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Israel Strikes Targets Across Gaza; Penn President Steps Down; Talks Over Disputed Land. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired December 10, 2023 - 03:00   ET

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

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[03:00:00]

BIANCA NOBILA, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and all around the world. I'm Bianca Nobilo.

Israel is hitting what it says are Hamas targets across Gaza. It's unclear if Palestinians are receiving warnings from Israel to leave certain areas.

And a stunning downfall, the president of the University of Pennsylvania resigns amid public outrage over her testimony to Congress about anti-Semitism on campus.

And leaders of Venezuela and Guyana have agreed to meet soon, and it's all because of a dispute over land.

We begin this hour in Gaza, where Israeli airstrikes and ground operations are ongoing against what Israel says are Hamas targets across the strip. Some of the fiercest battles are said to be in and around the southern city of Khan Younis, which the IDF has described as a Hamas stronghold.

The Israeli military is now telling people there to leave specific areas, although due to poor communications, it isn't clear if Palestinians are able to receive those warnings.

Two large explosions in a building in Central Gaza early Saturday set off a scramble to pull victims from the wreckage. Residents say at least 150 people were thought to be sheltering inside.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza claims more than 17,000 people have been killed in Gaza and nearly 49,000 wounded since the war began two months ago. CNN cannot verify those figures.

Elliott Gotkine is covering all of this for us here in London. Elliott, bring us up to date with the latest on the fighting.

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: Bianca, fierce battles from zero distances is how Hamas is describing some of the fighting taking place in northern parts of the Gaza Strip. And to that end, IDF has also been releasing video footage of its soldiers on the ground. In one scene, they are seen firing multiple rounds towards militant targets, and even firing rocket-propelled grenades as well. In another, you can see them raiding a house which they said contained militants. They're firing rounds in there, throwing grenades in there, and then showing the blurred images of what they would say were dead militants inside that house. So, fierce fighting going on.

And also in the last hour or so, the IDF saying that, over the last 24 hours, they have carried out more than 250 strikes on targets in the Gaza Strip. They are saying that they also carried out airstrikes on a Hamas military communications site adjacent to a mosque in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

At the same time, we've been hearing from Israel's national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi. He says that Israel is getting very close to the strongholds of Hamas in Shuja'iyya and Jabalya in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. He also said that of those 17,700 people that Hamas says has been killed since this war began on October the 7th, in the wake of Hamas' terrorist attacks, Hanegbi saying at least, in his words, 7,000 of those were militants and that that figure could be higher.

Now, we can't verify any of those specific figures, but those are the figures that Israel is working with.

At the same time, there are moves to get more humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. And we heard from Israel on Thursday talking about the Kerem Shalom crossing. This is close to the triple border, the southern part of the Gaza Strip and near the Egyptian border, the Israel/Gaza crossing there, Israel talking about it being opened in the coming days to allow more humanitarian aid into the strip.

And we've heard from the World Food Programme saying that new processes for inspections are currently being tested, suggesting that we may be getting closer to that crossing being opened. The World Food Programme putting it bluntly in an interview with Reuters saying, we need Kerem Shalom open, UNICEF saying that delivery challenges of getting humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip are, in its words, a death sentence for children inside Gaza. Bianca?

NOBILO: Elliott Gotkine in London for us, thank you.

An Israeli hostage held in Gaza has been killed, according to the kibbutz where he lived.

[03:05:03]

Hamas claims 25-year-old Sahar Baruch was killed Friday during a failed Israeli rescue operation. When asked about the incident, the IDF referred CNN to the prime minister's office, which said it had no comment.

Israel says it believes Hamas is still holding at least 137 hostages. In Tel Aviv on Saturday, Israelis gathered and again called for their release. A hostage's father told the crowd, get them out now immediately, whatever the price may be.

Israel says it believes Hamas is still holding at least 137 hostages, and each day that those people remain in captivity is agonizing, understandably, for the families. As they've done since the crisis erupted, Israelis again rallied to demand their government to do more to bring the remaining hostages home.

For some, the anger and frustration has been overwhelming. Here's the father of one 19-year-old hostage who attended Saturday's rally.

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RUBY CHEN, FATHER OF 19-YEAR-OLD ITAY CHEN: We have no time. And any (INAUDIBLE) with the Israel government, I explained to them when I was there Tuesday at the war cabinet meeting, I put this in front of them and said, we have no time. And you will be judged by the ability of how many and how soon hostages are able to come back alive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is praising the U.S. for vetoing a U.N. resolution that called for a ceasefire in Gaza.

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BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: I greatly appreciate the correct stance of the U.S.'s take in the U.N. Security Council. The other countries need to understand that, on the one hand, it is impossible to support the elimination of Hamas, while on the other hand, calling for a halt to the war, which will prevent the elimination of Hamas. Therefore, Israel will continue our just war to eliminate Hamas and achieve the other goals of the war that we have set out.

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NOBILO: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the veto, saying the U.S. is, quote, responsible for the bloodshed of Palestinians in Gaza. He called it unethical and a blatant violation of all human values and principles.

As Israel's military operations expand across Gaza, the U.S. is preparing to bypass Congress to rush thousands of additional tank shells to Israel. Weapons sales normally go through Congress and require a 20-day review period, but a source with direct knowledge tells CNN that the State Department notified lawmakers later on Friday it would waive the waiting period to send 13,000 tank shells right away.

The State Department's emergency declaration came on the heels of a request to Congress last week to transfer 45,000 rounds of tank ammunition to Israel.

The intense backlash against three university presidents over their comments to Congress about anti-Semitism has claimed its first casualties. University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill has resigned along with the head of the school's board of trustees. It comes after Magill and the presidents of Harvard and MIT were asked about anti-Semitism on campus and gave answers that shocked students, faculty and many in Congress.

Two students have sued Penn alleging a hostile education environment.

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EYAL YAKOBY, UPENN STUDENT WHO SUED THE SCHOOL: I fear this has been a problem for a long time coming. And I think what the congressional hearing showed the world is what a lot of us have been saying for awhile, is that there is an indifference to anti-Semitism and a culture of hostility that has been brewing on campus for some time now.

And I think if the true culture of change is meant to happen and should happen, then Magill is just one figure that has allowed this to happen. And there are continuous steps that need to be taken in order to safeguard and protect all students on campus from such hatred and hostility.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: Magill's resignation also comes after a wealthy alumnus threatened to withdraw a $100 million donation.

CNN's Polo Sandoval explains what happened here.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In back-to-back resignations, the president of University of Pennsylvania announcing that she would step down just moments before the university official who made her announcement announced that he, too, would be resigning. Liz Magill announced Saturday that she would be stepping down from her position as UPenn president. Per university statement, she will remain tenured faculty at the university's law school and also agreed to stay on board while they find an interim replacement.

As we've reported before, students, faculty, even donors say that they've lost confidence in Magill after Tuesday's pretty disastrous hearing in which she, along with the presidents of Harvard and MIT, failed to explicitly state that calls for genocide of Jews would immediately violate the respective universities' codes of conduct.

[03:10:02]

And moments after Magill's Saturday evening announcement, Scott Bok said that he too would be stepping down as chair of the Board of Trustees at the university. In his statement, Bok writing, quote, former President Liz Magill last week made a very unfortunate misstep. Bok eventually writes, following that, it became clear that her position was no longer tenable and she and I concurrently decided it was time for her to exit.

Bok also defending Magill, calling her a good person, a talented leader, and, in his words, not the slightest bit anti-Semitic. Bok also sharing perspective about may have been Magill's state of mind the day of this disastrous hearing on the Hill, saying that Magill was not herself at the time, that she was overlawyered, that she was overprepared, and that she provided a legalistic answer to what was a moral question, and that, Bok says, was wrong.

Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.

NOBILO: The presidents of Venezuela and Guyana have agreed to meet. Still ahead, we'll explain the longtime dispute over the land and why it's so valuable.

Plus, Ukrainian troops fight a tough battle in the east and plead for western help to keep on going.

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[03:15:00]

NOBILO: The presidents of Venezuela and Guyana have agreed to meet soon amid a growing impasse over disputed land. At issue is the status of the Essequibo region, a densely forested area that is rich in oil and minerals. It makes up two-thirds of Guyana's territory but is claimed by Venezuela.

According to a letter shared with CNN Espanol, the leaders of both countries have tentatively agreed to talk this Thursday. CNN has reached out to the governments of Venezuela and Guyana for comment on this proposed meeting.

In the meantime, Mariano de Alba is a senior adviser with the International Crisis Group and joins us now via Skype from London. Thank you so much this morning, great to have you on the program.

So, despite the proximity of Guyana and Venezuela, there is actually very little linguistic, cultural and ethnic ties between the two regions. So, what do the people of Guyana think of Maduro is saying?

MARIANO DE ALBA, SENIOR ADVISER, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: Thank you, Bianca, for the invitation. Good morning. I think that, yes, this region has been -- or Guyana as a country has been for a long time very close to the United Kingdom. It has ties to -- basically to the Caribbean Commonwealth. And then I would say that where there's some coincidence is that there are some indigenous groups which also lived in Venezuela that also live in the parts of Guyana that are less populated.

So, the cultural, the language ties are little, but that doesn't have basically gone against the fact that the dispute has existed for a long time. I think that if you ask the population of Guyana what do they think about this conflict, obviously, you know, many years ago, they would have entertained the idea of some sort of association with Venezuela. However, more recently, it is also true that Venezuela has undergone a deep economic crisis and actually many Venezuelans have left to Guyana to basically try to find economic opportunities.

NOBILO: Were regional watchers such as yourself, Mariano, expecting this, or did it come as a surprise when Maduro called this referendum and then was very bullish after its supposed outcome, saying that he was going to issue I.D. cards and causing concern that this could escalate further? DE ALBA: No. I think it was somewhat expected. The situation, the controversy around the territory is something that unites Venezuelans, and Venezuela is very highly polarized country. And it is expected that it will face crucial presidential elections next year.

So, I think that, you know, the Venezuelan government led by Nicholas Maduro called for a referendum sort of as a test to try to see how the capacity of the government to mobilize voters was. The result was that it's really not in great shape.

And, therefore, we have seen these measures which obviously Guyana has reasons to feel threatened by them. But at the same time, they are highly symbolic because all of those measures will be executed within clearly Venezuelan territory.

So, Venezuela, at least for now, is being very cautious of not going against the order of the International Court of Justice which said basically what when we ask is not to modify the status quo of the territorial dispute until the court decides the case.

NOBILO: So, Maduro's rhetoric and actions potentially serve political and mobilization purposes. How likely do you think an actual attempt at a land grab is? I mean, I say attempt, but, obviously, the asymmetry in terms of their militaries is so extreme that if one was attempted, it would be hard to see how it wouldn't be successful.

DE ALBA: Yes. No, I think it is unlikely. It would -- if the Maduro government goes ahead with that move, it will face strong international condemnation even from governments that are close to the Chavista (ph) movement. And also Maduro and the Venezuelan Armed Forces would risk response not only by the Guyana Defense Forces but some of its allies.

And Guyana is also trying to use the situation to try to fortify its links, its association with some foreign military, like for example, the U.S.

So, I think it is unlikely. We'll see what happens on this meeting. I also think that it is unlikely that we will come to a resolution over the conflict, and because as a result of that meeting, but what we could expect hopefully is a lowering of the tensions that we have seen for the past weeks.

[03:20:12]

NOBILO: Just briefly and lastly to you, the U.S. did perform a flyover on Thursday. You're discussing how this could be an opportunity for Guyana and the U.S. to deepen ties. What has the response from the international community been behind the scenes on this issue?

DE ALBA: A lot of concern. And I think that, you know, as they see the response by Venezuela as a threat to Guyana, many countries from the region, Brazil, are not happy by the fact that the U.S. performed those military exercises with Guyana amid the rising tensions, because Venezuela is seeing that as a provocation.

NOBILO: Mariano de Alba, thank you so much for joining us today and getting up early on a Sunday. I really appreciate your thoughts and your insights.

DE ALBA: Thank you so much, Bianca.

NOBILO: A far-right libertarian who's been compared to Donald Trump is about to take the top job in Argentina. Final preparations are under way in Buenos Aires for Sunday's inauguration of president-elect Javier Milei.

He is a T.V. pundit turned politician who campaigned on overturning the status quo. He plans to dollarize Argentina's economy amid skyrocketing inflation. Milei is opposed to abortion rights and he called climate change a socialist lie. But to some supporters, he represents hope.

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VILMA BONINO, MILEI SUPPORTER: Javier Milei brings something for the people, not for the politicians. That is our expectation. It gives us an unmeasurable satisfaction because we were always unprotected. Now, at least this man will bring us protection and growth in his own words. We are yet to see what happens.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is headed to the inauguration after he thanked Milei for his support for Ukraine.

Ukraine is getting a preview of what could lie ahead in the coming months as Russia steps up attacks across the country. Officials said on Saturday that Russia launched close to 100 airstrikes over the preceding 24 hours.

The Kherson region was hit by a barrage of artillery and drone attacks, which killed at least one person and wounded another. That happened a day after Russia used cruise missiles for the first time in more than two and a half months.

Western intelligence officials expect Moscow to ramp up strikes on infrastructure and electrical facilities this winter.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's first lady is making a somber pitch for more western military aid. In an interview with the BBC, Olena Zelenska said, if the world gets tired of helping Ukraine, it will be equivalent to letting Ukrainians die.

She spoke after the U.S. Senate Republicans blocked a new batch of aid for Kyiv. And as Anna Coren reports from the frontline city of Avdiivka, Ukrainian troops need all the help that they can get.

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ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Down a muddy road hedged by a bank of spindly trees and branches sits an old farmhouse. Its owners left some time ago, but it has new residents. These are soldiers from the 47th Mechanized Brigade.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's where we keep our missiles.

COREN: they're part of the fight for Avdiivka, one on the most fiercely contested battles on Ukraine's eastern front.

Camouflaged under the thicket is a Grad, a multiple-launch rocket system from the Soviet era. As outgoing artillery fires from nearby fields, 32-year-old Sasha wishes they had better and more modern weapons.

SASHA, ARTILLERY UNIT COMMANDER, UKRAINE'S 47TH MECHANIZED BRIGADE: When you hit with the modern weapons and with the western weapons, of course, they're more accurate and they bring, let's say, more damage to the enemy.

COREN: In the past two months, Russia has been sending waves and waves of troops to Avdiivka as the try to encircle the town. But Sasha and his soldiers know this war could become even more difficult if U.S. aid, now under threat, suddenly dries up.

SASHA: All the delay just because it's the lives of the best Ukrainian people. We have the spirit. We will continue, definitely, but we need some kind of support.

COREN: If U.S. Congress does not pass the military aid package, then Ukraine will not receive the advanced weaponry it desperately needs to fight this war. And that means it will have to rely more heavily on decades-old Soviet equipment, like this Grad, to combat Russian forces, who are gaining supremacy on the frontline.

A sobering reality for these soldiers almost two years into this war.

SASHA: I'm afraid Ukraine will not be able to stand without our partners and allies.

[03:25:00]

So, this is the -- as simple as that.

COREN: Weighing even heavier on their minds is last week's alleged execution of two unarmed Ukrainian soldiers who were surrendering to Russian forces not far from Sasha's position. Drone footage shows the POWs climbing out of their dugout, arms above their head, before being shot at close range.

Ukraine is now investigating what the prosecutor general calls a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions.

SASHA: Every similar event brings a lot of pain and suffering to us, that's for sure. It will not make us weak. It will not scare us. We will continue doing what we have to do.

COREN: Which is fighting a seemingly endless war as they build more trenches, uncertain if the west would truly be there for the long haul.

SASHA: If we let Ukraine go, if we let Putin win, then who will feel themselves safe here? I think no one.

COREN: Anna Coren, CNN, on the outskirts of Avdiivka, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: We're just hours away from the award ceremony for the Nobel Peace Prize, but the recipient will be absent because she's in jail in Iran. Instead, the children of activist Narges Mohammadi will accept the honor on her behalf.

The Nobel committee announced her win on October the 6th. She's been recognized for her work against, quote, systemic discrimination and oppression in Iran.

Since the 1990s, Mohammadi has been a staunch advocate for women's rights and democracy. She's been sentenced to a total 31 years in prison, 10 years are left, for breaching hijab rules.

We'll take a break. For viewers in North America, I'll have more news in just a moment. For international viewers, Mission Tiger is next for you.

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[03:30:00]

NOBILO: Welcome back to our viewers in the United States and Canada. I'm Bianca Nobilo and you're watching CNN Newsroom.

A state of emergency has been declared in some communities after a tornado ripped through Eastern Tennessee. At least six people are dead and nearly two dozen are injured. This is the scene in Clarksville on Saturday where buildings were torn to shreds. And the mayor says, our hearts are broken.

Officials say they're still in search and rescue phase and they're trying to see if there are more casualties. Authorities are urging residents to stay away from the damaged areas as the emergency crews work. Witnesses describe what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Walls bursted, the windows bursted, everything just like exploded. This is what it really felt like, it felt like everything exploded, like a lot of pressure built up and just popped.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: Late Friday, the Texas Supreme Court blocked, at least for now, a woman's court-approved medical exception to the state's abortion ban. Kate Cox, a mother of two, says her fetus suffers a rare genetic condition that is almost always fatal and her own health is also at risk if she carries this pregnancy to term. CNN's Camila Bernal reports on this story.

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kate Cox is 31 years old. She is 20 weeks pregnant. And her fetus has a fatal genetic condition. And she says that the complications of her pregnancy have put her health at risk but also her reproductive health at risk.

So, she sued the state of Texas essentially asking for permission to be allowed to get a legal abortion in the state of Texas. A judge in that state granted that and agreed and essentially allowed her to do this. And this was extremely significant, especially when it came to the debate of medical exemptions and what that means. This is a state with one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the country, and the state's attorney general disagreeing with that judge in Texas.

So, Ken Paxton asking for the state's Supreme Court to intervene here. That's exactly what they did, putting a temporary block, freezing the lower court's decision, and essentially not giving a timeline as to when they're going to look at this case.

Her attorneys saying that they are still hopeful but that essentially time is of the essence here. She said in a statement that that is why you shouldn't beg for health care from a court of law.

On the other hand, you have Ken Paxton saying that Kate Cox did not demonstrate why this is life-threatening or why she is at risk of death. But Kate Cox in that lawsuit saying that her baby, when born, would only live for a few days and saying she's had numerous medical emergencies throughout her pregnancy, and also saying that this could be extremely just hurtful in terms of what her fertility looks like later on.

Camila Bernal, CNN, Los Angeles.

NOBILO: Earlier on, CNN spoke with U.S. Congresswoman Veronica Escobar of Texas. She weighed in on what the situation means for women in Texas and the impact that it could have across the country.

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REP. VERONICA ESCOBAR (D-TX): Thanks for focusing on this issue, which really as life-or-death issue for women in Texas, in Kentucky, in a number of other Republican-run states where abortion and health care -- reproductive health care for women is essentially banned unless a woman goes and begs for her life before a judge.

Women's future and women's reproductive futures are really what is going to be decided by a very conservative Supreme Court, but bigger than just what's happening in Texas. This really should provide a significant wakeup call for women and for Americans who want to have reproductive freedom in our country.

They're not going to stop just at states like Texas, Kentucky, elsewhere. Republicans want a national ban, and, thankfully, we have a president and a vice president today in the White House wanting to protect us. But this is a wakeup call for 2024 as well. (END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: With only weeks to go until the Iowa caucuses in the U.S., Republican candidates are wasting no time trying to appeal to as many voters as possible. Our report from the campaign trail is just ahead for you.

[03:35:00]

Plus, U.S. President Joe Biden goes on the offensive against Donald Trump but the legal cases against Mr. Biden's son could make his message harder to sell.

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NOBILO: The Iowa caucuses in the race for the White House are next month and the contest will likely make or break some of the campaigns. But between now and then are the holidays, which means GOP hopefuls have very little time left to make a good impression.

Here's CNN's Eva McKend.

EVA MCKEND, CNN U.S. NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Ambassador Haley, Governor DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy leaning on Iowans to get out and caucus for them in just a few short weeks. They all appeared on the same stage at a faith and family forum, an opportunity to talk about how faith and family informs their policy visions, something, of course, that is so important in this state of Iowa where so many of the caucus-goers are evangelical voters.

For the most part, they stayed away from attacking one another, but Ambassador Haley, Governor DeSantis, did seem to suggest that both of them would be better general election candidates than former President Donald Trump.

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NIKKI HALEY, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What I know is you don't defeat Democrat chaos with Republican chaos. And that's what Donald Trump gives us.

I had a great working relationship with him, but rightly or wrongly, chaos follows him. You know I'm right. Chaos follows him. And we can't have a country in disarray and a world on fire and survive this chaos.

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's important to point out that normally in an Iowa caucus, you've got five or six candidates that are running as conservatives and conservative voters are having to look through. That's not the case this year. I think you have Donald Trump, who's obviously moved left, is not even really putting in the work to earn people's votes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[03:40:02] MCKEND: At a town hall in Silver Lake, Iowa, Ambassador Haley took questions from voters on a number of issues, many of them seemed concerned about the future of social security in this country. Something notable is that Haley, DeSantis, they seemed to be pushing forcefully back against this notion that they are interested in being Trump's vice presidential running mate. Haley stressing that she is not in this contest to play for number two.

Eva McKend, CNN, Silver Lake, Iowa.

NOBILO: President Biden is shifting into attack mode as he gears up for a possible rematch with Donald Trump next year. That's happening after prosecutors filed more charges against the president's son, Hunter Biden. And as Kevin Liptak reports, that's piling up political pressure on the White House.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: The White House is remaining mostly tight-lipped about these charges filed against Hunter Biden, saying that President Biden loves his son and supports him but not weighing in on the substance of the charges.

And, certainly, this is one of the most sensitive issues inside the West Wing. There are very few aides who discussed this matter with President Biden. And when you talk to them, there are few who say they have firsthand understanding of how the president is processing all of this, but, certainly, it is weighing heavily on President Biden, his son's legal issues. These are no different.

And some of the personal issues that were raised in that filing will be problematic for President Biden as he gears up for re-election next year. And, certainly, this will be a political headache for the president as he enters 2024.

You already hear Republicans trying to conflate Hunter Biden's legal issues with the legal issues facing President Trump, but, of course, these are very separate cases. President Trump was in the White House, and he is running to be in the White House again.

Hunter Biden has never been president and won't be president, but this is still a political headache for President Biden as he enters this re-election year. And, certainly, the challenge for him will be making this a contest between him and President Trump and trying to frame the stakes of this election.

And you are starting to hear him sharpen his attacks on his predecessor and most likely rival. And, in fact, when he was in Las Vegas on Friday talking about passenger rail investments, he went after President Trump by name. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: Trump just talks the talk. We walk the walk. Look, he likes to say America is a fairly nation. Frankly, he doesn't know what the hell he's talking about.

(END VIDEO CLIP) LIPTAK: And it's certainly likely that you'll hear that kind of argument in television ads, digital ads. Of course, those will cost a lot of money. And that is why President Biden is out here in Los Angeles this weekend raising campaign cash at a series of fundraisers.

And, in fact, behind closed doors at those fundraisers, he is even sharper in his attacks on President Trump, on Friday night telling donors, literally, I believe the future of American democracy is at stake. The greatest threat Trump poses is to our democracy, because if we lost that, we lose everything.

So, certainly, you see President Biden there fine-tuning his attacks on President Trump as he gears up for this election season.

Now, I was talking with Jeffrey Katzenberg. He's the movie mogul but also a co-chair of the Biden campaign. And he told me that this 36- hour stretch of fundraising out here in California will be the most successful campaign fundraising stretch that President Biden has engaged in since he announced his re-election effort in the spring.

Kevin Liptak, CNN, Los Angeles.

NOBILO: Former U.S. Democratic Congressman Tom Suozzi has announced his candidacy for the New York House seat once held by ousted Republican George Santos. Suozzi had previously served three terms in Congress.

In announcing his candidacy today -- on Saturday, rather, he said his focus would be on bread and butter issues, such as inflation and immigration. The special election is set for February 13th.

Santos became the sixth lawmaker ever expelled from Congress when he was voted out earlier this month. A congressional ethics investigation found evidence that he may have broken federal laws, lied to voters and stole money from his campaign, allegations Santos has denied.

Still to come, some special recognition for the heroes who helped keep the childhood home of Martin Luther King Jr. from going up to flames, and their reaction to it all is just ahead.

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[03:45:00]

NOBILO: In New York, two retired police officers are being honored as heroes for preventing an arson attack on the childhood home of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The two brothers visiting Atlanta say they got involved when a woman allegedly tried to light the house on fire.

CNN's Rafael Romo has the details.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They're not only brothers in arms, they're brothers in real life. And older brother Kenny Dodson said he always wanted to work with his younger brother, Axel, and it happened.

Talk about going beyond the call of duty in a ceremony honoring the two retired police officers from New York, New York officials said that the brothers helped prevent a national tragedy. The Dodsons were also hailed as two new American heroes.

They were visiting Atlanta Thursday at this site here behind me when they realized that there was a woman trying to set the home on fire. And this is not just any place. This is the birthplace of Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King Jr., a place, as you can imagine, of great historical importance.

When they realized that, officials say they sprang into action and forgot for a moment that they were retired police officers, and they responded to the situation, detaining the woman.

[03:50:07]

This is how they expressed their feelings about being called heroes. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AXEL DODSON, HELPED SAVE MLK BIRTH HOME FROM ALLEGED ARSON ATTEMPT: It still hasn't quite hit me yet because, initially, you know, I wasn't even expecting to go to the site. Whenever I always thought of Martin Luther King, I think of Alabama, Selma, Montgomery, Atlanta didn't really dawn on me, and it still hasn't hit me. But I'm glad that we were all there, and even the gentleman from Utah, that we were able to come and help stop this from happening.

KENNETH DODSON, HELPED SAVE MLK BIRTH HOME FROM ALLEGED ARSON ATTEMPT: Just the day before, we was down there in Atlanta to visit my father. So, just the day before, my father asked, do you miss the job? Axel, us both, do you miss the job? And I said, yes, I kind of miss that adrenaline rush from time to time. I do. I miss coming out and you know, doing the job and helping people. I miss that. And it's funny that the very next day, we're involved in something like that.

But it wasn't just the adrenaline rush. It was doing it with my brother that I just -- I loved, you know, that I had my brother there and we was doing this, and I was like, yes, hell, I made a collar with my little brother.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: Officials in New York said that these officers are a clear example of dedication, once a cop, always a cop, they said. But they were not working alone. There was also a couple of friends from Utah who also helped stop the woman who was trying to set this home on fire. One of them explained that it was a very close call.

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ZACH KEMPF, HELPED SAVE MLK BIRTH HOME FROM ALLEGED ARSON ATTEMPT: She grabbed a lighter from the grass and started to come back at the stairs. So, I stood at the stairs and said, you can't do this, and blocked her for about a minute, kept blocking her from going up the stairs. And when she couldn't get back up the stairs and saw that I had her keys, she walked quickly down and started heading down the street this way.

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ROMO: The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park issued a statement expressing gratitude for the actions of these individuals, saying in part that those promptly intervened and averted a potential tragedy, the same whole also said that their quick action helped save the home that gave birth to a monumental legacy nearly a century ago.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

NOBILO: What an amazing story.

A 22-year-old senior who's just won about every prestigious award a college quarterback can earn has just received the biggest honor of all. Quarterback Jayden Daniels of Louisiana State University has won the Heisman Trophy, college football's highest accolade. Daniels received far more first place votes than the three other contenders, including two other standout quarterbacks. He says winning the Heisman is a dream come true.

Turning to baseball, Superstar Shohei Ohtani announced on Instagram that he's leaving the Los Angeles Angels and moving across town to the Dodgers.

CNN's Patrick Snell has the details of his record-shattering deal.

PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORK SPORT ANCHOR: Well, there had been so much speculation about where Shohei Ohtani would sign, especially over the last few days. But in the end, he's chosen the L.A. Dodgers. The Japanese sensation announcing via Instagram on Saturday he will leave the cross-town L.A. Angels. Multiple reports citing Ohtani's agent saying it's a ten-year deal worth $700 million on the line. That would make it one of the biggest athlete contracts in sports history.

The 29-year-old posting on Instagram, quote, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved with the Angels organization, especially to the Angels fans who supported me through all the ups and downs, your guys' support and cheer meant the world to me. The six years I spent with the Angels will remain etched in my hearts forever. And to all Dodger fans, I pledge to always do what's best for the team and always continue to give it my all to be the best version of myself.

Now, Ohtani is one of the best players in all of baseball. I think, fair to say, he's the Babe Ruth, really, of this generation. The two- way star won the American League MVP for the second time this past season. He won't be able to pitch next year, though, due to an elbow injury, but he will be able to hit for the Dodgers.

There was plenty of speculation about where he was heading. Some reports even had him on a plane to Toronto on Friday, several other teams reportedly in the mix as well. But this is a massive move for the Dodgers, and it makes a whole lot of sense for them. But it's a big, big blow to the Angels and, of course, their fans.

Back to you.

NOBILO: A chess grand master in Havana has set a big Cuban national record. Omar Almeida played 32 timed simultaneous games on Saturday. The president of Cuba's Chess Federation explained those playing were all ranked and not amateurs. They included children to adults and even a member of the paralympic team.

Almeida said he wanted to spread chess to the masses and inspire young people to follow their dreams.

Climate activists in Italy say they dumped a chemical dye into the Venetian Canal on Saturday to protest the lack of action at the U.N. Climate Change Summit in Dubai.

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The group, Extinction Rebellion, there you can see it, claimed responsibility for the stunt, which left the famous waterway bright green. You can see it there, very bright green, under the famous Rialto Bridge.

The group says the U.N.'s COP28 conference is chaired by an oil company executive and thousands of fossil fuel lobbyists were invited to participate. So, they say the future is in danger and nothing is being done to protect it.

Just hours ago, Buckingham Palace released this year's Christmas card featuring King Charles and Queen Camilla. Let's take a look.

They were photographed in the throne room of the palace following the coronation in May. The king is wearing a purple silk velvet robe, the traditional color of royalty that was worn by King George VI back in 1937. And these cards, we're told, will be sent to family, friends and colleagues.

Before we go, it's an all-out Christmas cake extravaganza for one city in Eastern Germany. Thousands showed up for the traditional Stollenfest procession in Dresden on Saturday.

A giant cake, the so-called stolen, I hope I'm pronouncing that correctly, is pulled from a local palace to the country's oldest Christmas market. Local bakers created the nearly two-ton dessert over several weeks, slices, and then sold to the public with the proceeds go to charity, so everybody wins.

That wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Bianca Nobilo, and I'll be right back with you after a very short break, so do stay with us.

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