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Trump: Musk's Not Going To Be President; Putin Reacts To Attack Inside Russia; Amazon Expedition Discovers New Species; Gaetz Ethics Report Expected to Be Released Monday; Border Czar Pick Threatens Aggressive Immigration Crackdown; Manchin: Current Democratic Party Brand Is "Toxic"; Peru Expedition Uncovers 27 Species Unknown To Science; Sons Of Tiger Woods And Padraig Harrington Hit Holes-In-One; Vatican Prepares St. Peter's Basilica For Jubilee 2025. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired December 23, 2024 - 01:00   ET

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

[01:00:27]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead, less than a month before he returns to office, Donald Trump is back on stage and setting the record straight on comments about Elon Musk. Threatening rhetoric from Vladimir Putin after a drone strikes an apartment building deep inside Russia. And deep in the Amazon, more than two dozen new animal species have been discovered. We will talk to the head of the expedition and find out what makes them so unique.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Thanks for joining us. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump took to the stage for his first rally-style speech since his election win, taking a victory lap and previewing what lies ahead when he returns to the White House in just four weeks. Trump spoke Sunday at an event in Phoenix put on by the conservative group Turning Point USA. He touched on a wide range of issues from TikTok to the Panama Canal and pushed back on suggestions that billionaire Elon Musk was acting as the de facto president. Trump also vowed to keep his campaign promises and take action on day one when it comes to the border and immigration.

Trump said his speech was just a small preview of the common sense revolution that will begin on January 20th. CNN and Steve Contorno has more details from West Palm beach in Florida.

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Speaking from Arizona on Sunday, Donald Trump delivered what his campaign called a rally-style speech in front of a friendly conservative audience, his first since winning election last month. And it was certainly reminiscent of many of the campaign speeches that he delivered over the past two years with a heavy focus on immigration and his plans for the U.S.-Mexico border. He did, however, tread some new ground, saying that he was open to

allowing TikTok, the Chinese social media company to continue to operate in the United States. He also considered taking back control of the Panama Canal and suggested that he would meet early in his term with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the Ukraine war. He also pushed back against Democrats' criticism that he has allowed billionaire Elon Musk to become the de facto leader of his party and the country.

Take a listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT-ELECT: They're on a new kick. Russia, Russia, Russia, Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine. All the different hoaxes and the new one is President Trump has ceded the presidency to Elon Musk. No, no. Tthat's not happening. No, he's not going to be president, that I can tell you. And I'm safe. You know why? He can't be. He wasn't born in this country.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CONTORNO: During his remarks on Saturday, Donald Trump also signaled a show of support for many of his controversial picks for his incoming administration. He stood by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. And his plan to, quote, "Make America Healthy Again". He also gave a show of support for Pete Hegseth, his pick to lead the Pentagon as defense secretary, as well as Tulsi Gabbard, his choice for director of national intelligence.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRUMP: But to get wokeness out of our military, restore the unquestioned strength and fighting spirit of the American armed forces, I have appointed. Pete Hegseth to be our next secretary of defense. He's going to be great. To make our intelligence community respected even more, I don't even think the word even is right because we had some bad years with these people. But I've nominated Tulsi Gabbard as our director of national intelligence.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CONTORNO: One thing Trump did not mention, the chaotic end to Congress's 2024 session, where Trump nearly caused a government shutdown with his 11th-hour demands to push off a debt ceiling boat beyond 2024. Many of Trump's allies also speaking at the conference, threaten Republicans that if they continue to stand in his way, they could find themselves with primary challenges. Steve Cantorno, CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.

CHURCH: Let's turn now to Larry Sabato. He is the director at the center for Politics at the University of Virginia and the editor of A Return to Normalcy, The 2020 Election That Almost Broke America. And he is joining me from Charlottesville in Virginia. Great to have you with us.

[01:05:14]

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Thank you so much, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So President-elect Donald Trump spoke at a conservative political event in Phoenix over the weekend, laying out his administration's agenda and saying that on his first day in office, he plans to use executive orders to close U.S. borders to what he calls illegal aliens. And he says he will immediately begin the largest deportation operation in American history. So how far do you expect Trump will go on this, given what we know so far?

SABATO: He told us many times in the campaign he wanted to be a dictator for day one. Well, that day one is going to be a long day because he's already listed, by my count, at least eight or nine major executive orders. And I'll bet by the time January 20th rolls around it's a number far bigger than that.

As far as immigration and deportation is concerned, as long as he and his key aides focus on criminals, criminal, undocumented workers, or aliens in the United States, then I don't think there will be much negative reaction. But if this goes much further than this and if it ends up that families are being split up again and children are being separated from their parents and for industry, that loads and loads of part time workers, especially in the fields, are being sent back and they don't have the substitutes to pick the vegetables, you're going to see a major reaction from business, not just from liberals.

CHURCH: And Larry, at that same event, Donald Trump pushed back on suggestions from Democrats that Elon Musk is acting as a de facto president, saying Musk is not going to be president because he wasn't born in this country. But that, of course, is not exactly what's being suggested here. It's more about Musk appearing to be calling the shots. And we saw that when he nearly triggered a government shutdown. So what does all this signal for Trump's new administration and Musk's role in it?

SABATO: Musk is so important to Trump and has given so much money, I mean hundreds of millions of dollars already, not just to Trump, but to Republican-oriented committees and has pledged more for the midterm elections that Trump can hardly push him aside and wouldn't want to. Now the image that's projected has been kind of a co-presidency. Trump is correct, of course, that Musk is not a natural-born citizen and therefore could not run for president or serve as President. But as you know, that's really not what Musk was doing and not what Trump was permitting him to do.

CHURCH: And of course, neither Musk nor Trump got what they actually wanted when they killed off the Speaker's bipartisan spending bill and nearly shut down the government at the end of the week. But Trump made no reference to that over the weekend, did he? Presumably, he won't want a repeat of a situation like that where he makes a demand like raising the debt limit, and his own Republicans reject it. So do you think he learned from that his margin isn't great enough, that he can take a risk like that? SABATO: He should have. And in fact, that was the most significant

part of this. You know, in the end, they didn't save any money at all. They ended up spending about the same amount, about the same number of billions of dollars or millions of dollars, hundreds of millions with this new bill. What was really significant was that in one vote, 38 Republicans defected from Trump's position, and on the final vote, 34 Republicans defected for another reason. But it just goes to show you that the Republicans are more split. There are more factions in the Republican Party than people acknowledged after Trump's victory. He's not going to be able to wage to wave a magic wand and solve this beginning of his presidency. And his power only diminishes with time.

CHURCH: And Larry, Trump also called for a U.S. Version of the Iron Dome and wants to rename the largest mountain in Alaska. So what are you expecting overall big picture from an unleashed Donald Trump come January 2025?

SABATO: He won the popular vote and he's clearly flying high. His own supporters expect him to do a lot very quickly. Some things will be purely symbolic, although contra controversial, like renaming the mountain and also renaming some army bases for Confederate generals. This was all changed relatively recently and pleased many people on the left. But now white Southerners want the original names restored, and of course, they're part of Trump's base.

So there are loads of things that he wants to do. He can't possibly do them all in day one. He wants to do them all relatively quickly. But as usual, what Trump says and what he promises, and what he can actually do are in two separate categories. And that will prove true again.

[01:10:20]

CHURCH: Larry Sabato, always a pleasure to have you with us, and happy holidays to you.

SABATO: Same to you.

CHURCH: Police have arrested a suspect in the burning death of a woman who was on a New York subway car as it sat at a station in Brooklyn. Officers say eight hours after the woman was set on fire, this man was arrested on a train in Midtown. CNN's Gloria Pazmino has the story.

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. A really disturbing set of details that we have learned from the New York Police Department on what is truly a horrific crime taking early on Sunday morning. This happened on the F Train that's in Coney Island in Brooklyn. And it happened at the Stilwell Avenue train station. That's the end of the line.

Now, according to police, there was a woman who was apparently sleeping in one of these trains. The train was not moving at the time. And then there was a man who approached her and used a lighter to light a blanket that she was using on fire. She was quickly engulfed by the flames. The man then just simply walked away. Now, we are told by police that these two people appear to have no

prior interaction. They are not known to one another, and that this was just a crime that came out of nowhere. This woman appeared to have been asleep at the time that she was set on fire. Now, there were police that were patrolling the subway station at that point who smelled the smoke and saw it and quickly rushed to the scene, tried to put her out, but unfortunately, they were not able to save her. EMS also responded to the scene. They pronounced her dead there in the subway.

Now, shortly after this incident, the NYPD was not able to make an arrest right away. In fact, for several hours throughout the day on Sunday, there was a manhunt for a man that was captured on camera and on police video when they initially entered the subway station. Now, it is an interesting sort of development in the sense that technology has played an incredible role here for the police who used surveillance video captured by the cameras inside the train in order to put out photos of the suspect that they were looking for. Then it was several hours later that three high school-age teenagers called in a tip line into the police line and police were able to apprehend this man. He was captured at another train station in midtown, very far from where the incident took place.

So a combination of technology and good police work. I want you to take a listen to the police commissioner just talking about the incident.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA TISCH, NEW YORK POLICE COMMISSIONER: Someone who we believe carried out one of the most depraved crimes one person could possibly commit against another human being. And it took the life of an innocent New Yorker. But at this hour, I am pleased to announce that a short time ago, alert NYPD transit officers took a person of interest into custody.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAZMINO: Now we're still waiting to learn more about the identity of the victim, but also the identity of the suspect and what charges they will be facing. This is all happening as there's been a lot of focus and conversation on the issue of public safety here in New York City, but specifically public safety in the transit system.

Last week, Governor Kathy Hochul said that she was deploying additional members of the National Guard into the subway system to help with patrolling and with public safety at a time when both the city and the state are working to keep crime down. Gloria Pazmino, CNN, New York.

CHURCH: We turn now to eastern Germany where we're learning more about the suspect and the deadly car ramming attack at a German Christmas market. Taleb Al Abdulmohsen, who faces multiple murder and attempted murder charges, had a history of making troubling social media posts that grew increasingly dark before this tragedy. Earlier this year, he made threats against Germany and the German people to his nearly 50,000 followers online, something German authorities were apparently alerted to. In one post, Abdulmohsenwrote in part, German terrorism will be brought to justice.

Critics on both the left and right are using the deadly incident to attack the German government for its immigration policies. This despite the fact that the suspect is apparently a self-confessed Islamophobe. Matthew Chance is at the scene of the tragedy with the latest.

[01:15:08]

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, the German authorities have now acknowledged they did indeed receive a warning from Saudi Arabia about this individual that is now being held as the suspect in this Christmas market car ramming. That individual has been named as Taleb Al Abdulmohsen, a 50-year-old man, a doctor psychiatrist who was originally from Saudi Arabia.

He is anti-Islam. He describes himself as an Islamophobe and has often posted on social media, you know, very aggressive messages against Islam. He called himself the most aggressive critic of Islam in history. He's been warning repeatedly on social media that Germany is trying to Islamize Europe, posting conspiracy theories and things like that.

So you can see the marketplace behind me has still been sealed off to these police cordons everywhere as forensic teams scour through the debris of that attack, picking up any evidence they can, of course, while cleaning the streets, to be frank, of the blood that has been left on the pavement as a result of so many casualties. Meanwhile, that suspect has made his first appearance in the German court with the judge there placing him in pretrial detention as this intensive investigation continues. Matthew Chance, CNN, Magdeburg in eastern Germany.

CHURCH: Coming up, the latest on Russia's response to a drone attack deep inside its territory. Plus, Donald Trump's embattled former pick for attorney general speaks out about his failed bid as an ethics report into his conduct is about to be released. Back with that and more in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Syria's de facto leader says he is preparing to announce a newly formed defense ministry and military in a few days. Ahmed Al- Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, led the group of rebels that ousted Syrian President Bashar al Assad earlier this month. He held a news conference alongside Turkey's foreign minister in Damascus on Sunday, where he said that all weapons in the country will now be controlled by the state.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AHMED AL-SHARAA, SYRIAN DE FACTO LEADER (voiceover): We will not by any means allow for arms outside the control of the state, whether from revolutionary factions or factions in the SDF areas. We need to close this chapter as quickly as possible because the presence of rogue arms in the country is what leads to chaos and unstable security. So this is one of the priorities and on the agenda. It is the top of our priorities to work on controlling arms in the country and I think there is wide agreement among the factions. God willing, things will work out well.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Thousands of Assad's prisoners were released from captivity during the rebel takeover, but it's not clear where they all went. Now some Syrians are searching for their missing loved ones in the capital, hoping to be rejoin united soon.

[01:20:09]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AMINA, MOTHER OF TWO MISSING SONS (voiceover): All the people and their mothers have hearts longing for their loved ones. I pray, God willing, that they are all alive. Spend all day in front of these pictures, all day hoping for any contact to start, hoping to see him, for someone to remember him. We leave it all in God's hands.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: With the stunning collapse of the Assad regime, Iran appears to have lost much of its power and influence in the Middle East. That is causing some concern about how Tehran will move to bolster its strength in the region. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says Washington is closely tracking the possibility that Iran could be planning to restructure its nuclear doctrine. Take a listen to what he told Fareed Zakaria.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAKE SULIVAN, @JAKESULIVAN46: If you're Iran right now and you're looking around at the fact that your conventional capability has been reduced, your proxies have been reduced, your main client state has been eliminated, Assad has fallen. It's no wonder there are voices saying, hey, maybe we need to go for a nuclear weapon right now.

That is a real risk. It's a risk we are trying to be vigilant about now. It's a risk that I'm personally briefing the incoming team on. I was just in Israel consulting with the Israelis on this risk. And it's something that is the consequence not of Iranian strength, but of Iranian weakness. And that's the kind of thing that in a dynamic and challenging Middle East, American statecraft is going to have to account for.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is speaking out after Houthi rebels fired a missile at Tel Aviv this weekend. He vows Israeli forces will continue to target the Houthis in Yemen in the same way they have dealt with other Iranian proxies. Netanyahu's comments came after the U.S. Launched a series of strikes against the rebel group on Saturday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAEL PRIME MINISTER: As we acted forcefully against the terror arms of Iran's evil axis, so we will act against the Houthis. Only in this case, we are not acting alone. The U.S. and other countries see the Houthis as a threat not only to international shipping, but to the international order. Therefore, we will act forcefully with determination and sophistication. I tell you, even if it takes time, the result will be the same result as against the other terror arms.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Several members of the same family were killed in an Israeli airstrike on central Gaza Saturday. That is, according to hospital officials who say at least 11 people died when a house east of Deir Al Balah was targeted. CNN has reached out to the Israeli military for comment. The Gaza Health Ministry reports more than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its military offensive last year. CNN is unable to independently confirm the ministry's data. The humanitarian crisis across the enclave continues to worsen amid sky-high food prices.

This video shows the chaos at an NGO facility in central Gaza on Saturday with people pushing their way through long lines just to get a meal. One woman said she was there to get food for her children, adding that the situation would be unbearable without assistance like this.

Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomes Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico in Moscow on Sunday. Fico's visit is a rare example of a European Union leader traveling to Russia since Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state media that the two spoke about Russia's natural gas deliveries to Europe. Slovakia is one of a handful of European countries receiving Russian natural gas that flows through Ukraine. That deal with Ukraine is due to expire at the end of this year.

For more, let's turn to Jill Dougherty. She is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, a CNN contributor, and a former CNN Moscow Bureau Chief. She joins us now from Washington, D.C. Appreciate you being with us.

JILL DOUGHERTY, ADJUNCT PROFESSOR, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: Sure.

CHURCH: So let's start with Ukraine striking deep inside Russia with a drone attack on Kazan hitting an apartment building. Now, Ukrainians usually strike military targets. So what do you think they were trying to do here?

DOUGHERTY: That's a good question. I mean, it could be a matter of targeting something and the missile went off kilter. It's a little bit difficult to believe that they would directly try to hit building. I think have to wait for the investigation that will happen. But I think it's really significant because, you know, Kazan is a big city. It's an important city economically, culturally, historically, every way.

And if you notice that video, that was a very nice apartment building. So the significance here, if I would, you know, interpret it the way as you're looking at the way Russia has been hit by attacks that hitting a middle class and maybe even upper-middle-class building strikes at people who are important in Russia. And if they feel that the war is getting closer to them, it raises questions about President Putin and whether he can actually protect them, you know, from the attacks of the Ukrainians.

[01:25:29]

CHURCH: And this specific attack, for whatever purpose, is, of course, another reminder, as you point out to Russia, that Ukraine is capable of hitting inside Russia. So how is President Vladimir Putin likely to respond to this, perhaps militarily?

DOUGHERTY: Well, he is, I would say, furious. If you look at what he said at a meeting right after this happened, he said no matter how much they try to destroy Russia, they will be facing many more times destruction themselves and they will regret what they are trying to do to Russia. So you can bet that there will be retaliation. And unfortunately, this is, I think, what we're in for right now, increasingly bold attacks by the Ukrainians, Russia striking back viciously and it shows no sign of stopping.

CHURCH: And Jill, on another topic on the economy, President Putin said at his news conference last week that Russia's economy is stable, but Western economists say that's not true. So what's the real story on this?

DOUGHERTY: Well, it's complicated, but I think big picture, what you have is the complete militarization of the Russian economy. So what are they doing? Well, they are increasing war production. And in the short term, that creates economic growth because people are back in factories, they're working, they're getting paid. Inflation is about 9.3%. But President Putin just the other day said, yes, I know we do have inflation.

However, wages are rising by 9 percent. So there's a certain sensitivity about this. But if you look at what Western experts are saying about this, it certainly can continue for a while. And some would say that's the objective of Russia, to keep ahead of the Ukrainians to keep the economy going. And eventually, when it comes time to have some type of agreement, the United States and the west will turn away from Ukraine, will not give them as much in the way of supplies, and Russia then will have the upper hand.

It's hard to say. But big picture again, Russia has very big labor shortages. They have a weaker ruble and the income that they're getting from oil and gas is somewhat diminishing. Diminishing. The prices are going down. So long term, according to experts who really know this does not bode well for the Russian economy. Right now, they're sliding on wartime economy and that's not good for the long term.

CHURCH: Jill Dougherty, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it.

Tens of thousands of people in Serbia are protesting against their government after last month's deadly railway station roof collapse. A large crowd gathered in central Belgrade Sunday to protest against President Aleksandr Vucic and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party. Demonstrators alleged government corruption and nepotism resulted in shoddy construction that led to the Congress concrete awning on a renovated roof caving in last month. Fifteen died and two were injured. President Vucic has said those responsible for the collapse must be held to account.

Still to come, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin spares no words explaining why he left the Democratic Party. What he's saying about his former colleagues just ahead. Plus, Tiger Woods is one proud papa after his son accomplishes a career first, we'll take a look.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:31:51]

CHURCH: Welcome back everyone.

Well, you are watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosemary Church.

Donald Trump's former pick for U.S. attorney general Matt Gaetz claims his bid for the job was thwarted by anti-Trump forces in the Senate. And now sources say a House Ethics Committee report on his conduct is expected to be released in the coming hours.

CNN's Brian Abel has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN ABEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was earlier this week when we learned that the House Ethics Committee had a secret vote to release its report into the conduct of former Rep. Matt Gaetz. And now we know when.

Multiple sources telling CNN the report will be released Monday. The release is a stark reversal by the Ethics Committee, which just last month voted to shelve the report after Gaetz resigned from Congress once he became President-Elect Donald Trump's pick for attorney general.

Gaetz withdrew himself from consideration of that role after Trump called him to say Gaetz didn't have the votes in the Senate to get confirmed.

This report concludes a years' long probe by the Ethics Committee into numerous allegations against Gaetz, including whether he engaged in sexual misconduct with a minor, whether he paid for sex, used illicit drugs, shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, and more.

Gaetz has strongly denied all of the allegations and has said the committees investigation is, "a witch hunt", saying this on X after reports of the committee's decision to release this report.

He said, quote, "The Biden-Garland DOJ spent years reviewing allegations that I committed various crimes. I was charged with nothing, fully-exonerated."

The post went on to say "It's embarrassing, though not criminal, that I probably partied, womanized, drank and smoked more than I should have earlier in life. I live a different life now."

We should note that it is rare for an ethics report to be released after a member has left Congress, though it has happened on a couple of occasions in the past.

Gaetz has said he has no plans of returning to the House next year. As a result, House Speaker Mike Johnson called the report a moot point and advocated for it to not be released.

But here's what Gaetz said Sunday at a conservative conference.

MATT GAETZ, FORMER FLORIDA REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN: And some of you throughout this conference have even given me a few suggestions. My fellow Floridians have asked me to either Governor's Mansion in Tallahassee, maybe special counsel to go after the insider trading for my colleagues in Congress.

It seems I may not have had enough support in the United States Senate. Maybe I'll just run for Marco Rubio's vacant seat in the United States Senate and join some of those folks.

ABEL: Rubio's seat is vacant after being picked to be Trump's secretary of state. And the exact timing of when this ethics report will be released Monday is still unknown.

Brian Abel, CNN -- Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[01:34:49]

CHURCH: Donald Trump's pick for border czar fired up the crowd at that conservative conference in Phoenix, pushing for an aggressive crackdown on immigration during his remarks.

It appears Tom Homan's plan is to go into sanctuary cities and prosecute anyone hiding undocumented migrants from law enforcement.

He says illegal immigrants who have committed crimes will be the priority, but they won't be the only ones agents are looking to arrest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM HOMAN, TRUMP'S PICK FOR BORDER CZAR: I'll send a whole bunch of agents into your community and we'll find the bad guy. And when we find the bad guy, he's probably going to be with others. Others that aren't a priority apprehension. But guess what? They're getting arrested too.

So you're going to get exactly what you don't want? More arrests in your communities.

You're not going to stop us. Put all the roadblocks up. Roadblocks you want. It's not going to work. We're going to do this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: U.S. Senate Independent Joe Manchin is ending his nearly 15 year run in Washington, and he's not holding back on his way out.

Manchin notably left the Democratic Party earlier this year to register as an Independent. Now he's unloading on his former party, claiming their brand has become toxic.

CNN's Manu Raju sat down with the West Virginia senator to clarify why Manchin feels that way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOE MANCHIN (I-WV): Sthe brand got so bad the d brand has been so maligned from the standpoint of -- it's just -- it's toxic.

I'm going to help every human being pursue the pursue the happy life in their life -- pursuit of happiness.

I don't care who they are. I don't care what color. I don't care any of the things who they love. Do it and that's you, I'm going to make sure you have that opportunity and right to live your life.

Just don't make your life, if it might be on the extremes or in the minority of a few, make me believe that's the norm or make me and my family believe, or my children believe or this or that. No, I will protect you. Just don't try to mainstream it.

And the Democratic Party, the Washington democrats, have tried to mainstream the extreme.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Two notable figures in Donald Trump's first term won't return to Washington next year.

Sources close to former presidential adviser Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, say the two are sticking to the decision she announced in 2022 to leave politics behind.

She explained part of the reason for that choice earlier this year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IVANKA TRUMP, DAUGHTER OF DONALD TRUMP: I think there are other ways -- there are other ways to serve.

I also think, you know, politics is a -- it's a pretty dark world. There's a lot of darkness, a lot of negativity, and it's just really at odds with what feels good for me as a human being.

And you know, it is -- it's a really -- it's a really rough business. So for me and my family, it feels right to not participate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO is expected to be arraigned in New York Monday on state murder and terror charges.

The hearing will be Luigi Mangione's first opportunity to formally address the accusations against him. He faces 11 counts, including murder as an act of terrorism under a state law in which Mangione is accused of trying to frighten and intimidate the public with this crime.

He also faces a federal murder charge which could bring the death penalty if convicted.

Still to come, I'll be speaking with the lead researcher of a groundbreaking expedition that's unearthed dozens of species previously unknown to science.

Stay with us for that. And, of course, more. Back in a moment.

[01:38:41]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Residents of the French territory of Mayotte are struggling to clean up after Cyclone Chido devastated the islands over a week ago.

Hillside shanty towns were completely wiped out by the powerful storm. According to reports. The death toll has risen to at least 94, but local officials fear it will still go much higher.

Hospitals are operating at limited capacity. Aid is trickling in, but some residents say they don't have shelter or enough basic supplies to survive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NASSUR DAMOURANE, MAMOUDZOU RESIDENT (through translator): My house is all broken up. Everything was destroyed by the cyclone. Now we're struggling to rebuild.

We haven't had any help yet, but we hope something will come because we're waiting. What we need most of all is water. That's the first necessity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Doctors warn that shortages in clean water and electricity could worsen conditions and spark an even greater health crisis.

In southern Brazil, a surveillance camera captured the fireball from a small plane that crashed, killing all ten people on board. Officials say they were all members of the same family.

It happened in the tourist town of Gramado on Sunday. Brazilian authorities say a dozen people on the ground were also injured.

The plane crashed just minutes after takeoff. Officials say it hit one building's chimney, then hit a residence and finally slammed into a furniture store.

And you can see the damage from the crash in this video. Investigators say they're not yet sure what caused the crash.

Well, now to some stunning and bizarre discoveries in Peru. An expedition led by the environmental nonprofit Conservation International has recorded more than 2,000 plant and animal species from the Andes to the Amazon, including 27 that are new to science and dozens more that are facing extinction.

The weeks' long expedition took place in 2022, but after analyzing countless samples, the findings are just now being released.

Joining me now from Alexandria, Virginia is Trond Larsen. He is the senior director of biodiversity and ecosystem science for Conservation International. He also leads the group's rapid assessment program.

Good to have you with us.

TROND LARSEN, SENIOR DIRECTOR BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM SCIENCE, CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL: Thank you.

CHURCH: Now you are the lead scientist for the mission to Peru that unearthed 27 new species in the Amazon. So what can you tell us about the new blob-headed fish, which is one of those new species, the new amphibious mouse and the new climbing salamander.

LARSEN: Yes. So, I mean, the team was really shocked. I'll just say, first of all, this is the Alto Mayo landscape, which is in northern Peru, sits in the foothills of the Andes, where the Amazon basin meets the Andes.

And because of this, there's a huge variety of ecosystems from sort of deep, you know, dark, muddy swamps up to these misty cloud forests.

And so by exploring all of this variety of habitats, the team of Peruvian scientists and local indigenous people of the Awajun ethnicity who joined us, we just made so many tremendous discoveries, especially considering this is a human-dominated landscape.

And as you say, you know, 27 of the species -- we documented over 2,000 species of plants and animals, 27 of which are new to science.

You know, probably the most bizarre, and my personal favorite is, is the blob-headed fish. It's a type of armored catfish. But scientists have never seen anything like this because unlike its closest relatives, it has this huge sort of swollen nose-like extension on the end of its head.

And it remains a complete mystery what the function of this structure is. It's just so unusual and distinct.

We also found a climbing salamander. I was pretty excited that I was the first to find one of these. We had arrived at a rare white sand forest, a type of forest I'd never explored. And I rushed off the first night into the forest and it didn't take long to find this cute little like orange brown salamander climbing up in the plants nearby.

[01:44:54]

LARSEN: We also found, you know, an exceedingly rare amphibious mouse, which is carnivorous and belongs to a group of rodents that's notoriously rare and difficult to find.

On other expeditions, you know, we've often searched endlessly and come up with nothing. And so, you know, to have discovered something here and for it to be new to science is really, really exciting.

CHURCH: Yes. And we've been looking at those pictures as you've been talking about them. Just extraordinary, particularly the blob.

So what about the new squirrel and new spiny mouse? Why are they so special?

LARSEN: Well, you know, discovering one new mammal species on an expedition is actually pretty remarkable because mammals are probably the best-known group of animals in the world. And so we sort of assume that we already know most of what's there.

But finding four new species of mammals on one expedition is pretty unheard of. So, you know, that in itself is shocking. Yes.

So in addition to that amphibious mouse, we discovered a spiny mouse which has these very sort of rigid spines along the fur. Kind of feels a little bit like a hedgehog.

We also had a short-tailed fruit bat, and this just adorable dwarf squirrel that would fit in the palm of your hand like chestnut brown, fluffy tail, very nimble and quick to hide in the thick rainforest trees.

CHURCH: And how unusual is it to find so many new species on just one expedition like this?

LARSEN: It's very unusual. And in addition to the 27 new species, we have 48 additional species that are likely to be new to science. But we want to really do the proper studies and further analysis to make sure that that's right.

And even beyond that, you know, we have other incredible findings of known species. We found 49 species that science is familiar with but that are threatened with extinction, but are very important in this landscape.

And so knowing where these species live, the results of this expedition is just really critical for knowing, identifying which places are we going to target for conservation and restoration and which places might be better suited for sustainable agriculture and other types of resource extraction that the local communities depend upon?

CHURCH: Yes, and that partly answers my next question, because I did want to ask why it's so significant to find new species like this and what the benefits are. How does it help the human species, for example?

LARSEN: Well, you know, species are awe-inspiring and we have an attachment to biodiversity and to nature. But beyond that, I mean, they have roles in the ecosystem. They underpin the integrity of how these natural habitats function.

But also, you know, many of these species, especially the things that are new to science, tend to be so rare that, you know, they are probably threatened with extinction. And unless we know where they are and what they are, there's very little we can do to prevent the loss of these species in the future as there's continuing deforestation and degradation happening, the impacts of climate change.

And so now that we know more about these species and where they live and what they require, what habitats they need, now we can take the right steps to make sure they have a future.

And we're really trying to build this Alto Mayo landscape into a sustainable conservation corridor that connects to existing protected areas. And at the same time still supports the livelihoods and the dependencies of all the indigenous peoples and local communities that live in this landscape.

CHURCH: Certainly. Thank you for this incredible work and those pictures are extraordinary.

Trond Larsen, thank you so much for talking with us. Appreciate it.

LARSEN: Thank you for having me.

CHURCH: As the Catholic Church prepares for Christmas, we will take you inside St. Peter's Basilica to see how the Vatican is getting ready for a mass influx of jubilee pilgrims.

Back in just a moment with that.

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CHURCH: Welcome back everyone.

Two golf superstars, Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington, have had incredible moments in their careers, but nothing may have been more special than seeing their sons hit holes in one at an event on Sunday.

CNN's Patrick Snell has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: Now, in the sport of golf, the chances of making a hole-in-one are about one in 12,500 -- would you believe?

Now, for pro golfers, that number dropping to about 3,000 to 1. This according to the PGA of America. But the odds of not one but two pro golfers' sons making aces within less than ten minutes of each other -- unimaginable.

But that's what actually happened Sunday in the final round of the PNC championship in Orlando, a two-person family team event.

Tiger Woods and son Charlie were leading at this point. 15-year-old Charlie, with this. 178 yards, the par three, fourth and a first career ace. Tiger, with just the happiest look and the hug there for his son. Wonderful to see.

But wait. Less than ten minutes later, Irish golf star Padraig Harrington and his 21-year-old son Paddy, with a six iron from 185 yards, rolling it straight in his first career ace as well. Just what are the odds?

Well, the tournament itself going to play off as Team Woods face defending champs Team Langer. Charlie Woods with a chance to take the lead on the second playoff hole. But no, it just slips out so Bernhard Langer, learning from his son Jason's first putt in this scramble format and the German legend, did not miss.

The pair going on to defend their title. In fact, it's the fourth title for Team Langer. For these two in particular Bernhard adding two more as well, with older son Stefan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERNHARD LANGER, TWO-TIME MAJOR CHAMPION: Well, I've said a long time ago, this is the fifth major for me because I love this tournament. I just love playing with my kids and have family supporting us.

And when Charlie made that hole in one, I've never seen Tiger happier than when his son made his first hole in one. It was a fantastic moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNELL: And they call this time of year the silly season for golf. And now we know why. One of the most memorable days in the sports calendar year.

Right back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Thanks for that.

And some people in Spain are feeling lucky thanks to a 200-year-old tradition marking the beginning of the Christmas season. Officials drew the winning tickets in the National Christmas Lottery,

El Gordo or The Fat One on Sunday. The total prize pot was $2.8 billion. Much of that is paid out in small amounts, so there are many winning tickets. And some of the winners celebrated with sparkling wine, cheers and hugs.

Get your coins ready. Rome's Trevi Fountain has reopened after a deep cleaning that took more than two months to complete. The iconic attraction had been drained to remove dirt and residue ahead of the Vatican's Jubilee year in 2025, which is expected to draw up to 32 million people to the city.

Visitors can now throw their coins into the real fountain again, instead of into a temporary pool, which was set up during the maintenance.

But the tradition is still the same. It's said that anyone who tosses a coin into the fountain is guaranteed to return to Rome.

Well, every 25 years, the Catholic Church celebrates a jubilee and the next one begins on Tuesday, Christmas Eve.

As part of the event, the Vatican is taking special steps to greet pilgrims.

CNN's Christopher Lamb takes you inside St. Peter's Basilica for an exclusive look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: I'm here at St. Peter's Basilica, the home of the Pope, the site of the Tomb of St. Peter and one of the Catholic Church's holiest sites.

A huge amount of work has been going on to prepare for an influx of millions of visitors expected to be in Rome during the Jubilee Year.

Now we've been granted special access to go inside the Basilica and show you what's been going on.

Hello, Father.

FATHER ENZO FORTUNATO, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATION, ST. PETER'S BASILICA: Hello, Christopher. Welcome to Rome.

LAMB: Well, thank you very much.

FORTUNATO: To the Vatican, in this case.

LAMB: Wow.

FORTUNATO: Yes. It's wonderful. The biggest church in the world.

Now we are near the Holy Door.

LAMB: The opening of this Holy Door by the Pope on Christmas Eve will mark the beginning of the Jubilee, a time of celebration and pilgrimage that usually occurs every 25 years.

[01:54:50]

LAMB: With its cement seal removed and keys retrieved, the door is now ready to be opened for 2025, which will allow pilgrims to pass through and receive forgiveness for their sins known as an indulgence.

FORTUNATO: After this moment, the pilgrim encounters the Mother of God, the masterpiece of Michelangelo.

LAMB: The Pieta which was attacked in 1972, has had its protective glass upgraded for the Jubilee.

FORTUNATO: And this is the work of the pilgrim, no?

LAMB: Ok, the pilgrims.

FORTUNATO: Yes.

LAMB: Yes. Wow.

FORTUNATO: In front of us, the Baldacchino of Bernini. This altar is the center of the eucharistic celebration. But also its very important because there is the Tomb of St. Peter.

LAMB: Can we see that now?

FORTUNATO: Yes.

LAMB: Access to the Tomb of St. Peter, the Church's first pope, is usually only possible with special permission.

But as part of Jubilee plans to boost engagement, it and the Holy Door will be viewable via webcam live streams.

FORTUNATO: This is the devotion of every pilgrim.

LAMB: St. Peter's has also launched a new magazine and even partnered with Microsoft to create an A.I.-generated digital twin of the basilica that allows pilgrims who can't be there in person and others to explore every detail which could be useful.

As the work to maintain St. Peter's is ongoing, a special structure has been set up to restore its ceiling using techniques from the Renaissance period.

FORTUNATO: Now we are in front of the monument of Bernini. Inside there is the oldest chair of St. Peter. The dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit and the Church. The holy spirit leads the church.

LAMB: Yes. It's not just a museum church. It's a living church.

FORTUNATO: No, no. Yes, yes.

LAMB: A living church that's now ready to welcome pilgrims from around the world in person and remotely for the Jubilee. Christopher Lamb, CNN -- Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Magnificent.

And thank you so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church.

Do stay with us. CNN NEWSROOM continues next with Richard Quest in London after a quick break.

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