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Trump Team Surprised by Allegations against Defense Pick; GOP and Dem Senators Asking for House Ethics Committee Report; Biden to Meet Xi at APEC in Peru; Tulsi Gabbard Tapped to Lead U.S. Spy Agencies; U.S. Air Crews Describe Midair Battle with Iranian Drones; India's Capital Battles Toxic Air; Jake Paul Beats Mike Tyson in Unanimous Decision. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired November 16, 2024 - 05:00   ET

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

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CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: And a warm welcome to our viewers joining us from the United States and around the world. I'm Christina Macfarlane.

Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM. Some of president-elect Donald Trump's cabinet picks are sidestepping federal background checks. And it might be clear why. We'll take a look at two current investigations into picks for top posts.

And President Joe Biden meeting one last time with his Chinese counterpart. What we're expecting from the leaders' discussion in Peru today.

Plus, we have a recap of the much anticipated fight between a YouTuber turned boxer and the one time undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from London, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Christina Macfarlane.

MACFARLANE: There are new questions and new controversy surrounding some of Donald Trump's picks for his new administration.

Trump is said to be considering a push from right wing allies to put loyalist Kash Patel in charge of the FBI. Patel has threatened to go after Trump's perceived political enemies in government and the media.

Meanwhile, there's new information about the investigation into Trump's pick to be attorney general, Matt Gaetz. The attorney for a woman who testified before lawmakers says she told them she saw Gaetz have sex with a minor.

And there are new questions about the viability of Trump's selection for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Trump's transition team is said to have been surprised by word of an investigation seven years ago into an alleged sexual assault involving Hegseth. He was not charged and he denies any wrongdoing.

But it's casting a shadow over his selection.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: I think the problem they're facing in this case is what prosecutors always face in he said/she said cases that happened behind closed doors, which is they have two distinct, different versions of what occurred and what was consent.

And the prosecutor's office probably came to the conclusion that they didn't have enough to sustain a conviction at trial to go forward. So that file is basically closed right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Well, that controversy now has some members of the transition team wondering if Hegseth is a good choice. Kyung Lah reports.

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KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR U.S. CORRESPONDENT: These allegations involving Pete Hegseth date back to 2017 in Monterey, California. The City of Monterey says that its police department became involved in a, quote, "alleged sexual assault" involving Pete Hegseth.

Said it took place allegedly on October 8th, 2017, in the early morning hours at the Hyatt Regency in Monterey and that the police department became involved four days after this alleged incident when it was notified that something may have happened.

Now I want you to take a look at this picture from Facebook. It comes from the California Federation of Republican Women and it shows Hegseth speaking at a podium. He was a speaker at their conference, according to these photos.

Now the city statement, while not being specific in identifying Hegseth as an alleged assailant, does say that he was involved. It also talks about an unnamed victim and injuries.

And the injury being described as, quote, "contusions to right thigh." The city says that it would not be releasing the full police report and a check of the court shows that Hegseth has not been charged in the county since 2017 up until today.

Now we did reach out to Hegseth's lawyer, who issued a denial, saying that, yes, an allegation was made but no charges were filed. And we also reached out to Trump's spokesman, who says that Hegseth has vigorously denied any and all accusations and, quote, "we look forward to his confirmation" -- Kyung Lah, CNN, San Francisco.

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MACFARLANE: Well, more now on the controversy surrounding Trump's pick to be his attorney general, Matt Gaetz. The attorney for a woman who testified before lawmakers says she told them she saw Gaetz have sex with a minor. Gaetz has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

The House Ethics Committee was investigating Gaetz but ended that investigation when Gaetz resigned this week to become attorney general. Gaetz would have to go through confirmation hearings in the Senate.

The Senate Judiciary Committee asked the House to send it the Ethics Committee's report. Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House says he doesn't want the committee's report to be released to the public.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): I'm going to strongly request the Ethics Committee not to issue the report because that is not the way we do things in the House.

[05:05:00]

And I think that would be a terrible precedent to set.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Well, sources say several members of the Trump team are frustrated that Hegseth and Gaetz weren't properly vetted. But they aren't the only ones. The transition team is said to be skipping the usual FBI background checks for many of its cabinet picks. Our Evan Perez has more.

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EVAN PEREZ, CNN SR. JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: The president-elect's transition team, for now, is bypassing the traditional FBI background checks, at least for some of his cabinet picks, while using private companies to conduct vetting of potential candidates for administration jobs.

Trump and his allies distrust the FBI and they complain that the system is slow and plagued with issues that could stymie the president-elect's plans to quickly begin the work of implementing his agenda.

People close to the transition tell us that they believe that the Trump team will eventually submit the names of at least some of the nominees to the FBI for these background checks. And, of course, the Senate can request that the FBI do background investigations before they vote on these nominations.

In his first term, Trump ordered security clearances for about 25 people who had run into problems in their background checks, including for potential conflicts and unreported foreign ties, according to congressional testimony.

His son in law, Jared Kushner, was among those who Trump ordered to be given clearances despite not completing all of the requirements for those background checks. Even before the election, some of Trump's advisers were circulating a memo urging him to bypass the traditional background check process for at least some of his nominees.

Among those who were behind that memo were people who had struggled to complete the background checks -- Evan Perez, CNN, Washington.

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MACFARLANE: Well, Natasha Lindstaedt is a professor of government at the University of Essex.

She joins us now from Colchester, England.

Thanks for joining us, Natasha. The revelation about Pete Hegseth just underlines why these FBI background checks are necessary. And, you know, this has been established protocol since World War II.

What would be the consequences of Trump sidestepping this?

And is he within his rights to do so?

NATASHA LINDSTAEDT, UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX: It's really hard to say what's going to happen. Trump has shattered so many of our norms and really pushed the boundaries of what the democratic institutions are able to do.

He's flexed so much executive power. I know he wants to just push through some of these nominations. But, of course, with this nomination for Secretary of Defense of Pete Hegseth, this could potentially pose all kinds of issues for the U.S. because he's putting someone in charge who was (INAUDIBLE) his experience.

I know he did have some combat experience but most of his experience is being a news host for FOX News on the weekends. And he's putting him in charge of, you know, millions of people, about 3 million people in the Department of Defense, that he has to oversee.

This is really an enterprise of some 800 billion and he would be in charge of making incredibly important decisions that affect national security.

I'm not sure if Trump chose him because he likes his views on, you know ousting, quote-unquote, "woke generals" or trying to clean up the military, to make it more America First in line with Trump's agenda and less so having some of these generals that really wanted to abide by the Constitution.

It may also be that Trump wants someone who sort of a lightweight in this position so that he can flex more muscle. But I'm not sure this one is going to pass. This is really going to be a test to see how loyal the senators are to Trump and the extent to which they feel that they have to support Trump or they will lose their reelection.

There may be one or two that won't support it. But this is really going to be one of the first big tests.

MACFARLANE: Yes. And we'll get to that, those confirmation hearings in just a second.

But at first, you know, speaking of potential problematic nominations, yesterday, speaker Johnson said he would refuse to release the House Ethics report looking into sexual misconduct and drug use of Matt Gaetz, saying it goes against House tradition. I just wanted to get your thoughts on this.

Does he have the power to withhold this report?

Because there seems to be a lot of bipartisan support in the Senate actually receiving this information.

LINDSTAEDT: So it would actually have to be a Republican in the House that would have to push this forward. And I don't think that's going to happen. The Republicans in the House seem to be really in line with Trump's agenda as well.

I mean, this is in spite of the fact that Matt Gaetz is not a popular figure in the House. He's not well liked amongst other politicians. And he poses all kinds of issues being in charge of the very agency -- or being in charge of the very department, the Department of Justice, that was actually recently investigating him for allegations of sex trafficking.

[05:10:03]

Of course, the House Ethics Committee was investigating him for sexual misconduct and improper drug use.

And so he putting him in charge of this position is controversial for that reason. But also because he's going to want to weaponize the justice system and go against any of his own enemies and Trump's enemies.

And I think that's why Trump put him in this place. He wants an attack dog. He wants, Trump wants someone as attorney general who will viciously go after anyone who opposes him and to set the tone.

MACFARLANE: And to your earlier point, Natasha, I mean, all of this will come down to whether or not these controversial picks are going to be confirmed by the Senate.

How much pressure are Republicans going to come under to agree to, you know, enabling these picks to take place or even allowing Trump, as he has touted already, to use recess appointments to get these nominees put in place?

LINDSTAEDT: There's just going to be huge pressure on the Republicans to push -- to push through.

I mean, you're already hearing Republicans in the House saying that they have to step in line, that that they have to jump. If Trump says to jump. This is a direct quote from a House member. And the Senate has largely been loyal to Trump when it was under Mitch

McConnell. There were different issues here and there where there wasn't agreement.

But for the most part, Mitch McConnell was able to maintain huge levels of party discipline and ensure that all senators voted with whatever Trump wanted. And I think you're going to see increasing pressure because Trump is saying, I have a mandate.

Whether that's true or not but he's claiming you know, he has a mandate to execute this agenda. And that means that everybody has to get in line with his picks, no matter how bizarre they are, no matter how crazy they are and no matter how much this may pose a threat to national security.

So I think he's going to try to ram it through the best that he can. And thus far, we have seen very few senators, only one or two here or there, that have been willing to go against Trump.

MACFARLANE: All right. We will watch this space. Natasha, great to have your thoughts and your analysis, thank you.

LINDSTAEDT: Thanks for having me.

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MACFARLANE: Well, Democratic election officials in Pennsylvania are being accused of breaking the law to keep their candidate in power.

The Bucks County Board of Elections defied a court ruling and counted about 114 provisional ballots that are missing one or two required signatures. Republican critics say Democrats are fraudulently trying to help senator Bob Casey hold on to his seat during a mandatory recount.

Casey trails Republican challenger David McCormick by about 22,000 votes. Election board Democrats say they don't want to disenfranchise voters who may have been given bad instructions by poll workers when filling out their ballots.

U.S. President Joe Biden is at the APEC summit in Peru. He'll meet with China's president Xi today for what could be a difficult conversation.

And we'll also look at what are China's hopes and fears about the incoming Trump administration.

Plus she met with a U.S. adversary and pushed Moscow's line on Ukraine. Now this former U.S. congresswoman could be in charge of all U.S. spy agencies.

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MACFARLANE: U.S. President Joe Biden is in Peru for the APEC summit, where he's trying to reassure allies in the face of the coming Trump administration. He's admitted the world is facing, quote, "a moment of significant political change."

But he didn't share publicly at least, how the world should deal with that change.

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QUESTION: What do you tell allies who have fears about the incoming Trump administration?

What is your message to allies, sir?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Well, Biden met with the leaders of Japan and South Korea and celebrated the strengthening of that three way coalition, which is something he considers a major part of his legacy in East Asia.

China's president Xi is also in Peru and will meet with Mr. Biden today. Given Donald Trump's past disdain for multilateral organizations, it's thought China is sensing an opportunity for expanded influence in the international stage. CNN's Marc Stewart reports from Beijing.

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MARC STEWART, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The anticipated meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping obviously comes at a time when world leaders are trying to assess what life will be like under the incoming Trump administration.

And as China tries to portray itself as a world leader and a stable alternative to the U.S.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEWART (voice-over): An example of that ambition was on full display Friday.

In addition to the APEC visit, Xi was in Peru to formally open a massive deep water port. It's a $1.3 billion investment by Beijing. As the world's second largest economy, China wants the world to know it's a global player, especially amid uncertainty over what Trump's next term will bring.

As one observer told us, China wants to send the message to other nations it may not be smart to completely side with the U.S. and to consider working with them.

As far as the meeting between Xi and Biden, it may be a way for Beijing to signal to the next administration that it wants communication and stability.

The incoming administration and its potential China critics, like secretary of state nominee Marco Rubio, could be challenging, especially alongside Trump's calls for new U.S. tariffs on Chinese made products.

While ties plummeted to some of their worst in history earlier in the Biden administration, the two nations currently are holding more diplomatic talks and visits. Just this year, secretary of state Antony Blinken, national security advisor Jake Sullivan and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen have all made visits here to China.

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STEWART: And we've seen some agreement to work together on issues like climate change and fentanyl, diplomacy that Beijing would most likely hope to maintain -- Marc Stewart, CNN, Beijing.

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[05:20:00]

MACFARLANE: Well, for more on what is arguably the world's most consequential political relationship, we go live to Chong Ja Ian, political scientist at the National University of Singapore.

Thank you so much for joining us. So as we've been saying, Biden is set to meet with Xi today but not in the way he'd have hoped, with a lame duck presidency and the U.S. headed back to isolationist policies under Donald Trump.

So what will both leaders be looking to get out of this meeting?

CHONG JA IAN, POLITICAL SCIENTIST, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE: So I guess for Xi, it's probably more straightforward.

He's probably wanting to signal not just to the United States but to the world at large that the PRC is a force for stability, that they're open for business. This is very similar to what he did in Davos in 2017.

However, the PRC today is very different from that of 2016. They have far more economic headwinds. For President Joe Biden, I suppose what he would want to do is to cement his legacy and to try to keep the U.S.-PRC relationship on as much of an even keel as possible.

While, at the same time, hoping that the sort of lattice work that he's been putting in place with the other U.S. allies, you know, hoping that will hold up under the pressures of the Trump presidency.

MACFARLANE: Yes, an even keel for only just perhaps the next 60 days for President Joe Biden. There's no doubt, of course, that China is seeing the Trump presidency as a possible opportunity for them to assert themselves in the region of South America. We know that Xi is departing for a nine day diplomatic tour on Wednesday.

What inroads will China be looking to make during that trip?

What message will they be sending?

CHONG: So the PRC will be trying to send a message that, you know it is economic opportunity, that it will be able to provide investment. It will be able to provide markets for many of the minerals coming out of Latin America.

And they would be a partner of choice. Of course, behind that is an effort to continue sort of isolating Taiwan. Of course, that message has been sold before with mixed results elsewhere in Southeast Asia, in Africa.

So I suppose it comes down to how much people in Latin America buy or believe that message of opportunity coming from the PRC.

MACFARLANE: And there's a lot of concern, obviously, among, in China, about this impending tariff war that the Trump administration may be bringing.

Are they viewing there these new ties with South America as a potential way around tariff barriers with the U.S.?

CHONG: So I think that's a potential that Xi would be looking at. So these Latin American countries could provide some markets. They obviously don't have the buying power of the United States. They could provide some sort of inroad into the U.S. market indirectly.

Those are things, I suppose, that are -- I suppose things Xi would be considering. But if there is going to be the 60 percent tariffs or anything near it, there will be tit-for-tat. A lot of the economic connections will be very much in disarray. How these plans will actually pan out are really big questions.

MACFARLANE: And we've talked about, we know Trump's administration is going to be looking for more isolationist policies, pushing in that direction.

What impact will that have on the PRC and their -- as they view international institutions like the U.N., like the WHO and potentially forging new relationships with those?

CHONG: Right. So the Republican Party and president Trump elect, Trump in particular, have shown a lot of skepticism toward international organizations, the U.N. in particular.

But other U.N. agencies, they will likely be far less enthusiastic. They may withdraw some of that support. It could offer an opening to the PRC to try to shape rules. But that will, of course, depend on how the other members take to it.

Because what the PRC has shown, in the sort of past eight, you know, eight years, is that they, too, are a great power and they can be disruptive as well in terms of their economic posture. They can be somewhat protectionist, too.

So I think what we will see is probably a lot more tussling over that space that would open up in the in the face of a less engaged United States.

Yes. I mean, the world is familiar, of course, with the Chinese Belt and Road initiative and some see this or view this as an extension of that, what is their plans for South America.

And we were -- Marc Stewart was just talking there about this massive port that has just been opened, I think the Chancay port in Peru.

I mean, is the idea already taking hold in South America, the seed been sown, that China would be a better trading partner than the United States?

CHONG: I mean, it does seem that the PRC looks like a big trading partner. It looks like a big opportunity that is opening up. In many respects, the U.S.-Latin American relationship has already matured.

[05:25:00]

So this is a new opportunity. But we've also seen with the Belt and Road, elsewhere in the world, that it has really mixed results. Right? Some of the big infrastructure projects can deliver. Sometimes they don't.

Xi himself earlier this year has talked about the Belt and Road moving away from big infrastructure toward what he calls small and beautiful.

So I suppose there's a lot of hype. Of course there would be with this big state visit, with the sort of big port being inaugurated. But how things will pan out, I suppose that is going to be subject to how the global economic winds really blow.

MACFARLANE: Yes. And as you say, of course, the PRC in a very different place economically now to when it was during Trump's first term in office. It's going to be fascinating to see. Chong Ja Ian, thank you so much for your analysis.

CHONG: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: Now, Donald Trump's allies are said to be pushing for him to select Kash Patel as the next FBI director. Patel has promised to go after Trump's perceived enemies. The latest on the controversy next.

Plus, Iranian drones and missiles were headed toward Israel and U.S. warplanes were scrambled to shoot them down before it was too late. Now U.S. pilots talk to CNN about a dramatic air battle they had never fought before.

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MACFARLANE: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Christina Macfarlane. If you're just joining us, here are some of the top stories we're following today.

President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet picks are raising eyebrows and he's not done yet. He's expected to name a Treasury Secretary in the coming days and still has to fill some key positions like Labor, Agriculture and Education.

[05:30:00]

The Ethics Committee will release the results of an investigation into Trump's pick for attorney general, Matt Gaetz, who stepped down from the House this week, is facing accusations of illicit drug use and having sex with underage girls.

The transition team's process for vetting candidates like Matt Gaetz is unconventional. They have decided to forgo FBI background checks for several of their selections. Normally, the FBI does thorough vetting of candidates before they go through the Senate confirmation process.

Well, Donald Trump is said to be considering a push from right wing allies to put controversial loyalist Kash Patel in charge of the FBI. Sources say Patel has been lobbying for the job, including speaking directly to Trump.

In Trump's first term, Patel worked on the National Security Council and in the Defense Department and he has threatened to go after Trump's perceived political enemies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KASH PATEL, TRUMP LOYALIST: We got to put in all American patriots top to bottom.

I thought it would be fun to go on a manhunt of government gangsters together.

Your civil liberties are taken away from you and you're sent to prison.

We will go out and find the conspirators not just in government but in the media. Yes, we're going to come after the people in the media.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Well, the next chief of U.S. intelligence agencies could be a person who echoed Russian propaganda in the past. Former congresswoman and presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped for the Director of U.S. National Intelligence.

She not only has no experience in the field whatsoever but, as Alex Marquardt reports, Gabbard also sided with U.S. adversaries and spread conspiracy theories.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Tulsi Gabbard's journey from Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii to Trump's choice for spy chief has taken many twists and turns. Democrats now say she's become an apologist for the Putin regime, consistently spouting Russian propaganda.

GABBARD: Ukraine isn't actually a democracy.

MARQUARDT: As the war in Ukraine began, she argued, as Russia has, that Ukraine shouldn't be allowed to join NATO.

GABBARD: Presidents Putin, Zelenskyy and Biden, it's time to put geopolitics aside and embrace the spirit of aloha, respect and love for the Ukrainian people by coming to an agreement that Ukraine will be a neutral country.

MARQUARDT: Days later, she repeated a debunked Russian conspiracy about supposed American biolabs in Ukraine, developing deadly pathogens.

GABBARD: These facilities, even in the best of circumstances, could easily be compromised and release these deadly pathogens.

MARQUARDT: Republican Senator Mitt Romney quickly accused Gabbard of parroting false Russian propaganda, saying her treasonous lies may well cost lives.

Hillary Clinton suggested without proof that Russia was grooming Gabbard, as Gabbard ran for president in the 2020 race.

Gabbard in response called Clinton the queen of warmongers, embodiment of corruption.

Gabbard is 43 years old, a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves after serving 17 years in the Hawaiian National Guard with tours in Iraq and Kuwait. She was elected to the house as a Democrat in 2013, the first American Samoan to go to Congress.

She left eight years later and soon became a Republican.

GABBARD: Aloha.

MARQUARDT: Campaigning for the GOP and becoming a fixture on Fox News, where she often filled in for Tucker Carlson.

GABBARD: This is the whole problem with the Biden administration. They are so focused on how do we punish Putin that they don't care and are not focused on what is actually in the best interest of the American people?

MARQUARDT: Concerns over Gabbard extend to her position on Syria. In 2017, she publicly doubted a chemical weapons attack by the Assad regime. But Trump responded to by firing Tomahawk missiles at Syria.

GABBARD: I'm skeptical.

MARQUARDT: That was just months after the congresswoman took a secret trip to Syria, meeting with Dictator Bashar al Assad after hundreds of thousands had been killed in the country's war.

GABBARD: Whatever you think about President Assad, the fact is that he is the president of Syria.

In order for any peace agreement, in order for any possibility of a viable peace agreement to occur, there has to be a conversation with him.

MARQUARDT: Gabbard has never served in an intelligence role but if confirmed, she'll oversee the country's 18 intelligence services serving a president who has long been suspicious and critical of the intelligence community, particularly over its assessment that Russia supports

Serving a president who has long been suspicious and critical of the intelligence community, particularly over its assessment that Russia supports him. And Trump has vowed to overhaul it.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will clean out all of the corrupt actors in our national security and intelligence apparatus and there are plenty of them.

MARQUARDT: Gabbard is clearly one of Donald Trump's more outlandish picks for his cabinet. A source from the Senate Intelligence Committee tells me that this is going to be a very uphill climb for Gabbard to get confirmed by the Senate.

That committee is going to want a background check and answers to a long questionnaire, both of which could make Gabbard's hearing quite contentious. And then if she makes it out of committee, there's also a big question about whether she'd get enough Republican support.

Susan Collins, Republican from Maine, for example, who sits on that committee, she wrote the bill that created the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

[05:35:00]

And she could be among several Republicans who oppose Gabbard for that job -- Alex Marquardt, CNN, Washington.

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MACFARLANE (voice-over): You're watching images here of protesters storming the parliament on Friday in the Russian backed Georgian breakaway region of Abkhazia. Opposition to a recent investment agreement with Moscow has been building. Some in the region have expressed fear that the deal would result in

pricing locals out of the property market in favor of Russians. The governor's office of the breakaway region said it has now scrapped that agreement.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia's war in Ukraine will end, quote, "faster when Donald Trump takes office."

This comes as the German chancellor is drawing Zelenskyy's ire by opening dialogue with Russia after years of silence.

In a phone call, Olaf Scholz urged Russian president Vladimir Putin to withdraw from Ukraine and begin peace talks. But the Kremlin says any agreement would have to recognize what it calls new territorial realities. It was the first time the men had spoken in nearly two years.

And now Volodymyr Zelenskyy is criticizing that exchange. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Olaf Scholz, in my opinion, is Pandora's box. Now there may be other conversations, other calls, just a lot of words.

And this is exactly what Putin has long wanted. It's extremely important for him to weaken his eyes on the nation, as a nation of Prussia, and conduct talks as ordinary talks, which won't have any result, the way he did it for decades.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Now for the second time this week, Israel is being accused of serious violations of international law.

This time it's coming from the United Nations special committee, which concluded that Israel's conduct in Gaza is, quote, "consistent with the characteristics of genocide."

The committee point to mass casualties among Palestinians in Israel's use of starvation as a weapon of war, among other things. CNN has reached out to Israel for response.

Well, earlier this week, Human Rights Watch said the massive displacement of Palestinians and the enormous damage wrought in Gaza amounts to a war crime and a crime against humanity. Israel said it's committed to international law and operates accordingly.

Smoke hovered over southern Beirut following a new round of Israeli strikes. Lebanon's national news agency says at least three airstrikes hit the area this initial reports of casualties. The Israeli military said it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure.

That's happening as a new cease-fire proposal for Lebanon is starting to make some headway. That's according to sources who spoke with CNN. They say Hezbollah is now considering the joint U.S.-Israeli plan, which was also given to Lebanon's government.

The militant group is expected to respond in the coming days, according to those sources. They also say there's some optimism that Hezbollah will agree to the plan.

Well, we now want to give you a firsthand account of a dramatic midair battle that played out in the skies over Israel.

Last April, U.S. warplanes were sent to intercept hundreds of Iranian drones and missiles headed toward Israeli targets. The operation was a first for the U.S. Air Force, which had never fought a prolonged large-scale drone attack. Natasha Bertrand has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on. Let's go, go, go, go, go.

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As missiles and drones exploded overhead, U.S. troops scrambled to get fighter jets in the air.

MAJ. BENJAMIN "IRISH" COFFEY, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE: The scale that we expected for the most dangerous was vastly under probably four or five

times under what actually occurred on April 13th.

BERTRAND (voice-over): Iran had fired over 300 missiles and attack drones at Israel, an unprecedented strike. In their first interview since that

night, F-15 pilots and crew call signs, Irish, Sonic, Rifle and Voodoo describe trying to hit dozens of missiles and slow moving drones while

flying over a thousand miles per hour.

CAPT. LACIE "SONIC" HESTER, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE: It just took a few seconds that all of a sudden, the next sweep of our radar, we just see all

of these dots. And I think that first picture was a little overwhelming, I think for me in the back seat, just seeing how many are airborne and how

many are tracking in our direction.

BERTRAND (voice-over): For the F-15 squadron shown here at their home base in Lakenheath, England, this was the first real test against a large scale

drone attack.

BERTRAND: Can you talk a bit about how difficult that was to take down these very small, slow moving drones?

COFFEY: You're talking about something that is on the very edge of a fighter aircraft's ability to detect what we call find, fix, track, target,

and engage. We weren't sure if our radar, the best radar in the inventory, is in this airplane behind us. No one really knew whether or not its

capability to find these things even existed.

BERTRAND (voice-over): Several of the F-15's air-to-air missiles failed to launch, leaving live munitions hanging on the wing.

BERTRAND: I mean was there anything that really surprised you about that night?

[05:40:00]

Anything that went wrong?

MAJ. CLAYTON "RIFLE" WICKS, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE: I mean, a lot of stuff went wrong. We had lots of jets that were coming back with hung ordnance.

BERTRAND: And that's treated as an emergency, isn't it?

WICKS: Yes. It is. So they are by default, an emergency aircraft.

BERTRAND (voice-over): Rifle was managing operations at an undisclosed base in the Middle East, where missiles and drones were exploding overhead. The

chaos is shown here for the first time.

Pilots called in asking what to do as debris fell on runways.

WICKS: Really all we could tell them was like, hey, stay airborne as long as you can with the gas that you have. don't divert because even our, you

know, divert air fields, we don't know what's going on there either. So if stuff is blowing up over our heads very likely, stuff is blowing up there

too.

BERTRAND (voice-over): Many troops refused to head to bunkers.

LT. COL. CURTIS "VOODOO" CULVER, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE: There was an airman at one point standing next to a fuel truck with tons and tons of jet

fuel in it, just pumping gas into the jet with stuff exploding over the base. I mean, the courage of that person to stand up and do that for an

ally is incredible.

BERTRAND (voice-over): Almost every single plane that landed had to be reloaded.

BERTRAND: So had you ever seen that situation before where these jets were using all of their munitions and then they have to come

back and get, you know, all of those replaced at once?

WICKS: We train to it. I'd never actually seen it.

BERTRAND (voice-over): Ultimately, U.S. and allied forces shot down nearly every projectile Iran launched at Israel.

Sonic, Irish, Voodoo and Rifle all received awards this week for valor in combat -- Natasha Bertrand, CNN, Lakenheath, England.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: Now India's capital has been smothered by toxic air pollution for days. Now city officials are rolling out new restrictions to fight the smog. We'll have the details.

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MACFARLANE: India's rolling out strict new rules to combat severe, toxic air pollution that's covered its capital recently. On Friday, Delhi banned non-essential construction work.

[05:45:00]

But the agency says the air quality in Delhi will remain very poor in the coming days. More now from CNN's Kristie Lu Stout.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): A canopy of toxic smog hangs over the skies of Northern India, blotting out the country's color, choking

its people. Across Delhi, people go to hospital with serious respiratory problems.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Within last 15 days, there's been at least 25 percent rise in my OPD patients.

STOUT (voice-over): Many like 65-year-old Atatia Kumar Shukla (ph) tried to stay home. So many others in Delhi are forced out into the pollution each

day to work often menial jobs for little pay. People like auto driver Mohammad Ibrahim.

MOHAMMAD IBRAHIM, AUTOR RICKSHAW DRIVER (through translator): It feels like chilli in my eyes with the pollution. When I go home in the evening and

wash my hands and face, Black stuff comes out of my nose. If I don't go to work, how will I fill my stomach?

How will I pay my rent?

How will I pay my

autos rent?

I'm a poor man. How will I eat?

Only if I earn can I eat.

STOUT (voice-over): Delhi is in its dry period. When emissions from cars and factories hang in the winter air, smoke from farmers burning their

fields after harvest lingers all day.

LALITA KUMARI, NURSE (through translator): I use a mask. I use a cloth to cover my face. When I feel the problems acutely, I do deep breathing and

exercises. That is what I do.

STOUT (voice-over): This month, the particulate matter in Delhi's air has levels 40 times over the WHO's safety levels. And many say government

efforts to reduce air pollution are not working.

ASHA MISHRA, DELHI RESIDENT: There is no question of it getting better. Last year, it was not this bad. This year it's worse. Next year it'll be

even worse than now.

STOUT (voice-over): In Delhi, some outdoor work has been stopped and schools have moved classes online. Flights have been diverted for poor

visibility but so many throughout Northern India must struggle through the haze -- Kristie Lu Stout, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: Now the Philippines is bracing for super typhoon Man-yi. The outer bands are now bearing down on the eastern part of the country. The storm, with winds topping 160mph, is equivalent to a category five hurricane and could get stronger. This is the fourth typhoon to hit the Philippines in less than two weeks.

Meanwhile, tropical storm Sara is nearly stationary as it hovers along the coast of Honduras. Sara has already brought catastrophic flooding levels to parts of Central America and there is potential for deadly mudslides. Dozens of homes have been damaged. And at least three people are missing.

A Southwest Airlines jet was hit by a bullet Friday night as it prepared to depart from Dallas. No injuries were reported. Police say it's not clear if it was intentional. It's just one of several scary incidents on flights this week.

Severe turbulence forced a Scandinavian Airlines flight headed to Miami to return to Europe on Thursday. The plane was rerouted to Denmark, where it will undergo an inspection. No serious injuries were reported.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Break, break.

MACFARLANE (voice-over): Passengers on an Alaska Airlines flight were told to brace. And you can hear schoolchildren in the background chanting, "Heads down, stay down," after the plane they were on blew a tire during departure on Friday. The plane made a safe emergency landing in Los Angeles.

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MACFARLANE: Meantime, the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating an incident on an American Airlines flight in Hawaii. The FAA says an air traffic controller's instructions to turn right just after takeoff kept the plane from hitting mountains near the Honolulu International Airport. Take a listen.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Turn right and expedite your climb through terrain and then turn right, hitting 1-2-0.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE (voice-over): At the Denver International Airport in Colorado, passengers aboard a Southwest Airlines flight had to evacuate the plane after a passenger's cell phone battery caught fire and set an airplane seat on fire. That passenger was treated for burns.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Enough to put you off flying for life, isn't it?

OK.

What happens when a YouTuber and a boxing legend step into the ring before tens of thousands of fans?

We will show you how it turned out after the break.

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[05:50:00]

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MACFARLANE: Welcome back.

It was one of the most highly anticipated, most watched and most unusual matchups in the ring; 27 year old social media star turned boxer Jake Paul defeated the 58 year old former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in their Friday night Netflix showdown.

Paul won in a unanimous decision. He landed 78 punches to just 18 for Tyson. Paul's record now stands at 11 wins and one loss. The fight took place before more than 72,000 fans at the AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys. Carolyn Manno is joining me to discuss.

Good to see you.

The hits didn't match the hype on this match, did they, Carolyn?

I guess we shouldn't be surprised because Tyson hasn't competed in, what, 19 years?

But by all accounts, it was a bit of a sad scene.

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: You know, the whole thing is a bit of a sad scene when you really think about how old he is. And the fact that, after this fight, he said that he's not sure he's going to stop fighting.

I mean, everybody was a little bit worried about his health coming in. He had suffered really serious ulcers over the summer, which ultimately caused a postponement to this fight.

But I don't think it matters when you consider how many people sat down to watch it last night. Jake Paul, to his credit, did take his foot off the gas a little bit heading into that third or fourth round.

I think he realized that Mike Tyson, despite his best efforts and putting up a good fight in the first couple of rounds, was running out of steam. And it might be dangerous to pile it on.

[05:55:00]

But you know, the fans came for it. They sat down and, ultimately, I think enjoyed it, even though it did disappoint. I think the diehard boxing fans almost interested in seeing something that turned out to be professional.

Let's go to women's college basketball now. I do want to update you on a big story there. The Huskies, one of the most successful programs in college basketball history, head coach Geno Auriemma's record has reflected that for a long time. But he continues to separate himself. This was also happening last

night before that fight. Second ranked UConn beating 14th ranked North Carolina 69 to 58 on Friday night. The Huskies star Paige Bueckers leading the way. She had 29 points.

Auriemma tied the all time NCAA Division One record for men's and women's basketball with 1,216 wins. He currently shares that spot with Tara VanDerveer. She retired from Stanford last season.

But in his 40 seasons at the helm, Geno has only seen 162 losses. It gives him an incredible 88.2 percent win percentage, along with 11 national championships.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GENO AURIEMMA, HUSKIES HEAD COACH: It's been one of those things where it just caught up to me, you know, it just added up and added up. And I've been fortunate to have so many great, so many great players to make this all possible.

And so many great people on my staff over the years. And, it's just, you know, it's just hard. It's just hard to comprehend all of that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANNO: And one lucky Pittsburgh Pirates fan is about to win the prize of a lifetime, Christina. The Pirates offering seats behind home plate at PNC Park for the next 30 years to whoever comes forward with a one of a kind baseball card of star pitcher Paul Skenes.

Now the lucky winner is going to get an exclusive meet and greet, two autographed jerseys and the opportunity to host a softball game with 30 of their best friends at PNC Park. So that is not bad for a baseball card that has a tremendous amount of value.

So hopefully good luck to them. In this economy, 30 years free seats, I'm sure they'll take it.

MACFARLANE: Yes, 100 percent. Get looking.

Carolyn Manno, always great to see you.

And thank you for joining us here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Christina Macfarlane. Great to have your company this morning.