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Times Square Prepares For New Year's Eve Ball Drop; Dubai Rings In 2024 With Fireworks Over The Burj Khalifa; Fireworks Over The Parthenon; Crowds Ready To Celebrate New Year's Eve In Brazil; Crowds Ready To Celebrate New Year's Eve In Paris; Pressure On SCOTUS To Decide If Trump Is Disqualified From Office; Trump's Rivals Rally Behind Him In The 14th Amendment Conflict; Gov. Sununu Urges Chris Christie To Drop Out Of The Race; Cities Plead For Help As Migrants Surge Across Border; DHS: Migrant Encounters Reach Highest Monthly Total Since 2000; Biden Faces Mounting Pressure Over Chaos At The Border; White House: Not Seeking Broader Conflict In The Middle East; December Border Crossing At Highest Monthly Total Recorded Since 2000; New Gender-Affirming Care Laws; 5-6p ET
Aired December 31, 2023 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[17:00:00]
PAULA REID, CNN HOST: But the new year is already here for many parts of the world. Here's a look at Dubai's incredible fireworks show earlier tonight.
Let's take a look. I'm going to watch another video.
[17:07:19]
REID: You've been watching fireworks in Athens and Romania. Incredible displays as those countries ring in the new year. I want to go now to CNN's Brynn Gingras. You are live in the middle of all the action in Times Square tonight. It looks a little chilly, but it also seems like folks, they're ready to party.
How's it going down there?
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, the good thing, Paula, is there's so many billboards with lights. It almost feels like you're in somewhat of a tanning bed, so it keeps a little bit warmer here in Times Square. Listen, we are hours away from the celebrations you just showed all the viewers, but people are still pretty excited, right?
To bring in the New Year, here in Times Square. Let me talk to a few of those people. Tell me, what is your name? Where are you from?
UNKNOWN FEMALE: Jenna Demers (ph), and I'm from Maine.
GINGRAS: Maine, okay. Is this your first time in Times Square for New Year's Eve?
UNKNOWN FEMALE: Yes.
GINGRAS: All right, tell me why. Why are you here? UNKNOWN FEMALE: We came to skate at the Rockefeller Center for Christmas and then we're -- we were already here, so we just decided to stay.
GINGRAS: You're doing all of it?
UNKNOWN FEMALE: Yup.
GINGRAS: What are you most excited to see, to witness, to feel when the clock strikes twelve?
UNKNOWN FEMALE: Probably watching the ball in person --
GINGRAS: Yeah.
UNKNOWN FEMALE: I think, or actually seeing the performers in front of us.
GINGRAS: Yeah, you've got good seats.
UNKNOWN FEMALE: Yeah.
GINGRAS: You're right under the stage. Andy and Anderson will be right there. You can keep an eye on them for us. Okay, what about you? Where are you from?
UNKNOWN FEMALE: I'm Asia (ph) and I'm from New Hampshire.
GINGRAS: New Hampshire.
UNKNOWN FEMALE: Yeah.
GINGRAS: Is this your first time here for the celebration?
UNKNOWN FEMALE: Yes, it is.
GINGRAS: Why did you have to be here?
UNKNOWN FEMALE: Same thing. We're just here for Rockefeller skate Center and then we came to enjoy the ball drop.
GINGRAS: All right, you guys, it's spectacular.
I have to say I have witnessed it a few times. It's so spectacular when that confetti which people write their New Year's resolutions on that falls from the sky when the clock strikes 12. It's incredible. Listen, we are in pens right now. If you can get actually a wider view, you can see how packed these guys are in more than a million people will fill Times Square and these pens stretch for several blocks from where I'm standing in both directions.
And then, as you guys saw, the stages are all around us, so it's quite the atmosphere here. We've been seeing some people warm up to their dress rehearsals. LL Cool J. Some other big names who will be here and, of course, Anderson and Andy will be here later to you guys.
It's going to be quite the celebration. I'll send it back to you, Paula.
REID: What a crowd there. Like you said, they are packed in. They are ready to party. And I love the New England representation.
GINGRAS: Yeah.
REID: New Hampshire and Maine. Brynn Gingras, thank you so much.
GINGRAS: Yes.
REID: Now let's get out to CNN's Julia Vargas Jones, who's on one of the most popular beaches in the world in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Alright, we know that in Brazil they know how to throw a party. So what's it like there right now?
JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN JOURNALIST: It is in full swing, Paula. It is so loud here. We have -- we're right by one of the stages in Copacabana. Everyone is here to see Lua-sa Sonza. She's one of the biggest pop stars in Brazil right now. The show has just begun and people are so excited. This is just one of 10 stages that the Rio City has put up for people.
Cariocas, people from Rio de Janeiro, Brazilians and foreigners alike. I've spoken with people from Switzerland, Germany, all over, who are here on this iconic beach today. In just five and a half hours, we will have like giant display of fireworks.
They're already beginning, but on the water, 10 different barges will show a spectacle, 12 minutes long, a full orchestra. This will be something not to miss. And people have come from far and wide, like I said, there's people here, they came about six hours by bus to just celebrate in Rio de Janeiro today. They're from Salo Paulo, which is where I usually am.
And they want to send a special message to our viewers in the United States.
[17:11:02]
UNKNOWN FEMALE: Feliz Ano Novo!
VARGAS JONES: That's Happy New Year from Rio! And for me to you guys as well. Happy New Year, Paula.
REID: Thank you so much, Julia. Now I want to get to CNN's Melissa Bell, who is live in Paris. Melissa, the city looks beautiful tonight. How is it going there?
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Paula, it's just begun to rain here in the French capital, but yet, that doesn't seem to have dampened the spirits of the people who are down here in the Champs Champs-Elysees. Let me just show you what's going on.
We are expecting in just under an hour a pretty amazing firework display as the French put on every year, and you can see down there. On what the French like to call the most beautiful street in the world, the Champs-Elysees. There are a million people packed down there right now waiting for this fireworks display to kick off.
A great deal of excitement down there. People packed in. We've had acrobatic displays. We've had DJs. You can hear them now. And despite that slight drizzle, a lot of excitement at the fact that this fireworks display is about to get going. Now, of course, as you'd expect, 6, 000 policemen and women out in the French capital to try and keep the peace and make sure that things stay calm.
And we've been watching those crowds. You know, it can get a little hectic down there. The pushing of the people just trying to keep order with that many people packed into his feet. Still, the city of light very much looking forward to a fireworks display that will be devoted this year to the Olympics.
As you know, Paula, next year, 2024, will be the year of the Paris Olympics, also the year, by the way, that Paris will reopen the doors to Notre Dame Cathedral. So, a big year here in the French capital, and that's what the French president's been telling the people in his yearly annual broadcast.
Earlier on, he said that he wanted 2024, Paula, to be the year of French pride.
REID: Well, Melissa, you look fabulous. The City of Lights looks fabulous. Thank you so much. We'll be checking in with you again.
BELL: Thank you.
REID: And Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen are back to ring in the new year from Times Square. New Year's Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen starts tonight at 8 on CNN.
And don't forget to share your New Year's photos with CNN using the hashtag CNN NYE.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:17:30]
REID: You are looking here at live pictures of Times Square. We're going to head there in just a few moments and check in with our reporters covering New Year's Eve celebrations all around the world. But first we want to get to a little news because tonight the Supreme Court is under pressure to rule on an issue that could dramatically reshape the 2024 presidential election.
The question is whether Donald Trump is disqualified from the primary ballot under the U.S. Constitution's ban on insurrectionists holding public office. Two states have struck his name from the ballot, and Oregon is expected to decide next. That state's Supreme Court could issue a ruling at any moment.
And this weekend, Trump's rivals are arguing that voters, not the courts or secretaries of state, should decide who will be the Republican nominee for president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIKKI HALEY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I will defeat Donald Trump fair and square. I don't need him thrown off the ballot. But if we open this door, you can't close it.
GOV. RON DESANTIS, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It opens up Pandora's box. Can you have a Republican Secretary of State disqualify Biden from the ballot?
CHRIS CHRISTIE, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Makes him a martyr. You know, he's very good at playing poor me, poor me. It's not good for our democracy. In the end, Donald Trump should be defeated by the voters at the polls.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REID: And while Governor DeSantis criticized Maine's decision to strike Trump from the ballot, he said this of the former president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DESANTIS: And let's just be clear, if one of Trump's competitors were kicked off the ballot, he would be spiking the football. He would be cheering it. That's just a fact.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REID: Alright, well let's discuss this with Joe Lockhart, former White House Press Secretary for former President Clinton and Charlie Dent, the former Republican Congressman from Pennsylvania. Thank you for joining us. All right, I want to start with the fact that Trump's competitors are defending him in this primary ballot issue.
Charlie, are they right? Is this just a unifying issue finally?
CHARLIE DENT, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I think Chris Christie's correct that Trump will become a martyr. He'll be able to monetize this decision, and again, play the victim. But on a more serious note, though, it strikes me that absent a conviction, you know, Jack Smith hasn't charged Trump with insurrection, nor has the Department of Justice.
I happen to think he was involved in an insurrection, but there really needs to be some kind of a finding from a court, I would think, to disqualify him. Now, I realize that's not what the Constitution says, but we can't have a situation where, in this case, two states, Colorado and Maine, decided they're going to disqualify him while other states allow him to be on the ballot. So the Supreme court's going to have to jump into this thing pretty quickly.
But it just strikes me that, you know, in this case, I think Trump's opponents are correct in their analysis. They haven't been correct in some of the other cases where you were -- when Trump was indicted and they defended it. But in this case, I think they're on to something. Trump will play this thing.
He'll play the victim card right up until the last moment.
[17:20:35]
REID: And Joe, we heard DeSantis ramping up his rhetoric against Trump. Is this a turning point for the Florida governor or is it just sort of a lost cause?
JOE LOCKHART, FORMER CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIST, NFL: Oh, it's been a lost cause, but I don't think this has anything to do with it. It's been a lost cause from the beginning.
I've always believed that Trump would get the nomination. On the other issue, it never pains me to agree with Charlie. But it really pains me to agree with Governor DeSantis and Nikki Haley and the Republican candidates, but they're right here, which is, this does play to Trump's advantage and there is not a conviction.
Here's what I think the good thing about this is, the sooner the courts rule on this, the sooner we can get back to the campaign. What we don't need is this heading into the general election and having a discussion about whether he can be on the ballot then. And I think, you know, I think we can predict what the Supreme Court will say.
Based on history and based on the composition of the Supreme Court, and it'll be a good thing to get this put on the side and go forward. Absent a conviction. If there's a conviction, I think that's a game changer. I agree with Charlie on that.
REID: Yeah, it seems pretty clear the Supreme Court needs to weigh in and give some clarity on exactly what that section of the 14th Amendment means.
I want to move on to the fact that New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, he was sharply critical of Chris Christie this morning. Let's take a listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. CHRIS SUNUNU, (R) NEW HAMPSHIRE: His race is at an absolute dead end. This is a two person race, right? It's between Trump and Nikki Haley. Everyone understands that. Chris Christie isn't going to make up 30 points in the next three weeks, right?
Nikki Haley can make up 5 or 10 points, and kind of give Trump that defeat that no one thought was possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REID: Harsh but true, right, Charlie?
DENT: Well, yes, but, you know, Chris Christie, though, to his credit, has been making the case prosecuting Donald Trump in this primary, unlike any of his opponents. So I think his voice is good. It is true. Sununu is correct that if Christie were to drop, we believe that most of his votes would go towards Haley.
That is true. But at the same time, (inaudible) Chris Christie's, I think, staying in this race because he believes Trump could be convicted and this whole dynamic of this race in the primary might change. May not, but it might. So he's going to stay in there for a while longer. So, you know, Sununu is not wrong, but Christie, in my view, is probably going to be an immovable object, at least in the New Hampshire primary.
REID: All right, so what will it take for Christie to drop out of the race and give, perhaps, Nikki Haley a better shot at winning the New Hampshire primary? Joe, I'll let you take that one.
LOCKHART: I just don't think it's going to happen. And if this was a race where it was highly competitive and Chris Christie's votes could change the election and and and and block Trump from the nomination, there'd be a lot more pressure on him.
And that's something he might do for the good of the Republican Party. And what do you think is good for the country. But it's not close. I think where I disagree with Governor Sununu is, I've seen 25 point changes in New Hampshire in the polls between Iowa and New Hampshire. But that won't happen this time.
We've gone through a year of this campaign and the dynamic has not changed a bit. Trump is where he is. He hasn't moved. He's had a lot of problems this year. He's still at the same place. He's going to get the nomination.
REID: I don't want to turn to the border. A new Monmouth poll finds that among top policy issues, immigration is where President Biden gets his lowest scores.
Let's listen to what Congressman Tony Gonzales had to say about how the White House is addressing the situation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. TONY GONZALES, (R) TEXAS: Most of America believes in legal immigration, but what we're seeing is not that, this is chaos. And so enough is enough, it's time to deport those that illegally come into the United States. And President Biden can either do that or he can watch and lose and watch the next president enforce those policies that are on the books.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REID: Joe, I want to start with you here. Could this cost Biden a second term?
LOCKHART: Well, I mean, it's an interesting thing because immigration is the top issue for Republicans. It's not for Democrats. So I don't know that this hurts him with Democrats, and Biden's big issue here is motivating Democrats and solidifying the base.
Where I have a problem, it's a very difficult issue, there's no easy answer. Where I have a problem with Republicans making comments like that is there has been a deal on the table for years, something that Lindsey Graham and some Democrats worked out and it was blocked by Republicans that would actually address this problem.
So, you know, demagoguery is very much a part of politics, whether it's Democrat or Republican. But I think given where what Biden's main issue is, I don't know that immigration, you know, is the issue that is going to hurt him that much.
[17:25:46]
REID: Charlie, I want to give you a chance to weigh in. I think the other question here is, independent of all the indictments, all the charges, a possible conviction, is the crisis at the border something that could propel Trump to a second term?
DENT: I do think that the border issue is very impactful in this upcoming election. You just heard from Congressman Tony Gonzales, who represents probably the largest border district in the country, in West Texas, and he is very responsible and thoughtful on the immigration issue, but I think his point is valid, that there can be no immigration reform in this country and the system is broken, it cannot be fixed, as long as there is chaos and mayhem on the southern border, with 10, 000 migrants entering roughly every day.
That is a system out of control. It needs to be fixed. They must bring some sense of order and stability and show that this is a sovereign nation that, that has an orderly system of entrance. They have to deal with this, and they have to fix the asylum system, but they can't fix any of this as long as there's mayhem.
They have to deal with the DREAMers. They have to deal with E-Verify and agricultural visas, and of course the asylum system, but it's going to be very hard to do that as long as the border looks like it's in complete and total shambles. So, I think Gonzales is on to something. I think Joe Biden has to be concerned about these images.
It seems to me they've been late to the game on this issue, and it's going to not work to their benefit, obviously.
REID: Well, just today, more than 350 migrants were flown from Texas to Illinois. Chicago's mayor said Governor Abbott of Texas gave no warning that he was sending them.
Is this what voters want to see, Joe?
LOCKHART: Well, I think this is what Republican voters want to see. But I think that alone highlights the problem. You know, I agree with Charlie on the mayhem at the border, but I think it's a sequencing issue. We're going to have mayhem on the border and chaos, whether it's a Democratic president or Republican president, because we haven't faced the underlying issues.
And I think Charlie was saying, you know, you have to stop the mayhem first. I'm of the view you're not going to stop the mayhem until you have a system that works. But for whether it's a Democrat or a Republican president, this is always a difficult issue because as Charlie said, the system is fundamentally broken.
REID: And of course we need Congress to pass laws. So Joe Lockhart and Charlie Dent, thank you so much for joining us and Happy New Year.
DENT: Happy New Year.
LOCKHART: Happy New Year.
REID: Coming up, Paris counts down to New Year's in about 30 minutes from now. We'll bring that to you live.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:30:52]
REID: You're looking at Abu Dhabi of ringing in the New Year a few hours ago. We have reporters stationed in cities around the world covering the New Year's Eve celebrations. We'll be checking in with them.
First up will be Paris, but we want to get in a little news because earlier today, there was yet another Houthi attack on a cargo ship in the Red Sea.
A U.S. Navy helicopter came under fire and shot back, sinking three Houthi boats and killing those on board. But this is the first time since tensions broke out in October that the U.S. has killed members of the Iranian-backed group who have been targeting vessels in major shipping lanes to show their support for Hamas.
Now despite the consistent provocations against ships, the White House says it is not seeking a wider conflict and just trying to be careful not to further inflame the Middle East.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KIRBY, NATIONAL SECURITY COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS: We don't seek a conflict wider in the region. We certainly aren't looking for a conflict with the Houthis. We've got significant national security interest in the region just on our own, the United States, and we're going to put the kind of forces we need in the region to protect those interests and we're going to act in self-defense going forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CNN's Kevin Liptak is in St. Croix with the president is traveling.
All right, Kevin, you've been closely following the developments here. This was pretty serious.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. And I think it's significant and that it is the first time that the U.S. has directly engaged the Houthis since the October 7th terror attacks.
We have seen the U.S. shoot down missiles and drones that were fired from that group, which is based in Yemen, but this is the first time we've actually seen the U.S. military kill members of the Houthi group.
And the way this all unfolded is the U.S. received a distress call from this cargo ship in the Red Sea that the Houthis were trying to board. It sent these U.S. helicopters, the Houthis fired on the helicopters, and then the helicopters fired on their boats, sank them, and killed all of the people who are on board.
And so it is a significant moment because certainly, the U.S. is very concerned about what this dangerous situation in the Red Sea could mean for the global economy. Because remember, this is a very important shipping route for global trade.
[17:35:08]
The owner of the cargo ship that was the subject of the Houthi attacks today is Maersk, and they had actually just resumed transiting the Red Sea. Now they say they'll wait 48 hours before deciding whether to go back into the region.
And, of course, the U.S. is very concerned about the prospect of a widening conflict. You have seen them fire on other Iranian proxy groups in Iraq and Syria that had been targeting U.S. troops. What they haven't done yet is target the Houthis inside of Yemen. And certainly the major concern in doing that, would be the prospect of an escalating conflict.
So certainly this is all something that President Biden will be continuing to deal with as he enters 2024.
Just next week, the Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will be traveling to the Middle East, including Israel to continue these discussions with the Israelis about a phasing down the conflict, moving to a lower intensity phase of the fighting. That is something that the U.S. would like to see happen very soon. And certainly President Biden will be closely monitoring that as he begins this New Year, Paula.
REID: Kevin Liptak, thank you.
Now, let's get straight to Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, CNN military analyst, and retired commanding general of the U.S. Army. General, thank you for being with us.
We're talking about a major shipping lane here. This appears to mark a major escalation in the Red Sea.
MARK HERTLING, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: You know, Paula, I'm not sure I'd call it a major escalation, but the actions by the Houthi rebels in Yemen certainly pose a risk to major shipping lanes, as Kevin just said.
But they've been doing this for a very long time. There has been actually a maritime context that there has been piracy in this area with not only drones and forced boardings, but even limpet mines to ships that are coming out of the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, and the Arabian Gulf.
Shipping companies have always been concerned about their ships and crews in these areas. And the Maersk company is suspending the operations is just an indicator of how concerned they are. They don't want their crews and their ships to be injured or damaged.
So, yes, it's -- it is certainly something we have to watch. And I think John Kirby's interview earlier today noted all of that. But it's not something that I think the U.S. is extremely concerned about because, as Kevin said, we want to make sure that doesn't escalate even wider.
REID: That's right, because the White House is putting this in the larger context of conflict spreading in the Middle East. How concerned are you about the possible spread in the Middle East?
HERTLING: Yes. I've been concerned about it since the very beginning, truthfully, Paula, you know. But the rocket fire from the Houthi rebels in Yemen can certainly be handled by U.S. ships and forces in the area.
What I'm more concerned about, and which I don't think is getting as much attention, is the constant bombardment of northern Israel coming out of Lebanon by Hezbollah.
So you have not only the activity we've been watching very closely in the Gaza Strip, but you also have attacks from within Lebanon, by Hezbollah. You have the PMF groups in Iran and Iraq that we've seen and these forces in Yemen that all have to be considered. And it certainly is a -- you know, it's tinder that can be caught on fire very quickly. And that's why it's such a delicate dance to ensure it doesn't expand beyond those borders.
REID: Turning to a different conflict, Russia's war on Ukraine, Congress, as you know, they've been slow to provide Ukraine with aid, how dire is the situation there? And what is the need for this aid right now?
HERTLING: Well, from someone who was in combat and had supply lines interrupted, I know how dire that can be. Even just a few days of not getting your supplies, your equipment, your ammo, your gasoline, can cause critical faults in your operations. That's where we are right now in Ukraine.
Ukraine is having difficulty sustaining their operations. They're doing a relatively good job in terms of defending the areas they have regained. But Russia is pouring more and more troops into the area.
And I think we're going to see, first of all, the back and forth on the front lines with the ground forces. But we're also going to see the intensive kind of airstrikes, missile and rocket attacks that we've seen from both sides over the last couple of days.
The beginning of the New Year is going to be very dire for Ukraine, so they have to continue to defend as best they can. But they're certainly hoping that the U.S. Congress comes through with additional aid that President Biden has promised.
REID: I also want to get your reaction to Vladimir Putin's year-end address. Notably, he only made a passing reference to Russia's war on Ukraine. What's your take on that?
HERTLING: Yes. The theme of Mr. Putin's address was this is the year of the family. And that really shocked me, truthfully, because in the last two years, there had been about 315,000 families who have lost their loved ones fighting this illegal war in Ukraine.
[17:40:08]
So he is doing all this in anticipation of his election, which is upcoming in a couple months. He's trying to propagandize what is happening in Ukraine, as well as the very poor economy and the inflation situation within the federation of Russia.
So this is his yearly midnight New Year's Eve address, which he always tries to paint a very bright picture. And truthfully, things in Russia are not going well at all for Mr. Putin. And I think this year is going to be somewhat problematic for him as he continues this war, as well as fighting inflation and the economy on his home front.
REID: General Hertling, thank you for joining us and Happy New Year.
HERTLING: Happy New Year, Paula. Best to you.
REID: And as we continue, our New Year's Eve countdown, a quick look at the celebration earlier in New Zealand.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CHEERS)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:45:17]
REID: Authorities at the Southern border encountered a record number of migrants in December. And this comes as mayors of so-called sanctuary cities like New York, Chicago, and Denver are taking things into their own hands.
CNN's Camila Bernal is covering these developments for us.
All right, Camila, how are these mayors, across the country, dealing specifically with the issue of busing migrants?
CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Paula. So what they're trying to do is allocate the right resources at the right time. But it's been very difficult for a lot of them. In fact, just today, the mayor's office in Chicago confirming that 350 migrants were flown from Texas to Illinois, and they essentially didn't know what to do with them. They were being bused to a number of different suburbs, and it was the city of Rockford that actually told the city of Chicago. So they're trying to get these resources together. What they're asking for is a coordinated effort from Texas with these other cities. But so far, they have not gotten that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BERNAL (voice-over): A breaking point at the U.S.-Mexico border, as preliminary Homeland Security statistics show authorities encountered more than 225,000 migrants so far in December. The highest monthly total recorded in more than 20 years.
And from the border to cities all over the U.S. struggling to keep up, because this welcome comes at a cost.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you're talking about 10 percent of the budget to allocate for cities on this, that's unsustainable. When we have every single hotel room in the city full of migrants that have arrived, that's unsustainable.
BERNAL: For months, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has bust thousands of migrants to these cities, led by Democrats, resulting in turmoil and straining resources.
BRANDON JOHNSON, MAYOR OF CHICAGO: You know, at one point in the summer, we had 25, 30 buses showing up every single day without any coordination or any notification. He is now sending buses outside of the city of Chicago, in some instances 100 miles away where people are being dropped off. They're being told that they are in the city of Chicago, literally dropped off in the middle of nowhere. I find that to be inhumane and unconscionable.
BERNAL: Some smaller municipalities have passed ordinances to try to stop the drop-offs, while the mayors of Chicago, Denver, and New York City are asking the federal government for help.
ERIC ADAMS, MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY: I think much more could be done with all of our national leaders from a decompression strategy to making sure the cost of this is not falling on the laps of everyday taxpayers in our cities.
BERNAL: They are also demanding for coordinated drop-offs with exact times and locations to dedicate the appropriate resources.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What we need is everyone that gets paroled into this country should have the ability to work as soon as they enter. They should have federal dollars to help support them in the cities that they arrive in. And we should have a coordinated national plan for where those folks arrive.
BERNAL: In a statement, a spokesperson for Abbott accused the Democrat mayors of hypocrisy, saying they're now going to extreme lengths to avoid fulfilling their self-declared sanctuary city promises. The statement also said the mayors should call on their party leader to finally do his job and secure the border, something he continues refusing to do.
But some activists believe the crisis at the border takes Republicans, Democrats, and all levels of government to solve.
PEDRO RIOS, AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE: And if the governments are not doing that, then most likely what we'll see is people will be further traumatized and harmed. And, likely, we will see more people die as a result of the inability of governments to really address the humanitarian needs that asylum seekers have.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[17:50:07]
BERNAL (on-camera): And the Biden administration has acknowledged these requests from these mayors to alleviate the crisis. They said the president has asked Congress specifically for resources when it comes to securing the border and law enforcement resources there, but also funding for the cities that host these migrants and also funding for work permits.
There has been some bipartisan efforts in Congress, but so far, they really have failed to come to a solution or something permanent for these migrants and to address this crisis, Paula.
REID: Camila Bernal, thank you.
And New Year, new laws. A slew of state and federal measures will take effect tomorrow, including California's ban on carrying a concealed firearm in sensitive places. This is despite a federal judge's prior ruling that the law is, quote, repugnant to the Second Amendment.
Under the new law, people with permits would not be allowed to concealed carry in places like schools, parks and hospitals, among others.
And a federal appeals court has actually issued an administrative stay, placing a temporary hold on the lawsuit yesterday while litigation plays out.
And gun legislation is not all that will be new in 2024. The minimum wage is set to increase in nearly half of all states next year.
And on student loans, employers will be able to match employees qualifying student loan payments with a contribution into their employer-sponsored retirement account.
CNN's Rafael Romo has more on other laws going into effect. All right, what can we expect that will be new tomorrow?
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Paula, there are so many that is hard to keep track of all of them, but among the most polarizing new laws that take effect with the New Year are those related to gender- affirming care for minors with several Republican-led states moving to enact restrictions. For example, in Idaho physicians or practitioners who provide puberty- blocking medication, gender-affirming surgeries or other treatments to minors could face a $5,000 fine and a felony charge.
In Louisiana, it will become illegal for those under 18 to receive those treatments and healthcare professionals can have their licenses revoked for two years or more if they provide those services.
On the other hand, Maryland, along with several other Democratic-led states, pass protections for gender-affirming care for all ages. And as soon as January 1st, the state will require Medicaid to cover them.
When it comes to abortion, the state of Washington is enacting a law with the goal of making the procedure more accessible by eliminating out-of-pocket costs, including deductibles and copays.
This is, of course, in response to near-total bans in several Republican-led states that took effect in 2023.
In California, a law taking effect Monday protects local healthcare providers from out-of-state litigation over both abortion and gender- affirming care to people from other states.
When it comes to laws that are not as controversial, nearly half of all U.S. states will increase their minimum wage in 2024.
Washington will continue to have the highest minimum wage of all states at $16.28 an hour up from 15.74.
And finally, Paula, the Department of Education's new form to request financial aid will be shorter and easier to fill out starting tomorrow. Great news for those applying for college.
Paula.
REID: Absolutely. And also, we're learning that in 2024, Disney's sole claim on Mickey Mouse will expire. What's the mouse house without the mouse? What can you tell us?
ROMO: Yes. That's one of the new ones that are getting a lot of attention. We're talking about Steamboat Willie, and that's Walt Disney's short film featuring one of the earliest iterations of its beloved rodent.
This Monday, that character becomes available for public use because the company's copyright is expiring Steamboat Willie, premiered in 1928, then made Walt Disney a household name.
But a U.S. copyright law updated by Congress in 1998 allows copyright to be held for 95 years. So it's coming to an end, Paula. Back to you.
REID: All good things must come to an end. Rafael Romo, thank you.
And we have a ton of action still to come. It's only minutes until 2024 in Paris, Berlin, and Rome. We'll bring it all to you live. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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REID: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Paula Reid in Washington. Happy New Years to all of you, our viewers. We are counting down to the New Year.
Here is a live look at New York City's Times Square, where we are just six hours away from celebrations there.
Athens just kicked off the new year in the last hour. Here's a look at their fireworks display.
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