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Ukraine Fires UK-Made Missiles Into Russia For First Time; U.S. Embassy In Kyiv To Reopen After Threat of Attack; U.S. Vetoes U.N. Security Council Resolution On Gaza Ceasefire; Gaetz Meets With Senators As House Ethics Decision Looms; Jose Ibarra Gets Life without Parole for Killing Laken Riley; How Trump Has Politicized Laken Riley's Murder; Trump Tariffs Could Impact Elon Musk's Businesses in China; Australia Moving to Ban Kids Under 16 from Social Media; Liam Payne Laid to Rest in Private Funeral; Former "Tonight Show" Host Jay Leno Injured in a Fall; Bomb Cyclone Plus Atmospheric River Threaten Pacific Northwest; Sea of Uncollected Garbage Leads to Power Outages; Annual Mass Red Crab Migration Begins in Australia. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired November 21, 2024 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Ahead on CNN Newsroom, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv is back in business after what Ukraine is calling a psychological attack increasing hostilities with Russia.
The U.S. veto is a U.N. ceasefire resolution for Gaza. We'll hear why from the U.S. deputy ambassador.
And Australia introduces new legislation aimed at protecting kids from harmful online content by kicking anyone under the age of 16 off social media.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN Newsroom with Lynda Kinkade.
KINKADE: Ukraine's military appears to be not wasting any time in using longer range missiles supplied by the U.S. and the U.K. in its war with Russia. Reuters in a Russian military blog report that Kyiv has for the first time fired British supplied shadow strike missiles at targets inside Russia's Kursk region.
It comes just a few days after U.S. defense officials confirmed that Ukraine successfully hit an ammunition dump in Russia's Bryansk region with U.S. Supplied attacker missiles. Moscow had previously said the missiles didn't cause any damage. Ukraine has yet to confirm or deny using the longer range missiles.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUSTEM UMEROV, UKRAINIAN DEFENSE MINISTER: We are very good planners. We plan and will be defending and giving punches back.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. UMEROV: With all the means available.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: The U.S. embassy in Kyiv has resumed services one day after shutting down because of a threat of a possible attack on the capital. Ukraine accuses Russia of spreading a fake warning as part of a psychological attack. More now from CNN's Nick Paton Walsh in Kyiv.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ukrainian special forces fighting up close and taking prisoners. Rare footage of them still inside Russia's Kursk region, where British Storm Shadow missiles were claimed to have hit Wednesday. These fragments found by locals.
Just hours earlier, American supplied ATACMS missiles also plowed into Russia, marking a stark new escalation in the war. Yet it was also in Kyiv that fear grew. The U.S. embassy closing here for the first time since the invasion, citing a threat of air attack.
WALSH: It's a reflection of the heightened tension here felt in the capital Kyiv. It's been under regular bombardment for over two months. But other European allied embassies are also limiting their function today. Perhaps a sense across NATO here that we're entering a new chapter of this conflict.
WALSH (voice-over): As Kyiv braced for another sleepless night of sirens, the bereaved planted flags into this sea of loss in central Kyiv. Anya's father died of his injuries three weeks ago after five months in a coma. She is raw from both the talk of peace and fear of sirens.
ANYA IVANINA, LOST HER FATHER IN THE WAR: I will be honest, we went down to the basement during every air raid siren today. It was really scared indeed. I want peace very much. I don't want our country to be hurt. I want it to be as it was but without the Russians, without all of this.
WALSH (voice-over): But it's never over in Kyiv. The air raids intensifying in the past two months and the weekends seen here the worst for a while.
So the heightened anxiety behind several NATO embassies reducing operations this day sparks Ukrainian officials to plead they hold their nerve and deride this piece of Russian misinformation online, a detailed and fake warning of wide scale attacks.
This situation should be interpreted, he says, as Russia's attempt to use any elements of psychological influence. They have one instrument, which is to scare. This has always been a classic element of Russian politics. So I'd like our partners to be more careful as to the information coming from Russia.
WALSH: Now being no doubt, while the misinformation that the Ukrainian government highlighted fake warnings essentially may have contributed to anxieties today amongst some people in the capital, we don't really know the information behind the U.S. embassy's warning. There is still a severe threat to the Ukrainian capital.
There has been since the start of the war, intensifying in the past months. I think there is a concern amongst Ukrainians potentially and their allies too, that this escalatory move by the West's American and British missiles, it seems being fired into Russia now by Ukrainians may see some kind of Russian response in the weeks ahead.
[01:05:10]
And the concern is the form that's going to take. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Kyiv, Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Joining us now is CNN military analyst and retired Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton. Good to have you with us.
COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Great to be with you, Lynda.
KINKADE: So the U.S. embassy has closed in Kyiv for the first time in two years due to fears of an aerial bombardment. Ukraine has urged the west not to fall for Russia's psychological warfare. Just how big of a challenge is that right now for U.S. officials and others trying to wade through this misinformation and disinformation?
LEIGHTON: It's a huge challenge, Lynda, and I think it's only going to get worse. And you know, quite frankly, when you look at what's out on social media and you know who's reporting what, there is always was the chance that not only can people fall victim to misinformation, as you know, in terms of false reporting, but there can also be within that there can be buried some major developments that could in fact be an indication of an attack against Ukraine.
So for an abundance out of an abundance of caution, the U.S. embassy and other friendly nation embassies closed their doors temporarily in Kyiv because they were concerned that there actually might be a real massive aerial attack against Ukraine.
But, you know, when you look at this, you have to see that the Russians are deploying all the elements that they can of their arsenal and that arsenal includes that disinformation and misinformation aspect of it and they are going to use that quite effectively, I think, in the coming weeks.
KINKADE: The U.S. is defending its decision to send landmines to Ukraine. Arms control groups say that these mines can cause a rate of civilian death and injury. How are these landmines different to traditional mines?
LEIGHTON: Yes, so these are -- there are several differences, but the most important ones are that these mines are actually designed to go blank and in essence go dormant after a period of time. Some of these mines go get useless after about four hours, others after 48 hours. So theory at least is that these mines will not the great danger to as great a danger to civilian casual to civilians in general as other mines would.
The Russians have used a lot of anti-personnel mines in Ukraine and those do not have the same kind of timing mechanisms on them that the U.S. mines have. So that's one of the major differences and that's why the U.S. sent them, although there is obviously concern, as you mentioned, on the part of human rights and anti-mine groups as well.
KINKADE: When you think about the most recent changes by the Biden administration towards its policy in Ukraine, what will make the bigger impact on the trajectory of this war? I mean, these mines or the ability for Ukraine to now fire these attack arms deep inside Russia?
LEIGHTON: It could very well be the mines. Although the mines are tactically deployed and it's very close quarters type situation with mines, the front lines and troops from both sides potentially encountering them, those mines could make a very big difference because they have that effect on the tactical movements.
And quite frankly, the Ukrainians need to protect their eastern flank, most importantly because that is the area around Pokrovsk, for example, where they are most vulnerable to Russian advances at the moment.
Now, the ATACMS missiles, the Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles that the west has provided the Ukrainians and the Ukrainians are using now, they will have an important impact, but it may not be as important as the mines themselves.
KINKADE: So do you see the Biden administration making further changes to its policy, potentially offering additional weapons before President elect Trump takes office?
LEIGHTON: I think it depends on the exact situation that we find ourselves in. If the Ukrainians are still in essence, playing a very defensive and, you know, not necessarily passive, but, you know, a role where they're not advancing any further, there is the possibility if there's any danger to Ukrainian forces that they might be surrounded or enveloped, or that there could even be a collapse of the Ukrainian military element, then I would envision that the United States would provide some other kind of weaponry to the Ukrainians.
What that weaponry actually is, it's hard to say if it's something new or something that is already in the Ukrainian arsenal.
But at the very least, we can expect that the U.S. administration under the Biden presidency is going to very much try to give as much try to give as many pieces and parts and munitions as they possibly can to the Ukrainians. And they will do that until January 20, when the new president has sworn in.
KINKADE: Great. As always. To get your perspective, retired Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton and CNN military analysts, thanks so much. LEIGHTON: Thank you, Lynda.
KINKADE: We're following developments out of northern Gaza, where one medical official says Israel has launched deadly strikes overnight on the city of Beit Lahiya. The director of the Kemal Adwan Hospital says 65 bodies have been pulled from the rubble. He says doctors and medical staff are digging with their bare hands as there are no rescue teams and no ambulances to provide assistance. He expects the death toll to rise.
He is making a desperate request to international organizations to bring in much needed medical supplies.
On Wednesday, the U.S. vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution that called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza. Ambassador Robert Wood said the U.S. has made it clear it could not support a ceasefire that failed to secure the release of hostages still being held by Hamas.
Palestinian officials condemn the veto, saying the move only emboldens Israel to continue its crimes against innocent civilians.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJED BAMYA, PALESTENIAN DEPUTY U.N. ENVOY: A ceasefire doesn't resolve everything, but it is the first step towards resolving anything. And what is the answer of those who are still unwilling now, after all this death and destruction, not to call for an unconditional ceasefire?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Earlier, I spoke with Ambassador Wood about the U.S. veto and the reason behind it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT WOOD, DEPUTY U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UN: Well, let me just say, Lynda, that from the beginning, the U.S. approached these negotiations with an open mind. We engaged in good faith in these negotiations, and we compromised quite a bit in this text.
But one of the things we could not compromise on was the principle of having a linkage between a ceasefire and a hostage release. So that was a fundamental principle that we had to adhere to. Unfortunately, we tried many different language fixes to see if we could come to some kind of an agreement, but it was very clear we could not.
And unfortunately, were backed into a corner with regard to this resolution. And I said before the Council session this morning that if that particular resolution was put into blue, which is U.N. speak for preparing it for a vote, that it would not garner consensus. And so it was put forward and I had to cast the veto.
KINKADE: So other nations criticized the veto. I just want to play some sound from the French ambassador. UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We deeply regret that the
ceasefire resolution wasn't able to be adopted today. The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is disastrous, and it continues to worsen day by day, under these conditions, the only response would have been and remains an immediate and permanent ceasefire.
KINKADE: Ambassador, can you shed some light on which member states were against, including the release of hostages as part of this ceasefire resolution?
WOOD: I don't want to specifically call out particular countries, but there are several that refused to agree to link the two, and the two meaning the ceasefire and the release of the hostages. And that was, as I said, a fundamental principle for us, that we could not there was a red line for us that could not be crossed. And it is unfortunate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: We're also following a diplomatic push to reach a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. U.S. Envoy Amos Hochstein is expected to meet Israeli leaders after spending two days in Beirut working on efforts to try and broker A truce. CNN's Nic Robertson reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, Israeli officials are saying the very fact that Amos Hochstein, the U.S. negotiator in the talks here is still in the region indicates to them at least, United States believes that there is some positivity to be had here, that possibly the gap between the size between Hezbollah and Israel can be narrowed.
Hezbollah's leader spoke on Wednesday, and he said that they were prepared to continue on two tracks on the battlefield as well as the negotiations. He also said that strikes on Beirut would lead to strikes on Tel Aviv, indicating that the war for Hezbollah is very much on.
[01:15:00]
He said the priorities for them were a ceasefire and sovereignty, and it appears to be that area of sovereignty where the gaps need to be closed. He said that he wasn't going to negotiate and talk through the issues with the media.
From the Israeli perspective, we continue to hear from officials here that the priority for them is not just the ceasefire, not just having Hezbollah so far back from the border north of the Litany River where they cannot easily strike into the north of Israel, not just, but the ability for Israel, the right for Israel to be able to strike back if there are ceasefire violations. And that appears to be where the gap is.
What the Lebanese, what Hezbollah would call sovereignty and what Israel would say would be their need and the ability in the negotiations to be able to have the right to strike back when Hezbollah strikes and breaks the ceasefire. That's where the gap seems to be.
Amos Hochstein, Wednesday, traveling to Israel to continue talks, to listen to what the Israeli side have to say, to continue to try to narrow those gaps. At the moment, though, the war absolutely in the south of Lebanon and Hezbollah rockets coming into Israel absolutely still continuing. Nic Robinson, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, still to come, House Republicans void to block the release of the ethics committee report on former Congressman Matt Gaetz. But the matter is far from over for Donald Trump's pick for attorney general.
Plus, Australia is a step closer to banning social media for kids under the age of 16. But the big question is how to make sure everyone complies.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back. Former U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz has been meeting with senators on Capitol Hill, hoping to secure enough support to be confirmed is Donald Trump's next Attorney General.
Gaetz was seen with vice president elect J.D. Vance and told reporters that the meetings were going great. That's despite the looming House ethics reporting to sexual misconduct allegations against Gaetz, a report that House Republicans so far have blocked from being released. But Democrats are not blocking down, trying to ensure that the report is made public. More now from CNN's Manu Raju.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: House Republicans on the Ethics Committee voted to block the release of this ethics report. The chairman of that committee, Michael Gast, told me ahead of that meeting that he had some reservations about releasing it because he contended it was not completely done yet.
Democrats said this is all in effort to bury damaging allegations against Matt Gaetz, potentially undercutting his ability to become the Attorney General of the United States. And they argue that it should be released.
Now, this is not over yet because Democrats say that they plan to force a vote on the House floor and that vote will have to occur under the rules of the House. It would have to happen within two legislative days, meaning that this could happen since we're running up to the Thanksgiving recess.
[01:20:03]
It could be punted until after Thanksgiving, but the vote would have to happen in some form, at least by that point when they return after the Thanksgiving holiday. The question will be if Democrats have the majority of the House to force a vote to actually force this report to be released, that means they would have to ensure that at least three Republicans break ranks, join with them to move ahead on this issue.
One Republican earlier this evening indicated he would in fact vote with Republican Democrats on this issue, believing that the public and Republicans and Democrats need to see this information.
There might be a vote in the House to release that report. Would you vote to release that report?
DERRICK VAN ORDEN, U.S. HOUSE REPUBLICAN: I think it's very important that everybody has as much knowledge as possible so that they can make an informed decision.
RAJU: It sounds like yes.
VAN ORDEN: That's a yes. So if the rumors are true about Mr. Gaetz conduct, then there should be referrals to other agencies. And if they're not true, then there's a whole lot of people that owe him an apology.
RAJU: Now that Republican Derek Van Orden has had a fraught relationship with Matt Gaetz over the years and also underscores how Matt Gaetz, after years of battling with his colleagues, could potentially lose this vote on the House floor.
We'll see if it ultimately comes to that or if Senate Republicans will get access to this information because a lot of GOP centers, particularly on the Senate Judiciary Committee, is considering this nomination, want to see this information, all this information, so they can understand the gravity of these allegations as they assess this critical decision about whether to move ahead with this nomination, vote to confirm him. One person who is not concerned with the blocking of this report, though, is Senator John Thune.
The incoming majority who told me earlier in the evening that it was, quote, their call, the House Ethics Committee's call not to release the report, did not object to that decision at all. Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, let's discuss this with Ron Brownstein, CNN senior political analyst and senior editor at The Atlantic. Good to see you, Ron.
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, Lynda.
KINKADE: So the report has been buried. The question is for how long?
BROWNSTEIN: Yes, look, I think one way or another, Senate Republicans and Democrats are going to have access to the information in here. I mean, we already have the report tonight in the New York Times that a document prepared by federal investigators that was obtained by the House Ethic Committee showing payments from Matt Gaetz to the two women who have testified, apparently testified that he paid them for sex.
So gradually, one way or another, this Information is going to come out. I mean, obviously, witnesses, as some senators have testified, have suggested, could testify in the Senate to the same effect that they testified to the House Ethics Committee.
Hard to imagine that Senate Republicans have reached a point where they would be willing to confirm Matt Gaetz knowing that all of this is out there without seeing the specifics that are in this investigation, in this report.
KINKADE: Right. And those documents you mentioned, $10,000 in payments to two women who are witnesses in this investigation, and their attorney was on scene and said one of those women witnessed Gaetz having sex with a minor. Gaetz has, of course, denied all these allegations. If he has nothing to hide, why doesn't he push for the report to be made public?
BROWNSTEIN: Well, it's an excellent question, right? I mean, and the answer is, obviously, he has behavior he does want to hide. And, you know, look, I mean, you know, as we've talked about before, two weeks ago, Republican senators probably never imagined under any circumstance they would be asked to confirm Matt Gaetz as Attorney General, or for that matter, Tulsi Gabbard as the chief intelligence officer of the country and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as the chief, you know, the head of HHS, and, in effect, the person who will be running the health agencies of the federal government.
And this is a test on all of these fronts. I mean, how far are they willing to go? Obviously, a new president gets deference, especially from his own party. I believe it's basically been a century since a Senate controlled by the president's own party formally voted down one of his Cabinet nominees.
But Trump, I think, is deliberately pushing the boundaries here to test how far he can push the Republican Senate not only on these appointments, not only on other appointments, but also on the policy issues where he intends to move very aggressively as well.
KINKADE: And it's interesting to note, Gaetz in the past had said that he wanted the job as AG, as Attorney General, but even he conceded that he might find it difficult to get confirmed. Today, he was seen talking with Republican lawmakers. And I just want to roll some sound of what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT GAETZ, ATTORNEY GENERAL NOMINEE: I'll be honest with you. I've been focused on what we got to do to reform the Department of Justice. I've been meeting with senators. I haven't been paying much attention.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[01:25:06]
KINKADE: So he and Trump reportedly meeting with senators trying to shore up support because the incoming Senate Republican majority will be slam, which means Trump will need almost every Republican senator to push ahead with these nominations.
And notably, Elon Musk was on his social media platform X today saying that Gaetz has an ax to grind which he claims is necessary for the job. I mean, Ron, is that really a prerequisite for a person set to run the Justice Department?
BROWNSTEIN: Right. I mean, that is, I mean, look, you know, in a strange way, that's kind of, you know, taking the subtext and making it loud, you know, why was Matt Gaetz chosen? Why was Tulsi Gabbard chosen? Why was Robert F. Kennedy Jr. chosen? Even Pete Hegseth at the Defense Department. These are all agencies that Trump wants, whose independence and traditions Trump wants to break, either because he views them as places that have been unfair to him in the past, or because he views them as critical to his designs going forward.
And his language during the campaign about taking on the, quote, enemies from within, I mean, they are all designed to break the culture of those institutions, to break the independence they have traditionally had from simply executing a president's will, you know, under any circumstances.
And so, again, like for Senate Republic, I think in all of these cases, Senate Republicans are being asked to do something they could not have imagined ever being asked to do. The vast majority of them will do it. The question will be, assuming David McCormick wins the recount in Pennsylvania and it's a 53-seat majority, are there four who will not? I did note that today there was one of those more moderate, relatively more centrist Republican senators.
Tom Tillis of North Carolina, who said he would considered inappropriate that you try to have recess appointments at the cabinet level, maybe sub-Cabinet level, he said, but for Cabinet, he thought they should have to go through the normal advise and consent confirmation process. We'll see how hardball Trump wants to get.
Because as you know, there's a constitutional argument where if the House goes along with him trying to recess the Congress and the Senate doesn't, he, by some readings of the Constitution, has the authority to do so himself, which would allow him to push through some of these, you know, clearly controversial and by most conventional metrics, unqualified appointees.
KINKADE: Yes, exactly. Quite controversial. We will chat again soon, no doubt. Ron Brownstein, thanks so much as always.
BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.
KINKADE: Well, Elon Musk, grant all aim to help Donald Trump win the recent election, but Trump's plan for steep tariffs on Chinese imports could have a big impact on Musk's businesses. We'll have that story next.
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[01:30:20]
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Good to have you with us.
Well, a judge in the U.S. state of Georgia has sentenced an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant to life in prison without the possibility of parole after the murder of a 22-year-old nursing student.
Laken Riley's violent death in February ignited a political firestorm in the U.S. with then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump lashing out at all immigrants and at the Biden administration's border policies.
On Wednesday, Jose Ibarra was convicted of ten charges including murder, kidnaping with bodily injury, and aggravated assault with intent to rape.
Riley's mother told the court what she lost because of his crimes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALLYSON PHILLIPS, MOTHER OF LAKEN RILEY: Laken's life was not the only life taken on that day that Jose Ibarra attacked her.
The life of her family and friends were taken, too. None of us will ever be the same.
This monster took away our chances to see Laken graduate from nursing school. He took away our ability to meet our future son-in-law. He destroyed our chances of meeting our grandchildren. And he took my best friend.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, after the verdict, Trump spoke out about the case on social media, saying in part that although the pain and heartbreak will last forever hopefully this can help bring some peace and closure to a wonderful family who fought for justice and to ensure that other families don't have to go through what they have.
Trump has used Riley's murder as an effort to employ hateful rhetoric around illegal immigrants. Data reviewed by CNN suggests there is no significant connection between immigration and an increase in crime. But Republicans led by Trump are lashing out.
CNN's Brian Todd reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The February murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley quickly became about more than one family's tragedy. Well before undocumented Venezuelan migrant Jose Ibarra was convicted, it was Exhibit A in President-Elect Donald Trump's effort on the campaign trail to draw a link between problems at the border and crime. DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: Laken Riley would
be alive today if Joe Biden had not willfully and maliciously eviscerated the borders of the United States and set loose thousands and thousands of dangerous criminals into our country.
ASTEAD HERNDON, NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, NEW YORK TIMES: Trump has really used this case to highlight his policy position about mass deportations, and about deporting violent criminals Specifically.
He mentions this case at nearly every rally and for a lot of his supporters, it's become a rallying cry.
TRUMP: When I'm reelected, we will begin removing these criminals, these horrible people from our midst. And we'll end up doing it immediately.
TODD: Before Riley's murder, Ibarra had been arrested and released twice in the U.S. Once when he was accused of crossing the border illegally in 2022, and then in New York City last year when he was charged with acting in a manner to injure a child under 17.
By February of this year, Ibarra was living in Athens, Georgia where Laken Riley was killed.
Trump spoke about the case again at the Republican National Convention.
TRUMP: I've also met with the wonderful family of Laken Riley, yet another American life was stolen by a criminal alien set free by this administration.
President Biden acknowledged Riley's case at the State of the Union address this year, but misstated her first name.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Lincoln Riley, an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal.
TODD: The Democrats have blamed Trump for scuttling a bipartisan border security bill earlier this year. Vice President Kamala Harris, speaking about that to Fox about three weeks before the election.
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If a border security had actually been passed nine months ago, it would be nine months that we would have had more border agents at the border, more support for the folks who are working around the clock trying to hold it all together -- M
BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS CHIEF POLITICAL ANCHOR: Madam Vice President --
HARRIS: -- to ensure that no future harm would occur.
TODD: Analyst Astead Herndon says Donald Trump and his allies could actually get bipartisan support for deportations if they focus those deportations mostly on violent criminals.
But if they start targeting all undocumented migrants for deportation, he says the political brushback would likely be much more severe.
Brian Todd, CNN -- Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, Trump campaigned on a pledge to impose tariffs of 60 percent or more on products imported from China. But China is a major market for Elon Musk, who invested significant resources in Trump's reelection.
[01:34:51]
KINKADE: CNN's Will Ripley has more on how Trump's approach to U.S.- China relations could create friction with his billionaire backer.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT; Elon Musk was making moves in China years before stepping into U.S. politics. China is Tesla's second biggest market.
ELON MUSK, CEO, TESLA: We are looking for the very best talent in China.
RIPLEY: Tesla's Shanghai gigafactory churns out nearly a million cars a year, the company's most productive plant.
Musk built strong ties with Chinese leaders, making Tesla the first foreign automaker with full factory ownership in China. Musk even got the government to officially use Tesla vehicles.
MUSK: We intend to make -- continue making a significant investment and increasing the investment in China.
RIPLEY: And he's not done yet. A $200 million mega-battery factory is coming soon to Shanghai.
MUSK: Fight, fight, fight. Vote, vote, vote. Thank you.
RIPLEY: But in the Trump 2.0 era, Musk may find himself navigating tricky terrain. President-Elect Donald Trump is promising a 60 percent tariff or more on Chinese imports, a move that could create friction for Tesla's China operations.
LEV NACHMAN, POLITICAL ANALYST: This is the classic conflict of interest with having someone like Elon Musk in politics. He's not a politician.
RIPLEY: And he's definitely not a China hawk. That could put him at odds with Trump's incoming cabinet, widely seen as the toughest on Beijing in U.S. history.
SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL), SECRETARY OF STATE NOMINEE: They allow the Chinese communist party to gain access to all of the private data.
RIPLEY: Take secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio, a staunch critic of China, sanctioned twice by Beijing.
Rubio has championed human rights in Hong Kong and democracy in Taiwan -- positions that clash with Musk, criticized for these comments last year, seen as siding with authoritarian Beijing over the self- governing island.
MUSK: The policy has been to reunite Taiwan with China. From this standpoint, you know, maybe it is analogous to like Hawaii.
RIPLEY: Two power players, two very different views on China, both potentially shaping policy in the second Trump administration.
NACHMAN: The potential for fallout is very real.
RIPLEY: Some say Musk may serve as a bridge between Beijing and Washington. Others warn his business interests could outweigh U.S. national priorities creating more problems than solutions.
The real wild card here is President-Elect Donald Trump. He'll likely be getting completely opposite advice on China from Musk and Rubio. So nobody really has a clue as to which way he's going to go.
And that unpredictability, that uncertainty is really being felt right now on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Will Ripley, CNN -- Taipei.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Indian billionaire Gautam Adani was indicted in New York Wednesday for his alleged role in a multi-billion-dollar fraud scheme.
He was charged, along with seven other business executives accused of offering more than $250 million in bribes for solar energy contracts with India's government.
They were expected to generate more than $2 billion in profits over 20 years. Adani is worth more than $85 billion and is Asia's second richest person according to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index.
Well, Australia is moving to ban anyone under the age of 16 from using social media, calling it a world-leading reform to protect children from harmful content online. New legislation would force social media companies to verify users' age or else they'll face hefty fines. But exactly how that would be done is still an open question.
For more, I want to welcome back CNN's Hanako Montgomery, who joins us live from Tokyo. Good to have you with us, Hanako.
So under this ban, social media companies wouldn't allow anyone under the age of 16 to use platforms like Instagram and TikTok, et cetera even with parental permission, right?
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes Lynda, you're exactly right. This proposed legislation would essentially ban kids under the age of 16 from accessing many social media platforms. And like you said even if these kids get parental consent, they still
can't create accounts. And even kids who do have accounts, they would see their accounts essentially deactivated under these proposed regulations.
Now, the Australian government also suggested that tech companies could be fined up to $32.5 million if they break these new rules. But parents and kids, on the other hand, who do break the new rules would not be penalized.
Now, the social media companies have about 12 months before this proposed legislation becomes law to essentially remove kids under the age of 16 from their platforms.
[01:39:53]
MONTGOMERY: And Lynda, this proposed legislation is a politically very supported and essentially popular bill. There's really bipartisan support in Australia, and it comes after several high-profile cases in Australia where children actually ended their own lives because their parents say they were bullied online.
So for those grieving parents and for those who support this new bill, they think that these regulations are a long time coming, that the Internet is not a safe space for kids, and that these regulations would essentially protect children from seeing this sort of harmful content that can be found on some of these platforms.
But critics of this new bill argue the exact opposite. They say that actually it would reduce children's digital literacy at a time when technology is really a huge part of our everyday lives. They also argue that social media isn't all bad; that some kids can actually find better communities online as they connect with people from different backgrounds and find safe spaces for themselves.
And Lynda, there's also the technical aspect of this as well, because how is Australia going to verify each user's age? It's a monumental task and also there are some security concerns because for instance, if these tech companies have to ask users for their personal identification documents and then store those online, that could spell a lot of trouble.
So lots of questions still, Lynda. And we expect this legislation to pass through the senate next week, where it will be deliberated further.
KINKADE: Yes, certainly an interesting case to watch. And if this does go forward, how it will, you know, how it will enact this ban.
Good to have you with us, Hanako Montgomery in Tokyo. Thanks so much.
Well, still to come on CNN NEWSROOM, one former band member of One Direction, Liam Payne, is laid to rest in a private funeral near London
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KINKADE: Well, family and friends of former One Direction singer Liam Payne gathered to pay tribute to him on Wednesday. Payne's former One Direction bandmates all attended the funeral.
More now from CNN's Salma Abdelaziz.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Liam Payne's casket arrived at this 13th century church in the English countryside for a private funeral.
His heartbroken parents brought to tears as they bid farewell far too soon. His former bandmates, friends and loved ones arriving one by one to sleepy Amersham where fans, some still in shock, had gathered to pay their respects.
VICTORIA, ONE DIRECTION FAN: I was very upset. It sort of shook me and I've grown up with him since I was about 12.
ABDELAZIZ: The details of the ceremony were a tightly-held secret, but the media was allowed access to a cordoned area across from the venue.
[01:44:47]
ABDELAZIZ: Liam Payne's small, closed funeral stands in stark contrast to his very public life as a global pop star with mega fame.
At just 16 years old, Payne took the music world by storm, becoming a founding member of One Direction, a band formed on the reality Tv show "The X Factor".
The group turned global phenomenon sold more than 70 million records. Their songs streamed billions of times online. They toured the world, building a massive fan base with hits like "That's What Makes You Beautiful".
But childhood fame had a cost and Payne spoke out about the consequences on his mental health.
LIAM PAYNE, MEMBER, ONE DIRECTION: That level of loneliness and people getting into you every day, getting into you every day. Like I say just every so often, you're like, when will this end, you know. And then like, that's -- that almost nearly killed me a couple of times.
ABDELAZIZ: His death at age 31, after a tragic accident. A fall from a hotel balcony, investigators found his body riddled with alcohol and drugs, shocked millions.
As the funeral drew to a close a touching moment. Music mogul Simon Cowell, the man who brought Payne into the limelight, comforting his parents, mourning the indelible mark left on the hearts of so many.
Salma Abdelaziz, CNN -- Amersham.
(END VIDEOTAPE) KINKADE: Well, comedian Jay Leno is recovering after taking a nasty fall. The 74-year-old former "Tonight show" host broke his wrist and suffered severe -- serious bruising on the left side of his body after falling down a hill.
It's not the first time Leno has been badly injured as CNN's Zach Wasser explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, your poor face.
JAY LENO, COMEDIAN: Look at my eye.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my gosh.
ZACH WASSER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Comedian Jay Leno was covered in bruises after he says he fell more than 60 feet down a hill.
Leno told "Inside Edition" that it happened before a show outside of Pittsburgh. He didn't have a car, and he tried taking what he thought was a shortcut to a restaurant near his hotel.
LENO: I said, well the hill doesn't look that steep. Let me take it down. And then I --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You rolled down the hill?
LENO: Well --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's not true.
LENO: No, it's true.
WASSER: The 74-year-old performer says he also broke his wrist, lost a fingernail and has bruises down the entire left side of his body. But he adds that he didn't seek medical care until the next day.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will you be able to see again?
LENO: It will be fine. I'm not worried about it.
WASSER: These injuries come two years after leno was badly burned by a fire while working on a vehicle in his home garage. Two months after that, Leno broke his collarbone, two ribs, and cracked both kneecaps in a motorcycle accident.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: If you're short on cash, you should just duct tape a banana to a wall and call it art. Maybe, just maybe, it will sell for millions.
Well, that's what happened with this banana duct taped to this wall on Wednesday. It's one of three works by artist Maurizio Cattelan, appropriately titled "Comedian". It sold at auction to a Chinese collector and cryptocurrency tycoon for an astounding $6.25 million.
Sotheby's auction house will send the buyer a roll of duct tape, a single banana and a certificate of authenticity and instructions for installing it on whatever wall they choose.
Unbelievable.
Still ahead, polluted waters leading to power outages in two African countries. How this island of floating waste is causing blackouts.
[01:48:25]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: The Pacific Northwest is struggling with a new threat from a historically-strong bomb cyclone. Forecasters say torrential rain will get heavier as atmospheric river gets even stronger.
The bomb cyclone, as it's known, slammed the U.S. West Coast and Canada's British Columbia with destructive winds this week, killing at least two people and causing mass power outages that could last for days.
More now from CNN meteorologist Chad Myers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, we're still talking about the bomb cyclone, the rapid intensification of a low-pressure system, a lot like rapidly intensifying hurricanes.
This just isn't a hurricane, this is a cold core storm. Where hurricanes happen in the warm water this is, in fact, in cold water. Still making an awful lot of rainfall along the coast making winds, of course, but the bomb part of this means that the pressure has to drop 24 millibars in 24 hours.
In fact, this storm dropped 57 millibars. So double the category of a bomb because this thing rapidly intensified so quickly. And we've talked about rapidly intensifying storms all summer.
It seems like every hurricane was a rapidly intensifying something. 77 miles per hour though the highest wind gusts so far.
Something else this tapped into was a stretch of moisture in the atmosphere called an atmospheric river. And the river is what took all of the moisture and pushed it right onshore all the way, really, from almost Hawaii. We used to call it "Pineapple Express", but I think that became too cliche.
The rain coming down is very heavy. It's still going to be coming down as snow above about 2,000 or 3,000 feet. There will be places that pick up 10 to 15 feet of snow. There will be areas by the time it's done that will pick up 15 to 20 inches of rain.
So for Wednesday it was raining there. So for later on today we have a high risk from Eureka all the way down to about Santa Rosa. And then even for tomorrow, it will still be raining out there.
So day after day with the flood threat increasing the more it rains. Still the wind threat of course. And of course the chance of very, very heavy snows even through some of the mountain passes where cars and trucks should be traveling there may not be travel at all.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Our thanks to Chad Myers there.
Well, lake pollution is causing power outages for people in two African countries. Victoria Rubadiri explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VICTORIA RUBADIRI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A sea of garbage atop a lake on the border of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. Its unsightly and a problem with a ripple effect for families and businesses alike.
Plastic bottles, gas cans and other trash collect at the bottom and on the surface of the water, clogging this hydroelectric dam and keeping water from properly entering its channels, limiting the amount of pressure and speed needed for this electric company's machines to power the region.
LJOVY MULEMANGABO, PROVINCIAL DIRECTOR, DR CONGO NATIONAL ELECTRIC COMPANY (through translator): We are forced to shut down the machines and start removing the waste, clearing the grates, and when we stop the machines, power outages also occur.
RUBADARI: Waste management issues intensified by heavy rainfall caused people's abandoned trash to end up in the lake. Those mounds of garbage can have drastic consequences.
MULEMANGABO: If they leave the waste lying in the street in the gutters, it ends up in the Ruzizi Dam (ph) and this creates a lot of difficulties for us.
RUBADARI: As power outages plagued the region, small businesses suffer. These welders feel the pressure as production slows, confused and frustrated by the sporadic electricity in their workshop.
ALEX MBILISI, METAL WORKER: People tell us the power is out because of plastic bottles. But we don't know what to do about these bottles. If only there were a way to clear out these bottles so we could have electricity.
RUBADIRI: Officials say there could be a way if individual homes pick up waste, authorities say waste companies could then collect it and bring it to a disposal site.
But for now, it's only an idea, one that may prove crucial in tackling the region's pollution problem.
Victoria Rubadiri, CNN -- Nairobi. (END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, U.S. Wildlife officials are announcing a new proposal to help protect the world's tallest animal as giraffe populations decline at an alarming rate.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is looking to list many giraffe species as either endangered or threatened, marking the first time they would receive federal protections under the Endangered Species Act.
[01:54:48]
KINKADE: It's a move environmental groups have been pushing since 2017, and if finalized, the rule would expand new funding for research and conservation efforts and cap a little hunting and the trade of giraffes.
Well, if you're afraid of spiders, you might want to look away for this next story.
Authorities in Peru detained a Korean citizen at Lima Airport trying to leave the country with -- wait for it -- 320 tarantulas, 110 centipedes and nine bullet ants. They were hidden in Ziploc bags strapped to his body.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PILAR AYALA, BIOLOGIST, PERU NATIONAL FORESTRY AND WILDLIFE SERVICE (through translator): We received a report from the security staff at the Jorge Chavez International Airport. In the report, they indicated that they found a Korean citizen in possession of a wildlife specimen.
At the time of the arrest, it was observed that the citizen had placed these specimens in a small Ziploc bags with filter paper.
They were placed around his body, contained by two girdles.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Illegal trafficking of endangered species generates millions of dollars (INAUDIBLE).
Well, the roads of Australia's Christmas Island are filled with red crabs making their way from the forest to the ocean and the annual phenomenon is bringing in the tourists.
Louise McLaughlin reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LOUISE MCLAUGHLIN, REPORTER: This is the famous mass red crab migration at Christmas Island in Australia, an island that lies in the Indian Ocean about 2,600 kilometers northwest of Perth.
Every year, millions of crabs travel from the forest to the ocean to breed. The migration starts with the first rainfall of the wet season. This is usually in October or November.
The crabs time their migration with the last quarter of the moon. Male crabs lead and the females join. The spectacular phenomenon is Christmas Island's biggest tourist attraction.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, a volcano in Iceland is spewing lava and smoke for a sixth time this year. The latest eruption happening about 30 kilometers from the capital Reykjavik. But the city itself is not affected.
The volcano was dormant for about 800 years before it started erupting in 2021. Scientists now say it's likely to stay active for decades.
Well, that does it for this edition of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Thanks for your company.
Stick around. Rosemary Church and maybe some tarantulas, you never know, coming up next after this break.
[01:57:25]
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