippled by the ICE raids in August, she doesn't know if she'll be able to keep it open. She's had to cut the hours of her employees.
SOFIA HERNANDEZ, RESTAURANT OWNER (through translation): Thanks to God, I'm surviving.
VALENCIA (on camera): Yes, you're worried? You're worried?
HERNANDEZ: Yes, some. Some because we don't know what's going to happen.
VALENCIA (voice-over): Latinos make up nearly a quarter of the more than 3,600 residents in Morton, Mississippi. But looking at the streets, you wouldn't be able to tell. As rumor spread of another raid, most have chosen to spend their days in hiding.
In the nearly four months since the raids on chicken processing plants across six Mississippi cities, Miguel Tambrez's wife is among the dozens still detained, leaving him to care for their three children alone.
Their daughter was just 4 months old when it happened. She was still nursing.
"She cried and cried," he says of his baby. "There were days when I was in such despair, but I had to keep on fighting for her," he says.
He's physically and mentally exhausted and so is his wife. Recently, while in custody, she signed voluntary deportation orders. Soon, the family will be reunited again, but not in the United States.
"It's not that it was hard for me. It still is hard for me," he says, about the financial burden of being the sole bread winner and now sole caretaker.
(on camera): Those who were released from ICE custody with court dates were let go on the condition that they couldn't work. And that makes it pretty hard to pay the bills, which means they'd have to rely on the kindness of others, including churches like this one. But even they don't know how much longer it will last.
(voice-over): Sheila Cumbest had only been pastor at the United Methodist Church in Morton for four weeks when the raids happened. Her life and her church have been consumed by the event ever since.
SHEILA CUMBEST, PASTOR, UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, MORTON: Just in Morton alone, we're helping 110, 115 families. Paying bills is expensive. So far, the money we've spent is around $151,000 since the first week.
Every day, it's just facing the same sort of despair in people's lives and wondering what's next.
VALENCIA: Even the mayor says the town has changed since the raids. He tells us the plant raided in Morton accounts for 45 percent of the city's revenue. A business powered by Latino labor.
Despite what happened, he says, Latinos are still welcome in Morton.
GERALD KEETON SR, (D), MORTON MAYOR: Regardless, I mean, whether they are documented or undocumented, you should have compassion for your neighbor.
VALENCIA: But for the Latinos still left, the life they once saw for themselves here may no longer exist.
Nick Valencia, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEAN: Nick, thank you.
Initially, after the raids, an ICE official told CNN they were part of a broader criminal investigation going after the companies that employ undocumented labor.
That case in now in the hands of the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi. CNN has made repeated requests to interview U.S. attorney Mike Hurst. He has defied those requests and given no indication the companies will be charged.
That will do it for me here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
It's time to hand it off to my colleague, Ryan Nobles, in Washington, D.C., with the very latest now on the plane crash in Louisiana.
RYAN NOBLES, CNN HOST: Jessica, thank you.
You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Ryan Nobles, in for Ana Cabrera.
In our breaking news tonight, a stunning tragedy on the night the number-one team in college football plays its biggest game of the year. We have just learned that the daughter-in-law of one of LSU's coaches was among five people killed when a small plane crashed in dense fog in Lafayette, Louisiana, this morning.
Carley McCord, who works as a sports reporter for our affiliate, WDSU, and she was traveling to Atlanta to watch the game. That is where her father-in-law, Steve Ensminger, is coaching tonight.
The governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards, expressing his condolences for McCord and the other victims, the five who died and four others injured in the accident, three of whom were on the ground. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
[17:00:02]
CNN's Natasha Chen is in Lafayette now near the crash site.
