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Newsroom: American Airlines Flights Ground Stopped Because of Vendor Technology Issue; Bill Clinton Hospitalized for Fever; Boat in Fort Lauderdale Explodes at Marina; California Pier Collapses in Storm; President-Elect Trump Threatens to Retake Panama Canal. Blake Lively Accuses Costar of Sexual Harassment. Aired 10:00-10:30a ET

Aired December 24, 2024 - 10:00   ET

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

[10:00:35]

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: Right now, Christmas Eve misery. Thousands of travelers getting the worst news this morning, American Airlines grounding all flights nationwide, then quickly fixing the technical glitch. We're live with what happened.

Caught on camera, a boat docked at a marina in Florida exploding into a fireball leaving at least one person dead.

Plus, turning an unimaginable loss into action. How Gabby Petito's father is fighting missing white woman syndrome, bringing awareness to missing brown and black people.

And tracking Santa, the big guy already on the move. We are keeping an eye on where he's heading next.

Good morning, I'm Rahel Solomon in New York. Jim has the morning off. And you are live in the CNN Newsroom.

All right, topping the hour, breaking news. Here's a live look at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport this morning, on what's shaping up to be one of the busiest travel days of the year. And it's been a chaotic start to Christmas Eve for passengers of American Airlines.

The company is now boarding flights again after a, quote, "technical issue," forced it to briefly issue a nationwide ground stop this morning, bringing flights across the country to a standstill.

Let's get to Lucy Kafanov, she is following this from Chicago O'Hare International Airport. We also have with CNN Aviation Analyst Miles O'Brien, who is with us to help break to break it down as well.

Good to see you both. But Lucy, let me start with you. Where do things stand right now?

LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning. Rahel. We are at Chicago O'Hare Airport, a hub for American Airlines, where things are slowly returning back to normal. As for where things stand right now, I actually want to pan over to the departure board, where all of those orange boxes that you see signify delays. In fact, over 1,600 current delays right now, 28 flights canceled so far, as the airline tries to return things back to normal and get passengers to their destinations on this Christmas Eve.

Now, American Airlines described the problem as vendor technology issue that affected systems needed to release flights. This lasted about an hour, then the FAA lifted the ground stop. In a statement, the Company said that issue has been resolved and flights have resumed. We note that this was about 8:00 a.m. Eastern. The Company continues in their statement, we sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience this morning.

It was a hectic morning. We talked to some travelers who were very worried about getting to spend Christmas with relatives in Las Vegas. But right now, things are returning to normal. And, in fact, some of the folks that we asked about the ground stop weren't even aware of it.

Rahel?

SOLOMON: Oh, okay. Well, that's good news. Miles, let me bring you in. Any more context or insight into what exactly happened here and what caused this?

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: Rahel, this was software that is crucial to the operation of an airline. It's the software that the dispatcher uses to measure the weight and balance. You want the aircraft to be properly balanced, how much fuel to put onboard, the flight planning functions, all kinds of important safety things that have to happen before you push back and in order for the airline to remain in regulatory compliance.

It's not software that a passenger would ever see directly. But it clearly has a huge impact on their lives. And when it fails the dominos fall pretty quickly.

SOLOMON: And to that point, I mean, how widespread do you think the impacts of this could be? I mean, as we pointed out, it has since been addressed. But as you just said, I mean, it doesn't take much to create havoc.

O'BRIEN: Yes, it's a bit of house of cards isn't it, Rahel? You know, you pull one card out and things collapse pretty quickly. And to rebuild it in short order can be very difficult. Crews need to be reassigned. Aircraft needs to be repositioned. And all the while, while there are a lot of angry passengers standing in front of you at the ticket counter, it becomes a mess so quickly. It's a - you realize that the system is kind of on the edge of this at all times. It makes you wonder how it all works in the first place.

SOLOMON: Yeah, quite a feat. Miles O'Brien, good to have you. Lucy Kafanov, good to have you as well. Thank you both.

All right, let's turn now to former President Bill Clinton, waking up this Christmas Eve in a Washington, D.C. hospital. A spokesman for the 78-year-old says that he has been undergoing tests and observation after developing a fever.

Joining us now is CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner. He was also a professor of medicine and surgery at George Washington University.

Dr. Reiner, good to have you.

DR. JONATHAN REINER; CNN MEDIAL ANALYST: Good morning.

SOLOMON: Does this appear to be, from your perspective, out of an - out of an abundance of caution? What are your thoughts about why he was admitted?

REINER: Well, I think they were - I think they admitted the former president because they were concerned about him. In the former president's medical history is an admission to a hospital in California about three years ago for sepsis. Sepsis is a serious complication of infection and he was hospitalized then for almost a week. So, I think realizing that, I think, his medical team acted to bring him into the hospital to make sure that he was not heading towards sepsis.

SOLOMON: Yes, and I want to go through, I mean, as you point out, there's some of the other health issues that the previous president has had. 2004 he had quadruple bypass heart surgery. The next year he had a partially collapsed lung. In 2010 he received two heart stents. And in 2021 he was hospitalized for six days with a urological infection that spread to his bloodstream.

Dr. Reiner talk to us a little bit about, you sort of touched on it there, how previous issues call for more thorough testing and observation when something like a fever materializes.

REINER: So, sepsis is an exaggerated response to a blood infection that leads to a series of inflammatory responses that ultimately can lead to shock. And it's the third leading cause of death in hospitals in the United States. (Inaudible) years old. And older people are more prone to this kind of complication from an infection.

The complications can proceed very, very quickly. Someone can go from feeling relatively well in the morning to being close to death in the evening, which is why you want to react very quickly.

Mr. Clinton's team suggested that he might be out by Christmas, which would just be tomorrow. But that seems like that might be an optimistic goal.

SOLOMON: What seems like a more realistic timeline, in terms of when he might be released?

REINER: Well, if he really has a systemic blood infection, then his team will treat him with antibiotics for several days. They do blood tests to check for growth of bacteria in the blood. And typically, a patient almost 80 years old would stay in the hospital until his blood starts to clear from the infection. He would require I.V. fluids and antibiotics. If, indeed, he has an infection.

Now, if the former president simply has influenza and doesn't have any evidence of a systemic infection or the bacteria, then he might just get I.V. fluids for a day or so and then go home. But again, I think they admitted the former president because he was showing signs of potentially something more complicated.

And the kinds of symptoms that people present with could be confusion, often the elderly, and the former president, as I said, is 78 years old, sometimes present either lethargic or frankly confused or short of breath or with a very fast heart rate and a very high fever. It does sound like the former president did have a high fever. And these really are potential signs of a systemic infection that requires very rapid treatment.

So we'll have to see over the next, you know, several hours, an update from the former president's team as to which way he is moving.

SOLOMON: Yes, Dr. Jonathan Reiner, great to have your insights today. Thank you.

REINER: My pleasure.

SOLOMON: Well, one person is dead and several are injured after a boat exploded in a Florida marina Monday. And we do want to warn you that the video is disturbing. This footage captured by Earth Cam shows the moment the boat in a Fort Lauderdale marina erupts into flames, sending debris flying and creating a scene of chaos, as you see people run for cover. The boat quickly becomes engulfed and the fire then spreads to a second boat. Officials say that five people were hospitalized, three with traumatic injuries. And investigation into a cause of the explosion is now underway.

Onto California now, where a major storm is being blamed for one man's death and the partial collapse of a pier in Santa Cruz. You can see where waves broker off a portion, or the end of the pier, largest part of the structure ended up on a nearby beach. While officials warn that wreckage still in the water is incredibly dangerous. In an earlier incident, a man was fatally trapped under debris on a beach.

Let's go to Derek Van Dam, who joins us now from the Weather Center. So, Derek, what are conditions looking like now?

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Rahel, we're a far cry from the four-story high waves that were reported yesterday, the hurricane- force winds, but there are still coastal surf advisories up and down the entire West Coast. And, of course, what you're looking at on our TV screen is some of the impacts from those large waves. Look how it was just crashing in far, far inland and, of course, now responsible for taking off 150 feet of what was one of the largest fully wooden wharves in the Western Hemisphere.

The Santa Cruz wharf actually clocked in at 2,745 feet. But losing 150 feet off of that, that's actual wharf and the peer there in Santa Cruz were actually bombarded by several winter storms last year. So, engineers, city officials, believed that the Santa Cruz wharf was actually compromised, the structure of it was. So, the people that were actually on the very, very end of the pier were out there checking the structural integrity as this latest round of incredible wave energy came into the West Coast.

Unfortunately, they were there at the wrong time and that's when the wave, ultimately, took its toll on the pier. And what you're seeing on the screen below you there is just incredible to see. Those are ramming rods, right, still in the water. The debris and the wood left over from this collapse of this - partial collapse of this pier is dangerous. And that's why authorities are warning people to stay out of the water and stay off of the immediate shoreline because a lot of that debris will still work its way inland.

But again, Rahel, this is all part of a large series of storms that have impacted the West Coast. And you can see the warnings that are ongoing for this particular region. He's Santa Cruz, a coastal flood warning included within this particular area. So that will continue through this afternoon.

Rahel?

SOLOMON: Yes, really incredible to see that damage out there in the water. Derek Van Dam in the Weather Center. Derek, thank you.

And still, to come this hour, it's the case that made headlines around the world. Now Gabby Petito's father want so make sure that missing person cases, especially those involved in people of color, get more attention.

He joins me live.

And next, President-elect Trump is eying enough new land that would rival the Louisiana Purchase. But leaders of these countries, like Panama, are pushing back.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:16:21]

SOLOMON: Welcome back. President-elect Donald Trump's threat to retake the Panama Canal starting swift condemnation from the country's leader, after Trump blasted Panama from raising fees on cargo ships to use the waterway, President Jose Raul Mulino said that every square meter of the canal is Panama's and will remain so. That prompted this reply from Trump on Truth Social.

Quote, "We'll see about that."

Let's discuss this more now with CNN Political Commentator Karen Finney and Republican Strategist Neil Chatterjee.

Good to see you both. Karen, let me start with you. This is apparently really outraged people in Panama based on the news coverage we've seen.

Trump's former White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney says this is just a negotiating tactic. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MICK MULVANEY, FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: This is a negotiation. By the way, one of the reasons Trump is so good at negotiating is that it's a - it's a credible threat. If he says, you know, look, we are going to have problems with Panama if they don't lower the rates, you know, I don't envision American troops going in to retake the Canal. But you got to think that someone's out there scratching their head going, is Donald Trump crazy enough to do something like that? And it's that viable threat that sort of gives him negotiating leverage that not a lot of other folks could ever come up with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: Karen, do you buy that? That this is just a viable threat?

KAREN FINNEY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I believe that that is the talking point, and I believe that that is what Donald Trump is saying. But here's the larger problem, aside from how absurd the thing is. That's not what the American people voted for. We were told the election was about the price of eggs, right?

So, where is the conversation about how he is on day one going to start lowering costs for the American people? Frankly, in the interviews that he's done so far, he's actually admitted he doesn't have a plan to lower costs. And that he can't promise that this tariff regime that he's going to implement will lower costs. So, I think the bigger problem is people are hearing him talk about the Panama Canal and Greenland and all sorts of other things like Canada, but they're not hearing him talk about them and their lives and what he's going to do to make their lives better on day one.

SOLOMON: Yes, Neil, to Karen's point, it's not just Panama. I mean, Trump has also said he wants the U.S. to take over Greenland, citing purposes of national security. That's a territory of Denmark. That's a NATO member. Is this really how a U.S. president should be treating our allies around the world, with viable threats according to Mick Mulvaney, and bullying? What do you think?

NEIL CHATTERJEE, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Look, I respectfully disagree with Karen. I actually think the president-elect did campaign on these issues. He campaigned on American energy dominance. So much American energy, clean U.S. LNG that creates jobs here at home, that gives our allies geopolitical alternatives to Russian gas and that lowers global carbon emissions by displacing dirty air sources of fuel overseas, it flows through the Panama Canal. But one of the challenges that U.S. exporters have had is cost and cost implications and the charges to go through the canal contribute to those cost increases.

So, if President Trump can use this muscular approach, this leverage, this Theodore Roosevelt-like approach to American strength on the world stage and it ends up lowering prices for American exports, that benefits Americans and that's exactly what President-elect Trump campaigned on.

SOLOMON: What about, Neil, let me stick with - stick with energy for a moment. And this is, obviously, your space, certainly, more than it is mine. But let's talk about, for example, the threats to Canada. You've had officials from Canada say, hey, if you threaten us we're going to threaten you. And that would have a direct result on the price of oil, of energy. What are your thoughts there?

CHATTERJEE: Look, I think, again, this is all about leverage. This is about, you know, kind of President Trump using his leverage to gain advantage and it's worked. In the immediate aftermath of him kind of needling Prime Minister Trudeau, Prime Minister Trudeau came down to Mar-a-Lago to kiss the ring. And he is in a very weakened position in Ottawa right now. And a lot of that is because of the concerns that you know, his Canadian allies have about whether he is tough enough to deal with Donald Trump and the end result will be greater impact for American consumers, for American voters.

SOLOMON: Karen, speaking of tough enough, let's talk about the future of House Speaker Mike Johnson. Politico has this new reporting that Trump has questions about whether Johnson is tough enough. That he was unhappy with the funding deal that Johnson passed last week, as well as with Johnson himself. But here's what Speaker Johnson had to say just moments after the deal passed.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I was in constant contact with President Trump throughout this process. Spoke with him most recently about 45 minutes ago. He knew exactly what we were doing and why. And this is a good outcome for the country. I think he certainly is happy about this outcome as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: Karen, next week, the House votes for speaker. Democrats bailed Johnson out once before when his job was in jeopardy. Do they do it again? Should they do it again?

FINNEY: No. I think what you're going to see Democrats do is what they've been doing, which is, this is a Republica-made crisis and a Republican-made problem, right? And then remember how we started this year. We started this year with multiple rounds of voting to get to Kevin McCarthy, who then didn't survive. We then had Speaker Johnson. With one of the tightest majorities ever, and again, it's going to be the same coming in the next Congress.

And so, Trump may - you know, I think some of this is performative for Trump because the political reality is with such slim margins they don't have a lot of room and Johnson knows that. He knows how to put together a deal for his caucus. And Trump may not always like it. But if they decide to, you know, throw him overboard and come - and find somebody else, again, Democrats, I think, need to stay out of it and let Americans see, this is what you got for your vote. You got, you know, Elon Musk paid $260 million for a president who will do his bidding. And now you've got a Congress that just can't lead. And so, we'll let them -

SOLOMON: (Inaudible).

FINNEY: -- we want people to see, this is what happens with Republicans.

SOLOMON: Neil, let me give you the last word here before we go.

CHATTERJEE: I think Speaker Johnson's going to be just fine because Republicans understand, Karen made the right point, with narrow margins, if they want to accomplish President Trump's agenda, if they want to move legislation, Republicans are going to have stay unified and I believe they will.

SOLOMON: Okay, we'll leave it here, Karen Finney, Neil Chatterjee, good to see you both. Thank you.

And coming up, still ahead for us, more fallout this morning for Justin Baldoni. This time, the cohost of his podcast stepped away and speaking out after Blake Lively's claims against the actor.

We're back in a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:27:27]

SOLOMON: Welcome back. This morning, the firestorm over Blake Lively's accusations of a smear campaign against her is growing. A publicist accused of taking part in what Lively said was retaliation for standing up against sexual harassment, alleged sexual harassment, is pushing back and now-deleted Facebook posts.

Jennifer Abel says that no plan was launched by her client and Lively's costar Justin Baldoni.

And Sony Pictures, the studio behind the film, "It Ends With Us," says that is standing behind Lively, amid these allegations.

Let's bring in Executive Editor of Deadline Hollywood, Dominic Patten, who joins us now.

Dominic, great to have you. Blake Lively filed this complaint just a few days ago. And you wrote today that the matter seems to be escalating quickly with many Hollywood A-listers flocking to Lively's side and further industry blowback against Baldoni.

Dominic, why do you think this is gaining traction?

DOMINIC PATTEN, EDITOR OF DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD: Well, I think there's two reason very straightforwardly. And first of all, Happy Christmas Eve to everyone. More Santa tracker they tell us.

I think it's very clear, is this is a battle of Hollywood heavyweights to some extent. But there's a real heavyweight in the background which, of course, is Blake Lively's blockbuster husband Ryan Reynolds, aka "Deadpool," one of the most powerful and popular people in Hollywood. So this whole thing, as it's unraveled, Reynolds has played a role in this supporting is wife. More importantly, for many, and I would say this in the industry and outside the industry, this has really pulled back the veil on how crisis P.R. works.

Also, the power of influencers and social media forums (ph) which are essentially now, as we've seen in the political arena and we're seeing in the celebrity arena, are battlefields for recognition and for blowback.

This one is very clearly something that taps into that. I think there's also a little bit of back history here. One of the P.R. crises, P.R. (inaudible) involved here for Baldoni was also someone who worked for Johnny Depp when he and Amber Heard were facing off on a domestic abuse trial in Virginia a couple of years ago and Heard received a flood of negative online attention, a lot of which she says helped to lead to her losing her case against Depp.

So, I think this is scratching an old wound. I think it's pulling back a veil and I think it's also getting some real power players involved at a time, and let's be honest, a lot of us are sitting around looking at this stuff and it's overwhelming us, telling us about the people we thought we knew and how little we did.

SOLOMON: Yeah, and certainly, it seems like a lot of players involved, this team, that team, this layer, that lawyer. We should remind everyone, speaking of lawyers, this is not an official lawsuit but it is a legal complaint.

But Dominic, what are hearing about what happens next? I mean, do you think Lively will formally sue her former costar? And is Justin Baldoni preparing for that?

PATTEN: Oh, I think absolutely. Look --