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Wisconsin School Shooting; Cyclone Chido's Aftermath; Transitioning To Trump; Shooter Kills Teacher and Student at Christian School; Scholz Loses Confidence Vote, Germany Headed to Elections; Finance Minister Quits after Clashes with Trudeau over Trump Tariffs; Drone Sightings Over U.S. Stir Up Conspiracy Theories; Dominique Pelicot Apologizes to Family in Final Testimony; Attorney: Rape Claim Against Jay-Z is False; Stowaway Arrested Again Trying to Leave U.S.A. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired December 17, 2024 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:25]
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome. I'm Lynda Kinkade.
Ahead on CNN Newsroom, everything is destroyed. Thousands fear dead after Cyclone Chido hits Mayotte. We'll take you live to the island left without water, food or electricity.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHON BARNES, MADISON WISCONSIN POLICE DEPARTMENT CHIEF: I think we can all agree that enough is enough.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: The latest deadly school shooting in the United States has parents, teachers and police once again asking what needs to be done to keep students safe. Plus, "Buster Yet Again," the woman who stowed away on a Delta flight to Paris is arrested trying to sneak into another country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Lynda Kinkade.
KINKADE: Two people are dead, six others wounded after a school shooting in the US State of Wisconsin just days before it was set to close for Christmas break. Police say the shooter was a 15-year-old female student named Natalie Roepnow. She's now dead after reportedly shooting herself at the Abundant Life Christian School.
There's no word yet on a motive for the attack. The suspect's home is being searched and we're told her parents are cooperating with the investigation. Earlier, parents of survivors rushed to be reunited with children. Young students spoke about what they witnessed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you hear gunshots again? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I heard.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tell me what happened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We heard them. And then some people started fighting. And then we just waited till the police came. And then they escorted us out.
I'm scared. Why did they do that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was getting ready for lunch, so it was basically lunch time. And then, I just heard sodding. And there was a teacher and she was screaming like, my leg. Help, help.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, this is at least the 83rd school shooting in the US this year, which is a new record. CNN's Whitney Wild picks up the story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARNES: Today is a sad, sad day not only for Madison but for our entire country.
WHITNEY WILD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In Madison, Wisconsin, two people are dead, a teenage student and a teacher.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Abundant Life Christian Church 49-01 for Engin 5 and Medic 5 for a shooter.
BARNES: Six other people were injured. Two students are now in critical condition in the hospital, and these injuries are considered life threatening.
WILD: Two other victims are being treated for non life threatening injuries. Madison chief says multiple shots were fired. Calls coming in at 10:57am at the K-12 Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, just hours after the school day began.
BARNES: When officers arrived, they found multiple victims suffering from gunshot wounds.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ambulance, ambulance, squad car, fire engine.
WILD: Madison police officers were on scene within minutes.
BARNES: officers located a juvenile who they believe was responsible for this deceased in the building.
WILD: The suspect, according to a law enforcement source, was killed by a self-inflicted gunshot wound using a .9 millimeter pistol.
PD is saying everybody can come in. All EMS can come in. Shooter is down.
BARNES: Many of you have asked me about the why of this. Why did this happen? What do we know? What was the motivation?
I do not know, but I will tell you this. Our detectives are working hard in the investigative process to find out as many answers as we can so that we can further prevent these things from happening.
WILD: Some medics responding directly from their training to reports of shots fired at the school.
BARNES: The protocols are simple. Stop the killing, stop the dying, find out who's doing this. And the officers did that.
WILD: The officers did not fire any shots, according to the police chief. Instead, they assisted injured staff and students. The shooting in Madison is the third at a small private Christian school in recent years. The second took place in Oroville, California less than two weeks ago.
BARNES: I think we can all agree that enough is enough, and we have to come together to do everything we can.
SATYA RHODES-CONWAY, MAYOR OF MADISON, WISCONSIN: I think we need to do better in our country and our community to prevent gun violence.
WILD: The Madison School on its website asking for prayers today while frantic parents waited to hear if their kids were safe.
BETHANY HIGHMAN, PARENT OF STUDENTS AT ABUNDANT LIFE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL: I pray with my kids every morning that this won't happen. And it's the world like that we live in.
WILD: Whitney Wild, CNN, Madison, Wisconsin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[01:05:03]
KINKADE: We're now to the devastation unfolding in Mayotte just days after the worst cyclone to hit the region in at least 90 years. Hundreds, if not thousands, of feared dead in the French territory off the coast of Mozambique after powerful winds ripped through the islands on Saturday.
The damage is so widespread some are comparing it to the aftermath of a nuclear war. Entire neighborhoods have been flattened or completely wiped out. Officials report at least 11 deaths so far, but say the figure isn't plausible given the extent of the damage, especially in the slums home to about 100,000 undocumented migrants, many are feared dead.
French President Emmanuel Macron says he'll visit the island in the coming days. Officials have already pledged resources to assist.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNO RETAILLEAU, MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR OF FRANCE: It is clear that the island is totally devastated. We are thinking of all these families who are severely affected, but also to show all the people of Mayotte that the government is by their side with a helping hand.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: These images show some of the neighborhoods both before and after the storm. The cyclone knocked out the electrical grid and disrupted Internet service, making it difficult for families to check on their loved ones. CNN's Larry Madowo has more now on the destruction.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY MADOWO, CNN INTERNATIOAN CORRESPONDENT: Catastrophic, that's how residents of Mayotte are describing the damage from Cyclone Chido, the worst to hit the French archipelago in nearly a century. The Category 4 storm killed at least 14 people as it tore through the Indian Ocean over the weekend, but government officials fear hundreds or even thousands could be dead, according to the Associated Press.
Torrential rain and winds of more than 220km per hour wiped out entire neighborhoods, knocked out electrical grids and the water supply, leaving Mayotte almost entirely offline for over 36 hours, according to the website NetBlocks.
JOHN BALLOZ, MAYOTTE RESIDENT: It smashed right into us here, and to be honest, it was complicated. It was a complete disaster. Lots of houses and even towns are wiped out.
CAMILLE COZON ABDOURAZAK, MAYOTTE RESIDENT: It really is a war landscape. Around me, I don't recognize anything anymore.
MADOWO: Mayotte's prefect says, the most devastating damage was to the island's shacks, where roughly 100,000 undocumented migrants live in a population of just over 300,000. That is making search and rescue efforts even more difficult and nearly impossible to account for all the victims.
French relief efforts are underway, and the country's interior minister was briefed on the hurricane's impact as they began an official visit to their territory on Monday.
RETAILLEAU: If we want things to go smoothly, we're going to pull out all the stops. We're going to mobilize everything we can in terms of civil and military resources.
MADOWO: With 75 percent of the population living below the national poverty line, Mayotte is heavily dependent on financial assistance from France. Speaking from Brussels, the foreign minister pledged to help rebuild the archipelago.
The island nation of Comoros, north of Mayotte, was also battered by the cyclone, which then went on to make landfall in Mozambique, where it continued to cause damage. The storm has now weakened, but for the residents of Mayotte, the nightmare is only just beginning. Larry Madowo, CNN, Nairobi. (END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Mayotte Senator Salama Ramia joins me now on the phone. Senator, this is a huge tragedy. Just explain what you're seeing and how you survived.
SALAMA RAMIA, MAYOTTE SENATOR: Oh, yes. It's a big -- yes. I mean, I don't know even. That's why when you look around and you see that your love, your family is all right, that's the more important thing for us. Yes. So it's a really big thing for us, yes.
KINKADE: We were hearing from authorities that they believe hundreds, possibly thousands, of people may have died. And we're seeing these images of schools, hospitals, restaurants, completely wiped out. Have you ever experienced a cyclone like this?
RAMIA: No. Normally every year we have cyclone alert. We know that we live in a zone where there is a cyclone, but we have never had a cyclone this big.
So that's why when the population, when we've been told two days ago, that we had to prepare to a big cyclone. Nobody have taken that seriously. And that's why even few hours before the cyclone arrived, people were on the street. People didn't believe it that was going to happen.
[01:10:00]
And I think that's why, unfortunately, we might find many, I mean -- but we waiting. Anyway, we don't really know now as I'm talking that -- how many people, because the searches didn't start yet in the mountain where there is really, really -- where it's really devastating. So we're just waiting.
KINKADE: And, senator, we heard that some undocumented migrants were too afraid to even go to shelters. Is that your understanding?
RAMIA: I don't understand the question. Excuse me.
KINKADE: Some undocumented migrants were afraid to go to some of the shelters that had been set up. Do you know how many people actually made it to the shelters?
RAMIA: Yes -- no. In every town, there were about three and four places for everyone. There were no immigrants. No -- even you didn't have your document, you could go. The government was telling and we were telling people, now it's only we want to save lives.
But the people didn't go to those place until it started. The problem that when it started, you couldn't go out. Even the security, nobody could save you. You have to -- yes.
So, I mean, the place is too high, the weather -- but the population didn't believe that it was going to be that tough, that was going to be that big. KINKADE: Senator, Mayotee is, of course, a French territory. Can you talk to us about the response you're getting from France? I understand they've sent in -- they sending rescuers and suppliers on a military aircraft.
RAMIA: Yes. Even two days ago -- two days before the cycle arrived, as we knew what was going to happen. So the government had already sent military who came in Mayotte to prevent -- to prepare the situation. So two days before, and now since yesterday, planes are coming with material, everything with the medical staff.
But the only thing is that, now we're waiting for the food for survival. That's the thing that we have no water, no electricity, no -- we have no connection. So we don't even know our family in the other side, as Mayotte is two islands. So we don't know what is happening in the other side.
So we're waiting. We know that we see it because I live in the town where the airport. I see the plane arriving. But in the town, we were not, for the moment, seeing the help.
The only military -- they're there. They're starting opening the road, cutting the trees, all those trees on the street helping. Yes, they're on the street. But it's only the food and water, which is really, really annoying because it's difficult since yesterday, no water to drink.
KINKADE: So water is obviously like the most pressing resource you need right now. Do you know what sort of help will come in the coming days?
RAMIA: What kind of?
KINKADE: Do you know about other supplies? Do you know -- have you heard about other supplies? More food and water coming in?
KINKADE: Yes, they -- I've heard. Yes I heard that -- so food is coming, water material to help to rebuild the houses especially to cover. Because today I can say that 100 percent of the slum, you know, illegal houses are down, 100 percent. But the -- I will say 80 percent of the other house that stand up, they don't have roof.
So I heard that we're not going to bring cover to -- unless to help because we are in the period when there will be rain. So that quicker we waiting for all the material to help secure, to secure the house, to protect the house.
And the airport also is down, is damaged. So there's no fly -- commercial fly, all the people who wanted to leave Mayotte, they can't leave for the moment.
KINKADE: Well, we wish you and everyone there all the very best. Senator Salama Ramia, thank you very much for taking the time to speak with us.
RAMIA: Thank you. You're welcome. OK, bye. KINKADE: We are following developments in Vanuatu after a 7.3 magnitude earthquake hit just a few hours ago. The US Geological Survey says it struck off the coast of the capital, Port Vila. Tsunami warnings were issued but later cancelled. No word yet on any casualties.
[01:15:08]
There are reports of damaged structures. New Zealand's foreign minister says its High Commission Building, which is co-located with the US, France and the UK has sustained significant damage. We'll continue to monitor this for any updates.
Well, Syria's ousted leader Bashar al-Assad apparently releasing a statement on telegram for the first time since seeking asylum in Russia after the fall of his regime. CNN is unable to verify if Assad still controls the Syrian presidency Telegram account and if the statement is authentic. Matthew Chance has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: It was the stunning collapse of a brutal regime. Now, the former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad is apparently speaking out for the first time about his sudden fall from power. Social media channels belonging to the Syrian presidency are quoting what purports to be a lengthy Assad statement, in which he claims he never planned to flee a lightning rebel advance.
The only course of action was to continue fighting against the terrorist onslaught, the Assad statement reads. As that onslaught gathered pace, Assad statements datelined Moscow claims he relocated to a Russian military base "to oversee combat operations." It became clear that our forces had completely withdrawn from all battle lines, and that the last army positions had fallen, the Assad statement says.
Adding, it was Moscow that requested an immediate evacuation to Russia. That's Assad apparently rejecting reports, his aides and relatives were kept unaware of a secret escape plan.
In the aftermath of Assad's departure to Russia, Syrians have been rifling through his vast presidential enclosures, including this Damascus garage housing a pricey collection of luxury cars. In his statement, Assad also sought to dismiss these kinds of reports of his family's corruption now being exposed in close detail.
The person who refused to barter the salvation of his nation for personal gain is the same person who stood alongside the officers and soldiers of the army on the front lines, the Assad statement reads. From exile, it sounds like a desperate bid for exoneration. The country Assad once brutalized, celebrates his dramatic fall.
Matthew Chance, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE) KINKADE: The New York judge has issued a ruling in Donald Trump's hush money case, what it means for his 34 felony convictions and how his transition team is responding. Plus, Trump's controversial pick for health secretary visits Capitol Hill. What senators are saying about their meeting and RFK Jr. stance on the polio vaccine.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:20:14]
KINKADE: Donald Trump's transition team is blasting a ruling that his hush money case should not be dismissed because of presidential immunity. New York Judge Juan Merchan says evidence that led to Trump's conviction was not related to his official conduct as president. The US Supreme Court ruled in July that presidents have brought immunity from prosecution for official acts.
A jury found Trump guilty of 34 felony counts back in May for falsifying business records to cover up payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump has still not been sentenced in that case. His legal team is expected to appeal Merchan's latest decision.
We are getting new details from Donald Trump on what's in store for his second term in the White House. The president-elect covered everything from the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, to polio vaccines to the future of TikTok. CNN's Alayna Treene reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Well, President-elect Donald Trump on Monday took questions in a wide ranging news conference, his first since winning the election on November 5th. But really, that event on Monday was supposed to be about his announcement with the SoftBank CEO about $100 billion being invested into the US over the next years with the hope that it would create 100,000 jobs.
However, Donald Trump then used the stage to give somewhat of a campaign speech and tried to paint this very optimistic picture of America under his leadership. But the real news came from that question and answer with reporters. One of the things he discussed was Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s skepticism over vaccines.
He said that he believes RFK Jr. is far less radical than he has been in the past. These comments of course notable given that it marked the start of RFK Jr.'s meetings on Capitol Hill with crucial senators, who will be deciding whether or not to confirm him. He said that he does believe in some vaccines, specifically pointing to the polio vaccine.
But then talked about this idea of wanting RFK Jr. and the Department of Health and Human Services to look into whether there's any correlation between vaccines and autism. This is something we know from study after study has been debunked. Now, he also talked about the drones flying over New Jersey that many people have spotted, and he claimed at one point that the government knows what they are and should be able to identify them. I will argue though, however, and we've heard this from many officials
over the weekend, that they are still trying to investigate that. That they do not believe that these drones are a national security risk, something that Donald Trump seemed to nod to during that press conference.
But also added -- but these officials added that they are looking into this. They are not concerned, but they still recognize that they have to get to the bottom of it. One other thing I want to mention is what Donald Trump said about TikTok.
This is going to be a huge issue given that there is a ban, an impending ban coming on January 19th if Donald Trump chooses not to act on that. Donald Trump said that he's warned to TikTok, noted that he believes many young voters were responsible in part for his election victory and that he was going to be considering whether or not to handle, or reverse I should say, that previous ban on TikTok
Alayna Treene, CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Alayna mentioned that RFK Jr. has begun meeting with senators who will vote on whether to confirm him as health secretary. Manu Raju has more on those meetings, including the question of whether he would try to revoke approval for the polio vaccine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: RFK Jr. Met with some of Donald Trump's closest allies on his first day on Capitol Hill meeting with senators. All told, he plans to meet with 25 Republican senators this week in an effort to try to win over the GOP.
So far, the Trump allies are getting behind him. They did talk about some of his more controversial views, particularly about vaccines. Of course, he has advanced that false notion that childhood autism is linked to vaccine use.
In these meetings, he apparently talked about the increased rate of autism. He didn't specifically link it to vaccines, but he continued to say that he would "question the vaccines." That's at least what a couple of senators told me when I asked them about the meetings.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. RICK SCOTT (R-FL): What he wants with vaccines is, which is what I believe in, is transparency. I think we need to know exactly with all vaccines, what has been the research and, you know, do they work and what's your risk?
RAJU: What about polio vaccine specifically?
SCOTT: We didn't talk about them.
RAJU: If he's confirmed, will he encourage people not to vaccinate their children?
SCOTT: No, I don't think so. I think he's going to question science, and I'm glad he's going to question it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: Now, one other area of controversy going into all of this has been the polio vaccine. One of RFK Jr.'s advisors, one of his attorneys who's helping him staff up the Health and Human Services Administration, assuming he gets confirmed for that post. That attorney has tried to push for the authorization of the polio vaccine to be revoked.
[01:25:08]
And that's something that caused pushback, particularly among Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, himself a childhood polio survivor who said, warned RFK Jr. to steer clear on the polio vaccine. And I asked RFK Jr. on his way in to the meetings this morning whether or not he would try to revoke the authorization of the polio vaccine or if he supported it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: Should the polio vaccine be revoked? Should the polio vaccine be revoked?
ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., NOMINEE FOR HSS SECRETARY:
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: As you heard right there, he indicated that he does support the polio vaccine. He tried to reiterate that behind closed doors with Republican senators as well. But still there were a lot of other questions. His views on abortion rights, supporting abortion rights, how that would square with Donald Trump.
He contended to these Republican senators. He would do what Donald Trump wants him to do is he would support Donald Trump's position on abortion. Also talked about food policy, agriculture issues, farming issues, some of those matters that he has pushed, actually put some Republicans made them a little bit uneasy, sort of ease those concerns in those closed doors meetings. But no question about it.
He still has some ways to go. There's some Moderate Republican senators who are concerned about his views, particularly on vaccines. When he meets with those members, we'll see if he gets their support or this will be a close vote or if he doesn't get the votes. All big questions as this process begins to play out. Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Still to come, an arrest warrant has been issued for Bolivia's former president Evo Morales in a human trafficking case. We'll explain the charge he's facing. Plus, Canada's prime minister faces a growing political crisis as his finance minister quit. Coming up, why she says Canada isn't prepared for Donald Trump's potential tariff hike.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back. You're watching CNN Newsroom. I'm Lynda Kinkade.
Police are investigating a school shooting in Madison, Wisconsin that killed two people, a teacher and a teenage student. Authorities say a 15-year-old female student named Natalie Rupnow carried out the attack and then killed herself. Police say they've been searching her home trying to piece together a motive.
Well, six others were wounded in the mass shooting. Two of them are in a critical condition. The Abundant Life Christian School, which has about 400 students posted online asking for prayers.
Well, CNN senior national security analyst Juliette Kayyem is with us from Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she is a professor at Harvard. Thanks for joining us.
[01:29:49]
JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Thank you.
KINKADE: So as a mother of a second-grade student, it really made me sick --
KAYYEM: Yes.
KINKADE: -- hearing that a second-grade student had to call 911 to report this shooting. What's your initial assessment?
KAYYEM: Yes. So my kids are a little bit older. And they're called generation lockdown. We have a name for this generation of kids that are raised in schools that are either doing active shooter drills or in this case, and too many cases are experiencing it. They are -- they know what to do.
That is -- I guess that's empowering in some ways and helps save lives. But it is -- it's depressing.
And I think you heard that today in the police chief. We tend to think of these debates and these horrors as being right or left or pro or anti-gun. But what you saw today in three -- at least three press conferences was a police chief, who's presumably, you know, sort of representing in many ways the entirety of that community just saying, you know, at some stage we have to take a deep look at ourselves.
And I found that unique. We don't hear that very often from police chiefs who tend to stay away from the sort of more political aspects of what these school shootings mean.
KINKADE: Yes, exactly.
We did hear from one mother of three children who survived this. I just want to play some sound of what she had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is not ok. If your kids are at school, they are not ok. If they are at church, they are not ok. If they are outside elsewhere, they are not ok.
Well, where are they going to be safe?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: I mean, that that really is a key question really, for all law enforcement and America in general, right. Where are kids safe?
KAYYEM: Yes. It is true.
And it is -- and that combination of it being a non-denominational place of a Christian school as well as a place for K through 12. You heard in that mother's voice that sense of frustration that is reflected, I think, in the fact that we are in a year that is having more school shootings than previous years, despite, you know, our focus on at attempts to address it.
I will say her frustration or sense that nothing can get done, there is -- and you heard this later in one of the press conferences. There are ways that we're discovering can really help with interventions that -- for especially for teenagers.
And this was a unique situation. It was a teenage girl. We rarely hear of those instances where, you know, maybe we will probably learn over time that she was exhibiting behavior that had there been interventions might have stopped this.
And I -- in the absence of controls of guns in this country, which is unlikely to happen, that is going to be sort of your next best solution to the problem that is, that is increasing, not decreasing.
KINKADE: Yes. And we did hear some -- from some officials who spoke about the security at this particular school. I just want to play some sound from what one official had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBARA WIERS, ABUNDANT LIFE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL: As to a metal detector, no, we do not have. We do abide by the policy of visual scans every morning as students come into the building. So every student is visually scanned before they go into their -- into their up to their locker spaces or into their classrooms.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: I mean, is there any level of school security that is 100 percent effective when guns are rampant?
KAYYEM: No. No, I mean, each school is going to have to base this around, sort of, you know, their risk and their size, their capacity to pay for it. And also their -- you know, sort of capacity to monitor it.
You can, if you have a lot of devices, there's going to be people are going to have to manage them and monitoring them. And so every school -- I work with schools is making its own calculation and not -- but the truth is none of them are perfect.
As we've seen at schools with police officers in the schools, you still have school shootings. Maybe they're stopped quicker, but you still have fatalities.
And schools with metal detectors, you still have fatalities because there's just too many open areas. And the -- and the problem is, is that that that combination of, trying to be defensive against an enemy that has the means to do so, whether it's a student, an outsider, or a parent or whoever, it is almost impossible to close all of the gaps that any school is going to have.
And that's what we have to remember, is that they're schools. They're meant to be open, right? I mean, it's like you can make a perfectly safe school. And that would be have no students.
And that's the challenge for these school districts.
[01:34:50]
KINKADE: Right.
Juliette Kayyem, appreciate your analysis here. Thanks so much.
KAYYEM: Thank you.
KINKADE: Well, an arrest warrant has been issued for Bolivia's former president, Evo Morales. He's charged with aggravated human trafficking over an alleged romantic relationship he had with a minor in 2015 when he was president.
Morales allegedly fathered a child with the girl, who was 15 at the time the following year. The prosecutor says that she issued the warrant against Morales and the girl's mother after they defied orders to testify in the case.
An immigration alert has been issued to prevent Morales from leaving the country. CNN has reached out to his team for comment.
Well, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has lost a confidence vote that he called himself paving the way for snap elections next year. Four major political parties have already officially announced their candidate to replace him.
CNN's Sebastian Shukla has more from Berlin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEBASTIAN SHUKLA, CNN PRODUCER: The German Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a vote of confidence that he called in himself on Monday. He lost that vote by 394 votes against him versus the 207 votes in favor of him. What that means is that Germany is now almost certainly headed towards
a federal election, the date most likely to be the 23rd of February.
Now, the vote today came about because Olaf Scholz's bickering government collapsed back in November when he fired his finance minister, Christian Lindner. The two had been bickering for some time over a financial mechanism and Germany's economy.
But what resulted in this was Schulz leading a minority government. That meant he had very few other options left to him, apart from calling this confidence vote.
What the opposition party saw, though, in Schulz's weakness, was the ability to force him to make the call on having the confidence vote and the election earlier than he had originally wished.
That animosity was very clear to see on the floor of the Bundestag today, with all parties leveling accusations at one another.
Schulz took another opportunity to remind the German people that the reason this government collapsed in his mind was because the liberal partners in his coalition were not prepared to agree with his policies and timetables.
The CDU, the former party of Angela Merkel, now led by Friedrich Merz and one of the front runners to be the next chancellor, also took his opportunity to blame Olaf Schulz.
FRIEDRICH MERZ, CDU OPPOSITION LEADER AND CHANCELLOR CANDIDATE (through translator): You are asking about confidence today. Mr. Chancellor, you had your chance. You did not take this opportunity and it applies to today as well as to February 23rd, 2025, the expected date of the Bundestag elections.
You, Mr. Schulz, have not earned any trust.
SHUKLA: But forming coalitions is a key part of any German government and is often the way governments are formed.
Whilst the outcome of the election is difficult to predict right now, all signs are pointing towards Friedrich Merz and the CDU becoming Germany's largest party and therefore keys to the chancellery.
And as one person said to me today, it will almost certainly spell the end of Olaf Schulz's political career.
Sebastian Shukla, CNN -- berlin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: A shocking political blow for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after his finance minister suddenly quit on Monday. Chrystia Freeland's resignation came after weeks of disagreement with the prime minister over the best way to prepare for Donald Trump's promised tariff hike. The U.S. President-Elect has threatened to implement 25 percent
tariffs on all products imported into the U.S. from both Canada and Mexico, unless the two nations stop the flow of illegal migrants and drugs across the border.
In her resignation letter, Freeland said Canada must push back as the Trump administration pursues what she describes as a policy of America first aggressive economic nationalism.
Prime Minister Trudeau moved quickly to name a member of his inner circle, Public Safety minister Dominic Leblanc to replace Freeland.
For more, we're joined by Ian Austen. He's the Canadian correspondent for "The New York Times". Good to have you with us.
IAN AUSTEN, CANADA CORRESPONDENT, "NEW YORK TIMES": It's good to be here.
KINKADE: So the deputy prime minister, who led Canada's response to the first Trump administration, resigned abruptly on Monday. Please explain why.
AUSTEN: In a letter to the prime minister, she says that on Friday, he contacted her by Zoom and essentially demoted her to a meaningless position -- a minister without portfolio, with some vague responsibility for the United States.
On top of that, she strenuously objected to some measures in an economic statement she was supposed to present today, a kind of mini budget that would have, among other things, have seen Canadians receive 250 Canadian dollar checks and, there's currently a sales tax holiday for the Christmas season on things like alcohol, restaurant meals and toys.
KINKADE: And so she was, of course, one of the prime ministers staunchest allies. What does this mean for Trudeau.
[01:39:50]
AUSTEN: Well, it's shocking to Canadians. She was extremely loyal to him. She's a former journalist at "The Financial Times", Reuters and other places who Trudeau recruited very early on before he was prime minister.
And since then, she's solved a number of big files for him, including renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement with the previous Trump administration. So it's a huge loss, a huge loss to him.
KINKADE: And speaking of Donald Trump, he is threatening, of course, 25 percent tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico unless those nations do more to curb illegal immigration and the flow of drugs.
How is that policy and Trump in general, being viewed in Canada.
AUSTEN: Well, both angrily and with fear. The 25 percent tariffs would be a disaster for much of Canada's economy, which is very heavily dependent on exports.
And I think the attitude of a lot of Canadians is that protection of the American border is the responsibility of the United States, not other countries. Plus, there's not much in the way of statistics to support Trump's claim that Canada is a major source of migrants or fentanyl.
KINKADE: So the prime minister of Canada is being called to resign, what are the most likely scenarios over the coming months?
AUSTEN: Well, he -- I just came back from a fundraising dinner where he gave a speech and he gave no indication that he's going to resign.
He talked a lot about fighting and the next election. There's a number of procedural things he might do. There's a way to shut down parliament for a period. He may well do that in the coming days.
He put a childhood friend and a very close political ally into the finance minister s portfolio this afternoon. Dominic Leblanc, who's another fighter. So I guess Trudeau is here to stay.
But there is always the possibility he doesn't control the House of Commons in terms of its votes. And if another left of center party, the NDP, take against him, they could force an election at any point in time.
Although parliament leaves tomorrow for the holidays and isn't back until the end of January, so there's no imminent threat.
KINKADE: All right. Well, we will see how this plays out.
Ian Austen, good to have you with us from "The New York Times". Thank you.
AUSTEN: Thank you very much.
KINKADE: Well, the FBI is pleading with the public not to shoot at aircraft as mysterious drone sightings across the northeastern U.S. sparked public backlash and conspiracy theories. We'll have the latest on the federal response next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:44:41]
KINKADE: Well, the concerns, confusion and conspiracy theories surrounding the rash of U.S. drone sightings has gotten so intense that the FBI has taken the extraordinary step of urging the public not to shoot at aircraft, fearing some would take matters into their own hands.
Well now, the federal government is taking new measures to address the drone activity.
As CNN's Polo Sandoval reports. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The federal government now preparing to deploy drone detecting and tracking systems to two military facilities in New Jersey, where mysterious drone sightings began four weeks ago.
That's in addition to what's already, according to the Pentagon today, a very robust intelligence network. But the time of the deployment, not yet clear sources tell CNN.
The president-elect offering a drone theory of his own about the mysterious sightings first reported over New Jersey, including over his golf course.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: The government knows what is happening. Look, our military knows where they took off from. If it's a garage, they can go right into that garage. They know where it came from and where it went.
SANDOVAL: Donald Trumps declined to say if he's been briefed on the investigation into the unexplained drones. He did seem to eliminate the possibility of foreign involvement, a theory that had already been previously shared by the current administration.
TRUMP: I can't imagine it's the enemy, because if it was the enemy, they'd blast it out. Even if they were late, they'd blast it.
SANDOVAL: Unanswered questions have hovered over some residents in New Jersey and beyond. Similar drone reports have come in to authorities in at least six states now.
The FBI, which briefed New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy Sunday night, insists many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft. DHS maintains the unexplained sightings don't pose a public safety threat, and stated unequivocally that not all of them are airplanes.
ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: There's no question that people are seeing drones, and I want to assure the American public that we in the federal government have deployed additional resources, personnel, technology to assist the New Jersey state police in addressing the drone sightings.
SANDOVAL: That does little to assure elected officials on both sides of the aisle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They've been trying to discredit these sightings from the very beginning.
SANDOVAL: Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut told CNN that assurances from the government, quote, "fall flat".
SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): My fear is that the federal government knows little or nothing about most of these sightings.
SANDOVAL: Two weekend incidents demonstrated the disruptive potential from drones in civilian and military airspace. Two men in Boston were arrested for trespassing after flying dangerously close to Logan Airport. And in Ohio, flight restrictions were temporarily put in place due to drone activity at one of the Air Force's most critical installations.
And agents at the FBI's Newark field office warning that they've received an increase in reports of pilots in the air getting hit in the face with lasers by people on the ground, presumably people assuming that the aircrafts are drones.
The FBI's extremely concerned. They are worried that things could potentially escalate, and folks may even open fire on these aircraft. The FBI warning not only is that illegal, it's extremely dangerous.
Polo Sandoval, CNN -- New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, the French man accused of organizing the mass rape of his wife over nearly a decade apologized to his family in court. 72- year-old Dominique Pelicot took the stand one last time Monday, saying he, quote, "hailed the courage of my ex-wife".
Pelicot has admitted to drugging his then wife, Gisele Pelicot, for years so that he and dozens of strangers he recruited online could rape her.
Prosecutors are asking for the maximum 20-year prison sentence. His lawyer suggested the legal proceedings have changed her client.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEATRICE ZACARRO, LAWYER FOR DOMINIQUE PELICOT (through translator): He changed, yes and no. Meaning there is a Dominique Pelicot that stood trial. Who is exactly the same one as the one who he was in the legal case.
He changed perhaps on the human level, on the emotional level, in the sense that it was the last face to face encounter with his family and wife.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, the trial has triggered protest rallies in support of Gisele Pelicot and prompted calls for an update to France's rape law.
Jay-Z's attorney says the sexual assault claim against the hip hop mogul is false. A woman has accused Jay-Z of raping her at an afterparty for the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards when she was 13, but Alex Spiro says the allegations are, quote, "all a fantasy".
CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister reports from New York.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Jay-Z's attorney is doubling down on a denial that his client ever raped a 13- year-old girl.
Now, Jay-Z has already fiercely denied these accusations, and his legal team has already asked the court to dismiss this case entirely.
But now, for the first time, speaking to reporters since these accusations came out, Jay-Z's attorney Alex Spiro, held a press conference of sorts.
[01:49:38]
WAGMEISTER: There was a private meeting at Jay-Z's Roc Nation offices in New York City, where CNN was invited to watch a presentation put on by Jay-Z's attorney, where he had a PowerPoint where he showed different details that he says disprove Jane Doe's case.
Let's take a look at some of what he said.
ALEX SPIRO, JAY-Z'S LAWYER: This is not an account of inconsistencies. I wanted everybody to understand that this never happened. This is completely false.
You have to look at the timeline. You have to look at the timeline.
So there's an old expression that time doesn't lie. Everything else that I'm talking about -- these glaring inconsistencies, these are not minor inconsistencies. These are not minor problems with these stories -- this story. This is utter falsehoods.
Time never -- never lies. And so if you look at the time, no matter what, this couldn't have happened. It's not even possible that this happened.
WAGMEISTER: Now, as you heard there, Jay-Z's attorney saying that these aren't just inconsistencies in Jane Doe's case. He's saying that the entire thing is false. In fact, he says it's not even possible that Jay-Z was there.
Now, if we go back to Jane Doe's initial complaint, she alleges that she was raped by both Jay-Z and Sean "Diddy" Combs at an afterparty for the MTV Video Music Awards in the year 2000. Now, this afterparty, she said, was held at a white house that was outside of the city. While Jay-Z's attorney actually showed photos of Jay-Z that night at
an afterparty. But it was in New York City. So he says, if you look at the timeline, it's not possible that Jay-Z was in the suburbs at this alleged afterparty because he was photographed being somewhere else.
Now, in her initial complaint, Jane Doe also said that she got to this alleged afterparty by getting into a limo from a driver outside of the MTV VMA, who said that they worked for Sean Combs.
Well, today, Jay-Z's attorney is saying that's not possible because the limousine line was barricaded by the police and fans were not able to access it. Now, I reached out to Jane Doe's attorney. His name is Tony Buzbee. He
says that he is representing over 120 accusers of Sean "Diddy" Combs. This is the first accuser to come forward and named Jay-Z.
But he tells me that he stands by his client. He says that they are still vetting her. But when I asked about the vetting process, here's what he told me.
He said that four individuals at his firm interviewed the client and checked details. He says that a background check was run on Jane Doe and that his firm actually engaged a seasoned investigator to vet some details she disclosed to us and he said, quote, "those results were consistent with what the client had told us".
He also says that she has signed two separate affidavits, and he tells me, quote, "Courts exist to resolve factual disputes. Our client remains adamant about her claim."
Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back. You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back.
Germany and France are welcoming the first high-speed rail line directly between their capitals. German and French officials gathered in Berlin to see the first train off to Paris.
Germany's transport minister says the new rail link is more than a practical achievement. It's a symbol of friendship and unity between the two countries and among European nations as a whole.
Well, the woman who stowed away on an international flight last month has been arrested yet again. Svetlana Dali was caught Monday trying to sneak into Canada from the U.S.
[01:54:50]
KINKADE: CNN's Randi Kaye reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Busted again. This time Svetlana Dali was traveling by bus.
Just last month, she had stowed away on a Delta flight from JFK Airport in New York to Paris.
A law enforcement source tells CNN Dali had managed to cut off her ankle monitor on Sunday and was taken into custody today while on a Greyhound bus bound for Canada, multiple law enforcement told CNN. SVETLANA DALI, STOWAWAY: Help me. I don't want to go to the United States.
KAYE: That was Dali last month, the first time authorities tried to return the 57-year-old Russian national and a U.S. permanent resident to the United States from Paris.
She created such a disturbance, Delta kicked her off the New York- bound flight.
GARY TREICHIER, DELTA PASSENGER: What I saw was basically this lady that was progressively getting more and more irate and raising her voice louder and louder.
KAYE: Earlier this month, another attempt to bring her back to the United States was successful. Dali sat in the back of the aircraft and was flanked by two French security officials the entire flight to JFK.
A week and a half ago, Dali was charged in federal court with one count of being a stowaway on a vessel or aircraft without consent. Among other things, the judge ordered Dali to wear an ankle bracelet with a GPS monitor, surrender any travel documents, and told her she cannot go to airports or leave the area where she is staying. That includes, of course, jumping on a Greyhound bus to Canada.
Dali had been staying with a roommate. A law enforcement source told CNN, her roommate reported her missing after he saw her GPS ankle bracelet on the floor.
Randi Kaye, CNN, Palm Beach County, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, a newly-approved skyscraper in London will someday share the crown as the city's tallest building. It will have exactly the same height as The Shard, currently the tallest tower not just in London but in all of western Europe.
You can see it there in the background of this photo. The new tower in the middle, called One Undershaft, will join The Shard standing at almost 310 meters. That's more than 1000 feet tall, offering 73 floors of office space.
Well, thanks so much for joining us. I'm Lynda Kinkade.
CNN NEWSROOM continues with the lovely Rosemary Church in just a moment.
[01:57:05]
