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An Appeal From Donald Trump's Legal Team Expected Today In Colorado And Maine; President Biden Faces Busy Months Ahead; South Korean Main Opposition Party Leader Stabbed In The Neck With A Knife; Japan's West Coast Deadly Hit By Earthquake; Israeli Military Says It Will Start Pulling Thousands Of Troops From Gaza This Week In Preparation For A New Phase Of The Conflict; Ukraine Says Waves Of Russian Ballistic Missiles Are Headed Towards Kyiv; Spanish Football Star Jennifer Hermoso Scheduled To Testify Against Former Spanish Football Federation Chief Luis Rubiales; Several Buses Transporting Migrants Use New Jersey Train Stations As Transit Points To Evade An Executive Order Issued By New York City Mayor Eric Adams; Some Of The Most Controversial Laws Take Effect With The Arrival Of The New Year; More Americans With Diabetes Will Get A Break On Their Insulin Costs In 2024; The Michigan Wolverines Team Wins Over The Alabama Crimson Tide; Queen Of Denmark Announces A Surprise Abdication After 52 Years On The Throne; Taylor Swift Surpasses Elvis Presley To Score The Most Weeks At Number One On The Billboard 200 Chart For A Soloist; A Single Ticket Matches All Six Numbers Of The Powerball Jackpot. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired January 02, 2024 - 03:00   ET

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

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. You're watching CNN Newsroom and I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead -- today, an expected appeal by Donald Trump's legal team and what that means for the 2024 campaign.

Homes reduced to rubble in Japan -- how the country is dealing with the aftermath of a massive earthquake. Plus, Israel's Supreme Court rejects a key part of the Prime Minister's judicial overhaul -- how it could affect the government and its war against Hamas. That's just ahead.

VOICE-OVER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Good to have you with us. Donald Trump could be just hours away from formally challenging decisions to ban him from primary ballots in two states, Colorado and Maine. A source says an appeal from his legal team is expected today. Anti-Trump challengers succeeded at using the 14th Amendment's insurrectionist ban to remove Trump from ballots, though those decisions have been paused pending potential appeals. But challengers in several other states were rejected and now Oregon's

Supreme Court will decide whether to ban the former U.S. President from the ballot over his alleged role in the January 6th insurrection. Tuesday's expected appeals are coming at the start of a busy month for Trump, which includes closing arguments in the New York Civil Fraud Trial and the start of the presidential primary season.

Well, the first test of this year's presidential election comes in less than two weeks at the Iowa caucuses. Trump has maintained a consistent lead in the polls there, but rivals Nikki Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis are hoping for a strong showing. CNN's Kristen Holmes reports from Washington.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is officially that final sprint to Iowa. We're looking at two weeks, and the candidates are going to all be on the ground, or at least most of them, trying to scoop up every last-minute voter that they can, talk to any kind of Iowan who might be on the fence.

And really going into it, when you look at the poll numbers, you still see that Donald Trump, according to these polls, has a very substantial lead. He is the front-runner. And their goal is to keep that margin really high between him and whoever the second-place person is. Now, the polls show that would be Ron DeSantis right now, and after that, Nikki Haley.

Now, the thing about Ron DeSantis is that Iowa is critical to the Florida governor. He has made this essentially his make or break moment, put all of his cards or all of his eggs in the Iowa basket, and is really focused on that. However, we have seen some substantial rise in the polls from Nikki Haley, but it still looks as though that would be the order. Now, whatever happens in Iowa is really going to set the tone for the rest of the primary and caucus season.

Right now, Donald Trump is leading in most states, but there is a part or there are several Republican operatives who believe that if Donald Trump is slowed down in Iowa, if that margin is not as big as those polls show, it's possible that someone else could take the lead, we could see someone else surge. But right now, it's just still very early and the big focus still remains on Iowa, on the Hawkeye State. Kristen Holmes, CNN, Washington.

CHURCH: Earlier, I spoke with CNN Senior Political Analyst Ron Brownstein and asked him who he thinks will come in second in the Iowa caucuses if Trump ends up coming out on top.

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RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: No one has ever had the kind of lead that Trump now has in national polling and then gone on to lose the primary. You know, Ron DeSantis is probably in the strongest position to come in second in Iowa, as Kristen noted. I mean, he has put all his chips on Iowa. He's visited all 99 counties. He's focused on courting evangelicals and mobilizing support in that community, which is very powerful in Iowa. But he, like many other social conservative candidates who did well in

Iowa, is polling poorly in New Hampshire. And I think it is likely that Nikki Haley is going to do better in New Hampshire than DeSantis does in Iowa, even if Trump is still likely to win both.

And I think the most probable outcome is that after Iowa and New Hampshire on January -- the night of January 23rd, Haley will have eclipsed DeSantis as the most liked -- as the most plausible alternative to Trump.

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And then she will have a month to make her case in her home state of South Carolina, which historically has been the pivotal contest in a Republican primary. Trump remains a heavy favorite there, and if he wins there, he will probably effectively end the race at that point. But if she does well enough in New Hampshire, she will at least have a chance to go into South Carolina and see if she can slow down Donald Trump over those next four weeks.

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CHURCH: U.S. President Joe Biden also has some busy months ahead of him. In addition to the war in Gaza, he's hoping to get more aid approved for Ukraine and address the immigration crisis at the U.S. southern border. More now from CNN White House Correspondent Arlette Saenz.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Biden returns to Washington on Tuesday with a full plate of domestic and foreign policy issues in a year where he is also trying to convince American voters to give him a second term in the White House.

Now, the Israel-Hamas conflict dominated so much of the president's attention in the closing months of 2023 and 2024 will be no different. White House officials are closely watching the coming weeks to see whether Israel actually transitions to a lower intensity phase of fighting. That is something that the U.S. has encouraged Israel to do in recent weeks.

And a senior U.S. official said that they believed that they were starting to see the beginning of that strategy, that tactic, when Israel, on Monday, announced they would be withdrawing some of their troops from Gaza as Israel is preparing for a prolonged fight heading into 2024.

Now, Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be traveling to Israel later in the week, as he is expected to start talking about that next phase in fighting with officials on the ground there. But there's also a host of domestic issues that President Biden has to tackle once he is back in Washington. That includes the border crisis, as there has been a recent surge in migrants on the southern border, really adding additional stresses to an already strained system.

Congressional negotiators have yet to settle on a deal regarding border policy changes, even as President Biden has said that he is willing to make some concessions. There's also big questions about whether the White House will be able to push through additional aid for Ukraine, as that debate is currently locked in the fight over those potential border policy changes.

The White House, of course, has warned of what inaction could mean for Ukraine on the battlefield. And then there's two major government funding fights looming. In just the next five weeks, there are two deadlines that Congress will need to try to reach to try to pass additional funding to prevent a government shutdown. Of course, all of this is playing out as the backdrop of the 2024 election.

President Biden really has not been doing his day-to-day campaigning, but that is expected to change in the early months of 2024. He is also expected to ramp up his attacks on former President Donald Trump, as his campaign believes that he will eventually become the Republican nominee.

Of course, President Biden has been trailing Trump in some recent polling, and the President still has much more work to do in trying to keep his coalition together, even as there have been some strains among some groups who have previously supported him. So, the President coming back to Washington with tackling a huge plate of issues as he is heading closer to that 2024 election in November. Arlette Saenz, CNN, Washington.

Now to South Korea, where the leader of the main opposition party has been stabbed in the neck with a knife. We're told Lee Jae Myung is hospitalized but conscious. A warning, we are about to show images of the attack that you may find disturbing.

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CHURCH: Lee was attacked in Busan and suffered a laceration wound, but has since been transferred to the Seoul National University Hospital. And CNN's Marc Stewart is there. He joins us now. So Marc, what more are you learning about the stabbing of South Korea's opposition leader and of course his current condition?

MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, there's a lot of concern about Mr. Lee and some damage done to his jugular vein in his head and some of the bleeding that is taking place. Doctors, we are told, will give us an update once he is out of surgery.

But I cannot stress enough just how visible of a figure Mr. Lee is here in South Korea and on the political scene. He's the leader of the opposition party, the Liberal Democratic Party. And like so many party leaders do, he was on a campaign trip helping other candidates as South Korea looks ahead to its general election.

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He was touring a construction site. There were reporters there when a man in his 60s came up to him, asked for an autograph, and then attacked him with a knife. Shortly after we saw a photo of him lying on the ground, someone had taken a handkerchief, applied it to his neck, possibly to stem some of the bleeding taking place. This attacker, this man in his 60s, has been taken into custody, but at this point, there is no clear motive being released by police.

I should also stress that this is a very politically tense moment in South Korea. As far as the liberal-conservative divide, it is pretty much evenly split, and it's an environment that could even be described as fragile.

Soon as this happened, President Yoon, Mr. Lee's chief rival quickly condemned this attack, saying that a swift investigation should take place. Mr. Lee's own spokespeople condemned it, saying this should not be used for any kind of political gain or purpose.

There is agreement on both sides of this, which is a reflection of just how sensitive of a time it is here in South Korea. And as startling as it is to see this attack, this is not the first time something like this happened. Rosemary, back in 2006, when President Park, also at a campaign event and someone also tried to attack her, did attack her with a knife.

CHURCH: All right, our thanks to Marc Stewart joining us live from Seoul. Turning now to Japan, where rescuers are racing to reach survivors trapped under the rubble after a major earthquake hit the country's west coast on New Year's Day. Japan's state broadcaster is now reporting the death toll has now risen to 48. The region was the epicenter of the 7.5 magnitude quake, which hit near the Noto Peninsula Monday afternoon.

Japan's Prime Minister says access to the northern part of the peninsula is extremely difficult because the main road into the area is destroyed. The U.S. Geological Survey has recorded more than 35 aftershocks and warns they could continue for days, even months.

Public broadcaster NHK reports more than 100 homes and shops have burned down after a large fire broke out in the city of Wajima. Tens of thousands of people are still without power, while thousands are sheltering in evacuation centers.

And Journalist Manisha Tank is following this for us. She joins us live from Singapore. So, Manisha, what is the latest on the aftermath of this deadly earthquake on Japan's West Coast?

MANISHA TANK, JOURNALIST: Well, the latest, Rosemary, is that more than 30,000 people have sought refuge in more than 300 shelters in the prefecture, and that has been the case. And more and more people are expected to head to those shelters as the day goes on.

You mentioned the aftershocks. I think that's one of the biggest concerns and plus the fact that some buildings will have been destabilized by the initial quake and the force of it. And so there are those who are very concerned about their safety. And it is cold right now. It is wintertime along with those power outages which have affected more than 45,000 homes. People are trying to stay safe and they're trying to stay warm. Let me give you a little bit more detail from the Prime Minister. You

mentioned that the Prime Minister Kishida had mentioned how extremely difficult it was to get to some of the more remote areas of the prefecture. He said, to secure the route there, we are to mobilize all the means of transport, not only on the ground, but also aerial and marine transport.

Let's not forget that this particular area borders the coast, that was why we were concerned about those initial tsunami warnings. All of which have now been revoked, thankfully. And some of those warnings went as far afield as eastern Russia. So, you can imagine the kind of concern there was in the region.

Just in terms of the forward-looking aspect of this situation, the Prime Minister has also said that an emergency -- an emergency disaster headquarters has been set up in Ishikawa Prefecture. This is where the earthquake struck, and they will coordinate the emergency response. But otherwise, local officials in Wajima City, Shiga Town, Anamitsu Town, they are still evaluating just how many evacuees will seek help at this time.

But the race against time is definitely on to reach those people who might be trapped under collapsed buildings. So, that will be the concern and it will be that aspect of the story that we'll be watching from here on out, Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right, our thanks to Manisha Tank joining us live from Singapore. Appreciate it. Well still to come, an unprecedented ruling from Israel's Supreme Court that could have major implications for the war in Gaza. We'll take a look.

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CHURCH: A ruling by Israel's Supreme Court on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial overhaul could have major implications for the war in Gaza. The court has struck down an amendment to the so-called Reasonableness Law, which stripped the judiciary of its power to declare government decisions unreasonable. The reforms sparked months of nationwide protests and the court's decision could threaten the unity of Israel's War Cabinet, which includes two prominent critics of the plan.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military says it will start pulling thousands of troops from Gaza this week in preparation for a new phase of the conflict. A senior U.S. official says the move shows signs of Israel's gradual shift to a lower intensity military campaign and that means thousands of Israelis forced to leave communities close to the Gaza border may soon return home.

CNN's Senior International Correspondent Jim Bitterman is following developments for us our Paris bureau. He joins us now. Good to see you Jim. So, what impact will this Supreme Court decision likely have on divisions within the Israeli government and more specifically on Prime Minister Netanyahu and his war in Gaza?

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JIM BITTERMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, in fact, it's not going to help the unity of the War Cabinet, that's for sure, because the President -- Prime Minister Netanyahu, has within the cabinet itself, he has a number of his own opponents.

And while some of them were heralding this Supreme Court decision, like Benny Gantz, for example, he said, "The verdict must be respected and the lesson from the conduct of the last year must be internalized, we are brothers, we all have a common destiny." Benny Gantz there, expressing what a lot of Israelis would say, and that is that this threat, this war in Gaza presents an existential threat to the state of Israel, and so they must pull together at this time.

But other people within the Cabinet opposed to the Supreme Court's decision -- people like Ben-Gvir, the Israeli National Security Minister had this reaction. He said, "This is a dangerous anti- democratic event and at this time, above all, ruling that harms Israel's war effort against its enemies." So, divisions right there on the Supreme Court decision.

Now, of course, the Supreme Court decision came about a law that was proposed a year ago, had nothing to do with in fact the war in Gaza and a number of even Prime Minister Netanyahu's opponents say that this is something that should be looked at after the war is over, not necessarily right now. But in any case, the Supreme Court, very narrowly ruled against Prime Minister Netanyahu with his verdict 8-7.

There's also some reason to believe that if this ruling had come later, because two of these justices are now retiring, will retire in the month of January, in fact, it would have been different. It would have come down differently and been quite ruled on the opposite direction and in Mr. Netanyahu's favor.

As you said, by the way, Rosemary, that in fact the other announcement that came out of Israel today was this announcement that thousands of military now involved in the Gaza conflict are going to be brought back home, some for retraining, some to be released from their military duty, and that a number of the people who have been evacuated right along the Gaza border will in fact be able to go back to their homes. Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right, our thanks to Jim Bitterman, joining us live from Paris. Ukraine says waves of Russian ballistic missiles are headed towards Kyiv. Right now, an air raid alert is active across the city and other parts of the country. The mayor is urging people to take shelter after several people were reportedly injured from the attacks. And officials in Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine say at least one person was killed in an early morning attack there.

Now, this comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to intensify strikes on Ukraine in the New Year. Clare Sebastian joins me now live from London. Good morning to you, Clare. So, what is the latest on these attacks in the capital? And of course, what will the likely consequences of President Putin's pledge to increase strikes in Ukraine in the New Year happen?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Rosemary, this seems to have been a wave of missile strikes, as you say, following on from a drone attack overnight, as well, 35 drones, which the Air Force say they shot down all 35. Now, the missiles seem to have been targeting both the capital Kyiv and the eastern city of Kharkiv, the second biggest city in Ukraine.

We're hearing of at least 20 injured in the capital Kyiv -- some 41 in Kharkiv, also one killed in Kharkiv. Now, President Putin has been at pains to point out that he wants to intensify strikes on Ukrainian military targets, but we are seeing that residential buildings have been hit overnight in both Kharkiv and in Kyiv, civilians in the firing line.

Not only that, but we're hearing about damage to critical infrastructure, power and water supply problems reported in Kyiv in some districts. A gas pipeline, according to the mayor, was damaged overnight.

Now, let's take a listen to what Putin actually said on Monday in a meeting -- one of two meetings actually that he held with Russian soldiers participants in what he still calls the special military operation. Take a listen.

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VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): For our part, we are going to intensify the strikes. Of course, no crime against civilians will rest unpunished. That's for certain.

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SEBASTIAN: No crime against civilians is a reference to what Russia blames on Ukraine, the attack on Belgrade, that border region on Saturday, which killed, Russia says now, some 25 people and injured more than 100. So, some of this can be seen as retaliation for that, but I think we're also seeing Russia send a very clear message that they are willing and able to exploit the gaps in Ukraine's arsenal and exploit the hesitation from its Western allies, in particular the U.S.

[03:25:00]

Putin in that same meeting with those Russian soldiers at a military hospital saying, essentially, that he's watching how much the U.S. can produce in terms of artillery shells versus how much Ukraine is using and saying that the supplies are already being exhausted. So, that is the context here. They are trying to sort of run out the clock.

And this is causing increasing amounts of frustration for Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who gave an interview to "The Economist" which was published on Monday, where he said essentially that he doesn't see any sign that Russia is looking to move forward towards peace, warning, as he has many times, that if the West does not help Ukraine, then it could be them that gets targeted next. He said Putin feels weakness like an animal because he is an animal.

He senses blood, he senses his strength, and he will eat you for dinner with all your E.U., NATO, freedom and democracy. Now, he also laid out that the key priorities for Ukraine going forward critically with the events that we see overnight are to defend its cities but also hit behind enemy lines, try to hit the threat before it hits back.

We see that with attacks. Things like weapons depots with the ship near Crimea that was hit last week, this is something that it seems like will be part of Ukraine's strategy as we head into the New Year.

CHURCH: All right, our thanks to Clare Sebastian, joining us live from London. Well, back here in the United States, a Chinese foreign exchange student has been found safe in the frigid Utah mountains, after police say he became a victim of cyber kidnapping. Neither the student nor his parents in China apparently met the kidnappers, they just dealt with them over the phone. CNN's Nick Watt has more on the trend police say he's gaining popularity.

NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Authorities in Utah say they found this 17-year-old Chinese national, a student at a high school in Utah. They found him alone in a tent halfway up a remote mountain side in Utah. He had no heat source in that tent, limited supplies of food and water. And they described him as very cold and scared.

Now, apparently he had been kidnapped, but not in the traditional sense that we know it -- cyber-kidnapped. So, he never actually came face to face with his kidnappers. He was just coerced over his phone and over the internet. So, what appears to have happened is that he was contacted by these kidnappers and told that unless he did exactly what he was told, his family back home in China would be in danger.

They asked him for a photograph, which they then sent to his family in China with a ransom demand. And they told 17-year-old Kai Zhuang to isolate himself. That's why he was in this tent in the middle of nowhere. The family, they say that they paid around $80,000 into Chinese bank accounts. They also contacted the high school in Utah.

The high school contacted the police and the police by looking at this 17-year-old's spending patterns, what he'd bought, they worked out that he was camping. So, search parties were sent out and eventually he was found in this tent. Apparently, this cyber kidnapping is an increasingly common occurrence targeting foreign exchange students, particularly Chinese foreign exchange students.

Now, this story ended well and the student was found alive and well. He asked to speak to his family. He asked for a warm cheeseburger. He is safe. But as I say, this is apparently an increasingly common trend seen in this country of cyber kidnappers targeting these young, vulnerable kids far from home. They never come face to face. All done online. Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.

CHURCH: In less than an hour, Spanish football star Jennifer Hermoso is scheduled to testify against the former Spanish Football Federation Chief Luis Rubiales over the unwanted kiss he gave her last August after Spain won the Women's World Cup.

Hermoso is expected to speak during a closed-door sexual assault hearing that's part of the investigation. FIFA has banned Rubiales from all football related activities for three years, a ruling he has vowed to appeal. He has described the kiss as mutual. Hermoso denied that, saying, she did not consent and was not respected. She said in November that she has received threats over her stance.

Well, still to come, asylum seekers headed to New York City seem to have found a way to avoid a new executive order signed by the city's mayor. Details, just ahead.

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Several buses transporting migrants are using New Jersey train stations as transit points to evade an executive order issued by New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Officials say four buses stopped at a train station there over the weekend and approximately ten buses from Texas and one from Louisiana arrived at various transit stations throughout the state.

The order issued last week requires bus companies carrying migrants to New York City to provide the city at least 32 hours notice -- advance notice, of their arrival. It comes after New York City saw a surge in migrant arrivals in the past month.

Joining me now is Raul Reyes, an attorney, immigration analyst and contributor to CNN Opinion. Appreciate you being with us.

RAUL REYES, ATTORNEY: Good evening.

CHURCH: So, we are now seeing buses transporting migrants to New Jersey train stations in an effort to evade an executive order issued by New York City's Mayor Eric Adams. What is your reaction to this ploy?

REYES: Well, my reaction to this ploy is that it's exactly that. It's another type of political stunt designed to force, to put some pressure on big city mayors and democratic cities, like we're seeing also in Chicago, I believe this is happening. The thing is, I don't think that this type of brinksmanship or these types of games do anything towards solving the migrant situation.

And it's so --it's very frustrating as someone who, you know, obviously follows immigration closely, is that while we see a lot of anger directed at the President and the Governor Abbott is constantly criticizing President Biden. The solution to our immigration woes.

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It lies with Congress. Only Congress can enact the type of permanent changes to our very broken, our dysfunctional system that we need. And Congress has shown no willingness to, you know, step up and fulfill the responsibilities on the issue. So, here we are with these types of different stunts and political maneuvers, just designed to make headlines, not to solve a problem.

CHURCH: And I want to get back to Congress in just a moment. But after being dropped at the train station, the migrants then take trains to New York City. So, what happens to them after that?

REYES: Well, what happens to them after that, once they can, once the local non-profits here in New York are aware of where they are, you know, where they are, is that they are taken to a processing center that the city has, they can stay there for a short time, and then the city attempts to place them in shelters. Right now, I think New York has something like 68,000 migrants in shelters.

And what New York City is asking from Texas is really quite simple. They're just asking that the state of Texas give them notice of when the buses are arriving, whether the people on the buses need medical care, and whether they have relatives here, just to make the processing efficient and also humane. But Texas does not want to do that.

That's why they're playing this game, a ploy as you called it, of sending them to New Jersey or other suburbs, knowing full well that the migrants will face a degree of chaos and confusion when they first arrive, until they are connected with non-profit groups and social service groups around New York City who can help them through this really complicated process.

CHURCH: All right, let's get back to the solution. You mentioned Congress needs to be doing something about this because clearly, the U.S. has a problem at its southern border. So, what is the solution here?

REYES: Well, we have potential solutions, but what we've seen through decades and through multiple presidential administrations is that the political will is not there to enact potential solutions. I mean, right now our country, our lawmakers, a lot of them promote this idea that the U.S. is somehow full and we cannot absorb these people even as we have labor shortages all around the country and a 3.7 unemployment rate.

So, one solution might be to potentially create more pathways for legal immigration. But that's really a non-starter for all the Republicans in Congress and many centrist Democrats. Another solution would be to send more resources to the border to expedite this tremendous backlog of asylum seekers and asylum claims by Republicans. And again, some Democrats, as well, are resistant to allocating more money for this type of immigration infrastructure until they, in their view, the border is completely sealed.

So, think of it as a goalpost that are basically on roller skates that constantly keep moving. And meanwhile, Congress just does not want to take, you know, the type of action we need. And our presidents, Trump or President Obama, now President Biden, they have attempted various executive actions on their own. And the only thing that really seems to result in long term is more

lawsuits challenging these moves. And so we end up in sort of this status quo that stays the same. It is unsustainable in the long run. And we've seen also for decades that these deterrence-based efforts, they do not work.

And I'm playing a bleak picture here, but the worst part of it is that people from throughout Latin America, Central America, and increasingly from all around the world, they are coming to a country that guarantees them the right to apply for humanitarian relief.

We have laws that, you know, they have the human right to claim asylum. And yet we are doing all we can, it seems, to keep them out. And there's just tremendous human suffering continuing for these migrants, which, sad to say, no real solution on the horizon, especially in a year where we have a presidential election coming up.

CHURCH: Raul Reyes, thank you so much for talking with us, and Happy New Year.

REYES: Thank you. Happy New Year.

CHURCH: Gender affirming care bans, laws protecting abortion rights and a California law requiring gender neutral toy aisles are just some of the new laws that went into effect on the first day of 2024. CNN's Rafael Romo has details.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We've been tracking some of the most controversial laws that went into effect with the arrival of the New Year, especially as the country gets more polarized on issues like abortion. There are several near total bans in Republican-led states that took effect in 2023, and now many blue states have passed laws protecting abortion rights, including two that took effect January 1st.

When it comes to abortion, the state of Washington is enacting a law with the goal of making the procedure more accessible with changes to insurance coverage. Any health insurance plan issued or renewed starting January 1st will be prohibited from requiring cost sharing for abortions, which generally includes out-of-pocket costs such as deductibles and co-pays.

[03:40:00]

Meanwhile, a shield law took effect in California on Monday that will protect local health care providers from out-of-state litigation if they provide abortion services to patients in states with restrictive abortion laws. The protection also extends to those who provide gender-affirming care to out-of-state patients.

Another new law getting a lot of attention is California's ban on carrying concealed firearms 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 carry concealed firearms in places like schools, parks, and hospitals, among others. A federal appeals court will allow the law to go into effect for now while the court case continues.

There's also a new law in California that's generating a lot of controversy and this is because this new law requires toy retailers to have gender-neutral toy aisles. The law that went into effect on Monday stems from a bill that passed the California legislature in 2021 that requires toy retailers with physical locations in the state and at least 500 employees to maintain a gender neutral section or area to be labeled at the discretion of the retailer.

According to the law, stores that fail to comply will face a $250 penalty for the first violation and up to $500 for subsequent infractions. Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

CHURCH: Still to come, drug makers are abiding by President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, which includes capping the price of insulin at $35. We'll have details just ahead.

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CHURCH: More Americans with diabetes will get a break on their insulin costs in 2024, with another leading drug maker now capping costs to help lower the price.

[03:45:00]

CNN Medical Correspondent Meg Tirrell has details.

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the first of the year marks a major change in the way people who depend on insulin will pay for it. Now, Sanofi becomes the third major U.S. manufacturer of insulin to offer a $35 per month price cap, at least on what people are paying out of pocket for their medications.

Now, this may be kind of complicated for people to access. They may have to go to the drug makers' websites and download a coupon, but at least this now becomes available across the board from these three major manufacturers. Now, more than eight million people in the United States depend on insulin to live.

And according to the American Diabetes Association, a quarter of those people have at one point needed to ration their medicine in order to pay for it. And that can have really severe health consequences. Another thing going into effect starting January 1st is decreases in the list prices of insulins of more than 70 percent.

And now the list price is the actual price of the medicine before insurance kicks in or any rebates or discounts are paid back into the system. And now the reason that is actually happening is because of a Biden administration 2021 law, the American Rescue Plan Act.

Essentially that changed the way drug makers have to pay rebates back to Medicaid for drugs on which they've raised the price a lot over the years. Insulins have been going up for decades. If you look at this graph we have here, this one actually comes from a congressional investigation into drug prices. And you can see how much those list prices have increased. Now, because of this change which goes into effect January 1st,

companies that have raised the price of medicines a lot over time could actually end up paying Medicaid for drugs, so losing money on those medicines. So, by reducing the list prices by 70 percent or more, these companies are actually avoiding having to pay these rebates back to Medicaid.

Some analysts put this at hundreds of millions of dollars a year in savings these companies will have because they're reducing the list prices of their drugs. And so while across the board, it's hoped that insulin prices are coming down from everyone, there's a lot going on beyond the surface here.

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CHURCH: Our thanks to Medical Correspondent Meg Tirrell for that report. Well, now to the college football playoffs here in the United States. The Michigan Wolverines have booked their ticket to the championship game with a thrilling win over the Alabama Crimson Tide. Michigan scored just minutes into overtime and the Wolverines defense kept Alabama at bay.

Final score Michigan 27, Alabama 20. And they will face the Washington Huskies who beat the Texas Longhorns 37-31. The College Football Championship game is set for Monday, January 8th.

Still to come -- after 52 years, Europe's longest serving monarch is about to step down, and one result will be the first Australian-born queen. That story, when we come back.

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[03:50:00]

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CHURCH: The Queen of Denmark has announced a surprise abdication after 52 years on the throne. Her son will take over as King about two weeks from now. Max Foster has more, including how the new King's wife will become the world's first Australian-born Queen.

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MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A new year, a new era for Denmark and for one of the world's oldest monarchies. Queen Margrethe II will end her reign of more than half a century, a shock decision delivered in a live address to the Danish people on New Year's Eve.

MARGRETHE II, DANISH QUEEN (through translator): I have decided that now is the right time. On the 14th of January 2024, 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father, I will step down as Queen of Denmark.

FOSTER: Denmark's ruler became Europe's longest reigning monarch after the death of Britain's Queen Elizabeth in 2022. Queen Margrethe put the decision down to her fragile health. Recent surgeries on her back have limited her royal duties.

MARGRETHE II: The time takes its toll and the number of ailments increases. One cannot undertake as much as one managed in the past.

FOSTER: That sense of duty won the hearts of the Danish people and drew comparisons to Queen Elizabeth, to whom our greater looked to for some inspiration. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was quick to praise the only monarch that many Danes will ever have known.

"On behalf of the entire population, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Her Majesty, the Queen, for her lifelong dedication and tireless efforts for the Kingdom," Fredrickson wrote in a statement.

Like other constitutional monarchies, the Danish sovereign stays above politics. But feathers can be ruffled.

In 2022, the Queen removed the titles of Prince and Princess from the children of her second son, Prince Joachim. It was an effort to reduce the royal establishment and allow her grandkids more privacy. But Prince Joachim went public with his four children's hurt feelings, and Queen Margrethe later apologized but did not change her decision.

MARGRETHE II: There is more pressure on the young people of today than there was when I was a child.

FOSTER (voice-over): Margrethe's decision to abdicate places the weight of the crown upon her eldest son's head, Prince Frederick, a man equally faithful to the crown but with a slightly more reserved public persona. Frederick will rule alongside his Australian-born wife, Princess Mary. The royal couple met at a bar in Sydney during the 2000 Olympics. Mary Donaldson, a marketing executive from Tasmania, swept into a fairy tale.

MARGRETHE II: I really like her very much indeed, and she, I hope, knows that and feels that.

[03:55:00]

FOSTER (voice-over): The new queen won't have far to look for a role model. Max Foster, CNN.

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CHURCH: Taylor Swift has surpassed Elvis Presley to score the most weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 chart for a soloist. Now, this comes after her latest album 1989, Taylor's version scored a fifth non-consecutive week atop the list of the 200 most popular albums.

Swift's 13 chart-topping releases have spent a total of 68 weeks at number one, just one week more than the King of Rock and Roll. Billboard reports she only has one more milestone to beat -- The Beatles' 19 albums spend 132 weeks atop the same charts.

Well, 2024 is already proving to be incredibly lucky for one person in Michigan. A single ticket sold in that U.S. state has matched all six numbers of the Powerball jackpot worth an estimated $842 million. It is the fifth largest Powerball ever won and the tenth largest lottery jackpot recorded in the U.S.

According to Powerball, the winner will have the option to take home a lump sum payment of around $425 million before taxes. Well done. Well, thanks so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. "CNN Newsroom" continues with Bianca Nobilo, next.

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BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and all around the world. I'm Bianca Nobilo, live from London.