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President Biden And First Lady Jill Biden Hosting The Kennedy Center Honorees At The White House; Tampa Police Chief Flashes Badge During Traffic Stop; Mauna Lao Erupts, Lava Flow Attracts Visitors; Dancing Grannies Return To Christmas Parade; Moore County In North Carolina Under Curfew After Gunfire Attacks At Power Stations; President Biden To Ask Senate For Another Military Aid For Ukraine. Aired 5-6p ET
Aired December 04, 2022 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Six Grammy's, 19 nominations. The first contemporary Christian artist to be number one on the pop charts and her Christian songs are playing on repeat in millions of homes across America. Like the greatest, she has -- I can't get over you, quite frankly. Like the greatest (inaudible), she writes songs from her soul -- from her soul. A joy about loss and about healing, about how others feel and how you make people feel when you sing. I really mean it.
She does more than that. Everywhere you turn in Nashville, you see Amy's fellowship established musical therapy at a children's hospital, for veterans struggling with the wounds of war, playing benefit concerts for a long list of worthy causes. Amy calls music a soul enlarging experience.
In my church, St. Augustine said it slightly different. They said singing is praying twice. Singing is praying twice. You understand when you hear Amy Grant sings, her voice -- her voice is a true gift of God and she shares with everyone, especially with her incredible family including her husband Vince Gill who has a pretty damn good voice himself.
(LAUGHTER)
Amy, thank you for always keeping the faith. Every time I walk out of my Grandpa Finnegan's house in Scranton, he'd yell, "Joey, keep the faith." My grandma he'd yell, "No, Joey, spread it. You spread it." Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
We the people, we also hear goodness and grace of the one and only expressive soul, Gladys Knight.
(APPLAUSE)
Daughter of a man who grew up in a church choir and began performing with her brother and sisters and cousins, a group that became known as Gladys Knight & the Pips. You're on my recording. After six -- over six decades, seven Grammys and 20 nominations including the best gospel album, 11 number one R&B singles, six number R&B albums, two number one top billboard hits. Grammy Hall of Fame, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame.
She's performed on the biggest stages but a point of personal privilege, I think her performance in 1990 at the 100th Anniversary of the Delaware State fair was pretty special.
(LAUGHTER)
They're still talking about it, Gladys. Not a joke. Not a joke. And down at the fair they speak like you all do down in Atlanta, you know what I mean? Just a few days ago we observed World AIDS Day, a much different day than during the worst of the epidemic in the 80s. Back then, Gladys joined Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick and the benefits -- and in benefit record to sing "That's What Friends are For." It reached number one on chart shattering the stigma and opening the hearts.
The title of her autobiography is, "You Were There Between Each Line of My Pain and Glory." Gladys, your voice -- your voice has spoken to what breaks our hearts, what tears us apart, what lifts our spirits and bring us together and makes us human. Gladys, you are truly one of the best things ever to happen to any of us.
(APPLAUSE)
So, if you don't mind me saying it, we're going to get on that midnight train because I think I speak for all America when I say we would rather live in your world than be without you in ours.
(APPLAUSE)
I told I think I have about every one of her songs on my phone, but -- because I remember them. She was only 12 when she was making them. And we the people, we all see our courage and creativity. We hear Tania Leon, born and raised in a working-class Havana. Surrounded by the varied sounds of Cuba and the fusion of cultures and music.
A young child who danced to the radio and not long after she learned to walk. At age 4 her grandmother enrolled her in a music conservatory. She trained into her 20s to be a classical piano player and boarded a freedom flight to Miami and the wake of the Cuban revolution as days later landed in New York City.
[17:05:00]
Over the next six decades she became one of the most classical composers and conductors of our time. During the civil rights movement, she co-founded a dance theater in Harlem, the country's first black classical ballet company.
(APPLAUSE)
She also conducted the world-renowned New York Philharmonic and worked with the Brooklyn Philharmonic to bring classical music beyond concert halls into city neighborhoods. She led symphonies in South Africa into -- from South Africa to Germany. A mentor and a professor, she champions new composers, earning dozens of honors. Her versatility, her vision, her defined labels and deepening Latin American influence in classical music.
It was President Kennedy who laid the ground work for the freedom fights abroad (inaudible) to America. Fifty-five years later she now receives a Kennedy Center honors and we thank her, thank her for breathing new sounds into the soul of a nation.
(APPLAUSE)
We the people, we hear the words of one of my favorite poets of all time. My colleagues up in the United States Senate used to kid me because I was quoting Irish poets on the floor. And they thought it is because I was Irish. That's not the reason. I did it because they're the best poets in the world.
But we hear the words of Yates, think where man's glory most begins and ends and say my glory was, I had such friends. Words that echo from an island close to my heart as a descendant of County Mayo and County Laois. Tonight, we honor four sons of Ireland, poets in their own right, best friends who started a band as teenagers in Dublin and became one of the greatest bands in history. Larry, Adam, the Edge, Bono, U2. U2.
(APPLAUSE)
In the areas of the Irish tradition of poetry and protest, rebellion and rejoicing, faith, hope and love, and a belief in the dignity of all people everywhere. Dignity is a very important word of them all. And to quote my friend, Bono, music can change the world because it can change people.
For more than 40 years, U2 has changed the world. Anthems about civil rights, solidarity of workers, a struggle for peace, ballads about love and family, concerts dedicated toe ending poverty and disease, 22 Grammys, 46 nominations, more wins than any group in history, 150 million albums.
(APPLAUSE)
One hundred and fifty albums sold among the most ever. And it's true that their music is a bridge between Ireland and America, between two friends linked in memory and imagination. Joined by our history and joined by a nostalgia for the future. You know, they put down the things that are original quotes of presidents and senators.
The only one they have listed for me is, and I'm really is, something that I realize I got from my family. It is the Irish are the only people in the world are always nostalgic about the future.
(LAUGHTER)
But it's more than that. More universal, more fundamental and more important than ever. From "Sunday Bloody Sunday" to "Pride, In The Name Of Love," to "Ordinary Love," to "One," the U2 has spoken and sung about the unspeakable, cost of hate and anger and division. The pain and suffering. The denial of freedom and senseless loss of life and the inhumanity we inflict on another as nations, as people and in our own lives.
All flowing from division that for all of us is visible manifestations lie first and foremost in our hearts. Just before America's bloody and deadly civil war, President Lincoln wrote, "We are not enemies. We must not be enemies."
In the midst of the great division, that was President Lincoln's plea, he would do well to remember today. At a moment when there is too much hate, too much anger, too much too much division here in America and quite frankly around the world, we have to remember today as our song goes, we're one but we're not the same, we get to carry each other.
[17:09:52]
From this Irish-American president in a White House designed by Irish hands who built this and designed it, I want to thank U2 for all you've done everything you've done and the way you lift people up. You really make a difference. Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
Ladies and gentlemen, your 2022 Kennedy Center honorees. Congratulations to you and your wonderful families and thank you for showing us the power of the arts and we the people. God bless you all and may God protect our troops. Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Well, you have been watching President Biden. Right now, he is hosting some of the biggest names in entertainment at the White House including George Clooney and members of the band U2 as you can see right here. He is shaking the hands of some of these honorees. Ahead of tonight's Kennedy Center honors, CNN's Arlette Saenz is right there. Arlette, quite a bit of glamour at the White House tonight.
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, there is. So many familiar faces and voices at the White House tonight ahead of the Kennedy Center Honors. This honor is really one of the highest awards that those in arts and entertainment can receive here in the United States. And this reception that is being held at the White House is part of the tradition.
President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosting each of the Kennedy Center honorees and celebrating their life's work. You heard the president tick through all of the achievements that they've achieved in arts and culture from George Clooney's movies to Amy Grant as a Christian singer.
But he also spoke in that about some of the humanitarian work that they've done and spoke directly about their character. President Biden said that this is a truly exceptional group of nominees who embodies that phrase, we the people.
Now, the president and first lady will be on hand at the Kennedy Center Honors a bit later tonight. This is the second time that they are attending the honors and this is actually the second time this week that they've had this night of glitz and glamour here at the White House.
On Thursday, they hosted that same dinner for French President Emmanuel Macron, which also included people like John Baptiste, the singer who President Biden referenced in his remarks there and he -- and the president also talked about the power that music and the arts has to unite people. And that is part of why he is celebrating these honorees here at the White House tonight.
BROWN: All right, Arlette Saenz live for us from the White House. Thanks so much, Arlette.
And still ahead tonight in the "Newsroom," a Florida police chief under investigation for using her badge to get out of a traffic stop. See the body camera video up next.
Plus, day and night, residents and tourists flock to see the molten lava coming out of the world's largest active volcano. So, how would the national park handle this surge? We're going to ask.
And then later for you tonight, Deshaun Watson does not get a warm welcome as he suits up for his first real game with the Cleveland Browns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:15:00]
BROWN: The top cop in a major U.S. city is on administrative leave this afternoon. Tampa Police Chief Mary O'Connor is accused of abusing her power during a traffic stop. And the brazen exchange is captured by the body cam of the deputy who stopped O'Connor and her husband.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARY O'CONNOR, POLICE CHIEF, TAMPA, FLORIDA: Is your camera on?
LARRY JACOBY, DEPUTY, PINELLAS COUNTY: It is.
M. O'CONNOR: I'm the police chief in Tampa.
JACOBY: Oh, how are you doing.
M. O'CONNOR: I'm doing good.
JACOBY: Okay.
M. O'CONNOR: I'm hoping that you'll let us go tonight.
JACOBY: Okay. Yeah. I'll say -- not to say -- you look familiar, so.
M. O'CONNOR: Yeah. I'm sure I did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Leyla Santiago joins us with more of that deputy's recording. So, Leyla, what is Chief O'Connor saying about this?
LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORESPONDENT: Well, she's saying she understands why some might think that this was an inappropriate action, but she says it was not her intent. This was all captured on video, very quick exchange. It was less than two minutes. And so, let's go ahead and walk you through what led up to this.
In the video, you see that there was a traffic stop. This happened November 12th. So, about three weeks ago. And the traffic stop showed that a golf cart is pulled over. Mary O'Connor, the chief was in the passenger seat. Her husband was driving. And the deputy explains to them why he pulled them over. He says that the golf cart was pulled over because it was on a public road with the inappropriate tags. But watch the full exchange.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
M. O'CONNOR: Is your camera on?
JACOBY: It is.
M. O'CONNOR: I'm the police chief in Tampa.
JACOBY: Oh, how are you doing.
M. O'CONNOR: I'm doing good.
JACOBY: Okay.
M. O'CONNOR: I'm hoping that you'll let us go tonight.
JACOBY: Okay. Yeah. I'll say -- not to say -- you look familiar, so.
M. O'CONNOR: Yeah. I'm sure I did.
JACOBY: Okay. All right, folks, have a good night. So, you don't hear any (inaudible)?
M. O'CONNOR: Yeah. We live in East Lake Woodlands.
JACOBY: Okay. All right. Well, it's nice to meet you. I'm Deputy Jacoby.
M. O'CONNOR: Same here, my friend.
JACOBY: All right.
M. O'CONNOR: Take care of yourself. Sorry to bother you.
JACOBY: All right. Take care. All right. No worries. Like I say, we have a lot of problem with the golf carting around here, you know, everybody --
KEITH O'CONNOR, HUSBAND OF MARY O'CONNOR: We don't normally come out.
M. O'CONNOR: We never come out.
K. O'CONNOR: But the park was closed so we went to the Greek place to get some food.
JACOBY: Got you. Okay. All right. All right then. We'll, take care and it was nice meeting you.
K. O'CONNOR: All right.
JACOBY: Oh, all right.
M. O'CONNOR: If you ever need anything, call me.
JACOBY: Okay.
M. O'CONNOR: Serious.
JACOBY: All right. Appreciate that.
M. O'CONNOR: Thank you.
JACOBY: Yes, mam. You're welcome.
M. O'CONNOR: Thank you for your service.
JACOBY: Thank you for yours.
M. O'CONNOR: Thank you.
JACOBY: Take care.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANTIAGO: So, you see her say hoping you'll let us go. That's exactly what happened. And she says that she has called the sheriff's office since to offer to pay any potential fine that would be associated to that traffic stop and also says that she understands why someone would think that's inappropriate, but that was not her intent because she knew she was being recorded at the time.
[17:20:05]
So, let's see what the mayor has to say about this. Let's read the statement together. The mayor saying, "We hold everyone accountable, no matter their position, and this behavior was unacceptable. Chief O'Connor will go through the due process and face appropriate discipline. So, what happens now, Pamela? Well, there is now an open investigation and she will be on administrative leave until that investigation is complete.
BROWN: All right, Leyla Santiago, thanks so much for that. And let's drill deeper on this. Joining us now is retired Los Angeles
Police Department Sergeant Sheryl Dorsey. She is also the author of "Black and Blue: The Creation of a Social Advocate." Sergeant Dorsey, thank you so much for joining us. So, how serious do you think this is?
CHERYL DORSEY, REITRED, LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT: Listen, it's really not that big of a deal. She didn't do anything that every police officer hasn't done. And let's not pretend that, you know, sexism just only occurs in the rank and file. I mean, there have been at least six female police chiefs who have been run out on the rails since 2020 for one reason or another. And so, listen, it's a Catch 22.
If she hadn't ID'd herself, she knows she's being recorded and someone reviewed it, they would have say, why did the chief ID'd herself. We do that expecting professional courtesies like every other occupation does when you run into your colleagues. And so, I think in this case, Chief O'Connor doesn't have her cart connected to the right horse.
One of the city council members there didn't want her selected anyway. And so now, because it's a patriarchal society, they'll decide what kind of discipline they'll met out. It could be a reprimand. It could be a paper penalty. It could be days off and or termination. So, we'll see what the mayor ultimately does.
BROWN: So, you think that the way she is being treated is a case of sexism, but that is more of the reaction not the actual behavior we're seeing here in this video. I mean, isn't there a double standard here because she is the police chief, because she shows her badge, she's left off the hook when that wouldn't necessarily happen to a private citizen. And as we've seen in this video, she offered her business card saying reach out any time. Does that really pass the smell test?
DORSEY: Well, listen, we always show our badges when we're stopped. I do. Every time I'm stopped, I show my I.D. We don't carry badges on the west coast, but I show my I.D. because I want you to know who I am. And so that is not uncommon and the mayor knows that and every other male officer whose ever been stopped knows that this occurs.
The misstep she made was when she said I hope you could let us go. She should've just kept her mouth shut because the officer, the deputy would have respected her rank and let her go without a sight anyway, but now they want to make a big deal because they didn't want her to have that position to start.
BROWN: Let me ask you, have you ever been in a position like this where an officer stopped you and you showed your badge and you were let off the hook when perhaps a private citizen wouldn't have been treated the same?
DORSEY: Every time I'm stopped and I've also stopped police officers myself during my 20-year career and the moment someone identifies themself as a fellow officer, I say thank you, sir, have a good day and be careful. Slow down or whatever it is. We all do that and they understand that we all do that. So, I don't know why they're making such a big deal about it. Like I said, the misstep she made was when she said, I hope you can let me go. She should have just said nothing.
BROWN: So, even though as you're saying, this is a common practice among cops, you know, a wink and hey, okay we're on the same team, I'll let you go. I mean, is that really right, though? Should that be a common practice in your view?
DORSEY: Is it right? You know, that's up for, you know, whoever to decide whether or not it's right. It's what happens. It's the culture. And listen, this was a traffic stop. There was a time when a police officer might pull over another police officer who is DUI and back in the day, they just put you in the patrol car and drive you home.
We know something similar to that happened. I think it was in Detroit or Chicago with the superintendent who got stopped drunk. And what did they do? Let him go. So, this happens all the time.
BROWN: All right, retired LAPD Sergeant Cheryl Dorsey. Thanks for joining the show tonight. We appreciate it.
DORSEY: Thank you.
BROWN: A live look now at the eruption of the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii that is still posing a threat to a highway, but it's also becoming a tourist attraction. We're going to speak with a national parks spokesperson about how they're handling it, up next.
Also, a reminder for you. CNN will have full coverage of the Georgia Senate runoff race between Senator Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker. Tune in Tuesday starting at 4:00 p.m. eastern and I'll see you there at the voting desk.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:25:00]
BROWN: Lava continues to flow from Hawaii's Mauna Loa volcano with molten rock creeping closer to the island's main highway. Right now, the lava is moving just 40 feet per hour. But officials are warning that it could be unpredictable.
And that is not stopping some folks getting a closer look as tourists and locals alike flock to witness the world's largest volcano in action. Ben Hayes is a spokesperson for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. They're tasked with keeping spectators safe during this historic eruption. I mean, everything aside, the threat that this pose, it is a beautiful sight and crowds are flocking to see it, Ben. What kind of crowds are you seeing there and just the reaction to this?
BEN HAYES, SPOKESMAN, HAWAI'I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK: Well, visitation has been steady but not overwhelming to the national park since the Mauna Loa eruption began. Most of the visitation is occurring on the north side of Mauna Loa at the highway itself and that's managed by the Kauai County. [17:29:58]
We're in a little bit of a lull after Thanksgiving right now, but we expect visitation to increase the closer we get to the holidays, which is our busiest time of the year. Our message to visitors is to arrive before 9:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m. for the best experience.
BROWN: So, we also know that some native Hawaiian's, they feel a kind of sacred connection to the volcanoes. Here are some residents describing that spiritual meaning of this eruption. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERECH ZYCH, OAHU RESIDENT: This is very significant. Like my wife, we made leis on Oahu and we brought them over here and we gave it as an offering, you know, just you come as a respect.
PILANI ZYCH, OAHU RESIDENT: It's all beautiful for us and so we pay huge reverence to this. It's very culturally significant for us as well. So, it's a big deal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: So, tell us a little bit more about the eruption's cultural significance if you could?
HAYES: Well, I'm talking to you from the summit of Kilauea, which is the other erupting volcano here on the island of Hawaii. And similar to Mauna Loa, Kilauea is a sacred place. The summits are very important to native Hawaiians. And what we're witnessing is considered by many people to be as described by your guest, a sacred event.
And so, we always remind visitors to please be respectful when they're visiting the park and the island because in many cases, you're visiting someone else's church. And so, it's important to make sure that you're self-aware and not disturbing other people's spiritual experiences.
BROWN: And they're bringing offerings to the site, right?
HAYES: That's right. That's called hookupu and it is practiced here at Hawaii volcanos and throughout Hawaii. It is very much connected to these lava landscapes and particularly when there are eruptions, we see a lot of those practitioners arriving at the park and practicing their culture.
BROWN: So, how much Mauna Loa can you see from the park and how close to the lava are spectators able to get because when you first hear about the, you know, crowds rushing to see this enormous volcano eruption, your initial thought might be, well, that could be dangerous. Is it?
HAYES: It can be. The biggest hazards from a volcanic eruption are typically the magnetic gases, the vog, the sulfur dioxide. And so that's -- as well as particulates that fall from the plume. And so that is that we're definitely reminding visitors. We do have a gas monitoring network in the park and throughout the island so visitors could get real data.
But also, we're seeing an uptick in vehicular accidents and distracted driving, obviously when you're driving by one of the largest volcanos on the planet erupting, it's going to turn your head. And so, we're also reminding visitors to please drive carefully and concentrate on the road. There are a lot of drivers on the island going to see this eruption and we want everyone to arrive safely to their destination.
BROWN: Besides car accidents, what about the threat to the highway? From what you've seen, do you think the lava will actually reach the road and if it does, what would that mean for travel there on the island?
HAYES: Well, it is approaching the road but has slowed significantly over the last several days. And it is -- USGS, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has reported that it's impossible to say which direction it will go. It continues to flow through a flat area and so it has slowed, it is inflated and it has, you know, growing out on all sides in the flat area.
So, they have forecast that at the current rate of flow, that it will be at least two weeks before it reaches the highway. But this eruption as all Mauna Loa eruptions is, is very dynamic and can change quickly. And so, it's important for us and for everyone to keep monitoring the updates from the Kauai County Civil Defense and from United States Geological Service.
BROWN: All right. Ben Hayes, thank you so much.
Well, damage due to gunfire, two power stations in North Carolina cuts electricity to more than 40,000 residents and police are now searching for the perpetrators. What we're learning about this investigation, up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:35:00]
BROWN: Well, a group known as the Dancing Grannies is making its return to the streets of Waukesha, Wisconsin right now. These are live pictures from our affiliate. It is their first Christmas parade since November 21st of last year when a man intentionally drove an SUV on to the parade route killing six people including four affiliated with the dancing grannies. It all happened during this show. And this morning, CNN's Fredricka Whitfield talked to one of the members.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAN KWIATKOWSKI, DANCING GRANNIE MEMBER: There were many ups and downs, challenges. You know, so many different things when this happened. Of course, you know everybody is in shock. We don't know -- we didn't know what hit us. We didn't know anything at that time. You know, trying to deal with what did happen to the group, you know, the four that we lost, the injured, are we going to keep this group going? You know, just everything. And when this happened, of course, it was right at the beginning of
the holiday season, so not only do we have to deal with the tragedies and everything, but our own personal lives, our holiday seasons, and, again, talking and planning and everything as far as if or how are we going to move this group forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[17:40:02]
BROWN: Several family members of those killed will also be in the parade carrying pictures of their loved ones.
Well, residents in North Carolina's Moore County are under a mandatory curfew tonight after what police are calling a targeted attack on the county's power grid. Authorities say multiple power stations were damaged by gunfire early Saturday night leaving more than 40,000 people without power potentially for several more days. CNN's Gloria Pazmino joins us now with the latest. So, this is so bizarre. What do we know so far, Gloria?
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Pamela. A really, really strange story the more that we learn about it. We heard from local officials in the area Moore County tonight who said they believe this was absolutely an intentional and targeted attack as you said. Those power stations sustaining gunfire, multiple rounds are fired into these two substations that have gone out causing the power to go out for more than 40,000 people in the area.
This is Moore County located about 90 miles east of Charlotte. And it is winter. It's cold there tonight. So, thousands of people having to be without electricity. And what appears to be a really complicated repair process going forward. That is part of what we know. As you also mentioned, tonight, authorities there will be instituting a mandatory curfew beginning at 9:00 p.m. this evening.
They're asking people to stay off the roads because the electricity is out, power and traffic signals are not working. So, they are trying to avoid accidents on the road. I want to play you some sound from a press conference that we had with local officials just a short while ago where they gave us an update about what they know, but they also made it very clear that they're not sure exactly what is the motive behind this attack. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RONNIE FIELDS, MOORE COUNTY SHERIFF: No motivation. Nobody is -- no group has stepped up to acknowledge or accept it, they're the ones that have done it. Yeah. I call them cowards. I could say this, this individual that done this, it was targeted, it wasn't random.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAZMINO: Now, describing that targeted attack and that plan to go in there and shoot into the power stations, even one of the doors, one of the gates that leads into the power station was completely taken off the hinges and was found on the floor this morning. And Pam, just another note that is very concerning, officials
acknowledging that the kind of damage that the plant sustained is likely to take days to repair, at least through Thursday. Schools will be canceled in the area tomorrow and it looks like residents are going to be looking at least a couple of days without power. So, a concerning situation considering the weather and the fact that people rely on electricity for so many basic needs.
BROWN: Yeah. Absolutely. It's just awful for them. Just awful. Gloria Pazmino, thank you.
Well, this week, the Biden administration will make the case to Congress for more aid to Ukraine. Retired Colonel Cedric Leighton is back at the magic wall tonight to brief us on where Ukraine's fight against Russia stands right now and how more assistance from Congress could help. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:45:00]
BROWN: Next Wednesday, the Senate will get a classified briefing on Ukraine as the Biden administration pushes for an additional $37 billion in aid. But that could be the last aid for a while. Some Republicans in the House say it's time to cut off Kyiv.
CNN military analyst Colonel Cedric Leighton joins us now. All right. So, colonel, Ukrainian military officials, they say that the Russians are firing dummy missiles to exhaust Ukrainian's -- the Ukrainian's air defenses. So, these are weapons that could carry nuclear warheads, right, but they're not. How much is this exhausting the Ukrainians?
CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANAYLYST: So, this is actually a really big deal, Pamela, and here's an actual dummy warhead that the Russians sent over to Ukraine. So, there is nothing in there except basically the metal that makes this thing up and it's, you know, if it hits something, and of course, it could do a lot of damage, but there is no explosive capability here. It's just in essence, except for the fuel that's in there, it's just in essence a big impact.
And that is going to create a large problem. And the key thing here is that there are so many of these that they could throw at the Ukrainians and what that does is it overwhelms the air defenses and makes it harder for the Ukrainians to discern which of the missiles they really need to knock out of the sky. These are not that important. The ones that are important are the ones with the real warheads.
BROWN: Yeah. But you can't tell just from looking at that. So, they have -- they have to pretend as though every single one of them contains a nuclear warhead, which is the tricky part.
LEIGHTON: That's right. That's right.
BROWN: I want to home in on the city of Bakhmut because Ukrainians are saying that is a main target for the Russians right now. So, what is the assessment of fighting there?
LEIGHTON: So, Pamela, here is the city of Bakhmut, right here. It's in the eastern part of the Donetsk region that Ukraine controls for the moment. But what the Ukrainians need to do is they need to protect the soldiers that they have inside Bakhmut. And what the Russians are doing is they're trying to encircle the area from the north and from the south.
So, if they do this, the Ukrainians that are their risk being captured or the city, of course, risks being taken over, retaken by the Russians.
[17:50:02]
If that happens, the fighting that you see in this particular city is going to get really intense. You know, it seems like this, you know, with machine gunners and, you know, buildings firing at the opposition, that's going to be a key part of the area. And the city itself has a lot -- a lot of issues from previous fighting.
About 70,000 people lived here before the war started. Most of them have left, but the destruction here is just absolutely incredible and it's something that would, you know, continue, of course, with fighting like this. And so, the Ukrainians have to be careful. That can stave the Russians off, but they have to know when and where the Russians are moving in.
BROWN: Right. And the Russians may be getting some more help. They've been talking with Belarus in recent days. Tell us about the role Belarus could play here as this war progresses.
LEIGHTON: So, one of the key things about Belarus is of course it's to the north of Ukraine, in the northwestern and northern parts of the country. It borders right along here. And it's very close to Kyiv, and we remember from the first part of the war that when the Russians came in to capture this area, they captured areas around here and around here. The big effort was designed to actually go in and try to take Kyiv.
They were unsuccessful in doing that, but if the Russians and the Belarusians come together again and the Belarusian army becomes part of the Russian army, they could potentially open up another front and that other front could try to move against Kyiv once again. So, this is very dangerous thing. And when the Russian Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, met with his Belarussian counterpart, it was very clear they're trying to establish a relationship and even deepen the relationship that already exists between the two countries. Belarus is Russia's ally --
BROWN: Exactly.
LEIGHTON: And they're going to try to make this allied part of their relationship even more meaningful from the Russian standpoint and it's very likely that they could actually use the Belarussian forces to move into this area, so the Ukrainians also have to be careful on that front. BROWN: Very quickly. I mean, we're almost a year into this war. Are
you surprised they didn't do this sooner?
LEIGHTON: Yes, I am, because the, you know, the Belarussians are in essence, stooges of the Kremlin, you know.
BROWN: Exactly. Right.
LEIGHTON: And that's the problem. They could have used these forces but there were elements within the Belarussian hierarchy that were opposed to greater involvement with Russia. One of them was the foreign minister who died under mysterious circumstances about a week ago.
BROWN: Mysterious circumstances. All right, Colonel Cedric Leighton, thanks so much.
LEIGHTON: You bet, Pamela.
BROWN: Well, the Georgia Bulldogs are the number one seed when the college football playoffs start later this month. Who else will join them? Stay with us. We're going to be right back.
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[17:55:00]
BROWN: Well, two more countries are out of the World Cup and the final four of college football is set. Patrick Snell joins us now. All right, let's start with the college football, national semifinalists, two teams are no-brainers. The other two had some trouble on the road to the playoff, right?
PATRICK SNELL, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Oh, sports can be so cruel at times, Pamela. A wild weekend, two of the top four teams losing their conference championship games, Texas Christian University falling to Kansas State and University of Southern California losing to Utah. But the top team in the nation, those Georgia Bulldogs taking care of business against LSU in the SCC Championship.
And second-place Michigan seeing off Purdue in the Big 10 championship as well. And in the college football playoff, here's what we now know, we now know who will play who on New Year's Eve. Defending champs Georgia will face Ohio State. Many were wondering who would get in between Ohio State and Alabama, but it would be the one last Buckeyes who make it there in end.
Alabama will miss the playoffs for just the second time and number two Michigan will face number three TCU. The national championship will be decided January 9th in L.A.
All right, let's move on to other type of football. As we mentioned, the World Cup currently in the knockout stages. Winner will go home for every match from now on and the pressure has really ratcheted up. Kylian Mbappe for France, the absolute star of the show Sunday for the (inaudible) against Poland, (inaudible) a four for the tournament for the PSD superstar.
At this point, Mbappe also scored in the 2018 final in Russia against Croatia. And then before the end of '23, Mbappe, with his now tournament high fifth, that's a stunning strike, isn't it, 3-1 the final. Robert Lewandowski did tuck away a penalty for the Poles right at the end, but France gets the job done. They're through to the quarter finals where they will face the country of my homeland, England, the three lions with three different scorers in their 3-0 win over Senegal.
Well, let's tip our hat to the skipper, Mr. Harry Kane scoring his first goal of this World Cup. Huge relief for him, but it's a goal, Pam, that brings his total now to 11 World Cup goals for his entire career. That's the most ever for any English player. So, really cool piece of history for Harry Kane. Heartbreak for those Senegalese fans. With that, it's right back to you, Pam.
BROWN: All right, Patrick Snell, thanks as always.
And the next hour of "CNN Newsroom" starts right now.
A Tampa police chief placed on leave after flashing her badge during a traffic stop.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
M. O'CONNOR: Is your camera on?
JACOBY: It is.
M. O'CONNOR: I'm the police chief in Tampa. I'm hoping that you'll just let us go.
[17:59:58]
REP. KEVION MCCARTHY (R-CA): I'm hopeful everybody comes together, finds a way to govern together. Otherwise, we'll be squandering this majority.
UNKNOWN: He's not going to be speaker. He doesn't have the votes to get to 218. He's not going to get to 218.
