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Release of Trump's Tax Returns Now Permitted by U.S. Supreme Court; Trump Reported Tax Losses Spanning the Years 2011 to 2018; Judges Appear Dubious About Trump's Special Master Arguments; Herschel Walker Joined by Senator Lindsey Graham in Georgia Rally; Senator Lindsey Graham Appears Before Georgia Grand Jury; Russia's War on Ukraine; Complaints from Russian Soldiers on Battlefield; Russian Rockets Hit Maternity Ward, Killing a Newborn; Putin to Connect with Mothers of Reservist Troops; Walmart Shooting Results in Six Fatalities; Indonesia Earthquake Death Toll to 268, Hundreds Injured; Scots' Vote for Independence to be Reviewed by UK Supreme Court; Final White House Briefing Featuring Dr. Fauci; Airline Staffing Now Higher than Pre-Pandemic; "Love Actually" Reunion for TV Special. Aired 4:30- 5a ET
Aired November 23, 2022 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Please stay with CNN. We'll bring you more information on this story as it develops through the morning.
[04:30:00]
NOBILO: Police in the U.S., State of Idaho, say that they're making progress in the case of four college students who were killed earlier this month. But they still don't know who the killer is or how many people they're looking for. CNN's Natasha Chen spoke with the representative about what the police know so far.
NATASHA CHEN, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I asked the police spokesman here whether they're any close to finding a suspect. And what I was told is they're definitely making progress. What that means is they've interviewed more than 90 people, they've chased more than 700 leads, and they've set up a portal online for people in the community who might have relevant surveillance footage to be able to upload those videos to police. And they say they've actually received quite a number of submissions.
And so, right now, their investigators are combing through those very large video files to see what may be relevant to hand over to the detectives on this case. Now, I did ask about the general threat level to the community, after all, a suspect has not been caught. And so, the spokesperson tells me that people do need to being vigilant. Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AARON SHELL, COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR, IDAHO STATE POLICE: Any time that there's a person's crime of this magnitude and murder, you know, assault, those types of things, there's always a threat to the community when those suspect or suspects are out in the community.
So, yes, there are threats. We recognize that. It's always wise for people to lock their doors, walk in pairs, be alert of what they're doing. You know, there is somebody or some people out there somewhere that are murderers and we want to find them and bring them to justice.
CHEN: Is there more than one suspect, potentially?
SHELL: So, potentially.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHEN: So, he's not ruling out the possibility that there may be more than one person responsible for these killings. Meanwhile, the University of Idaho sent a message to students on Tuesday night saying that for the remainder of the semester, both in person and remote learning, options will be available. That's after many students gave their input about how they would like to see the university proceed for the remaining two weeks of the school year after the Thanksgiving holiday break.
The university president said that faculty will be prepared with remote options. And while remote learning is not preferred, that will be available to students. Back to you.
NOBILO: A judge in Texas has ruled that far-right radio host and conspiracy theorist, Alex Jones, must pay the full amount the jury awarded in punitive damages to the parents of one of the Sandy Hook School shooting victims. That amount just over $45 million.
FOSTER: The judge who oversaw the parents' defamation case against Jones made the ruling despite a state cap that would have limited the amount of damages paid.
Now, after a year -- a year's long battle, a congressional committee will finally get hold of Donald Trump's tax returns. On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court denied the former president's request to keep those records private.
NOBILO: His legal teams' fervent effort to shield their release have raised all sorts of questions about what kind of information Trump might be hiding.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOAN BISKUPIC, CNN SENIOR SUPREME COURT ANALYST: The Committee had argued that it has a legitimate legislative purpose on this. And Trump had countered it saying, this is just a witch hunt, it's just an effort to embarrass him. He had lost in lower courts. And the former president had made a last-ditch effort to the U.S. Supreme Court. And today, in a very brief two sentence denial said, no. We're not going to intervene. The lower court decision stand.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: This is just one of the legal battles and investigations Trump has tangled up in. Others include his role in the January 6th attacks and the election interference case in Georgia.
FOSTER: In the New York fraud lawsuit, a long-time Trump organization accountant testified that Trump reported losses on his personal tax returns every year from 2011 to 2018. And that accountant said, he advised executives to make sure the company was squeaky clean after Trump became president.
NOBILO: Meanwhile, a panel of federal appeals court judges a bit skeptical of arguments from the Trump legal team about why the FBI's search of Mar-a-Lago required a so-called special master to review the documents that were seized. CNN's Paula Reid picks up the story.
PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: This is the first big test for newly appointed Special Counsel Jack Smith. He was not physically at these arguments but he did personally approve everything the prosecutors said as they tried to convince a panel of three judges to remove a so-called special master, that's a third party that is reviewing most of the materials seized at former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago home.
This, three-judge panel, all three of these judges were appointed by Republicans, two of them even appointed by former President Trump. But based on the questions that they were lobbing at attorneys, things did not appear to be going well for the former president. They asked questions including whether this was going to set some sort of special precedent and whether people who were not former president would suddenly start asking for this kind of review which could delay their investigation. They also asked why the special master have been put in place when the search in Mar-a-Lago has never been deemed to be unlawful.
[04:35:00]
There was even a moment when one of the judges chastised a Trump attorney for referring to what happened as -- at Mar-a-Lago as a, "Raid". Now, it did not get a decision in this case, again. But there's a lot riding on be this for the special counsel. If they win here, it would likely be appealed to the Supreme Court. But if they ultimately prevail on this issue, it could help them move their investigation along just a little bit faster. Paula Reid, CNN, Atlanta.
NOBILO: U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham spent Tuesday in Georgia where he attended a rally supporting Herschel Walker, less than two weeks ahead of the state Senate runoff election.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): I am from South Carolina. You know why I'm here? I'm tired of having my vote canceled out by two liberal senators from Georgia. Let's fix that, OK?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: The South Carolina senator wasn't in Georgia just for the rally. Graham appeared before a grand jury investigating efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Prosecutors have wanted to question Graham about calls that he made Georgia election official after the presidential election and his interactions with the Trump campaign.
FOSTER: Just ahead, complaints from Russian forces on the front lines in Ukraine. What they're saying about the dire conditions they're now facing.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NOBILO: Our top story this hour, police in Chesapeake, Virginia, are reporting multiple fatalities and injuries from a shooting at a Walmart.
FOSTER: A law enforcement source tells CNN the shooter is believed to be an employee or former employee who walked into a break room and opened fire. The source says it's believed the shooter, at some point, turned the gun on himself and is dead. Police are at the scene securing the store and gathering evidence. This is a breaking news story. We'll get you as much information as we can as it comes in.
NOBILO: Turning now to Ukraine where an official in the Zaporizhzhia region says that Russian rockets struck a maternity ward overnight.
[04:40:00]
FOSTER: Authorities say, the two-story building was destroyed. A woman who was giving birth, at the time, and a doctor were rescued from the rubble. The woman's newborn baby was killed. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack saying Russia continues to fight against civilians and civilian targets. Kremlin says, Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet this week with mothers of reservist soldiers called in to fight in Ukraine. This comes as complaints have been flooding in from Russian soldiers, including those who were recently mobilized. CNN's Fred Pleitgen has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Stark images from what many believe to be the second strongest military in the world. This video posted on social media purports to show new Russian recruits camped out in the snow and cold with little more than tarps for shelter, some trying to warm up by fires.
CNN cannot independently verify its authenticity, but those posting it say the soldiers even had to buy their own food to survive. Problems during training, problems on the battlefield, these recruits vent their anger at the Russian military.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We were abandoned without equipment, without everything. Where are the tanks? Where are the armored personnel carriers? Come on. Bring it or I'll come for you.
PLEITGEN (voiceover): Dilapidated barracks, horrendous sanitary conditions, poor food. The list of complaints often documented in social media posts like this runs long since Russia says it has mobilized more than 300,000 men for the war in Ukraine since September with more than 50,000 allegedly already on the battlefield, the Kremlin says.
Some relatives, especially mothers, complaining about the treatment of their loved ones. This group at southwestern Russia saying their husbands and sons had been sent to the front line without adequate training or gear.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): The commander who gave the order that our men should hold the defense ignored the decree of the supreme commander in chief that the newly mobilized should not be sent to the first line of contact.
PLEITGEN (voiceover): Even in the areas of Ukraine that Russia has annexed, mothers are taking a stand. Return students to their studies, this sign in Donetsk says.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Vladimir Vladimirovich, please return our children. There are many dead. Many captured. The rest of the children are physically and morally decimated.
PLEITGEN (voiceover): Soldier's mothers traditionally carry a lot of sway in Russia. And Russian president, Vladimir Putin, seems eager to show he's not tone-deaf to their plight. Recently visiting with the military says, were new recruits, even firing a sniper rifle himself. Trying to convey he cares about the new recruits.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): About our country, you know, of course, we have costs. Most notably regarding losses in the special military operation. I think about it all the time.
PLEITGEN (voiceover): But many mobilized Russians and their relatives seem to feel left out in the cold after their country called them up to serve in a war that was never supposed to last this long.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: And CNN's Frederik Pleitgen joins us now live from Moscow. Fred, when is Vladimir Putin expected to meet with these mothers and what's he hoping to achieve.
PLEITGEN (on camera): Hi, there Bianca. Well, the latest information that we have is that it's going to be on Friday that he's going to meet with these -- with the mothers. And it was interesting because the spokesman for the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov, he came out yesterday and confirmed that such a meeting would take place. He says that such meetings are often on the agenda of the president and that he likes to keep up to date with what's really going on on the ground with Russia's, what they call, the special military operation. Obviously, that war effort in Ukraine.
What's happened since then though is that some mother's organizations have come out and said that they haven't been invited to such a meeting. Especially one mother's organization that's been fairly critical of some of the things that have been going on that have called for their men to have better conditions on the battlefield, but of course, in training as well. And they say, so far, they've not received an invitation to that. And certainly, something that has made some of these mother's organizations quite angry. And it really is something that is quite important here in Russia, guys. The mothers carry a lot of sway traditionally, not just since what has been going on in Ukraine, but also really over the decades. They've been extremely important as far as Russian public opinion is concerned.
And also, one of the things that's happening this weekend is on Sunday, it's Mother's Day here in Russia which is also a gigantic event here in this country. So, it's definitely something the Kremlin is watching out for. But there is some criticism that certainly is surfacing as well, guys.
NOBILO: Fred Pleitgen for us in Moscow. Thank you so much.
And an update now on our breaking news story. Authorities in Chesapeake, Virginia, say at least six people are dead in a shooting at a Walmart store. A law enforcement source tells CNN, the shooter is believed to be a Walmart employee or former employee who walked into a break room and opened fire. The shooter is dead. He's believed to have turned the gun on himself.
[04:45:00]
Stay with CNN. We'll bring you more information on this story as it develops.
FOSTER: The death toll has jumped to at least, 268 in Indonesia. Crews are searching for survivors of Monday's devastating earthquake. Landslides and power outages in the mountainous region are complicating rescue efforts.
NOBILO: More than 22,000 homes have been destroyed and 58,000 people displaced. The Indonesian president met with survivors on Tuesday, offering $3,200 to owners of heavily damaged homes.
FOSTER: Coming up, the peak holiday travel season is upon us. We'll show you what U.S. airlines have been doing to prepare.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: All eyes on the British Supreme Court set to deliver a ruling on whether the Scottish government can hold a referendum on independence next year without approval from the British government. It's a bit more complicated than that, isn't it?
NOBILO: Uh-huh. It is.
FOSTER: These are live pictures inside the court. Scottish First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon wants the referendum to be held next year.
[04:50:00]
It wouldn't be legally binding but it would show, you know, how Scottish people feel about independence. NOBILO: And we believe that the British government is preparing for about five different scenarios to emerge from this. But the consensus currently is that the legal opinion, the weight of that is against Scotland for having --
FOSTER: So, it's whether or not the British government or the Scottish government should be able to decide whether there should be a referendum. Is that right?
NOBILO: Yes, whether or not the Scottish government can do that independently without British government approval.
FOSTER: Anyway, these judgements are going to be quite lengthy. We'll bring you the result as soon as we have it.
NOBILO: Tuesday marked the end of one chapter for the top U.S. disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and the beginning of another. He appeared in his last White House briefing on the coronavirus before leaving his positions at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and as chief medical advisor to the U.S. president.
FOSTER: End of an era. Those of attendance, lauded Dr. Fauci for his work especially since the start of the pandemic. And although he says he's not retiring for good, he hopes his dedication to keeping the American people healthy is remembered.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, U.S. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE: I'll let other people judge the value or not of my accomplishments. But what I would like people to remember about what I've done is that every day, for all of those years, I've given it everything that I have and I've never left anything on the field.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: I'll be -- yes, I mean, he was such a big part of that story, wasn't he?
NOBILO: Uh-huh.
FOSTER: Around the world.
NOBILO: Synonymous.
FOSTER: Meanwhile, we got to get to the cat news.
NOBILO: Yes, quick.
FOSTER: And normally, a cat is referred to as out of the bag. But that wasn't the case by this feline spotted by the TSA.
NOBILO: That orange fur that you see there is a cat. Somehow the animal made it all the way through an x-ray unit at JFK International Airport. The traveler told the TSA that the cat belongs to someone else in the household. According to the agency, the cat is now actually out of the bag, you'll be reassured to know, and safely back home. You know, my cat did this before I went to the G7. She got in my suitcase.
FOSTER: And you discovered it how?
NOBILO: I mean, I did discover her because she's white and it was a black suite case. It was very obvious. But that would be --
FOSTER: Well, there are so many questions about that story about that we will bring updates, surely.
NOBILO: Yes, we know you'll be on the edge of your seats, so fear not.
FOSTER: Holiday travelers in the U.S. experiencing far few flight cancellations than there were in the past summer. When we were seeing thousands of cancellations a day and hiring boom is big reason, things have gotten better, apparently. Pete Muntean has that story for you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Airlines have been preparing for the rush at airports with a rush all of their own, hiring thousands of new workers from the front desk to the flight deck. 24-year-old Ellie Gall is about to follow in her father's footsteps as a new commercial pilot.
ELLIE GALL, COMMERCIAL PILOT: This is probably one of the best times in history to become a pilot.
MUNTEAN (voiceover): Ellie is joining Piedmont Airlines which operates thousands of regional flights for American Airlines. At a Charlotte training center, 400 new pilots have been trained here since June.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have true ambitions to grow the airline, essentially double the size of the airline.
MUNTEAN (voiceover): Seasoned pilots are also in demand. Piedmont just announced a $100,000 signing bonus for new captains.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The opportunities have never been better.
MUNTEAN (voiceover): New industry number shows staffing at the major airlines has now exceeded pre-pandemic levels. The hiring blitz comes after airlines struggled this summer, canceling 55,000 flights due in part to staffing shortages. But hiring is happening beyond just pilots. American Airlines says, it has hired 12,000 employees this year, company-wide. Southwest Airlines says, it has hired more than 15,000. And at United Airlines, 2,000 new customers service representatives are helping passengers in new ways.
DEBBIE REYNOLDS, CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, UNITED AIRLINES: This is Debbie speaking. May I help you?
MUNTEAN (voiceover): Called agent on demand. You scan a QR code for a video call. Agents can now connect with a stranded passenger at O'Hare when they're not busy at another airport like Dallas.
REYNOLDS: I think this is going to be a great help, especially now that we're having snow everywhere.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want to be there for our customers, support them, make it easy. And just make them fool good about the trip and take off some of the stress.
MUNTEAN (voiceover): Airlines insist they now have the right people in the right places. Now, the pressure is on them to perform.
MUNTEAN (on camera): Are you worried at all?
NICK CALIO, CEO, AIRLINES FOR AMERICA: I'm worried about the weather. I always worry about the weather because that's the number one thing that can ruin a flight. I think we're flexible enough now that if there are cancellations or delays, we will be ready to try to get people to where they want to go.
MUNTEAN: The big question is, will all of this hiring pay off? It has been smooth so far, which is good news considering how busy things have been here at Reagan National Airport and at airports across the country. The TSA has screened about an average of 2.3 million people a day for the last few days. But the busiest days are still ahead.
[04:55:00]
The TSA anticipates screening 2.5 million people on Wednesday which could be the biggest number we have seen since COVID first hit. Pete Muntean, Reagan National Airport.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Now, Bianca's favorite modern Christmas movie is turning 20 next year. Can you believe it?
NOBILO: I loathe it as much as you. You're just discussing this.
FOSTER: She loves it. To mark the occasion, the cast of "Love Actually" is reuniting a bit early for a TV special.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTINE MCCUTCHEON, ACTRESS, "LOVE ACTUALLY": Hello.
HUGH GRANT, ACTOR, "LOVE ACTUALLY": Hello.
MCCUTCHEON: This is my mum and my dad and my Uncle Tony and my Auntie Glynne.
GRANT: Very nice to meet you.
MCCUTCHEON: And this is the prime minister.
JOANNA BACON, ACTRESS, "LOVE ACTUALLY": Yes. We can see that, darling. (END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: I know I don't feel that well, but it's just, sort of, stomach turning. You know what I'm saying?
FOSTER: Is it the music or the --
NOBILO: I don't know. It's just all --
FOSTER: -- acting, the actors --
NOBILO: -- it's the cocktail of, you know, cheese.
FOSTER: The reunion airing on ABC next week. The cast may re-live some of those laughs about the, "Total agony of being in love", or whether lobsters were present at the birth of Baby Jesus. And of course, there was that moment, a young Englishman headed west to find love in Wisconsin.
NOBILO: Of course.
Speaking of another movie, it's been nearly 25 years since the movie "Titanic" hit theaters. But, could you imagine anyone but Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in the lead roles?
FOSTER: I can't. But here's some news for you, the film's director, James Cameron, told GQ he initially thought of casting Gwyneth Paltrow as Rose before meeting Winslet. I think she could have done it.
NOBILO: Yes.
FOSTER: Leonardo DiCaprio initially didn't want to audition for the role of Jack, but Cameron convinced him to reconsider. Thankfully, besides that film that made him famous, really, isn't it?
NOBILO: Yes, and the combination of the two of them, because they've gone on to star together in other films.
FOSTER: Have they?
NOBILO: Yes, they have. And they're good friends.
FOSTER: There's that movie history for you. And for the first time ever, people around the world will have a chance to vote for the Oxford dictionary word of the year.
NOBILO: There are three candidates on the shortlist. Metaverse, #IStandWith --
FOSTER: Not a word.
NOBILO: -- and Goblin Mode. What's Goblin Mode? OK. We've got to go. The dictionary says each one is relevant to the era in a different way. The last vote is December 2nd.
FOSTER: Get your votes in. Thanks for joining us here on "CNN Newsroom". I'm Max Foster.
NOBILO: I'm Bianca Nobilo. "Early Start" is next.
[05:00:00]
