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Texas State Supreme Court Blocks Women's Attempt To Obtain Emergency Abortion; President Biden's Son Hunter Biden Indicted For Tax Evasion In California; President Biden Campaigns For Reelection In Las Vegas; Israel Defense Forces Continue Military Operations Against Hamas In Central And Southern Gaza; Israeli Hostage Held By Hamas Killed In Gaza; Elite University Presidents Criticized For Comments To Congress About Antisemitism On Their Campuses; Florida Governor Ron DeSantis And Wife Casey Clarify Comments She Made That Appeared to Encourage Out Of State Voters To Participate In Iowa Caucuses; Golfer Jon Rahm Joins LIV Golf For Three-Year, $300 Million Deal; Biden Administration Garners Controversy For Delay Of Ban On Menthol Cigarettes. Aired 2-3p ET.

Aired December 09, 2023 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[14:00:33]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

We begin in Texas where a woman's fight to end her high-risk pregnancy is garnering national attention. Late last night the state's supreme court ruled to temporarily block Kate Cox's attempt to obtain an emergency abortion. And it comes just a day after she was granted permission by a lower court. Cox says her unborn baby has a fatal genetic condition that results in the baby not living more than a few days outside the womb. That's according to the lawsuit that she has filed against Texas.

CNN's Camila Bernal is following this story for us. Camila, how big of a setback is this for her?

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's very significant, Fred, and that's because Kate Cox is 20 weeks pregnant at the moment. She's just 31 years old, and as you mentioned, her fetus has a fatal genetic condition, and she says that the complications of this pregnancy have essentially put her life in danger. And she says that not only is her health at risk here, but she also says that her future fertility is also at risk if she doesn't get an abortion.

And so that is why she sued the state of Texas asking for her to be allowed to get a legal abortion in the state of Texas. A judge in the state granted that and agreed and allowed her to get a legal abortion in the state, which was actually very significant for the state. Specifically, when it comes to medical exemptions, because the state has such strict abortion laws, this could define those exemptions. But, of course, the attorney general there, Ken Paxton of Texas, does not agree, and asked the supreme court of the state to intervene in this case, and that's exactly what they did. The Texas Supreme Court essentially freezing the lower court's decision temporarily and saying that this case is now pending.

Now, there is no specific timeline as to when they would take up this case. And again, she's 20 weeks pregnant, which is why it's so important for her to get that decision, to figure out what she's going to do next. Her attorney is saying that this is why people shouldn't beg for health care from a court of law, because she says this is a medical emergency at the moment that Kate Cox is going through.

Now, the state's attorney general, Ken Paxton, saying that she has not proved that this is life-threatening, that she has not proved that this is something that puts her life at risk, while on the other hand, you have Kate Cox in the court filing saying that she's had a very difficult pregnancy, that she's had to go to the emergency room multiple times because of what she's been going through and because of her diagnosis, and also saying that her child, if born, would only live for a couple of days. So, again, she says that she's at risk and that her fertility here is at risk, which is also very important for her at the moment, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Camila Bernal, thank you so much.

With me now is Caroline Kitchener. She is a national politics reporter who covers the abortion issue for "The Washington Post." Caroline, great to see you. So how likely is it that this halt could ultimately end Kate Cox's chance of having that emergency abortion?

CAROLINE KITCHENER, NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER, "THE WASHINGTON POST": It's really hard to say. Doctors and lawyers that I've talked to in Texas, a lot of them are guessing that the most likely outcome of this is that Kate Cox leaves the state of Texas and obtains an abortion elsewhere. Because we have seen so much of this abortion litigation, and one thing I know as a reporter who covers this issue is that it takes a really long time. There's so much back and forth, waiting. And there is a ticking clock on this case in a way that there just hasn't been so far. So we're really in uncharted territory here.

WHITFIELD: And as someone who covers abortions, what kind of signal is this sending nationally, particularly to other jurisdictions where there are restrictions, and even in the case of a court-ordered emergency procedure, it, too, is still at risk?

KITCHENER: Doctors across the country are watching this case extremely closely. This is the most really direct confrontation that we have seen between law enforcement, between a state attorney general and doctors and hospitals that are performing abortions.

[14:05:05]

Ken Paxton came out in this letter and he said, look, even under the court order that granted her permission to get an abortion, he said to the hospitals, if you allow this procedure to go forward, you will still be subject to these abortion laws, subject to a class one felony. So he is making the most direct threat here that we have seen. And I just think everybody is just waiting, I think, with bated breath to see how this all pans out.

WHITFIELD: So there's this Texas case, there's the Kentucky class action. Are there other states that are going down similar paths with individual cases or class action cases?

KITCHENER: Well, these two really stand apart. And it's kind of remarkable that they happened in the same week. So before this Texas case, earlier this week, it had been over 50 years since a pregnant adult woman had gone to a judge to ask for permission to access abortion. Now that has happened twice in one week. So I think what that tells us is that this, it's going to be a test case. And I think if Kate Cox is successful and she is able to get that care in the state of Texas that she needs right now, then we are going to see, I think, a whole lot more similar cases across the country.

WHITFIELD: What kind of impact do you believe cases like this will make at the ballot box? Is it energizing voters?

KITCHENER: I do think people are watching, and it reminds people this is happening. I mean, I notice, as somebody who covers this full time, people get distracted. There are other things that rise to the top of the mind. And cases like this that really have a face and a person behind them, I think are really easy for people to connect with, and it reminds people across this country of what's happening with abortion rights right now.

WHITFIELD: Caroline Kitchener, thanks so much. Good to see you.

KITCHENER: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: With just weeks before key 2024 election contests take place, President Biden is hitting the campaign trail amid new legal distractions hovering over his son. On Friday the president kicked off a campaign swing out west just hours after his son, Hunter, was indicted again. Hunter Biden is now facing new federal tax evasion charges. Prosecutors accuse him of a four-year tax evasion scheme and spending millions of dollars on things like drugs, escorts, and exotic cars. If convicted on all nine criminal counts, he could face up to 17 years in prison.

CNN senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak is in Los Angeles where the president is fundraising. Kevin, how is the White House reacting to this latest Hunter Biden indictment?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, certainly the White House isn't responding very forcefully. They say the president remains in love with his son, that he supports his son, but they aren't weighing in beyond that. And certainly, the issue of Hunter Biden's legal issues is one of the most sensitive inside the West Wing. There are very few aides who feel comfortable raising this issue with the president. In fact, when you talk to them, there aren't that many who have sort of a firsthand knowledge of how the president is processing all of this.

But it is certainly true that Hunter Biden's legal issues do weigh heavily on President Biden, and this one is no different, certainly because of all of the personal information that was included in the indictment about what Hunter Biden was spending this money on, this kind of lavish lifestyle that is in some ways embarrassing for him and for the president.

And so this is a political headache for President Biden as he enters what will be a challenging reelection contest. And you've already seen some Republicans try and conflate Hunter Biden's legal issues with those that President Trump is facing. There isn't really a comparison there, of course. President Trump was president and is running to be president again. Hunter Biden has never been president and won't be president in the future. But that isn't stopping these comparisons from going forward.

When you talk to President Biden's aides, they do not believe that voters in next year's election will make the Hunter Biden issue central to their decision-making. There's certainly other issues that they are focused on, including the economy. And I think the challenge for President Biden will be trying to frame this election as a choice between him and between President Trump. And you have seen him start to talk about President Trump in much more forceful terms than he has been willing to previously, including yesterday. He was in Las Vegas. He was making an announcement on passenger rail investment, and he went after his predecessor by name. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Trump just talks the talk. We walk the walk.

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BIDEN: Look, he likes to say America is a failing nation. Frankly, he doesn't know what the hell he's talking about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[14:10:7]

LIPTAK: So those are certainly the kinds of arguments that you can sort of anticipate hearing in television ads, digital ads over the next year. Of course, that will cost a lot of money, and that is why President Biden is in Los Angeles this weekend. He has two major fundraising events, including last night with some Hollywood heavyweights, Steven Spielberg, Shonda Rhimes, Rob Reiner, all opening their checkbooks to support the president's reelection.

I was talking yesterday to Jeffrey Katzenberg. He is the movie mogul but also a co-chair of the Biden campaign, and he told me that the 36 hours will be the most successful in campaign fundraising since President Biden announced his reelection in the spring, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, a lot to come. Kevin Liptak, thank you so much.

Still to come for us, the U.S. is facing backlash after it vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. This comes as Israel advances its military operations in southern Gaza amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.

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WHITFIELD: New today, reports of heavy clashes across Gaza between Israel Defense Forces and Hamas. The IDF says it is engaging militants in northern Gaza near the Jabalia refugee camp, as well as in areas of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. And it comes as the Israeli military issued an urgent appeal for civilians to evacuate areas of Khan Yunis today. The fighting showing no signs of slowing down after the U.S. vetoed a U.N. resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

CNN's Alex Marquardt is in Tel Aviv. Alex, what more do we know about the clashes that are happening in Gaza today?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, the IDF claims to have control of much of northern Gaza which is where most of the fighting has taken place over the course of the past two months. But it is clear that they have not fully taken control. There are still clashes between the two sides in northern Gaza. We did see some strikes also in central Gaza today. This is a place called Deir al-Balah which has been hit repeatedly over the past few days by Israeli air strikes. That is what residents said happened again this morning, at least two strikes, they say, at a building that was housing some 150 people, many of whom, those residents said, had actually come from the north after being told to evacuate. A local hospital in the central part of the Gaza Strip saying that there were at least eight people killed in those strikes, and dozens of people wounded. They have seen dozens of people killed in the strikes over the past few days.

But so much of the focus for the Israeli military, Fred, has been on Khan Yunis over the past week or so. That is the second biggest city in all of Gaza. It's where Israeli officials believe that some of Hamas' top leadership may be. We've seen intense operations by the IDF on the ground. They say that they are trying to encircle Khan Yunis. They're going door to door, they say, tunnel to tunnel. Of course, we know about this extensive tunnel system.

And tonight, Fred, the IDF issued what they called an urgent appeal to residents and civilians in the central part of Khan Yunis in five very specific areas on a map that they published, with hundreds of different little blocks. But five areas, they said, need to evacuate immediately. That is an indication, perhaps, that fighting is coming soon. They said that people need to move to the southwestern part of the strip where the IDF claims there are established shelters. We've asked the IDF what they mean by these shelters. That is not clear, and we have yet to hear back from them, Fred.

WHITFIELD: And then, Alex, we're also learning some new information about the death of an Israeli hostage. What more are you learning about him?

MARQUARDT: He's a young man named Sahar Baruch, 25 years old. He was Kibbutz Be'eri, which is one of the kibbutzim near the Gaza Strip that was attacked on October 7th. His kibbutz put out an official statement saying that he had been kidnapped on October 7th and they say he was murdered by Hamas in Gaza. And we haven't heard anything from the IDF themselves, but what Hamas is saying happened is that the IDF was attempting a rescue operation that was clearly not successful. We have seen a Hamas video which we are not going to be showing, but it shows Baruch when he was still alive, saying that he had been held for 40 days and he wanted to go home. And then the video shows him dead. It's not exactly clear how he was killed, but Hamas is saying that this rescue operation was unsuccessful. They also show in the video some equipment from the IDF. The IDF separately had said that there had been an unsuccessful rescue operation to get hostages out in which two of their soldiers were severely injured. But Fred, it's unclear whether these two incidents are connected. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: Alex Marquardt, thank you so much.

So Israel says there are still 137 hostages who remain captives of Hamas, all ripped from their homes 63 days ago. And among them, 39- year-old Carmel Gat and 26-year-old Noa Argamani. I'm joined now by Carmel's close friend Moran Harari, and Noa's roommate Amir Moaddi. So great to see both of you. I cannot imagine what you're going through, the anguish that you have endured for over a month now, and then hearing about this attempted rescue mission, possibly, for one of the hostages and now hearing about his death.

[14:20:05]

I'm sure that just has you worrying even more about your loved ones. So Moran, I wonder if you can give me any details about what's going on through your mind, and if you've been given any updates at all about Carmel.

MORAN HARARI, CLOSE FRIEND OF CARMEL GAT ABDUCTED BY HAMAS: Hi. Thank you for inviting us. Carmel was kidnapped 63 days ago from the Kibbutz Be'eri while she was visiting her parents. We didn't hear anything about her for 52 days, she was defined as missing, and we didn't know if she was dead or alive. The first sign of life we got was 52 days ago when two hostages that were released last week said that they were with her in a room, so we know she's alive. But more than that, we didn't get any updates, and there is no footage or something that Hamas has posted before or after.

WHITFIELD: And then, Amir, what have you been going through? What has this been like for you, watching all of this unfold, and just really being in the dark about how people are doing?

AMIR MOADDI, ROOMMATE NOA ARGAMANI ABDUCTED BY HAMAS: It's very difficult. It's very difficult to see our loved one over there in Gaza and there is nothing we can do to help them, especially when we hear about this kind of operation, which are important a lot, because this is the only way now to get our hostages back. But it's not safe. It's not like anything in Gaza is not safe now. So it's just devastating. We think about it all the time, what they're going through, are they having food, do they have any kind of life, or is it just being a hostage over there in captivity, and in a difficult situation and conditions. WHITFIELD: And then, Moran, give me an idea -- this is also a very

confusing time, too, because there are hostages, and getting the information about their condition is very difficult, as you've just explained. And then you have the Israeli defense forces who say we are moving and intensifying our efforts in areas where possibly some of these hostages may be held by their captors, Hamas. So where are you on watching the developments of the military mission, yet at the same time worried about what does this mean for hostages?

MOADDI: Yes, I trust the IDF. I know that the army and the government are doing the exact right thing they are supposed to do, and they are doing it smartly. This is how fights work and how war works. So there's not another option, because we see that Hamas is not letting the hostages go back home. So we need to operate in different ways. And I just trust the IDF.

WHITFIELD: And then, Amir, Noa was abducted along with her boyfriend from the music festival on October 7th. Have you been told anything, even perhaps from the released hostages who were able to offer Moran some information, have you heard anything about whether the two are being held together, if they've been seen individually, anything?

MOADDI: Well, unfortunately, we didn't hear anything from any hostages that come back. We only saw the two videos of Noa being kidnapped, and after that there was another video of Noa drinking water, and that's it. We don't know if one of the hostages wasn't them, we're just hoping and praying they're good and they're still safe and sound.

WHITFIELD: And Moran, how is the family of Carmel holding, how is everyone feeling? What do you say to one another when you are in this space of not getting information, holding out hope, praying, but what is that doing to everyone?

HARARI: This is like a nightmare. It's extremely difficult, especially the first days, like the 52 days when you don't know even if she's alive or dead. And the government was saying some of the missing people are likely to never be identified because of the situation of the bodies that were burned with very strong chemical materials.

[14:25:03]

So since we got the first sign of life, it was a very kind of happy moment to know that she's alive. But she's now left alone there. And we know that there have been horrific conditions there, and we really need her back home, like every second counts. She's in danger, and they are all in danger. So we're trying to do our best to raise awareness and put some pressure. And we are helping each other to cope through the situation and the family. Our lives were stopped since the 7th of October.

WHITFIELD: And Amir, I wonder if you've had an opportunity -- well, this is an opportunity to speak directly to many lawmakers in the U.S. who have their finger on the pulse, have their finger on the strings of whether more arsenal, more money will be devoted to Israel during this juncture. What is your message to them? MOADDI: So, my message is just to understand we're talking about human

beings being held in captivity in bad conditions. And we're talking about women, Noa and Carmel. And there are other women that are in captivity, and a lot of males, and even some children are still in captivity. And every human being has got the right to go home, to be safe. And these people got their right taken and their freedom taken. And it's not OK. It's a humanitarian issue that we need to solve it right away. We need to do anything to get the hostages back. And especially Noa's mother is very sick now. She has got terminal brain cancer. So the doctors say that she only has got a few weeks or maybe a month left. And I think it's the right for everyone to see, for the mother to see her daughter and for her to see her mother for the last moments.

WHITFIELD: You were describing Noa's mom, Noa's mother is sick.

MOADDI: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Well, our prayers go out to --

MOADDI: She has terminal brain cancer.

WHITFIELD: My goodness. My prayers go out to her, to all of you, to all of those who remain captive, and to their family members who are just worried sick. Moran Harari, Amir Moaddi, thank you so much for your time.

HARARI: Thank you.

MOADDI: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And the violence in the Middle East is dampening the spirits of many Americans beginning Hanukkah celebrations this week. Some people are even afraid to put a menorah in their window because of a spike in antisemitic incidents. Polo Sandoval is here with more on this. Hi, Polo. More than 70 lawmakers demanding that, separately, the presidents of three top universities be removed because of their response to questions about how to handle antisemitism and talk and threats of genocide.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Essentially, Fred, it's not what they said but what they did not say, the failure to directly denounce any calls for genocide. And that is what continues to fuel that course of criticism and calls for the heads of those three universities, of course, we're talking about MIT, Harvard, and UPenn, to step down. And while that's playing out, here in New York City we continue to see that increase in antisemitic incidents. Some statistics released by the NYPD is showing that recently we have seen a total of 284 crimes specifically targeting the Jewish community. That's a significant increase over what we saw at this time last year.

When you look at the numbers, for example, that specifically target the Muslim community, those number 19. Greatly lower. However, when you hear from the mayor of the city just yesterday very sharply condemning violence against any faith.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR ERIC ADAMS, (D) NEW YORK CITY: In this moment of heightened tension around the globe, it is more important than ever that we stand together as one, united against the rising tide of hatred and religious intolerance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: And after a gunman opened fire outside of an Albany synagogue on Thursday, not injuring anybody, however, certainly sending shockwaves through the community, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has ordered that police presence at synagogues and Jewish community centers throughout the state to be increased on top of what we saw play out after the October 7th attacks.

And also, Governor Hochul issuing what we can call a preemptive letter to colleges and universities in New York state, basically issuing a warning that any sort of calls for genocide on campuses would be a direct violation of the institution's code of conduct.

[14:30:04]

And if said institutions would fail to react or address that with disciplinary action, then they could potentially lose out on receiving funding. So what we're seeing here as the state's chief executive seeing what played out just this week on Capitol Hill with the heads of those three universities and basically reminding institutions here in New York that that cannot happen. And for her part, her office saying the heads of many of those universities here in New York are responding, saying that they are very well aware and are prepared to respond with any disciplinary action should those calls for genocide play out on their campus. So not to mention losing funding, but also facing serious fallout, just what we're seeing play out at those three universities that you mentioned during the lead, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Polo Sandoval, thanks so much.

In just a few weeks Iowa voters will be the first in the nation to choose a presidential candidate. But Florida's first lady seems to suggest anyone can take part. Now the campaign is clarifying her comments.

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WHITFIELD: Several of the Republican candidates hoping to take on President Biden next year are in Iowa today, where the first in the nation caucus is just over five weeks away. And today GOP hopeful Ron DeSantis and his wife Casey are seeking to clarify comments after the Florida first lady made comments that appeared to encourage out of state voters to participate in the Iowa caucuses. CNN's Steve Contorno joining us now. Steve, all right, so what can you tell us about these comments and now on the clarification campaign?

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Yesterday, the DeSantises were on FOX News, and that's when Casey made this call out to mommas and grandmothers all across the country and said, look, you don't have to be a resident of Iowa to participate in the Iowa caucuses, and called on them to descend upon the state. That was her exact words.

Now, to participate in the caucus, I guess that's true, depending on your definition of it. You are allowed to volunteer, to speak, to encourage, to persuade other people in Iowa on behalf of a candidate. But obviously you can't vote or have your voice heard in the caucuses themselves.

And the DeSantises said this is obviously what they meant, that they didn't mean you could go to Iowa from Florida and vote. And Governor DeSantis tried to clarify those remarks later after she spoke. Here is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RON DESANTIS, (R) FLORIDA: Obviously, you can't vote in the caucus. But you can help with it. They even let people go and speak on behalf of candidates. So they all these precincts, so you may have people who really can speak strongly about our leadership that are going to come. So we're looking forward to doing that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CONTORNO: Now, they tried to brush this off as no big news, nothing to see here. But I will point out that the Iowa GOP actually put out a message on social media reminding people that, yes, you must be a resident of the state of Iowa in order to participate in these caucuses.

WHITFIELD: OK, and then Steve, DeSantis is also looking to boost his campaign by hitting on some of his culture war themes and policies. Tell us about his strategy.

CONTORNO: Yes, right before DeSantis launched his campaign for president, actually just a week before, he signed a package of bills all aimed at restricting transgender people in the state of Florida. And that issue has sort of subsided after becoming sort of a rallying cry for many of the Republican candidates early in the race. Well, in Wednesday's debate this became a flashpoint between not just the governor and Chris Christie, who are sort of on opposite ends on how health care for transgender children should be handled, but also it sparked a heated back and forth between South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and Governor DeSantis. Take a look at what they had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIKKI HALEY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: First of all, Ron has continued to lie because he's losing.

GOV. RON DESANTIS, (R) FLORIDA: That's not a lie.

HALEY: You are lying.

DESANTIS: You said it on tape. HALEY: So first of all, I will say that when I was governor, 10 years

ago when the bathroom situation came up, we had maybe a handful of kids that were dealing with an issue. And I said, we don't need to bring government into this, but boys go into boys' bathrooms, girls go into girls' bathrooms, and if anyone else has an issue, they use a private bathroom.

Now, 10 years later, we see this issue has exploded. And this shows how hypocritical Ron continues to be. When he was running for governor and they asked him about that, he said he didn't think bathroom bills were a good use of his time. You can go look that up.

DESANTIS: I signed a bathroom bill in Florida, so that's obviously not true.

(APPLAUSE)

HALEY: So the idea that you would say that I was against it --

DESANTIS: I signed it, you didn't. You killed it. I signed it. I stood up for little girls.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CONTORNO: This is obviously an issue where DeSantis feels like he has the upper hand because he has been talking about it persistently ever since the debate. He talked about it on the road in Iowa all the rest of this week. And clearly, there's a lane for a social conservative candidate, and this hard right turn he has taken has hurt him in other states, but in Iowa where there are evangelical influences in these caucuses and they have a lot of strong impact on the result, the governor is betting that by trying to occupy the social conservative lane he can have a chance at beating Trump in that state.

WHITFIELD: All right, Steve Contorno, thanks so much.

He is the defending Masters champion, and now Jon Rahm makes a deal that he says he couldn't refuse.

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WHITFIELD: All right, the number three golfer in the world, Jon Rahm, is taking some heat for his new huge payday. This week the reigning masters champion announced he will leave the PGA tour and join the Saudi backed LIV golf series. According to ESPN his three-year deal is worth $300 million. That includes an ownership stake in a new LIV golf team. CNN sports anchor Patrick Snell is joining us now. Patrick, that's big bank, but he's getting a big pushback, too.

PATRICK SNELL, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes, there has been some criticism, no question about that, Fred. Jon Rahm, though, basically, I think really the criticism comes, when I think about it, it's because of his previous stance. He made it clear that he was all about legacy, history, playing in the big famous tournaments.

[14:45:01] And that should continue to some degree, at least, as far as the Majors are concerned. He's the reigning Masters champ. I never saw this coming, I will say, but the rumors had been growing in recent weeks. There had been gathering momentum. Massive, massive coup for LIV golf, huge blow for the U.S. PGA tour and Europe's DP World tour.

For context, for many, Jon Rahm is quite simply the best player in the world. You mentioned he's the reigning Masters champ. He's also a former U.S. Open winner. And at 29, he's likely not even yet at the peak of his playing powers. Rahm was one of the loudest voices, though -- this is what I mean -- one of the loudest voices of opposition to LIV when it first launched with an event in England. I remember it well. It was back in 2022. It was just our side of London. Rahm insisting he wasn't interested in the money being offered. His total career prize money, for context, on the PGA tour up to this point has been over $50 million.

Rahm, who was born in the Basque country, will make his LIV debut as it stands in Mexico in early February. And as you said, Fred, we understand it's a three-year, $300 million deal, and he will have an ownership stake as well in a new team, again, according to ESPN citing unnamed sources.

Now, here is another plot twist. Northern Irish golf superstar Rory McIlroy was also a huge critic of LIV Golf before the breakaway series brokered a proposed a deal with both the PGA and the DP world tours. And the four-time Majors winner purportedly now saying that Rahm should be allowed to play for Europe at the next Ryder Cup in 2025 in New York.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON RAHM, TWO-TIME MAJOR CHAMPION: The reason we play a sport, we're entertainers at the end of the day. And you want to have the best product and the best chance for your team to succeed. And I believe you should give a chance to every single player, right.

Right now to hear Rory say that, honestly, it makes me a little emotional. I respect the man so much. He's done a lot for the game of golf and accomplished a lot. So for him to have my back right away from day one, it's important. It's important for this process to change faster than later, right. So the earlier we can get a way back for people like me to maybe be able to qualify for that team, and the clearer, the easier it's going to be for us to compete and try to get on that team and not have to be a pick.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNELL: And the days ahead, Fred, are going to be really important, especially once we get through Christmas, because we've got the PGA tour, the DP world tour, and LIV. They're trying to finalize this end of year deal for the proposed framework for actually joining forces commercially speaking. We learned of that back in June. But this is a set at the top. Big, big blow to the PGA tour and the European circuit as well. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: Wow, change is here, isn't it? Patrick Snell, thank you so much.

We'll be right back.

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[14:52:25]

WHITFIELD: Long awaited rules that would ban menthol flavoring in cigarettes are being delayed by the Biden administration. The decision is now expected in March. As CNN's Rene Marsh reports, the delay has some critics crying foul.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are extremely outraged.

RENE MARSH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Anger and disappointment from the NAACP directed at the Biden administration for slow walking a ban on menthol flavored cigarettes. For decades, tobacco companies have aggressively targeted minority communities with marketing, and it's been effective. More than 83 percent of black smokers choose menthols, and black people die at significantly higher rates of smoking related illnesses.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you don't ban menthol flavor, you're sending a clear message that black lives do not matter. It raises a real question, is this a discriminatory act by this administration to neglect the health concerns of the African American community?

MARSH: But the African American community is divided on the issue. Government schedules show on November 20th, top administration officials met with prominent black leaders and representatives, including an executive with Al Sharpton's National Action Network. Also present were tobacco industry stakeholders and lobbyists, including former North Carolina Congressman G.K. Butterfield, now a tobacco industry lobbyist. All opposed the ban, saying it would lead to an illicit market and more deadly police encounters like Eric Garner, who was killed at the hands of New York City police for allegedly selling loose cigarettes.

MICHAEL BLAKE, FORMER DNC VICE CHAIRMAN: It's becoming a political issue because of black leaders trying to make it such. You have black leaders that are taking the stand of tobacco companies rather than saving black lives.

MARSH: A ban would only allow the FDA to regulate ban the sale and distribution of menthol cigarettes. That means the enforcement would focus on retailers, manufacturers, and distributors, not individuals. In an election cycle, conservative groups have seized the opportunity to capitalize on the issue.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Biden's priority is banning menthol cigarettes.

MARSH: Zeroing in on a potential political liability for Biden, their strategy includes more ads like this one. Republican Senator Tom Cotton tweeting, "Joe Biden wants to ban menthol cigarettes, which are favored by black smokers. Meanwhile, he wants to legalize weed for white college kids." Public health groups say the Biden administration is putting politics over people.

YOLANDA RICHARDSON, PRESIDENT, CAMPAIGN FOR TOBACCO FREE KIDS: There's just no reason for this delay, and only one can conclude cynically that the industry has had an influence on the administration's decision.

[14:55:00]

MARSH: All other flavored cigarettes were banned under the Obama administration except for menthol. And while the White House has not given any substantial reason for the delay, Republicans are hard at work planning even more ads on this issue.

Rene Marsh, CNN, Washington.

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WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Rene.

We're back in a moment.

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