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Syrian Rebel Leader Declares Victory for the Islamic Nation; U.S. Strikes Isis Targets Inside Syria; Israel Seize Syria Buffer Zone; Russia Calls for U.N. Security Council Meeting on Syria; President Biden Presents Plan to Support Syria; Biden: Fall Of Assad Regime "Moment Of Risk" & "Opportunity"; Trump Sits Down For First TV Interview Since Election; CEO Shooter Manhunt: NYPD Divers Search Central Park Lake; Notre Dame Reopens To The World; Taylor Swift Wraps Up Her Eras Tour. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired December 09, 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 Sates, around the world and streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead, the regime of Bashar al-Assad has fallen. Rebel groups now promise to rebuild the nation as many in the international community remain skeptical.

New photos in the manhunt for the killer of a health care CEO in New York, the latest on the investigation.

And the end of an era, Taylor Swift's record breaking tour comes to a close.

Thanks for joining us. And we begin in Syria where CNN's team in the capital of Damascus heard strikes in the early hours of Monday morning after the fall of Assad's regime. It's not immediately clear who carried out those strikes.

On Sunday, the leader of the rebel forces in Damascus delivered his first public remarks since their takeover of the country. Abu Mohammed Al-Julani says defeating the Assad regime is a, quote, "victory for the entire Islamic nation."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABU MOHAMMED AL-JULANI, LEADER, HAYAT TAHRIR AL-SHAM MAN (through translation): This victory, my brothers, is a victory for the entire Islamic nation. This new triumph, my brothers, marks a new chapter in the history of the region, a history fraught with dangers. Leaving Syria as a playground for Iranian ambitions, spreading sectarianism, stirring corruption, it became the world's leading source of Captagon. But today, Syria is being purified by the grace of God Almighty and through the efforts of the eroque (ph) mujahideen. (END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: A source told CNN that Assad, a key ally to Vladimir Putin, fled to Moscow with his family where they were granted asylum. After the rebels took the capital, they said they were actively searching for Assad. Some of the fighters, along with civilians, were seen ransacking his official residences. The Iranian ambassador to Syria is warning that whatever happens next will be beyond American control, adding that it could lead to a conflict involving regional countries and Turkey.

CNN's chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward is the first American journalist to report from inside Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. And earlier, she spoke with Wolf Blitzer from inside Syria's capital Damascus.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLALRISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, I have to say the moment is just utterly surreal for those of us who have been covering this story for more than 14 years. It never seemed possible that it would end like this. I want to say that the streets are incredibly calm, incredibly quiet, but you can see just behind me, a few cars have been going through the street. There's actually a curfew in place from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. That is a security measure, of course.

There has been some looting in Damascus earlier on, some chaotic scenes, and so as a precaution as we saw in Aleppo, they have put this curfew into place. I want to show you though, Wolf, a clip of the moment that we crossed the border because this is a border that I crossed many times, when I used to live in Lebanon, when I used to cover Syria at the very, very beginning of the uprising, and the contrast from what it was and what we experienced tonight is just startling. So take a look at this.

So we're just crossing now into Syria. It's astonishing to see. It's absolutely empty. The border points before there would have been soldiers, there would have been border guards. Now there is absolutely nobody from the Syrian regime. Some friendly people letting us through.

And honestly, the last time I came down this road was back in 2011. I was leaving Syria. I had been undercover in Damascus posing as a tourist. Went back into Lebanon. And I never imagined this moment would come when we would be driving through this border with no one from the regime to stop us.

[02:04:59]

The scene at that border crossing as we passed through it, again, it was already dark, already past curfew, very, very quiet and just nothing like we've seen it before. The only real evidence we saw, Wolf, of any struggle to finally take Damascus, to finally oust Bashar al-Assad was a tank in the road below a torn poster of president or I should say former president Bashar al-Assad. And Wolf, my cameraman Scott McWinnie, just found this on the ground

literally as we were listening to that clip. This is the old flag of the Syrian regime, which has two green stars. The rebel's flag has three green stars, but this one has now been literally, we just found it on the floor. I guess a real moment where you see how much things have changed just in the past 24 hours.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Well, Russia has requested an urgent private meeting of the U.N. Security Council in the coming hours in response to the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria. It comes as a source tells CNN, Syria's ousted President Bashar al-Assad and his family have been granted asylum in Russia, with state media citing humanitarian reasons.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIA BONDAVERA, ANCHOR, RUSSIA-24 (through translation): And now for the breaking news from agencies. The former president of Syria already, the former president of Syria Bashar al-Assad, is in Moscow and has received asylum in Russia. This was reported by TASS with reference to the sources in the Kremlin. Assad and his family members arrived in Moscow and Russia granted them asylum for humanitarian reasons, the sources said.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: David Sanger is a CNN political and national security analyst. He is the author of "New Cold Wars: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion, and America's Struggle to Defend the West." And he joins us from Washington. Appreciate you being with us.

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Great to be back with you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So by declaring they had liberated the capital Damascus, Syrian rebels brought a sudden end to the long and brutal rule of Bashar al-Assad and, of course, the Assad dynasty. And while the rebels are ushering in this new era, what likely comes next in terms of new leadership and how significant is this moment?

SANGER: Well, the moment is huge, obviously. We've seen the rule of the Assad family for more than half a century, and it's been brutal. And in the Syrian civil war, by the U.N.'s estimates in 2021, so a bit outdated, already 580,000 people have been killed, hundreds of thousands injured, millions displaced. So no one is going to shed a tear, Rosemary, for Assad being an exile in, Moscow, which is where the Russian say he has ended up tonight.

But that leaves open the question of who's going to rule the country. And the lead rebel group that was behind this was known a number of years ago as Al-Qaeda in Syria. They have since said that they transformed themselves and there are no longer Sunni hard line Al- Qaeda adherents, much more of nationalist tendencies. Other rebel groups joined who have differing views as well. So the question is can these terror groups with leaders who are on the

U.S. terrorism list, bounties on their head, actually turn around and govern?

CHURCH: And U.S. President Joe Biden says key objectives for next steps in Syria include supporting the country's neighbors, preventing ISIS from exploiting the power vacuum by hitting multiple ISIS targets, to send a message not to reconstitute in the wake of this coup, and promoting a U.N.-backed transition process to support an independent Syria. But President Biden calls this a historic opportunity, but he also says that it's one that comes with risks and uncertainties. So how difficult and dangerous is this moment and the path ahead?

SANGER: Well, Rosemary, I see two major sets of risks that we're facing here right now. So, the first is, obviously, what happens if the country turns into a vacuum? More like Libya than anything else. And you'll remember that after we saw the toppling of the Libyan leadership under Muammar Gaddafi, the country has basically imploded.

[02:10:02]

And no one wants to take that risk because no one wants the territory to again become Iran's funneling point for aid to Hezbollah or aid to other terror organizations. I think the other risks though actually focus on Russia and Iran. For Russia, the Syrian territory is vitally important. They've got two major bases, a naval base and an air base there. They're at risk of losing those.

And I think the question is, do the rebels seek some kind of accommodation with them? For the Iranians, they've now lost Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria. So they are more isolated than ever. And I think the choice now for them is, do they go negotiate with president-elect Trump about a new deal, one that would replace the one he scrapped in 2018, or do they race for a bomb?

CHURCH: Interesting. And, of course, president-elect Trump posted on social media that this is not America's fight and that the U.S. should not get involved in Syria. Should the U.S. stay out of this or is it critical that it does stay involved?

SANGER: You know, the reality, Rosemary, is we're there. We've had a base for years in Eastern Syria that by U.S. law is pursuing ISIS fighters. In fact, there was a bombing and shelling of ISIS fighter locations today while Damascus was falling authorized by President Biden and unrelated to what was happening elsewhere in the country.

The second reason we're involved is we've discovered over the years in the Mideast if you allow a vacuum to get created, it's probably gonna get filled by someone who doesn't share your values. And so, you know, the question is do you get yourself involved now and try to prevent something much worse from happening later?

And this is where the America first instincts of President Trump run into the interventionist instincts even if Republicans who are out to defend American interests. CHURCH: David Sanger, we always appreciate your analysis. Many thanks

for joining us.

SANGER: Great to be with you.

CHURCH: Syria's neighbors and others around the world are scrambling to look out for their interests. We will get an update on talks between the U.S. and Turkish defense chiefs.

And the Israeli military takes the opportunity to move into positions abandoned by Syrian troops. Those stories and more after a short a break. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:15:00]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with the Turkish, the National Defence Minister of Turkey on Sunday. The two agreed that the various opposition groups in Syria should take steps to protect civilians and abide by international humanitarian norms. They also spoke about preventing further escalation, avoiding the risk to U.S. forces and partners and the need to defeat ISIS.

Well, Israel's prime minister has ordered Israeli troops to seize the buffer zone that separates the Israeli occupied Golan Heights from the rest of Syria. They have begun using heavy equipment to reinforce an engineering barrier in that buffer zone. Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's presence in the buffer zone will be temporary. Also Sunday, the IDF's Arabic spokesperson warned residents in southern Syria to remain inside their homes because of fighting in the area.

Retired U.S. Army Major General Mark McCarley joins us now live from Glendale in California. Thank you, sir, for talking with us.

MARK MACCARLEY, U.S. ARMY GENERAL, RETIRED: My pleasure.

CHURCH: So the United States has been conducting dozens of airstrikes on ISIS targets in Syria to prevent it from filling the leadership vacuum left behind by Bashar al-Assad's sudden departure. What are you learning about those targets? And will this prevent ISIS from reconstituting itself in Syria in the wake of this coup?

MACCARLEY: As you've expressed, we have conducted several of these air attacks, specifically at ISIS targets. But these are essentially the same targets that we have already identified. It is not an expression of increased U.S. activity in Syria. This is specifically the type of work that was identified as a responsibility and authorized by U.S. in our facility, our base with about 900 to a 1,000 soldiers and airmen in Eastern, Syria.

I would say, and if we have an opportunity to expand upon this for just a second, I'm not a complete optimist about the successes related to, Julani and his Syrian opposition forces as they succeeded across the country, because as several of your contributors have stated, you can see there's a potential for complete disruption, chaos, and instability.

I don't necessarily want to wave that flag, but there are certain specific things that must be done by some armed force. Hopefully, that force, which is properly constituted as the governing body in Syria.

[02:19:55]

And specifically what I'm looking at is the very large caches of rockets, missiles, air defense systems and, frightfully, chemical weapons that remain in Syria.

And there has not really been a discussion of who's going to chase after that, stabilize it, secure it, and not allow it to be distributed to such organizations as ISIS or off scoots of even Julani.

CHURCH: I do want to talk to you about that because the U.S. is very concerned about the chemical weapons falling into the wrong hands, understandably, given Assad used these weapons against his own people between 2013 and 2018. And what do we know about where these chemical weapons might be stored?

MACCARLEY: That's always as we say in the military, that's the, $10,000 question as to specifics. Does, for instance, some intel exist as to the locations of these caches? I can't say with absolute confidence. I would suggest that, for instance, the Israelis, the Israeli Defense Force, it has perhaps a fairly good idea where some of these caches are located, during the long period of conflict between Syria and Israel going back 60, 70 years. Israel has certainly maintained a close eye on the Syrian defenses.

But we have to remember something. A lot of these weapon caches are as we found as we discovered in Gaza, they're in tunnels. There was -- there were a couple of reports even today that the Syrian opposition forces have now found some of these tunnels. They were searching some of these tunnels, ostensibly to find Bashar Assad.

But tunnels, areas in which these weapon systems and especially chemicals could be maintained, it is of absolute critical importance that some organized force that is attentive and concerned about the horrible implications of these weapons should take custody and control. And I'm not in any way suggesting that the United States get into that particular activity, but somebody, something has to do it.

CHURCH: So how will the sudden fall of the Assad regime impact Russia's military presence in Syria? And what will likely happen to Russia's bases there?

MACCARLEY: Once again, a great question. I struggled with that question last night when it was put to me, and my answer then and my answer now is that Russia is going to commence an aggressive period. Of course, it's a speculation, but aggressive period of negotiations with whomever appears to be in charge of Syria. And to what extent, for instance, Julani is in charge remains to be seen.

But it's to Russia's best interest to open up communication and dialogue with these new powerful political forces. And Russia might not necessarily stand and say, look, we're guilty of supporting Assad all these years. What Russia will say is that there's a continued benefit for us to be present in Syria.

And as one of the last speakers, the last contributor before me, there is that strongly suggests that the U.S. not necessarily put forces on the ground, not to intervene, not to chase after the weapons of mass destruction, but should enter into some diplomatic dialogue with the surviving forces.

Meaning those forces that have now assumed responsibility for Syria and establish that to some degree, the U.S. must be interested, must dialogue, has to communicate because of all the problems that are going to arise in the development of, hopefully, a new and much more democratic Syria.

CHURCH: Because I do want to ask you what happens to the 900 U.S. troops still in Syria and what needs to be done to ensure their safety at this time.

MACCARLEY: I think the quick answer is, right now, there is no such thing as a government of sorts in Syria. It is in the process of being negotiated, discussed, remembering, of course, that Julani and his HTA forces, which are the headline forces, are not the only, forces that have contributed to the downfall of Assad. Multiple entities that have been in existence have been operating in Syria have come together to accomplish this, I guess, we can say wonderful thing, at least right now.

But whether or not that relationship, you know, the old saying, if you're an enemy of my enemy, you're (inaudible) nations with HTA who have come together to do this and have done something significant.

[02:25:06]

But whether those organizations stay together, that's the big question. And as to the U.S. forces and bases, at some point, if there is to be a Syrian government that has authority across the, well, from boundary to boundary, east to west across Syria, then it would be the time for negotiation. But right now, we have an authorization, presidential authorization to maintain soldiers in eastern Syria.

They have been highly effective. And at this point, I don't think there should be any conversation until a duly constituted government exists in Syria in Damascus.

CHURCH: Mark MacCarley, thank you so much for talking with us. Appreciate it.

MACCARLEY: Yeah.

CHURCH: U.S. president Joe Biden says the change in Syria marks a moment of risk, but also of opportunity. The latest from the White House just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. U.S. president Joe Biden called the

collapse of the Assad regime a quote, "fundamental act of justice" in remarks from the White House on Sunday.

[02:30:01]

He also offered a blueprint for how the U.S. plans to support the region in this moment of instability. CNN's Priscilla Alvarez has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHTE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Joe Biden on Sunday calling the fall of the Assad regime, quote, a moment of historic opportunity, but also, quote, a moment of risk and uncertainty.

The president saying that U.S. policy had contributed to the weakening of Iran and Russia. The facilitated, in part, the situation in Syria.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And I want to say it again, sovereign Syria with a new constitution, a new government that serves all Syrians. And this process will be determined by the Syrian people themselves and the United States will do whatever we can to support them, including through humanitarian relief, to help restore Syria after more than a decade of war and generations of brutality by the Assad family.

ALVAREZ: And he also went on to outline a roadmap forward for Syria, saying for example, that the U.S. would support Syria's neighbors, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Israel, also preventing -- the U.S. would prevent the resurgence of ISIS. That the president himself would speak to his counterparts in the coming days, and also send senior administration officials to the region, though when and who is still unclear.

But he also called on the engagement of Syria -- Syrian groups in this transition essentially encouraging them to speak out.

Now, the president and his senior administration officials making clear over the course of the day on Sunday that while the U.S. would play a helping hand it is ultimately up to Syria to decide its next steps.

Priscilla Alvarez, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Joining me now is Nanar Hawach, a senior analyst for Syria at the International Crisis Group and coauthor of "Confronting the Caliphate". He joins me now from Stockholm.

Appreciate you being with us.

NANAR HAWACH, SENIOR ANALYST FOR SYRIA, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: Happy to be here. CHURCH: So now that Bashar al-Assad's long, brutal rule is at an end,

what likely comes next in Syria what comes next is a very we can put it into two words.

HAWACH: A lot of challenges or three words and hope. There's -- hope is back in Syria, where it was -- it wasn't a regime change, wasn't even -- it didn't cross our minds a month ago. We didn't even think about it. We were thinking -- thinking about how to help the Syrian population with the existing regime. And today, there's -- there's no more Assad regime.

And there's a lot of challenges that are coming. You have the rise of the -- or the power vacuum that this whole situation created which, which is giving space for the Islamic State to spread in the Syrian desert. You have the fears of internal clashes. You have right now what's happening and, uh, um rebel groups are trying to resolve it, which is a lack of security, which happens in transitional phases, as you know, and you have -- you have the challenge of dealing with, with minorities, with populations that might be afraid for the next steps.

A lot to come. And one more thing, of course, which is very important, you have the challenge of maintaining, a state institutions. So they wont be a governmental collapse.

CHURCH: Indeed. And of course, this new chapter for Syria has President Joe Biden on high alert. He says next steps for Syria include supporting the country's neighbors, preventing ISIS. As you mentioned, from exploiting the power vacuum and promoting a U.N.- backed transition process to support an independent Syria.

President Biden calls this an historic opportunity, but also warns that it does come with risks and uncertainty. What are those risks?

HAWACH: The risks is the rise of extremism and factionalism. So the fear that some factions might focus on spoils on or maintaining what they gain. The feel -- the fears of, as I said, like a potential governmental collapse.

[02:35:05]

There's the Kurdish question is a big question that is in our minds. How is it going to be dealt with? Is it going to be a clashes and fighting or is there going to be some kind of, diplomatic solution? Those are some of the many fears that we have for Syria.

CHURCH: And, of course, the next president of the United States, Donald Trump, says the U.S. should not get involved in Syria. He posted on social media that this is not America's fight.

What do you think he will do once he takes office in January?

HAWACH: To be honest, it's very difficult to predict what Trump could do or is going to do in Syria. What I -- what I see happening is that U.S. troops will stay for Syria -- will stay in Syria, the rules of engagement would be loosened a bit, maybe the U.S. could play a more active role and when it comes to mediating between conflict actors in Syria and this, of course, includes mediating between, like on behalf of the -- of the Kurdish, Syrian Democratic forces, to de-escalate the situation as much as possible.

The U.S. could play a very, very integral role in sending aid and support, right now establishing a somewhat of a stable governance or governing entity. It's very vital to gain legitimacy, to help the population, and to stabilize Syria as well.

CHURCH: Nanar Hawach, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate your analysis and perspective.

HAWACH: Thank you for having me.

CHURCH: After the break, Donald Trump discusses political enemies and pardons in his first major TV interview since last month's election.

Plus, the latest on the hunt for the person who killed a health insurance CEO in New York.

Stay with us for that, and more.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:40:35]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.

I want to turn to other stories we're following now. Donald Trump addresses policy and pardons in his first major television interview since his election win. The president-elect says he will look at issuing pardons to January 6th rioters on his first day back in office. But he's leaving room for his appointees to decide whether to go after those who led investigations into his conduct during the capitol attack.

Trump was pressed on whether he'd direct his picks to send political opponents to jail.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: For what they did --

KRISTEN WELKER, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: Yeah.

TRUMP: -- honestly, they should go to jail.

WELKER: So you think Liz Cheney should go to jail?

TRUMP: For what they did --

WELKER: Everyone on the committee you think should go to jail?

TRUMP: I think everybody on the -- anybody that voted in favor.

WELKER: Are you going to direct your FBI director and your attorney general to send them to jail?

TRUMP: No, not at all. I think that they'll have to look at that. But I'm not going to -- I'm going to focus on drill, baby, drill.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Trump is still pledging to launch mass deportations of people who immigrated to the U.S. illegally. But he also suggests he's open to working with Democrats to protect Dreamers brought to the U.S. as children.

Meantime, the president-elect is commenting on developments in Syria.

CNN's Alayna Treene reports from West Palm Beach in Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: The toppling of the Assad regime in Syria could further complicate President-elect Donald Trump's efforts to tamp down the wars in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas, but also the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Now, we first heard Donald Trump weigh in on the conflict in Syria, on Saturday, when he wrote, quote, that the U.S. should have nothing to do with it this is not our fight. Let it play out do not get involved.

But then overnight, after the rebels had successfully taken over Damascus, Donald Trump wrote this. He said, quote, Assad is gone. He has fled his country, his protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer. He went on to argue that Russia is now in a weakened state due to its war with Ukraine, and then said that Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president who he met with just on Saturday, a day before in France, he said that he wants to, quote, would like to make a deal and stop the madness. He then went on to urge Russian President Vladimir Putin to come to the negotiating table, saying that he knows Putin very well and wants to see an end to that war.

So all together, this could again complicate Donald Trumps efforts for what he has promised throughout his time on the campaign trail, which is to try and end the war. What he said was within 24 hours, but very quickly once being sworn in.

But there are other concerns as well that are weighing on the minds of Donald Trumps team when I spoke to them about this one, is that how could this potentially impact the region overall? Could this conflict in Syria a spillover into other neighboring countries like Lebanon? But also there are concerns about the resurgence of some extremist groups like ISIS or others, that could gain a foothold due to what is happening right now in Syria. And kind of the instability in the region so all of this something that they are working on.

But again, Donald Trump is still just president elect he is still in the midst of his transition, and this will be something he will have to confront come January 20th.

Alayna Treene, CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Meantime, there will be one less Trump in the White House in January.

Eric Trump's wife, Lara Trump announced she is stepping down as co- chair of the Republican National Committee. She shared on social media that the group accomplished all three of the goals she set out to accomplish, surpassing fundraising goals, ensuring election integrity, and improving voter turnout. Trump hasn't announced her next move yet but told the associated press she wouldn't rule out a run for Senate.

Well, authorities in New York are combing through evidence as the man who shot and killed a health insurance CEO remains on the run.

CNN's Gloria Pazmino has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Well, the NYPD has come up empty handed for a second day in a row after a team of its divers spent the day in the lake of Central Park looking for a potential murder weapon, the team of divers has been searching the water of the lake for the past two days. In hopes of finding the gun. Now, this is after they found a backpack left behind by the suspect inside of Central Park.

[02:45:02]

But inside that backpack, only a jacket along with some monopoly money.

Now, investigators are hoping that if the suspect got rid of the weapon inside the park, that they will be able to recover it.

Also a significant development, we are getting new images of the suspect, perhaps one of the clearest photos we have of him so far. You can see that he is still wearing that face mask, but you can clearly see his eyes.

Now, this photo is taken from the inside of a cab, and we know that the suspect hailed a cab on 86th street and Columbus Avenue after he had made his getaway through Central Park. He rode that cab all the way north to Washington Heights where he reached the bus terminal and where there is video showing him entering the bus terminal but never exiting the terminal. Investigators now believe that the suspect made it out of New York City on a bus that left from that location.

At this time, we are not any closer just yet to knowing the identity of the suspect. Police are continuing their investigation, which spans multiple states and multiple law enforcement agencies. The investigation now stretching into its fifth day law enforcement officials are offering up to $50,000 for any information that may help lead to the capture and conviction of the suspect.

Gloria Pazmino, New York, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Jay-Z is calling the sexual assault allegations levied against him heinous and idiotic. A woman is already suing rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs. Now she's updating that lawsuit to include Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter. The woman alleges that both men assaulted her at a party in the year 2000, when she was just 13 years old. Jay-Z is married to singer Beyonce and says he is being blackmailed.

Coming up after the break, a weekend full of celebrations has kicked off a new era for Notre Dame cathedral, open to the world for the first time in five years. Well take a look at that back in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:51:07]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.

The long awaited reopening of the Notre Dame cathedral arrived this weekend with lots of fanfare as world leaders and tourists alike flocked to Paris. The first mass was celebrated Sunday, marking a new era for the gothic masterpiece.

Melissa Bell takes us to the weekend's exciting opening.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris once again opened for worship, the very first mass held on Sunday after a devastating fire ripped through the cathedral in April 2019. The grand opening ceremony was on Saturday night. 50 heads of state attended, including President-elect Donald Trump and the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had a chance to meet for the first time since Donald Trump's reelection at the Elysee Palace before the ceremony, then that ceremony inside Notre Dame to celebrate its reopening. But the consecration of the altar and the cathedral as a whole not until Sunday morning, allowing that first mass to take place.

What we understand is the plan is now for three masses a day to be held each day for the next six months. Such do they believe, the appetite of the faithful will be to return to Notre dame restored one of the main architects of the restoration explained to me. Not so much to its grandeur of five years ago, but beyond that, to the grandeur of what it was in the 19th century, when it was last fully restored at the time when that spire that collapsed so dramatically in 2019 was built.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The holidays are upon us, and a small town in Mexico is preparing for hundreds of thousands of tourists to visit for its unique Christmas charm. In the 1960s, a local resident learned to make glass blown Christmas ornaments in Chicago and brought the craft back home.

It caught on and today, many residents rely on Christmas ornaments for their livelihood. Visitors come from all over the world to admire their artistry.

Well, Taylor Swift has wrapped up the concert tour that made her a billionaire. The pop star held her final performance of the Eras Tour Sunday night at BC Place stadium in Vancouver.

CNN's Camila Bernal has more on Swift's Eras, which became the highest grossing tour of all time.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It really is the end of the Eras. Thousands and thousands of people who went to these shows, or who even listened to the show outside of the stadium or even watched the live streams from other fans on social media, this was a more than three-hour long concert with 44 songs in that set list. So many people coming together.

These concerts created earthquakes at times, boosted local economies. But if you ask a lot of the Swifties, they will tell you that it was about coming together to listen to the music, to share these moments and to sort of forget about some of the problems that they were facing in the world.

I met one of the super fans, her name is Julie Barfuss. She gave me the friendship bracelets. I followed her along and I asked her what this concert and what this tour really coming to an end meant for her.

Here's a little bit of our conversation.

JULIE BARFUSS, TAYLOR SWIFT FAN: There's so much community and connection with this group of people. The Swifties that are out there, and it has kind of restored my hope and faith in humanity a little bit. I definitely am going to miss it in some ways but also it is going to just sit on the shelf in my mind as this just really bright, happy memory of time.

And like I said I will eternally be grateful to Taylor for giving this to us because really, what a gift it has been.

BERNAL: And Taylor Swift's team has not released official numbers in terms of how much this tour has grossed but its estimated that its grossed more than $2 billion.

[02:55:07]

That is a record setting number. Right now, the record belongs to Elton John and the U.S. Travel Association said that between the travel, the hotel, the food, the merchandise, Swifties spent about $1,300. Also, according to another estimate, the Swifties spent in the U.S., about $5 billion. But that is direct spending, so it is estimated that even more money was spent here in the U.S.

So it's not just the money that Taylor Swift is making. It is also the impact on so many local economies, both here and overseas. We're talking about the hotels, the restaurants near the venues where she played and performed. And so it's just so many people impacted by what Taylor Swift was able to accomplish over the last couple of years.

So it's not just the Swifties that are going to be missing the Eras Tour.

Camila Bernal, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: For the last time ever, President Joe Biden congratulated artists being honored at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

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JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Let me close with this. It's been the honor of my life to serve as your president and for the final time, Jill and I are honored to represent the presidency, to recognize and respect the power of the arts, to literally redeem the soul of the nation, because that's so many times redeem the soul of the nation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: President Biden recognized the power of the arts to inspire others and to challenge power. Performers like Queen Latifah and Robert de Niro paid tribute to this year's honorees. They include filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, singer Bonnie Raitt, and the Grateful Dead.

I want to thank you so much for your company this hour. I'm Rosemary Church. I will be back with more CNN NEWSROOM in just a moment. Do stay with us.

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