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CNN International: U.S. Official: Very Productive Talks with Mexico on Migrant Crisis; New York Times Sues OpenAI, Microsoft in Landmark Lawsuit; Haley Stumble on Question About U.S. Civil War; Tom Smothers Dies After Battle with Cancer. Aired 4:30-5a ET
Aired December 28, 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]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As border authorities near a breaking point from the week's long migrant surge, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mallorca meet with Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in Mexico City to discuss ways to drive down the unprecedented number of illegal migrant crossings. The seven-day average earlier this month, 9,600.
Blinken and Mallorca are expected to ask Mexico to move migrants south, control railways that are used by migrants to move north, and provide migrants incentives to stay in Mexico, like visas.
In Eagle Pass, Texas, although migrant apprehensions dropped from about 3,000 daily encounters last week to about 2,000 Monday, according to a law enforcement source, one of two international bridges are still closed to vehicle traffic to redirect personnel to process migrants. The wait time to cross by car Wednesday afternoon, an astounding 15 hours. Many Americans who frequently drive back and forth are opting to cross on foot.
Like Minerva Castro. She says that when she ditched her car in Mexico, she saw a group of about 100 migrants walking towards Eagle Pass, some with children.
One Eagle Pass business owner says the migrant surge is tearing the community apart.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can tell that tempers are flaring everywhere you go. That's why I'm hoping that there is a peaceful resolution to this crisis.
FLORES: Would you like to see President Biden visit Eagle Pass?
EDDIE MORALES, (D) TEXAS STATE REPRESENTATIVE: I would very much so.
FLORES (voice-over): Texas State Representative Eddie Morales, a Democrat who represents residents from 11 West Texas counties along the state's border with Mexico, says the federal government's ongoing closure of the bridge and the recent five-day closure of the International Railway cost the U.S. economy hundreds of millions of dollars.
MORALES: Everyday Texans are the ones that end up suffering.
FLORES (voice-over): Morales says he's hopeful that the top-level talks in Mexico City will pave the way for realistic change at the border but says he would have liked to see Texas Governor Greg Abbott have a seat at the table.
MORALES: We're only going to get there if there's communication between these two countries and also with the state of Texas.
FLORES (voice-over): Texas recently passed its own immigration bill and has come under fire for Abbott's border security tactics like busing and flying migrants to blue states, separating migrant families, and deploying controversial border buoys and concertina wire. Morales initially supported Abbott's border security push, which has cost billions of dollars, but now says those efforts have fallen short.
MORALES: We have nothing positive to show to our taxpayers for the amount of money that we've invested.
FLORES: If you take a look behind me, you'll see an open field with no migrants and you might think that there is no border crisis. Well, here's the thing.
The U.S. federal government has gotten really good at something called decompression because they've had a lot of practice. That's when migrants that are in an area that is over capacity are transported to an area that has processing space.
Now, when it comes to the talks in Mexico City, one of the things that I'll be looking for is a possible clue for the outcome of those talks is the posture of law enforcement on the Mexican side of the border.
Rosa Flores, CNN, Eagle Pass, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR: After some considerable legal back and forth, Apple says it will begin selling its latest and most technologically advanced Apple watches in the U.S. stores in the coming hours. The watches are manufactured abroad, but an import ban on the series nine and ultra two watches had gone into effect earlier this week.
U.S. officials ruled that Apple's watch violated another company's patents. But now a U.S. federal appeals court has temporarily blocked that ban. Apple was expected to redesign the watches before January the 12th.
A new kind of media battle has broken out between "The New York Times" and the firms behind ChatGPT. That's the chat bot that uses artificial intelligence to produce amazingly crafted, but often inaccurate text and answers to questions. The Times announced Wednesday that it's suing OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement. The newspaper says that the tech giants use millions of New York Times articles to train ChatGPT and other AI models without any compensation for them. Other media firms, including the Associated Press, have reached licensing deals with open AI for the use of their data. But that isn't the case with "The New York Times," who are not getting paid for their content.
According to CNN contributor Kara Swisher, the sources for the items are not being attributed either.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARA SWISHER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: This is different than, say, a Google search that points to "The New York Times." This actually dives into New York Times articles and serves them up as if OpenAI made them or created them.
And so, it's shoplifting, essentially, digital -- in a digital style, much more deeply than anything that's happened previously. And a lot has happened previously.
And the question is, is it fair use? Which is what OpenAI is claiming, which is well beyond fair use. I think most people would agree.
Or is it something that they have to pay for? And the question is, what's the price? And it seems to me "The New York Times" spends a lot of money on its content. I know they paid me to write content for them and they should get paid for the content that that ChatGPT might scrape.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO: This is the first such lawsuit of its kind by a major news publisher.
Microsoft hasn't commented on the suit, but OpenAI said that it hoped to find a way to work together with "The New York Times."
The mayor of New York City says protests over the Israel Hamas war are adding to concerns for New Year's Eve celebrations.
[04:35:00]
Mayor Eric Adams says that he is sure protesters will try to use the famous celebration at Times Square for their own purposes. He added that there was already an attempt to disrupt the lighting of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center.
The mayor says the city will use a lot of technology to help secure the event on Sunday night. Earlier this year, the police department used high tech drones to monitor complaints about large gatherings. Some civil liberties advocates denounced that tactic.
Storm Garrett hits parts of the U.K. hard. Coming up, we'll show you how the brutal winter storm is battering the Scottish Highlands and the coast of England. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NOBILO: Republican Chris Christie is pushing back on calls for him to drop out of the U.S. presidential race. He is spending big on a new ad campaign in New Hampshire ahead of the January the 23rd primary.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS CHRISTIE, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm the only one saying Donald Trump is a liar. He pits Americans against each other.
His Christmas message to anyone who disagrees with him, rot in hell. He caused a riot on Capitol Hill. He'll burn America to the ground to help himself. Every Republican leader says that in private. I'm the only one saying it in public.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: Meanwhile, Nikki Haley had a bit of a stumble at a campaign appearance in the Granite State on Wednesday. CNN's Eva McKend has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
EVA MCKEND, CNN U.S. NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: An awkward moment for Nikki Haley at a town hall in Berlin, New Hampshire, when she was asked by a voter about the origins, the cause of the Civil War. In it she seemed to suggest that it was about personal freedoms and neglected to raise the issue of slavery. That voter called her out for that. Take a listen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What was the cause of the United States Civil War?
NIKKI HALEY, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, don't come with an easy question.
[04:40:00]
I mean, I think the cause of the Civil War was basically how government was going to run, the freedoms and what people could and couldn't do. What do you think the cause of the Civil War was? I'm sorry?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not running for president. I wanted to see your view, but I'm not going to sit here.
HALEY: I mean, I think it always comes down to the role of government.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, you can't answer that question without mentioning the word slavery.
HALEY: What do you want me to say about slavery?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You answered my question.
HALEY: Next question.
MCKEND: I should mention, we approached that man, the questioner there, at the end of the event. We tried to get his name, where he's from. He neglected to tell us.
Aside from that, Haley really trying to convince New Hampshire voters in these pivotal closing weeks that they can be the decision makers. She told them that they don't just read the headlines, they make the headlines. And that she's the person that can go up against former President Donald Trump and ultimately beat President Biden in a general election.
Eva McKend, CNN, Berlin, New Hampshire.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO: Well with Trump far ahead in the polls, some are asking whether he's starting to think about a running mate, specifically Nikki Haley.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No, I'm not considering anybody at this time, Jack.
Look, I know her very well. I actually got along with her very well. As you know, she left at a nice ceremony at the White House, you know, the Oval Office. It was very nice. She said terrific things about me. She said he's a great president.
And then she decided out of nowhere to run. So, I was a little bit surprised at that. But that's a politician.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: The question for the Republican candidates not named Donald Trump, can anyone catch up with the frontrunner? Here's CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: If somebody totally beats expectations, let's say Ron DeSantis gets within five points in Iowa, he will jump over expectations. Or if Haley beats DeSantis in Iowa, or if Haley gets close to Trump or beats Trump in New Hampshire, that can create almost immediate shifts in the polling moving forward.
But if Trump were to win by significant margins in the first two states, I think this thing is academic at that point.
For DeSantis, it's always been Iowa or bust. That's where the voters are most likely to buy into his kind of politics, at least in the early states. That's where they've invested a ton in the ground game. And they think they're well organized. So, for him, keep the ball bouncing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO: Half of the legendary comedy duo, the Smothers Brothers, has died. According to the family, Tom Smothers passed away on Tuesday at age 86 after a battle with cancer. Tom played the naive and flustered counterpart to his straight man brother Dick for decades. They reached their peak with their controversial TV show back in the 1960s. CNN's Richard Roth has more on their impact.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[14:40:07]
ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, the Smothers Brothers.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Smothers Brothers were a counterculture comedy sensation when America was on fire in the late '60s.
TOMMY SMOTHERS, COMEDIAN: It was passionate. There was no hiding how we felt about the war in Vietnam and the voter registration and civil rights. All those things were happening.
T. SMOTHERS: We get a lot of complimentary letters but we get a lot of derogatory letters saying we're communists, pinkos. And those are the good letters.
ROTH (voice-over): CBS gave Tom and Dick Smothers an hour of Sunday primetime programming following the brother's earlier career of folk singing and sibling rivalry humor.
DICK SMOTHERS. THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS: You smelled love. You smelled sincerity, naivety, passion, gentleness, caring, and that came out every single show.
ROTH (voice-over): However, the show changed dramatically with the times.
THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS, SINGING: Blacks and whites still haven't worked it out. Pollution, guns and poverty surround us. Not wonder everybody's dropping out. But of course, we're still here.
ROTH (voice-over): But CBS began to sensor the humor, feeling it was anti- establishment.
D. SMOTHERS: You got to watch yourself, Tommy. No more Nixon jokes.
THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS, SINGING: CBS would like to give us notice. And some of you don't like the things we say.
ROTH (voice-over): The show was very different than traditional network fare broadcasting before cable and streaming. Big-named stars appeared in skits to support the brothers.
GEORGE HARRISON, BEATLES: Well, whether you can say it or not, keep trying to say it. ROTH (voice-over): Dead-pan comedian, Pat Paulsen, did ironic editorials on hot social issues. A younger Baby Boomer generation found a TV show it could connect with.
T. SMOTHERS: The show has had an emotional impact. We were only on for three years, 71 shows.
ROTH (voice-over): Tom and Dick Smothers felt the end was near.
[04:45:00]
T. SMOTHERS: We had a bit of a premonition. Things were getting tight. The Vietnam War was getting going.
ROTH (voice-over): Despite the show's popularity, CBS canceled the Smothers Brothers.
WALTER CRONKITE, CBS NEWS ANCHOR: CBS announced today that "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" will not return to the CBS television network next season.
ROTH (voice-over): They sued CBS and received more than $750,000 in damages.
T. SMOTHERS: I had lost my sense of humor after CBS. I got out of perspective. I lost my point of view. And I just didn't think everything was funny. Everything was deadly serious.
ROTH (voice-over): The brothers didn't stop performing but the controversial CBS show was the height of their fame. Twenty years later, they actually hosted a reunion show on CBS.
T. SMOTHERS: Don't forget this was the network that fired us.
ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, Mother Smothers favorite son and the other one.
ROTH (voice-over): Tom was born 22 months before brother Dick.
D. SMOTHERS: It's like an old marriage, you know. A lot of fighting and no sex.
T. SMOTHERS: It's mostly in timing and in the relationship between the brothers. So that's where comedy comes from.
T. SMOTHERS: Fifty years later, I look back on us being fired and I'm still pissed off.
D. SMOTHERS: Sit down.
T. SMOTHERS: Thank you so much.
D. SMOTHERS: Thank you.
Oh, that was good.
T. SMOTHERS: Ah, I couldn't do it.
(APPLAUSE)
(LAUGHTER)
T. SMOTHERS: Yes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[04:50:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NOBILO: Storm Gerrit is walloping the British Isles with a one-two punch. It ground parts of the Scottish Highlands to a halt, dumping heavy snowfall on the A9. There's been widespread disruption to rail services and it also caused widespread flooding in some areas.
Farther south in England, like where we are, high winds and rough surf are lashing parts of Cornwall with gusts expected up to 120 kilometers per hour.
Police say there is significant damage around Manchester and some of that damage may have been caused by a tornado. Thousands of homes and businesses across the U.K. are currently without power.
In Australia, at least 10 people were killed during severe storms in the eastern part of the country. Reuters reports that torrential rains, large hail, and strong winds blew off roofs and knocked down trees and power lines on Christmas Day and on Tuesday. Tens of thousands of homes and businesses are reportedly without power. Authorities are warning that fast-rising rivers and streams could burst their banks and flood campgrounds which are usually crowded during the holidays as, of course, it is summer down under.
At least six people have been killed in flooding in southern Thailand including an 89-year-old woman and a toddler. Officials say one person is still missing after days of intense rain which started last Friday. More than 70,000 homes have been affected by the flooding and relief teams are checking buildings for more victims and handing out water bottles and other supplies.
Now to the NFL where Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson will spend the last two games of the season on the bench. Head coach Sean Payton made the announcement on Wednesday saying the decision is not an indictment of Wilson alone but as the offense as a whole. The Broncos have only won seven of their 15 games and are long shots now to make the playoffs.
Wilson responded on social media late on Wednesday saying: God's got me. Looking forward to what's next.
From disappointment to pure elation. CNN's Tom Foreman brings us the best moments of 2023 in U.S. sports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In sports, the best NFL team was the Kansas City Chiefs who edged out the Philadelphia Eagles in a barn burner.
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: This was just two points shy of tying the highest scoring Super Bowl ever.
CHARLOTTE WILDER, HOST, MEADOWLARK MEDIA: And the Rihanna Halftime Show, are you kidding me? She did it pregnant?
WIRE: I think this game, it represented a takeover. With Tom Brady retiring, this was now Patrick Mahomes league.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news right now, a serious injury on the field during the Buffalo Bills-Cincinnati Bengals game
FOREMAN (voice-over): The best comeback from the worst moment, give that to Buffalo's Damar Hamlin who suffered a terrifying cardiac arrest at the start of the year, but was back on the field this fall.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I didn't think it was possible.
FOREMAN (voice-over): In baseball, the Arizona Diamondbacks wriggled into the World Series only to be run over by the Texas Rangers in five games.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: The Texas Rangers were really, really good.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When it's not a competitive world series, it's not as much fun.
FOREMAN (voice-over): In the NBA, Laker LeBron James made the best basket, the one that took him past Kareem, Karl, Kobe, and Michael to grab the all-time scoring record.
WILDER: The oldest player in the league, he is in his 21st season. That's crazy.
FOREMAN (voice-over): But the best team was the Denver Nuggets, who cooled off the Miami Heat to take home the Mile High City's first NBA trophy.
WIRE: Nikola Jokic, star of the show. You know, he became the finals MVP.
FOREMAN (voice-over): And in the NHL, the Vegas Golden Knights slayed the Florida Panthers to seize the holy grail of hockey, the Stanley Cup.
[04:55:00]
BERMAN: Makes you think about all the kids who grew up skating on the frozen ponds around Las Vegas and in Florida.
FOREMAN (voice-over): College sports saw the undefeated Georgia Bulldogs grab a second straight football championship. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go Dogs!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO: And now some stories in the spotlight.
It could be a very happy new year for some Powerball players as the lottery's top prize keeps going. The jackpot for the multi-state game is now at $760 million for Saturday's drawing and it may get even higher depending on sales. The biggest prize hasn't been won since October back when the jackpot stood at over $1.7 billion.
The odds of winning that grand prize are one in over 292 million. Still worth it probably.
Organizers in New York just unveiled the newly redesigned Times Square New Year's Eve ball. The star of the countdown now features a bowtie pattern in what organizers say is a nod to the layout of Times Square. The ball is set to descend from the top of one of Times Square on Sunday night with nearly a million people expected in attendance and millions more watching around the world.
And before we go, the U.K. is getting some newly designed coins for 2024. The Royal Mint revealed the new coins all created to mark special occasions. This includes the 200th anniversary of both the National Gallery in London and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Another design celebrates Team GB and Paralympics GB for the upcoming Olympic Games. The coins will be available for purchase beginning on the 2nd of January.
And that does it here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Bianca Nobilo in London. "EARLY START" is next for you. I will see you tomorrow.
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