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Israel, Hamas Both Walk Away From Hostage Talks; Israeli And Palestinian Parents Come Together For Peace; U.S. Pledges $3 Billion To Global Climate Action; Suspect Arrested In Deaths Of Homeless Men In Los Angeles; Trump, DeSantis Hold Dueling Campaign Events In Iowa. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired December 03, 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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[05:00:40]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to all you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. Ahead on CNN Newsroom.

Explosions across Israel and Gaza today, this is Israeli officials say negotiations over the remaining hostages has hit a dead end. We'll have a live report on all the latest. Plus, I'll speak to the Israeli peace activist and spokespeople for the parent circle about working together amidst the sorrow and finding strength and grieving together.

Plus, the U.S. announced a rule to slash methane gas emissions but is it too little too late? We're live with the COP28 Summit to find out.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: It is 5 a.m. here in Atlanta, noon in Gaza where Israel's bombardment of what it calls Hamas targets is in its third day since a truce collapsed.

Israeli army released footage of its ground air and naval operations in Gaza. It says an IDF drone targeted and killed Hamas militants that were close to Israeli troops. The IDF also says fighter jets and helicopters have been striking Hamas installations across Gaza, including tunnel shafts, command centers and weapons storage facilities. Israel says 66 Israeli soldiers have died during the combat operations including one on Saturday.

And have a look, this was the aftermath of a strike in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. And as the fighting intensifies, Israel is urging people to keep moving south. But internet service in Gaza has been unreliable and it's not clear Gazans are getting the message. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in Dubai for the U.N. climate conference, again stressed the need for Israel to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza. Here she is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: As Israel defends itself, it matters how. The United States is unequivocal. International humanitarian law must be respected. Too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. Frankly, the scale of civilian suffering and the images and videos coming from Gaza are devastating.

BRUNHUBER: Elliott Gotkine is covering all of this for us from London. So Elliott, the finding continues and the humanitarian situation worsens.

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, CNN JOURNALIST: Very much so, Kim. You know, Israel said during this week-long truce that hostilities would resume as soon as Hamas stopped freeing some of those hostages that had abducted on October the seventh as part of its murderous rampage in Israel. And that stopped the truce ended and pretty much immediately, hostilities resumed. Indeed, in the first 24 hours, Israel said it carried out more than 400 airstrikes using fighter jets, helicopters and also drones, targeting tunnels, weapons storage facilities and militants themselves inside the Gaza Strip.

There are also rocket barrages fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israeli cities like Tel Aviv and others in the center of the country and in the surrounding area of the Gaza Strip. And of course now, I suppose militarily, what people are waiting for is a ground operation in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holding a press conference on Saturday night saying that Israel remained resolute in his determination to destroy Hamas militarily, prevent it from ever threatening Israeli civilians again, and removing it from power. And of course, to get all of those remaining 136 hostages back home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We will continue the war until we achieve all its goals. And we cannot achieve these goals without the ground maneuvering. No other way to achieve those goals by --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOTKINE: And either by accident or by design, at the same time that Netanyahu was speaking there were thousands of Israelis gathering in the unofficially renamed hostages square, continuing to put more pressure on the government to get those hostages all back home. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, and meanwhile, all this is happening, Elliott, then the U.S. is continuing to push for another truce, are they making any progress?

[05:05:05]

GOTKINE: It doesn't seem that way right now as you said in your introduction. Negotiations already did end. There are no negotiations going on right now, at least not of the sort that we saw prior to this truce that enable this truce to take hold.

CNN spoke with a senior administration official saying that it is pursuing every effort to secure the release of those remaining hostages. As I said, 136 hostages remaining, 15 women and two children, that for Israel seems to be the sticking point that it's said that Hamas reneged on it's promised to release those women and children. Of those hostages remaining, America believes that there is one woman and seven men unaccounted for.

Now Hamas says that the only women that is still holding, a role IDF soldiers. Israel denies that. And says that all of the men that it's holding are either current or former IDF soldiers as well. But of course, beyond these negotiations that aren't happening, other groups are holding the hostages. And it may not be the case that Hamas actually knows where all of these hostages are. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right, so appreciate the update. Elliott Gotkine in London, thank you so much.

Well, the war has claimed the lives of innocent civilians on both sides of the expanding conflict. So as all of this unfolds, members of the Parent Circle continue to advocate for peace and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. Now, this is a group that no one wants to be part of. It's a joint Israeli-Palestinian organization of more than 600 families, all of whom have lost an immediate family member to the ongoing conflict.

And the former directors of the Parents Circle join us now. Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan. Rami lost his 14-year-old daughter in a Hamas bombing in Jerusalem in 1997. And Bassam lost his 10-year-old daughter when Israeli border police shot her in front of her school in 2007.

Rami and Bassam, thank you so much both for joining me here. Tragically, both of you experienced tremendous loss. I want to start with you Rami, what went through your head when you heard about the Hamas attacks on October 7?

RAMI ELHANAN, FORMER DIRECTOR, PARENTS CIRCLE-FAMILIES FORUM: I got overwhelmed. I was devastated. We have families in the -- in the -- in the Kibbutz in Nirim and the news were horrible. But it didn't change my mind a bit, the understanding I was expecting it you cannot put 2 million people in -- in a box and close the cover and expect that nothing will happen. It blew us in our -- in our faces. And it was expected.

BRUNHUBER: Well, and Bassam, as the IDF bombing campaign in Gaza continues and the Israeli military expands its ground operation there, what have you been thinking about?

BASSAM ARAMIN, FORMER DIRECTOR, PARENTS CIRCLE-FAMILIES FORUM: As Rami said it was expected. This is our life since 75 years. Hamas didn't invent the conflict. It's the opposite. The conflict invented Hamas. And Hamas just yesterday appeared. What about before that? Unfortunately, civilians paying the highest price. You can see more than 15,000 people have been killed since the seventh of October. It didn't say that we justify. This is our way. We said, we need to sit down and talk to each other because in the end, we must sit down and negotiate so why we didn't save thousands of lives of innocent people, and who like us understand this painful feelings when you lose a child, just for nothing. It's a disaster. It's a massacre. It's mass killing and for war.

In the end, we need to sit down and talk. And always I said that, to finish Hamas, it's only there is two ways only. It's to kill 2000, 2 million people or to end the occupation. Why Israel continue to occupy on other people's land?

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. Rami, in Israel, there's so much anger because of the Hamas attacks, so many people killed and taken hostage. What's your message to those Israeli parents who have lost children in the attacks on October 7?

ELHANAN: Anger is a very bad advisor. And the right for self-defense doesn't give you the right to revenge. And my message is very simple, I have no sympathy for Hamas. Hamas are the killers of my daughter. But I will talk to the devil itself to save one drop of blood. I think we should stop this evil cycle of violence because revenge only brings more revenge. Those Hamas people that created the massacre were kids in 2015 in the form of rounds. And this is going on. It's an ongoing cycle of violence, which never stops. And we have the moral authority to tell our two peoples, there is another way, we can talk to each other. Look at me, look at Bassam, we are calling each other brothers. There is no other way. If we'll not stop, we will not go away anywhere.

[05:10:28]

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, all too true. And Bassam, after this attack, I mean, as he was just saying, there now -- I mean, there are more kids who will have lost homes, who will lost parents, and perhaps radicalized, I mean, what -- what would your advice be to them as they go through this horrific experience in Gaza?

ARAMIN: It's absolutely as he said, Kim. It's just radicalized. They invest in for the next time, they invest in more hatred and more revenge. And this is what killing us. Unfortunately, those people who lost their parents, their kids, their families, they will never meet them again, they need -- they ask for justice, means to stop -- to stop this -- this killing again, to try to impact our peace process. So this is the prize, so people can live in a normal way.

And in this case, I want to call Mr. President Joe Biden himself as a father, as a bereaved father, in fact, and he knows exactly what we are feeling as people who lost their beloved one, please give our kids, both sides, Israels and Palestinians to grow up in peace and security, by force both sides, not only Israel, to end the Israeli occupation, and to sign peace agreement, which everyone know what's this peace agreement look like? We need to be free. Otherwise, unfortunately, we continue to fight each other. And we said it's possible. And we are a good example that we can live together or side by side. Otherwise, we will share the same that -- as from the graves, our kids, our families, and our people. So we need their support, for peace, love, to provide like to support one side, unconditionally against the other side.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, and as you just exactly said, I mean, you are both symbols of what can be done when -- when two peoples come together for peace. But sadly, there are too few voices like yours. So concretely right now as I mean, you've raised some long-term solutions that have been so elusive, a peace agreement and so on. But right now, while this is going on, how are you working to repair that bond? Rami, I'll start with you.

ELHANAN: I think it's essential that a ceasefire will start immediately. The long lines of dead children must be stopped. And negotiation should be started. And, of course, something radical must have been changed. The whole issue is about putting the Palestinian people aside, which is confidently wrong. I mean, the whole issue is about putting the Palestinians back in the picture, and they need to have freedom. There will be no freedom for the Palestinians without security for the Israelis, but there will be no security for the Israelis without freedom for the Palestinians. This is a big elephant in the center of the room. Everybody knows exactly what should be done. This is exactly what should be done.

BRUNHUBER: And Bassam, I'll ask you the same question. I mean, you know, concretely right now, while this war is going on, how can you work now to, you know, get that right reconciliation, given that there's so much blood and death now on both sides?

ARAMIN: You know, as you know, there is no reconciliation under the occupation. reconciliation should be part of any future peace agreement between both people. And I agree with my brother Rami, you know, Israel tried to make peace or normal relations with Jordan, with this Saudi Arabia, with Bahrain, with Imara (ph). They will never bring to them peace. Only the Palestinians can guarantee the security of the Israelis and the opposite. They need to ceasefire exactly now, to release the hostages, the Palestinian hostages or prisoners since 40 years that are people imprisoned. This will be a very good start for people, both people to start to see each other as human beings and to understand that nothing will talk with each other.

In the end, we need to sit down and talk. We have a very big experience from the past, from the war. We are not the first or the last conflict. People overcome their past, their painful past, look at the relations between the Europeans, between the states and many other nations that they occupied before and now they live in peace because they go through peace and reconciliation process to allow them to appreciate, to live together in democracy and real peace.

[05:15:14]

BRUNHUBER: The key there you said, seeing each other as human beings. You are both an excellent example to everyone out there and we hope your voices are heard, Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan, thank you so much both for joining me here.

ELHANAN: Thank you.

ARAMIN: Blessed you.

BRUNHUBER: Well, even though the fighting has resumed, the Palestine Red Crescent Society says 108 trucks made it through the Rafah Crossing into Gaza on Saturday. They said the trucks from Egypt carry much needed food, water, and medical supplies. The Egyptian Red Crescent says some trucks also brought in blankets and body bags. And top Red Cross official says he's still concerned about meeting the needs of the civilian population as the war rages.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT MARDINI, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS: People are living in constant fear of violent, death that people are struggling to survive with now, again, little food and water because of the resumption of the fighting, and in all likelihood, having aid getting inside Gaza will become automatically more challenging. So of course, it's a matter of grave concern to us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: So if you'd like information on how you can help with humanitarian relief efforts for Gaza and Israel, you can go to cnn.com/impact, you can find a list of vetted organizations that are providing help. That's at cnn.com/impact.

All right, still to come, U.S. outlines plans to significantly cut methane emissions as countries at COP28 make a wave of commitments to combat the climate crisis. We'll have the latest from the Summit in Dubai next, please stay with us.

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[05:20:52]

BRUNHUBER: The Biden administration has finalized a rule to significantly cut the U.S. oil and gas industries emissions of methane, a powerful planet warming gas. The announcement comes amid a wave of commitments at the COP28 Climate Summit in Dubai, including a pledge from at least 117 countries to tripled renewable energy by the year 2030. CNN's David McKenzie joins me now from Dubai. So David, as I say plenty of pledges including the U.S. plans to cut methane, what stood out to you?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kim, I think today is it's really important to focus on the health impact of the climate crisis. This is a special day for that, and I'm joined by the head of the World Health Organization's climate change unit.

You know, Doctor, I was surprised that this is the first time this has been a dedicated day at COP for this?

DIARMID CAMPBELL-LENDRUM, HEAD OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH UNIT, W.H.O.: Well, we're surprised as well. It's COP28 and that means that the negotiators have been negotiating for 27 years about climate change. So they think they've been negotiating about carbon emissions. The message we're bringing is that you're actually negotiating about human lives and how many human lives you can save both by preventing the health risks of climate change, but also saving an awful lot of lives by climate action through clean energy, and so on.

MCKENZIE: More than 7 million people die each year from respiratory issues linked to pollution, that is one aspect of fossil fuel addiction. But what are the direct impacts on health of climate change?

CAMPBELL-LENDRUM: So the biggest health impact that we have of extreme events around the world is actually extreme heat. People die in greater numbers from respiratory illness, from cardiac illness and so on, when the temperatures go up. And the climate crisis is only adding to that. But that's just an -- that's only just one aspect. We also, if you look at infectious diseases, particularly those transmitted by food, through water, or by biting mosquitoes, climate change just makes it easier and easier to transmit those diseases. And ultimately, the real risks that we have is climate change is undermining everything that we need to provide good health, including things like food systems.

MCKENZIE: The malaria is one bad example, I guess, of expanding zones for the malaria carrying mosquito. In particularly where I'm based in Africa. What can be done all about this, isn't about pressuring leaders to act.

CAMPBELL-LENDRUM: It is about pressuring leaders to act, but part of what they need to do to act would actually save lives now. So if we're able to put into place better prevention measures for malaria, better early warning systems, stronger health systems, that will save an awful lot of lives now, and it will also improve resilience to the climate crisis.

But the other thing that we're encouraging leaders to do is to take action on the sources of climate change. So fossil fuel pollution, as you've just mentioned, because that is ultimately what is going to guarantee our health in the future and also save all of those lives that you just mentioned, that we lose each year from air pollution.

MCKENZIE: Tens of millions of health professionals through their organizations are lobbying with the help of the WHO to have stronger action. Do you think these people who are dealing with health impacts day to day will have their voices heard?

CAMPBELL-LENDRUM: I think they have to have their voices heard. And we're here as WHO. But we say we've got a 50 million strong army behind us, because that's the number that is represented by the health organizations that have signed up to this call. Now, that's nurses and doctors in some of the most vulnerable communities. It's, you know, most of the nurses and doctors that you would know, their organizations are part of them behind this. And so the ultimate message that we have here is we're health. And we're here to help.

MCKENZIE: Thank you very much, Doctor. You know, Kim, if you look at the impacts of climate change, just with the extreme events of direct health impacts, and even the heat waves, and specifically in cities, the impact of climate change and the climate crisis across the developing world and the developed world, the WHO is wanting to have a greater focus on this as a public health emergency, not just an ecological issue. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, those health impacts affects so many people in so many different ways as you say. David McKenzie in Dubai, thanks so much.

[05:25:05]

Officials in the Philippines say an explosion during a mass inside a gymnasium has killed at least four people and injured more than 40 others. Philippine President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. condemned the deadly bombing and blamed it on foreign terrorists. It happened at a university gymnasium on the southern island of Mindanao. That region has long been a hotbed again -- of insurgency against the Philippine government. Officials say no group has claimed responsibility so far.

And residents in the southern Philippines are recovering from a shock of a powerful earthquake. The 7.6 magnitude quake rocked Mindanao island on Saturday and sparked multiple aftershocks. Have a look at this.

It also damaged some buildings including that grocery store. Despite the scary scenes like this, there have been no initial reports of casualties with quake did trigger tsunami warnings and small waves were observed as far as Japan. Authorities say those threats are now over.

In Paris, the anti-terrorism prosecutor is investigating after a German tourist was killed and two others injured by an attacker wielding a knife and hammer near the Eiffel Tower. A 26-year-old French national was arrested at the scene. Interior Minister said he told police he was upset about what had been happening in Gaza. Authorities say he'd been sentenced to prison in 2016 for planning another attack.

The Vatican says Pope Francis' health is improving but he'll stay indoors to read his Sunday address, the Angelus prayer to avoid being exposed to cold weather. Officials add the 86-year-old has no fever and is continuing treatment for respiratory issues. As a result, the pontiff cancelled his planned trip to Dubai for the COP28 climate talks.

I'm Kim Brunhuber. For our viewers here in North America, we'll have more news in just a moment, for our international viewers, Point of View Saudi Arabia is next.

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[05:30:41]

BRUNHUBER: And welcome back to you all, you're watching us here in the United States and Canada. I'm Kim Brunhuber. Our continuing coverage of the Israel-Hamas war, now Israel's bombardment of what it calls Hamas targets is now in its third day since of truce collapsed early Friday.

The Israeli army released footage of its ground, air, and naval operations in Gaza. It says an IDF drone targeted and killed Hamas militants that were close to Israeli troops. The IDF says fighter jets and helicopters have been striking Hamas installations across Gaza including tunnel shots, command centers, and weapons storage facilities. Israel says, 66 soldiers have died in the combat operations including one killed Saturday.

Have a look. This was the aftermath of the strike in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. The Hamas run health ministry says 193 Palestinians have been killed since the end of the truce, and that death toll tops 15,000. And as the fighting intensifies, Israel is urging people to keep moving south. But internet service in Gaza has been unreliable and it's not clear Gazans are getting the message. Some of the Israeli hostages free by Hamas joined a rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday calling for the release of hostages left behind.

(MUSIC)

Thousands of people showed up to support the rally. They listened to musicians and held up posters of hostages still held in Gaza. People also lit candles at a long table with places reserved for hostages, family members shared the pain of waiting to see their loved ones again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL LEVY, BROTHER OF HOSTAGE OR LEVY: I'm here like every week, to show that we are not backing down and want all the hostages back. I'm Or Levy's brother. And we want the government to do whatever they need to do in order to bring him and the other hostages back as soon as possible.

EDAN BEGERANO, RELATIVE OF HOSTAGE LUIS HAR: It seems I'm smiling but only from the inside, from the outside, I'm burning, OK. And really, I'm being really -- it's a fear. It's a nightmare for us that our family is still in captive, still in Gaza. Although some of our family members came back to Israel this week, at least three of them are here. But two more are still in Gaza. And we came here in order to stand with them, and fight for them, returning to Israel as soon

as possible, with all the other hostages.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: So even though some hostages were released during the truce, the Israeli military says 136 remain in Gaza. And they say that includes more than a dozen women and children.

Now, earlier CNN spoke about the hostage situation with former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL OREN, FORMER ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: The one key issue is the women and children. Israel claims that we claim that they did -- they still have 13, at least 13, as many as 17 women and children are held hostage. Hamas says they have no more. I would doubt that.

You know, I'm not an official spokesman, but I've heard from official sources that there's a fear that Hamas won't let out women

who have been raped multiple times, so they won't come out and tell about the rapes. And that's going to be very, very

painful.

Israel has to maintain the pressure on Hamas. Maybe these negotiations happen to begin with only for one reason. That's because Israel ramped up the pressure, the military pressure on Hamas. We'd be able to get these hostages out so far successfully because of that pressure. We have to continue it. And meanwhile, we're witnessing the surreal situations.

You know, have just been several of more than 10,000 rockets have been fired at Israel, many of those rockets in Tel Aviv go literally over my house in southern Tel Aviv and we have an Iron Dome just to the east of us. Those batteries take out those rockets right over our heads. Iron Dome is 90% effective. That means every 100 rockets that go through 10 breakthrough that net, and they land. They knocked out an entire apartment building next to my house a while ago. So it's quite deadly. And then you have these people protesting and demonstrating in support of the hostages, I think that encapsulates all the horror of this war and the terrible decisions that the Israeli government has to make.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Thousands marched in Paris demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Demonstrators have been marching in large scale. Protests every Saturday in Paris for a week, drawing attention to the plight of civilians in Gaza. With Israel Defense Forces hitting more targets in the enclave, the protesters say, the short-term pause in fighting wasn't nearly enough. Listen to this.

[05:35:12]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NATALIE QUDSI, PARISIAN OF PALESTINIAN ORIGIN: It's important to be here today and to continue because it is not over. And the humanitarian pause was nothing. It was a joke. It was feeding people to bomb them. I mean, it's insane that it continues, and Israel has come out and said they were going to keep bombing for at least two more months. It's not OK. And we are here to say we are not going to let this happen, not under our watch.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: All right, still ahead, we'll have the latest on the suspect Los Angeles Police have arrested in the murders of three homeless men. That report just ahead.

Plus, President Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis canvass for votes in the Hawkeye State on Saturday, with just six weeks left until the Iowa caucuses. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Los Angeles Police say they've arrested a suspect in connection with the murders of three homeless men over the last few days and a fourth homicide in a nearby community. Now, the news comes just a day after authorities asked for the public's help with identifying a suspect. CNN's Camila Bernal has the latest from Los Angeles.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Authorities here in Los Angeles say they have identified and arrested a 33-year-old Los Angeles man that they believe is responsible for four different killings in four days. Three of them are being unhoused individuals. According to authorities this started last Sunday and they say he killed unhoused individuals both Sunday and Monday in the early morning hours. Then on Tuesday, they say he's responsible for a follow home robbery and then killing a father of two young children. Then on Wednesday, they say he killed another unhoused individual.

But authorities were looking initially for the person responsible of the follow home robbery and killing. And they were able to stop this individual, thanks to a traffic stop, and they say they were able to arrest him there. But it was days later that they connected the dots and also believe that he was also responsible for the killing of the unhoused individuals. Here is what the L.A. Chief of Police had to say.

[05:40:25]

MICHAEL MOORE, CHIEF OF POLICE, LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPT.: Our investigation has documented Mr. Powell's vehicles being at the murder scene of all three homicides and Mr. Powell's physical appearance is consistent with imagery recovered to this point.

BERNAL: Now after he was pulled over authorities were able to recover the murder weapon. And they say they're still trying to gather evidence that will help in an eventual prosecution, they say that is now the focus. As of now, they also say they do not have a motive, but they will continue to work on this case for that eventual prosecution. Camila Bernal, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis held dueling campaign rallies in Iowa Saturday, was just six weeks to go until the Iowa caucuses. DeSantis has traveled to all corners of the state. He's gone to places in Iowa that Trump is unlikely to visit. The former President, meanwhile, is repeating his lies about the 2020 election. He's also handing out these signs and accusing the Democrats of subverting democracy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Our opponents and we have a lot of opponents but we've been waging an all-out war in American democracy. You look at what they've been doing, and becoming more and more extreme and repressive. They have just waged an all-out war with each passing day.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER: Trump encouraged his supporters to go into ballot counting facilities next year to quote, "guard the votes." CNN's Kristen Holmes was on Saturday's Trump rally and has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Former President Donald Trump really delivering his most forceful rebuttal of President Biden's argument that a second Trump term would be bad for democracy. He even made a veiled reference to the speech that Biden gave in which he says that MAGA Republicans and Donald Trump would be bad for American institutions and for the country as a whole. Listen to some of what Donald Trump had to say.

TRUMP: Joe Biden is not the defender of American democracy. Joe Biden is the destroyer of American democracy. So if Joe Biden wants to make this race a question of which candidate will defend our democracy and protect our freedoms, and I say to crooked Joe, and he is crooked, the most corrupt president we've ever had, we will win that fight, and we're going to win it very big, very bad.

HOLMES: He also, at one point, said that his campaign was a righteous crusade to liberate our republic from Joe Biden, which of course raises the question as to what exactly is Joe Biden and President Biden doing that is anti-democratic. Well, President -- the former president had a list of several things which included forcing people to buy specific cars, went on a long tangent about electric vehicles. At one point, he talked about the First Amendment and subpoenaing these social media companies.

But the main crux of the argument was really about Donald Trump himself, claiming that President Biden is using his administration to come after the former president. This referring to these multiple charges against President -- former President Trump, including his attempts to overturn the 2020 elections. So really trying to flip this narrative, but again, using an argument that we have heard over and over again from the former president.

But I will note we are just about six weeks out from those Iowa caucuses. And all polling that we have seen, shows Trump with a very dominant lead when it comes to those caucuses. And when we were here, at this event, there was an earlier speaker who asked the crowd if anyone had ever -- this was our first-time caucusing. And about half the people here raise their hand to say it was, showing that Donald Trump still has a lot of support, but even a lot of new support despite those charges and his ongoing legal problems here in the state of Iowa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: So as Kristen said, DeSantis is trailing badly in the polls, but he's leaving no stone unturned as he tries to pull off a political miracle in Iowa. He's now campaigned in every one of the state's counties. And he says it was about more than just drumming up votes. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RON DESANTIS, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't think doing the 99 counties is just about the caucus like yes, obviously we're going to use that to -- to win the caucus, but I think it has significance beyond there. One, by the fact that I'm willing to do this that should show you that I consider myself a servant, not a ruler, and that's how people they get elected to consider themselves.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: All right, we'll have a look at the U.S. weather when we come back. Snow is in the forecast for parts of the country while some cities are in the midst of a snow drought. We'll explain when we come back, straight ahead. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:48:52]

BRUNHUBER: The Pacific Northwest could get heavy rain and snow over the next few days. But it's quite the opposite in the Northeast where some cities have gone nearly two years without receiving more than an inch of snow. Here's CNN Meteorologist Elisa Raffa with the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Some of these cities in the Northeast are not only breaking the record but completely shattering and obliterating it in New York City. It has been 656 days since they have seen at least one inch of snow. The last record for this stretch was 383 days. So again, almost doubling it. The last time that New York City had more than an inch of snow was back in February of 2022. So again, very significant and it's not just New York, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Baltimore, all taking the top spot for the longest stretch without more than an inch of snow well over 600 days. Richmond Virginia tops out. The top four on that list with 684 days.

So just incredible to see and looking at the forecast, we're not looking at snow anytime soon. So rain in New York City by Sunday, temperatures below average through a lot of the extended forecast here but overall not really looking at any snow makers anytime soon.

[05:50:06]

Not the case, though, for the Pacific Northwest, a series of storms will bring heavy rain and snow going through the next several days. We'll find some of this rain and snow really setting up going into Sunday. Some of that rain could be heavy at times from Portland and into Seattle. You know a little bit of a break but again another storm like train cars on its heel going into Monday and Tuesday with the heavy rain and the snow setting up.

What's happening is we have an atmosphere river setting up. That's when that jet stream or the path of storminess really just sit over the Pacific Northwest really pumping them moisture, storms just one after another, level four out of five. This could be hazardous talking about river rises and mudslides. We're looking at some three to seven inches of rain in the lowlands but up in the high elevations could be looking at up to 10 inches of rain, where it's cold enough looking at two to three feet of snow swinging pretty significant snow totals up in the Pacific Northwest going through the next several days.

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BRUNHUBER: The college football playoffs are thrown into chaos on the final weekend of the season. Two-time defending champion the University of Georgia lost for the first time in almost two years.

All right, let's bring in CNN Sports Correspondent Carolyn Manno now live from New York. So Carolyn, you know, in any other sport bar, maybe boxing, one loss is just a blip. Why is that not necessarily the case here?

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean, what makes college football here in the United States so unique is that there are well over 100 teams competing for this one championship and starting next year 12 teams are going to make the playoffs. The problem is this year it's only four teams, and that's why this matters so much. Georgia has been the dominant force in the sport, the two-time defending national champions and winners of 29 straight games but they finally met their match Saturday against Alabama and quarterback Jalen Milroe who has a really compelling story. He was magnificent. Throwing two touchdown passes in the first half alone. They had a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter before Georgia started clawing back.

Kendall Milton scoring to cut through just under three minutes to go. But they would never get the ball back. Milroe, all effort, he had been benched at one point in his career, diving for the first down, to seal the 27 to 24 when earlier in the season, this guy was on the bench and after this game, he was in tears with the victory Alabama which was ranked eighth entering the game could actually vote itself into the playoffs and that's because the field of four is voted on by this committee. Just incredible.

To the NBA, listen to this, the Mavericks set an NBA record on Saturday, scoring 30 straight points against the Thunder. And they still lost this game Dallas, getting blown out early in the fourth quarter when A.J. Lawson hits a three and then Seth Curry, then Luka Doncic, and Curry with another and then another. Derrick Jones Jr. joining the party as well. And Doncic giving Dallas the lead. So just over six minutes here. the Mavs go from being down 24 to up by six. But after all this effort, eventually they ran out of gas, the Thunder storming right back outscoring Dallas by 15 the rest of the way for the win, just remarkable.

Meanwhile, Steph Curry and the warriors were in control all night against the clippers. That is until they weren't. Paul George training a step back three here overstep with 10 seconds to go to give L.A. their first lead of the game as the Clippers miraculously rally from 22 down to win by one. MLS playoffs, FC Cincinnati and Columbus Crew and Ohio Derby with a spot in the final on the line here, 86 minute. The Crew down, their season nearly sunk Diego Rossi finding a life raft here, the Uruguayan forward tying the game at to Columbus, not just surviving. They are absolutely thriving 100 and 50th minute. Cucho Hernandez finding Christian Ramirez with a brilliant header and Ramirez burying the winner Columbus heading to the Cup Final hosting the defending champs L.A. FC next Saturday.

What makes us even more special is that just five years ago, Columbus nearly lost the Crew to relocation so now they're one, one away from their second title in four years, an incredible story coming around and they have the spotlight once again.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah absolutely. All right, thanks so much for that wrap up Carolyn Manno in New York, appreciate it.

All right, well you have to have a look at this. A double take is the famous primatologist Jane Goodall came face to face with her lookalike on Friday so you can tell the difference here, one is moving I guess that gives it away. Goodall's wax statues displayed at the Grevin Museum in Paris, which features likenesses of everyone from Queen Elizabeth to Brad Pitt. The facsimile is decked out in the kind of green camouflage Goodall wore while studying chimps in the wilds of East Africa. And she's credited with discovering similarities between humans and primates, including their use of tools, their wide range of emotions and their close family bonds and she says the statue brought back good memories. Here she is.

[05:55:02]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JANE GOODALL, PRIMATOLOGIST: This reminds me of the time when I used to be able to live in the forest with the chimpanzees. This is how I was dressed. And I always had my binoculars with me. And so it reminds me of the best days of my life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Goodall's work shook the definition of what it means to be human.

Well, if you have an appetite for epic dragon battles and political intrigue, prepare yourself because House of the Dragon is coming back. Have a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Errors were made in the hours following King Viserys' death.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The war will be fought, many will die, and the victor will eventually ascend the throne.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: A teaser trailer there for the show's second season that's full of what makes the show so popular for so many people entering betrayal secrets and of course beautiful people with long white hair. And if you can't wait too bad it won't come out until next summer and we just want to disclose this, HBO is owned by CNN's parent company Warner Brothers Discovery.

And before we go, here Saturday Night Lives cold open on former U.S. Representative George Santos' expulsion from Congress. Have a look here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOWEN YANG, SNL ACTOR (acting as George Santos): You want me to say that I lost that I'm humiliated? Fine. So I'm no longer Congressman Santos. I'm just regular old professor, major, general, reverend, astronaut Santos. Protector of the realm, Princess of Genovia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: SNL actor Bowen Yang there, play Santos in the skit. He did do there with a parody of the song, Candle In The Wind by Elton John. You have to see it.

All right, that wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Kim Brunhuber. For viewers in North America, CNN this morning is next, the rest of the world it's Connecting Africa.

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