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CNN International: Jack Smith Urges Quick Supreme Court Decision on Trump Immunity; More Rain, Flooding Expected for Southern California; Activity Slows Around Iceland Volcanic Eruption Zone, But Area Still Dangerous; Top Putin Critic Alexey Navalny, Jailed in Russia, Missing for Weeks; American Paul Whelan Concerned for His Safety in Prison Camp. Aired 4:30-5a ET
Aired December 22, 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.
After being delayed four times this week, the U.N. Security Council is expected to vote today on a resolution calling for a suspension of fighting between Israel and Hamas and an increase in humanitarian aid for Gaza. The U.S. says it is ready to support this latest version.
The Czech Republic is dealing with its deadliest mass shooting in decades. After a gunman killed at least 14 people in Prague, 25 others were wounded in the attack at Charles University.
A new report from "The Detroit News" says that then-President Donald Trump was recorded pressuring two Republican election workers to not certify the results of the 2020 presidential election. The paper says that in a phone call days after the vote, Trump told the Republicans they'd look terrible if they signed the certification. Adding, we can't let these people take our country away from us. Everybody knows Detroit is crooked as hell.
"The Detroit News" also says the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, Ronna McDaniel, then told the Michigan Republicans, do not sign it, we will get you attorneys. To which Trump reportedly added, we'll take care of that.
Right now, U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith is strongly urging the Supreme Court to make a quick decision on whether Trump has presidential immunity from alleged crimes he committed whilst in office. But the former president wants the high court to stay out of the dispute for now. CNN's Evan Perez has more from Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR U.S. JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Jack Smith is saying that this is an urgent matter, this is something that the public has an interest in finding out what the resolution is. And obviously, the election is ahead. He doesn't directly say that, but that is obvious what is behind all of this. I'll read you just a part of the filing where he says, quote: The public interest in a prompt resolution of this case favors an immediate definitive decision by this court, the charges here are of the utmost gravity.
One of the things that the special counsel does is they cite the 1974 United States vs. Nixon case. This is a case that had to do with the then president's claim of executive privilege over the White House recordings, the Nixon tapes, and that case was heard just like the way Jack Smith is trying to get this one done. He skipped over the appellate process and went straight to the Supreme Court. It was handled in about two months, and about 16 days after oral arguments, the Supreme Court rendered a decision. That's exactly what Jack Smith wants to happen in this case. Pointing out of course, that this trial is supposed to start in March, and you know, obviously the election is coming up later next year.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Southern California on tap to get hit with more rain and flooding as we get closer to the holiday weekend. Here's what the streets of Santa Barbara looked like earlier this week. An atmospheric river system-soaked parts of Southern California, dumping up to 5 inches of rain between early Wednesday and late Thursday. The downpours led to knee-deep water in some areas, along with road closures and evacuation warnings for several communities.
More rain expected to pound the southwest and beyond Christmas, as Christmas Day approaches. CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar has the latest on that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Portions of Southern California have seen record rainfall the last 48 hours. This video from Santa Barbara, California, where you can see flooded roadways here, trapping cars, some of that water even reportedly flowing into folks' homes.
Now what we're going to see in the next 24-48 hours is a gradual shift eastward in the flood threat, now starting to pick up areas of Arizona as we head closer into the weekend. And that's because the system itself is going to spread all of that moisture into not only Arizona, but eventually New Mexico, Colorado, as well as Utah as we progress into the weekend.
[04:35:00]
The main concern for flooding, at least on Friday, still includes portions of Southern California, but also now picks up additional locations in Arizona, including Phoenix, as well as Tucson. Overall, most of these areas likely to only pick up about an extra 1 to 3 inches of rain, but for some areas, that's compounded on top of what they've already had, exacerbating that flood threat as we head into the weekend.
From there, that system has even bigger impacts as we head closer to the holiday itself. Here's a look at that low pressure system. By the time we get to Christmas Eve morning, you're looking at snow for areas of Denver, as well as portions of western South Dakota and Nebraska. Heavy rain, likely from Minneapolis stretching down to Dallas.
Then, by the time we get to Christmas, you're looking at rain stretching from Minnesota all the way down to the Gulf Coast region. So, if you have any travel plans for any of those cities, including Chicago, St. Louis, stretching down into Nashville, it may be a bit of a soggy commute for some of those areas on Christmas Day itself.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Volcanic eruptions in southern Iceland appear to be slowing, but authorities say the area remains dangerous and it's too soon to declare the eruption is over. More now from CNN's Fred Pleitgen reporting from a Coast Guard helicopter.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Iceland's Coast Guard flying into the eruption zone in the Arctic night.
PLEITGEN: These flights are extremely important for the Icelandic Coast Guard. On the one hand, they have to survey the area, but they also have to practice in case they need to do mass evacuations at night.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Iceland was prepared for the massive eruption that started early this week. A more than two-mile-long fissure spewing magma hundreds of feet into the air. But while residents have been evacuated, authorities are still working in the area.
JENS POR SIGUROARSON, COMMANDER, ICELANDIC COAST GUARD: So, this is highly important for us to do this during the night. And there's a lot of hazards involved.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): The crew even spots a person walking close to the lava and say they notified police to check it out.
The eruption has weakened considerably, but magma is still bubbling below us. The crew strapped me in for a closer look.
PLEITGEN: This is an amazing thing to be witnessing from up here. And you see it's still active. The volcano still is. You can see the lava. You can smell the magma. You can feel the power.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): The chopper drops us off right by the lava field to train evacuations.
PLEITGEN: This is extremely challenging flying for these aviators. Right now, they're practicing hoist operations in case they have to medically evacuate a casualty from this area in the dark.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): As furious as the eruption was initially, it also seems to be subsiding fast, seismologist Kristin Jonsdottir tells me. KRISTIN JONSDOTTIR, ICELANDIC METEOROLOGICAL OFFICE: It was very active in the beginning. Four kilometers long fissure that opened and very high rates of magma flow. So, it's a bit of a surprise that it has all culminated.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Those evacuated cannot return home yet as the magma tunnel here remains active and authorities say further eruptions are still possible.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Grindavik, Iceland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Russian drone crews are setting their eyes on Ukraine's capital again this morning and a high-rise building took a hit. We'll have the details on that.
More than two weeks have passed and the whereabouts of a top jailed critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin is still a mystery. Coming up, what Alexey Navalny's daughter says his team is doing to try to find her father and how she believes Vladimir Putin is involved.
[04:40:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: Ukraine's capital has taken a hit from a Russian drone this morning. The city's mayor says two people were injured after the drone hit a high-rise apartment building and caused a fire. The blaze was quickly put out.
And in the east, rescuers dug through rubble after Russian strikes hit two mines in the Donetsk region. Ukraine says three people were killed and six others were injured on Thursday.
This news comes as French President Emmanuel Macron is reminding the West what's at stake, while military for Ukraine aid is stalled in both the European Union and in the U.S.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): Today, in this country that has been under Russian aggression since the beginning of 2022, in the freezing winter, Russian aggression continues. You who know what the balance of power is are well aware of what we cannot allow to happen and how we cannot allow Russia to win.
What would tomorrow hold for us Europeans? So, we'll continue to help the Ukrainians. What we do, even if it costs us, is decisive for our country's security, for our role in Europe and for Europe's sovereignty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: More than two weeks now and still no word on the whereabouts of Alexey Navalny, the jailed but outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Navalny has failed to appear at court hearings and his lawyers say they've lost contact with him. In early December, Navalny's team say they were told he left the penal colony where he was being held. They've since reached out to 250 penal colonies around Russia but they're still uncertain of his location.
They say the Kremlin is refusing to reveal any information about him and his condition. Navalny's daughter speaking out about the disappearance, Dasha Navalnaya, told CNN that she's not heard about anything about where her father is or could be.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DASHA NAVALNAYA, ALEXEY NAVALNY'S DAUGHTER: We haven't heard any new information for the past 16 days, which is very concerning. And we've been -- we started a global campaign of Where is Navalny. There is multiple cities around the world and Russia and in New York as well today I attended a rally in front of the Russian embassy with a group of people who are asking the same question. Where is Alexey Navalny? We don't know where he is.
Our team, the Anti-Corruption Foundation team has appealed to the United Nations Human Rights Court and they granted our appeal to ask the Russian government where he is. Officially governments around the world have asked where he is and the Russian government is refusing to say. Putin is just hiding my father from us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Alexey Navalny was serving 11 and a half years in prison on four charges when he was sentenced to 19 years in prison in August for another set of charges. Including creating an extremist community and financing extremist activities. Navalny denies all the charges against him.
An update now on American Paul Whelan who has been wrongfully detained in Russia since 2018.
[04:45:00]
In a call with CNN on Wednesday, Whelan said he's afraid for his safety after being assaulted by another inmate in a Russian prison camp last month.
The U.S. Marine Corps veteran is serving a 16-year sentence after he was accused of being a spy which he vehemently denies. CNN's Brian Todd has those details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): American Paul Whelan wrongfully detained in Russia for five years now faces new dangers in a Russian prison camp. Whelan tells CNN he's being targeted by an official at the remote camp in the Mordovia region where he's being held.
Whelan says the official is retaliating against him because the official was admonished following an assault on Whelan by another inmate on November 28th. We spoke to Whelan's sister about his latest account.
ELIZABETH WHELAN, PAUL WHELAN'S SISTER: I am concerned and horrified but not surprised to hear of these latest issues he's having.
Mordovia is very isolated. I'm sure that the prison guards are used to being able to get away with an awful lot without anybody paying any attention to them whatsoever.
TODD (voice-over): According to Whelan, the prison official who he did not name, called on prisoners to instigate fights with Whelan so that Whelan himself would be disciplined.
He says prisoners, on the official's behalf, asked him for $1,100 in protection money, the exact amount that's in Whelan's prison account.
Quote: Prisoners would not have known that unless they had been told.
Then he said of the prison official, quote: Having no luck with obtaining the money, he ordered me to move to a different barrack which would expose me to criminal behavior as well as the potential of assault.
The White House calls Whelan's latest accounts troubling and says it will address this with Russian officials.
JOHN KIRBY, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS: We did in recent days put forward a serious proposal. The Russians rebuffed it, regardless of what Mr. Putin says. And we're working hard to see what we can do to get another proposal that might be more successful to get both him and Evan out.
TODD (voice-over): John Kirby's referring to "Wall Street Journal" reporter Evan Gershkovich who's also wrongfully detained in Russia. Paul Whelan gave CNN even more chilling details of the dangers he now faces from other inmates.
Quote: Most people carry knives here and many use stimulants which can make them wild and violent.
SARAH MENDELSON, FORMER U.S. HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICIAL AT U.N.: The conditions, like all Russian prisons are very bad, right? So, the prison guards are controlling access to the bathroom, food, light, day, your mobility, and you know, this fact of corruption is particularly intense.
TODD (voice-over): I asked Whelan's sister if he carries any kind of a weapon to protect himself.
WHELAN: Paul has gone out of his way to make sure that there's nothing that can be done or said about him that would cause him to incur additional charges because that's what the Russians will do. They will add charges onto your sentence.
TODD (voice-over): Whelan also told CNN he feels threatened because he's an American and that the prisoners in his camp, quote, don't look too kindly upon the U.S. support of Israel in Gaza.
TODD: Paul Whelan told CNN that when he spoke to prison officials about his security concerns, they told him he could go to solitary confinement 24 hours a day. CNN has reached out to the prison for comment on all of this. We have not heard back.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: A TikTok craze helped this song become the top trending track of the year on Google. Just ahead.
[04:50:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: The European Union's Court of Justice has ruled against FIFA and UEFA over what it calls their unlawful rules involving the formation of the controversial European Super League. The court ruled the two governing bodies abused their dominant position by forbidding clubs from joining the breakaway league.
FIFA and UEFA rules required their prior approval for establishing new competition and prohibiting clubs and players from playing in them. Experts say the court's decision means the two groups could still prevent clubs from joining the Super League but the process would have been fairer. Still some club owners celebrated the ruling.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOAN LAPORTA, FC BARCELONA PRESIDENT: We believe that the time has come for clubs and even more so for those that are owned by their members such as FC Barcelona to have greater control over their destiny, over their future, over their own sustainability.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: The Los Angeles Rams keeping their playoff hopes alive with a Thursday night win over the New Orleans Saints. The Rams opened this scoring with this touchdown pass late in the first quarter 7-0 Los Angeles.
The Saints still had a prayer in the second quarter with this play, 45 yards for the touchdown. The Saints put up a fight in the second half but couldn't pull off a victory. Final score Rams 30 Saints 22.
The LA Chargers won't be going to the playoffs this season but their kicker is making his case for the Pro Bowl.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAMERON DICKER, KICKER: Have you ever been bitten by a missed field goal?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No good! Wide to the right! No good! DICKER: My name is Cam Dicker, and I'll kick for you!
Fifty, forty, thirty. It doesn't matter. I'll make it.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Rain, sleet or snow, this foot is ready to go!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: The Chargers posted this hilarious video on social media on Thursday. The 23-year-old kicker is in his second season with the NFL. He's made 19 of his 20 field goal attempts.
We've got on final show from Mother Nature the last meteor shower of 2023. The Ursid kicked off last night. It will continue through the early morning hours of today. The American Meteor Society says those looking up during the show will likely see 5-10 meteors per hour.
[04:55:00]
NASA says no special equipment needed to view the shower since the meteors could be seen all over the sky. So, if it's still dark where you are it may be a good time to go outside and look up at. At least for a few minutes as well after the show.
In the spotlight this hour SpaceX's Dragon cargo spacecraft is headed back to Earth after undocking from the International Space Station just a few hours ago. The resupply mission was launched last month and delivered supplies and hardware to the ISS. The Dragon was originally scheduled to return last week but bad weather in the U.S. caused it to be delayed. It's now expected to splash down off the coast of Florida later today.
Google says the top trending song search of the year comes from the Japanese duo Yoasobi.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SINGING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Their hit song "Idol" is the opening theme for the popular anime series Oshi No Ko.
How catchy is that? It also sparked a dance trend on Japanese TikTok that helped push the song to the top of Google's annual list in the global song category. It's the second year in a row an artist from Asia has topped the global list.
And in Washington DC --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I just want you to know -- MARIAH CAREY, SINGER: Oh, we love it.
BIDEN: Come on.
I love you.
CAREY, ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU: I don't want a lot for Christmas There is just one thing I need
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Mariah Carey of course bringing some holiday cheer to the White House. The video was posted on President Biden's X-account with the caption quote, it's time.
Her classic "All I Want For Christmas Is You" was the first released back in 1994. Mariah's 12-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe joined her for the visit.
Thanks for joining me here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster in London. "EARLY START" is next here on CNN. I'll be back on New Year's Eve.
