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U.S. Senators Expecting Confirmation Struggles for Trump's Cabinet Picks; Israel and Hezbollah Edging Closer to a Ceasefire Deal; DHL Cargo Plane Crashes in Lithuania; Trump Mindful of the Situation in Russia as Russia Fired Experimental Missile Towards Ukraine; Scott Bessent is Trump's Pick for Treasury Secretary; Atmospheric River Unleashes Record Rainfall In California; Damaging Floods, Landslides Tear Through UK And Ireland; Concerns Grow Over Chinese Cyberattack On U.S.; Pro Athletes Targeted In String Of Home Break-Ins. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired November 25, 2024 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States, around the world and streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet is taking shape. We look ahead to the fight to get his picks confirmed by the Senate.

A source tells CNN a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah is quote, "very close," even as both sides carry out strikes across the border.

And a cargo plane flying from Germany has crashed near an airport in Lithuania. We'll have details.

Good to have you with us. Well, the Thanksgiving holiday week is starting with a pretty clear picture of Donald Trump's cabinet picks and the fight he could face to get them confirmed. Trump will be sworn in as U.S. president in less than two months.

CNN's Alayna Treene looks at what's ahead, especially for the president-elect's more controversial choices.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Well, President-elect Donald Trump has moved very quickly to fill out his cabinet. He only has a few more names left to announce. But now, really, the attention is turning to how he is going to get these different candidates through their confirmation processes, particularly the ones that we know are more controversial and that are causing some consternation up on Capitol Hill.

And that includes Tulsi Gabbard, who many senators questioned her position on surveillance and also her deep distrust of some of the agencies that she'll be overseeing. There is also RFK, Jr. who his past comments supporting abortion access may not sit well with a lot of the staunchly anti-abortion senators that will be dealing with his confirmation process.

There's also Pete Hegseth who's Donald Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon. He has been dogged by a recent sexual assault allegation, but also a lot of people raising questions of whether or not he has the credentials for that role. So all of this together is what I know the Trump transition team is going to be focusing on very heavily between now and Inauguration Day as they prepare all of these different people to go through the Senate process.

Now, we did hear some members address this today. I want you to take a listen to what Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin of the deep red state of Oklahoma said in trying to address some of this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARKWAYNE MULLIN (R-OK): This isn't a new administration coming in. And so when people are criticizing his picks, the president has done this job before. He knows exactly what he needs. He knows who he wants to put in those positions. That's why he's been able to move fast because he knows he has four years to reach the mandate that the American people said. They want the government going in a different direction and these nominations he's putting forth are actually going to deliver that for him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: Now, what Mullin said there I think is pretty significant and it does align with what I'm hearing in my conversations with those working with the Trump transition team, which is Donald Trump chose these people even though he knew they were controversial for a reason. He wants disruptors, people who will go into these different agencies and buck the establishment and really try and go in a different way, break from traditional norms.

That was his goal in these selections and that is why we've seen him publicly put pressure, Donald Trump himself, on many of these senators and encouraging them to support him. Now, one key thing to keep in mind as well, though, is that we do know that Senate Republicans have a backbone, that even though Republicans have control of the House and the Senate, we did see them weigh in very publicly about Matt Gaetz.

I mean, Donald Trump was all in on Matt Gaetz, we had been told, and really wanted him for his attorney general pick, but it was clear from his meetings with senators and the conversations they were having that he was not going to get the number of votes he needed to get through the Senate and ultimately Gaetz withdrew.

And so that is definitely weighing on the back of a lot of people's minds at Mar-a-Lago and something they're going to continue to be working toward as they ready all of these different selections for those hearings. Alayna Treene, CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.

CHURCH: Ron Brownstein is a CNN senior political analyst and a senior editor at "The Atlantic." He joins us now from Los Angeles. Thank you so much for being with us.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi Rosemary.

CHURCH: So as the confirmation showdown looms, President-elect Donald Trump continues to fill the final top spots on his new transition team. But shockwaves continue over his most controversial cabinet choices. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name, but concern remains over Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth and Robert Kennedy Jr.

[02:05:04]

Some Republican senators are now flexing their muscles when confronted with the Trump picks they don't like. So how likely is it that the Tulsi Gabbard will get confirmed to oversee America's intelligence agencies after repeatedly questioning U.S. intel and echoing Russian propaganda?

BROWNSTEIN: I would think that you would be in the inner circle and perhaps the most vulnerable of the remaining nominees. You know, what happened with Matt Gaetz is important because even the most in the -- even the senators are the most willing to establish distance from Trump. Probably have a number in their head that is pretty small of how many times they are willing to publicly vote against.

And the fact that Matt Gaetz withdrew before there was a vote either in the committee or on the floor means they didn't have to vote against him in the Gaetz case and thus, that bullet was, you know, was never used. And I think that Gabbard is probably the most vulnerable of the remaining because she can be attacked from the right and you saw last week Nikki Haley who described her as an Iranian, Syrian, Russian, Chinese sympathizer.

And I think Republican senators who are going to be reluctant to dissent from Trump too often, given the magnitude of his hold on the party, may feel more comfortable opposing nominees when they can do so from the right.

CHURCH: And as some senators are bracing for what they expect to be fiery confirmation battles, many worry about Pete Hegseth as Trump's pick for Defense Secretary. Not only has he never run anything like the size of the Defense Department, he's also dealing with a potential sexual assault accusation and he opposes women in combat roles. Given all of this, how likely is it that Hegseth will be the next U.S. Defense Secretary?

BROWNSTEIN: It is a little harder for them to oppose Hegseth, right, because how can you say you're opposing Hegseth because of sexual assault allegation and supporting Donald Trump who has been adjudicated to have committed sexual abuse is the term in New York, but essentially asexual assault. You know, Hegseth, you know, what I've been calling the before times before Trump certainly would never have gotten off the ground even in a Republican-controlled Senate.

But again, there are probably only so many times all but the most independent senators are willing to break from Trump, and they are going to have to prioritize whether they view Hegseth as more of a risk than Gabbard. I think for many Republican national security hawks, the thought of putting Gabbard, who has had such close relationships with Russian media, you know, parroting the Russian line for so many years, putting her in charge of national intelligence is just head-spinning. And I've got to think that is even more of a concern than Hegseth.

CHURCH: Medical experts are particularly concerned about --

BROWNSTEIN: Yeah.

CHURCH: -- Robert Kennedy, Jr. heading up Health and Human Services with his plan to remove fluoride from drinking water and his plan to modify vaccine mandates. Now, this is the peak that would directly affect most Americans. So, how likely is Kennedy's confirmation, do you think?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, I kind of ranked them, Gabbard, Kennedy, Hegseth in an order of remaining risk. Again, you know, there is the possibility of opposing Kennedy from the right. Mike Pence signaled that, the former Vice President when he attacked him on in social media the other day for his historic advocacy of abortion rights.

And I think it is easier for Republicans but to come out as I said from the right rather than the kind of -- even if their principal motivation is actually you know, his assortment of conspiracy theories and kooky views on vaccines and other health-related topics. That one might be a little tougher to derail than Gabbard, but I don't think it's out of the question at all.

CHURCH: And Trump's other topics are not stirring up the same level of controversy, although concerns remain for some. But overall, how will this process likely proceed over the next two months and what will you be looking at (inaudible)?

BROWNSTEIN: Yeah. No, look, I think, you know, Trump, you know, threw the rocks through the windows four times with Gaetz, Gabbard, Hegseth, and RFK, Jr. The other nominees are more typical of what you would get in a conservative Republican presidency, even if the choices at CDC and FDA might push things a little bit. I think the focus will stay on the ones that we've been discussing.

And as I said, You know, even Murkowski or Collins or the Republican -- who are the Republican senators probably most willing to establish independence from Trump. There's only so many times they are going to vote for against him. And I think their hands are going to be full with the ones that we've been discussing. I can't imagine there being too much of a problem with any of the others.

[02:10:00]

CHURCH: Ron Brownstein, always a pleasure to get your analysis on all things politics. Thank you.

BROWNSTEIN: Thank you for having me.

CHURCH: Turning to the Middle East now where a regional source says a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah is quote, "very close." But a spokesperson for the Israeli Prime Minister says while they're moving in that direction, some issues still need to be addressed. All this as we're seeing an uptick in strikes across the border.

On Sunday night, the Israel Defense Forces said they struck 12 Hezbollah command centers in Beirut's southern suburbs. The Lebanese capital was one of several areas hit by Israeli attacks over the weekend. Officials in Lebanon say those attacks across the country killed dozens of people.

And in Israel, at least seven people were injured after the Israeli military says Hezbollah fired around 250 projectiles from Lebanon on Sunday, some of them, as you see here, intercepted by Israel's air defenses. CNN's Nic Robertson is tracking all the developments and has more now from Jerusalem.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well the fact that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with his ministers and senior security officials is an indication that they talked about the Hezbollah ceasefire possibility that potentially it's getting closer. And a source in the region has said he feels that it's close. In the context there you have the battle tempo picking up more than 250 Hezbollah rockets and drones fired into Israel over Sunday. That is a huge number, much bigger than we've seen over recent days.

And Israel for its part increasing its strikes in the center of Beirut over the past week on early hours of Saturday morning, a strike there killing more than 29 people. It appeared to be a strike going after a senior Hezbollah figure, although none were killed in that strike. Eighty-four other people over the weekend, more than 84 killed in Lebanon, more than 3,000 killed since the war began there.

And on Sunday the IDF actually hitting a Lebanese army base, killing one soldier, damaging equipment and injuring several other soldiers. The IDF apologized for that, said that they were targeting Hezbollah. But the indications are over the past few days that the battle tempo has been heating up. And if you look back at the ceasefire in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah back then, in the days before the ceasefire came into effect, the battle tempo heated up as well.

It doesn't mean necessarily that there will be a ceasefire, but it does indicate that both sides are really putting their backs into the fight for maximal gain. The biggest consideration, it appears, for Prime Minister Netanyahu, getting what he wants during that 60-day ceasefire, getting the right to strike back at Hezbollah if they break the ceasefire. That seems to be one of the key issues that's holding out there.

And the Iranians weighing in from their part, Ari Larijani, a senior advisor to the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying that Iran would strike at Israel, threatening that possibility, something we heard them saying several weeks ago when the talks seemed to be breaking down then. Now putting their voice in again at a crucial time in these ceasefire talks and it appears as if Iran is adding pressure.

Is there going to be a green light for the ceasefire talks to progress to a point of conclusion? That isn't clear. Battle tempo, talks and discussions, diplomacy seem to be pointing that it could be close. But let's not forget we've been here before so it's not a done deal. Far from it. Nic Robertson, CNN, Jerusalem.

CHURCH: Meantime in Gaza, civilians displaced by Israel's ongoing offensive are facing a new challenge, worsening weather conditions. Thousands of people have been impacted by flooding after heavy rain soaked hundreds of poorly constructed tents, and in some cases swept away plastic sheeting used for protection. The majority of Gaza's population has been displaced since the war began last October.

Many families are also dealing with a lack of food, with aid organizations warning that famine is likely imminent if not already underway in parts of northern Gaza.

The White House is condemning the killing of an Israeli rabbi in the United Arab Emirates. In a statement, the National Security Council spokesperson said, quote, "this was a horrific crime against all those who stand for peace, tolerance and coexistence. It was an assault as well on UAE and its rejection of violent extremism across the board."

Authorities in the UAE have arrested three people in connection with the death of Rabbi Zvi Kogan who had been filmed by a friend just days before his murder.

[02:15:00]

Israel says he was killed in an anti-Semitic act of terror.

We are following a developing story out of Lithuania. A cargo plane flying from Germany crashed just outside the Vilnius airport at about 5.30 a.m. local time. Public broadcaster LRT reports that one crew member was killed and at least two others were taken to hospital. Reuters is reporting that the plane is a DHL aircraft.

An airport spokesperson says emergency workers and firefighters are on the scene. The mayor of Vilnius told LRT the plane narrowly missed hitting a house and crashed into a nearby courtyard. We will of course bring you more details as they come into us.

And this just into CNN, county officials are advising residents of a Tennessee community to evacuate any homes within a mile of a building fire involving unknown chemicals. This is taking place in Rogersville about 60 miles northeast of Knoxville. CNN has contacted the Hawkins County Emergency Management Agency for additional information.

Coming up after the break, G7 foreign ministers meet in Italy to discuss wars in Ukraine and the Middle East as both conflicts escalate.

Plus, Ukraine and the USA, Russia has fired a new experimental weapon and that's raising fresh fears about the state of the war.

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[02:20:00]

CHURCH: Donald Trump's pick for national security adviser Mike Waltz says he has met with the current adviser, Jake Sullivan, and both administrations are in sync regarding U.S. adversaries and will not be played against each other. Waltz says that Donald Trump is paying close attention to the situation in Russia and Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE WALTZ, INCOMING U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: The president- elect has been very concerned about the escalation and where it's all going. President Trump has been very clear about the need to 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.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And outgoing U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, is meeting with G7 foreign ministers in Italy, where the war in Ukraine is top of the agenda.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is working to assess Moscow's latest military technology after Russia fired a new type of missile last week on central Ukraine. Nick Paton Walsh has the latest from Dnipro.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was the dead of night here that people in Dnipro saw the extraordinary scene on their skyline of that multi-warhead Russian missile. Experimental, according to U.S. officials. And here a children's rehabilitation center where some of the debris from the attack that night indeed landed. Children were here at the time.

Still, broken glass from the ground below me. And really, it's these vulnerable Ukrainians on the receiving end of the broader geopolitical message that Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to send. The parts of the debris of that missile on display to news agencies in Kyiv today, a select amount, clearly Kyiv trying to show the world exactly what technology was used against them and there is of course going to be a lot of forensic attention as to exactly what those missile parts indeed show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODOMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translation): Experts are currently analyzing the evidence and working with our partners to establish all the details and the specifications of this missile and to find a response together to this latest Russian escalation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALSH: There appears to be a consensus. This was a hypersonic missile and it was one with multiple warheads, non-nuclear indeed. Vladimir Putin suggested that it can potentially get through all Western air defenses and I'm sure that the parts on display will be poured over to see if indeed that provides any clues as to whether this is a technological leap by Russia or not.

But still here the message itself very much more immediate and terrifying surely for those who saw multiple different fragments raining down on them from above and damage still here palpable in the freezing night. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Dnipro, Ukraine.

CHURCH: Still to come, Donald Trump's cabinet picks are preparing for heated Senate confirmation hearings but his choice for Treasury Secretary may be fighting harder battles if he's confirmed.

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[02:25:00]

CHURCH: U.S. Republican Senator Rand Paul says he is leaning towards being supportive of Donald Trump's pick for Treasury Secretary, billionaire Scott Bessent, but he doesn't like the President-elect's proposal to sharply raise tariffs. Bessent has expressed support for more gradual tariffs. He advised Trump on economic policy during the campaign.

If confirmed by the Senate, Bessent will face many challenges on day one, including pressure to address the federal debt limit. Ryan Patel is a senior fellow at the Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University. He joins us now live from Los Angeles. Good to have you with us.

RYAN PATEL, SENIOR FELLOW, DRUCKER SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, CLAREMONT GRADUATE UNIVERSITY: Great to join you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So let's start with President-elect Donald Trump's pick for Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent. His biggest challenge will be to put Trump's high tariffs in place without spooking the markets that are already concerned about their potential impact on inflation. Can he pull that off and are they right to worry?

PATEL: Well, I think there's a couple of things. I think one, you know, some of the rhetoric that the Senate has already is to use it as a negotiated tactic. So that's one. I think the right to worry is anytime you go with tariffs and you're taxing somebody we've seen, there's never a middle ground to this. I think what Bessent wants to do, I think he has a relationship that bridges with Wall Street for the last 30 years.

I think that helps the market with some kind of ease, but it's not about who you know, it's about what you do in these types of conversations. And so for him on day one, he's got to set a real great tone globally on what he's going to do.

CHURCH: And I will come back to that point in just a moment. But what about Trump's planned tax cuts? What impact could they potentially have on the U.S. economy and beyond?

PATEL: Yeah, and this is going to be a big portion of what he needs to do. I think especially with moderate Republicans and moderate Democrats, where they look at him on, yes, he's going to be, you know, trying to extend the tax cuts, which is clear that's what he's going to do. But what the middle is asking of him from both parties is also decrease the U.S. debt. And that is kind of very hard to do when you're extending tax cuts. And so that's going to be what he's going to be judged on as well. So there's a balance that needs to happen for him if he's going to try

to decrease the U.S. debt, which is a priority as well.

CHURCH: So how does Bessent balance Trump's protectionist rhetoric with global economic realities? And could he perhaps try to convince Trump to make his tariffs more gradual, to not put such high tariffs in place?

PATEL: I think the first thing that Trump is -- you know, he wants to see successes. So if Bessent comes out and starts to see a little bit more economic policy with other countries, which Bessent is known for, especially with China, let's just be very honest. That's the conversation that he needs to have. And to have some kind of movement, I think Bessent gets a little bit more leeway when it comes to that.

However, I think some other key areas that I would say to, you know, that goes into this, that's kind of not talked about is the crypto advocacy.

[02:30:08]

You know, he will be the first, I believe treasury -- the U.S. treasury to actually shift toward embracing cryptocurrency and the openness to it, which does play into kind of the overall strategy, another wrinkle to that conversation as well.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: And you mentioned that tense U.S.-China relationship. What will Bessent need to do to manage financial diplomacy with China?

PATEL: Yeah, I think -- I think in this term, I think it's really clear for him to really be clear to not just China, but to the consumer, to the businesses on exactly what they're trying to do.

I think this emotional rhetoric that we saw, the first time in the beginning didn't really work. We've seen still tariffs on China in the last four years still occur. So I think for, for Trump and for the first 90 days, I think not to be a surprise, let's be really clear on what you're going to tax, what you're going to tariff and move on from there versus trying to, you know, maybe the bully ball is what they call, you know, to go back and forth versus trying to find a middle ground.

CHURCH: And just very quickly, there is a lot of concern from some quarters that Donald Trump will blow up all of the advances that have been made with the U.S. economy, overall. What's the sense with that?

PATEL: I mean, as of right now, if you look at Wall Street, it's up. So I don't think they have a sense of that, but it is really true rhetoric because you think of inflation, you think the Fed coming out and saying they may not decrease more interest rates in the short term, meaning the data doesn't support it. So I think it is the economy has to stay where it's going. Otherwise, you know, if you start making changes to this, we start going backwards.

You can see the interest rates stay afloat. You see inflation kind of increase and consumers start to not spend. That's not what you want to see.

So we're still not out of the woods, Rosemary. Those data points still have to go. And so I think that's what the rhetoric is coming from you can't jump in right away until you know what you're jumping into.

CHURCH: Yeah, it is a delicate balancing act for sure. Ryan Patel, many thanks for joining us. Appreciate it.

PATEL: Thank you.

CHURCH: An atmospheric river brought record rainfall across northern California. The rainfall total in downtown Santa Rosa just north of San Francisco, was enough to qualify for a 1 in 1,000 year event for the city. Meanwhile, some areas received more than half a meter of rain within three days. Winter storm warnings have also been issued. The Sierra Nevada mountain range could receive up to two meters of snowfall.

Well, snow and rain are threatening to thwart travel plans and dampen celebrations during this holiday week.

CNN's Allison Chinchar has the forecast.

(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 2 to 3 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 wont 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 concern is 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, okay, 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 okay. 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)

CHURCH: At least three people are dead and tens of thousands of homes and businesses lost power as Storm Bert hit the British Isles this weekend. The weather system brought strong winds, snow and rain to the region.

[02:35:03]

Britain's chief meteorologist called it a multi-hazard event. Storm Bert triggered flood warnings across the United Kingdom and Ireland. Storm Bert is expected to clear from the region by Tuesday, but for now many people in the UK and Ireland are working to recover from the storms damage.

Our Michael Holmes has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Snow, wind and rain the so-called multi-hazard event named Storm Bert, whipped across Britain and Ireland over the weekend disrupting airport, ferry and train services across the British Isles.

In Wales, emergency services waded through flooded streets and residents tried to bail water from their homes. After some parts of the country were drenched with more than ten centimeters of rain.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You see on the news, you know, it happens in happens to Spain, globally, and then it happens to you and it's like, oh, right, well, how do we handle it? And it's just, you know, some of them having a cupper, some of them like me panicking, going away.

HOLMES: In northwest Ireland, tens of thousands of people were without power after high winds and floods swept through the area. Sandbags were still out on the streets as people braced for more rain and tried to mop up during a break in the storm.

THOMAS PRINGLE, IRISH MP: The river burst, its banks cropping up behind us here and the river just basically flowed down the street and flooded the whole street here right up to halfway up the hall towards the main street there. And it was just devastation everywhere.

HOLMES: Heavy snow covered parts of Scotland and Central England, where snow, ice and flood warnings were in place. The U.K. Met Office says some rural communities could be cut off with up to 40cm of snow expected in higher elevations.

Forecasters say wind and rain could continue to be a threat before Storm Bert finally clears the region on Tuesday.

Michael Holmes, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:40:06]

CHURCH: The City of Light is a little brighter now thanks to the annual Christmas lights display along Paris' Champs-Elysees Avenue. Four hundred trees are adorned with led lights in the shape of wine glasses, possibly to encourage some festive cheer. The lights will glitter every night until midnight through the New Year. Beautiful.

Well, meanwhile, in Madrid, some residents and tourists were experiencing Sunday mass like no other.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

CHURCH: You are looking at a so-called priest known as comedian Leo Bassi, leading mass at a church that worships rubber ducks. A bride and groom even exchanged rubber duck rings each weekend. Bassi mixes humor, current affairs, and some quacking for dozens of attendees. He started the unusual church in 2012 to venerate the small things. Thanks to social media, it has taken off.

I want to thank you so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church.

For our international viewers, "WORLD SPORT" is up next. And for those of you here in the United States and Canada, I will be back with more CNN newsroom in just a moment.

Do stick around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:45:34]

CHURCH: Welcome back to our viewers in North America. I'm Rosemary Church.

The chairman of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, says the U.S. is now witnessing the worst telecom hack in the nation's history. People briefed on the matter tell CNN that Chinese hackers have been spying on some of the most senior figures in both the Democratic and Republican parties. And all senators briefing on the situation is now scheduled for December 4th.

CNN's Sean Lyngaas is following the latest developments.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN LYNGAAS, CNN CYBERSECURITY REPORTER: U.S. officials on Friday summoned top telecommunications executives to the White House to share the latest intelligence on an alleged Chinese hacking campaign that has targeted senior U.S. political figures including President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance.

The hacking campaign is shaping up to be one of the biggest national security challenges facing the incoming Trump administration, but the full scope of the hack who would effects and its impact on national security are still being investigated.

The meeting comes as U.S. cyber experts are still trying to make sure that the hackers have been actually kicked out of the telecom networks. It's a cat and mouse game that won't be ending any time soon. China has denied involvement.

Sean Lyngaas, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The Menendez brothers will face a judge Monday as they fight to be released from prison decades after being convicted of killing their parents. The case has drawn renewed public interest since the release of a hit Netflix show for Lyle and Erik Menendez from celebrities.

CNN's Camila Bernal has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This status hearing is the latest step in the brother's bid to freedom after the Los Angeles County District attorney recommended their resentencing. It is the first time that we'll see them in nearly 30 years. After they were convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the killing of their parents, and it is nearly 30 years later that this judge will also decide what happens, whether they appear in person or virtually.

It is likely that they will appear virtually and it is a hearing that will start at 10:30 a.m. at Van Nuys courtroom here in the Los Angeles area. The judge also setting very strict rules around what happens in this hearing. There will be no cameras and no cell phone. In fact, the cell phones will be sealed in bags.

Journalists will be allowed to attend, but only 16 members of the public will be allowed in that courtroom. And they will get their seats via a lottery. There is huge attention and interest in this case especially after a 2023 docu-series on Peacock where a member of the boy band Menudo also alleged that he was a victim of sexual abuse by Jose Menendez, the father of the two brothers, so that along with a letter that Erik Menendez wrote before the killings describing the sexual abuse is what the defense team says should be used and is why they are asking a court to reconsider the sentence and the conviction. And so, the district attorney here in Los Angeles agreed with the defense. The problem for the defense is that that district attorney was essentially voted out of office.

Nathan Hochman, the incoming district attorney here in Los Angeles, sees this case a little bit different. Here's what he told us.

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 got to do the hard work to make that decision. You 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 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, ill have to defend that decision in court.

BERNAL: And the question here is not whether the brothers killed their parents. They have admitted to doing so, but have said that they did it in self-defense after years of sexual abuse and emotional and physical abuse. The prosecution at the time argued that this was premeditated and that the brothers did this for the money, and because they wanted their parents' money. So again, we'll have to wait and see what the judge on Monday decides to do.

But there is also another hearing that were waiting for that is scheduled for December 11th, and that is the sentencing hearing, which could be more consequential for these brothers as this case continues to move through the courts.

[02:50:07]

Camila Bernal, CNN, Los Angeles.

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CHURCH: A former Kentucky sheriff is set to appear in court Monday after being indicted by a grand jury for the killing of a district judge. Shawn Stines is accused of shooting Judge Kevin Mullins inside the judge's chambers a little over two months ago. Investigators have not publicly stated a motive for the murder, but if Stines is convicted, he could be sentenced to death. Monday's hearing will take place in the same courthouse where the killing occurred.

Several professional sports leagues are delivering a clear warning to their athletes: protect your homes. This after a string of robberies targeting high profile stars, including Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs. These robberies are not believed to be random. Rather they could be examples of sophisticated, organized transnational crime using public records social media and news reports, as well as surveillance drones and jamming devices.

The perpetrators have not been identified, so players are being encouraged to be more cautious on social media and to take steps to increase home security. Earlier, I spoke with CNN national security analyst Juliette Kayyem

about the burglaries to find out who's behind them and exactly what they're doing.

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JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Targeted, concerted, well-organized likely South American gangs that are in here either on visas or unlawfully, that are using public information, where is the team playing? You know, who -- who is with the quarterback or the player? So if the family's going, and then a lot of surveillance to determine whether the House is empty, whether there's a dog, whether there's fences or anything, that would be hard to get over. And they are going into the houses at the at those times to take, to take a lot of expensive goods and materials and clothing and purses and everything else.

CHURCH: So when authorities are dealing with organized crime, what do they need to be doing to put an end to this, and perhaps capture the criminals behind this?

KAYYEM: Yeah. So a couple -- a couple things are happening. So one, a lot of this is defense actually, Rosemary, what were learning is a lot of these players have home alarm systems. They're not using them. They probably need to get more surveillance.

The FBI is said to have told them you know, get a trusted house sitter if someone can be in the home because it does not look like these are intended to be physical encounters, they just want to get the materials and to and to take things from these players and their families. And so a lot of it is just reinforcing defense some of that may be also social media in terms of not saying who's coming, maybe not putting kids or pictures on social media.

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CHURCH: And we'll have more on this story coming up in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM.

Well, we are seeing even more fallout from the destruction Hurricane Helene brought to North Carolina. Christmas tree farms across the state were devastated by the storm with thousands of trees destroyed.

CNN's Elisa Raffa explains how damage like this could impact more than just this year's holiday season.

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ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The first snow of the season is bringing some Christmas cheer to these farmers here in western North Carolina. We spoke to one farmer that lost 60,000 trees on his family- owned farm. That farm has been in the family more than 200 years, dating back to the English monarchy.

With 60,000 trees gone, they are trying to make ends meet with wreaths and smaller trees for the season. That farmer also unfortunately lost his home.

This farm here lost 270,000 seedlings. These are baby trees that would have eventually gotten planted to become those bigger trees that often get cut and sold for Christmas time. But when the flood waters came in, it contaminated all of these trees with that pollution and root rot, and these are just not viable anymore.

A lot of these were also supposed to go to other farmers in the industry, and that's just a loss for them this season.

Christmas trees take seven to 10 years to grow, so it is possible that we really won't understand the impact of Helene on the Christmas tree industry for another decade.

Elisa Raffa, CNN, western North Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: In college basketball, the women of UCLA have stunned number one South Carolina. The reigning champions suffered their first defeat in 43 games, losing 77 to 62 to the Bruins.

[02:55:03]

Their last loss came at the hands of Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the NCAA tournament semifinals in April 2023. South Carolina are now five and one and will meet Iowa state on Thursday. The Bruins have five wins and no losses and play the University of Tennessee at Martin on Friday.

The Denver Broncos completed a season sweep of the Las Vegas Raiders with a 29-19 win in Vegas. Bo Nix, the Broncos rookie quarterback, completed 25 passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns. The raiders have now lost seven games in a row and have a less a than lucky two and nine record this season. The Broncos are seven and five. They also beat the Raiders in Denver in October.

And in a later game on Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Los Angeles Rams 37-20.

In California, Saquon Barkley had a big game rushing for 255 yards with two long touchdowns, a 70 yarder in the first half and a 72-yard run in the second. It's Philadelphia's seventh win in a row and extends their lead in the NFC east with a nine and two record.

Well, there's no such thing as a free lunch, but there is such a thing as a free coffee if you're willing to dance for it. That is the deal at this coffee shop in eastern Massachusetts. And so far, lots of people are taking them up on the offer.

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CHURCH: There we go. The Cafe Milano shared the moves in this now viral TikTok. It's got nearly 8 million views so far, the owner says the promotion has brought in a wave of new customers. I think that idea might catch on. Thanks so much for your company this hour. I'm Rosemary Church. I'll

be back with more CNN NEWSROOM after a short break. Do stick around.

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