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Ruling Party Chief Signals Support for Yoon Impeachment; Syrian Rebel Forces Capture Strategic City of Hama; Police Piecing Together Clues in CEO's Killing; Rebels Capture Another City in Syria; Georgia Enters Second Week of Political Crisis; Notre Dame Reopens This Weekend Five Years After Fire. Aired 12-12:45a ET

Aired December 06, 2024 - 00:00   ET

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

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Paula Newton, live in Atlanta.

[00:00:23]

Ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM, the South Korean president's bid to hold onto power just got a lot tougher. That's after the head of the ruling party suggests he won't stand in the way of Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment.

Syria's rebels are on the offensive after driving government forces out of a major city for the second time this week.

And how a flirtatious encounter may have given police a huge clue in their hunt for the killer of a health insurance CEO.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Paula Newton.

NEWTON: A dramatic turn of events in South Korea, where the leader of the ruling party now suggests he will not oppose the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Now, hundreds of protesters marched through central Seoul on Thursday, calling for Yoon to resign after his short-lived martial law declaration.

Now, the leader of Yoon's own People Power Party says he has credible evidence that the president tried to use troops to arrest key political figures.

Some lawmakers have been camping out inside the National Assembly, fearing another martial law decree could be coming. Parliament is scheduled to vote on Yoon's impeachment as early as Saturday.

We want to go live now to Seoul and CNN's Ivan Watson.

Ivan, look, there have been a lot of developments just in the last few hours on this, but still no word from the president himself. You know, how will this unfold now in terms of this decision by his party to not challenge this impeachment?

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. I really don't know, because I had a long sit-down and an exclusive

interview with the head of the president's political party, Mr. Han Dong-Hoon, just yesterday, in which he said he opposed impeachment, though he condemned the president's short-lived attempt to impose martial law just Tuesday night.

I mean, that's less than three days ago, if you consider how quickly the events are moving.

And then this morning, Han announced that he'd gotten information that President Yoon had issued orders to the counterintelligence chief to round up key political figures. And I've just confirmed on the phone with a top official in the People Power Party that Han himself was on that arrest list.

And that is part of what prompted Han to make this announcement, calling for the suspension of President Yoon. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAN DONG-HOON, PEOPLE POWER PARTY LEADER (through translator): Yesterday, I said I would work to prevent this impeachment from passing, in order to protect citizens and supporters from damage caused by unprepared chaos.

However, considering the new facts that are coming to light, I judge that an immediate suspension of President Yoon Suk Yeol official duties is necessary to protect the Republic of Korea and its people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Now, I've also just learned that Han, the leader of the president's political party, is currently meeting with President Yoon himself.

So, that must be a fascinating conversation that the two men are having right now.

Now that's one side of the equation. The other side is that the largest political group in Parliament, the opposition Democratic Party, they are the people that are pushing forward for impeachment proceedings. They would need defections. At least eight defections from the president's party to get that impeachment pushed through.

But the long and the short of it is, in less than three days since President Yoon declared martial law and some six hours later rescinded that, he is looking increasingly isolated, with the opposition calling for his impeachment, calling for his resignation, calling for him to be prosecuted, filing charges against him and the chief of the army, the police commissioner, the defense minister who has since resigned. And a number of other officials saying that they should be charged with insurrection and trying to destabilize the constitutional order.

And now the leader of the president's own political party calling for the suspension of presidential powers, saying that Yoon could pose a threat to the country, going on to say that there is a risk that he could take other extreme actions like, once again, trying to impose martial law.

[00:05:15]

That all combines to make the president look very isolated. in fact, he had very low approval ratings going into the fiasco of this week's martial law declaration. And there is a survey out this week, saying that more than 70 percent of Koreans polled would be in favor of impeachment. This is a president who looks very lonely, right now.

Back to you, Paula.

NEWTON: Lonely and, obviously, the threat not just of impeachment, but as you point out, also perhaps other accountability when he's having accusations leveled at him like he had wanted to start an insurrection. All very serious developments.

Ivan, thanks for keeping on top of it for us. Appreciate it.

Now Syria. Syrian rebel forces have now taken over Hama. That is the second major city they've captured since launching a surprise offensive last week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Syria's military says its troops had to withdraw from Hama after rebels entered several parts of the city, in another blow to President Bashar al-Assad.

Now, rebel fighters also freed hundreds of prisoners, saying they were all wrongfully detained. Some residents in Hama are now celebrating the rebel takeover.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMMED SABAHI, RESIDENT OF HAMA (through translator): Thank God. We've been waiting for this day for a long time, and we're all coming out on the street. This is the happiest day for us. We were afraid to go out at night. We've been waiting for this.

AHMAD SHRABI, RESIDENT OF HAMA (through translator): Feelings that can't be described. It's been 50 years we've been suffering injustice and crime and oppression. This is a historic moment, a priceless moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Rebels, meantime, are vowing to push even further South to Homs. That is the next major city on the road to the capital, Damascus.

CNN's Ben Wedeman is following the latest developments for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The rebels have seized control of the central Syrian city of Hama, the country's fourth largest and one of huge symbolic significance.

Yet the latest stinging defeat for President Bashar al-Assad's increasingly beleaguered regime.

After several days of clashes around the city, the rebels, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, entered Hama Thursday, and the regime forces pulled out, according to a statement from the Syrian army. The pullout was intended to avoid civilian casualties.

The rebels took control of an air base, complete with multiple warplanes, and freed inmates in Hama's notorious prison.

Hama has long been a hotbed of opposition to the Assad dynasty. It was in Hama in 1982 that Bashar al-Assad's father, then-President Hafez al-Assad, crushed an uprising, killing anywhere between 10 and 25,000 people, according to Amnesty International.

Last Friday, the armed opposition quickly seized control of most of Aleppo, Syria's second largest city.

Now, the next city on the highway South, Homs, is just 40 kilometers, or 25 miles away. A critical crossroad linking the capital, Damascus, with the Mediterranean coast, home to the Alawite minority, which is the main bedrock of support for the Assad regime.

And if that regime was looking for help from its old ally, Russia, well, it may be not immediately forthcoming.

Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow is monitoring the situation and will decide on military aid, depending on how the situation evolves.

Hardly a full-throated declaration of support for a friend in need.

I'm Ben Wedeman, CNN, reporting from Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: And you'll want to stick with us. We will have more on Syria later this hour. And that is including an exclusive report from CNN's Jomana Karadsheh and her crew, who are now the first Western journalists to arrive in Aleppo since it was captured by rebels.

Turning to news here in the United States. Now, a flirtatious moment captured on security camera may have given police an important clue in their search for the killer of a healthcare CEO in New York.

This image shows a man police are calling a person of interest, smiling at a female employee at a hostel he stayed at before Wednesday's attack.

Now, a law enforcement source tells us that, while he chatted with the clerk, he -- she asked him to lower his face mask.

The man reportedly paid for the hostel in cash and used a fake I.D., so it's still not clear exactly who he is.

Now, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, was gunned down on a sidewalk as he was headed to an investor conference.

[00:10:07]

We have a video of the incident. We want to warn you, it is graphic. Police say the gunman waited for Thompson before shooting him. Point blank in what they describe as a well-planned attack.

Investigators say the suspect then escaped on an e-bike into New York's Central Park. Now, they believe he was later seen leaving the park, but without a backpack that he had at the time of the shooting.

Police have scoured the area to try and find it but have so far come back empty-handed.

Now, investigators are hoping to get some clues from forensic evidence that the gunman may have left behind. CNN's Omar Jimenez picks up the story from there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New images of what the NYPD is calling a person of interest wanted for questioning. Sources say these photos showing this person unmasked and smiling, come from an upper Manhattan hostel where investigators believe the shooter may have stayed before the Wednesday morning murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Another clue as investigators try to piece together the shooter's identity.

ERIC ADAMS (D), MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY: Pieces of the puzzle there are still coming together, so we are on the right path, and we believe we're going to apprehend this person.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): Police conducted a search at the hostel, and one law enforcement official tells CNN the shooter stayed in a room with two other men.

Investigators continuing to ask the public for help and offering a reward for information of up to $10,000. And they continue tracing the movements of the gunman before and after the targeted killing.

ANDREW MCCABE, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: What we do know is, is extremely well organized, highly planned, sophisticated attack from everything we've seen so far.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): On the day of the shooting, surveillance video appears to show the suspected gunman exiting the 57th Street subway around 6:15 a.m. Minutes later, pictures show him at a Starbucks, where sources tell CNN he bought a water and two Powerbars just two blocks from the shooting site. Then, at 6:29 a.m., surveillance video from a nearby garage shows the

suspected shooter walking down the street while on the phone, just minutes before he carries out the killing of Thompson at 6:47.

The gunman then makes a quick getaway. And this new video appears to show a person dressed in a similar way just ten minutes later, on an e-bike, 25 blocks North of where the murder happened.

Investigators also found a phone and a water bottle near the scene of the shooting. A law enforcement official tells CNN. A fingerprint was also lifted from the bottle, but it was smudged.

Also still unknown, the motive but there are potential clues. Sources say a shell casing and live rounds found at the crime scene were etched with the words "delay" and "depose," a possible reference to the phrase "delay, deny, defend," which is the way some lawyers have described the tactics insurers use to avoid paying claims.

MCCABE: That would of, course, point in the direction that this person was somehow -- well, was certainly personally invested in this murder.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): Omar Jimenez, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: For more analysis, were joined by CNN law enforcement contributor Steve Moore. He is also a retired supervisory special agent with the FBI. And he joins us now from Los Angeles.

And we are all anxious to speak to you as we continue to try and figure out why there is still no I.D. and, obviously, no suspect in custody. You know, given everything that we've heard in the last 24 hours and all the evidence uncovered, what sticks out to you about this case above all?

STEVE MOORE, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTRIBUTOR: Well, what -- what surprises me is how well-planned the actual attack was.

And at the same time, how sloppy the killer was in -- in his movements, in his showing his face in leaving behind items. There's kind of a dichotomy.

It's almost as if he read a book on how to do one of these attacks and didn't read it carefully. He just made serious mistakes as he went along.

I'm expecting a break fairly soon, because you've got a real good, recognizable photo of him, and somebody by now has probably recognized him.

NEWTON: Now it seems that maybe perhaps Mayor Eric Adams might have been alluding to that.

We've already heard from him in the report. But I want to go back and have you listen to him again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADAMS: We are on the right pathway, and we don't want to do anything that's going to not only impede the investigation, but hurt the prosecution of the person involved.

But we feel that we're moving at a steady pace, and we're going to have someone apprehended.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Again, he's not just the mayor. He was an experienced law enforcement official. Given what he said, what does that tell you, especially now, as you said, we have a full face, full -- full picture of what the man looks like.

[00:15:08]

MOORE: Yes, him being former law enforcement lets -- leads me to believe that he is fully on board with the police tactic, which is a logical tactic, of not telling the public everything they've got.

No. 1, it can help a defense attorney down the line. But it can also help somebody escape if they know what the police have.

So, I believe the police have a lot more. Just hypothetically, they have that bottle. Well, if the man drank out of it, you might also have DNA off of that bottle. And there may be a lot of other things going on.

Now, keep in mind, this case is -- has got so many legs on it. You know, people working on the crime scene, people working on the prosecution already, people searching for the fugitive.

It is -- you've got -- it's like you're having -- you're driving on ten different freeways at the same time.

I believe they have a lot more than they're letting on. But that's normal in a case like this.

What we are not seeing -- and that's sometimes more telling than what we're seeing -- is they are not blanketing the country with his photo, saying, please, anybody who has seen him.

I mean, yes, there are certain things on social media, but it's not the -- not the big plea that you would expect. It's not them begging the public for any -- any help they can give.

It's -- I'm not seeing that, which to me means they may have a lot of what they need already.

NEWTON: Right. And as you said, they may not want to impart any of that knowledge because either of what it might mean for the case going forward, or perhaps more importantly, they do not want to tip their hand to this suspect.

You know, determining motive in many of these cases can actually help solve the crime. We go back to the words, right, written on those bullet casings. So, obviously, linked to health insurance grievances in the United States.

You know, what does that tell you about the kind of crime that this person, again premeditated, decided they were going to execute?

MOORE: Well obviously, you have somebody very -- apparently, very grievously wronged, in their mind, by UnitedHealthcare or somebody else, for whom UnitedHealthcare is now their surrogate punishee.

You've got somebody like that, but out of 50 million policies or so. And -- and say maybe 2, 3 percent of people who are suing or whatever, you only get one person out of all that who's got the mental capacity to go murder somebody.

And these -- these words that are on the bullets, the way the person has carried themselves, prepared for this, it's -- it's a gold mine for profilers to say, this is the kind of person we're dealing with. This is what he's likely to do. This is how he thinks.

And that informs how you might find him online and what -- what you might use to narrow it down to this one person.

NEWTON: Mm-hmm. So interesting. Steve, we've certainly learned a lot in our conversations with you. And we continue to follow developments as things are changing, really, by the hour.

Steve Moore for us. Thanks so much. Appreciate it.

MOORE: Thank you.

NEWTON: Now, protests continue in the republic of Georgia with no sign of either the government or opposition backing down. That story when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:20:54]

NEWTON: Rebel forces are expanding their control in Syria, capturing a second major city in their weeklong offensive against the Assad regime.

Syria's military says its troops had to withdraw from Hama after rebels entered several parts of the city, which had never been seized during the civil war.

Now, rebel fighters also freed hundreds of prisoners, saying they were all wrongfully detained.

And this comes after rebels seized Aleppo. That was days ago. They are now vowing to push further South to Homs, the next major city on the road to the capital, Damascus.

CNN's Jomana Karadsheh is the first Western journalist to report from Aleppo since the rebels took over. She spoke to some displaced Syrians, who are now returning to their hometown for the first time in years, despite fears that the battle is not yet over.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We are in Aleppo's old city here by its historic, iconic citadel, and it's really surreal being in Syria's second city, just days after that lightning offensive by rebel forces, where they managed to capture this city in a matter of days.

And you look around here, and it seems like business as usual.

Mahmed (ph) never left Aleppo, and she says their homes were destroyed. Her children are in Turkey, and she hasn't seen them in years. And she's hoping now that the city has changed hands, that this means that she could see her children again.

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

ABDUL (ph): (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

KARADSHEH: Abdul (ph) was in Idlib. He's been there since the start of the war, and this is his first time back to a city. He says they trust the rebels, who are now returning them to their cities.

And he says he's not afraid. Syrians have gone through so much, and they're resilient.

Just in the last few days, people have painted over this with the colors of the free Syria flag. And this is something you see around the city, where people are trying to remove any signs of the Assad regime.

This is the Basel Roundabout, named after the deceased brother of the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad. And one of the first things that people did when rebel forces took over the city of Aleppo was topple the statue of Basel, a symbol of the Assad regime.

This is an area where there were fierce battles with regime forces. And since then, in the past few days, there's been an airstrike that killed many people. You can still see the aftermath of that, the blood on the floor here.

And speaking to people in the city, this is what they fear. They fear that there will be more Russian and Syrian regime airstrikes, that they will be back for the city of Aleppo.

Hamid (ph), this is your first time back to Aleppo in ten years.

MOHAMMED ALI JOUDEH, DISPLACED ALEPPO RESIDENT: Ten years, yes.

KARADSHEH: Did you ever imagine this moment possible?

JOUDEH: No actually, no. No. It -- we -- we have in our imagination that we were going to come back. Actually, we had a lot of dreams about getting back to Aleppo, but we didn't actually believe that this moment is going to -- going to be true. KARADSHEH: But are you worried about what might be coming?

JOUDEH: Of course. We are all here, all the people here are worried about what's going to happen because the -- the -- the air strikes always attacked us.

KARADSHEH: But you can imagine living --

JOUDEH: Of course.

KARADSHEH: -- here again.

JOUDEH: Of course. I love -- I love my country. I love my -- my -- actually, all of the Syrian place, the Syrian country, our country. We have -- we -- we hope it's going to be clear from the Assad regime. All the Syrian, not just Aleppo.

[00:25:07]

KARADSHEH: Speaking to people here, you get this sense of joy and relief to see the regime of Bashar al-Assad gone.

But also, there's this apprehension, anxiety, fear of what might be coming. People don't really know what to expect from these rebel forces who've taken over Aleppo.

But most people that we've spoken to say that their biggest fear is what the regime and its allies are going to do. A real fear of going back to the bloody days of the civil war in Syria.

Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Aleppo, Syria.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: We are going to take a short break. We'll be back with more news in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:28:13]

NEWTON: And welcome back. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Paula Newton.

French President Emmanuel Macron is vowing to appoint a new prime minister in the coming days, as France's political crisis deepens.

Macron went on television Thursday to address the shakeup in the government, and he's resisting calls for his resignation. Macron blamed both far-left and far-right parties, but singled out National Rally Party leader Marine Le Pen, who orchestrated the opposition.

Here's part of what he said about Le Pen's party.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): They only think about one thing about the presidential election: to prepare it, to provoke it, to bring it on. They do that with cynicism, if necessary, and a certain sense of chaos.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now, Macron's speech came a day after Prime Minister Michel Barnier was ousted in a no-confidence vote.

Barnier officially resigned on Thursday, but he will play a caretaker role until a new government is appointed.

Now, anti-government protests in Georgia are headed into their second week now. Pro-E.U. supporters rallied in front of the country's parliament in Tbilisi on Thursday night.

They oppose the policies of the ruling Georgian Dream Party, which had announced last week that it was suspending talks to join the European Union.

Now the country's former president, Giorgi Margvelashvili, was at the protests. He told Reuters he thought the current government would be on its way out because of this political crisis. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GIORGI MARGVELASHVILI, FORMER GEORGIAN PRESIDENT: This moment that we have -- are witnessing for the last one week in physical terms, is the point of no -- non-return.

I mean, they are doomed to be taken out of the government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[00:30:00]

NEWTON: For more now, we want to go live to Levan Tsutskiridze. He is the chairman of the opposition Freedom Square Party.

And good to have you with us as we continue to watch these protests unfold in Georgia.

This has been going on for quite a while. The most recent protests, of course, since they made those announcements regarding E.U. membership.

What do you believe is next for your opposition coalition? Because as we continue to see the government here, they are saying they're not backing down.

LEVAN TSUTSKIRIDZE, CHAIRMAN, FREEDOM SQUARE PARTY: Hello, Paula. Thanks for having me.

Well, every government in Georgia that had seen its political power ending was always putting on a brave face saying, they're not going to compromise. They're not going to go anywhere. But they still were forced to do so.

Unfortunately, Georgia never, ever experienced completely free and fair elections, but nevertheless, the regime changes have occurred, because the public have decided to do so.

And this will be the case with this government, as well, which is breaking one of the strongest agreements with the public. Because never, ever has Georgia's democracy and its foreign policy priority been questioned so seriously.

I mean, Georgia had seen many governments which attempted to usurp power or abuse its powers. And we've seen many governments abusing human rights. And -- and so on.

However, that Georgia was to eventually become a fully-fledged democracy, that Georgia was to become a member of the European nation, have never been questioned. And I think this is a very serious infringement of contemporary -- contemporary Georgian identity. And therefore, this is what we are seeing: a huge public protest in the streets.

NEWTON: Yes. And in fact, that is the sentiment that we continue to hear on the streets. But I do want you to listen now to the prime minister, who claims, look, this isn't repression, but he says, an effort to prevent violence and chaos.

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IRAKLI KOBAKHIDZE, GEORGIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We will do everything necessary to completely eradicate liberal fascism in Georgia.

This process has already begun.

These recent developments mark the start of the end of liberal fascism in Georgia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: I mean, I won't get into what "liberal fascism" means. Obviously, I don't know what he's getting at there.

But given how steadfast they have been, what do you believe they will do next, in order to try and quash some of these protests?

TSUTSKIRIDZE: They will try to tire us out. They will try to force us to make mistakes. And they are eventually hoping that the public will become frustrated without having quick results.

However, we've already demonstrated: this spring, last year, and in previous years. Then when Georgians put up a fight for something they consider essential for their statehood, for their political identity, they can really persevere. And this, this conspiracy which the government is concocted, that

there is a global war party composed of liberal fascists who are trying to incite revolts or some kind of a violent events in the country. They're aimed at a very narrow, very small group of their own supporters, especially in the law enforcement structures. Again, very, very limited number of people.

NEWTON: Right.

TSUTSKIRIDZE: But we see that -- that the mood in the country has changed dramatically.

NEWTON: But --

TSUTSKIRIDZE: They've been defeated at this elections.

NEWTON: But -- but even -- I just -- I don't mean -- I don't mean to interrupt, but even you, you know, sound like you understand this is going to be a very tough fight.

The brutality that you've posted online that we have seen from this crackdown by police and other law enforcement entities, it seems absolutely terrifying.

Are you afraid of what could unfold next, because by your own admission, this is not going to be quick?

TSUTSKIRIDZE: I think we're past the point where being afraid is not the option anymore.

I'm more afraid of what can come if this government manages to defeat the opposition to exert power and install a Russian-style dictatorship in the country.

So, our option, the only option, is to win this fight and force this government to accept the -- really, a political demand that the opposition, together with the Georgian public, is putting on the table.

It's calling new elections because the integrity of these elections have been questioned. nationwide and also internationally. And that's the best political way out.

Yes, I expect this to be a tough fight, but we are seeing very serious cracks in the system right now. We've seen previously unseen defections from the Ministry of Defense, the law enforcement, special forces. A huge demarche by ministry of foreign affairs employees, public service officials, ambassadors resigning, et cetera, et cetera.

[00:35;14]

So even though the prime minister is putting on a brave face, they are not in a good position. They -- they are now standing up against the majority of the Georgian people, a decisive majority of the Georgian people, and being isolated internationally, as well.

NEWTON: Levan --

TSUTSKIRIDZE: So, they are in a very difficult spot.

NEWTON: Levan, I apologize. We do have to leave it there, but we will continue, obviously, to check in as developments persist, obviously --

TSUTSKIRIDZE: Thank you.

NEWTON: -- there in Georgia with these protests. Appreciate it.

Now senior White House aides and Biden administration officials are reportedly discussing what are preemptive pardons for people who may be targeted by Trump after he takes office.

Now, according to multiple sources, there's been debate for weeks over the use of these kinds of pardons, even for people who haven't been formally accused of any crimes as of yet.

One source says Trump's legal advisers believe Biden would be setting a new precedent with preemptive pardons, which the Trump team could take advantage of later on to help their own allies. Trump has publicly called for jailing people such as former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney and Special Counsel Jack Smith, who brought federal criminal charges against him.

OK, coming up for us, years of painstaking renovation work, they're about to be on display now when the beloved Notre Dame cathedral reopens this weekend. We'll have that story ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: So, you're looking at some of the damage from a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Northern California Thursday.

Now, the quake was one of the strongest to rattle the region. A tsunami warning was actually initially issued for parts of California and Oregon and, thankfully, was later canceled.

Now, California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency while damage assessments are still underway.

Now, after more than five years, Paris's magnificent cathedral, Notre Dame, is reopening this weekend. The city is preparing for an official ceremony on Saturday. Catholic dignitaries, heads of state, and celebrities are expected to attend the inaugural mass is scheduled for Sunday morning, followed by eight days of special masses and prayers.

Now, hundreds of artisans, carpenters and other specialists worked tirelessly to restore the treasured gothic cathedral after a devastating fire tore through it in 2019.

Now the day Notre Dame went up in flames, of course, it shocked so many of us right around the world. I want you to listen now to CNN reporters who remember what the chaos was like on the ground.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We got the phone call that there was a fire in the Notre Dame. So, we ran out the door. He could already see the plume of smoke.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just saw the flames atop Notre Dame. I was stopped in my tracks. That image will always, you know, forever stay in my mind.

[00:40:13]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As we arrived, so did the crowds. And it's really chaos.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think all at once, there was the shock that it could have happened. The fact that it was spiraling out of control, the way the flames continued to grow.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's lots of people crying. You're looking around. You really felt like you were witnessing a moment in history.

MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And it's pretty chaotic here, as you can see.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It must have been around 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. Parisians started kneeling, praying. Some were crying. A moment of kind of reflection calm in all that madness.

I still have chills thinking about it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The first time we went in, the most striking part was where the spire had collapsed through the ceiling this huge hole of, like, burnt-out wood.

Everything is still covered in soot, broken glass everywhere. It really feels like you're walking through a fire.

You sort of forget how big trees are when they're 100 years old. We then went back to a workshop where people were carving and forming the shapes of those beams with the trees that we'd seen felled. They've brought these techniques from hundreds of years ago into the present, and have managed to pull it off.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think I was struck most by just how painstaking and elaborate their work was. There were woodworkers; there were stonemasons. There were individual crafts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just this endless pylon of -- of scaffolding.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I remember going in and just thinking, how are they going to get this done in time?

The drones allowed us to see in intricate detail and above human eye level, the stonework, the beams, the paintings, everything that makes Notre Dame so remarkable in its detail. It's so much more than just a cathedral, you know.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Notre Dame is Paris. It's a place where, you know, I hope to bring my children once it reopens.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Anyone going back in will have their own personal journey of what it means. I'll -- I'll, yes, probably go back to my childhood when I go back inside, of course.

The world will rediscover what they've forgotten. Their own Notre Dame.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Our thanks to the Paris bureau there as we continue to watch Notre Dame and the grand unveiling this weekend.

I'm Paula Newton. I'll be back at the top of the hour with more CNN NEWSROOM. But first, WORLD SPORT starts after a quick break.

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