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CNN International: WFP: Half of Gaza's Population is Starving; Officials: U.S. Border Situation Near a Breaking Point; Colorado Voters Split on Trump's Ballot Ban; Iceland Volcano Nearby Town Off Limits Until After Christmas. Aired 4:30-5a ET
Aired December 21, 2023 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:30:00]
MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM, I'm Max Foster. If you're just joining us, let me bring you up to date with our top stories this hour.
Six of the 10 Americans released from Venezuela arrived in Texas late on Wednesday night. Happened soon after the White House agreed to a prisoner swap with the Venezuelan government in exchange for the Americans. President Biden agreed to release Alex Saab, a key ally of Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is calling out other countries for not demanding Hamas surrender its arms. This comes as the U.N. Security Council is expected to vote today on a resolution calling for a suspension in the fighting.
The Hamas-controlled health ministry says nearly 20,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October the 7th. The ministry doesn't distinguish between combatants and civilians. And millions of people who have survived attacks in Gaza are now facing extreme hunger. The World Food Program says half of the enclave's population is now starving. Aid is coming in slowly, but there's not enough for desperate families.
CNN's Jomana Karadsheh reports.
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JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For weeks, this is what we've seen of the war in Gaza. Israel's brutal military might pounding neighborhoods into dost. In central Gaza's Sderot, whole blocks reduced to rubble, seemingly deserted, unlivable.
But there's also this. The near surreal scenes this week in Sderot, the hustle and bustle of a street market. It's the story of every war, where life doesn't stop, it goes on for those trying to survive.
But Gaza is like no other place, it's where more than 2 million are crammed into this tiny strip of land that now looks like it's been bombed back into ages past, where those who've lost everything have nowhere left but the streets. That's where Munis (ph) is building a clay oven, hoping people will pay him a shekel or two to use it, he says. Maybe then we'll have enough to buy his children cheese or tomatoes.
Our lives are a million years behind. We live in sewage, Munis says. Every time it rains, the sewage overflows. It's cold. There's no food, no water, no warm clothes.
Most here have escaped the bombs only to be trapped in this misery. Disease and starvation, the U.N. warned, may soon kill more than those bombs. Half the population, it says, are now starving. People going entire days without eating.
Um Ahmad says she collects a bit of flour from here in there to bake bread for her children.
We're all thrown into the streets, she says. They said, go to the south. We came to the south to die slowly.
Human Rights Watch says Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war. It's a war crime Israel denies and calls it a lie. It accuses Hamas of stealing aid.
In the wake of October 7th, Israel's defense minister announced a siege of Gaza, quote, no electricity, no fuel, everything closed until all hostages were returned.
Some aid and water delivery resumed, but nowhere near enough. Much of the blockade remains in place, what rights groups call collective punishment.
Sometimes, the lucky ones find more than lentils and bread for the hungry mouths they have to feed. This mother uses a pair of jeans for her fire to boil some chicken wings and bones.
I'm using clothes and cardboard to make fire and cook, she says. The situation is disastrous. But I need to find a way for my children. We're in the street because we have nowhere to shelter.
Fleeing the bombs, scrounging for food, now the people of Gaza desperately wait for the moment they can try once again to live.
Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Well, if you'd like information on how you can help with humanitarian relief efforts for Gaza and Israel, do go to cnn.com/impact. You'll find a list of vetted organizations providing assistance. That's at cnn.com/impact.
U.S. officials say the migrant situation at the U.S.-Mexico border is nearing a breaking point. On Tuesday alone, the U.S. Border Patrol says it processed more than 10,000 migrants who crossed illegally, and those types of numbers are straining an already overwhelmed system of federal resources. The Homeland Security Department is asking for help from other agencies. The White House has also requested another $14 billion for the department, but it's stalled in Congress.
The mayor of El Paso, Texas, says his city is doing the best it can with limited resources.
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OSCAR LEESER, EL PASO, TEXAS MAYOR: It's not sustainable for any community and it's really important that we understand that the immigration process is broken and that we have to treat everybody with dignity and respect when they do come into our country, but they're not coming to El Paso. They're coming to the United States, and it's important that we help them get to the destination and work with them. And that's one of the things that we're very proud of, that we make sure that people are not out on the streets at night, to have a bed to sleep in and warm meal. And then we work with them to make sure that they get to their destination.
But at the end of the day, everything you see today, everything we've been working with, is a band-aid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Well, a U.S. border official says the migrant surge is being made worse by phony travel agencies advertising trips to the border. They connect with migrants, or they connect migrants with smugglers who illegally bring hundreds across the border at a time.
U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to speak with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador about the surge of migrants this week, according to sources familiar with those talks. Now, the leaders are expected to discuss what assistance Mexico can provide to help manage the flow of migrants. Officials say they have limited resources themselves.
They also met last month in San Francisco on the sidelines of an economic forum to discuss similar matters.
Donald Trump's ban from the ballots in Colorado is prompting a range of opinions from across the political spectrum. CNN spoke with Trump's former attorney, Attorney General Bill Barr, about the ruling.
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BILL BARR, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: I think that this case is legally wrong and untenable. And I think this kind of action of stretching the law, taking these hyper-aggressive positions to try to knock Trump out of the race are counterproductive. They backfire.
He feeds on grievance, just like a fire feeds on oxygen. And this is going to end up as a grievance that helps him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: So, what do voters in Colorado think of the ballot ban? We sent Gary Tuchman out to find out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This coffee shop in Douglas County, Colorado goes by the simple name of COFF33. And it's here we have a simple question for customers.
TUCHMAN: Tell me your gut feeling. Do you think it's a good thing the Colorado Supreme Court did that or not a good thing?
CHRISTIAN LYLES, DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO RESIDENT: You know, I'm not the biggest fan of Trump, but I don't think people should be taken off the ballot necessarily.
TUCHMAN (voice over): This man is a political independent in a very Republican County. So, here in the county seat of Castle Rock, it's easy to find loyal Trump Republicans who feel the same as this man.
TUCHMAN: What do you think of the Supreme Court decision?
TRAC STEPHENSON, DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO RESIDENT: I think it's unfair.
TUCHMAN: How come?
STEPHENSON: The government shouldn't get in that position to control votes for certain candidates.
TUCHMAN (voice over): But we did find this Democrat who says that's precisely what this court needed to do.
STEVEN FERRADINO, DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO RESIDENT: I think it's a great decision. I think that when you try to overturn an election, you don't get to run again. You know, we have a 14th Amendment for a reason.
TUCHMAN (voice over): Back inside COFF33, loyal Trump supporter, Toni Klonaris, doesn't take this decision seriously. She thinks the Supreme Court taking Trump off the primary ballot is a result of gameplaying.
TUCHMAN: Why do you think they're playing a game and not doing their job?
TONI KLONARIS, DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO RESIDENT: Because they're part of the game.
TUCHMAN: And what's that game?
KLONARIS: Not being honest.
TUCHMAN: But you think that Trump has been honest?
KLONARIS: For the most part, yes.
TUCHMAN (voice over): Her friend concurs, saying that she feels --
KRISTINA KARFORD, DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO RESIDENT: Outrage, absolute outrage that they're ...
TUCHMAN: Why are you outraged?
KARFORD: They're going to take away our choice based on their personal beliefs, because I don't believe they're speaking for the people.
TUCHMAN (voice over): But Elle Gray believes the justices are. She's an independent who has voted for Donald Trump but says she won't be voting for him again if he ends up back on the ballot.
ELLE GRAY, DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO RESIDENT: I agree with their ruling that he engaged in insurrection, yes.
TUCHMAN: So, do you think it was the right thing to do?
GRAY: For my state, yes.
TUCHMAN (voice over): Keith Raymond has voted for Donald Trump twice but says this time around he's supporting Chris Christie. His opinion is more nuanced.
KEITH RAYMOND, DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO RESIDENT: It's a complicated issue, but if the law is a law and the Supreme Court is stating it, we have to abide by it. It doesn't mean I'm a fan of it.
TUCHMAN (voice over): Many Coloradans are still digesting the court ruling. The varied opinions in this shop about Donald Trump symbolic of countless discussions in this state and this country. Kelsey Nistel is a Democrat.
KELSEY NISTEL, DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO RESIDENT: I think what he did is unacceptable for our country, and he should face the consequences for that.
TUCHMAN (voice over): Jake Herman is a Republican.
JAKE HERMAN, DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO RESIDENT: I think if he -- if that was a legitimate thing to happen, if he was part of an insurrection, he would have been arrested. He wasn't arrested.
TUCHMAN (voice over): The Colorado primary is March 5th.
Gary Tuchman, CNN, Castle Rock, Colorado.
[04:40:00]
FOSTER: Kim Jong-un says this week's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile shows his country will not hesitate to conduct a nuclear attack if provoked by an enemy with nuclear weapons. State media aired images of the North Korean leader congratulating troops involved in the latest missile test. And once again, Kim brought along his daughter.
Japan's defense ministry said the Hwasong-18 missile had the potential to hit anywhere in the U.S. Still ahead, the volcano in southern Iceland is keeping thousands of people from their homes this Christmas. How the government is trying to help there.
And first it was floods, now it's fire, bushfire the size of greater London, affecting air quality in Sydney.
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FOSTER: Thousands of people evacuated from a town in southern Iceland won't be allowed back into their homes before Christmas. Lava flows from the volcano, which erupted Monday, continue to slow. But authorities say they're unpredictable and could start heading towards the town of Grindavik.
The government is buying apartments for people in dire need. CNN's Fred Pleitgen is there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Up close as the earth spews fountains of lava. South Iceland remains in a state of emergency as the volcanic eruption continues.
PLEITGEN: This is as close as the Icelandic authorities are going to allow us to the actual fissure, to where the eruption is happening. I'd say we're a mile, maybe a little less than a mile away from it.
Now, things have calmed down a little bit, but at the same time, of course, the danger is still there. The authorities fear that there could be new vents that might open up, pop up, and that more lava could be gushing to the surface and then could be coming to the surface in fountains like we've seen over the past day and a half. So, while things have gotten a little bit more muted, certainly the danger is not over.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): In the early stages of the eruption, a wall of lava spewing hundreds of feet into the air. While it has subsided somewhat, the underground magma tunnel remains active and dangerous.
[04:45:04]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Still dangerous, of course, and the magma that is coming up is around 1,200 degrees hot when it comes to the surface, and it takes a long time for the surface to cool down.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): The area around the eruption zone remains cordoned off, critical infrastructure in danger. The world-famous Blue Lagoon hot springs closed.
PLEITGEN: Here's another reason why the situation is so dangerous. You see over there is the volcanic activity, and if we pan over in this direction, over there is a geothermal power plant that's extremely important for the electricity here in this area. The authorities are trying to protect that power plant by building a berm against any lava flows. PLEITGEN (voice-over): For the local residents, no respite.
KATRIN JAKOBSDOTTIR, PRIME MINISTER OF ICELAND: We now have this volcanic eruption very close to Grindavik. I think it has proven vital that the town was evacuated in November.
We have been buying flats for the residents, so now we actually have 70 flats that people can move into before Christmas, which is the most people who are in most dire need of housing.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Leaving many residents wondering if they will ever see their homes again.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, near Grindavik, Iceland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Rescuers are not giving up hope of finding more survivors after China's deadliest earthquake in almost a decade. A state broadcaster says rescue operations are still underway in the country's northwest, where the death toll has reached at least 135 people. Close to 15,000 homes were destroyed when the earthquake hit on Monday night. While tens of thousands of people had to evacuate. To make things worse, temperatures in the region are dropping below freezing. While some survivors say they are struggling to find warm clothes and places to stay.
The clean-up continues in Australia after devastating floods hit the country's far north. Intense rainfall from ex-tropical cyclone Jasper inundated areas near Cairns, a popular tourist gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. Nobody was killed in the floods, and the Australian government has announced it will provide financial help to those affected.
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ANTHONY ALBANESE, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: After the flood waters have receded and after some of the physical aspect of damage has gone, some of the scars will remain as well. So, we need to, as governments, but also as a community, be very conscious about mental health issues, about the trauma which people have suffered from during this difficult time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Residents have been evacuated from some rural towns with about 300 people rescued so far, some stuck on the roofs of their homes.
And it's not just floods. Emergency services in Australia have been battling a huge bushfire north-west of Sydney. The fire in a state forest has burned through an area almost the size of greater London. It was so big it created its own thunderstorm. You can see the huge plumes afloat there, billowing into the sky, which affected air quality across the state of New South Wales.
Flooding could also be a problem for millions of people in California later today. Forecasters say the so-called atmospheric river, that phenomenon, could dump up to 10 inches of rain in southern parts of the state. Flood watches are already in effect for 25 million people, including in San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Bakersfield. The National Weather Center says some of the flooding could be life- threatening. Some roads could end up under water, while rock slides and mudslides are also possible.
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RYAN GOSLING, ACTOR: 'Cause I'm just Ken, anywhere else I'd be a ten Is it my destiny
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FOSTER: Well, if you're a big fan of Ken or Barbie, your Christmas wish may be coming true. We'll explain why just ahead.
[04:50:00]
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FOSTER: Not long to go now until we see Lionel Messi back in action in North America's MLS League with next season's schedule just released. Messi's Inter Miami will play a stand-alone fixture on February 21st at home against Real Salt Lake to kick off the new season. Looking ahead, LA Galaxy and LAFC will face off on July 4th at the Rose Bowl where they'll seek to surpass the MLS record crowd that they had last season.
Ohio State University may not be the college football playoffs this season, but things are looking pretty good for next year.
That is Jeremiah Smith, the number one high school prospect in the U.S. committing to play for the Buckeyes. The wide receiver from Hollywood, Florida, is considered one of the best young athletes in the country. Ohio State head coach, Ryan Day, nearly fainted when he heard the news.
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RYAN DAY, OHIO STATE HEAD COACH: I mean, the first beer is going to taste good. I can tell you that right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: And the stories in the spotlight this hour. How much are you willing to pay to find love? About $6,000? That's what it costs for a new invitation-only exclusive subscription on the dating app Tinder. For $499 a month, Tinder Select gives you a chance to see and be seen by the app's most sought-after profiles. And you can direct message other profiles without actually matching with them first.
[04:55:00]
But here's the catch. You have to apply for membership and meet strict criteria to get in. Tinder's parent company is hoping to boost revenue as it struggles to meet expectations this quarter.
Good news for all Christmas procrastinators out there. Delivery services in the U.S. say there's still time to send gifts. It'll arrive before the 25th, but time is running out. Today is the last day to make use of the U.S. Postal Service and UPS. But packages shipped with FedEx's same-day service can be sent as late as Friday.
Amazon users have the most flexibility. It's shipping items through Christmas Eve with available items marked with a Arrives Before Christmas label.
Actor Ryan Gosling is catalyzing on the Christmas spirit. He maybe just Ken, but the Barbie actor has now released a new EP featuring a holiday version of his hit song from that movie.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOSLING: 'Cause I'm just Ken, anywhere else I'd be a ten Is it my destiny to live and die a life of blonde fragility? I'm just Ken
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Ken, the EP, features other renditions of the song as well, which earned Gosling his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100.
"I'm Just Ken" was also nominated for Best Original Song for a motion picture at the upcoming Golden Globes.
Thank you for watching me here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster in London. "EARLY START" is next here on CNN.
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