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Two Major Storms To Hit The U.S. Thanksgiving Week; TSA Preparing For 18 Million Travelers This Thanksgiving Holiday; Confirmation Battles Already Brewing On Capitol Hill; Mothers of Russian Soldiers Honored In Moscow; Global Wars Pose Foreign Policy Challenges For Incoming Trump White House; Menendez Brothers Due To Appear In Court For First Time in 28 Years; "How It Really Happened" Iran Hostages, The Dangerous Journey Home New Episode Airs Tonight. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired November 24, 2024 - 19:00   ET

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

[19:00:00]

KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN HOST: Rain, wind, and even snow are in the forecast for major cities and heavily traveled interstates across the country. AAA predicts a whopping 80 million people will head 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday period.

CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar is tracking the weather that could impact your plans.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Mother Nature not making it very easy for some folks for this big holiday travel week. We start off the day Monday with this new system here impacting portions of the Midwest down through the Mississippi and Tennessee Valley area region. That's going to have rain on the south side and some snow showers farther to the north.

Out to the west, we are going to have a series of systems moving their way through. This is expected to bring some heavy rainfall along the coast and some very heavy snow, especially in the Sierras, could see two to three feet over the next few days.

By late into the day Monday, again, you'll start to see that first system begin to spread into the areas of the mid-Atlantic, as well as the northeast overnight into early Tuesday. Also looking at some showers along the southeast coast, too. The other system we're watching, that's the one that moved into the West Coast now starting to overspread into the Rockies and eventually into the central portion of the country once we get towards Wednesday.

This is going to have mostly rain here as the temperatures won't quite be cold enough for snow. You're really going to have to go pretty far north to get the snow into the mix. But by overnight Wednesday and into Thursday, those temperatures starting to creep down in some areas allowing a few more spots to get some snow or even a rain-snow mix. Heavy rain at times possible across the Tennessee Valley, even cities like Nashville, Atlanta and Knoxville could have rain in the forecast. Then, by midday Thursday, you're looking at more of that moisture over

spreading into the northeast and into the mid-Atlantic. So any last- minute travel or local travel on Thanksgiving Day itself, the biggest concerns are going to be the northeast stretching all the way down into the Gulf Coast where you're going to have the bulk of that really heavy moisture. So then the question becomes, OK, what about the famous Macy's Day Parade?

Here's the thing. We've got that rain coming in, the heaviest will hold off until the afternoon and evening hours of Thursday. So the first few hours of the parade should in theory be OK. But those rain chances go up very quickly for the back half of the parade. Temperature wise, also not exactly going to be very warm. You're looking at those temperatures likely only in the low 40s.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TAUSCHE: Allison Chinchar, our thanks to you.

Let's get some insight now from travel expert Brian Kelly, founder of ThePointsGuy.com and author of the upcoming book "How to Win at Travel."

Brian, thank you for joining us. There are a lot of folks who want to win at travel this week with TSA bracing for a record 18 million passengers at airports across the country. We know the TSA has already been having staffing shortages.

Do you think that they're ready for this crowd that's coming?

BRIAN KELLY, FOUNDER, THEPOINTSGUY.COM: Well, I'm not so worried about the TSA. I'm more worried about the FAA. The nation is currently undergoing a shortage in air traffic controllers and Secretary Buttigieg has already said that that could impact this holiday, especially if those storms start to throw things in disarray. So that's -- that has me really nervous this Thanksgiving holiday season.

TAUSCHE: So if you're a traveler, how can you protect yourself either in the actual logistics of what you're planning or in the way that you're perhaps adding travel insurance to the tickets that you're purchasing?

KELLY: Absolutely. So in general, I recommend try to leave on the first flight of the day. Generally, weather hits later in the day so the earlier you can get out, a lot of airlines will actually let you move your flights earlier. So if you're flying through New York this Thursday, you may want to do that or even call and ask the airline to leave the night before.

Also understand the DOT in October now instituted new rules. If your flight is delayed three or more hours domestically, or six or more internationally, just know that you're owed a full refund. So if you're in the airport, your flight keeps getting delayed, you want to get home for the holidays, you can actually book yourself on another carrier and know that if the delay qualifies, you will eventually get a full refund for your other flight, which is a little bit of peace of mind.

TAUSCHE: That is, of course, if a seat on another flight is available.

KELLY: Exactly.

TAUSCHE: Given how busy this week is expected to be. For folks who are looking at the weather and looking at what might lay ahead this week, and if they're trying to move their flight up, what should they keep in mind if they're picking up the phone and calling their airline or their train company, or however they're planning to travel?

KELLY: Well, my first thing is it never hurts to ask. If you're starting to say, you know what, I don't want to travel this weekend if the weather is going to throw things out of whack, you can always call the airline. Most airlines are pretty lenient these days with letting you make changes and if there are weather waivers, so if the storm hits, airlines will say, hey, we are encouraging people to rebook later.

So I say get ahead of the action instead of going to the airport and hoping for the best. I also recommend if you are going to end up traveling and there is weather coming, even if it's not in your home city, weather elsewhere can impact your flight. So always sign up for app updates with the airline you're flying.

[19:05:04]

And then I use an app called Flighty. Flighty often will let me know if my flight is delayed before the airline does. So getting that intel, seeing where your plane is coming from can give you that inside scoop to say, hey, look, and try to call the airline and switch to a different flight that day.

TAUSCHE: That is news you can use, for sure. There are also some airlines who are trying to make the process more orderly given the crowds coming. American Airlines, in particular, is trying to crack down on passengers who try to cut the line at the gate.

If they do this, if they try to board before their group is called, this is the sound they'll hear. Take a listen.

(SOUND)

TAUSCHE: OK. So it's better than nothing. I'm not sure if that's enough to actually shame people into not doing this. The technical term, which as a parent of an elementary schooler, is gate lice, which is something that really shocks me and I find completely revolting. But I'm curious how big a problem you think this actually is and whether you think that little ding is going to make the difference here?

KELLY: Well, I certainly think, you know, the airlines need to do a better job at explaining the boarding process. Every airline has different zones. I think American has nine different zones plus pre- boarding. So while it's easy to blame consumers for not following the rules, they change all the time. So I will kind of give people the credit. I kind of would have went with the foghorn found myself there.

But, you know, the airlines also need to invest in better technology, apps that actually tell people in real time when the plane is boarding. So -- but I do think this will help at least create a little bit more order because when everyone is trying to get, you know, board in every zone, then no one wins.

TAUSCHE: Before we let you go, we've been talking politics throughout this show, and I want to get your take on some legislation that's been pending where Vice President-elect Vance actually has been a co- sponsor to bipartisan congressional effort to cap so-called swipe fees charged by credit card companies. But among other things, the fees fund credit card reward programs, which would be at risk of going away.

What do you see as the outlook for this legislation and what would it mean for consumers?

KELLY: Yes, so this -- yes, so this is terrible for consumers. Most, you know, using points is how so many families actually travel and keep costs down. So this legislation would dramatically reduce the ability to earn points. It would actually put like a debit card onto your travel rewards card and then the retailer would choose which network to run it on.

So every time you use your card, the waitress at the restaurant would decide if you get points or not. So once consumers realize this, plus if the airlines lose a lot of the revenue from these loyalty programs, what do you think is going to happen with airfare? So I think this bill is harebrained and hopefully it doesn't go anywhere.

TAUSCHE: Well, we will see what awaits us in the new Congress. We appreciate your time. Hopefully safe travels to you this week if you're going somewhere.

ThePointsGuy, Brian Kelly, have a wonderful evening me.

And join CNN for the ultimate Thanksgiving morning watch party. There will be celebrity appearances and a live view of parades across the country. John Berman and Erica Hill host "THANKSGIVING IN AMERICA" starting at 8:00 a.m. Thanksgiving morning on CNN, and also streaming on Max.

A bruising battle ahead for some of President-elect Trump's picks to lead key agencies in his new White House. How his team and allies on Capitol Hill are preparing for the Senate fight to come.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:13:08]

TAUSCHE: President-elect Donald Trump has filled out his list for his top cabinet picks. The question now is, will the Senate confirm them? Some Republicans in Congress are bracing for a long and fiery confirmation process for some of Trump's more controversial picks.

Let's go to CNN's Alayna Treene live outside Mar-a-Lago in West Palm Beach.

Alayna, what level of confidence does the Trump team have that he'll actually get these picks for his second term cabinet and see them installed come next year?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they have good confidence, I would say. And I use the word good. I know that's not the best word, but that's how it is framed to me when I talk to Trump's transition team. Look, they think that they -- they are confident that they are going to be able to get these people through. Donald Trump is not selecting these people, thinking that they are going to fail through the Senate process.

But he also was really thinking about the people he wanted in these different roles even though many of them are controversial, people like RFK Jr., like Tulsi Gabbard, like Pete Hegseth, his pick to lead the Department of Defense. And so they do have an uphill battle. Now, one key question we've heard come up repeatedly is whether or not they've had enough vetting. And this is something with particular focus I think has been on Pete Hegseth because we know that Donald Trump had called the former FOX News host to go down to Mar-a-Lago and meet with him, and then very quickly after that had announced that he was going to be his selection to lead the Pentagon.

And during that time in between, a lot of vetting didn't take place. And one key thing we also saw that is bound to come up during his confirmation hearings is that police report around the sexual assault allegations against Hegseth, ones that he denies, but one that I think a lot of people want to get clarity on. That was something that initially the Trump transition team was not aware of, that had come out later and of course was covered in the news and publicly and something that many people have started to raise concerns about.

[19:15:03]

I want you to take a listen, because we did hear Senator Amy Klobuchar address this this morning, but then also, Senator Bill Hagerty, who has been a fierce defender of Donald Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN): I want to have the hearings. I want to make a decision on each one of them on the merits as I've done in the past. And I can't do that without the background checks.

SEN. BILL HAGERTY (R-TN): The transition team has been working for months to prepare for this. I'm certain that there was significant vetting that has taken place. It has for every candidate now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: Now, Kayla, that question that Amy Klobuchar brought up about the background checks, that is something that we haven't seen yet happen with some of Donald Trump's latest picks, in part because Donald Trump has yet to go through the proper channels for his transition process. There are things that I want to get too into the weeds about it, but called MOUs and other things that Donald Trump's team have not signed yet, things that we know traditionally presidential candidates who have been elected so have become the president-elect have done in the past. They have missed those deadlines.

And so those are deadlines that I'm told they are going to make. They past those deadlines -- excuse me, they're not going to make. But these things that they need to sign in order to have the official vetting really begin, the official transition begin from the D.C. standard that is something they say that they are going to be doing soon but they have yet to do. And those are questions we continue to hear and concerns we continue to hear come up from members of the hill -- Kayla.

TAUSCHE: And certainly there are a lot of disclosures that would be required. Who's financing the transition? They would have to make financial disclosures about donors, ethics, a whole host of things that the team has avoided up until this point. Well see when if in fact, they do go forward with that.

Alayna Treene in West Palm Beach. Alayna, thank you.

Joining me now is senior political analyst for CNN and senior editor of "The Atlantic," Ron Brownstein.

Ron, it's good to have you tonight. ABC News reports that Trump's team has told lawmakers to either get in line for some of these confirmation votes or get primaried. Obviously, you know, it's very early in the consideration for many of these lawmakers, but what do you think is the consideration that a Republican senator is making when they're considering some of these candidates as they're coming in?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes. Look, I think the vast majority of them are going to line up behind Trump on all or virtually all of the nominees, but with a 53-seat majority, you don't need that many to defect and you have some for whom that threat is much less relevant. Murkowski in Alaska, Collins in Maine, Mitch McConnell in Kentucky, who is in his final term.

You know, I think there are two important considerations from the Matt Gaetz episode. One, in terms of what it means for the remaining nominees. I mean, one is that they did not have to vote publicly against him, right? He withdrew before it came to a vote, either in committee or on the floor. And that's important because I think even the Republican senators, who are the most immune to Trump's gravitational pull, are probably having their head a number of how many times they can afford to vote against him, especially early on.

And the fact they didn't have to use one of those on Gaetz who was maybe the most, you know, unfit of the of the choices is important. The other dynamic I think that's important is whether these nominees can be attacked from the right, like if a Republican senator can oppose some of these nominees from the right, I think that might be easier for them. And certainly Tulsi Gabbard is one that you could imagine Republican senators opposing from the right.

We saw from Nikki Haley last week the kind of language that you might hear when she called her a Russian, Iranian, Syrian, Chinese sympathizer. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.. Mike Pence attacked from the right on abortion. So those are dynamics that that I'm going to be keeping an eye on.

TAUSCHE: Well, and then there's also Trump's pick for secretary of labor, who has been denounced for her very pro-labor views, which is something that we did not see in Trump's nominees for that role during his first term. She's been called a RINO. She has taken a lot of criticism from the Republican Party, but it does lend to this suggestion that Republicans are trying to brand themselves as the party of the working class.

Just this morning outgoing Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown said that Democrats need to be better at messaging toward the working class. And I'm wondering what you see as this fight over the working class, non- college voter looks like going forward?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, yes, I mean, look, you know, what you saw in this election were significant gains for Trump with non-college nonwhite voters. Now the exit polls and the vote cast basically had him holding what he had before in 2020 among white non-college voters. But definite gains among nonwhite voters. And look, there's a big debate in the Democratic Party was that primarily economic discontent around inflation?

Many of these are voters living paycheck-to-paycheck to paycheck. They are facing the most squeeze from inflation how much of it, though, in addition to that, was a kind of longer term cultural alienation from the Democratic Party.

[19:20:05]

I think the evidence is that it's primarily economic and frustration over the outcomes of the Biden administration. But there's also another piece of it, and that's going to be a part that Democrats are going to be debating in many ways, like they did in the period after 1988 when they lost to George H.W. Bush. Bill Clinton emerged as kind of the, you know, advocate of a more centrist cultural positioning in the Democratic Party and I would be shocked if you didn't have a Democratic nominee in 2028 who tried to recreate some of that repositioning that Clinton did between '88 and '92.

TAUSCHE: Well, some of the Venn Diagram is fascinating because one of the dynamics that is getting glossed over is the fact that, yes, were focusing a lot right now on the cabinet picks, which require a simple majority to get past which Republicans by and large should have for most of these candidates. But then when it comes to negotiating the second term Trump agenda most of those action items require 60 votes.

And so there will need to be some sort of deal-making that takes place. And I'm wondering whether you think that's possible. BROWNSTEIN: Yes, well, you know, John Thune did say he's going to

preserve the filibuster so, as you say, you know, anything that is beyond the reconciliation bill, which is the one big fiscal bill that you can pass with a simple majority. Now, the biggest things they want to do, they can do through reconciliation, extending the Trump tax cuts for individuals which expire in 2025, making significant cuts in the federal government, and also potentially block granting and cutting Medicaid, which I think is a very live item, something Republicans have been trying to do since the early 1990s.

Beyond that, it's kind of hard to see. I mean, there are, you know, there are certainly elements of the trade agenda that you could imagine certain Democrats signing onto. But an awful lot of what -- you know what Trump wants to do uh, particularly on the cultural side, it's just hard to see how you get seven Democrats for that. I suspect that, as is often the case with Republican, you know, presidents, the key agenda items on the domestic side are cutting taxes and appointing judges and justices.

And you can do both of those with simple majorities. And I think that's where most of their emphasis is going to be.

TAUSCHE: And then there's the many geopolitical conflicts. We've been talking about Trump's team skipping the FBI background checks for vetting these nominees, but it also has the implication of perhaps slowing security clearances when that time comes down the road. And I'm wondering what kind of break in precedent that is and whether that poses a national security risk.

BROWNSTEIN: Well, you know, I think it is a very clear signal of how many precedents we are going to see broken, you know, in a Trump presidency. All of the norms and kind of customs that restrain the arbitrary exercise of presidential power and-or required a certain degree of transparency of conflict of interest or, you know, qualifications. I think that all of that is going to be stressed right from day one.

And as we're seeing, it's even before day one, and certainly what you're describing in terms of the background checks and the implications of security clearances is a real problem. But I think it's going to be only, you know, a very small. What are recusals going to look like? What are conflict of interest rules going to look like? I mean, you have, you know, you have a president who fundamentally does not believe in the structures that have been built over time, particularly since Watergate, to try to ensure kind of the non -- the impartial, you know, use of federal power, not kind of applying it in an arbitrary way to reward friends and punish enemies.

And I think we are going to go way beyond the buoys in a lot of ways of which this, you know, refusal to apply by the usual rules of the transition is just the opening bell.

TAUSCHE: Yes, we are going to learn a lot in the coming weeks and months.

Ron Brownstein, we appreciate your expertise this evening. Thank you. BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.

TAUSCHE: Up ahead, President Biden is using his final months in office to offer a strong rebuke to China as we learn startling new details about a Chinese hack of U.S. telecom companies and who the hackers were targeting.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:28:34]

TAUSCHE: As Vladimir Putin continues to send thousands of Russian troops to the frontlines in Ukraine, the mothers of those soldiers rarely heard from throughout the conflict are speaking out to CNN.

Fred Pleitgen reports from Moscow.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): As the war in Ukraine nears the three-year mark, more and more Russians are signing up to fight. Vladimir Putin saying more than 700,000 are currently stationed in and around Ukraine.

We got rare access to an event in Moscow honoring the mothers of Russian soldiers battling in what the Kremlin still calls its special military operation. Mothers whose sons are fighting have been killed or injured.

Oksana Medvedeva's son Yegor was severely wounded on the battlefield earlier this year.

He had surgery on his leg and the nerves had to be sewn back together, she says. He also had surgery on his jaw, but it still has not recovered properly. He's still being treated. I am proud of my son that he is such a hero.

While the Russians have been making significant battlefield gains recently, they appear to come at a heavy price. Moscow doesn't publish casualty figures, but Western governments believe the attrition rate among Russian forces is significant.

To increase manpower, the U.S. and Ukraine say more than 11,000 North Korean troops are now also on Moscow's side mostly in Russia's Kursk region.

[19:30:17]

Yelena Yemelina's son Michael is still fighting in Ukraine. She won't say where, but acknowledges for him it's tough.

(YELENA YEMELINA speaking in foreign language.)

PLEITGEN: "He went through a lot of moments he doesn't like to talk about," she says. "But I found out by chance I think he's a true hero.

PLEITGEN: The US and its allies continue to condemn Russia's president, urging him to withdraw from Ukraine immediately. But this week, instead, a major escalation.

After the Biden administration allowed Ukraine to use longer distance US and UK supplied missiles to strike deep inside Russia, Putin hit back with a new intermediate range ballistic missile capable of delivering devastating nuclear warheads and he threatened to hit US assets as well.

(VLADIMIR PUTIN speaking in foreign language.)

PLEITGEN: "We consider ourselves entitled to use our weapons against the military objects of those countries that allow their weapons to be used against our objects," he said.

Back at the event, for the soldier's mothers, a Russian parliamentarian backing Putin up.

(NINA OSTANINA speaking in foreign language.)

PLEITGEN: "We are a strong country and we've been patient for a very long time," she said. "But in the case of mass deaths of our people, if the collective West does not sober up we should proceed to more decisive actions. We can no longer lose any of our men."

PLEITGEN: But for now, the battles continue to escalate and the losses continue to mount as Vladimir Putin warns the war is increasingly becoming a struggle between Russia and the West.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TAUSCHE: The war in Ukraine is one of two major conflicts the incoming Trump administration will inherit.

Earlier, I spoke with Trump's former Defense Secretary Mark Esper. He walked me through how he expects the new White House to handle that war and Israel's conflicts with Hamas and Hezbollah.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TAUSCHE: When it comes to Ukraine, you've been very vocal recently that allowing Ukraine to use US made long-range missiles to strike further into Russian territory was a decision that was long overdue.

Now, we just hear from our correspondents on the ground about these new types of Russian artillery that they're using into Ukraine. I mean, do you see this as escalation? And if so, what do you think the effect will be?

MARK ESPER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Yes. First of all, I think when historians look back at this conflict, they're going to say that while President Biden did a good job bringing the allies together and holding them together, his policy of denying Ukraine the weapons they want and then putting restrictions on their use will probably be cited as a major reason why the conflict is in a stalemate right now.

And it's just terrible that the Ukrainians have had to fight for two- and-a-half years now with at least one arm tied behind their back.

But look the introduction, finally, of the ATACMS into the fight, allowing them to be used beyond Ukraine is important. I think the introduction of this new intermediate range ballistic missile by Russia was a chance to kind of respond to that.

But I also assume they're looking at more economical ways to deliver warheads and putting multiple warheads on a single missile launching it. It travels at hypersonic speeds. It also allows them to do a better job in terms of evading air defenses.

So, right now, what's happening, though, in Ukraine is each side is attempting to maneuver to gain as much territory or as leverage as possible anticipating that Donald Trump is going to try to bring them to the negotiating table sometime early next year.

TAUSCHE: Well, to that end, we heard today from Trump's top national security pick Congressman Mike Waltz. He gave an interview his first since he was selected to Fox News. And he was asked specifically about the conflict in Ukraine. And he said that president elect Donald Trump is, in his words, very concerned about the escalation that they see on the ground.

I want you to take a listen to what he said, and I'll get your response on the other side.

REP. MIKE WALTZ (R-FL): The president-elect has been very concerned about the escalation and where it's all going. President Trump has been very clear about the end this conflict. And so, what we need to be discussing is, who's at that table? Whether it's an agreement an armistice, how to get both sides to the table, and then what's the framework of a deal?

TAUSCHE: So some very real substantive questions that still need to be hammered out. But he also said that he's in touch with the existing National Security adviser, Jake Sullivan, that there's no daylight between them on how to proceed.

I'm wondering what purpose you think that interview serves and what message it sends to some of the participants in these conflicts around the world.

ESPER: Well clearly, he's articulating the views of himself from President Trump and telling the world, particularly the protagonists here, Russia and Ukraine, that the administration is going to come in and try and get some type of deal again, whether it's an armistice or some type of, you know, end of conflict, who knows?

[19:35:14]

But I do think it's important to note that -- there's in some ways, it's a stalemate on the ground with Russia slowly gaining more and more grounds.

So time is on Russia's side here, not on Ukraine's side and Ukraine is trading ground for time at this point in time, they are slowly losing because of the manpower challenges they face. The fact that Russia has a much larger economy. Their economy is on a war footing. So they are in a more advantageous space and everybody knows that. So I think that's a big factor here as well.

But clearly, President Trump, coming in is going to want to try and end this conflict and the question is, you know, how much territory, how much will Ukraine be asked to give up and will Vladimir Putin, frankly be willing to end the conflict when he has arguably the upper hand at this point in time?

TAUSCHE: Yes. Well, a lot of big questions there. I want to ask you also about the Middle East, which you referenced a little bit earlier in this conversation.

We have seen Israel ramp up this pressure campaign to try to get Hezbollah by force to the negotiating table for this ceasefire deal that has been eluding all parties for the better part of three months. I remember US and European officials at the United Nations General Assembly back in September trying to at least close this front of that war.

I'm wondering if you see that deal any closer within reach and what you think could actually clinch it.

ESPER: Yes, it seems like it's within reach, Kayla. As the reporter -- Nic Robertson reported earlier, there's a lot of step up in the attacks, you know, for Israel, it's been all about allowing its 60,000 to 70,000 Israelis to return to their homes, their communities in the north of Israel, south of Lebanon and that the major reason why they decided to go in a few months ago and do this.

And at this point in time, of course, they've decimated Hezbollah's leadership. They've taken a large chunk out of their supply of rockets and missiles and they've pushed them back north of the Litani River.

So, at this point in time, the framework as was discussed, is can they return to a 2006 UN Resolution 1701 that would create that demilitarized zone, if you will, between the Litani River, which is about 18 miles north of the Israel-Lebanon border, keep it free from Hezbollah, allow a combination of Lebanese armed forces and un peacekeepers in there to kind of to kind of keep that ground safe. And the question is, what rights does Israel have if Hezbollah once again breaks the agreement and returns and tries to attack Northern Israel.

So, I think that's all on the table. We'll see what happens here in the coming days if they can reach some type of agreement along those lines.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TAUSCHE: My thanks to Secretary Mark Esper for his insight. Up ahead, Erik and Lyle Menendez will get another day in court

tomorrow as they fight for freedom nearly 30 years after their murder convictions.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:42:43]

TAUSCHE: Tomorrow, the public will get a glimpse of the Menendez brothers for the first time in years.

They're expected to appear virtually in court and may even speak as they fight for freedom decades after killing their parents.

CNN's Camila Bernal is live in Los Angeles.

Camila, what can we expect from this hearing?

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kayla.

So this is a status hearing and so really, the judge will decide what happens tomorrow and will guide us through this process. It's also the judge who's deciding whether they appear in person or virtually, although it's likely that it is going to be a virtual appearance. And this judge also setting very strict rules around what happens in court.

It is the first time that we actually see them in court in nearly 30 years. So there's so much excitement around what will happen tomorrow and what we will see from the brothers.

But the judge saying no cameras, no cell phones. They will actually be sealed and put in a separate area. And also, the judge saying reporters and journalists they are allowed in, but only 16 people in the public will be allowed in. There is so much interest that this will be a lottery. So people will have to go to the court early in the morning, 10:30 local time in Van Nuys in Los Angeles area, and they will essentially have to sign up for this lottery, only 16 people.

There's been a huge renewed interest in this case. And really a push to reexamine the case after the 2023 docuseries on Peacock, where actually a member of the boy band, Menudo also accused Jose Menendez, who is the father of the two brothers, of raping him.

So, this evidence in addition to a letter that Erik wrote before the killing describing the sexual abuse, is what the defense team says is enough evidence to have a judge reconsider the sentencing or the conviction and so that is the thing that they've been pushing all along.

The district attorney here in Los Angeles agreed. The problem there is that the district attorney essentially was voted out. The new district attorney has a different view in all of this, the incoming district attorney, Nathan Hochman. And take a listen to what he told us. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NATHAN HOCHMAN, LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY ELECT: Now, as to whether or not I'm going to support that particular motion or not. You've got to do the hard work to make that decision.

You've got to review thoroughly the facts and the law. You need to actually speak to the prosecutors, speak to law enforcement officers, speak to the defense counsel and speak to any victim family members as well.

Only after I do all of that work will I be in a position to weigh in on the Menendez case, because then I'm not only going to weigh in on it, I'll have to defend that decision in court.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[19:45:18]

BERNAL: So, we'll see what happens tomorrow. But there is also a very consequential hearing, that's December 11th, and that's the hearing for the resentencing. We're of course, waiting to see if they are granted that resentencing -- Kayla.

TAUSCHE: All right, Camila Bernal, thank you so much for that report.

More news when CNN NEWSROOM returns.

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[19:50:16]

TAUSCHE: When Iranian students stormed the US Embassy in Tehran in November 1979, they took the embassy staff hostage and held more than 50 of them for 444 days. Only a handful managed to escape, but those who did were trapped in Iran until the CIA came up with a daring plan to bring them home.

The top secret mission was the subject of the academy award winning film "Argo."

In tonight's new episode of "How It Really Happened," several former hostages detail their time in captivity and rescue.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We started to realize that we couldn't just join up with the other hostages when they would be released, because they would say, where have you been?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Iranian students thought that everybody at the American embassy was a spy, they really did. The fact that these six people were hiding would only have confirmed their suspicions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It just seemed like we were pushing our luck. We had no choice, you know, we couldn't stay there. We're leaving. The only question is how.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was no good way out. Someone was going to have to come and get them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's when CIA came into the picture because one thing CIA is very good at is getting people out of really sticky situations.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It came in a memo, the State Department people, they sent a memo to the CIA saying, we've got to try and figure out how to get them out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And so, Tony Mendez, who was put in charge of this operation he had to come up with an out of the box solution.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tony Mendez and his team in the Office of Technical Services, that's what they do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're getting ready to do what we call an exfiltration. We were running out of time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And he came up with the idea just kind of randomly, and it was a ridiculously good idea.

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TAUSCHE: Joining us now are Barbara and Barry Rosen. Barry was one of the hostages detained for more than 444 days in Iran. Barbara worked constantly as an advocate for the safe return of the hostages. We are so grateful to have both of you with us this evening.

Barry, you're featured in this upcoming episode telling the story of your detainment. Tell us what brought you to Iran in the first place, and can you describe what you remember from that first day when the embassy was overtaken.

BARRY ROSEN, SURVIVOR OF 1979 IRANIAN HOSTAGE CRISIS: Well I think it all occurred, I believe in 1960 when President Kennedy said ask not what your country can do for you and ask what you could do for your country. I joined the Peace Corps.

I joined the Peace Corps and I went to Iran and I spent one of the most two interesting years of my life visiting and seeing the culture, being with people, talking with them, living a life much like in a low and middle class Iranian at that time.

And then I went to graduate school and then I was in the USIA, the Voice of America Central Asian desk, and then recruited to the US Embassy as the press attache for the US Embassy and that's how I got there and then everything started to go upside down.

It was a year, a little more than 13 months of a social revolutionary movement, which was combined with that is secular movement, a religious movement a wide array of different factions that were attempting to overthrow the Shah of Iran and also the revolution also was partly one against the United States, too. TAUSCHE: Barbara, it was 14 months that Barry was held captive. You

were back in the US with your young family during that time. How did you use your resources, your voice, to bring awareness to what was happening and what was it like for you when Barry returned home?

BARBARA ROSEN, TEACHER AND AUTHOR: During the entire crisis, it was a very disconcerting time. I was 30 years old -- just 30 years old -- and didn't' know what to do.

Diplomats had never been taken and held hostage before. You know, what do you -- I didn't know if I should talk, if I shouldn't talk, if you talk to the press and you say the wrong thing and, you know, get them in trouble, you don't know what to do.

I feel very strongly that, people who are being held hostage today, that their families go through this same kind of torment not knowing what to say what to do and just trying to find your own voice and to introduce the person who cannot be seen.

[19:55:32]

You know, the hostages, the word "hostage" is this generic word and there were 52 of them at that time.

Who was Barry? Nobody knew, he was, you know, the father of my children, my husband. How do I make him into a real person so that hopefully the Iranians wouldn't do anything to harm him?

I think that was my obligation and the direction that I decided eventually to you know, the road to walk down.

TAUSCHE: Yes and there is an unfortunate symmetry with present day events and hostages and political prisoners being held around the world.

I am sure there are families who are taking hope in your words. We are so grateful for your story and for both of you being able to be with us, Barry and Barbara Rosen.

BARBARA ROSEN: Yes, we really felt that it was important to, you know, to bring things into the current day because, you know, what happened to us happened quite some time ago. But so many people are still suffering today the effects of hostage taking.

TAUSCHE: Yes. Well, we are we are grateful to have you both here. We are grateful for your story. And thank you for sharing it with us. Much more of that will be included later this evening when a new episode of "How It Really Happened: Iran Hostages, The Dangerous Journey Home," which airs tonight at 9:00 Eastern and Pacific on CNN.

We'll be right back.

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