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Biden, Blinken Not Told About Austin's Hospitalization For Days; NTSB Walkthrough Shows Headrests And Cushions Ripped Off Seats Near Hole In Alaska Airlines Plane; GOP Candidates Hit The Ground Ahead Of Iowa Caucuses. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired January 07, 2024 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:01:09]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello again, everyone.

Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

And we start with this breaking news. The questions around Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's secretive days-long hospitalization are growing.

We are learning President Biden, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, even Austin's own Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks had no idea the Defense Secretary was incapacitated for portions of last week.

Austin was admitted to Walter Reed Hospital on New Year's Day after complications from an elective surgery.

CNN's Natasha Bertrand and Arlette Saenz are gathering new details about all of this.

Natasha, you first. How were so many top officials kept in the dark about what was happening?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, that's really the big question that we have right now, Fredricka, is just whose decision this ultimately was to keep this information not only from the public, but also from the White House for roughly three days after Secretary Austin was first transferred into Walter Reed Hospital to receive treatment for a complication from an elective surgery that he had had previously.

But what we are learning is that the Deputy Secretary of Defense was actually on vacation in Puerto Rico, when she was informed that she would be needing to take on some of Austin's duties, but she was not told why and that is really key here, not even his number two was told that he was actually hospitalized, and that that would be the reason why she was taking over some of his responsibilities.

Now according to the Pentagon press secretary, Major General Pat Ryder, she assumed some certain operational responsibilities that require constant secure communications capabilities, and this is how it was described to us is that it was not necessarily that Austin was incapacitated, it was just that certain aspects of the role needed to be delegated to her while he was in the hospital.

Now, it remains unclear at this point, just when Austin is going to be released. He is still in the hospital, or at least he was as of late last night. And so the question now becomes, what is the political fallout from all of this? The questions are continuing to swirl about why the Defense Department did not feel the need to inform not only senior leaders, but of course, also rank and file who now feel deeply frustrated that they were left in the dark about all of this.

The national security implications are also looming large as well, and so we'll continue to ask for more information from the Pentagon about just why this lapse in transparency occurred -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And then Arlette, what is the White House saying?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, President Biden spoke with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last night, a White House official describing that as a cordial conversation, and they are also trying to stress that the president still maintains confidence in Austin's ability to serve despite the delay in notifying the White House about this hospitalization.

Now, as Natasha mentioned, many were in the dark that Lloyd Austin had entered the hospital. It was not until Thursday afternoon that National Security adviser, Jake Sullivan found out about it and then he promptly briefed President Biden. But President Biden was unaware for three days that Austin had been hospitalized.

Now there has been quite a bit of criticism already. You have the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Roger Wicker, who said that the delay in disclosing this matter was unacceptable and that it erodes trust in the Biden administration.

There have been some defenders of Austin who, such as Jim Clyburn, who have noted that, yes, he needed to disclose this but he also should be privy to have access to the same patient privacy laws as other American citizens.

And earlier today, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters that he also had been unaware about the hospitalization. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, US SECRETARY OF STATE: I wasn't aware of his medical issue. In fact, I talked to Lloyd last weekend for this incident and I know that he has put out a statement addressing it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:05:10]

SAENZ: So, still many questions remain to be answered, including why it is -- and most importantly, why it took so long to disclose this information not just to the public, but also to the White House.

WHITFIELD: All right, Arlette Saenz, Natasha Bertrand, thank you so much. Let us know when you learn more.

We're also getting new details about a terrifying flight over Oregon on Friday, when a part of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max-9 jet came off, leaving a gaping hole in the plane as you see right there.

The National Transportation Safety Board now says the sudden depressurization from that accident was so strong, headrests and cushions were ripped off seats near the hole. Investigators are asking for the public's help to recover the large section of the plane that fell off.

CNN's Pete Muntean and Mike Valerio joining us right now with more on this.

Pete, what are you learning about the focus of the investigation?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're getting some incredible new details about the force of this incident, Fredricka.

I just spoke to the head of the NTSB. She says the video on board might look calm, but chaotic is a lot more like it. It was very cold and very windy on board Alaska Flight 1282 she says.

NTSB investigators having now toured the plane from the outside and the inside and NTSB chair, Jennifer Homendy tells me she saw a headrest ripped off from Seat 26-A, that's right next to the refrigerator-sized hole ripped in the left side of the fuselage. Also, the headrests missing from Seat 25-A in front of it, even some of the seat assemblies themselves were twisted.

The investigation is now going to focus on a few things. First, the design of the door plug. You can see it missing there. That's the part on the left side of the plane that failed. It's where a door can be installed on the Boeing 737 Max-9. This plane did not have a door, instead a plug that fills that door frame visible from the outside, normal window wall and seats on the inside.

Investigators want to know about the maintenance of that door, also the maintenance of the plane in general. Maintenance records were on board the plane, those are safe, they will be reviewed. Homendy also tells me she is aware this plane had pressurization issues prior to this incident. So the question is what was done to fix that and could it have been a factor?

There is a little bit of luck here. This incident happened at 16,000 feet. The flight was still climbing, not at its assigned cruising altitude of 33,000 feet, and Homendy says, it is fortunate that passengers were buckled in and the plane was only 10 minutes from getting back to the airport. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNIFER HOMENDY, NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD CHAIR: Think about what happens when you're in cruise. Everybody is up and walking. Folks don't have seatbelts on. They're going to restrooms. The flight attendants are providing service to passengers. We could have ended up with something so much more tragic and we are really fortunate that that did not occur here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MUNTEAN: Another big factor here, the pilots. The NTSB is interviewing them by the end of the day today. They did a great job getting this plane on the ground safely.

One more stroke of luck here, Alaska Airlines tells us the seat immediately next to that hole in this Boeing Max-9 was not filled, but Alaska not telling us that it was not filled because somebody simply missed their flight -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Yes, I mean, extraordinary set of events there.

So Mike, we can actually see, right, I think that's the plane, the Alaska Airlines plane that we're talking about right behind you. What do we know about the efforts to try to locate that missing door plug?

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, we know that there is going to be pretty extensive searching in the Cedar Hills neighborhood, which is about a 15-minute drive away from where we're standing, but this is the first time that we are seeing the plane in question as we zoom in over my right-hand shoulder with confirmation coming in during the last hour since the last time we spoke with you, Fred, from officials who are familiar with the investigation.

So as we push in, it is light activity, the hole where that door plug should be, it is on the other side of the aircraft. It's away from our point of view, but what's going to be happening at least here at Portland International Airport, there's going to be a media team going in and out of the aircraft filming what the finest aviator I know, Pete Muntean has just described a couple of seconds ago, those headrests ripped off, the damage done inside and then posting that video to their YouTube account, showing it to us and the rest of the world.

But as you were mentioning, a 15-minute drive away from where we are in this idyllic, very densely populated neighborhood of Cedar Hills between 219 and Barnes Road for everybody who is familiar with Portland, neighbors, Fred, are astonished that they are part of the human dimension of this story, to be on the lookout of that chunk, that refrigerator-sized chunk of the aircraft still missing at this hour.

So there's that human dimension, but there's also the passengers who survived and we want to throw to a soundbite from Stephanie King, who was in the aircraft. Listen to what she explained to us about what she observed and how she felt during those harrowing moments.

[15:10:17]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) STEPHANIE KING, PASSENGER, ALASKA AIRLINES FLIGHT 1282: It was really,

really scary as you can imagine. Initially, when the piece flew off, it was -- there was almost multiple explosions and it, at first felt like all of the air from outside rushed into the cabin, and particles were flying everywhere.

I'm not sure what that was, if it was ice or debris from the plane itself. But it came forward and then it got sucked back out very dramatically.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALERIO: And Fred, quick wrap here, we have one more news conference expected today. We'll bring you those details when we have them -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, we look forward to that. Thank you so much, Mike Valerio and Pete Muntean, appreciate it.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, we're just a week away from the Iowa Caucuses and Republican presidential candidates are making their pitches to voters across the Hawkeye State.

[15:15:05]

Ron DeSantis and Asa Hutchinson have meet and greets today while Vivek Ramaswamy is making several campaign stops. The latest polls show Donald Trump with a commanding lead, leaving Nikki Haley and DeSantis vying for second place.

So let's talk about all of this and the upcoming Iowa Caucus with Erin Murphy, the Des Moines bureau chief for "The Gazette." Good to see you. This is a busy time, but also exciting, isn't it for you?

ERIN MURPHY, DES MOINES BUREAU CHIEF, "THE GAZETTE": Right on both accounts, without a doubt.

WHITFIELD: Okay, so what are you hearing from voters there ahead of the caucus?

MURPHY: Well, what we're interestingly still hearing is there are still some Iowa Republicans who are still making up their minds. I talked to a voter at Donald Trump's rally in Newton, Iowa yesterday and talked to a man who is still deciding whether to caucus for Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis, for example. So that's interesting, and not terribly surprising, but just interesting to confirm that, like in cycles past, we have a lot of people who will be late breakers in this campaign.

And also, it's just kind of interesting to see, especially this past weekend, there's a lot of activity going on. Interesting to see the increased attention, we're starting to see more people come out to these events, especially at Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis' events. So you're starting to see the people who are making those final judgments in that alternative to Trump lane so to speak, as well.

WHITFIELD: It does seem so hard to believe that you would be undecided this close now, just what -- eight, seven days away from the caucus getting underway there in Iowa, but that's the case that you're hearing from some voters.

So that means it's really important, right, for them to feel like they have access to DeSantis, to Haley, as you mentioned, you know, folks have been out seeing Ramaswamy, all of them still crisscrossing the state.

So at the same time, you've got Trump holding such a big lead, according to polls, what are the indicators that the other candidates are making any inroads in Iowa as they crisscross the state?

MURPHY: Yes, and that's important to remember that those polling margins are so wide and I have not seen anything on the ground in Iowa that makes me not believe those polls. The president is still very popular here, draws a lot of attention when he comes here.

The lines to his events still wrap around the block everywhere he goes, so I have no reason to not believe those polls. But to your question, I think that is the one big question left here in this last week is how much of that ground can Ron DeSantis and/or Nikki Haley make up and at least make that margin a little closer and come out of Iowa, maybe with some momentum going into New Hampshire and South Carolina.

And we are seeing some evidence, like I said that the attention is a little greater on those two coming out of the holidays, the events that I went to this past weekend, there's a few more people coming out, and so that last minute shopping, so to speak, is happening in the caucuses, and it will be interesting to see, you know, do they just get a little bump and they're still down in the 20s or does someone manage to really close the gap? I think that's the big unanswered question.

WHITFIELD: I mean, it sounds like from the picture that you're painting with the lines being so long, you said, you know, you believe what these polls are saying, essentially, by evidence of the excitement over Trump, then why are the other candidates investing so much time in Iowa? Because they have to be seeing that, too?

MURPHY: Yes. I think, especially in Nikki Haley's case, I think there are two different answers. I think in Nikki Haley's case, it is because she has sort of appeared to develop a multi early strength state strategy. So she wants to just do well enough here to then go on, and she is doing a little better in New Hampshire, a little bit in South Carolina, and kind of take the long play here.

So that's why, you know, she can't just ignore Iowa all together, so she wants to just do well enough here to involve herself moving forward. Meantime, Ron DeSantis has very heavily invested in Iowa, and that's

why he's still hitting the road here, too, as he wants to pay that off. He has put a lot of time in here, he has put a lot of resources in here. He has a PAC supporting him here.

His campaign really needs to have a nice night on January 15th to sort of pay off all of that investment and still have a shot at the nomination coming out of Iowa.

WHITFIELD: Former vice president and one-time GOP presidential candidate Mike Pence is weighing in. He told our Jake Tapper today that he hopes GOP voters give the party a fresh start. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE PENCE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I ran for president because I think different times call for different leadership, Jake, and I'm hoping that the good people of Iowa that I got to know so well in my campaign, the good people of New Hampshire and South Carolina will look at this moment and recognize that elections are about the future and we need new leadership in the Republican Party. We certainly need new leadership in the White House.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:20:12]

WHITFIELD: All right, so how influential or perhaps GOP universal, you know, is Pence's view?

MURPHY: Well, it is divided, right, and I mean, that's the argument that Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley are trying to make and to varying degrees of success. The problem is, that argument does not sway a large portion of people who are going to caucus on January 15th, those people who are with Donald Trump and they're with him no matter what, and just like any of the legal issues he may have, or controversial statements he may make, don't sway them.

This argument from Mike Pence or whomever is making it isn't going to sway them, either. They like Donald Trump. They want to see him in office for another four years. They like what he did before, they want to see it again, and there is a chunk of that, a percentage of that field that's just not going to move on that no matter what. The question is, is there enough remaining on the other Republican voters both in Iowa and beyond, to present an alternative candidate to unify and find an alternative candidate and make this interesting coming into the rest of the rest of the early states, and I don't know if we know the answer to that.

WHITFIELD: Okay. Well, we're about to find out, aren't we? In a matter of days.

MURPHY: Yes, for sure, in a few days.

WHITFIELD: All right, Erin Murphy, great having you, of "The Gazette" there out of Des Moines, Iowa. Thanks so much. MURPHY: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And of course, make sure to watch the CNN Republican Presidential Debate moderated by Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, live from Iowa. That's this Wednesday, 9:00 PM Eastern Time.

And this breaking news right now, sources tell CNN, leaders in the House and Senate have reached an agreement on a spending bill that could avert a government shutdown. We could get more details at any moment. The latest next here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:28:23]

WHITFIELD: All right, we're following more breaking news this afternoon.

Sources tell CNN House and Senate leaders are poised to announce an agreement today on overall government funding levels, the first step in averting a shutdown. There are still major hurdles facing Congress ahead of two funding deadlines, one, January 19th and the other on February 2nd, and one of those hurdles is how to deal with demands by conservatives to use the funding bill as leverage to impose more stringent immigration and border security demands.

And as the migrant crisis grows at the southern border, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is expected to visit the area tomorrow. Joining me right now is CNN national correspondent, Rafael Romo.

So, Rafael, what more can you tell us about this latest trip?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Talk about a pivotal moment, Fred.

This trip is happening at a time of intense political pressure for the Biden administration to address a border crisis that last month saw more than 302,000 illegal crossings.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is visiting Eagle Pass, Texas tomorrow, a border town of less than 30,000 that has seen a dramatic increase in apprehensions of immigrants in the last month. The Department of Homeland Security calls this trip an operational visit and regarding ongoing southwest border enforcement efforts.

They also say Mayorkas will meet with Customs and Border Enforcement Protection personnel, including Border Patrol leadership, as well as local officials as divided as Democrats and Republicans are when it comes to immigration, something both agree on is that urgent measures are needed to address the situation at the border.

That's what a local sheriff, a Democrat told me just before Christmas in Eagles Pass and that's also what Denver Mayor Michael Johnston also a Democrat said earlier today. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MAYOR MIKE JOHNSTON (D), DENVER: There is a direct relationship. The

more work authorization the federal government gives us, the less federal resources they give us.

If you send us someone to Denver, who has to wait six years for a court hearing and they can't work in the meantime, we're going to need almost endless amounts of federal support. I don't think that's what we want or the federal government wants.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: Meanwhile, Mexican and US officials are expected to meet in Washington next month to discuss curbing the influx of migrants into the US. A high level US delegation visited Mexico City just last week, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who again is going back to Eagle Pass.

WHITFIELD: Okay, and then Republican Senator James Lankford, one of the negotiators for a border security bill between Congress and the White House said he expects to see text for this border bill, and it might even be revealed as early as this afternoon. What are you learning?

ROMO: It's a sign of great progress, especially given what's been happening over the last several weeks, and that is really the other side of the same coin.

Both Democrats and Republicans realize that the border crisis is a problem that needs to be addressed immediately, and some members of Congress are taking steps to come up with an agreement with that goal. There is no agreement yet, but this issue is tied with a larger supplemental package that would include funding for Ukraine and Israel, a very, very serious situation there because both countries say they need the US as well.

WHITFIELD: And the Texas governor, Greg Abbott. He is digging in his heels, he feels pretty confident that you know, his state is going to win that lawsuit filed by the Biden administration.

ROMO: Yes, another challenge for the president and Abbott essentially says that because in his view, the federal government is not enforcing immigration law, the state of Texas is obligated to do so. This is how he explained that earlier today.

[15:30:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. GREG ABBOTT (R-TX): The law already prohibits the mass allowance of people getting out and wandering the country for years before they ever have to go to court. The Biden administration simply is not enforcing that. They must hold the Biden administration responsible and deny them the ability to have catch-and-release.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: And Fred, the new law signed by the Governor Abbott last Monday makes it a state crime in Texas to enter the state illegally.

The concern here by many Latino groups and immigration groups is that with 40 percent of the population being Latino in Texas, there may be a possibility of racial profiling with this law.

WHITFIELD: Legitimate concerns.

All right, Rafael Romo, thank you so much.

ROMO: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, amid fierce fighting and deadly airstrikes throughout Gaza, some residents say they aren't safe no matter where they go, even in areas that are supposed to be safe zones.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond explains, and word of caution, some of the images in this report are disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A child's lifeless body carefully pried from the rubble. Gaza civil defense says this is the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Balah, a city where tens of thousands are seeking shelter. Heeding evacuation orders like these dropped by the Israeli military this week.

It's not just Deir al-Balah. Several cities where civilians have been told to flee have been hit by Israeli airstrikes in recent days, including this camp for displaced Palestinian in the southern city of Rafah. That city has been struck repeatedly this week even as makeshift camps have ballooned in recent months as seen and the satellite images.

YAMEN AHMAD, DISPLACED GAZAN LIVING IN RAFAH (through translator): I have been displaced from one place to another, Bureij, Maghazi, Nuseirat, then we left the last place for the safety of our children. There is no safe place.

DIAMOND (voice over): That brutal reality all too clear at the morgue, as families mourn.

The Israeli military says that they struck more than a hundred targets across Gaza overnight, reporting fierce fighting and strikes on targets including Hamas command centers and rocket launch pads. Amid the strikes, some are once again on the move. Mattresses and blankets carried however they can, but fleeing Gaza is no guarantee of safety.

The Nijem family who fled south from northern Gaza are the latest to learn that cruel lesson.

MAZEN NIJEM, 10 FAMILY MEMBERS KILLED IN STRIKE (through translator): They told us to go to Maghazi where it is safe and we have nothing left. Where do we go? We only have God.

DIAMOND (voice over): Seven-month-old Imad (ph) and nine other members of his family are now dead, killed in an Israeli airstrike according to Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.

KHALED NIJEM, 10 FAMILY MEMBERS KILLED IN STRIKE (through translator): They told us to come to the center and that it is safe. We came here and nothing is safe.

DIAMON (voice over): For many, that exhausting, elusive search for safety is over. All that remains is the pursuit of dignity.

ABU ADNAN, DISPLACED GAZAN LIVING IN DEIR AL-BALAH (through translator): There are no toilets, no food, no water, no clothes. With all of this, I prefer to go back home and die with dignity than die in this way.

DIAMOND (voice over): Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And three months after Hamas' October 7th attack on Israel, the Israeli military says Hamas' ability to operate in northern Gaza has been dismantled. Israel says 8,000 militants were killed in fighting in northern Gaza. CNN cannot independently confirm that claim.

In nearby Qatar, Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a stop-over today as part of his fourth trip to the region since the war in Gaza began, and he spoke a short time ago and made it clear the US would continue to pressure Israel over the disproportionate number of civilian casualties in Gaza.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLINKEN: It is absolutely imperative that more be done, that Israel do more to protect civilians and with others, enable more humanitarian assistance to get where it's needed and to whom it is needed, and that will be one focus of my conversations when I get to Israel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Let's bring in Aaron David Miller. He is a former State Department Middle East negotiator. Good to see you.

You just heard Antony Blinken, you know, say he would bring up civilian casualties when he visits Israel on his trip. But do you believe that's going to move the needle or be influential at all?

AARON DAVID MILLER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: You know, the administration, Fred, and thanks for having me,. Has been pressing the Israelis to lower the intensity of their ground campaign, particularly in southern Gaza.

[15:35:04]

I think, there is not just a hope. I think, there is an expectation that by the end of January, early February, that the kinetic intensity of what the Israelis are doing a lot of airstrikes artillery in densely populated areas and wreaking injurious injury on long suffering Palestinians is going to change.

If it doesn't change, then the administration has to make a different set of decisions on how to proceed, but I think there is a strong expectation, not just oh, that Israel will provide what has been impossible to provide up until now, which is reliable corridors for humanitarian assistance not to dribble into Gaza, but to surge into Gaza. Lord knows that the Palestinians need it.

WHITFIELD: So what will the US options be? Because Benjamin Netanyahu has already said and the IDF has already said that they expect 2024, I mean, almost the entirety of the year to be a continuation of what we've been seeing.

So what kind of leverage would the US have? What could it say? What are those options that you're speaking of if indeed, the level of intensity that we're seeing doesn't fall? Doesn't diminish?

MILLER: I think there is reality that the Israelis will be operating at some level in Gaza for months to come. I don't think there's any question about it, but not operating the way they're operating now.

If Israel didn't do or wouldn't, or can't change its military tactics, and I think the administration has three options, none of which is exercised until now. Number one is to slow walk or simply stop military assistance. Second, is to change their posture in New York that the UN General Assembly or more problematically at the UN Security Council, to either vote for a resolution, and finally, there's the nuclear option, which is to get on board with what the international community seems to want, which is a ceasefire, cessation of hostilities, untethered from any compromises or concessions that Hamas has to make with respect to hostages.

So there's -- I think those are the three options, whether or not Joe Biden will come to embrace any of them is unclear.

WHITFIELD: That's interesting.

All right, so Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State met with Turkey's President Erdogan on this trip and Erdogan skipped meeting him on previous visits, could this be a sign that Turkey is changing its posture on how it is either going to play a different or a larger diplomatic role in helping to end the conflict or even its relations with the US in all of this?

MILLER: I mean look, Erdogan's behavior is going up and down. He wants to demonstrate his independence from the United States, and yet, he also needs what the United States has to offer.

I'm sure that the Secretary talked about the Swedish accession to NATO, probably talked about the proverbial day after in Gaza. Turkish- Israeli relations have been somewhat strained as a consequence of these Hamas war, but I suspect Turkey remains to be a problematic ally when we're close to them and even when we're not.

So I think US-Turkish relationship is going to continue to have significant ups and downs. WHITFIELD: All right, fascinating. Aaron David Miller, always a

pleasure having you and Happy New Year. Thanks so much.

MILLER: Same to you, Fred, thanks for having me.

WHITFIELD: All right, we continue to follow this breaking news this hour, new details on an agreement for a spending bill that could avert a government shutdown. The latest next in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:43:17]

WHITFIELD: All right, more breaking news from Capitol Hill.

We're now learning new details about the agreement between House and Senate leaders on spending levels, which is the first step toward avoiding a government shutdown.

CNN's Arlette Saenz is traveling with the president. Manu Raju is also with me. Let's begin with you, Manu, what more are you learning?

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via phone): Yes, just announced the deal, the House Republican Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, the Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries announcing that they have reached this agreement after months of negotiations in an attempt to avoid a government shutdown just in a matter of days.

Now, what this agreement would do is that it would set overall spending levels for the entire federal government at $1.59 trillion. That level had been negotiated for some time, actually, in fact, it represents the level that was actually agreed to as part of last spring's debt limit law.

Remember, there was a whole negotiation to avoid the nation's first ever debt default. As part of that law known as the Fiscal Responsibility Act, they actually set top line funding levels at this exact number $1.59 trillion, but that caused actually a revolt in the right flank in the House GOP, ultimately leading to a bunch of decisions that ultimately cost Kevin McCarthy his job as speaker.

But now faced with another government shutdown deadline just days away, the new Speaker of the House essentially agreed to that same level, $1.59 trillion. The White House has signaled it is signing off on it, as are Democratic leaders.

Now Johnson, in a letter to his colleagues touted what he believes are Republican victories here. He said that the senators had wanted to spend even more money that we're moving through the appropriations process, speaking of spending levels at a higher dollar amount. He says that he got them to pare back that number.

[15:45:04]

He also indicated that the senators agreed with the House Speaker to cut funding from the IRS, about $10 billion in cuts for a total of $20 billion from the IRS. That is something that was part of the Democrats' Inflation Reduction Act.

Johnson also indicating that a $6 billion in cuts would come from the COVID funds, ones that were already enacted to help with the emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, this agreement, while significant because it could avert a government shutdown, does not mean that there won't be a government shutdown, because they still have to draft the legislation, it still has to go through the process.

And there are a number of members, especially in the right flank in the House who have demanded using the spending bill as leverage to enact some of their policy priority, namely more restrictive policies at the southern border with Mexico. The question is, will Mike Johnson go along with those calls from his right flank? Will he try to add anything else to push the Republican agenda that could run counter to what the Democrats will agree to and what the White House will agree to? Those questions that have not yet been answered here, but will play out in the days ahead, and there just simply is not much time.

Congress returns this week after its holiday recess. They have until January 19th to pass legislation to avoid a partial government shutdown, and they have until February 2nd to avoid a government shutdown and another series of federal agencies that are awaiting their funding as well.

So even though the fiscal year started October 1st, just today, the leaders announcing this agreement setting the overall funding levels at $1.59 trillion could avert a government shutdown because of this agreement. It doesn't guarantee it, but one in which both sides are touting now they're going to have to sell it to their members -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, the start of what is going to be a pretty busy something like 10 days ahead of us here.

All right, thanks so much, Manu.

Arlette, to you now, traveling with President Biden there in Delaware. What's the response coming from the White House?

SAENZ: Well, President Joe Biden is welcoming the news of this funding level agreement, saying in a statement that it moves the country one step closer to averting another government shutdown.

Now, in this statement, President Biden notes that, that -- just one moment, just pulling up the statement -- "It reflects the funding levels that I negotiated with both parties and signed into law last spring. It rejects deep cuts to programs hardworking families count on and provides a path to passing full year funding bills that deliver for the American people and are free of any extreme policies."

He goes on to say: "Now, congressional Republicans must do their job. Stop threatening to shut down the government and fulfill their basic responsibility to fund critical domestic and national security priorities, including my supplemental request. It's time for them to act."

Now, the OMB Director Shalanda Young just on Friday had expressed some concern about the policy to get a funding agreement before that first funding deadline approaches on January 19th. That concern is due in part to the fact that some conservatives have threatened to try to use this government funding deadline to try to push forward some of the measures that they want to see enacted when it comes to stricter immigration and border policy.

Of course, separately from this funding debate is also the talks about this additional funding that the president had requested for Israel, Ukraine, and border security. There are still those negotiations underway where the White House has made some concessions that they are willing to make when it comes to border security and in order to get that other funding passed, so that is something that the president referenced in this statement.

But just because these funding levels have been agreed to does not mean that people are entirely in the clear from a shutdown just yet. As Manu noted, there are still a number of hurdles that need to be crossed, including getting those funding bills together and passed by January 19th, and then the February 2nd deadline, but also those concerns about whether conservatives will try to use this moment to try to push forth some of the immigration and border policy changes that they want to see made.

But at this time, the White House is expressing some optimism about this, what the president is saying, that it does bring the country one step closer to averting a shutdown.

WHITFIELD: Right, and as Manu mentioned, there's also the drafting of it and the negotiations that come with doing that, so quite a few things to happen still.

Arlette Saenz, Manu Raju, thank you so much to both of you.

All right, it'll be a one two-punch for the northeast as millions prepare for a second winter storm. A wintry mix of heavy snow and blizzard conditions could leave more people in the dark as crews clear the roads. We'll have the latest.

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WHITFIELD: Heavy snow, blizzard conditions, strong winds, serious and widespread flooding, and a threat of tornadoes. An exceptionally powerful January storm will target the US with nearly every winter weather threat imaginable all this week.

Elisa Raffa is with us now in the Weather Center. There you are.

All right, 70 million Americans we're talking about could see some of this severe weather. Who is in the path?

ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is really going across most of the country and like you mentioned, we're dealing with every single threat. This is a storm that we were tracking for yesterday. It dumped up to a foot of snow in most locations, and it is on its way out, still snowing in Boston right now. This is the one that's right behind it coming for this week.

It doesn't look like much right now, but it's going to deepen, it is going to pack moisture and a lot of it especially for this time of year. Here is a look at some of those blizzard warnings in the orange here, for parts of Kansas and in the panhandle of Oklahoma and northern Texas where heavy snow coupled with the wind will drop visibility.

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You've got winter storm warnings there in the pink headed up into Omaha. So again, tomorrow, it is pack the punch with that snow on the northern edge from Kansas into Nebraska and Iowa. Then the severe threat, flooding and severe weather along the Gulf Coast, and all of this moves east as we go into Tuesday.

Heavy rain in the southeast, some gusty winds with the snow up in the Great Lakes Chicago area, and then all of that flooding rain goes to where we just got a foot of snow, so the flooding threat can even include snow melt.

Here is that severe risk, two days with an enhanced risk. That's a level three out of five. We are looking at a couple of tornadoes, some of which could be strong and damaging winds. Plus, we are looking at that flood threat, too because again, like I said, this area up here is already saturated from the last storm and just got a foot of snow, so it's a lot to track.

WHITFIELD: Yes. It's a lot and it's going to be even more.

All right, Elisa Raffa, thank you so much.

All right, New York could become the first state to offer paid prenatal leave for pregnant women. Governor Kathy Hochul is proposing 40 hours of paid leave for prenatal care in her plan to improve maternal and infant health.

Currently, infant mortality rates are increasing in the US and Black women in New York City are nine times more likely to die from pregnancy or childbirth than White women.

Joining me right now to speak about all of this, Dr. Gigi, El-Bayoumi.

Good to see you, Doctor.

So how will Governor Hochul's proposal for paid prenatal leave help address these mortality rates in New York?

DR. GIGI EL-BAYOUMI, ADJUNCT PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: Well, first of all, Happy New Year and I'm glad that that's a start. I'm not sure how much it's going to impact, because if we look at the two drivers of infant and maternal mortality, one of them is the healthcare ecosystem, and we have some really awful statistics.

Did you know that an African-American woman with a graduate degree has a worse --

WHITFIELD: Okay. Can you rephrase that? Because at least for my earpiece, I lost your audio.

EL-BAYOUMI: Sure. That's okay.

WHITFIELD: I don't know if everyone at home did, too.

EL-BAYOUMI: Okay, we'll start again.

WHITFIELD: So you said, you talked about the ecosystem. What do you mean?

EL-BAYOUMI: The healthcare ecosystem, so if you look at an African- American woman, highly educated. She has a worst outcome with her pregnancy than a woman who is a White high school dropout. So there is something in the health care system about how that woman is being treated, that impacts outcomes, so that's one.

The second thing is what makes a pregnancy a healthy pregnancy? Well, the food that the woman eats; rest, making sure that she is sleeping adequately, that she doesn't have a lot of stress; housing, you know, all of these things, which are the social determinants of health.

Only 20 percent of any healthcare outcome is actually linked to seeing us as clinicians.

So I don't want to be a naysayer, I think that that's wonderful that there is a policy because it reflects putting maternal and child health as a priority, which is incredibly important. And, I shouldn't say but, and there are these other factors that we have to attend to.

It is going to be a multi-pronged approach if we're really going to make a difference.

WHITFIELD: So I wonder if there is a way to look at what might be some assets that come with this proposal. I mean, you did talk about the stressors. And by having some sort of paid prenatal leave might allow for some of those things that you talked about, women to get more rest.

While they're carrying, obviously, their bodies are going through all kinds of things, but then you're talking about, you know, getting to work handling and taking care of affairs at home and beyond.

Do you see some real assets as to how this kind of home prenatal, you know, time off, can help?

EL-BAYOUMI: Absolutely. First of all, it is giving everybody notice, including employers, that this is a priority, that these women will have time to take care of their own health and their baby's health.

So if nothing else, that messaging is very important. And again, I don't want to say anything negative because that is a huge first step. That's putting this as a priority.

So yes, no question, the stress of, oh, are they going to fire me or am I going to lose my job if I take this time out? So yes, that is important. And as with anything when you start off, this is sort of the first step and hopefully, other steps will come on, so we will have a really solid foundation.

So kudos to her. I know that the governor is a mother herself and really said you know, this has to be a priority so I want to give her, her props.

WHITFIELD: Well, how do you hope that perhaps this might even serve as a framework potentially for other states or even on a federal basis so as to make some sort of dent or impact on the mortality rate that we just spoke of?

EL-BAYOUMI: Well one thing about the package that was proposed is that also, there is a focus on mental health, which I think is so key and so important. You know, I come from a culture when a women is pregnant, you're supposed to treat her like a queen because there is an understanding that the mother's mental health actually affects the baby's mental health. That is really important.

So beginning to tie all of these other aspects of a woman's health not just when she is pregnant, really, but beforehand, which is key.

WHITFIELD: Dr. Gigi El-Bayoumi, great to see you. Thank you so much and Happy New Year.

EL-BAYOUMI: Oh, it is nice to see you, and to you, thanks.

Oh, it is nice to see you, and to you, thanks.