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Ukraine: At Least 40 People Died In Massive Russian Air Attack; Russia: At Least 14 Dead After Ukrainian Shelling Inside Russia; NYPD Steps Up Security Ahead Of Times Square Celebrations; Huge Waves To Hit California Coast For 3rd Day As Storms Slam West Coast; Taylor Swift Dominates 2023 With Hugh Tour, New Love And More; Top-10 Sports Stories Of 2023. Aired 1-2p ET
Aired December 30, 2023 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[13:00:01]
AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: For a dying man, Dolly Parton just made his dreams come true. Legrand Gold, also known as L.G. was diagnosed with stage four colorectal cancer. He was recently told by his doctors that chemotherapy and radiation were no longer working and he should go home to be with his family.
Well, after he was diagnosed, L.G. wrote a list on a napkin of what he wanted to do with the time that he had left. You can see on number seven there. L.G.'s list for living have things like trips and concerts. Item number seven was meet Dolly Parton. And that wish came true just before Christmas.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOLLY PARTON, AMERICAN SINGER-SONGWRITER: Hey, L.G.
LEGRAND GOLD, DIAGNOSED WITH STAGE FOUR COLORECTAL CANCER: Hey.
PARTON: It's Dolly P.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I cannot believe this.
GOLD: I'm doing pretty good right now, actually.
PARTON: Will always love you. Will love -- always love L.G.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
PARTON: OK. When you take care.
GOLD: Awesome.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALKER: I got goosebumps. I have him now. Do you? That's Dolly Parton singing, I will always love you over Facetime to L.G., who told the country legend, he had been a fan of music his entire life.
Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for being with me. I'm Amara Walker, in for Fredricka Whitfield.
Russia is vowing to retaliate after it says at least 14 people were killed and more than 100 injured in a Ukrainian shelling attack on the city of Belgorod inside Russia.
The attack appears to be in retaliation to a massive Russian air attack on Ukraine that killed at least 40 people on Friday. It was Russia's biggest air assaults since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine began almost two years ago.
CNN's Nic Robertson is joining us now with more. Nic, what do we know?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, the Russians launched more than 158 missiles in that attack at Ukraine, and 44 of them got through.
The significance of that is that Russia launched this very big, very complex attack, specifically to try to get around the missile defense systems that Ukraine has.
And it did that by putting up strategic bombers in the air for several hours. They carry multiple cruise missiles, they put up fighter jets that carried hypersonic missiles. They put up long-range bombers that carried cruise missiles, they fired surface to air missiles, they fired radar seeking missiles.
And the final barrage was this -- was a stream of 90 cruise missiles after hours of sort of trying to find a way through the Ukraine -- Ukraine's air defenses that also fired drones as well.
So, that really was why so many got through and why the civilian toll was so high.
From Ukraine center, Dnipro, to all points. Kyiv in the north, Odesa in the south, Kharkiv in the Northeast, and Tel Aviv in the far west. Russia launched its biggest air attack since their ground invasion 22 months ago.
44 of 158 Russian missiles, evading Ukraine's Western supported air defenses, killing and wounding civilians.
This man narrowly surviving, pulled from the rubble in Kharkiv. Schools, shopping malls, private homes and high rises, even a maternity hospital hit. In the capitol, this resident awoken by missiles at 7:30 a.m.
It was a horrible sound. It was so frightening. The missile was flying and everything was buzzing, worrying, she says. I didn't know what to do.
President Zelenskyy is accusing Russia of throwing nearly every type of weapon in its arsenal against Ukraine.
Ukraine's Air Force describe a complex attack of interlocking waves of drones, bombers, fighter jets, cruise, hypersonic, and other missiles, intended to distract and stretch air defenses.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON (on camera): There was outrage and anger from European leaders, but Russia's complex assault appears intended not just to exploit weaknesses in Ukraine's air defense system, but it's waning international support, highlighting Ukraine's need for European and U.S. monies held up by internal politicking.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON (voice over): In a week, when Ukraine appeared to have turned its narrative to one of success, destroying a valuable Russian tank transporter ship in Crimea, reality appears to be a second winter under sustain, systemic Russian bombardment.
[13:05:06]
Nothing changes. Russia's goal is the same, he says. To destroy Ukraine as a state and to destroy all rebellious Ukrainians as a nation.
Resilience, now Ukrainian's best friend.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON (on camera): That resilience may be what we've been witnessing today in Belgorod. The governor there is saying that more than 100 -- well, 108 people have been injured. 12 of those adults, seriously injured, 14 people killed.
He says, two of those people, children. And he is saying that they -- the city there is going to ban all sorts of public gatherings on the streets. They're going to go into a heightened level of security alert. This, for the Russians they are saying is, for them, the biggest civilian loss of life, and a cross border attack like this since the war began.
And the defense ministry there says that they will retaliate. It appears at this moment as if things could escalate.
WALKER: Yes, that has to be concerning. Nic Robertson, thank you very much for your reporting.
Let's switch gears now and to a very different setting. New York City, where millions of people are preparing to ring in the New Year. And authorities there, of course, are beefing up security.
The ongoing tensions between Israel and Hamas has ramped up concern of lone wolf attacks during the Times Square ball drop. And while there are no specific threats to the celebrations, the intelligence community remains concerned. The high-profile event may be seen as an opportunity for violence.
Let's bring in CNN correspondent Polo Sandoval, who is standing by in Times Square. Hi there, Polo. What are you learning especially about the security preparations?
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Amara.
Yes, come tomorrow, all eyes will be on Times Square here, Amara. And just piggybacking off what you just mentioned right now, there is certainly no credible threat, according to authorities, but they are certainly going to be aware of what multiple law enforcement agencies have assessed here, describing the situation right now is a heightened threat environment because of the war between Israel and Hamas.
Now, that being said, again, still no credible threat that's been established here. But what they're really focusing on now is the potential for protests that we've seen play out here in New York City, almost on in everyday basis.
And the potential for set protests to perhaps disrupt this New Year's Eve celebration, I want you to hear directly from the President of Times Square Alliance, telling CNN, at least, addressing any potential concerns that he has, or in some cases, does not have.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM HARRIS, PRESIDENT, TIME SQUARE ALLIANCE: So, I wouldn't say worries because we're focused on it. But there certainly has been a planned protest for some place on New Year's Eve. So, we've been working with the NYPD to make sure that they have a plan in place that people can peacefully exercise their First Amendment right to protest, but not at the expense of the people who come to watch the event in Times Square.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: And absolutely, just massive collaboration that we're seeing right now on the ground by local, state, and federal law enforcement officials here in New York City to make sure that the people who will pack into this space remain safe.
So, again, just to sum things up for you, Amara, there are couple of several concerns. But there are two key ones here. The potential for demonstrations, but also what intelligence analysts describe as a potential for a homegrown violent extremist. Sadly, we saw something similar play out just last year with a 19-year-old attacked law enforcement officials at a checkpoint, not far here from where folks who are getting together.
So, there is certainly concern that any threat could materialize very quickly. Amara?
WALKER: All right. Remaining vigilant. Thank you so much, Polo Sandoval. Good to see you.
So, as people are packing into Times Square, many others are packing into airplanes to return home from the holidays. This travel season saw a surge in passengers, severe weather, and airport staffing shortages.
The FAA expects today to be one of the busiest days at the nation's airports.
I'd like to go to Rafael Romo now who is at the world's busiest airport Hartsfield-Jackson International here in Atlanta. Hello, Rafael. I'm so glad I took a flight a few days ago. What are you seeing there?
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I can tell you, a lot of traffic, plenty of travelers, Amara. But the good news is, so far, anyway, no congestion.
This is the main security checkpoint here at Hartsfield Jackson Airport in Atlanta. As you mentioned before, the world's busiest airport. And as you can see behind me, things are moving fairly quickly, and it is a cold and mainly cloudy day here in Atlanta. But there's no threat of storms and that's going to help speed up the situation with travelers and also airplanes.
But listen to this, Amara. Just yesterday, the Transportation Security Administration was expecting to process 2.6 million people across airports throughout the country.
[13:10:04]
And that was one of the busiest days during this holiday season.
The problem today is not going to be the number of people, but the number of flights that TSA said earlier that they were expecting to have as many as 48,000 flights today as compared to 43,000 yesterday.
The number of passengers will be slightly lower than the 2.6 million expected for yesterday. And the TSA has recorded an average of 2.45 million passengers per day during this holiday season.
We are not expecting to hit the all-time record of 2.9 million passengers That was hit -- the Sunday after Thanksgiving, 2.9. If you can imagine that. And again, officials say you have to follow common sense recommendations when you come to the airport.
One of them very important is pack your bag from scratch. Meaning, make sure there are no prohibited items in your bag. And Amara, let me tell you that happened to me recently, I didn't realize that there was still a bottle of water in one of my bags and in one of my recent flights, and that delayed me a little bit here at the airport.
So, it's the little thing sometimes the things that you don't notice that slow you down, and they don't want anybody going through that. So, make sure that you don't have any prohibited items in your bag. Amara, back to you.
WALKER: Yes. I can't tell you how many times that's happened to me too, having a bottle of water in my bag. And that what was I thinking.
Rafael Romo, thanks for that. It looks pretty smooth there behind you in Atlanta's International Airport. Thank you so much.
Up next, Israel says it is expanding its offensive in Gaza and destroyed a hideout apartment belonging to a Hamas leader.
Also, the U.N. is sounding the alarm about the humanitarian crisis in Rafah where many are fleeing or have fled for safety. We're going to go to Tel Aviv after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:15:57]
WALKER: The Israel Defense Forces say more attacks are coming in from southern Lebanon, claiming their defenses intercepted a suspicious aerial target that crossed into Israeli territory.
Now, these attacks come after Israel said it targeted three terrorist squads in Lebanon and Hezbollah infrastructure in the neighboring country.
We're also getting live pictures from Tel Aviv's Hostages Square. As thousands of Israelis call for the release of the remaining 100 plus hostages.
I'm joined now by journalist Elliott Gotkine, he is live from Tel Aviv.
Hi, Elliott. What more do we know first of all about these attacks that the IDF says is coming from southern Lebanon?
ELLIOTT GOTKINE, CNN JOURNALIST: Amara, we just spoke with the IDF. They confirmed that there were a total of 15 launches today from Lebanese territory towards Israel, including that aerial target that crossed from Lebanon into Israel.
And now, yesterday there were 10, on Thursday, there were at least 50. So, it's not as though things are increasing. I don't want to say it's kind of business as usual. But certainly, pretty much since October the 7th, we have seen this situation where Hezbollah, this is the, of course, militia backed by Iran has been firing rockets, missiles, drones towards Israeli targets and Israeli communities. And Israel has been responding.
And the remain tens of thousands of people who live along that border with Lebanon, who are unable to return to their homes. So, for now, this is still a kind of war that isn't a war. It is still simmering. It is yet to boiled -- boil over. But we've, of course, had more warnings from Israel over the past week from people like the foreign minister. Also, Benny Gantz, member of the war Cabinet, warning Hezbollah that if it doesn't back off, if it doesn't move back, away from the border where it is supposed to, according to United Nations resolutions, then, Israel will make it.
And I suppose the last thing that anyone wants, especially the United States and leaders in the region and the international community -- the last thing anyone wants is to see an escalation of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip to the Northern Front between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Amara? WALKER: You know, Elliott, just days ago, there was a lot of talk about perhaps a lower intensity phase of the war that the U.S. has been urging Israel to implement. But as of Friday, the IDF is saying that it's extending its operation in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza. What more do we know about this military operation?
GOTKINE: Look, Israel still remains very determined to achieve its objectives in the Gaza Strip, which have yet to be achieved, namely destroying Hamas militarily, ensuring it can no longer continue to rule Gaza and threaten the security of Israelis, particularly in the so-called Gaza envelope, the communities around the Gaza Strip, and of course, to get those hostages' home. More than 100 of them still being held in Gaza after they were abducted on October the 7th as part of Hamas's terrorist attack.
And indeed, in Tel Aviv, right at this very moment, as you said, a couple of moments ago, thousands of people demonstrating to keep up the pressure on the Israeli government to find a way to bring those hostages' home.
So, the expansion of Israel's operations, whether it's against infrastructure belonging to Hamas, things like tunnels, weapons storage facility, or against militants themselves, those will continue. And Israel will make no apologies to expanding these operations. It hasn't started ground operations in the central part of the Gaza Strip. But it is on the ground in the north, of course, where it's still can't say mission accomplished.
And, of course, expanding those operations in and around Khan Younis, where it believes that the senior leadership of Hamas remains, which of course, is another objective of this war, which is to kill the top leaders of Hamas, the masterminds of that terrorist attack on October the 7th. Amara?
WALKER: Elliott Gotkine, great to have you. Thank you so much, live for us there in Tel Aviv. Thank you very much.
For more perspective, I want to bring in Aaron David Miller.
[13:20:00]
He is a former Middle East negotiator for the state department, and he is also a senior fellow with the Carnegie Endowment. Good to see you, Aaron.
So, you recently wrote that there is no Goldilocks option on the table with the aftermath of the Israel-Hamas war. This is what you write, "The region cannot return to its unstable prewar status quo. Instead, without careful guidance, a new status quo is likely to emerge that will be even more problematic. Only bold American leadership now will support a good outcome in the aftermath of this war. Biden must take risks, talk straight and act boldly."
How should we act boldly? What risks should Biden take?
AARON DAVID MILLER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: I mean, I think right now -- Amara, thanks for having me.
The reality is that the administration is kind of in a strategic bind. They've tethered themselves to Israeli wargames. And Israel is having an extremely difficult time. Clearly, in accomplishing those objectives. The administration, first and foremost, has to figure out a way to at least press the Israelis to change their tactics in Gaza.
And I suspect, by the end of January, there will be a change. If there isn't a change, there is absolutely no way that you can begin to create predictable and reliable corridors to surge, not dribble. To surge, humanitarian assistance into Gaza, to deal with the needs of a tantamount almost 2 million people who are on the verge of acute malnutrition, in many cases, and the spread of serious illness and disease.
So, that I think is the initial challenge for the administration, then sometime, I think in the middle of this year, plans are going to need to be developed to try to create a different post-conflict reality in Gaza. That's going to be extremely difficult.
WALKER: So, currently, you're saying that militarily, we need to see Israel take on this lower intensive campaign on the ground there in Gaza, something that Biden and the White House have been urging Israeli officials to do.
When it comes to a post-war, Gaza, it is very clear, and it's been public that the White House and Netanyahu have conflicting vision -- visions on how what a postwar Gaza would look like, whether Israel should reoccupy it, this is how Israel sees it, versus the U.S. say, no, Israel should not have an indefinite security force controlling Gaza.
How do you get the two leaders on the same page?
MILLER: You know, I think that whatever Mr. Netanyahu says publicly, and a large amount of that is politics. He has he's presiding over the most extreme government in the history of the state of Israel, with two ministers who could easily bolt from the coalition if he presses too far. The problem with bringing back the Palestinian Authority politically for Mr. Netanyahu is it's going to mean a commitment to two states, which could easily bring about the collapse of this Israeli government.
At the same time, I think that the administration acknowledges the reality that at some level, the Israelis are going to be operated in Gaza militarily at some level, not as kinetically intense as what we've seen since October 27th, and the beginning of the ground campaign.
But Israel is going to be operating there militarily. And I think that is in essence is the real challenge. And I have to be honest, I don't think anyone right now has any real assurance of a predictable post- conflict stability in Gaza.
This is very much day by day, week, by week, a month, month by month. First and foremost, there has to be a change in Israeli -- Israel's ground campaign, shifting from division level operations with artillery and comprehensive airstrikes to a more brigade-focused, intelligence-driven operation, otherwise, I can't see the future, and I -- and I would predict growing tensions in the U.S.-Israel relationship as well.
WALKER: It could there be a peaceful and stable future with Netanyahu, remaining at the helm? And what if he doesn't go?
MILLER: No.
WALKER: What if he fights to stay in his -- in his position?
MILLER: He will to be sure. The longer the work continues for the prime minister, the greater chances of political survival because, perhaps, Israel can achieve some sort of victory, killing the top leaders, for example.
But I think, there will be a reckoning for Mr. Netanyahu. It will come. There is no way that an Israeli prime minister who presided over the worst terror attack in Israel's history, the greatest intelligence failure since October 7th '23, and the bloodiest day for Jews since the end of the Nazi holocaust, will be able to survive this.
[13:25:02]
I suspect that is only a matter of time. And public opinion, public pressure in Israel will not.
WALKER: Aaron David Miller, appreciate your perspective as always. Thank you for coming on.
MILLER: Amara, thank you.
WALKER: Coming up, for the third day in a row, monster waves hitting California's coast are triggering flooding, road closures, and evacuation warnings. We'll have more on that. Next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WALKER: Residents along the west coast from California to Oregon are bracing for a third straight day of -- look in that, massive waves and flooding.
[13:30:01]
Relentless storms in the Pacific Ocean are unleashing these towering waves, some more than 20-feet high. Resulting in injuries, requiring rescues, and sending a destructive surge through the streets near the coast.
We have Elisa Raffa in the CNN Weather Center.
But let's first start with Camila Bernal on the coast of Manhattan Beach, California.
Hi, Camila. What are you seeing today? CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Amara. So here in Manhattan Beach, consistently seeing about five to 10-foot waves. And the water coming a lot closer than people expected.
You're seeing them right now having to run a little, maybe walk a little bit faster than normal because that water is pushing higher and higher in some cases.
Technically, the pier here is closed and people are being told to stay away from the beach. But you're seeing a lot of people coming here to watch this, because it is beautiful.
But authorities are saying it could also be dangerous. That's why the pier here in Manhattan Beach is closed.
I want to show you just the crowd here taking pictures and looking at the waves.
What we know is that the beaches up and down California, a lot of them are closed. The piers are closed and people are being told to stay away.
Here in Manhattan Beach in Los Angeles County and Santa Barbara County and Ventura County where actually the hardest hit. The National Weather Service said you're likely see waves between 15 and 20 feet in the center coast.
Those are really the highest ones that could reach up to 20 feet. But all of a sudden, you just never really know how tall these waves are going to be and how severe it's going to get.
As you mentioned, it was Ventura County where we saw a lot of people being caught off guard. At least eight people were taken to the hospital in Ventura County. That's where you saw a lot of road closures and evacuations.
There is also the potential for flooding not just in Ventura County but up and down the California coast. So authorities saying the areas that normally flood, the lower areas are still in danger of flooding.
So it's really through the whole day that people need to be careful, not turn their back to the ocean.
I know I'm doing it in some cases, but I do have a team here letting me know if the waves come closer so that maybe we can make a run for it if we have to. Hopefully, we don't.
But again, if you don't have to be here, people are being told don't come. But again, it's beautiful, but it just can be dangerous, because they could get higher and it could be deadly for some people.
Thankfully, the surfers have listened, at least in this area. We have not seen any surfers. Just a lot of people coming and looking and taking pictures because it is massive and beautiful -- Amara?
WALKER: You're getting me nervous with your back to the ocean. If your photojournalist --
(CROSSTALK)
BERNAL: Yes.
WALKER: -- starts running, just follow them.
Camila Bernal, it's a beautiful place. Thank you so much.
Let's bring in Elisa Raffa in the CNN Weather Center now.
Elisa, how much longer are the waves expected to last?
ELISA RAFFA, AMS METEOROLOGIST: We're looking at the peak surge and high tide happening right now. As you were able to see there at Manhattan Beach. Then things will start to diminish and calm down going into Sunday.
But some of the images that we've seen over the last couple of days, I mean, like you mentioned, I'm really told this storm extremely dangerous. That's the words the Weather Service is using to describe this thing.
We haven't seen this in many years. This is the potent storm that's headed into the west coast this morning. That's what's kicking these waves, because it's just moving around the water.
So we're looking at 20 to 30 feet of some of these wave heights. This is the peak happening today. Then notice how the colors come down. We start to find those waves relax a little bit going into Sunday.
So the high surf warnings continue from Santa Barbara down to San Diego. We're looking at wave heights up to 15 to 25 feet. But if you go up into the San Francisco Bay area, 40-feet waves are possible. That can cause damage to piers and jetties.
That's where, again -- up and down the coast, it's just been extremely dangerous.
So the coastal flood warnings continue as well, because you'll get waves that high that can also send the water inland, especially with this happening right now with high tides.
The tides alone are about four to five feet, the highest of the month. So adding insult to injury. And that's where we're seeing the flooding in the low-lying areas and the rip currents as well.
I want to mention this, because, as you saw, there are people on the beach. Remember, a rip current takes you out to sea. If you get caught in a rip current, you cannot swim back to the beach like you want to. Right?
You have to be faster than an Olympic swimmer to fight that current, which most of us are not.
So to get out of a rip current, you want to swim parallel to the shore to get out of it. And that's where you might be able to make your way back to the shore.
But like I mentioned, officials saying don't even trust it, extremely dangerous conditions through the day today.
WALKER: All right, Elisa Raffa, thank you very much.
[13:34:55]
When we come back, she put on a record-breaking worldwide tour and became a billionaire, was "Time" magazine's Person of the Year and even helped bail out the box office. Yes, we're talking about Taylor Swift. Who else? We'll talk about her incredible year, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SINGING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALKER: Yes, we do think about you. She was right. This year, we've all been thinking about Taylor Swift, from her blockbuster concert tour to her record-smashing movie and her headline-making love story.
Of course, there's a reason Taylor Swift was "Time's" Person of the Year.
CNN's Anna Stewart takes a look at how Taylor Swift made 2023 her era.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[13:40:06]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Welcome to the Eras Tour.
(APPLAUSE)
ANNA STEWART, CNN INTERNATIONAL REPORTER (voice-over): She's certainly not the anti-hero of 2023.
(SINGING)
STEWART: In fact, she's "Time's" Person of the Year.
(SINGING)
STEWART: Even in Taylor Swift's wildest dreams, it would be hard to imagine greater success or bigger revenues.
Not one, but three best-selling albums. They're not all exactly new, "1989" and "Speak Now" were re-recorded as Swift continues to reclaim ownership of her music.
SWIFT: We're about to go on a little adventure together, and that adventure is going to span 17 years of music. (SINGING)
STEWART: In March, Swift embarked on a record-breaking worldwide tour. It's expected to rake in more than $2 billion in North American ticket sales alone.
Swift even helped bail out the box office in a difficult year with a movie version of the Eras Tour concerts. It made $96 million on its opening weekend in the U.S. and Canada.
Spotify and Apple Music have both named her Artist of the Year.
ZANE LOWE, RADIO HOST, APPLE MUSIC: There isn't an artist on the planet who has achieved so much in a calendar year. And we, at Apple Music, we felt the same way.
And there was just no denying that, you know, what she's achieved over the last 12 months -- in my lifetime, at least, from a product -- from a productivity and a quality point of view is, sort of, unprecedented.
STEWART: Bloomberg says Swift became a billionaire in October.
And Swift's influence spread beyond music this year. The artist was spotted, not on the bleachers, but in a box, as she debuted a new relationship.
(SINGING)
STEWART: The "Love Story" boosted ticket sales and NFL TV ratings.
It all comes down to a powerful bond Swift has forged with her fans. Using hidden messages and clues known as Easter Eggs in songs, performances and social media.
LOWE: Every time she puts anything out, there's a sense of anticipation that surrounds that experience. And also the idea that we, as fans, can be invested in that by uncovering details moving in different ways.
I mean, the depth of Easter Egg placement is sort of unbelievable. It just strengthens that connective tissue between the artist and the fan, which is what this is all about.
And something that Taylor Swift has been completely dedicated to her whole career.
STEWART (on camera): Do you think we have now hit peak Taylor Swift?
LOWE: If Taylor Swift's proven anything, even to people who don't listen to her music, it's that she will not stop creating at the highest level.
So, not only Taylor will decide, you know, how and where she moves and when she comes back, like every other time, she'll be dedicated and committed to it.
That's the one thing I really appreciate about Taylor Swift, is when she comes out with a record or a tour, she's all in.
(SINGING)
STEWART (voice-over): The ERA'S tour continues through 2024.
(SINGING)
STEWART: So, we know all too well that it will probably be another year of Swift success.
Anna Stewart, CNN, London.
(SINGING)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALKER: I could listen to her music forever.
Joining me now is Bryan West, the Taylor Swift reporter for "USA Today" who recently wrote this piece: "Sharing the Tasty Love, Taylor Swift and Tavis Kelce Romance Boosts Kansas City Economy."
Bryan, lovely to have you on. Thank you for your time.
Let's talk about the local economy, because we know it's no doubt that Taylor Swift has had a massive year on the world stage.
But you found she's also having a really big impact on the local economy in Kansas City, which is home to her boyfriend, Travis Kelce.
You talked to some local business owners about how Taylor Swift has completely changed their lives. What did they tell you?
BRYAN WEST, TAYLOR SWIFT REPORTER, "USA TODAY": Hi, Amara. Thank you for having me.
So it's sharing the K.C. love. What we've seen in Kansas City is, for the past 150 years, the heart has served as an icon for the city. We're seeing this play out as the backdrop to this love story to the Kelce love story.
We have seen that Taylor has this Midas touch, this golden touch. Whenever she puts on a sweatshirt, for example, businesses are feeling the impact of that.
So you mentioned small businesses. West Side Story is a business in Kansas. They've been open for a little over a decade. And he has not seen success like this.
He tells me, right after Taylor wore one of his sweatshirts that he packed in a box, he saw 10 times the sales.
The two have been seen at restaurants. They were seen both having dates at those two restaurants.
WALKER: Oh. WEST: Good luck if you want to get reservations, because it is just packed, as you can imagine.
[13:45:01]
WALKER: Everything she touches turns to gold and diamonds and anything you want to make --
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
WALKER: So Taylor Swift's business empire, can you believe it has become something to study? Colleges are offering classes studying her, right?
For example, the University of Delaware now has a workshop on her economic impact. Even Harvard is offering an open-enrollment lecture on the singer.
Tell us what it is about Taylor Swift and her fan base that makes her so unique, Bryan, in the world of pop stars.
WEST: The timing of this is perfect going into 2024. On Tuesday, I have a piece coming out. I spoke with most of the professors around the United States that are teaching these classes.
What's striking is the subject she's able to cover. As you said, the economy, economics, business, marketing. And talking about English, poetry. Even here in Nashville, one of the Vanderbilt law professors uses her in his trademark and copyright law class.
So it's just studying her and her impact. She is far bigger than just a celebrity or an entertainment. She's a brand. She's a businesswoman. We are definitely going to be seeing a lot more of her now, definitely in the classroom.
WALKER: Yes, what industry has she not touched? I mean, now she's in academia.
What about politics? As you know, as we all know, Taylor Swift waded into politics. I remember her speaking out against Donald Trump.
What do you think she will do this upcoming presidential election year? Do you think she will wade into politics?
WEST: So it's so interesting. As you said, in the past, and in her Netflix documentary, "Miss Americana," she did mention President Trump.
I think going into this next year, they might wait to see what happens. But she definitely has an impact. She always encourages anyone over the age of 18 to go out and vote.
When she spoke out against Senator Marsha Blackburn, we saw, in Tennessee, more than 100,000 registered voters appeared. So I definitely think she'll be saying in the next year, like, get
out, exercise your vote. I'm very curious and I'm going to be following to see if she does say anything regarding the presidential election.
WALKER: I just thinking, like, can you imagine when she gets married? It's going to be maybe even bigger than the royal wedding. Maybe not.
But what do you expect to see from Taylor Swift next year? What should we all be watching for?
WEST: It's crazy she's only done 66 shows for the Eras tour. It feels like it's been going on for so long. It's grossed -- projections are saying more than a billion. But we're not even halfway done.
So she kicks that off in February. She's heading to Tokyo and then Australia. Then she has Europe. And she's also going to be touring. So 86 shows.
She has two re-releases that she has yet to release, "Refutation" and also "Debut."
And we never know. She likes to keep fans on their feet. So could she release another project or another album?
What we know about Taylor is that she is very good at keeping people guessing, clowning, as the fans would say, when they think an album is coming out and it doesn't happen. They almost are disappointed and they say they're clowning.
We will also see her enter the movie industry. She's nominated for a Golden Globe. She also has a feature film contract that she signed with Searchlight Pictures. So I'm going to be looking into her going into that industry.
A lot we can expect coming into 2024.
WALKER: Bryan, I have to ask you this before I let you go. Bryan West, you are the Taylor Swift reporter for "USA Today" on the Internet. Are you living your best life?
WEST: I would say so. I love to go hiking and running. I've been listening to her earlier albums. One of her songs, I keep thinking of the lyric, take it in, count to 10, this is life, before you know it, you're going to be. And I feel that even at 35.
WALKER: Ah, I love that, applies to her music lyrics.
Bryan West, great to have you. Great to see you. Happy New Year. Thank you so much.
WEST: Thank you.
[13:48:49]
Much more ahead after a quick break. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:53:17]
WALKER: The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, 2023 had plenty of both.
CNN's Andy Scholes looks back at the top-10 sports stories of the year, change, controversy and comebacks.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Well, 2023 saw some of the greatest ever say good-bye to their sport, while others made triumphant returns.
We had a new sports power couple, many first-time champions, a new king of scoring and one of the most remarkable sports comebacks of all-time.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Gymnast Simone Biles has made history again.
SCHOLES (voice-over): Simone Biles making her return to competition in 2023 for the first time since suffering a case of the twisties at the Tokyo Olympics.
The 26-year-old winning five more medals at the world championships, making her the most decorated gymnast of all-time. And she now has her eyes set on the 2024 Paris games.
SIMONE BILES, PROFESSIONAL GYMNAST: Right now, I would say that's the path that I would love to go.
SCHOLES: At number nine, 19-year-old Coco Gauff becoming a grand-slam champion for the first time, winning the U.S. Open in thrilling fashion.
COCO GAUFF, PROFESSIONAL TENNIS PLAYER: Getting through that final was like a hurdle that I needed to cross, a mental blockage that I needed to cross. And I did. And hopefully, I can continue to do that many more times.
SCHOLES: Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, continued his dominance in 2023, winning three of the four grand slams, overtaking Rafael Nadal for the most all-time on the men's side with 24 now for his career.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC, PROFESSIONAL TENNIS PLAYER: Knowing that I play at such a high level still and I win the biggest tournaments in a sport, I don't want to leave this sport if I'm still at the top.
[13:54:58]
SCHOLES: At number eight, 2023 saw many teams celebrate a championship for the first time ever. Two-time MVP Nikola Jokic leading the Denver Nuggets over the Miami Heat to win their first ever NBA title.
(CHEERING)
SCHOLES: Texas Rangers topped the Ariona Diamondbacks to end their 63- year World Series wait.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Congrats world champions.
(CHEERING)
SCHOLES: Kim Mulkey and Angel Reese winning LSU their first ever women's national title.
(CHEERING)
SCHOLES: While the Las Vegas Golden Knights got to celebrate on the strip with the Stanley Cup for the very first time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The city of Las Vegas, we're champions.
SCHOLES: At number seven, the Vegas Strip saw a lot of partying this year. Las Vegas Aces, the first team in 21 years to win back-to-back WNBA titles.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're coming back. We're coming back, baby.
(CHEERING)
SCHOLES: 2023 also saw the return of Brittney Griner to the WNBA. Griner missed all of the 2022 season after being wrongfully detained in Russia.
BRITTNEY GRINER, PROFESSIONAL WNBA PLAYER: You know, I'm no stranger to hard times. So, you're going to be faced with adversities throughout your life. This was a pretty big one.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Kind of an outrageous story. One might be tempted to say that PGA Tour merging with Saudi-backed LIV Golf creates strange bedfellows, except we know how the Saudis got the PGA Tour into that bed, with a lot of money.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As a player on tour, we still didn't really have a bunch of -- a lot of clarity as to what's going on. And that's a bit worrisome.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I still -- (INAUDIBLE) -- LIV. Like I -- (INAUDIBLE) -- LIV. Like I -- I hope it goes away.
SCHOLES: And the framework of how it will all work is still a mystery with a deadline for the two sides to reach a formal agreement set for the end of this year.
LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR: LeBron James tonight breaking the record to now become the NBA's all-time leading scorer, passing a fellow Laker, Kareem Abdul Jabar.
LEBRON JAMES, PROFESSIONAL NBA PLAYER: This was not a goal for me. That's why it's probably so surreal. I've been able to do some incredible things in this league and, hopefully, I can do some more incredible things before I'm done.
SCHOLES: In February, LeBron James became the king of scoring, passing Kareem Abdul Jabar.
And over the summer, the James family was dealt a scare as LeBron's oldest son, Bronny, went into cardiac arrest during a basketball practice at USC.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Listen -- listen -- listen -- listen -- listen to me. So, OK, get an ambulance here now.
UNIDENTIFIED NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Just five months after collapsing on the court from cardiac arrest, LeBron James' son, Bronny, is back playing, making his collegiate debut for the USC basketball team.
BRONNY JAMES, COLLEGE BASKETBALL PLAYER: I just want to say I'm thankful for everything.
SCHOLES: At number four, the U.S. women's national team's quest to become the first ever team to win three straight World Cups was dashed by Sweden in the round of 16.
And the team saying goodbye to retiring stars Megan Rapinoe and Julie Ertz.
MEGAN RAPINOE, PROFESSIONAL SOCCER PLAYER: It has been such an honor to be able to wear this shirt and to play with all these amazing players. And to just live out my childhood dream.
SCHOLES: Spain would host the cup for the very first time, but their win and celebrations were marred by an unwanted kiss.
Spain's Football Association president, Luis Rubiales, receiving fierce criticism for forcefully kissing star player, Jenni Hermoso.
Now, Rubiales was banned from all soccer activities for three years by FIFA. And despite being defiant, eventually resigned his post.
SPORTS ANNOUNCER: The best number 10 in the world, Lionel Andres Messi!
(CHEERING)
SCHOLES: Number three, Messi mania taking Miami by storm. The world's best soccer player shocking the world by making the move to Inter Miami. And Messi's arrival to the MLS saw ticket prices soar and fans come from all over to see the Argentinian star.
(CHEERING)
SCHOLES: At number two, the Chiefs and the Eagles playing an absolute thriller in Super Bowl LVII. Patrick Mahomes leading a game-winning drive to beat the Eagles for his second title.
TRAVIS KELCE, PROFESSIONAL NFL PLAYER: In all reality, this was the best season of my life. SCHOLES: And Travis Kelce celebrating another championship for Kansas
City. And he would become the story of the 2023 season as fans couldn't get enough of his budding romance with pop star, Taylor Swift.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: There's breaking news right now, a serious injury on the field during the Buffalo Bills/Cincinnati Bengals game.
UNIDENTIFIED GOLF PRO: I don't like how he went down.
UNIDENTIFIED GOLF PRO: We're going to need everybody. All call! All call!
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: The condition of Buffalo Bills Safety Damar Hamlin, the 24-year-old is in critical condition tonight after suffering a cardiac arrest and collapsing on the field.
SCHOLES: Hamlin said his cardiac arrest was caused by commotio cordis, but thanks to the heroics of first responders and medical staff, they were able to resuscitate him.
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: I mean, you can write a Hollywood script about perseverance, the power of faith, about people rallying and rising up for others when they're down. This story about Hamlin turned into a story about humanity.
SCHOLES: Now, Hamlin would return to the field playing for the Bills in the fall, completing one of the greatest comebacks in history.
DAMAR HAMLIN, PROFESSIONAL NFL PLAYER: This event was life changing but it's not the end of my story.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
