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Suspect In Idaho Killings Arrested In Pennsylvania, Questions Remain About Motive, Murder Weapon; Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Dies At 95; Barbara Walters, Trailblazing Journalist And T.V. Icon, Dies At 93; Trump's Tax Returns Now Public After Years-Long Legal Battle; Times Square Celebration Returning To Full Capacity After Pandemic. Aired 1-2p ET
Aired December 31, 2022 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[13:00:00]
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: A crazy story, a very important story and it was great story from you, Elizabeth Wolfe. Thanks so much. Appreciate it.
ELIZABETH WOLFE, CNN DIGITAL ASSOCIATE WRITER: Thank you.
MATTINGLY: And thank you for joining me today. Have a wonderful 2023. Be kind to each other. It's worth it. I'm Phil Mattingly in Fredricka Whitfield. CNN NEWSROOM continues right now. Happy New Year.
PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Paul Reid in for Jim Acosta.
We're learning stunning new details about the suspect arrested in the brutal killings of four Idaho college students. A source telling CNN, police were tracking 28-year-old Bryan Kohlberger as he drove cross country from Idaho to his parents' home in Pennsylvania around Christmas time. The rest comes seven weeks after those four University of Idaho students were stabbed multiple times as they slept.
A source telling CNN, DNA found at the scene was entered into a genealogy database. And that helped crack the case. The suspect identified as a graduate student in criminology who made a chilling social media post trying to solicit information from criminals to "understand how emotional and psychological traits influence decision making when committing a crime." Now CNN's Jean Casarez is following the latest developments for us.
Jean, I understand that you just spoke with the suspect's attorney. What are you learning?
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And he only has one attorney at this point. It is the chief public defender for Monroe County, northeastern Pennsylvania. His name is Jason Lebar. And he told me that his client made the decision to waive extradition. In other words, he will not fight going back to Idaho to face these charges. That hearing will take place. The judge has to talk to him one on one to make sure it's free and -- yesterday.
His attorney tells me. I also asked him, how is your client doing? Whose house right here at the correctional facility? Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JASON LEBAR, MONROE COUNTY CHIEF PUBLIC DEFENDER: He is very intelligent. In my -- our conversation with him that comes off. I can tell that and he understands where we are right now.
I spoke to them for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. They're also very shocked out of character for Bryan. They're really in all over everything that's going on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CASAREZ: All right. He also told me that -- he said that the family was at home. Bryan was with his parents at their home in Albrightsville which is about eight miles away. He said it was about 3:00 in the morning that there was a knock on the door. And the authorities were there. His father answered the door. There was no issue. Bryan came and then they took Bryan into custody. But the family as I said told him that he -- they are shocked.
They cannot believe what had happened and what has happened. And I also asked, you know, this is a very intelligent, educated man. 28 years old, he has to appreciate the seriousness of what this -- is happening right now. He said that he most definitely does. He's very aware he's cognizant, he is housed by himself in this correct -- high profile nature. He was on suicide watch initially which is routinely done for people that enter this facility.
He is not on suicide watch now, but he says that he is ready for that hearing on Tuesday. But he -- very interesting, he as his attorney does not have any information, that sealed probable cause affidavit, he doesn't have it. He doesn't know what is contained in that. And -- but I think that he is reaching out to try to get more information on this case since he is his sole attorney at this point. Paula?
REID: Jean Casarez, thank you. And joining me now, criminologist and behavioral analyst, Casey Jordan. Casey, I'm curious to get your reaction when you heard the suspect was a graduate student, studying criminology and that he solicited criminals to participate in a study looking at the role emotions and psychological traits play when committing a crime. I mean, it sounds like something that if it was in a screenplay, it would just be crossed out by editors. What is your reaction, though, as an expert in this?
CASEY JORDAN, CRIMINOLOGIST AND BEHAVIORAL ANALYST: Correct. And as a professor of criminology, I have to say that I'm disheartened but not at all surprised because we do find occasionally, that you have students who are majoring in criminal justice because of almost an obsessive preoccupation with crime. You've got to remember, he's 28 years old, he would have grown up watching CSI, watching Criminal Minds.
And some of the most telling information apart from that survey they put out on Reddit and the questions, yes, now that could -- legitimate research that he did for his master's program. [13:05:09]
At the same time the questions were very probing. We didn't plan for this when you left your house. What were you thinking as you carried out the crime? How did you feel afterwards? It says if he wants to be an expert on the criminal mind, and I have no idea if he even got any responses to that survey. It's -- for some people who are psychologically disturbed, they cross over and believe the only way they can be an expert is to actually experience something firsthand.
It's entirely possible that Mr. Kohlberger is one of those criminology students.
REID: Yikes. A source tells CNN that he drove his car across country all the way to Pennsylvania to his parents' house for Christmas. What does that tell you about his state of mind with seven weeks after these crimes?
JORDAN: Well, one of the most interesting things that we have learned from his fellow students in that PhD program is that he did return to classes after those murders took place. But they said that before that he was very quiet, enjoyed being an expert on everything, took a very long time to explain everything to people, describing a little bit of a narcissistic personality. But after the crimes, they said he was far more animated.
He was trying really hard to talk to people. And this would be consistent. What I've seen firsthand interviewing murderers who talk about a high -- after their crime, from the thrill of accomplishing something that they fantasize. Again, Mr. Kohlberger is innocent until proven guilty, but that long drive -- distant with a normal timeline. In other words, he's acting normal, finishes up his semester, drives home for Christmas.
But it also gave him 38 hours of driving in which he may have disposed of a murder weapon. So, very difficult if we plan to get that knife, I don't think he has it any longer. And I don't think we'll ever find it. But -- far would have raised some eyebrows. So, it was the car that brought him down. I think we're going to learn a lot more as Jean Casarez says, the attorney, he has an attorney and the following week -- Idaho, everything will be unsealed and we'll get some good details.
REID: You make a great point about the murder weapon, a key piece of evidence, we don't know where it is, you don't know if it'll ever be found. We also don't have a motive at this point. Even if we don't know if the suspect knew the victims, what scenarios would you be looking at right now, as an investigator, as an analyst?
JORDAN: I have to tell you that asking the question of motive is almost -- first of all, it's not required to know motive to get a guilty conviction for murders like -- on that. I've interviewed enough people who are on the spectrum of psychopathy, that the motive is simply to get to know what it feels like. To -- they do it because they are experimenting and -- but feel normal emotions in their everyday lives who are detached, they wonder to what heights they have to go to feel something. And I have to wonder Kohlberger is indeed the culprit, if that's what it was. Simply an experiment in -- and effort to be an expert on something. Kind of a Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde scenario. It isn't just the sort of fiction that we read about with Hannibal Lecter. These people do exist in real life. They're outliers. But perhaps Mr. Kohlberger is one of them.
REID: Whoo. Casey Jordan, incredibly disturbing but thank you so much for your analysis.
And up next. Tributes are pouring in after the news of two sad passings. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Barbara Walters. Their life and legacy next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:11:31]
REID: Today, the news of two sad passings. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has died at the age of 95. The former Pope in 2013 became the first pontiff to resign in nearly 600 years. And Barbara Walters. Anchor, reporter, talk show host, television legend has passed away at the age of 93. She joined ABC News in 1976, becoming the first female anchor on an evening news program. Three years later, she became a co-host of 2020.
And in 1997, she launched The View. Take a look at some of the iconic interviews from her remarkable groundbreaking career.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBARA WALTERS, PIONEERING U.S. TV BROADCASTER: Are you sorry you didn't burn the tapes?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The answer is I probably should have but mainly, I shouldn't have even installed them.
WALTERS:S Monica you have been described as a bimbo, a stalker, as seductress. Describe yourself.
Why did you kill John Lennon?
MARK DAVID CHAPMAN, JOHN LENNON'S MURDERER: I thought by killing him I would acquire his fame.
WALTERS: Did you mind the thought of as sex, sex, sex?
SCARLETT JOHANSSON, AMERICAN ACTRESS: I never put on a sexy face. So, I don't know. I don't know, you know, I don't know what it means to be -- to act seductive.
WALTERS: Doesn't hit you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEFMALE: He shakes, he pushes. He swings.
WALTERS: Next week, you will meet again with President Bush. The first time you two met, President Bush said that he looked into your eyes and got, "a sense of your soul." Some people smiled when he said that. What do you think he saw in your soul?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REID: And here's Barbara Walters in her own words on her legacy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WALTERS: No offense to you guys out there. But if I have a legacy, and I've said this before, and I mean it so sincerely, I hope that I played a small role in paving the way for so many of you fabulous women who are here tonight. I can't tell you how much pleasure it gives me when some smiling young woman comes up to me and tells me of her achievements. That's my legacy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REID: And joining me now, another trailblazer during her time at ABC News, Ann Compton became the first woman assigned by a television network to cover the White House. And it's great to have you with us. What will you remember most about Barbara Walters?
ANN COMPTON, FORMER ABC NEWS WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: No. The biggest memory I think for the standard that she said, I was already at ABC News covering the White House when she joined ABC News. And Barbara always painted journalistically on a much bigger, brighter canvas than everyone else. Yes, she got the big interviews, celebrity interviews, she had the power to reach out to people and get them to trust her to talk to her.
But she also at her very core was like any good reporter. She sought sources. She nursed those sources. She refined her questions and her approach to stories, looking for that nugget of news that important theme that is what Americans really needed to know at her core, a heart of over journalist who felt that facts and information and how we live is so, so important
[13:15:04]
REID: I want you to reflect a little bit on what it was like to be in this business in the 70s and 80s, the challenges that you would have to overcome as a woman in the news industry, it wasn't that long ago. But it really was a different time.
COMPTON: It was a very different time when I think each of us on the air was judged kind of differently. The American public wasn't used to seeing a woman anchoring a network newscast, or standing on the White House lawn. The time -- it was a time when the network's -- when journalism in general was trying to get more women out front and two really important jobs. But when Barbara came along first at NBC, where I competed against her on, like on a trip to China with President Ford, she was tenacious.
But it was during the years when women were finally getting those chances and probably not always held to the same standards. Not always given the same opportunities. Barbara is the one who kept pushing and pushing and pushing those doors so that women would have an equal access to the kind of prestigious positions where their reporting would really shine. And she was a wonderful and a very generous colleague, when it came to that.
REID: We all appreciate the efforts to open those doors. We played some moments from her memorable interviews, her most watched, of course, was the one she did with Monica Lewinsky. 74 million people tuned in. Let's take a look back at that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WALTERS: You showed the President of the United States your thong underwear. Where did you get the nerve? I mean, who does that?
MONICA LEWINSKY, AMERICAN ACTIVIST: So, I -- so I blurted out. You know, I have a crush on you.
WALTERS: He kissed you.
LEWINSKY: Yes.
WALTERS: What do you think?
LEWINSKY: He's a good kisser.
WALTERS: Did you ever tell Bill Clinton that you were in love with him?
LEWINSKY: Yes.
WALTERS: You did? What did he say?
LEWINSKY: He said, that means a lot to me.
WALTERS: Did he ever tell you that he was in love with you?
LEWINSKY: No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REID: Seventy-four million people watching that. What was it about Barbara that could get people to open up about everything?
COMPTON: As a reporter, she built trust with the people that she could get for interviews. And they would trust her to reflect what they really meant. I remember being with her, we're coming in or out of some event. And she turned to Colin Powell, who at that point, I think was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. And she said, Colin, next time you and Alma come to New York, let's go to the theater together. Let's go.
She had a personal rapport. And she treated people with great decency and generosity. I was the recipient of some of that after getting -- after I was married, clippings from the New York Times laminated about the wedding. And a little -- and a little tennis sweater for my first son when he was born. She made friends, she kept friends. And people enjoyed her company. And I think that personal touch, the generosity that she showed was really important.
And one thing more, Paula. She has been out of the public limelight for several years now, at a time of great tumult in journalism. And how much I think it -- that we could use her voice about the need for accuracy, the need for facts, the need for straight reporting. And we could have used her voice in the last couple of years to keep us remembering the importance of journalism to the American people.
REID: And Ann, Lisa Ling, who of course, appeared with Barbara on The View share the advice that she wants got from Walters. Let's take a listen to what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LISA LING, FORMER CO-HOST, THE VIEW: She would always say to me, she would look me in the eyes, I would say, Lisa, no matter what, I know, you're very ambitious. But if anything sticks with you, let it be, never neglect your personal life. And she was emphatic about that because she had to make so many sacrifices to get to where she was. And I have never forgotten about that.
And I certainly have thought about what she said to me so many times as I've tried to navigate this business that I never wanted to have to make those kinds of sacrifices. And I really didn't because people like Barbara, you know, did it for us in so many ways.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REID: And I'd love to get your reaction to that.
COMPTON: Barbara was so devoted to her daughter Jackie. She did not have a huge family. I had four kids while working covering the White House and I now have nine grandchildren. And I do feel that there were times when I was ignoring her, at least not giving him my full attention but Barbara was the kind who would always encourage you don't forget that important part of your life.
[13:20:10]
It is -- it is what we will always remember at the end of the trail, the time not spent with family with friends and she was a wonderful, loyal friend to so many people. She had a huge circle of friends who adored her back.
REID: Ann Compton, thank you so much.
COMPTON: Thanks, Paula.
REID: Let's turn now to the life and legacy of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI who has died at the age of 95. CNN Vatican correspondent Delia Gallagher joins me now. Delia, no other pope in 600 years has made the decision to resign. So, how will he be remembered? What is his legacy?
DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, I think one of his main legacies is as a theologian, a lot of the writing that he did. You've got to remember that we talk about Pope Benedict, but he also has a great legacy as Cardinal and indeed, as Pope Emeritus after he was Pope. Here's a look back at some of his life.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GALLAGHER (voice over): In many respects, Benedict XVI was the pope who got a bad rap. Nearly 24 years as Pope John Paul II's doctrinal enforcer and a German childhood lived in the shadows of Hitler's Nazi regime, he was often unflatteringly referred to as God's Rottweiler or the Pantsir Cardinal years of negative publicity caused many of his accomplishments to go unnoticed. He was the first pope to go green, making the Vatican the first country in the world with a zero-carbon footprint.
Putting solar panels on its rooftops and bringing in electric vehicles, including a hybrid popemobile. He was cardinal and pope during the years when the Catholic Church's sex abuse scandals came to light, and he spearheaded the Vatican's efforts toward a zero- tolerance policy. It was too little too late for some, but it was Cardinal Ratzinger who organized the Vatican's response to the scandal, including creation of a special office at the Vatican to handle cases.
Extending and in some cases eliminating the statute of limitations for victims. And as pope publicly apologizing.
POPE BENEDICT XVI, FORMER HEAD OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: I'm deeply sorry for the pain and suffering the victims have endured and I assure (INAUDIBLE) suffering.
GALLAGHER: One of his first acts after being elected pope was to condemn a popular church figure, Father Marcel Maciel for sex abuse, something which had not happened sooner because of Maciel's close friendship with Pope John Paul II. The high-profile condemnation, defusing concerns that Benedict wanted to cover up scandal. However, after his retirement, he suffered a reputational blow when a church commissioned report found he knew about allegations and failed to act against a pedophile priest while he was archbishop in Munich 40 years ago.
Benedict denied the allegations. And the surprise for which he will go down in history, being the first pope in modern times to resign. So that the man everyone's thought of as a traditionalist was unafraid of bucking the biggest tradition of them all. That a pope doesn't step down.
True to form, he made the historic announcement in Latin, saying he lacked the strength of mind and body to continue as pope. But this tough traditionalist was also a softie. He loved cats, Chico and Contessina were two. And classical music. Mozart's Clarinet Concerto was a particular favorite. Within the catholic church, Pope Benedict was a towering intellectual figure, one of the last to have attended the historical church council Vatican two in the 1960s.
He authored hundreds of books and articles and was as much a hero to conservatives as a controversial figure for others. A famous speech in Regensburg in 2006 that Benedict said was misinterpreted, questioning the link between Islam and violence sparked protests against the pope from some in the Muslim world.
His resignation introduced the biggest change of them all. An era of two living popes. Although he vowed to retire to a life dedicated to prayer at a monastery inside the Vatican, the Pope Emeritus continued to exert influence during the Francis papacy, weighing in on debates over sexual abuse and celibacy by writing articles and books well into his 90s.
He had retired as pope but not as a major player in the Catholic Church. An influence likely to continue even after his death.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[13:25:01]
GALLAGHER: And Paula, I have to tell you the crowds here just got a big surprise, they weren't expecting Pope Francis who came out in his wheelchair to see the nativity scene in in St. Peter's Square just before that inside the Basilica. He had spoken about the kindness and nobility of the spirit of his predecessor, Benedict XVI. Paula?
REID: Delia Gallagher, thank you so much.
And coming up. After years of waiting, Trump's tax returns are finally public. We'll tell you what's in them next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
REID: After our years long battle, the public is finally seeing some of the tax returns that former President Trump fought so hard to keep secret. The returns released by the House Ways and Means Committee span six years and show Trump claimed millions of dollars in losses during his presidency and that he held foreign bank accounts while in office. CNN's Kristen Holmes has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Little or no income tax, foreign bank accounts and eyebrow raising details about loans to his adult children. Just some of the findings after the democratic-led House Ways and Means Committee released six years' worth of former President Trump's federal tax returns. The returns spanning from the year Trump announced his first run for president 2015 through his last year in office 2020.
REP. RICHARD NEAL (D-MA): The research that was done as it relates to the mandatory audit program was non-existent. The tax forms were really never audited.
HOLMES: Previous reporting from the Joint Committee on Taxation revealed shockingly low tax amounts paid by the former president.
[13:30:05] Including paying only $750 in 2017. And in 2018 and 2019, paying a combined $1.1 million. And paying no income tax in 2020, his final year in office.
Trump offsetting his income by claiming millions of dollars in losses, raising questions about the former president's business failures.
While Trump paid less than $1,000 in U.S. income tax in 2017, the former president's tax bill totaled nearly $1 million in foreign taxes the same year.
Indicating notable business dealings in more than a dozen countries, including Azerbaijan, Turkey, Israel and Brazil. Shedding light on where Trump's business interests were, while he was in the White House.
The returns also showed Trump maintained foreign bank accounts while serving in the White House, including in China.
Some of Trump's business spending raising eyebrows among experts, including a 2017 claim one of his businesses, DJT Aerospace, made exactly the same amount spent. The zero net insuring nothing to tax.
Something one tax expert referred to as "a statistical impossibility."
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: -- my personal tax returns, which show only that I've had tremendous success.
HOLMES: Trump blasting the release of an outrageous abuse of power and calling for Republicans taking control of the House to immediately investigation Biden and his family's finances.
TRUMP: It's so sad for our country. It's nothing but another deranged political witch hunt, which has been going on from the day I came down the escalator in Trump Tower.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
REID: Joining me now, investigative reporter, David Cay Johnston, who has been reporting on Trump's finances for decades. He's the author of "It's Worse Than You Think: What the Trump Administration is Doing to America."
David, Trump famously tried to keep his taxes hidden for years. Now that we have these, what is your number one takeaway?
DAVID CAY JOHNSTON, AUTHOR & PROFESSOR, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OF LAW: A number of former IRS auditors have been in touch to me and they all come to the same conclusion I do. A lot of these numbers do not appear to be consistent and appear to be just made up.
That would be entirely consistent with Donald's behavior where he would tell someone he was worth X dollars and, hours later, on the same day, he would tell somebody else twice that much.
Donald has a long history of manufacturing numbers. REID: He always argued that he uses the tax system in a way that
advantages him, and that makes him, quote, "smart."
What you're suggesting is he made things up, which could potentially legally be tax fraud. Is that what you're seeing, it wasn't just coloring a little outside the lines but potentially criminal behavior?
JOHNSTON: Donald certainly used legitimate lawful tax avoidance techniques. It may be bad tax policy but it's the law.
There's persuasive and powerful evidence that he committed tax fraud. He was told after his 1984 tax returns were audited, and there were trials by New York City and New York State.
Where his -- his using a tax form in which he said he had a business with no revenue, but $600,000 of expenses, that -- and no records of expenses that that was civil tax fraud.
He did this 27 times during the years he was a candidate or president. Doing something like that is illegal, is very powerful evidence of criminal intent.
REID: We saw investigations into the former president's company and their taxes up in New York. A lot of people said, tax fraud, it's a paperwork crime. This will not be difficult to prove.
As we saw, investigators and prosecutors ran into two problems. One, the fact that the former president doesn't email and doesn't have much of a paper trail.
And, two, they couldn't find anyone close to him who was willing to flip on him specifically. So this is not that easy to pursue, right?
Even if it looks pretty clear to an expert, a criminal case, especially a successful one is an entirely different thing.
JOHNSTON: Actually, I think it would be very simple. Remember, Donald Trump's companies, which he 100 percent owns, were convicted of 17 felonies by a jury in Manhattan a few months ago.
In this case, all prosecutors have to do is establish that Trump doesn't have receipts and records. And focus on the government's rules about you have to be trying to turn a profit and showing you're doing things to do that to deduct business expenses.
I think it would be a very easy case for Alvin Bragg to bring over his state taxes, a whole case could be presented to a jury in about three days. It's about issues that people can easily understand.
[13:35:02]
REID: And to clarify, you were right. In Manhattan, his company was charged and convicted, but the former president himself was not charged nor anyone in his family.
JOHNSTON: Correct. REID: What question do you have about these foreign accounts? This is
another thing that came out of here. Foreign accounts while he was in office.
JOHNSTON: So, first of all, so long as he disclosed these accounts, that's not an issue. Donald has businesses in other countries, especially India.
Of course, he could have corporate bank accounts in those countries.
China was interesting because Trump denied having any bank account in China. Why did he lie about that? Why did he not correct the record about that? Certainly something that needs to be looked at.
We should also be concerned about foreign governments putting money into Trump's pocket because he says, when people give him money, he likes them.
We saw the Saudi government, the dictatorship in Riyadh, do this in a variety of ways, including renting out at the top rate one or two entire floors in the former Trump Hotel in Washington, D.C.
REID: Some Republicans have argued that this attempt to get tax returns, arguing they needed to review returns for presidents, this was all politically motivated.
But one thing we learned was that the president was not audited properly while in office. What's your response to that?
JOHNSTON: Well, critics of what the Democrats have done will make whatever argument they think will sell to the public.
But, in fact, Donald created the grounds for questioning his tax returns. He claimed he was being persecuted by the IRS. He claimed he was being treated differently than other presidents.
It is the duty of the Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee to oversee our tax system. Looking into this is entirely appropriate.
Lo and behold, when they look into it, they discover here are real serious issues here about the failure to audit, the severe limitations placed on the auditor, and about Trump's filings themselves.
REID: Likely more investigations under way.
David Cay Johnston, thank you very much for joining us.
JOHNSTON: Thank you, Paula.
REID: Coming up, we're live in Times Square where the crowds are gathering to count down to the New Year. Stay right here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:40:34] REID: We here in the U.S. are preparing to ring in the New Year. But it's already under way in some parts of the world.
People from Hong Kong to Sydney said good-bye to 2022 in recent hours with lavish fireworks displays and celebrations that stretched as far as Shanghai.
In New York, we're still a little more than 10 hours away from midnight. Still people are already gathering in New Yorks Times Square for the city's enormous street party.
Our Gloria Pazmino is in the thick of it.
Gloria, what are you seeing?
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Paula, it's starting to rain. It's getting cold. But nobody here cares.
They got here early. They wanted to come here and witness the biggest party in the world, New Year's Eve in Times Square.
I just want to give you a taste. Look at this. I love it. You have Argentina, you have Colombia, you have Guatemala. It's international.
And tell me, I caught you a minute ago. You were taking a nap right there. Why?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because I came here, like, 10:00 p.m. So I have to rest. I have to be ready. And I need my best energies to cheer as much as I can.
PAZMINO: What made you come out here tonight? So many hours to go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have love for him. We want to see an unforgettable performance. It's New York. It will be great with all these people.
PAZMINO: I love it.
International, that's what New York City is all about. Like I said, Colombia, my homeland, I have to shout it out, Argentina, the champions of the world, soccer.
We have Japan over here, right?
You're visiting from Japan?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Japan.
PAZMINO: And Italy, right?
(CROSSTALK)
PAZMINO: Italy and Ecuador.
So much of what makes New York City great is exemplified in this crowd tonight. They've been lining up for hours. As I said, some slept since last night.
The NYPD out in force making sure things are safe, going smoothly. Still several more hours to go.
As I said, it's starting to rain, but people here are energized. We're starting to hear a bit of the sound check.
So, over the next few hours, there will be a lot of energy and enthusiasm while we wait for the big ball drop to come down and ring in the New Year -- Paula?
REID: Love all that enthusiasm.
You mentioned that it's raining. How cold is it going to get in New York tonight?
PAZMINO: You know, Paula, it's actually not bad right now considering how cool it gets at this time of the year.
So, you know, you have to cut your losses here. It's pretty mild for this time of the year, but it is raining.
Bring a poncho if you're watching and if you decide you want to join the crowd. Bring your waterproof gear. Do not bring an umbrella. Those are not allowed. Come prepared.
It will take a while but you'll be warmed up by the enthusiasm of the crowd. That's what this night is all about. That's what gets you through and what makes the waiting possible.
People gather, they have a good time, and you're just at the crossroads of the world in the best city on earth, ringing in a brand- New Year.
REID: Gloria Pazmino, thank you very much for that. Looks like you're in good company. We'll be back with you next hour.
Tonight, your favorite duo is back. Join Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen for a global celebration, New Year's Eve live from Times Square. It all gets started at 8:00 right here on CNN.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:47:25]
REID: Dionne Warwick is a musical icon with 56 worldwide hits, six Grammy awards and one extraordinary legacy. She brings her exclusive story to CNN in the new film "DON'T MAKE ME OVER" premiering tomorrow at 9:00 p.m.
Here's a preview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DIONNE WARWICK, SINGER: Shows were completely sold out every night. It was one side, which was white where they were seated. And the other side was a ballroom type-setting where everyone was standing.
Blacks were on this side, whites were on this side. The stage was straight ahead.
And I remember saying, Dionne, don't turn your back on the white folk. And I said, well, why not? He said do not turn your back on the white folk. I said, OK.
The first thing I did when I went out there was I walked straight to the band and turned my back and played to the ones that looked like me. Everybody could hear me. Everybody could see me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REID: Make sure you tune in. "DON'T MAKE ME OVER," premieres tomorrow night at 9:00.
From Will Smith's Oscar slap to a superstar reunion and Taylor Swift's Ticketmaster fiasco, it was a wild year for entertainment.
Here's CNN's Stephanie Elam.
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UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: It's time.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "Stranger Things" time travels to the '80s.
(SINGING)
ELAM: While Beyonce's "Renaissance" skyrockets to the top.
TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: This is your captain speaking.
ELAM: And the triumphant return of blockbuster movies.
(on camera): Hollywood forged full steam ahead into 2022, and it was a wild ride from start to finish.
Here's a look at the top entertainment stories of the year.
(voice-over): At number 10 --
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: Hollywood stars, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, have finally said I do.
ELAM: Second time's the charm for this love story 20 years in the making. The pair met in 2001 on the set of the rom-com, "Gili."
BEN AFFLECK, ACTOR: Hello. I'm sorry, do we know each other?
JENNIFER LOPEZ, ACTRESS & SINGER: Not yet. ELAM: They got engaged a year later, but after a whirlwind romance,
they called it quits three years after that.
But the couple found their way back to each other last year and exchanged vows at an intimate ceremony.
At number nine --
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: The one thing they ask of us is to stay here.
ELAM: Drama on the set of "Don't Worry Darling." Harry Styles, Chris Pine, and Florence Pugh.
The all-star cast generated a lot of buzz for its behind-the-scenes gossip.
[13:50:04]
It starred when Shia LeBeouf, the original male lead, left the project and was replaced by Styles, who was reportedly in a relationship with director and co-star, Olivia Wilde.
Then there were tensions between Wilde and lead actress, Florence Pugh.
And video seemed to show Styles spitting on Chris Pine during a press tour, which his spokesperson denies.
But would the very public off-screen chaos hinder it at the box office? Turns out there was nothing to worry about. "Don't Worry Darling" won the box office on opening weekend.
At number eight --
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: See you on the other side.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: On the other side.
ELAM: Small screen hits dominate pop culture. "Stranger Things" took audiences into a time machine, fast forwarding to 1986.
The show's fourth season brought back Kate Bush's "Running Up that Hill," Metallica's "Master of Puppets," and paid homage to '80s trends and styles.
On ABC, critics credited breakout series "Abbott Elementary" for bringing back the TV sitcom.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: These two keys I made must too fit.
ELAM: While "The White Lotus" on HBO traveled to exotic locations and brought home 10 Emmy Awards.
And on Netflix, "The Addams Family's" reboot "Wednesday" proved to be a huge winter hit with audiences logging over one billion hours of screen time. Number seven belongs to the queen bee herself.
(SINGING)
ELAM: Beyonce smashed records with her seventh studio album "Renaissance."
Things got off to a Rocky start when the tracks were leaked online, but her fan base came to her rescue.
The bey hive rallied fans on social media to wait for the official release so everyone could enjoy it together. And that they did. "Renaissance" blasted to the top of the charts giving us nods to jams of the past.
Number six --
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: Tom Cruise's "Top Gun: Maverick" had the biggest Memorial Day opening weekend of all-time.
ELAM: Blockbuster movies are back.
CRUISE: This is your captain speaking.
ELAM: The summer blockbuster raked in nearly $1.5 billion worldwide.
CRUISE: We're going into combat.
ELAM: And "Black Panther" fans turned out for "Wakanda Forever."
Marvel's iconic superheroes led the charge at the holiday box office.
But another epic release is nipping at its heels, "Avatar: The Way of Water" is setting up for the next big wave.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Footlocker is joining the growing list of companies cutting ties with Kanye West.
ELAM: At number five, Kanye's controversies. After making a series of anti-Semitic remarks and wearing a shirt with the slogan linked to the Ku Klux Klan, Ye's business partnerships ended.
Balenciaga and Gap also pulled the plug. And Adidas ended their longtime flagship deal. Meta and Twitter suspended his accounts. And Ye announced he would acquire Parler, but that deal went bust, too.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Isn't it possible they're both guilty? Isn't it possible they both said defamatory things?
ELAM: Number four, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's courtroom battle.
UNIDENTIFIED ATTORNEY: Do you find that Mr. Depp that has proven that Ms. Heard acted with actual malice? Answer, yes.
ELAM: Amber Heard stoic as a jury found she did defame Johnny Depp in a 2018 op-ed in "The Washington Post." The jury awarding Depp millions in damages.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As against Amber Heard, we the jury award compensatory damages in the amount of $10 million.
(CHEERING)
ELAM: As Depp fans cheered outside the courtroom, another $5 million in punitive damages was awarded.
On Heard's counterclaim, Depp was found liable for a statement by his lawyer, claiming Heard set up Depp. The jury awarded her $2 million in damages.
In December, her and Depp reached a settlement on the defamation case. But Heard said this is not an act of concession.
ELAM: Number three, saying good-bye to Hollywood legends.
UNIDENTIFIED CNN ANCHOR: Actor and comedian, Bob Saget, has died.
ELAM: It started with the sudden death of one of TV's most beloved stars.
(SINGING)
ELAM: And then Olivia Newton-John lost her battle with cancer.
And sadly, the list of entertainers we lost this year grew to include some of our favorites.
(MUSIC)
ELAM: Number two -- Taylor Swift's Ticketmaster fiasco. A concert for the eras. Millions of fans queued up to buy tickets for Swift's highly anticipated worldwide tour.
As soon as Ticketmaster's pre-sale began, the heavy demand snarled Ticketmaster's Web site.
Thousands of Swifties were in line for hours, and many left empty- handed when Ticketmaster suddenly canceled the pre-sale.
[13:55:05]
Swift blamed Ticketmaster for the snafu, saying it's been excruciating, but nothing stopped her ultra-loyal fans from supporting the pop star.
She became the first artist ever to claim all 10 spots on the Billboard Hot 100, following the release of her latest album "Midnights."
At number one -- the slap to the jaw that had jaws dropping. A showdown on stage at the Oscars as Smith confronted Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife.
CHRIS ROCK, COMEDIAN: Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane Two. Can't wait to see it.
Oh, wow. Wow. Will Smith just smacked (EXPLETIVE DELETED) of me.
ELAM: The audience inside the Dolby Theater and around the world stunned.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": There are consequences.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I physically felt ill and I'm still a little traumatized by it.
ELAM: Smith resigned from the Academy and he was banned from attending any of their events, including the Oscars for the next 10 years.
He apologized to Rock and is trying to move on. He's currently seeking redemption in Apple TV's "Emancipation," already getting some 2023 Oscars buzz.
(on camera): There are big things to come for our newsmakers on our list. Beyonce says "Renaissance" is act one of three she recorded during the pandemic.
And the cast of "Stranger Things" is poised to start shooting their fifth and final season.
In Los Angeles, I'm Stephanie Elam.
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