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Israeli Combat Ops Spread into Southern Gaza; At Least 61 Journalists Killed in Israel-Hamas Conflict since October 7; Humanitarian Aid Trucks Face Hurdles; Second Day of COP28; Lawyers in Georgia Court in Election Subversion Case; Tiger Woods Returns. Aired 5-6a ET
Aired December 02, 2023 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Welcome to all of you watching us here, the United States, Canada and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber.
Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, explosions heard from Gaza as renewed fighting stretches into the second day after the Israel-Hamas truce ended. We will look at when another deal can be brokered.
Plus --
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LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "When I see that my brothers and sisters can't find food or water, I feel life is worthless."
BRUNHUBER (voice-over): The humanitarian situation in Gaza is still desperate. We will have a report from the Rafah border crossing, which has become a lifeline for the people inside the war-torn enclave.
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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): And Vice President Kamala Harris arriving in Dubai for the COP28 climate summit. We are live at the conference to see what America could be pledging for climate action.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: It's 5 am here in Atlanta, noon in the Middle East, where combat operations between Israel and Hamas are into their second day following the collapse of a weeklong truce.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER (voice-over): The IDF released this video of what it says was a strike against Hamas targets operating close to the Israeli troops in Gaza. More than 400 targets, the IDF says, were hit in the past 24 hours.
Israel has been directing much of its firepower toward targets in southern Gaza. It released a new evacuation map, showing Palestinians where they should go, even though much of the region is without internet.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says at least 178 people have been killed since the truce ended early Friday.
Meanwhile, this was the desperate scene in Khan Younis as aid trucks delivering drinking water outside the Red Crescent Hospital in the midst of a dire humanitarian crisis, southern Gaza hospitals have been overwhelmed by casualties since the fighting resumed. Here's what a U.N. spokesperson said about the situation on Friday.
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STEPHANE DUJARRIC, U.N. SPOKESPERSON (through translator): You will need to recall that, before the pause started, while the conflict was on, we were delivering humanitarian aid. So in an extremely challenging situation.
So we do hope we will be able to continue to do that, while at the same time advocating for a resumption of the halt of the fight.
As we've been saying, as everyone has been saying, no place in Gaza is safe.
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BRUNHUBER: The IDF believes 136 people are still being held in Gaza, including 17 women and children. A U.S. official says talks to release more hostages are ongoing.
All right, CNN's Larry Madowo is standing by in Cairo. But let's begin with Ivan Watson in Beirut.
Ivan, what is the latest on the fighting?
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Gaza was pummeled in the first 24 hours after the cease-fire ended early Friday morning.
The Israeli military says it carried out strikes against more than 400 targets in Gaza in a 24-hour period. Meanwhile, one of the factions in Gaza, the armed faction Palestinian Islamic Jihad said that it fired rockets deep into Israeli territory.
As far as the death toll, well, the Hamas-run ministry of health in Gaza says that at least 178 people were killed in that 24 hours of hostilities resuming, with hundreds more wounded. We are starting to get reports from some of the hospitals that are
still functioning about them being overwhelmed with casualties -- wounded people lying down on floors, waiting for treatment.
Among the people who were killed, the civilians killed in Gaza on Friday, I want to highlight Muntasr al-Sawa (ph). He was a freelance cameraman for the Turkish Anadolu agency, who had earlier witnessed the death, in his words, at least 45 members of his family in an Israeli airstrike, including his parents and his brothers and their children.
He, too, was wounded and had posted on social media that he couldn't get treatment for his wounds because the hospitals were overwhelmed. CNN has spoken with the bureau chief of Anadolu agency, that confirmed the death of his relatives in a previous strike. And now, he too is a casualty.
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This has been a horrific month for journalists in and around this conflict, with at least 61 journalists killed. That is according to The Committee to Protect Journalists, since October 7th, that initial attack, the slaughter committed by Hamas.
Among them, 54 Palestinians killed, four Israeli journalists killed and three Lebanese. The CPJ says that this has been the deadliest month for journalists since it began collecting these records more than 30 years ago.
BRUNHUBER: Just adding another level to the tragedy. Ivan, in the meantime, as we understand it, hostage talks are continuing in the background.
What more can you tell us about that?
WATSON: Right, the negotiations are continuing for the release of hostages. And Israeli officials have said they are still open to resuming a truce, if certain conditions are met. Take a listen.
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LT. COL. (RES.) JONATHAN CONRICUS, ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES SPOKESPERSON: If there is an opportunity to return more hostages through negotiations, then the IDF definitely has the flexibility to adjust its posture again, if the government will tell us to do so. We are always ready to seek and exploit opportunities to bring our people back home.
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WATSON: The Israeli government says that, out of 136 hostages still believed to be held in Gaza, that there are some 17 women and children there.
The Israeli government and the Biden administration believes there are still a number of women aged 20-30, who were kidnapped by Hamas at the Nova music festival.
And part of the breakdown of talks, they allege, is due to Hamas refusing to hand those women over, because they claim that Hamas was arguing that those women were members of the Israel Defense Forces, the military, and not civilians. And that, they claim, is part of the disagreement there.
BRUNHUBER: Appreciate the update. Ivan Watson in Beirut.
I want to turn now to Larry Madowo in Cairo for more on the ongoing aid crisis facing the people of Gaza.
Larry, you've been visiting the Rafah crossing, which has been such a vital lifeline for so many Palestinians. Take us through what you've been seeing.
MADOWO: That is right, Kim. I just returned from the Rafah border crossing. That is the only way in and out of Gaza that is not controlled by Israel.
In the last 7.5 weeks of the conflict, it's become a crucial way for aid to get into Gaza. And we've also heard harrowing tales of people who survived death and devastation in Gaza to make it to Egypt for treatment.
And the U.N., UNICEF now saying that Gaza is the most dangerous place to be a child in the world. Watch.
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MADOWO (voice-over): Rosa's (ph) innocent laughter as her family arrives in Egypt.
Her sister, born in Gaza during the war, too young to comprehend the horrors in her homeland.
Their mom, Rawan Madi, her leg amputated just days before she gave birth. She says they miraculously survived when a missile hit their home.
RAWAN MADI, MISSILE STRIKE VICTIM, GAZA (through translator): In just one second, the house collapsed on us. We were lying down and the ceiling was just over our heads. We were shocked. We started calling out to each other.
MADOWO (voice-over): Her leg could've been saved but doctors were overwhelmed with more serious injuries. As a family, they have lost everything but their lives.
Dozens from Gaza arrive at the Rafah crossing with critical injuries. Not everyone makes it. Sometimes they go home in body bags.
Fifth grader Yehia is learning to play Egyptian Monopoly as he recovers from a broken arm, leg and a fractured skull.
YEHIA, FIFTH GRADE STUDENT (through translator): I wasn't injured in the first strike. I was injured in the second one. I was asleep and woke up to find myself in the hospital in this state. My mother and father are injured.
MADOWO (voice-over): He doesn't know yet that both his parents were killed.
MADOWO: These Egyptian ambulances now crossing from Rafah into Gaza have brought back nearly 400 critically wounded to be treated at Egyptian hospitals.
MADOWO (voice-over): Hundreds of trucks on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing awaiting clearance to deliver much-needed aid to Gaza hours before a truce expired. It had allowed about 200 trucks in daily.
Even with the pause in fighting, getting food, fuel, water, medicines and clothes into Gaza was a painstaking process. After leaving Egypt, they go to an Israeli security check at the Nitzana crossing. Drivers say it can take up to three days to get cleared.
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Mahmoud (ph) has done the trip twice and is waiting in line to make his third aid delivery.
"I am sad, annoyed and frustrated. I want to do something to help but my hands are tied (INAUDIBLE). When I see that my brothers and sisters can't find food or water, I feel life is worthless."
But at Egypt's El Arish airport, planeloads of donations are flowing in, day and night, turning this military facility into a humanitarian hub.
MADOWO: We just saw this Qatari military transport aircraft coming in. When we got here, there was an aircraft from Singapore, another one from the European Union, all bringing essential aid as the world surges humanitarian supplies to Gaza.
MADOWO (voice-over): The U.N. says all this is still a drop in the ocean and with the uncertainty of the truce, barely anything is going in.
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MADOWO: The Palestinian Red Crescent confirming this morning that they are receiving aid again from the Rafah crossing, from their partners, the Egyptian Red Crescent, which is welcome news because, yesterday, the Palestinian Red Crescent said that the Israelis had privated any aid coming through the Gaza -- coming through the Rafah border crossing.
And U.S. officials later said that as the Israelis (INAUDIBLE) aid there because with nearly 80 percent of the population in Gaza displaced, they need every bit of food, water, medicine, clothes that is coming in from these trucks. BRUNHUBER: Boy, hearing from those kids, Larry, it was tough to watch.
Great and heartbreaking reporting there, Larry Madowo in Cairo. Thanks so much.
Earlier I spoke to Hiba Tibi, the CARE country director in the West Bank and Gaza. She says the seven-day pause in fighting wasn't long enough for the people of Gaza to regroup and get the supplies they need. Here she is.
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HIBA TIBI, CARE COUNTRY DIRECTOR, WEST BANK AND GAZA: the overcrowded shelters that we have been -- are sharing with you all the information around the lack of food, the lack of fuel, the collapsing medical system, continues to have that.
Seven days of a pause was very important to secure some aid entering, was not enough with the end of the pause. The new map that was just shared on the report by the colleagues at CNN makes it very difficult and scary for the people to know that they need to evacuate again for the sixth or seventh time.
Where they are expected to move to overcrowded shelter in winter with the outbreak of the diseases.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, that's the problem.
When they're being asked to evacuate, the question is, where do they go that's safe?
TIBI: This is exactly what our colleagues were asking us, where to go. We don't know, even the colleagues, they don't know where to go to.
There are no places enough to receive people. The designated safe places in these maps refer to the U.N. designated shelters, which are already extremely overcrowded and people are sleeping in the outdoors. So they have no place to go to, even in the --
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TIBI: -- that are not, that are marked for as safe. They were certain locations that were bombed yesterday.
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BRUNHUBER: If you would like information on how to help with humanitarian relief efforts for Gaza and Israel, please go to cnn.com/impact and you can find a list of vetted organizations that are providing assistance, cnn.com/impact.
Vice President Kamala Harris heads to the U.N.'s global climate conference as the U.S. announces a plan to dramatically cut methane emissions in the country. We have the details in a live report from Dubai.
And we will talk to a climate activist about how much of a change could come out of this conference and whether it will be enough. That is next on CNN NEWSROOM. Please stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: We're looking at live pictures right now, as Vice President Kamala Harris is in Dubai for the U.N.'s annual climate conference, addressing the delegates there as the Biden administration announces a new rule that would dramatically cut the U.S. fossil fuel industry's emissions of methane.
It's one of several promises expected from governments at the summit focused on green energy. In a dramatic first, 123 countries attending COP28 have endorsed a pledge that formally acknowledges the link between climate change and health.
Our David McKenzie is in Dubai.
So David, bring us up to speed on the latest pledges being made by the U.S. and others there at the summit.
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kim, you see the vice president of the U.S. speaking there. This is the highest official here at COP28 from the U.S.
And today it's an auspicious day for the U.S., because they have announced the significant changes in the rule from the Environmental Protection Agency, drastically curbing the allowable use of methane in the oil and gas industry.
This should have a significant impact on the climate change emitting gases that the U.S. oil and gas industry produce, either as a byproduct or directly from burning natural gas. There is a bigger question mark over these conferences, is whether there will be commitments toward a phaseout of fossil fuels.
I asked a question to one of the top climate scientists.
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MCKENZIE: You have countries, all over the world, including the UAE and the U.S., who are ramping up production of oil.
Doesn't that completely fly in the face of phasing out fossil fuels?
BILL HARE, CLIMATE SCIENTIST: Yes, it goes in completely the wrong direction. It's really hypocritical. Both the Emirates and the U.S. are saying they're committed to 1.5 degrees. But you can't be committed to the Paris agreement's temperature limit if you go on expanding fossil fuel production.
That doesn't mean we can't make progress here. This is the place where every year leaders come and have to face the truth about what's happening. And I'm still optimistic that, in a week's time, we can walk away with something that makes a big step toward a fossil fuel phaseout.
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MCKENZIE: There are very bold pronouncements on one hand and actions on the other.
Are the two lining up?
HARE: No, they're not. One of the big concerns that many have about the process here is that we're seeing an awful lot of announcements which are never followed up. They're never accountable.
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MCKENZIE: Those new methane rules will be accountable, because they will be enforced by the EPA and the U.S. I'm sure U.S. officials are hoping that China will make moves in a similar direction, because methane was a topic of discussion when the leaders of the delegation recently met.
BRUNHUBER: All right, thank you so much. David McKenzie in Dubai, we appreciate it.
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BRUNHUBER: I want to bring in now Henna Hundal, who is a climate activist and delegate to the COP28 conference. She also joins me now from Dubai.
Thank you so much for being here with us. Even before you got there, I mean, there seemed to be so much mistrust going into COP28.
Why was that?
HENNA HUNDAL, CLIMATE ACTIVIST AND COP28 DELEGATE: Yes, we've had these COP conferences for multiple years. I think the problem is you see incremental change.
But at the same time we know that we need to keep global average temperature increase under 1.5 degrees Celsius. That is a huge goal. Sometimes I feel like, from the public perspective there, can be a mismatch and I think that is something we have to battle going into COP28 now.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, also the fact that an oil baron was presiding over the conference probably didn't help. either.
Is there any more optimism now that there's been this big signature deal already with the loss and damage fund?
HUNDAL: Yes, I think all the money being put up front, those pledges are really significant, almost historic for that to happen so early in a COP conference. And that is encouraging. Unfortunately, however, the dollar amounts being pledged are several
digits below what was hoped for and what we really need to combat the effects of climate change in the most vulnerable communities. So we still have a lot of work to do.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. Speaking of low amounts, as the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases, the U.S. is being criticized for pledging a relatively small amount.
How does that reflect on the Biden administration's global climate leadership?
HUNDAL: Biden really came into office as this climate forward president, making a lot of promises. To his credit there have been some gains. We've had the Inflation Reduction Act, putting billions of dollars toward fighting climate change.
He recently announced the creation of the American Climate Corps to train young people to enter a new economy dominated by clean energy. So there have been gains.
But at the same time, President Biden didn't even make face at the summit. That is huge in terms of the optics that can really signal commitment and resolve to this issue. So I think there has been progress but there's a lot more that we can still do.
BRUNHUBER: We just literally saw Vice President Kamala Harris addressing the COP28 delegation there, sort of the head of the U.S. delegation, I guess.
How big of a disappointment was it that President Biden wasn't there?
HUNDAL: Yes, you know, I think when world leaders come together to these conferences, that is a symbol, a signal of how committed they really are.
In the past, we've seen President Xi Jinping, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and even last year, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak when he initially announced that he wouldn't be attending, come under criticism.
So I think it's a fair question to say should we hold President Biden to the same standard?
BRUNHUBER: More broadly, President Biden has got a lot of criticism from climate activists over his first term here. He's going into an election year. And you are politically active.
How do you think this might affect the youth vote in 2024?
What is at stake here?
HUNDAL: Yes, we know that part of how President Biden was able to win over the youth vote in 2020 were his bold climate promises. The fact that he wasn't able to make a showing here today, I think that could've been a great opportunity to really reinstate his role as that climate forward president. So I think that is disappointing. At the same time, there's one thing
to be said for symbolism, signaling and showing face but there's another thing to be said for action.
The fact that the U.S. did put some money toward the loss and damage fund that we mentioned earlier, is I think a really great start for the conference. So I think we should keep an eye more toward the action going forward. But I think there was a missed opportunity here for vision setting and tone setting.
BRUNHUBER: All right, so let's end on this, talking about action.
What action are you hoping will come out of this?
And what will realistically come out of this, do you think?
HUNDAL: Yes, of course, what we hope for is increasing progress toward emissions reductions. We know that we have to stay below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Unfortunately, in the past year, we have seen several breaches of that mark as we dealt with record breaking heat waves across the world. So that is huge. But I think another important part of this is really the humanistic aspect of climate change.
And you are seeing that being highlighted at this conference in terms of the dedicated health day.
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So this will be the first ever COP conference to have a full day dedicated to the health effects of climate change. I think that is really huge to keep building public interest in the outcomes of these conferences.
We know, for example, young people are dealing with mental health impacts of climate change; feeling anxious, angry, helpless. There have been multiple studies done about this. So I think really we also need to keep incorporating the human dimension to the conference to really push for some more progress.
BRUNHUBER: All right, we will see. But it's been great to check in with you there in Dubai. Henna Hundal, thank you so much for speaking with us.
HUNDAL: Thank you.
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BRUNHUBER: Europe's tallest and most active volcano erupted Friday night. Italy's Mount Etna lit up the night sky, its plume of ash covering several towns in Sicily. Red hot lava flowed and loud explosions were heard.
Mount Etna last erupted in August, causing the closure of the Catania airport, but no disruption of air service is expected this time. Those eruptions usually cause little damage.
With the help of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, South Korea has launched their first ever spy satellite into orbit, just days after North Korea launched its own spy satellite.
Friday morning's launch at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California was deemed a success by the South Korea defense ministry.
This is the first of five spy satellites South Korea has contracted SpaceX to launch by 2025 with the goal of having 24 hour surveillance of the Korean Peninsula.
I'm Kim Brunhuber. For viewers here in North America, I'll have more news in just a moment. For international viewers, "QUEST'S WORLD OF WONDER" is next.
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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching here in the U.S. and Canada. I'm Kim Brunhuber, with the latest on our coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.
Our top story, combat operations between Israel and Hamas are into their second day following the collapse of a week-long truce.
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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): The IDF released this video of a strike against Hamas targets operating close to the Israeli troops in Gaza. Israel says it hit more than 400 targets across Gaza since the truce ended.
Israel has been directing much of its firepower in southern Gaza, which is already crowded with displaced Gazans. The Hamas-run health ministry of Gaza says at least 178 people have been killed since fighting resumed early Friday.
The IDF now wants people in southern Gaza to evacuate farther south. It's released new evacuation maps online, with southern Gaza divided into hundreds of small segments. It's supposed to show Palestinians where they should go, even though much of the region is without internet access.
We want to go to Melissa Bell in Paris.
What more can you tell us about the Israeli evacuation plans for the people in Gaza?
MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The IDF says this is about protecting civilians or allowing them to get out of the way of Israeli fire. The point is that southern Gaza is already under such tremendous pressure by the sheer numbers of internally displaced people; also by the lack of any resources, humanitarian aid.
That hasn't been able to get to them. There was, during the seven-day truce, the ability for some of those trucks to get through but nowhere near what is needed to cater to the more than 1.8 million internally displaced people already.
The latest evacuation comes in the form of leaflets that have been dropped, some on Khan Younis, according to the fighting zone, urging people to evacuate from there. The danger is more pressure on the very southern part of Gaza toward the border with Egypt. This is what the IDF had to say.
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CONRICUS: It's not an ideal situation in Gaza. What we are doing is the best thing we can in order to disseminate the information, to get it out to Gazans and to give it to them in good enough time so that they can actually use it and it can become something that helps them make the right decision.
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BELL: This comes just a few days after secretary of state Antony Blinken urged Israel -- or said he urged Benjamin Netanyahu not to carry out or to allow the sort of civilian deaths we saw in the north as the IDF enters the south.
It's unclear whether those words were heeded or whether the steps he made clear Israel needed to take, whether Israel had at all agreed that it would take them.
BRUNHUBER: Interesting. Appreciate the update. Melissa Bell in Paris, thank you so much.
Hospitals in southern Gaza say Palestinian casualties have been mounting quickly since the truce ended early Friday. CNN's Ben Wedeman has our report and we want to warn you, some of the images in his report are graphic and disturbing.
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BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The pause is over. Now let's slip again the dogs of war.
Still alive, someone shouts, as a baby is carried away from a house hit in Rafah.
In Khan Younis, children are rushed into the emergency ward, the United Nations estimates almost 40 percent of Gaza's population is under the age of 15. Thousands of children have already been killed. And that must stop, pleads UNICEF spokesman James Elder from a Rafah hospital.
JAMES ELDER, UNICEF SPOKESMAN: We cannot see more children with the wounds of war, with the burns, with the shrapnel littering their body, with broken bones. Inaction by those with influence is allowing the killing of children. This is a war on children.
WEDEMAN: Mediation efforts to extend the truce came to naught. Israel continues to pursue its goal of destroying Hamas. Just be more careful while doing it, U.S. secretary of State Antony Blinken urged the Israelis.
BLINKEN: And I underscore the imperative of the United States, that the massive loss of civilian life and displacement of the scale we saw in northern Gaza not be repeated in the south.
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By Friday evening, the death toll since the morning shot past 170, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, adding to the nearly 15,000 killed before the truce. This man came to the Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City in search of his little brother Ziad (ph), only to find him in a body bag.
Ziad is dead, he cries into the phone.
Inside, medics struggled to save the life of a 2-year-old girl, gravely wounded in an Israeli strike.
Since Friday morning, says hospital volunteer, Rafi Ayed (ph), we've wrapped more than 40 martyrs from various areas who were bombed in their homes.
There's still a chance the truce could be renewed if Hamas and Israel can come to a new agreement. The people of Gaza cannot afford to wait -- Ben Wedeman, CNN, Jerusalem.
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BRUNHUBER: A Palestinian journalist has been killed in Gaza after Israeli airstrikes resumed following the one-week truce with Hamas. Turkish news agency Anadolu says Mantasr El-Sawaf (ph) was a freelance photographer working for them in Gaza.
The agency confirmed he died from his injuries after an airstrike Friday. His bureau chief said he had already lost his father and brothers in a recent attack. The Committee to Protect Journalists says 61 journalists and media workers have been killed since the war began.
Police say a protester here in Atlanta is in critical condition after setting themselves on fire outside the Israeli consulate on Friday. The police chief called it an extreme act of political protest and said investigators found the Palestinian flag at the scene, adding they didn't believe the incident had any nexus to terrorism.
Authorities say a security guard was injured trying to stop the protester. But they say the staff inside the consulate didn't appear to be in danger.
Bad news for a former U.S. president on Friday from a Washington, D.C., federal judge and from a federal appeals court. Donald Trump's latest legal setbacks, after the break.
And a political setback for George Santos, now expelled from the U.S. Congress. His message to his former colleagues and their reaction to the historic move, that's straight ahead. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): That is former congressman George Santos, leaving the U.S. Capitol Friday after colleagues from both sides of the aisle voted to expel him from the U.S. House of Representatives. That's the decision that's only happened a handful of times in the nation's history. CNN's Lauren Fox has details.
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REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: In light of the expulsion of the gentleman from New York, Mr. Santos, the whole number of the House is now 434.
LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In an unprecedented and historic vote, as New York Republican George Santos becomes just the sixth member of the House to be expelled from Congress. Santos leaving the Capitol before the vote was officially announced, saying he has no plans to return.
SANTOS: Why would I want to stay here?
The hell with this place.
FOX: One hundred five of Santos' Republican colleagues joining with all but four Democrats, after a bipartisan ethics committee report concluded Santos sought to fraudulently exploit every aspect of his House candidacy for his own personal financial profit.
REP. DAVID JOYCE (R-OH): Basically he defrauded the voters of his district. His life was made up, it was a lie and then he used his campaign as though it was a scam the whole time, taking money from donors and turning it into his personal use. It's not that deep, it's theft.
FOX: The ethics panel finding that Santos blatantly stole from his campaign, including for travel, Botox and even OnlyFans. One Republican congressman alleging Friday he was personally impacted.
REP. MAX MILLER (R-OH): Mr. Santos took not only my credit card personally, he took my mother's credit card. This man has cost my family $30,000.
FOX: The vote comes even after GOP leaders raised concerns about expelling a member before they were convicted of a crime.
Speaker Mike Johnson took the rare step of voting against the resolution.
JOHNSON: I personally have real reservations about doing this. I'm concerned about a precedent that may be set.
FOX: Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Whip Tom Emmer also voting no.
Santos has pleaded not guilty to 23 federal charges. REP. BYRON DONALDS (R-FL): It's wrong what he was accused of doing.
But he was accused. If this institution is going to ignore the rule of law because of political preferences and decisions, it is going to be damning not just for the House but it's going to be damning for the United States.
FOX: Three members were previously removed from the House for fighting for the Confederacy. Two others expelled after being lawfully convicted of crimes in court.
REP. JIM TRAFICANT (D-OH): I'd go to jail before I resign.
FOX (voice-over): Most recently, Ohio's Jim Traficant in 2002.
Santos' ouster could have a major impact on the GOP's already narrow majority.
FOX: Now all eyes are on Governor Kathy Hochul of New York as she prepares to schedule a special election. That has to be held within the next three months.
But it's also important to point out this is a competitive district, that Biden won back in 2020. And already Democrats are making it clear, they plan to invest heavily in this race -- Lauren Fox, CNN, Capitol Hill.
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BRUNHUBER: Friday saw developments in several legal cases involving former U.S. president Donald Trump. He lost his bid to get federal charges against him dropped in a Washington, D.C., election subversion case.
District Judge Tanya Chutkan rejected Trump's legal arguments and refused to dismiss the four charges, writing that the presidency is not, quote, "a lifelong, get out of jail free pass."
Earlier Friday, a D.C. federal appeals court ruled Trump can face civil lawsuits related to the January 6, 2021, riot, a decision that will impact several cases against him.
And if all that isn't enough, Trump lawyers were in a courtroom here in Georgia on in with connection with that state's 2020 election subversion case. CNN's chief legal affairs correspondent Paula Reid has more on that and on the D.C. appeals court ruling. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Down in Georgia on Friday, Trump's lawyers gave a preview of how they intend to defend their client in that criminal case.
They argued to the judge that the entire case should be dismissed because they say that their client's comments about widespread voter fraud or peddling of conspiracy theories is all protected political speech, something they say is protected under the First Amendment.
This argument has already been rejected by this judge. It was previously made by two former Trump lawyers, turned co-defendants, Ken Chesebro and Sidney Powell.
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It's unclear if Trump will be successful but his lawyers also made arguments about the timing for when this case will go before a jury. Now they insist that this case cannot go in 2024.
The district attorney has said this case could take four to six months to try. And she want it is to begin in August 2024, just a few months before the election. Trump's lawyers argue that would be, quote, "election interference" to start the case late next summer.
If you look at the calendar, it's pretty crowded, pretty hard to find a big block of time like that. But we're waiting for the judge to see when he decides to set a trial date. He could also possibly break this up into a few smaller cases.
Now something else that could be added to that crowded 2024 calendar, more civil lawsuits. In Washington, D.C., on Friday, a court of appeals ruling that Trump can be sued for his actions on January 6th.
Trump has insisted that he is immune from lawsuits because he was president on January 6th and anything he did was in his official capacity as president.
But the court finding that he was acting, quote, "more as an office seeker and not an office holder," and what they describe as a pro- Trump rally, they also conclude it was more like a campaign event. So they have concluded he is open to civil liability.
So Capitol Hill police officers, lawmakers who have sued Trump over January 6th will now get their day in court. Also not a good sign for Trump because he wanted to use this similar argument about immunity in his criminal cases.
While this only really applies to civil cases, you now do have a court of appeals saying not everything you do as president while in office is protected from liability. So while it's not binding on the criminal cases necessarily, it's not a good sign -- Paula Reid, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE) BRUNHUBER: Former U.S. Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O'Connor died on Friday in Phoenix, Arizona. A statement said her likely cause of death was complications from advanced dementia. Born in Texas, she was the first female justice to serve on the United States' highest court.
She was appointed by president Ronald Reagan in 1981, serving for nearly a quarter century before retiring in 2006. Shortly after stepping down, she talked about the changes she'd seen in society over the course of her career.
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FORMER JUSTICE SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR, U.S. SUPREME COURT: In my day, my beloved husband, John, who is admirable in every respect, couldn't even find the kitchen, much less the washing machine. But times have changed and that's a good thing.
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BRUNHUBER: O'Connor was 93 years old.
We'll be right back.
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BRUNHUBER: University of Washington caps off a perfect regular season. Andy Scholes joins me to talk about this.
A bittersweet moment in some ways.
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORT CORRESPONDENT: This is the final year of the PAC-12. Conference has been around for over 100 years. They could not have asked for a better final football game.
This would feature two of the top five teams in college football. Two of the best quarterbacks facing off. He started off on fire. The Huskies would jump out to a 20-3 lead in this game. But the Ducks would rally.
He's going to hit Terrence Ferguson for the score. Scored 21 unanswered points to take the lead but then it was the Huskies with back to back touchdowns answering. Washington goes up by 10.
But the Ducks would not go away in this game. Back to pass, he'll find Rayshawn Holden and what a play he makes. He's going to weave his way through the defenders, breaks some tackles for a 63-yard touchdown. That was his only catch of the game. Certainly made it count.
That made it 34-31. But the Huskies after that were able to run out the clock. Dylan Johnson rushed for 152 yards and two scores. Washington finishes a perfect 13-0, securing a playoff berth for the first time since 2017.
All right. A major milestone in the NBA. Kevin Durant moving into 10th place in the league's all-time scoring list, passing the great big man Moses Malone with this bucket here in the second quarter.
The Suns would lose to the Nuggets in this one. KD finished with 30 points on the night. He now has 27,423 for his career. At his current pace, he could pass Shaq by the end of this season.
We had some stunning news in women's soccer. Sweden lost 1-0 to Switzerland in group play on Friday, which means they will had not be playing in the Paris Olympics next year. It's going to be their first time ever missing the Olympics. A powerhouse in women's football.
Finally Tiger Woods out there for the second round of the Hero's World Challenge. He started off hot. He was 4 under through the first seven holes on Friday. He did have some rough holes on the back nine but rallied. Great birdie putt here on 17. Was 2 under on the day. He finished 1 over for the tournament.
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TIGER WOODS, GOLFING PRO: Overall, the round was better for sure. The start was better, the middle part round was better. I missed a couple putts there toward the end that would have -- I thought might have kept the round going. I hadn't played in six months.
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So things are not as sharp as they normally would be. It's certainly -- there's some good in there. Just got to make sure that the good is more consistent than it has been.
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SCHOLES: Great seeing Tiger back out there. He's showing some flashes. It's certainly going to be fun with him back out there. Hopefully he's there at Augusta, playing in the Masters. It's not the same without him.
BRUNHUBER: Exactly. So many people waiting to see him. But surgery after surgery, people sort of talking about him potentially are retiring. I remember a couple days ago he said, there will be a time when I can no longer win. When that time comes, I will walk away.
Do you think he can win?
SCHOLES: It certainly would be tough for him to win a major at this point, because, as you can see, he had some great holes. But as the tournament goes on, he will have some hiccups.
But you never know. He's the greatest of all time. It he puts it together for one weekend, wouldn't put it past him he could still do it. And we should just really relish watching Tiger Woods right now. He could hang it up and retire any day.
BRUNHUBER: It will be such a great story to see if he could do it once again. Andy Scholes, thank you so much for coming on with us.
I'm Kim Brunhuber. That's it for me. "CNN THIS MORNING" is next. For the rest of the world, it's "AFRICAN VOICES."
