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The World Celebrates 2024; Authorities Prepare for New Year's Eve in Times Square; Russia Launching Strikes Across Ukraine; U.S. Navy Sinking Three Houthi Boats; Migrant Surge Toll on Major Cities; Big City Mayors Push to Regulate Migrant Drop-Offs; Keeping Your Resolutions; Interview with Clinical Psychologist and NYC Associate Professor Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine Jeff Gardere; Top Political Stories of 2023. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired December 31, 2023 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[13:00:00]

SCOTT JENNINGS, FORMER SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: There were members who were getting hammered by some of their base over this, and I heard from a few of them over the weekend that said, wow, I wish I had known Trump's position just a few weeks ago when I was meeting with my constituents. Now, that I have this in my back pocket though, it'll be good to have.

DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: That was not on my bingo card for 2024, I have to say. Definitely not. Guys, thank you. Thank you for everything this year. Happy, happy new year.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy New Year.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy New Year.

JENNINGS: Happy New Year.

BASH: Appreciate it. Appreciate everything. And this week, my co-host Jake Tapper will sit down with House Speaker Mike Johnson. Be sure to watch that on "The Lead." It's this Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. Eastern.

Thank you so much for spending your Sunday morning with us. Happy New Year to you. The news continues next.

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everyone, thank you so much for joining me. I'm Amara Walker in for Fredericka Whitfield.

It is New Year's Eve and we are just hours away from the ball drop in Times Square. This is a live look as we are just 11 hours from 2024. And while Christmas Island was first to welcome the New Year, Sydney, Australia put on a spectacular show.

Fireworks lit up the sky above the iconic Harbor Bridge, making it the first major celebration of the New Year.

And over in New Zealand, the New Year arrived with a stunning fireworks display in Auckland at the country's tallest structure, the Sky Tower.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy New Year, Tokyo.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: And what a beautiful display here in Tokyo. They welcomed the New Year with lanterns as Japan entered 2024.

And this is Seoul, South Korea, where the Lotte World Tower was alight with fireworks ringing in 2024, which will be the year of the dragon.

So, in just a few hours, it'll be a new year here on the east coast of the U.S. And I'd like to bring in Brynn Gingras who is live from New York.

Hello to you, Brynn. The tone is set. Everyone's excited. What are you seeing right now in Times Square?

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Amara, only 11 hours. That's how we have to wait until the ball drops here in Times Square. And can you believe it? There are people already here.

Look at right here. They're actually handing out the Times Square hats that we always see around the time that we start celebrating a little bit later into this evening. But people here get here very early, get excited about the New Year celebration.

And of course, security here. Major issue that we got to talk about, Amara, because, of course, we know that intelligence has said there is a heightened threat environment right now. That means there are more security measures that are being taken to keep the people here safe and also all around this area.

More streets are shut down. We actually have a checkpoint here where these people came in. They actually get wanted before they can come into these pens to wait for that ball to drop.

And a major issue that the NYPD has really been paying attention to since October 7th, since the conflict in the Middle East, are protest, we saw some protests sort of trying to shut down the Christmas tree lighting at the Rockefeller Center, and so that is something they want to protect against happening here. I want you to hear from one of the top guys at NYPD about how they're going to be dealing with that.

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JOHN CHELL, NYPD CHIEF OF PATROL: We're not going to allow unlawful behavior into a lawful assembly and celebration we're having a New Year's Eve. Just like we did for the tree lighting, the same posture. We'll be a little bigger. We have more cops and we'll be ready.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GINGRAS: And we talk about the more cops. Actually, there are more than 600 police officers that graduate the academy and are here. This is their first assignment, is working the streets.

One more thing I have to mention. Of course, there was an incident last year, a lone wolf incident that police are also sort of preparing to make sure nothing like that happens again this year. So many security measures taking place.

But listen, Amara, It's a party, right? We know that this is a party and everyone here is ready to celebrate. And if we zoom up just a little bit, I know it's kind of hard to see, it's not all lit up like it will be tonight, but you see that 2024 with the ball behind it, that is the main event. And of course, everyone here waiting for that to drop.

Only what, 11 hours guys? Not bad. Not bad. I don't know how they do it, Amara. I do not know how they do it.

WALKER: I don't know either. I mean, 11 hours is quite a ways away. What are those? So, tell me about the people there behind you.

[13:05:00]

GINGRAS: Yes.

WALKER: Where are they coming from? I'm sure a lot of people are traveling in just to experience this.

GINGRAS: How do you guys go to the bathroom? That's my first question.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are holding it. Holding it.

GINGRAS: Holding it. Where are you holding it in from? The bathroom. But where are you from?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm from Virginia.

GINGRAS: Virginia.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

GINGRAS: And you drove up here for this event specifically?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: First time ever, ever.

GINGRAS: Bucket list?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's my wife.

GINGRAS: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She needed that part. So, I will take it here for that. GINGRAS: I love it. I love it. Let's see the New Year's kiss. Let's do it. Let's just do it a little earlier.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now?

GINGRAS: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

GINGRAS: NO. OK. Not for (INAUDIBLE). OK. We'll save it for midnight. I hope you guys enjoy it. Amara, Happy New Year.

WALKER: Happy New Year, Brynn. You don't want to jinx it yet. Come on. You got to let them wait until 11:50 or exactly midnight.

GINGRAS: I know. Yes, I know. I know.

WALKER: But good for the husband for making the trip up from Virginia with his wife.

GINGRAS: Right to make a bucket list. I mean, this is -- that's devotion right there.

WALKER: It is.

GINGRAS: My husband would not do that for me. I'm not going to lie.

WALKER: Well, Brynn, have fun at that very long pre-party of 11 hours. We'll see you later, Brynn. Thank you so much.

So, it has been cold and rainy this year leading up to New Year's Eve. Let's go to Elisa Raffa in the CNN Weather Center with more on what we can expect.

And I guess weather is expected to dampen celebrations in some parts of the country?

ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, we could have a few snowflakes for some parts of the area. But overall, the weather is looking pretty quiet. It's dry right now in Times Square. You can see the roads there are dry.

And if you look in between the buildings, you can see some of that gray. It's mostly cloudy, but it's not going to really squeeze out too much in New York going into tonight's. So, you might have one or two snowflakes come down with the confetti, but expecting things to be pretty quiet there.

We do have one storm system that's kind of swirling over the Great Lakes. It's brought some snow to Chicago this morning. Some pretty minor accumulations there. Cleveland, too. But, again, as the storm system kind of works its way east, you could see the accumulations for rain and snow are pretty minor, maybe an inch or two for parts of Western Pennsylvania. And then you could see there, in the spine there of the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia, maybe a few more inches in some of the higher elevations. But overall, not too bad for a holiday.

We have this area of high pressure that's going to take over. So, there's that system I was just talking about, bringing some of those snowflakes, again, maybe the D.C. Area, the Great Lakes, but this high pressure takes over most of the country. So, that's going to leave us really quiet for most of the area.

You're looking at temperatures, as you head out the door for New Year's celebrations, will be on the chilly side, around freezing in Minneapolis, 39 in St. Louis, some 40s from DC to New York. And if you're in Times Square, you're looking at temperatures at midnight in the upper 30s, low 40s, again with the clouds, but not squeezing out too much. A little bit of a breeze. We'll get those wind chills in the middle 30s. So, not overly bad, but kind of seasonal for New York.

And I was curious about some of the warmest and coldest. We actually started to ring in this year, 2023, with the third warmest ball drop on record at 54 degrees. We also were the fifth warmest in 2022 as well in Times Square.

But one of the coldest years on record was just back in 2018. We were rivaling that top spot, nine degrees at midnight, made it the second coldest ball drop in New York City on record. So, at least it's not nine degrees. We will have some of those seasonal 30s, but of course bundling up for New York. But again, at least not record cold. Happy New Year.

WALKER: Yes. But with all those people in Times Square, when it's nine degrees, I'm sure within that area, it feels like 20 degrees. So, you know, a little bit warmer. Elisa Raffa, thank you very much. Good to see you. Happy New Year.

RAFFA: Happy New Year.

WALKER: Well, some parts of the world have already welcomed the new year and our correspondents were there.

Let's go to Tokyo, where we find CNN Correspondent Hanako Montgomery. Hanako, what was it like?

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Happy New Year from Tokyo, Amara. We kicked off the New Year's Eve celebrations by first attending the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Lantern Release Event. People wrote down their New Year's resolutions, their hopes and aspirations for 2024 on these orange lanterns and released them up into the sky. It was a beautiful show, a beautiful presentation.

And right now, we're at Senso-ji Temple, one of the most famous temples in Japan. Tens of thousands of people are gathered here behind me to ring in the new year. And there are just so many different ways you can celebrate the new year here at Senso-ji.

First, of course, there's the omikuji. You pull tiny bits of paper where your fortune is written on them. You can also, of course, pray to your local gods and thank them for the year that you've had. And then, there is the New Year's temple bell, where monks ring this bell 108 times. Once for each of the 108 worldly desires or vices that are said to afflict us humans in Buddhism.

[13:10:00]

And now, there are just so many different ways to celebrate New Year's, Amara, here in Tokyo, and it's just a wonderful time to celebrate it.

WALKER: Thank you so much, Hanako, and Happy New Year to you.

Now to CNN Correspondent Marc Stewart in Seoul, South Korea. Happy New Year, Marc.

MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Happy New Year, Amara. Annyeonghaseyo. Hello from a very chilly Seoul, South Korea. A city that is known for taking old traditions yet melding them with new ones. A city that's really making its mark with technology and innovation, and we saw that here tonight.

From my spot here in the city center, just after midnight, we saw a giant globe light up, shooting light into the sky. And then, in the center, a big red heart. You could say it's a symbol of peace, love and prosperity for the year to come.

And then, on the other side of the river, at the Lotte Tower, the fifth tallest building in the world, a dazzling light show. A show on a building that has 42,000 glass windows, a spectacular sight to see. And then, for the more traditional, a bell ringing ceremony to bring in good thoughts for the new year.

I should point out it is already 2024 here in South Korea. And today, many families will be gathering to pay respects to their elders. And also, to enjoy a warm bowl of soup with rice cakes.

Amara, I hope the new year for you brings lots of happiness and good health. Back to you.

WALKER: Thank you so much, Marc. I do look forward to that warm bowl of dumpling soup, which is a Korean tradition.

And don't forget, 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, it starts tonight at 8:00 on CNN. We'll be right back after this.

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[13:15:00]

?WALKER: Russia launched a fresh wave of attacks on Ukraine overnight, killing at least three people in Kharkiv and a teenage boy in Kherson. Dozens more were injured in the Kharkiv attacks when at least six missiles hit the area. Russia also kept up its attack on other parts of the country.

Ukrainian military officials said new drone attacks were aimed at frontline defenses. Now, Russia says the assault was in retaliation for Ukraine's attacks on the City of Belgorod, which happened inside Russia. CNN's Nic Robertson has more.

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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): In the middle of the Russian city Belgorod, the fiery aftermath of a suspected Ukrainian rocket attack. Russian officials claiming it was a massive assault, using Ukrainian and Czech-made ammunition, fired from a multi-barreled rocket launcher, some of which they claim to have intercepted.

IGOR KONASHENKOV, SPOKESPERSON, RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY (through translator): The Kyiv regime by carrying out indiscriminate attacks on squares and committing this crime is trying to divert attention from defeats at the front, as well as provoke us to similar actions.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): The death toll, including children, climbing through the day. It comes the day after Russia launched its biggest air assault on Ukraine in almost two years of war, at least 40 people were killed, more than 150 injured.

The Ukrainian strike on Belgorod, barely 20 miles from its border Saturday is its deadliest known cross-border attack of the war, according to Belgorod's governor.

Putin dispatched his health minister and an emergency ministry team. Three months out from his upcoming election, the chaos dents his carefully-created image of a war going well.

ROBERTSON: It's unclear if this was Ukrainian revenge, and Ukrainian officials don't routinely comment about this type of attack, but the up tempo does seem to speak to frustrations, fears even, and a determination in Ukraine that absent the financial support that they need from their allies, they can still land blows and thwart Putin's aggression.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Russia's U.N. spokesperson called for an emergency U.N. Security Council session to censure Ukraine much as Russia was the previous night for their massive air assault. Russia's defense ministry says the attack will not go unpunished.

By late Saturday, Russia attacked Ukraine in Kharkiv, with drones. More deaths can be expected.

Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: All right. Nic Robertson, thank you.

Let's get some analysis on all that's going on in Ukraine. With me is CNN Political and National Security Analyst David Sanger. He's also a White House and national security correspondent for "The New York Times." Happy New Year. Good to see you, David. We'll first start with what is retaliation by Russia in Kharkiv. What do you make of the, the, this back and forth between Russia and Ukraine? I mean, it seems like that we're seeing quite a significant escalation.

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST AND WHITE HOUSE AND NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES: Well, Happy New Year, Amara. I'm sorry that we're ending the year in many ways as we began it with more escalation in Ukraine.

I think what you're seeing here is a symptom of the fact that both sides recognize. They are dug in and not moving much in the south and the east, which has been the main line of contact.

And, you know, a year ago, we thought that it was entirely possible that this would be the year that the Ukrainians broke through and that Russia would be on the retreat. In fact, the Russians have gained a little bit of ground in the south and the east.

[13:20:00]

And the main way that Ukraine can get their attention these days is to take the war to Russia itself. And that's the main way I think that the Ukrainians are hoping to turn Russians against the war. It's a little rich to have the Russians go to the U.N. to complain after they invaded Ukraine. But what I'm afraid we could be into is a cycle of basically terrorism here in which both sides are using drones and missiles against civilian populations.

WALKER: And while Ukraine is getting its last military aid package of $250 million from the U.S. and of course, no more will be coming unless Congress passes a bill to give them more funding, the Biden administration, for the second time this month, is bypassing Congress to approve an emergency weapons sale to Israel.

How unusual is this move of the president bypassing Congress to send weapons directly to Israel and why? Why is the president doing this?

SANGER: It is an unusual feature and it comes from a provision in the law that basically allows the president to take emergency action if he judges it is necessary for American national security.

Now, this has raised some protests, including from Democrats. There was a pretty stiff letter from Senator Tim Kaine. I mean, there's no greater supporter of the administration among the Democrats than Tim Kaine objecting to the sort of Friday night releases where they announced that they have just sent or they're about to send a weapon -- weaponry to Israel.

The concern that it's raising is that if you wanted to put some constraints on how those weapons are being used, the way we put constraints on the Ukrainians, right, because we say the Ukrainians can't use American weapons to fire into Russia, then that's being bypassed.

Now, this could all go away if Congress ultimately acts on a bill that would increase aid on the border, increase aid for Israel and for Ukraine, but it's not at all certain that's going to pass.

WALKER: And of course, the concerns over a wider escalation in the region due to the Israel Hamas war continues. And once again, we're hearing about another attack by the Iranian-backed Houthis off the coast of Yemen. They apparently tried to attack, or they did attack a commercial ship and attempted to board it. And then a Navy helicopter responds, fires on the Houthis, and I think sinks three out of the four boats.

It's the first time since October 7th, as I understand, that the U.S. has killed members of the Iranian-backed Houthi rebel group. What do you make of this? Where is this headed?

SANGER: So, Amara, this is a big step, because until now, President Biden has been very careful to avoid having the U.S. attack with Houthis certainly in Yemen, and there hasn't been, as you noted, direct engagement between Americans and the Houthis.

In this case, it appears, if you believe the account that U.S. Central Command has turned out, we have no reason to doubt it, that the Houthis, in attacking a Maersk container ship opened fire on a U.S. Navy helicopter or helicopters that were coming to aid the ship.

And at that moment, the helicopter commanders shot back in self defense, sank three of these four small fast boats the Houthis were using, and killed the crew in, in those three. The Houthis have since turned out an announcement just in the past few hours, saying that 10 of their fighters died in this and vowing to continue.

There's been a lot of pressure, including from the Pentagon on President Biden to act more strongly against the Houthis here and to re-establish some deterrence. And I think people are probably going to sit back now for a moment and see whether the Houthis got the message from this or whether they continue the attacks. It's very hard to tell. And it could be exactly that escalatory spiral that the president's been trying to avoid.

WALKER: Yes. Really precarious situation. David Sanger, we will leave it there. Unfortunately, not the best positive conversation to end the year.

SANGER: Yes.

WALKER: But it is what it is. A Happy New Year to you, David Sanger. Thank you.

SANGER: Thank you very much, Amara. You too.

WALKER: All right. Still ahead, as the year comes to a close, a new phase of the migrant busing crisis begins. We're going to take a look at how mayors in the north are trying to handle the influx of migrants sent by the governor of Texas.

[13:25:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WALKER: Authorities at the southern border encountered a record number of migrants in December as more than a quarter of a million migrants arrived at the U.S. Mexico border. That is the highest monthly total recorded, dating back to 2000.

[13:30:00]

And this comes as mayors of so-called sanctuary cities like New York, Chicago and Denver are taking measures into their own hands, attempting to slow the flow of migrants, mostly being sent by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. CNN's Camila Bernal is covering these developments for us.

Hi there, Camila. What can you tell us about this record surge, why we're seeing it, and how mayors across the country are dealing with the busing of migrants to their cities?

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Amara. So, the problem here is that that surge also translates to more resources and more money needed both at the border and really at cities all over the country. And I talked to a lot of activists who say, look, you have to look at these migrants as people who are struggling, people who are seeking asylum.

Their hope is that humanitarian aspect will bring politicians from both sides of the aisle together to try to work on this problem, which continues to be a crisis in this country.

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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.

MAYOR MIKE JOHNSTON (D-DENVER): 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 (voice-over): For months, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has bused thousands of migrants to these cities, led by Democrats, resulting in turmoil and straining resources.

MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON (D-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 a hundred 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 (voice-over): 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.

MAYOR ERIC ADAMS (D-NY): 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 (voice-over): They are also demanding for coordinated drop offs with exact times and locations to dedicate the appropriate resources.

JOHNSTON: 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 (voice-over): 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.

BERNAL (voice-over): Camila Bernal, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERNAL (on camera): Now, the Biden administration, they have acknowledged some of these requests from these mayors to alleviate the crisis. And the White House says that President Biden has asked Congress to look at this issue to give him funding for more law enforcement at the border, to secure the border and also, funding for these cities that are hosting migrants and funding for work permits. And while we have seen some bipartisan efforts in Congress, we have not seen a permanent solution. Amara.

WALKER: We have not. It has been an intractable issue for many, many years. Camila Bernal, great to see you. Happy New Year. Thanks so much.

BERNAL: Thank you. You too.

WALKER: Well, we're just hours away from the start of the new year here in the U.S. Is being a better you in the cards for 2024 or have you just given up? Coming up, how to make and keep your resolutions?

And as we head to break, here is more of the new year's celebrations from Hong Kong.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy New Year.

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[13:35:00]

WALKER: And let's show you more of the New Year's celebrations from around the world. Why not, right? Let's go to Will Ripley at the Temple of Dawn in Bangkok.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Happy New Year from Bangkok, Amara. We are in the primo spot to ring in the New Year here in Bangkok. And wow, it was incredible.

The fireworks were directly above us. So close, I swore I could feel the heat coming off of them as we were standing here on this rooftop with dozens of our closest friends who decided to come here along with every rooftop that has a view along the Chao Phraya River here in Bangkok.

This amazing site. It is the Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, and it's a perfect place, they say, to ring in the new year and auspicious place. People come here to watch the sunrise and sunset. We were able to watch the beginning of 2024 under the spectacular -- well over five minutes of just spectacular fireworks here in Bangkok, Amara.

[13:40:00]

And that is one thing about this city that's really incredible. You can see history, while at the same time, modern fun. And that was what this new year was all about. Amara.

WALKER: Wow. What a beautiful view with the temple behind you. Will Ripley, thank you. And of course, Happy New Year to you, my friend.

Well, we're just a few hours away from a new year here on the East Coast of the U.S. And of course, that means it's time to make New Year's resolutions. A recent CBS poll found that 37 percent of Americans make resolutions. The top ones? Improve health, exercise, spend more time with the people they care about, and diet or eat better.

You can tell many people make multiple resolutions, but it can be difficult to keep these resolutions for even a few months, much less the entire year, right? So, joining me now to give you some tips on how to keep your New Year's resolutions as long as you can is psychologist, Dr. Jeff Gardere.

Dr. Jeff. Good to see you. Happy New Year.

JEFF GARDERE, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST AND ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR TOURO COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE, NYC: Thank you.

WALKER: Gosh. OK. So, I guess I'll make new year's resolutions because I stopped doing it a few years ago. I just -- you know, maybe I'm just a pessimist. But what are your tips for making an achievable resolution?

GARDERE: Well, first of all, I don't think that in any way you are a pessimist. It looks like you're just staying on track, and that's a great thing, too. And a lot of us need to do that, but to get on track.

So, I would say, first of all, limit the number of resolutions that we make. We make too many of them, and therefore we tend to lose that energy and the focus. Prepare. Do the research. Find the best ways to make some of those changes that you talked about, such as cutting down on the drinking, or eating better, losing weight. Be more realistic in those approaches.

Building incentives and rewards, Amara, that's so important because when we have positive reinforcement, it just keeps us moving forward in our resolutions.

Buddy up with someone. Be with someone who's trying to do the same thing you're doing, such as wanting to work out a couple of times a week. And of course, we're only human. So, that means that as human beings, we tend to falter. We tend to fall off the wagon. Don't give up. Just pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep on going.

WALKER: OK, fine. OK, Dr. Jeff. So, here I go. These are my resolutions. I'll do these on the air live. I guess the first one will be not to yell so much at my children.

GARDERE: All right.

WALKER: Try to eat a little healthier, and be nicer to my husband.

GARDERE: Well, I think --

WALKER: So --

GARDERE: Yes. Those are really great because they really connect to one another. Because if you are a healthier individual, you're certainly going to be much nicer to your children and to your husband.

So, when I said, don't make too many of those resolutions, if you want to make more than two or three, make sure that they connect with one another. And so, I think those are great resolutions.

And you did something else, which is really great. Amara, you announced it to the world so that -- you have to be accountable. I tend to tell people, just go ahead and put them up on the refrigerator or let your friends know that you're making it, but the intention is out there and therefore, you answer to a higher authority, reality.

WALKER: Yes. Yes. So, I did announce it out to the world. That's a bit risky. So, if anyone out there sees me in public yelling at my kids, you can remind me that I had a New Year's resolution not to yell so much.

OK. So, I want to go to the CBS poll, Dr. Jeff. Because it also asked what resolutions the nation should make. And 91 percent said we should spend more time with loved ones. That's a noble goal. What does that say about what we prioritize in the U.S.?

GARDERE: Well, what it really tells us is we're still suffering from the pandemic from a psychological point of view and certainly, from a medical point of view. But our surgeon general did say that isolation, being lonely is a major, major issue for our older people in our society and certainly for all of us in general.

So, we really have to prioritize, perhaps not being so much on our devices and being on games and, you know, just contacting one another online, but actually getting out there and seeing one another face to face and having those social interactions. That's so important for both our physical, but especially our emotional health.

WALKER: Absolutely. We all benefit from the eye-to-eye contact and the social interaction in person rather than virtually. Dr. Jeff, before we go, I'm going to put you on the spot. Have you made any New Year's resolutions for yourself?

GARDERE: Yes. My biggest the New Year's resolution that I've been working on for years is to increase the number of days per week that I work out. Right now, it's about five to six days. I want to be able to do it seven days a week. And that's only because I have obsessive compulsive disorder. I should also be working on.

[13:45:00]

WALKER: So, you've diagnosed yourself. I'm sorry. Five to six days a week is not good enough. So, now, you're trying to go to seven. OK. All right. OCD, that seems about right.

GARDERE: Staying healthy. Listen, as we're getting older, it's important that we just keep on moving, and whether it's taking the stairs or exercising, and it's a big resolution for many people, it's about being there for our families and being healthy.

WALKER: You know, I'm going to take your cue and try to increase my workout from two days a week to three days a week. Try -- not trying to keep them too lofty, you know, make them more reasonable days.

GARDERE: Three days, perfect. I tend to overdo it, but I want to be strong.

WALKER: Well, you look strong. You look fit and you definitely seem healthy. Dr. Jeff Gardere. Thank you very much and Happy New Year's to you.

GARDERE: Well, it's a pleasure. Happy New Year.

WALKER: All right. Still to come, accusations of corruption and chaos in Washington. We're going to take a look back at the top 10 political stories of 2023.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:50:00] WALKER: There was more than enough political drama to go around in 2023. CNN Correspondent Eva McKend has the top 10 political stories of the year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EVA MCKEND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When it comes to the top 10 political stories of 2023, this was another big year with unprecedented chaos in Washington, courtroom spectacles, and accusations of brazen corruption.

MCKEND (voice-over): At number 10, Senator Bob Menendez faces corruption related charges.

MANU RAJU, CNN ANCHOR, INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY AND CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: But you're being accused of aiding a foreign government, why is it appropriate for you to go into a classified briefing?

SEN. BOB MENENDEZ (D-NJ): Bottom line is, I'm a United States Senator. I have my security credentials and an accusation is just that. It's not proof of anything.

MCKEND (voice-over): Menendez and his wife are accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, including gold bars, cash, and a luxury vehicle in exchange for the senator's influence. The indictment led Menendez to step aside as chair of the powerful Foreign Relations Committee. But the New Jersey Democrat and his wife maintain their innocence and have pleaded not guilty. He has pledged to remain in his seat despite calls from many lawmakers to resign, including from some of his fellow Senate Democrats.

At number nine, a moving tribute to Rosalynn Carter, the former first lady, humanitarian and mental health advocate. Former President Jimmy Carter emerges from hospice care to attend a public memorial service, paying tribute to his late wife, which also brought together the First Ladies Club.

The Carters became internationally known for their humanitarian work after Carter's stinging presidential defeat in 1980. They have the longest marriage in presidential history at 77 years.

MCKEND: Number eight, Hunter Biden's high stakes plea agreement with federal prosecutors falls apart.

ABBE LOWELL, HUNTER BIDEN'S ATTORNEY: The prosecutors who came forward to us and were the ones to say, can there be a resolution short of a prosecution?

MCKEND (voice-over): Now, he's facing three federal firearms charges and nine new tax charges. The case could pose another challenge to President Joe Biden's reelection bid with House Republicans also investigating the president's son and pursuing an impeachment inquiry into the Democratic incumbent. So far, the GOP-led probe has struggled to uncover wrongdoing by the president. HUNTER BIDEN, PRESIDENT BIDEN'S SON: I'm here today to make sure that the House Committee's illegitimate investigations of my family do not proceed on distortions, manipulated evidence, and lies.

MCKEND (voice-over): Number seven. Foreign wars create political fractures at home, from the halls of Congress to college campuses. President Biden calling on Americans to unite behind Israel and Ukraine in their respective conflicts.

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: American leadership is what holds the world together. American alliance is what keep us, America, safe.

MCKEND (voice-over): But the president facing skepticism from Republicans on providing more aid to Ukraine.

SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH): Republicans disagree amongst themselves about exactly how we should respond to the Ukraine question.

MCKEND (voice-over): And pressure from some in the progressive wing of Biden's own party over Israel.

REP. RASHIDA TLAIB (D-MI): President Biden, not all America's with you on this one. And you need to wake up and understand that.

MCKEND: Number six. The Republican race for the White House takes shape.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND U.S REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're going to win the Iowa caucuses. So, that should be --

MCKEND (voice-over): Donald Trump closes out the year as the commanding front-runner for the GOP nomination as his rivals battle to emerge as the leading alternative to the former president.

After entering the race as the top threat to Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's rise was slowed amid a shaky campaign launch in a series of campaign resets.

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL), U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're going to have this debate in Iowa before the caucus. I will be there. Donald Trump should be there.

MCKEND (voice-over): Meanwhile, Former South Carolina Governor, Nikki Haley, gained momentum late in the year after several strong debate performances.

NIKKI HALEY, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Where have you all been?

MCKEND (voice-over): Amid Trump's dominance, several GOP hopefuls dropped out before the calendar turned to 2024, including Former Vice President Mike Pence, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.

[13:55:00] Number five, the potency of abortion rights in a post-Roe America. More than a year after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, abortion rights proved to be a galvanizing issue for Democrats.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want to protect abortion access.

MCKEND (voice-over): Helping deliver victories for Democratic candidates in off-year elections in Virginia and deep red Kentucky, and voters in Ohio passing a ballot measure to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We did it.

MCKEND (voice-over): Number four, President Joe Biden announces his re-election bid, facing significant political headwinds and setting up a potential rematch with Donald Trump.

J. BIDEN: It is time to finish the job. Finish the job.

CROWD: Four more years. Four more years. Four more years.

MCKEND (voice-over): Biden's bid for a second term is imperiled by stubbornly low approval ratings and persistent questions about his age. His campaign leaning on his legislative record and drawing a contrast with his 2020 rival.

J. BIDEN: There's an extremist movement who does not share the basic beliefs in our democracy, the MAGA Movement.

MCKEND (voice-over): Despite weariness from some Democrats, Biden is expected to face little resistance in winning the party's nomination in 2024, drawing long shot challenges from Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips and author Marianne Williamson. Several third-party candidates have also announced, including Robert Kennedy Jr. and Progressive scholar, Cornel West, who could turn into wild cards in the general election.

MCKEND: Number three, embattled congressman George Santos expelled.

REP. GEORGE SANTOS (R-NY): I don't care.

MCKEND (voice-over): The U.S. House voted to expel the New York Republican after a scathing ethics report in a year-long swirl of controversy about Santos's litany of lies. Santos becomes just the sixth member in history to be expelled from Congress, and the third since the Civil War.

SANTOS: Why would I want to stay here? The hell with this place.

MCKEND (voice-over): After winning a battleground House district, major pieces of Santos biography fell apart, including his claims around his education, professional experience and family background. Santos was later indicted on federal charges, including wire fraud and money laundering, but pleaded not guilty and has denied the allegations.

SANTOS: And I'm not really commenting on the ongoing investigation.

MCKEND: Santos reemerged soon after being removed from office on the celebrity video message site Cameo.

SANTOS: Well, happy, happy birthday.

MCKEND (voice-over): Number two, Kevin McCarthy becomes the first house speaker removed from the post. McCarthy's ouster came 10 months after he claimed the gavel, following a floor fight that went five days and took 15 rounds of voting that divided the GOP and saw the California Republican bend to a series of concessions to hardline conservatives. In the end, eight House Republicans joined with Democrats to depose McCarthy.

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA), FMR. U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: It's frustrating because it's just a few, these eight working with all the Democrats, to ruin the reputation of the Republicans.

MCKEND (voice-over): The move sparked weeks of chaos and infighting among House Republicans as they struggled to coalesce around a successor before ultimately voting to elevate little known Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson as the new speaker.

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: I want to thank you all for the trust that you have instilled in me.

MCKEND (voice-over): Number one, the country's 45th president and leading Republican presidential candidate becomes the first former president to face criminal charges.

TRUMP: I won't be able to go to Iowa today. I won't be able to go to New Hampshire today because I'm sitting in a courtroom.

MCKEND (voice-over): Trump is facing 91 criminal counts, ranging from conspiracy to obstruct justice, to racketeering across four separate jurisdictions in New York, Washington, D.C., Georgia, and Florida. Trump denying all those accusations.

JACK SMITH, SPECIAL COUNSEL PROSECUTING DONALD TRUMP: An indictment was unsealed charging Donald J. Trump with conspiring to defraud the United States, conspiring to disenfranchise voters, and conspiring and attempting to obstruct an official proceeding.

FANI WILLIS, FULTON COUNTY, GA DISTRICT ATTORNEY: The defendants engaged in a criminal racketeering enterprise to overturn Georgia's presidential election result.

MCKEND (voice-over): The Fulton County, Georgia indictment resulting in this historic image, the first mug shot of a former U.S. president. The former president regularly turning his courtroom appearances into campaign style events.

TRUMP: This is a witch hunt, the likes of which --

[14:00:00]