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Cross-Border Strikes; Israel Says Months of War Ahead; The Economy in 2024. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired December 31, 2023 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Live from CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

Suspected strikes by Ukraine kill more than 20 people in Belgorod, Russia. Russia hits back with more attacks on Ukraine.

Israel's prime minister says the war will continue on for months. In the midst of it all, displaced Palestinians struggle to find food and shelter.

And the 2023 economy turned out better than most had reason to expect. But what could 2024 have in store?

Moscow has fired the latest shot in a wave of cross border attacks and counterattacks between Russia and Ukraine. It came Sunday morning when Ukraine reported a Russian drone strike on its second largest city, Kharkiv. Several apartment buildings were hit hours before, Ukraine says Russian missiles pummeled the same city, wounding 26 people. Those strikes damaged residential buildings, hospitals, businesses and government offices.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IRYNA NIKITINA, KHARKIV RESIDENT: This is our New Year. What a present Russia gave us this New Year. They are black souls, simply black souls. They bomb residential areas. There are people here. How can one do such a thing?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Now, the second attack on Kharkiv followed a Ukrainian strike in the heart of the Russian city of Belgorod. Russia says at least 21 people were killed and more than 100 others injured.

Nic Robertson reports on the aftermath.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

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 checkmate ammunition fired from a multi-barreled rocket launcher, some of which they claim to have intercepted.

IGOR KONASHENKOV, SPOKESPERSON, RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY: 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: 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 its health minister and an emergency ministry team three months out from his upcoming re-election. The chaos dense his carefully created image of a war going well.

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. The absent the financial support that they need from their allies, they can still land blows and thwart Putin's aggression.

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 VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: And we go now to Rome where CNN's Barbie Nadeau is standing by. And, Barbie, Nic just mentioned Russia calling for a U.N. Security Council meeting, accusations of terrorism by Russia against Ukraine. What more can you tell?

BARBIE NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: Yes. You know, the U.N. security meetings really because there's been a lot of backlash obviously against Russia calling this and calling this an attack by Ukraine unprovoked.

[03:05:05]

We've got some sound from this.

Let's listen first to what the Russian representative to the U.N. said, and then let's hear what the Ukrainian representative to the U.N. said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) VASSILY NEBENZIA, RUSSIAN REPRESENTATIVE TO U.N.: Russia does not target civilian Ukrainian citizens, no matter how much you talk about it. Some of you know that you are aiming only at the military infrastructure of Ukraine. And even more so, we do not purposefully direct weapons against civilians.

SERHII DVORNYK, COUNSELOR, UKRAINE'S PERMANENT MISSION TO U.N.: And as Ukraine is still recovering from yesterday's horrendous strike, new waves of Russian terror persist. Just hours ago, as was mentioned by assistant secretary general, Russia again terrorized Kharkiv with S- 300 missiles hitting a residential building and a hotel. Since this morning, a number of cities and villages in Ukraine have come under Russian fire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NADEAU: And, Kim, when you listen to this sort of propaganda, almost this back and forth two years into the war, things are just getting deadlier and deadlier. And we were talking earlier about the sort of lack of support and the sort of hiccups in continuing support from both the United States and the European Union. I think what we're seeing on the ground right now, that this war is nowhere near ending anytime soon. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: All right. Barbie Nadeau in Rome, thank you so much.

President Biden is turning up pressure on lawmakers to approve more aid for Ukraine. More than $60 billion in military aid is stalled in Congress as western officials warn Ukrainian forces will face an uphill battle without more assistance.

Kevin Liptak has more.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: President Biden is sharply condemning Russia's attack on Ukraine, calling it the most serious since the war broke out, and really using it to remind Americans of the continued war on the ground there, saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin's intentions have not changed in the two years since this war broke out.

He's also using this as a moment to call on Congress to pass new assistance for Ukraine and really telling lawmakers that the defensive systems that have been passed already, the Patriot missile batteries, other defensive systems, have saved lives on the ground there, including just this week, but that if those systems aren't provided in the future, the Ukrainians will essentially be left defenseless.

In a statement, the president saying, unless Congress takes urgent action in the New Year, we will not be able to continue sending the weapons and vital air defense systems Ukraine needs. We cannot let our allies and partners down. History will judge harshly those who fail to answer freedom's call.

But, remember, this new funding for Ukraine is tied up in this debate back in Washington between Democrats and Republicans over immigration, over tightening the rules at the border. And it remains to be seen whether this new air assault will do anything to change the minds of skeptical Republicans who, at the end of the day, really just don't support new funding for Ukraine. They don't believe that it is in America's best interest.

Just this last week, the White House said that it had approved the final amount of money that was left in the existing authorization, $250,000,000 in assistance to Ukraine, but essentially saying that that was the bottom of the barrel, that no new funding would be going forward unless it was passed by Congress.

So, President Biden really hoping to use this moment to convince these lawmakers that that assistance is necessary going forward, and as he returns to Washington next week, that will certainly be at the top of his agenda as the war in Ukraine continues to rage on.

Kevin Liptak, CNN, traveling with the president in St. Croix.

BRUNHUBER: U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith is pushing back against former President Donald Trump's claims of presidential immunity in his 2020 election interference case. Smith's claims in a new court filing on Saturday, it says that Trump's sweeping assertion, quote, threatens to license presidents to commit crimes to remain in office. He also made an unusual request for the appeals court to implement its ruling quickly that could fast track the case ahead of the 2024 election.

CNN's Zachary Cohen has more from Washington.

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Special Counsel Jack Smith is arguing that the former president, Donald Trump, is wrong in claiming he should have absolute immunity from criminal prosecution in the federal election subversion case. And he's asking a federal appeals court to move quickly in hopes of preventing the March 4th trial date from being delayed.

Now, this is in a new court filing by Smith in which he says Trump's claim of absolute immunity, quote, threatens to license presidents to commit crimes to remain in office. Smith also emphasizing the historical importance of the court's decision, warning that granting Trump such broad immunity, quote, threatens the democratic and constitutional foundation of our republic.

[03:10:00]

This filing is coming ahead of oral arguments. Those are set to begin in Washington on January 9th. The trial was initially scheduled to begin on March 4th, but Trump has been trying to delay that and his fight over the immunity claim really underscoring those efforts.

But if the appeals court moves quickly, it could keep the original trial date from sliding. And with the looming presidential campaign only months away, it's clear that timing is critical for both sides in this case.

Zachary Cohen, CNN, Washington.

BRUNHUBER: No end in sight to the fighting in Gaza. Palestinians who have already fled their homes are facing food shortages and disease outbreaks. We'll have a look at the miserable conditions they're forced to endure, just ahead.

Plus, North Korea rejects reunification with South Korea as it vows to launch more spy satellites and step up war preparations. We'll have details ahead.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:15:00]

BRUNHUBER: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the war against Hamas will continue for months. He claims that Israel's military has the upper hand right now and that it has killed more than 8,000 terrorists since the war began.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: The war is at its height. We are fighting on all of the fronts. We have huge success, but we also have painful cases. Achieving victory will require time. As the chief of staff has said, the war will continue for many more months.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: But the Hamas-run Ministry of Health says the majority of victims in Gaza are children and women. They put the latest death toll at nearly 22,000, more than 56,000 wounded. Now, CNN can't independently confirm information from the ministry.

Displaced Palestinians trying to survive in Rafah tell CNN they're struggling with overcrowding and sky-high food prices.

Journalist Elliott Gotkine is in Tel Aviv with the latest.

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: Rather than lowering the intensity of the fighting, Israel is, if anything, ratcheting up the pressure on Hamas. It said on Saturday that battles were continuing in the northern part of the enclave, while at the same time it was expanding its operations in the central and southern part of the Gaza Strip.

At the same time, this means that many Palestinians are being displaced yet again. And what tends to happen is they seem to be gravitating towards Rafah, in the southern part of the Strip, which is becoming overcrowded, there is a scarcity of food. There are outbreaks of diarrhea, respiratory diseases and other diseases as well. And prices for basic goods, like flour and salt, are skyrocketing at the same time.

Now, meanwhile, on Israel's border with Lebanon, there were around 15 launches fired from Hezbollah, this is the Iranian proxy in Southern Lebanon, towards Israeli territory. There was no report of damages or any fatalities, but Israel responded in kind. Now, 15, that is more than were launched towards Israel on Friday, when there were 10, but far fewer than the 50 that were launched towards Israel on Thursday. So, this war that isn't yet officially a war is still simmering. It's yet to boil over, but there are still concerns that at some point it might.

Here in Tel Aviv, meanwhile, thousands of people gathered in Hostages Square to again put more pressure to keep up the pressure on the government to do all that it can to bring the 100-plus hostages still being held in Gaza after being abducted on October the 7th by Hamas and other groups, keep up the pressure on the government to bring all those hostages home.

And almost opposite on the other side of the road at the Defense Ministry headquarters, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was holding a press conference. He said that he was determined to bring all those hostages home and fulfill the other key war objective of destroying Hamas, even if it takes months and even in the face of international pressure.

He thanked the United States for the provision of weapons and for its support at the United Nations Security Council, but he said that the fighting would continue until its mission accomplished.

Elliott Gotkine, CNN, Tel Aviv.

BRUNHUBER: An Israeli-French woman who spent more than 50 days in Hamas captivity is sharing her story to shine a light on the horrors that the remaining hostages are facing right now in Gaza.

Mia Schem was kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7th after suffering a gunshot wound to her arm. She describes receiving surgery in Gaza without pain medicine. Mia said she spent much of the time in a house with a Hamas member, his wife and their children. But she says no one treated her with kindness. Then she was taken to the tunnels. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIA SCHEM, FREED ISRAELI HOSTAGE: I met other hostages in my last five days in the tunnels, six people, seven people in a room of 2x2 meters, one on top of the other in a cage, getting one pita a day with no air.

This is why I didn't digest my return home. I cannot make peace with it because there are more people there and I know what it's like to be there. And it's in my head all day, every day. It doesn't leave me well there you're seeing it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: There you're seeing Mia's emotional reunion with her family. Mia said while she was in captivity, she saw her mother on T.V. and drew strength from her mother's strength.

North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un says his country will no longer seek reconciliation and reunification with neighboring South Korea. State media reports that Kim said it would be a mistake to deal with people who consider his nation, quote, the main enemy.

This comes as Kim earlier this week instructed his army to accelerate war preparations in response to what he called confrontation moves by the U.S.

[03:20:04]

North Korea also says it will launch additional spy satellites next year.

CNN's Marc Stewart looks at what it can mean for the country's missile program, which has been banned by the U.N. Security Council.

MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In a forceful statement, North Korea announced plans to launch three spy satellites in 2024. Experts feel is significant because this technology could help advance its long- range missile program.

The remarks were made during the ruling Workers' Party meeting to set state goals for the next year. North Korea successfully launched a spy satellite in recent months after two known failures. This comes as the International Atomic Energy Agency expressed concern after detecting signs of a new reactor operating at the nation's main nuclear complex. That potential raises concern as it could allow North Korea to produce nuclear components at a faster pace.

Recently, state media reported that North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un instructed the country's army, the weapons industry and others to accelerate war preparations in response to, quote, confrontation moves by the U.S.

Some context, these remarks by Kim Jong-un come amid perceptions by North Korea of a strengthening alliance between the United States and South Korea, this as North Korea and Russia could possibly solidify their own relationship in the year ahead.

Marc Stewart, CNN, Seoul.

BRUNHUBER: Well, if there's one thing that can be said about the U.S. economy in 2023, it's that things weren't as bad as we were told to expect.

Now, this time last year, the storm clouds were building, inflation was sky-high, markets were shaky at best, and a recession seemed inevitable. And while the Fed did raise rates pretty consistently through the year, it never really led to a downturn in the economy.

Inflation is still stubbornly high and a problem for millions of American households, but it's continuing to recede towards the 2 percent target the Fed wants to see. And job growth has been solid over the past year, which has helped keep the unemployment rate below 4 percent, and markets, while the main indices, each closed out the year with double-digit percentage point gains. Joining me now is Ryan Patel, a senior fellow at the Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University. So good to see you again.

So, what to make of the year that passed? I mean, many thought that the fight against inflation would lead to a recession, but that didn't happen. Why did so many experts get so many things wrong?

RYAN PATEL, SENIOR FELLOW, DRUCKER SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, CLAREMONT GRADUATE UNIVERSITY: I think it was the resilience. I think the economic conditions that they could not believe that the inflation would stay high with unemployment needing to actually increase and unemployment stayed low.

I think the other thing too is many businesses have become more resilient during COVID and I think part of that we see people kind of plan out to that degree. And consumer spending actually -- didn't decrease very much either.

And so I think that kind of shocked with some of the numbers, but obviously we're still not out of the woods. But, definitely, when you talk about 2023 and double digit growth for the market, that is not something that many would predict and turns out to be a good year for those on the market. And still, through all the instability, it's a win.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Throughout all these so-called bad times, it didn't stop people from spending, that's for sure.

Listen, last time you and I spoke, I think it was in the wake of those bank failures. Three of the four largest bank failures in history happened last year, an extraordinary sequence of events that seemed, to me at least, like it was so long ago. I mean, are we out of the woods on that front?

PATEL: I love how you brought that up, Kim, because people forget that financial crisis, we're not out of the woods when it comes to still having good balance sheets. When you think of 2024, interest rates are going to probably drop but not that much, maybe 50 to 75 basis points here in the U.S. the Fed is looking at. But what does that mean when you had interest rates that's so high this whole year, you're going to start feeling that next year.

And so when those that are having bankruptcies, companies being acquired more, some stability of those balance sheets are not there, we may see some of that from the banking sector.

So, I don't want to say the big banks are going to fail. I think that banking and finance, in general, really need to pay attention and continue to tighten their balance sheets.

BRUNHUBER: Interesting, all right. So, beyond what we already talked about, we talked about inflation, recession, banks, was there an economic story in 2023 that really stood out to you, I mean, maybe the fact that wages are finally going up for so many people?

PATEL: Yes, I think there was a couple, right? You mentioned the banks. I also want to have to mention that you think about IPOs, there are less IPOs this year, only 100, compared to 13 percent the year before, and in 2021, a thousand IPOs.

[03:25:01]

So, that's kind of the insecurity in the industry when it comes to that for next year.

This year, I believe the global political tension is something that -- it's clear that we're going to see more of that next year. And how markets react, how companies react, gives you a blueprint for the next aspect.

But the other thing, Kim, that really stands out to me, that really drove this year was tech companies, the big seven, the magnificent seven, A.I. being the -- leading the markets in these companies, I think, next year.

When I say A.I., Kim, I'm not saying ChatGPT. I'm talking about all A.I. integration. I think companies are going to -- and industries are going to evolutionize next year and have to be able to use that. That doesn't mean laying off people, meaning how to use people and A.I. to give it to max profit and to be more efficient. I think we're going to see an evolution next year for those companies who want to survive and strive.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, it would be interesting to see how that shakes out for so many people.

Now, despite all the good news that I spoke of in the intro, the market is high, plenty of job growth, lower inflation, people still don't feel great about the economy. Why all the pessimism? What's it going to take to get people smiling again?

PATEL: Well, it's because people don't like unpredictability. And I think you mentioned to me about why did analysts get so wrong, is that they thought that one domino would fall and the rest of it would then go down if people would stop spending.

And I think that's where savings are a lot lower, credit risks are a little bit higher, debt is starting to increase. And I think that also lets -- layoffs hasn't stopped either in certain places, even though unemployment is low. And so that kind of provides an uneasiness.

I think what people really want to be really safe in these things is maybe less geopolitical tensions, a little more understanding of what the future lays out toward, and a little more security, I think, is the word. And I think that starts with trust and I think also means that consumers and people who are employers feel that, that they can start spending more capital, and seeing that. I think people need to see that.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, we would all take less turmoil across the globe in 2024, that's for sure.

So, let's pivot to the future. Let's look ahead here. Christmas is always a good economic indicator. So, what are you looking for over the holidays to set the table for 2024 and then big picture next year? Will it be a less turbulent year? I mean, look into your crystal ball. What do you think we can expect?

PATEL: Well, I think we're not going to get the same kind of growth as we did this year. And that's not a negative thing. That just means next year we're going to see a little bit slower growth. I mean, we've seen numbers for global GDP go around anywhere in 2 percent.

That's not a bad thing, Kim. That just means in 2025, you look up the ramp-up period. I think that's what I'm looking at, is how can you ramp up by 2025 to get into a higher growth perspective? So, next year, it would be a win for the markets to get anywhere from 8 percent to 10 percent growth. I mean, that's a win in any year, but especially next year, even though this year it was more.

And so for me, I think that when I look at the next year, do I think it's going to be smooth sailings, absolutely not. I think we're going to see something similar we see this year. And I think the reason why I say that tensions geopolitically aren't going anywhere. I also think China is a big factor in this next year and how their economy does and, geopolitically, where they fit in this, all this on top of all the things we've seen this year thus far.

So, when you throw all that in there, Kim, you're going to see a little bit of a roller coaster. But I think at the end of the day, when you think of the resiliency and see what happened this year, you would hope trade and many other governments get involved will provide some stability, as you and I mentioned, what we need to have a good year that sets up for 2025.

BRUNHUBER: Absolutely. Hope, indeed, looking forward to tracking and dissecting all of this with you next year. Ryan Patel, thank you so much for joining us. I appreciate it.

PATEL: Thank you, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Up next, an update on the storm system that's been pummeling the California coast, spawning monster waves and causing piers, beaches, and coastal parks to close.

Plus, U.S. airports are busy with holiday travelers, but there's been no sign of the chaos seen this time last year. We'll have a report from the country's busiest airport after the break.

Stay with us.

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[03:30:00]

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all you watching us here in the United States, Canada and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

An evacuation warning has been lifted for some residents in Ventura County, California, just north of Los Angeles. An offshore storm has been pummeling the area with high waves and coastal flooding for days.

Now, have a look an incredible moment caught on video Thursday when two beachgoers pulled a lifeguard to safety after the lifeguard rescued a person near the Ventura pier. A county firefighter told CNN, despite the evacuation order being lifted, all beaches and coastal parks in the county will remain closed through New Year's Eve out of an abundance of caution.

CNN's Camila Bernal reports from Manhattan Beach near Los Angeles. Plenty of onlookers have been watching the hazardous surf.

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We've consistently seen waves of maybe five to 10 feet here in Manhattan Beach throughout the day. And authorities are telling people to be extremely careful.

At the moment, the pier here in Manhattan Beach is closed, but we are seeing a lot of people coming to take a look at these waves. Authorities saying yes, they may be beautiful, but they are also extremely dangerous. You're seeing closures when it comes to the piers all up and down the California Coast, not just here in Manhattan Beach.

According to the National Weather Service, we expected waves between 15 and 20 feet in the Central Coast of California.

[03:35:00]

And then here in Manhattan Beach, where I am in Los Angeles county, in Santa Barbara County and Ventura County, waves of 10 to 15feet.

Ventura County was the hardest hit. That's where we saw those dramatic videos of these monster waves and people running from the ocean. Unfortunately, in Ventura County, at least eight people were taken to the hospital because of this. That's where we saw some of the road closures and some of the evacuations.

Authorities saying there is still the risk of flooding, especially in those areas that normally flood in the lower areas. So, again, people being told to be extremely careful, to never turn their back to the ocean. I know I'm doing that now, but I do have a team just ready to tell me in case we need to make a run for it. Hopefully that is not the case.

But, again, authorities just telling people to continue to be very careful, and a lot of the closures, you're going to see them through Sunday.

Camila Bernal, CNN, Los Angeles.

BRUNHUBER: Many travelers here in the U.S. are flying to new locations to celebrate the New Year, while others are headed back home after the Christmas holidays. It adds up to a hectic time at airports across the country, but not as busy as the record setting post- Thanksgiving period.

CNN's Rafael Romo has that. RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christmas has come and gone and it's time to go home. But for travelers here at Hartsfield Jackson Airport, they have one less thing to be sad about, which is no long lines and no congestion, traffic is moving swiftly here.

But make no mistake about it, the number of travelers around this holiday weekend is going to continue to be high. They were expecting to process as many as 2.6 million travelers on Friday, slightly less for Saturday, but still a lot of people trying to get home.

And the main challenge, according to officials, was going to be the number of flights with as many as 48,000 expected on Saturday as compared to 43,000 the day before. We talked to different travelers here at the airport and they said that in spite of the many people that they saw here, they were pleased about how things were moving.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's been busy, but it's been controlled and managed pretty well. Everybody is very friendly, everybody is nice, very helpful. It is a very massive airport, though. So, got to be on your Ps and Q's when you're walking around so you don't get lost.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We just prepare. It's busy, but I don't think it's too bad. This airport is usually really quick, so it's not too bad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: The all time record for the number of travelers was set on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, with 2.9 million people traveling that day. We're not expected to see that kind of number this weekend but still a lot of people going through airports across the country.

And that last traveler said something that is key. Be prepared when you come to the airport. You need to have your I.D. ready in your hand, preferably, when you're going through that screening line. Have your bags ready with no prohibited items in them, and also arrive with plenty of time to be able to park if you need to, or to get to transportation if necessary.

Rafael Romo, CNN at Hartsfield Jackson Airport in Atlanta.

BRUNHUBER: People have been racing to dominate the final frontier for decades. And in 2023, there was a renewed spotlight on the race to the moon. We'll have the latest on that after the break.

Please stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:40:00]

BRUNHUBER: In 2023, we saw a renewed space race to the moon. Now, there were some historic successes and epic failures in efforts to perfect a new lunar landing system. Here's CNN's Kristin Fisher.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.

KRISTIN FISHER, CNN SPACE AND DEFENSE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): More than 60 years after those famous words, it was full steam ahead for a new space race in 2023. Space agencies from around the world are once again competing to get to the moon. And this time, they're hoping to stay for good, leaving more than just flags and footprints.

In 2023, India's space program took a giant leap forward, successfully landing its uncrewed robotic Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the lunar surface in August. It's only the fourth country to do it, after the United States, the former Soviet Union and China. But, so far, India is the only one to reach the south pole of the moon, where water in the form of ice has been detected.

NARANDRA MODI, INDIAN PRIME MINISTER: India's successful moon mission is not just India's alone.

This success belongs to all of humanity.

FISHER: Russia tried to beat them to it, but 2023 wasn't its year. Its first lunar mission in nearly 50 years ended in failure after the Luna 25 spacecraft crashed into the moon.

NASA has ambitious plans to land astronauts on the moon again and eventually create a lunar base camp. But, first, it has to perfect the technology for a new crewed landing, which is set for the Artemis 3 mission in 2025.

2023 was all about the lunar landing system that will help them get there, with SpaceX continuing to test its Starship spacecraft that will carry the crew on that last leg of their journey to the surface of the moon.

[03:45:03]

The first two test flights ended in explosions.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And as you can see, the super heavy booster has just experienced a rapid, unscheduled disassembly.

FISHER: But SpaceX says that's part of the process. Lessons were learned with each attempt, and valuable data was gathered to refine designs, though there's still widespread speculation that Artemis 3 will be delayed.

But it's not just lunar landers going up. SpaceX sent satellites into space in rapid fire succession in 2023, launching, on average, once every four days. And in 2024, it's aiming even higher, shooting for launches 12 times per month. The goal is to expand its Starlink internet system and blanket the globe with high speed Wi-Fi.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You see the reaction there just moments ago as they got that sample back on the ground.

FISHER: And there were big cheers when a capsule full of rocks and dust parachuted back down to earth. The Osiris Rex mission marked the first time that NASA brought samples from an asteroid back to Earth. NASA hopes that the particles from the metal-rich asteroid, Bennu, which dates back 4.5 billion years, will help answer some of humankind's most existential questions.

BILL NELSON, NASA ADMINISTRATOR: Why are we doing this? Because at NASA, we are trying to find out who we are, what we are, where we came from, what is our place in this vastness called the universe.

FISHER: Kristin Fisher, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: When we come back, police are on high alert to keep New Year's Eve revelers safe across the globe. How New York is preparing for the famous ball drop in Times Square, just ahead.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:50:00]

BRUNHUBER: Oscar-nominated Actor Tom Wilkinson has died. A statement from his family said he passed away suddenly at 75 at home, his wife and loved ones at his aside. Born in Leeds, England, he was a character actor with an everyman quality and a broad range.

He played an unemployed steel worker who joined his down and out mates to stage a striptease act in the Full Monty. He was a lawyer who suffered a breakdown in Michael Clayton. Well, that role got him an Academy Award nomination. His first Oscar nod was for In the Bedroom. He also won an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA Award in the U.K.

Law enforcement agencies around the world are ramping up security ahead of New Year's Eve celebrations. New York is deploying thousands of officers with a million people expected to gather in Times Square to ring in the New Year.

CNN's Polo Sandoval is in New York with more.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The security is always extra tight here in Times Square ahead of New Year's Eve celebrations. This year, though, authorities will certainly be operating with a heightened sense of alert.

According to a security analysis obtained by CNN, a collection of law enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal level, including the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, certainly the NYPD, saying that in light of the Israel-Hamas conflict, that's actually created a so-called heightened threat environment, specifically, U.S. intelligence officials are growing increasingly concerned about the threat posed by these difficult to predict lone wolf attacks.

These are the very simple, unsophisticated attacks, very similar to what we saw play out New Year's Eve last year, which is when an individual that would later be described by law enforcement officials as a homegrown violent extremist actually attacked law enforcement personnel at one of those checkpoints in place, which is one of the reasons why they are increasing those security measures this year, according to the NYPD.

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JOHN CHELL, CHIEF OF PATROL, NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT: So, lone wolf attacks are very tough. But like you saw last year, unfortunately, we had a lone wolf attack about 10:00 at night. But our cops were aware their surroundings. They reacted quickly. It's imperative that our cops be aware of surroundings, stand tall, and react quickly to their training, and that's what they did last year.

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SANDOVAL: Similar to years' past, the NYPD rolling out a long list of prohibited items for those folks who actually plan to spend a year's leave here in Times Square, items like umbrellas, large bags prohibited. Also New York City Mayor Eric Adams saying that this year, these security zone itself, it will be expanded, creating a sort of buffer zone, this in light of some concerns about possible disruptions caused by these protests that we've seen break out almost on an everyday basis here in New York City since the October 7th attacks. So, time and time again, we keep hearing from authorities who are emphasizing that there is no credible threat at the moment.

Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.

BRUNHUBER: And you can join us for live coverage around the clock as the world rings into the year. Special coverage begins just before midnight in Sydney, Australia, which is midday in London and morning in New York. It carries on throughout the day and night.

The Detroit Pistons and their fans are finally breathing a little easier after they squeezed out a win and ended a historic 28-game losing streak. Now, it wasn't by much, but Detroit edged the Toronto Raptors 129-127.

The Pistons were in danger of having the longest losing streak in NBA history.

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Their 28-game skid tied a record set by the Philadelphia 76ers. Another Pistons loss would have matched the longest losing streak in major American pro sports history set by the NFL's Chicago Cardinals in the 1940s. One Detroit player said he's happy to be part of a group that didn't quit. The Powerball jackpot is still up for grabs in the U.S. after nobody won the massive prize in Saturday's drawing. The jackpot has now grown to an estimated $810 million and will likely go higher. The next drawing is set for Monday, New Year's Eve day, or New Year's Day, rather. It's been more than two months since anyone won the grand prize, and that jackpot worth of staggering $1.76 billion, still hasn't been claimed.

All right, that wraps this hour of CNN newsroom. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back in just a moment with more news.

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