Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

CNN International: Trump Picks Pam Bondi To Replace Gaetz For Attorney General; Hegseth Meets With Senators Amid Sexual Assault Questions; Trump Media Weighs Crypto-Based Payment Platform. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired November 22, 2024 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ERICA HILL, HOST, "CNN NEWSROOM": Welcome to our viewers from around the world. I'm Erica Hill in New York.

Ahead on CNN, newsroom, Matt Gaetz is out as Donald Trump's pick for attorney general, but it didn't take long for the President-elect to announce a replacement. Plus, the TV test is a strong performance on the screen, Trump's leading criteria for key cabinet roles. Why critics are seizing on the idea? And Vladimir Putin's latest message to the West coming with a fresh round of attacks in Ukraine using missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons. We are live in Kyiv.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.

HILL: And we will get to all of those stories in just a moment. But, on this very busy Friday, we also have some breaking news at the top of the hour here regarding Donald Trump's hush money case. The judge in that case, Judge Juan Merchan, has now postponed the sentencing for Donald Trump indefinitely. Merchan granting Trump's request to file a motion to dismiss the case, ordering them to submit paperwork by December 2nd. Prosecutors must respond by December 9th. The judge did agree to hold off on issuing his decision on presidential immunity until after he reviews the filings from both parties. Judge Merchan did not set a new sentencing date, nor make any further comments about the delay. We'll continue to follow any developments there, obviously.

Meantime, President-elect Donald Trump not wasting any time when it comes to naming a new pick to run the nation's top law enforcement agency, nominating Pam Bondi to replace Matt Gaetz for U.S. Attorney General. Gaetz withdrew yesterday, saying he was unfairly becoming a distraction. That, of course, amid growing bipartisan pressure on a number of points, including the release of that House Ethics report into allegations of sexual misconduct. Democratic Senator John Fetterman offering this colorful response upon hearing the news.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA): Holy (BEEP). I didn't see that coming.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Bondi is a former Florida Attorney General. She is a staunch supporter of the President-elect and a 2020 election denier. She has often criticized the Department of Justice for its investigations into Donald Trump and his allies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAM BONDI, FORMER FLORIDA ATTORNEY GENERAL: You know what's going to happen? The Department of Justice, the prosecutors will be prosecuted, the bad ones. The investigators will be investigated, because the deep state last term for President Trump, they were hiding in the shadows, but now they have a spotlight on them, and they can all be investigated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: There are still a number of positions we are waiting to hear about from Donald Trump. You see them there, Treasury and Labor Secretary, as well as Agriculture and HUD, that's Housing and Urban Development. CNN has learned that Trump actually expanded his pool when it comes to Treasury Secretary, after some jockeying among his top two candidates.

Capitol Hill, busy place right now. Live pictures for you there. Of course, it's going to come down to a numbers game on the Hill. Those cabinet picks must be confirmed by the Senate. Gaetz was facing some headwinds, though, from a number of Republican senators, and that's raising some new questions today about the confirmation chances for some of Donald Trump's other controversial picks.

CNN's Alayna Treene and Laura Fox -- Lauren Fox are across all of these developments for us.

Alayna, I'm going to start with you. So, not too long, really, just a matter of hours after Gaetz withdrew, initially, we were told he didn't have a backup, and then all of a sudden, there was Pam Bondi, who had been nominated to be the new AG. That seems like a fairly quick shift from there is no one in second place to we have a winner. Walk us through what was happening behind the scenes.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Well, it was true that he had selected Matt Gaetz to be his attorney general. He was all in on Matt Gaetz, and had won on him for that role. He wasn't thinking of a plan B. However, it became very clear over the course of this past week, particularly after Wednesday and Matt Gaetz had met with different senators, and many people were calling Donald Trump directly, as well as those working on his transition team were telling him, look, he is not going to have the numbers that he needs to get through a Senate confirmation hearing. And that's really where all of that started to unravel for Matt Gaetz.

But, very quickly after, I mean, I was told that Donald Trump really put everything to the side when it came to other cabinet picks. He still has to name his Treasury Secretary, as you mentioned. He has to name Labor, the Secretary of Agriculture, etcetera. But, he wanted to put that all to the side so that he could focus on a new attorney general pick, because in Donald Trump's mind, that is the most important role that he will have.

Now, I'm told he settled on Sam Bondi, one, she was already a candidate that had come up in conversations before, before he had settled on Matt Gaetz. Donald Trump has known her for several years. She previously worked in his White House as one of his White House Counsel lawyers. She was a lawyer on his impeachment trial, for his first impeachment trial in the Senate.

[11:05:00]

And she also knows a lot of people close to Donald Trump, including his incoming Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. So, there was already people who were comfortable with her, and part of that is why he was able to move on that really quickly. I'm also told that Pam Bondi was at Mar- a-Lago. They met before he had officially offered her the role very soon after, and that's really where this all came to be about.

Now, a little bit on her background. She was a prosecutor in Florida for 18 years. She was also the first female attorney general in Florida for eight years, during which she had made some moves that were controversial. She really pushed back on expanding any sort of rights for the LGBTQ community, including fighting trying to overturn the gay marriage ban. She also fought to try to overturn the Affordable Care Act. She is also someone who has really repeated a lot of the false claims of election fraud following the 2020 election, something that Donald Trump has obviously appreciated, and he has also, I'm told, been a huge fan of hers on television. He thinks that she is a great defender of him, and we know that's a key qualification for him as well. Erica.

HILL: Yeah. Absolutely. And real quickly, I also want to ask you about, we know Donald Trump has talked about shaking up the FBI. The current director Christopher Wray was actually appointed by Donald Trump. They typically serve for 10 years. That could change.

TREENE: That could, and yes. So, what's really interesting about this is I don't think there was really going to be a question that he would try to change things up at the FBI. Even back in 2020 before he had lost the election to Joe Biden, he was already talking about wanting to fire FBI director Christopher Wray, and that still remains true. Now, the question is, who will he replace him with, and who would be also the number two there?

Now, there had been some talk of potentially wanting to have someone like Mike Rogers, a former congressman, a former FBI agent, who really could potentially be the right fit for that role, to kind of quell the concerns of people who were worried about people like Matt Gaetz and others who might be too much of a firebrand for Republicans in the Senate. That's where Kash Patel comes in. He is a true Donald Trump lawyer. He is seen as a conservative firebrand. Some people have misgivings about what he could do if in charge of the FBI.

But, I will say, we did see this morning that Dan Scavino, one of Donald Trump's longtime aides, runs his social media, but was also recently named as a new incoming Deputy Chief of Staff for Donald Trump, he really, I think, put an end to the talk around Mike Rogers becoming an FBI director. He had said that he had spoken with Donald Trump. I can read this for you. He said he "Just spoke to President Trump regarding Mike Rogers going to the FBI. It's not happening. In his own words, quote, "I have never even given it a thought". Not happening." Now, I will say we know from our reporting that Donald Trump had given it a thought. Mike Rogers has been at Mar-a-Lago in recent days, and last week, I know he was there as well.

But, there was a much concern among some of the people who really want Donald Trump to kind of disrupt the FBI, who want to get rid of the establishment, who want to have a key figure in there. They didn't like the thought of having Mike Rogers in that role. They want someone like Kash Patel. So, there is some of this contention happening behind the scenes. I do think with Dan Scavino sending that post, I will note, Scavino would not have issued something like that, kind of killing Mike Rogers' chances if Donald Trump was not supportive of that effort. I don't think he is going to have a chance now in a certain role like that. Erica.

HILL: Yeah. Certainly an important note that the note would not get out there --

TREENE: Yeah.

HILL: -- were not essentially approved.

Alayna, appreciate it.

Lauren Fox is with us as well. So, Lauren, I had mentioned there was some Republican resistance in the Senate when it came to Matt Gaetz. In terms of support for some of Donald Trump's other nominees at this point, the Pete Hegseths, the Tulsi Gabbards of the world, where do things stand?

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's important to keep in mind here, Erica, that this is a long process. We are still likely two months from some of these nomination hearings, which will take place in public. And even before that, there is usually a series of calls and meetings that each of these nominees needs to have, at least with the senators on the relevant committees.

Now, Pete Hegseth, who has been nominated to run the Pentagon under the Trump administration, he was up on Capitol Hill yesterday with the incoming Vice President J.D. Vance, meeting with lawmakers. But, I'm told many of those meetings were with lawmakers who are seen as sort of friendly and receptive to begin with, with Hegseth that he did not meet with all of the members of, for example, the Senate Armed Services Committee. That is the committee that will have the first jurisdiction to approve or not his nomination to be sent to the Senate floor.

So, there is still so much work ahead. And you do hear from lawmakers that there are concerns about the police report that surfaced yesterday, that CNN reported on, that there are concerns about his past behavior.

[11:10:00]

There are some concerns about the fact that he hasn't been a bureaucrat at the Pentagon. Sometimes that is largely seen as giving someone a lot of responsibility, a lot of experience working with the Pentagon. I mean, this is a huge bureaucracy. And I've heard from some lawmakers and staff that that is the key concern about Hegseth, and that is beyond just some of the controversies.

So, I think that that is part of what lawmakers are really kind of looking at right now. Something I've heard consistently, both in meetings with Gaetz and meetings with Hegseth, is this reality, reminding these folks that this is a huge process that every single thing you've ever done is going to be drug out. It's all going to become public. Just reminding folks that this is going to be not a cakewalk in any sense of the imagination. Erica.

HILL: Not a cakewalk to get there, and also not a cakewalk of a job, to your point, with those questions about experience and leading some of these agencies. There is a lot at stake there.

Lauren, appreciate it, as always. Thank you.

Lot of focus on Bitcoin as it's now within striking distance of reaching $100,000. Take a look, hovering right now around $98,000 -- $98,500 or so. The crypto currency has seen astonishing momentum this year, more than doubling in value. In fact, it's up about 45 percent just since Donald Trump's election victory November 5th. The President-elect has promised to make U.S. -- the U.S. the crypto capital of the planet. And this is interesting here too, because that may include his social media platform Truth Social moving into the crypto space.

For more now, I'm joined by Matt Egan, who is here with me in New York. So, the fact that Bitcoin is approaching this massive number, $100,000, first of all, walk me through that.

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Yeah, Erica. Listen, Bitcoin is like the one yard line here of a major milestone. You see, about $1,400 away from $100,000. Bitcoin is having a great year, and then the election happened, right? And it really has gone almost straight up since then. You see on that chart, up more than 40 percent since Election Day. Investors were betting that the President-elect is going to be much friendlier to crypto currencies than the Biden administration. It's sort of ironic, because not that long ago, Trump was bashing Bitcoin, and back in 2019, he said it was based on thin air. Even as recently as three years ago, he called it a scam against the dollar.

But, like some on Wall Street, Trump has turned around, and he has s really embraced crypto. He has made a series of promises, including to make the United States the crypto capital of the planet, to create a national Bitcoin stockpile and to replace one of the biggest enemies of the crypto industry. That's SEC Chair Gary Gensler. Just yesterday, Gensler announced that he will be stepping down on Inauguration Day. That's not a big surprise. There is a tradition for the SEC Chair to step aside when there is a change in power.

But, Erica, this is another reminder that very soon Trump is going to be in a position where he can install his own regulators, and they will likely be much friendlier to the crypto industry.

HILL: Isn't there also a Trump family business interest here as well, Matt?

EGAN: There is. There is, Erica. The Trump family is involved in a number of crypto-related ventures, and just earlier this week, we learned that Truth Social owner, Trump Media, may also be getting into the crypto industry. Remember, this is mostly a -- this is a social media play, but now they filed some paperwork for a trademark for something called TruthFi. This indicates that they're exploring potentially getting into cryptocurrency payment processing, digital wallet, digital asset management, digital asset trading. Now, we don't know yet if Trump Media is going to actually get into crypto, but this certainly indicates that they're at least thinking about it.

And to your point. Erica, this is also another reminder of the thorny conflict of interest issues that are being raised by this election and Trump's sprawling business empire, because he is going to be in a position where he is installing regulators and presiding over a government that is making decisions that could impact his own financial interest. I talked to former George W. Bush ethics lawyer Richard Painter, and he told me, presidents are not criminally liable when it comes to conflict of interest, but he said that there is obviously an appearance and an ethical issue here, and he suggested that President Trump ought to do what every other President has done, divest personal assets, Trump Organization assets, everything that creates a conflict of interest with his official duties, and that includes Truth Social and crypto.

But, Erica, there are no indications that Trump is going to do that. In fact, he has signaled that he has no intention to sell his Truth Social stock.

HILL: Yeah. It is certainly interesting timing. Isn't it?

[11:15:00]

Matt, appreciate it. Thank you.

EGAN: Thanks, Erica.

HILL: Still to come here, a tense week in Ukraine, parliament closed on Friday, a day after Russia said it fired a new ballistic missile. We're live in Kyiv. Plus, 124 member states of the International Criminal Court must now decide whether to comply with arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: Ukraine's parliament is closed today after a long, tense week in Russia's war against the country. It also comes one day after President Vladimir Putin says that Russia launched that new mid-range ballistic missile on Ukraine's Dnipro region Thursday. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (Interpreted): From this moment on, as we have repeatedly emphasized on previous occasions, the regional conflict in Ukraine, provoked by the West, has acquired elements of a global character.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(VIDEO PLAYING)

HILL: The Ukrainian military earlier claimed the weapon was an intercontinental ballistic missile, a development that understandably raised alarm in the West. That attack coming after Ukraine, of course, had fired longer-range American-made missiles into Russia for the first time this week, according to Russia's Defense Ministry and two U.S. officials.

We do have team coverage of this. CNN National Correspondent Natasha Bertrand -- National Security Correspondent Natasha Bertrand is at the Pentagon. Chief International Security Correspondent Nick Paton Walsh is live in Kyiv.

Nick, let's start with you, first of all. So, we're learning a bit more, right, about the type of missile that was launched by Russia yesterday. There is also a very clear message attached to that from Vladimir Putin.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, certainly. I mean, we don't have a single definitive understanding of what this missile was, partly because it seems to be new, in the words of U.S. officials, experimental, but I think there is an agreement that this is hypersonic, Mark 10 (ph), Vladimir Putin claimed. That seemed backed up by Ukrainian officials.

Certainly from the video evidence, it appears -- and U.S. officials, it appears to have split into multiple warheads. So, essentially lots of separate explosive devices coming from one missile. That's a kind of tactic normally used to deliver a nuclear payload in a ballistic missile like this. And it appears that the range it traveled, well, you put it in the medium classification in terms of weapons treaties, but it seemed like it may have potentially been able to fly a little longer, clearly, very fast. Vladimir Putin saying, three kilometers a second. The message here from the Kremlin is this can get through Western air defenses.

Now, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence today has tried to, I think, lessen the threat, suggesting that this Kedr missile, in their terms, that's the name they've given, it has been around for a couple of years in a prototype fashion. And they, Russians, they think only had two prototypes in October. Thank God, is what that Ukrainian official said. So, information emerging here, but really this is Russia trying to show it has technological prowess still in its toolkit that it can reach into in this remarkable week of escalation.

[11:20:00]

Things have moved exceptionally quickly here, Erica, from a Friday last week where the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was ringing the Kremlin head to potentially talk peace, breaking isolation with Western leaders that had almost lasted two years. Then we had the U.S. permitting Ukraine to fire their supplied ATACMS missiles into Russia proper, and the Brits as well. The Embassy closing suddenly, potentially fearing an aerial threat, and then this display over Dnipro of what Russia wants to show is its continued ability to provide a deterrent to the West. But, my Gosh, we've gone very quickly now into more intimately involved Washington and Moscow in Ukraine's war. Erica.

HILL: Yes, certainly. And as I understand it, Nick, you also have some new reporting on North Korean officials in Mariupol. What more can you tell us about that?

WALSH: Yeah, not a lot. In truth, to be honest. Ukrainian security source saying, we knew that Ukrainian -- sorry, North Korean forces were in Ukraine, and Natasha reported about that a couple of weeks ago, but they've been spotted, this source said, in Mariupol, in Russian uniform. Unclear what they're doing there. Other indications reporting today that they've been seen in Kharkiv region. We know the predominant numbers of the 11,000 that are thought to be here are in Kursk, and that same Ukrainian security source said that in Kursk they're keeping themselves, themselves, frankly, not integrated into Russian units separate there. But, really a sign how this war has turned into so much more of an international conflict. Now, we have a key U.S. foe in Asia sending their troops to assist Russia.

HILL: Yeah. It is such an important point and also how quickly things have moved this week. Nick, appreciated.

Natasha, when we look at where things stand from a U.S. perspective, this missile attack, what we're hearing as well from Russia, in terms of what is being said, what is the reaction there at the Pentagon?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erica, a U.S. official said overnight that they are considering the implications of the use of this new missile for NATO's force posture for its own deterrence. Of course, this is a weapon that the Russians, according to the U.S., have not actually used in combat before. It has not been used outside of testing. But, they also say that the implications of the use of this missile on the war in Ukraine really can't be -- can't be overstated. Essentially, what they're saying is that this is an interesting data point. It is obviously a sign that the Russians are trying to engage in nuclear saber rattling here, because, as Nick said, this is a weapon that was designed really to carry multiple nuclear warheads. This one did not. It carried conventional warheads.

But, ultimately, the U.S. does believe that they only have a few of these in their arsenal at the moment, and that Ukraine has actually withstood missile attacks from missiles with far larger payloads than what that missile had yesterday. So, this is a concerning development, of course, and something that the U.S. is watching and analyzing very closely, particularly as it relates to how if things escalated even further, a missile like that could be used against NATO, against those eastern flank NATO countries, but they are not overly kind of reacting to this at this point. They also say that, look, I mean, the Ukrainians have been able to withstand far worse at this point.

Now, when it comes to the North Koreans, obviously, that is the main reason why President Joe Biden gave Ukraine permission to use these long-range missiles inside Russia proper. But, you can see that this is all kind of escalating in a way that the U.S. obviously does not necessarily want to see at this point. Erica.

HILL: Yeah, certainly. Natasha, really appreciate it. Thank you.

Turning now to the Middle East, the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor is urging member states to uphold the law and to comply with new arrest warrants that have triggered outrage in Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, are accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, including using starvation as a weapon and intentionally directing attacks against civilians. The ICC, of course, does not have its own police force. Mr. Netanyahu and Gallant do risk detention, though, if they travel to ICC member states. The Netherlands, Italy, Canada and Spain are among those that said they would comply with the order. Israel's biggest ally and arms supplier, though, is criticizing the court. And important to note, neither Israel nor us have signed on to the ICC.

U.S. President Joe Biden calling the warrants outrageous. Well, Netanyahu himself remains defiant.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: The truth is simple. No war is more just than the war that Israel has been waging in Gaza, after Hamas attacked us unprovoked, launched the -- launching the worst massacre against the Jewish people since the Holocaust.

[11:25:00]

Israel does not, Israel will not recognize the validity of this decision.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: The warrants as well do not seem to be having an impact on the war in Gaza itself, Israeli attacks continuing. There are dozens of new deaths have been reported. There are also attacks continuing, targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon, a missile strike flattening a building today in southern Beirut.

My colleague Nic Robertson is live in Jerusalem at this hour. So, Nic, as you and I were talking yesterday, there was some initial response, obviously, from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. You had been hearing some more from Israelis there on the ground. How have things progressed at this point, 24 hours in to these arrest warrants? NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah. I think Israeli officials have said what they're going to say on it for the time being. They've been very clear, an absolute, universal denouncement of the ICC's decision, and an articulation very clearly that this is something that undermines the security of Israel, that it's not right indeed antisemitic to claim or essentially they -- officials here say, look, this puts us on the same level as Hamas. That's not right. That's not reasonable, and they're going to ignore it. So, I think the sort of situation in terms of the response here has evolved to that point. I don't think there is any surprise that that's the conclusion that the government would come to.

How it affects them? Well, we're seeing some indications of that, because the French yesterday were quite quick to say they would, in fact, arrest the Prime Minister, the former Defense Minister, if they came to France, and send them to the ICC. Now, France was involved as part of the mediation efforts around the ceasefire effort, talks that are going on at the moment between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Israeli officials here have said, well, for that reason, now we're not going to include the French, because we don't think their position is friendly enough towards Israel. In essence, that's what they're saying.

We've seen a reaction to the position the Dutch have taken. The Dutch have also said that they would hand over Netanyahu or Gallant to the ICC. The Dutch Foreign Minister was supposed to come here on Monday, and we've heard from the Israeli Foreign Minister now saying, well, that's not going to happen. On the other hand, we've also heard a congratulatory message from the Prime Minister here to the Prime Minister in Hungary, Viktor Orban, saying his principled stance rejecting the ICC is welcomed by Israel.

But, by and large, we've heard more responses from European countries. Nuance from Germany. They'll keep supplying weapons. And if the Prime Minister were to announce a visit, then they would decide what they would do. The British saying they would follow international legal obligations. The Italian saying, yes, we would hand over either of these two people to the ICC. But, the Defense Minister in Italy also saying he thinks it was a flawed decision by the ICC, which is what the Austrian Chancellor is saying, a flawed decision by the ICC, and therefore he said Austria wouldn't turn them over. So, we're getting more of this response. Outrageous, is what President Biden said. Yet, just north in Canada, Justin Trudeau said, no, we stand by international law. We would turn them over as well.

So, we're beginning to sort of see that picture fill out. But, one thing that emerges very strongly and very clearly, condemnation from with inside Israel and continued strong relationship with the United States.

HILL: Yeah, absolutely. Nic, really appreciate it. Thank you.

Still ahead this hour, a rising death toll in an idyllic vacation spot, two Australian teenagers now among the latest victims. That story just ahead. Plus, the COP29 climate summit ending in criticism over how much money wealthy nations it should be giving to poorer countries to help them deal with the global climate crisis. What does it mean? Stay tuned.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: Thanks for joining us in the CNN Newsroom. I'm Erica Hill in New York.

The deaths of six tourists in Laos linked to alcohol that is believed to have been tainted with deadly methanol. All six were staying in Vang Vieng, a famous among backpackers traveling through Southeast Asia. The victims include two Australian teenagers, a British woman, an American, and two Danish citizens. Local police tell CNN, a special task force is investigating the death.

CNN Senior International Correspondent Melissa Bell is following all these developments for us from Paris. Certainly raising a lot of alarms for people. What more do we know about what happened here?

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the very latest, Erica, is the confirmation of the tragic death of this 19- year-old Australian woman. She'd spent several days fighting for her life on life support in neighboring Thailand, only to pass away. She'd been traveling with her best friend. The two 19-year-olds had been on a backpacking trip through Asia.

What we now understand happened, and this is according to the Associated Press, the two young women were at a hostel in this very popular town with backpackers in Laos when they were given free shots by the hostel owner before heading out to go to bars on the night of drinking. They then spent 24 hours in their rooms before being found and taken to Thailand. Both now confirmed to have died. They're just at the latest.

In all, what we understand, Erica, is that six foreign tourists have fallen victim to what is suspected to be methanol poison because, for the time being, no official cause of death has been confirmed by the authorities in Laos. But, we've been hearing from the consulates of some of the countries involved. And we're talking here not just about the two Australian women I mentioned, but a British woman, two Danish nationals, and an American citizen, who have, we understand, died as a result of this suspected methanol poisoning.

What it is, is tainted alcohol, essentially, in which this extremely toxic substance is found used instead of ethanol in what you would describe as Moonshine (illegal alcohol), and in this case, an outbreak that has taken six people's lives. We understand from some Western consulates that there are other travelers who may have been affected by this tainted alcohol, and certainly a lot of warnings about the extreme caution that has to be taken whenever anyone is handed a drink that they don't know the provenance of, Erica.

But, six people believed to have died in this, the latest outbreak of methadone poisoning, tainted alcohol poisoning -- HILL: Yeah.

BELL: -- Erica.

HILL: Really troubling, and this is too those concerns, those warnings from a number of foreign governments, also because this is such a popular spot.

BELL: That's right. Vang Vieng is one of those towns in Laos that people go through backpacking. So, the ages of those who've passed extremely troubling as well. You're talking about very young people doing a gap here, traveling around the world, spending the year of their dreams, as I gave you -- as I said in the case of the two young Australian women, best friends, who'd set off on a backpacking trip through Asia. Unthinkable for the families involved getting that terrible news.

And these kinds of places, hostels, where you have hostels, bars, restaurants, of course, very little in terms of regulation to keep an eye on exactly what's being served. But, a great deal of excitement for anyone going through those kinds of hostels and not thinking twice about taking the drink that might have been offered to them by a hostel. And for the time being, though, several people have been taken in for questioning, Erica. No charges yet brought.

HILL: All right. Melissa, really appreciate it. Thank you.

[11:35:00]

This year's Global Climate Conference is wrapping up with no settled agreement on just how much money rich countries should give to poor nations to help them tackle global warming, much of which has, of course, been triggered by those wealthier nations. A proposal out of the COP29 summit in Azerbaijan suggests $250 billion a year, although many economists believe it's actually trillions of dollars that are needed. And of course, overshadowing all the talks, Donald Trump's return to the White House and the impact on any climate movement.

Joining me now, CNN Chief Climate Correspondent Bill Weir. So, there wasn't a lot of hope, I have to say, that I heard coming out of a lot of these meetings over the last couple of weeks. What does this latest draft have in it?

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Well, let me read you some of the reviews, Erica, from folks around the world invested in this. It's appalling, says Rachel Cleetus of the Union of Concerned Scientists. Shameful failure of leadership, absolutely heartless. That's Oxfam and Action Aid weighing in on that. The text is an absolute embarrassment. It's the equivalent of governments handing the keys to the fire truck to the arsonists. That's from an activist group, Oil Change International.

Just for context, back in 2009, rich countries agreed to start giving developing world $100 billion a year to help them brace for the impacts of the problem they didn't create. Those payments were supposed to kick in in 2020. They didn't start until 2022. They came to this COP in Azerbaijan, a petro-state, hoping to get $1.3 trillion a year, a big increase, but not nearly enough, given the scope of the global problem right now. And the latest draft language puts the floor of that at $250 billion a year. And so, some like the Council on Energy, Environment and Water in India, one of the spokesman there, says that is -- won't even account for inflation by the time those payments start kicking in, the $250 billion, in 2035. Inflation will have aided away till it means nothing.

So, the overall tone of this is just a middle finger to the developing world from those in power. And it's worth noting, the United States, obviously Donald Trump is promising to pull out of this, but Russia is not there. China is playing this as a developing nation, even though they're dominating the world in renewable energy. Just from perspective, China is installing 67 percent of the world's solar and wind energy to date, the United States, seven percent. So, the global dynamics playing out right now is leaving those island nations, those developing countries, already feeling the brunt of this, just holding the bag, and so you can understand just the real politic of this, how it's going to erode trust between even allies.

HILL: Yeah, absolutely. Bill, appreciate it. Thank you.

Still to come here, Donald Trump's picks for government leadership criticized by some for looking more like a reality TV casting call, a former CEO of the WWE, Fox News TV personalities. We'll take a closer look at some of those nominations. Plus, the NFL issuing a warning for its players to protect your valuables. Now, the NBA also warning its players why the concern. That's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND CURRENT PRESIDENTIAL- ELECT: He is a handsome dude. Isn't that good? He has got a central casting. We will take him. He is perfect. He is central casting. He is going to be a great one. We have the great Tom Holman central casting, right?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: President-elect Donald Trump talking about some of his latest picks to lead some key roles in the United States. Several of his cabinet picks are known TV or perhaps entertainment personalities. Linda McMahon is the former CEO of WWE. McMahon ran Trump's Small Business Administration, of course, during his first term. She has been chosen for Education Secretary. Pete Hegseth, Trump's choice for Defense Secretary, was, until that moment when he was picked, a Fox News Weekend host. Democratic Senator Chris Coons bashing some of Trump's nominees, specifically targeting the vetting process. Here is what he told my colleague Manu Raju.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): Well, skipping what has long been a key part of preparation for confirmation, which is an FBI background check, and making these decisions so quickly may have led to an early constellation that looks more like a reality TV show casting call than serious and credible proposals for cabinet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Joining me now with more, CNN Chief Media Analyst Brian Stelter. Brian, good to see you, as always. Look, we've known for some time that Donald Trump does put a lot of stock in how someone performs on television. He wants someone that he sees as a good communicator who can get his message out there. That being said, there is some criticism that perhaps that is too much of focus. What are you learning?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL ANALYST, & AUTHOR, "NETWORK OF LIES": We're all having to readjust to 2016 and 2017, because this former President, current President-elect is a product of TV, the creature of TV. He thinks like a producer. He monitors TV all day long. And that's exactly how it was four or five, six years ago. With Biden in office, things kind of reverted to a norm in American politics, and now we're having to get back to use to this new normal again, which is a President-elect who hires from Fox News, who hires from right-wing media, who stocked his cabinet with made for TV picks.

And -- so, on one level, like it makes all the sense in the world, Erica. He wants these candidates to be camera ready. He wants them to be spokespeople for the agencies. And there is some logic to that. One of the critiques of the Biden years is that Biden put people in charge who knew what they were doing, who were very effective, who achieved a lot, but didn't communicate it as well and did not message it very well to the American people. Clearly, a lot of Americans didn't buy what the Biden administration was selling. So, there is some logic in hiring television stars in the cabinet.

But, as I said, it's also kind of an adjustment for everybody, including reporters covering this, that we are back in an environment where the President of the United States is going to be watching television and hiring his favorite people right off the tube.

HILL: Yeah. Absolutely it is. It is sort of an odd time machine that we all find ourselves in, Brian. I was also --

STELTER: Right.

HILL: -- struck, Brian. I know you have some reporting on this. There has also been a push from the President-elect to kill what is known as the Press Act, even posting about it on social media, saying, literally --

STELTER: Yeah.

HILL: -- Republicans must kill this bill. Walk us through what this bill is, the Press Act, and why this is such a big deal. Perhaps not a surprise from Donald Trump, but this is a major concern right now.

STELTER: It's notable because many news outlets, press freedom groups, editorial boards, have been advocating for the passage of this bill. Especially in the wake of Trump's re-election, I've been seeing editorials and an OpEd saying it's really important that Biden be able to sign this into law before he leaves office, because it'll give it advanced, enhanced protections for the press. Basically, the Press Act, this legislation, is a federal shield law to give journalists more protection when they're dealing with anonymous sources, to ensure that they won't be subpoenaed and have their records seized by the government in leak investigations. There is lots of these laws on the state level. This is the idea for the federal shield law.

Now, this already passed the House, basically unanimously, as bipartisan support in the Senate, but it's been held up in the Senate by a small number of Republican senators. And frankly, Erica, I was surprised this was on Trump's radar, but he did log on to Truth Social earlier this week and say Republicans must kill this bill. Simply put, he doesn't want the press to have enhanced protections. He doesn't want any of the government's powers curtailed as he is about to take office.

So, right now, I'm told some of those House members who were on board for this, they're not so sure anymore, because of Trump's objections.

[11:45:00]

This bill probably wasn't going to pass the Senate anyway, because Democrats are busy confirming judges in Biden's lame duck session. Now, with Trump officially opposing it, even less chance of the Press Act passing.

And meanwhile, Erica, there is growing anxiety in American newsrooms about the incoming administration targeting leakers, sources and journalists. It's a lot of uncertainty right now, not knowing what exactly the incoming administration will do.

HILL: Yeah, absolutely. We'll have to be watching for all of that, and we know you'll be helping us break it down, Brian. Thank you.

STELTER: Thanks.

HILL: A major honor for baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani, coming on the heels of his record-breaking season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. But, there is also a little someone showing him up. That's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: A stark warning for professional athletes in the U.S. You may be the target of an international crime ring. The FBI and local law enforcement officials are investigating burglaries at the homes of a number of NFL stars. Sources tell CNN, a transnational crime syndicate is behind the thefts. Recently, the homes of Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes and his teammate Travis Kelce were broken into. One professional basketball player's home was also burglarized.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOBBY PORTIS JR., NBA PLAYER, HOME WAS BURGLARIZED: I was at my game yesterday. I had a home invasion, and they took most of my prized possessions. Any info that leads to the return of any of my belongings will be rewarded handsomely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: CNN Security Correspondent Josh Campbell following these developments with the FBI, joining the investigation with local law enforcement, and there is some concern among these leagues. What more do you know at this hour?

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. The FBI now involved, Erica, because this is now a global investigation. Authorities believe that this is the work of transnational criminal organizations. We've long reported on the so-called burglary tourism, where you have people that come into the U.S., prosecutors say, oftentimes from South America to conduct these high-end burglaries.

Now, in this latest warning, first, it was the NFL. Now, overnight, the NBA warning its players. They say that -- authorities have indicated that there is -- there are several attributes among these criminals that they're noticing. First, burglars often conducting extensive surveillance, going so far as too often pose as delivery drivers or grounds keepers to get a lay of the land, to determine the comings and goings of residents before actually staging these burglaries. And oftentimes, they'll scale walls in order to try to get to a master bedroom or closets to get money, to get jewelry and the like. And now, these criminal groups have long plagued the U.S. from coast to coast. We've heard about the growing concern among members of law enforcement.

I'll let you listen to one prosecutor who told us that these aren't key Keystone Crooks. These are professional operations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TODD SPITZER, ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: They're very sophisticated. They lie and wait for days at a time in people's backyards. They have Wi-Fi jammers to stop the alarm company from being notified, because a lot of people have Wi-Fi systems. And then they have police jammers to jam the signal of the police departments.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMPBELL: And Erica, these athletes are not just wealthy individuals, but they also are targets, excuse me, that burglars can go after because so oftentimes they're away from home, at games. And so, we're hearing from law enforcement that a lot of these groups are actually capitalizing on the team's schedules to know when people are away.

HILL: It is so wild to hear you talk about how they've been -- they are essentially lying and wait for days in these yards.

[11:50:00] So, in terms of what players can do, especially if they're trying to jam maybe the security assistance they have at their home, is the league offering any advice to them or the victims, I should say?

CAMPBELL: So, the league -- yeah. The leagues, behind the scenes, they have these sophisticated security operations to protect players, to protect members of the public, as well as venues. What they're warning players specifically is to specifically avoid social media so-called check-ins, when people are away from home, if you're at a restaurant, or if you're at some venue, a lot of people like to go on social media and post that.

This is a warning that isn't just for players. This is for all of us. If you're going to go for the holidays, out on the beach in Cabo, you might not want to post a picture, because what we're hearing is these sophisticated groups are actually going on social media to determine where people are, and if you're away from home, that could be a window of opportunity for them to come in, actually conduct these burglaries, knowing that you're away. So, bottom line, a very sophisticated group here.

HILL: Yeah. And to your point, Josh, great advice for all of us. You could always wait to post the picture till you're home.

CAMPBELL: Exactly.

HILL: Appreciate it, my friend. Thank you.

CAMPBELL: You bet.

HILL: Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has been named the National League's Most Valuable Player. Ohtani set a new record, becoming the first player ever with at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in one season.

Andy Scholes is with us now with more on that. Big honor for Shohei Ohtani. Cute dog there too.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yeah, yeah. His dog, Decoy has been a star all MLB season long. And I will tell you what, Erica, we may never see a baseball season like we just saw from Shohei Ohtani. Actually, I'm going to go ahead and say we are not ever going to see a season like this, because remember, it started in controversy.

Ohtani's interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, he got accused by Ohtani's reps of stealing millions of dollars from him to pay off his gambling debts. He eventually had federal charges brought against him. But, that didn't affect Ohtani one bit on the field. He did went out there and had the first ever 50:50 season in baseball history, 54 home runs, 59 stolen bases, just something we had never even seen. I mean, the most steals a player had ever had when they'd hit 50 home runs was 24. That was done by A-Rod and Willie Mays. And Ohtani ended up with 59 of them. Just incredible numbers across the board. He, of course, also ended up winning the World Series.

But, when Ohtani got the award yesterday, he was asked, what was he most proud of this season?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHOHEI OHTANI, 3-TIME MVP AWARD WINNER (Interpreted): The ultimate goal from the beginning was to win a World Series, which we were able to accomplish. Again, like I said before, I -- it was a team effort. And like I said before, I received this award on behalf of my team. So, right now, the next goal is for me to do it again. And so, right now, I'm in the middle of rehab and working out and getting stronger, and I'm looking forward to the next season so we could run it back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Yeah. So, Ohtani's third MVP, first in the National League. And all season long, Erica, Ohtani's dog Decoy, He was kind of a star. He threw out a first pitch where he took the ball from the mount to home plate. And last night when they announced the award, Decoy there. But, he had had enough. He is like, I don't want it. I'm done with this. I guess maybe the clapping --

HILL: Maybe.

SCHOLES: -- scared him or what now because he just ran away.

HILL: Or maybe just tired. I mean, he has been there. He has been such a star. Sometimes he just -- maybe Decoy just needed a break from the cameras, Andy.

SCHOLES: I don't know that, but that is one great dog. I tell you what. Ohtani, man, he has got everything, right? He has got the looks. He is a star athlete, and his dog is awesome. I enjoyed it.

HILL: It's not so bad. It's good to be Shohei Ohtani.

SCHOLES: It certainly is.

HILL: I mean, it's pretty good to be Andy Scholes too. I mean, you're doing all right, my friend.

SCHOLES: Not bad.

HILL: But --

SCHOLES: I appreciate that, Erica.

HILL: Yes. Yes. I'm here for you. I'm here for you. You are a MVP today. Andy, thank you.

SCHOLES: Thanks. Bye.

HILL: Before we go, one more thing for you here. Residents of Chicago bundling up as the city sees its first snowfall of the season. As to the animals at the Brookfield Zoo, though, they seem to be quite happy with the white stuff. How cute is our little polar bear friend? This is Hudson, by the way, playing with his ball in that blanket of white. Hudson very happy, as you can imagine. Also, the Siberian tiger seems to be in its element there, lounging around the enclosure. The zoo is also home to a pair of brown bears, their names Tim and Jess, Mexican gray wolves, African lions and American bison. We are told by some very important sources at the zoo, they all seem pretty darn happy in the snow. Look at that. It's like happy puppies running, except they are wolves.

Thanks so much for spending part of your day with me right here. I'm Erica Hill in New York. Stay tuned. One World is up next here on CNN. I'll see you back here at 02:00 p.m. Eastern.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)