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Tips For Coping With Sadness, Stress, Anxiety During The Holidays; Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA), Is Interviewed About 1 Killed In Russia Missile Attacks Across Ukraine On Christmas Day; Top Ten Health Stories Of 2024. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired December 25, 2024 - 09:30   ET

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

[09:30:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Once again, thousands of worshipers attended the services at the -- at the cathedral. The Paris archbishop symbolically reopened Notre Dame's wooden doors earlier this month. This -- this of course, with many big, bold -- bold-faced names in audience. Guests like President-elect Donald Trump, First Lady Jill Biden, Prince William and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy also on hand.

This holiday is also of course always a time filled with plenty of food, parties, joy, fun, gifts, all the good stuff. But for some, this time of year can also bring with it a lot of sadness and a lot of anxiety. And it turns out it is quite common. You are not alone if you are dealing with the holiday blues right now, but there is help on the way. Joining us right now is Jeff Gardere, clinical psychologist and professor of behavioral medicine at Touro University. It's good to see you. Thank you for coming in. So --

DR. JEFF GARDERE, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Thank you Kate. Great to be here, Kate.

BOLDUAN: As much as it is important to celebrate the holidays, it's also important to say you're not alone. This is not uncommon. If you are not feeling so much holiday cheer, what is it about this time of year that brings up sadness in so many when the goal, of course, of the season is the opposite?

GARDERE: Yes. And -- and in addition to what you're talking about, the holiday blues, we also see some agitation again, that sadness and loneliness that you talked about isolating oneself. And a lot of that has to do with the stress of all of those great things that you said that we should be celebrating. For some people it's just a little bit too much, too many unrealistic expectations of having to be present, having to be there, having to be smiling, too many of the sentimental memories of days gone by or people that we've lost or that inability for whatever reason it may be, Kate, to be with family and friends during the holiday. So all of those things come together and can cause someone to have the holiday blues.

BOLDUAN: And the holiday blues, of course not a clinical diagnosis. It's not clinical depression we're talking about or any --

GARDERE: That's right.

BOLDUAN: -- of the other mood disorders that so many people battle and manage throughout year round. That said, what should people watch out for this season?

GARDERE: Well, I think it's important for people to understand that if they're feeling burnt out, if they're feeling that perhaps they just can't rise to the moment that other people are -- are enjoying or they're absolutely dreading the holidays, well, they probably are at risk for the holiday blues. And you're right, Kate, it's not a clinical depression. But we tend to see that people who do have a pre- existing mental health challenge may be more at risk for the holiday blues.

BOLDUAN: And you're -- you kind of touched on it a little bit. But the holidays can also be especially hard for people who are in grief, who are grieving a loss of a loved one. And grief around the holidays can also, I have found, also be additionally complicated for some reason. You know, what -- what's your advice to people if they're experiencing this or if they, you know, are having a tough time with it as they move through this season?

GARDERE: Yes. So in -- in this very joyous time, we tend to miss the people that are no longer with us even more because of some of the memories that it brings up. So I think it's important for us to create new traditions. One of the things that we can do is go to, if one is religious, go to a house of service in order to celebrate a memory of that person who's no longer with us. Or even more importantly, sitting at the kitchen table or sitting at the dining room table and leaving an open place setting for that individual. Have a libation for them or just talk about what it is that they meant in our lives.

So this way it's not just about grieving, but more importantly, celebrating the memory of the significance of that individual in our -- in our personal lives as well as that in our families and in society.

BOLDUAN: Yes. On the most basic level, it feels just don't go deeper into yourself. Make sure talking about it and acknowledging it is of course, I think, an important part of -- of getting through it as best as we can.

GARDERE: Oh, yes.

BOLDUAN: It's good to see you.

GARDERE: Absolutely. And also -- and also touching base with others.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. It's good touch base with you, Jeff. Thank you so much.

GARDERE: Great to see you.

[09:34:23]

BOLDUAN: We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: So this morning, Russia launched a massive Christmas morning aerial attack on Ukraine's energy sector, launching more than 70 missiles. Ukraine's air defenses shot down more than 50 of the Russian missiles and say that they also took out a significant number of drones that were targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure. But at least one person has died, six others injured. And this is just from the initial reports coming in.

Let's talk about what this means in this war ahead, where it stands now. Joining me right now is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Democratic Congressman from California, Ami Bera. Congressman, thank you so much for coming in on this Christmas Day. This war is now grinding into its third winter, and the president of Ukraine just called this Christmas Day assault, inhuman. But there's -- it's -- very clearly there's no pause in this war during the holidays. I mean, what do you think 2025 is going to mean for this fight for Ukraine's survival?

REP. AMI BERA (D-CA): You know, Kate, thanks for having me on. I do think it's inhuman to choose this particular day, but that's not unusual for Vladimir Putin. I think, you know, you've heard President- elect Trump talk about wanting to negotiate. You've heard Vladimir Putin talk about it. And I think Republicans in Congress are also going to push for some sort of end to this conflict.

You know, I've met with Ukrainian parliamentarians and others. For this conflict to end, there's got to be some guarantee of Ukrainian security. I don't know exactly what that -- that means. And I think they'd be -- they'd be reluctant to cede territory. So is there some negotiation that, you know, creates some occupied territory? But again, I think Putin is also suffering. We've seen what's happened in Syria. That was a big black eye for Putin. We're hearing reports of rampant inflation, lack of food, potatoes, things like that. So I think he's got some incentives. And now President Biden is talking about increasing sanctions as well. So can we create the contour for a negotiation?

[09:40:21]

BOLDUAN: Yes, there is a lot kind of in the air, if you will, around what change could come January 20th. I mean, you also have the President-elect saying very recently that Ukraine will possibly receive less military aid once he takes office. How is that going to play out in Congress? Because there are a lot of crosscurrents that do not perfectly land along party lines. We have seen that over and over again. And you are looking at, you know, a -- the Republicans are looking at a even slimmer majority in the House. How is -- when it comes to Congress's role, how is that going to look?

BERA: You know, I -- I think you're going to see some interesting debates. The Republican Party used to be a very hawkish party, but you've seen these factions within their conference folks that very much are saying, OK, let's get out of Ukraine, folks that are your more traditional hawkish Republicans that are saying, we've got to continue this fight and beat Putin. And then you've got the same factions in the Democratic Party.

So I think you're going to see vibrant debate. I do think, you know, we've seen what President Trump, elect Trump, wants to do. And then, you know, I -- I serve on the Intelligence Committee with Mike Walsh, who's the incoming NSC director. So he's also asked some pretty tough questions about Ukraine. So, again, I think there's an opportunity to try to negotiate an end to this conflict.

BOLDUAN: Yes, it would be really an -- it's -- it's -- January is going to be -- January, February, I think, is going to be a very interesting time in this war. Also, separately, I guess, on the foreign policy front, the President-elect and this new focus on retaking control of the Panama Canal, I have seen some reporting that Trump's focus here actually has more to do with China than anything else. A senior -- one senior Trump appointee, the way they put it is that it's designed to make clear that -- that decades of U.S. commerce financing China's growth and strategic footpoint in -- in the Americas is now over with this. No matter the motivation behind it, Panama is taking this very seriously. To this approach to foreign policy, you say what?

BERA: You know, it's unconventional. You know, we've seen him do it. You know, we watch them talk about wanting to buy Greenland in his first term. He's brought that -- that up again, too. So, you know, I think this is all negotiation. I do think it is about, you know, China and China competition. And I think we're going to hear a lot more of that. Obviously, we're hearing him talk about 100 percent tariffs and so forth, you know, is that a negotiating ploy or is that something he's really serious about?

And again, you know, I don't think we're taking the Panama Canal back, but I do think, you know, there's legitimate concern about, you know, China's footprint in the Western hemisphere.

BOLDUAN: Yes, this is also another holiday that families of the Israeli hostages are suffering through as well as civilians in Gaza are suffering through. But there does appear -- appear, I will say, a glimmer of renewed hope on the possible -- possibility of maybe a final hostage cease fire deal. The father of one of remaining American hostages, Sagui Dekel-Chen, he spoke with me this week and he says that Trump getting involved now and setting an actual date and deadline for Hamas or else has been a game changer. Congressman, let me play what Jonathan Dekel-Chen told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JONATHAN DEKEL-CHEN, FATHER OF ISRAELI-AMERICAN HOSTAGE: But clearly over the course of the last three weeks since President-elect Trump came out with a very strong statement with a deadline of January 20th, his inauguration, clearly all of the sides, the intermediaries, Egypt, Qatar, Hamas and Israel have put into motion a negotiation process that had been stalled for months until that statement. There seems to be an urgency on all sides that's been missing for a very long time to get this done.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BOLDUAN: What do you think of this -- this more aggressive approach that we're already hearing from Trump and those around him?

BERA: You know, I think the Biden administration has also been pushing for a long time. I agree that there has been a slowdown in those negotiations. You know, I -- I -- there's an urgency to get the hostages released. There's an urgency to try to figure out how do you avert a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. I mean, the amount of starvation there is pretty incredible. And then there's a real possibility of a very different Middle East. You've seen Hezbollah decimated. We've just seen what happened in Syria.

Iran really is in a very precarious position. So, you know, I -- I think as a Democratic member of the Foreign Policy Committee, we'd be happy to work with the Trump administration to try to negotiate a different path forward for the Middle East.

BOLDUAN: I think your committee is going to be one of the marquee committees to be watching because it is going to be a very interesting few months ahead on the foreign policy front. Congressman, it's good to see you. Thank you so much for coming in.

[09:45:07]

BERA: Good to see you. Merry Christmas.

BOLDUAN: You too.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: Welcome back. 2024 has been quite a year in terms of health headlines. CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta counts down the top 10 of the year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: From another potential pandemic to health threats infiltrating our daily lives, 2024 provided us with some warning signs. But we also saw stories with hard earned moments of inspiration and innovation reminding us of the relentless search for the next medical breakthrough.

[09:50:10]

GUPTA (voice-over): With more than 100,000 people on the wait list for organ transplants in the United States, there is a clear need for a solution. And this could be the answer.

MICHAEL CURTIS, CEO, EGENESIS, INC.: They're fully edited. All these piglets can carry a total of 69 edits to the genome.

GUPTA (voice-over): Genetically edited pigs designed by scientists to be compatible with the human body, reducing the possibility of rejection. Scientists have started to make progress testing this type of organ transplant. It's known as xenotransplantation. They're doing this in the patients who have no other alternatives.

As temperatures around the world keep climbing, it's taking a clear toll on our health, testing the limits even of human survivability. This year, people hiking, attending concerts, just being in their own homes, they have died from heat. In fact, heat is the deadliest type of extreme weather and climate change is making those heat waves longer and more severe. Heat also means warmer oceans, leading to these supercharged hurricanes like the ones that we saw this year, and that comes with their own health consequences as well.

Imagine using a computer by only using your mind. That's just the beginning of what Brain Computer Interface or BCI technology combined with Artificial Intelligence is now hoping to do. Companies like Synchron and Elon Musk's Neuralink, they have begun implanting BCI devices into people's brains to help people who are losing motor functions still be able to perform daily tasks.

Earlier this year, I met Mark. He is an ALS patient who has mostly lost the ability to use his arms, and we saw firsthand how Synchron's Stentrode device helps send messages on his computer and even play a game like Pong. He hopes this technology can help him, can help other patients struggling as well with paralysis, maintain as much independence as possible.

TIMOTHY MITCHELL, COLON CANCER SURVIVOR: I was 43 years old at the time when I was diagnosed.

GUPTA (voice-over): A growing number of young adults like Timothy Mitchell, are being diagnosed with cancer.

DR. JONATHAN VILLENA, AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY: Cancer which usually would affect people over 65, has now become much more prevalent in patients under 55.

GUPTA (voice-over): While the trends have been headed this way for more than a decade, experts still aren't sure why this is happening. But it has put a spotlight on the importance of recommended preventative screenings, paying attention to any unusual symptoms in your body, and a search for factors that could be behind this increase.

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A new study shows an increase in levels of microplastics in human brains.

GUPTA (voice-over): Microplastics, they are everywhere nowadays. They're in our food, they're in our clothing, they're in the air we breathe. And now, we're starting to get a better understanding of their potential impact on our health. There was a study that found people with micro or nanoplastics in their carotid arteries were twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke, or die from any other cause over the next three years --

GUPTA: -- compared to people who had none.

GUPTA (voice-over): If you're a parent, I know you're going to understand this. DR. VIVEK MURTHY, U.S. SURGEON GENERAL: Forty-eight percent, nearly half of parents, are saying on most days they're completely overwhelmed by their stress.

GUPTA (voice-over): This summer, the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, issued an advisory calling parental stress a public health concern, saying that we need a cultural shift with both individual and government intervention. Parents are working more than ever, and childcare demands have only increased, leaving many families feeling exhausted, burned out, perpetually behind. That's what Murthy said.

GUPTA: It's no secret that diet plays a major role in our health. And while we know the benefits of healthy food, the harms of ultra- processed food are now coming into clearer focus. Ultra- processed foods make up nearly 70 percent of our country's food supply. Numerous studies have found that consuming higher amounts of these foods raises the risk of obesity, but also the development of chronic conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, depression, and it probably even shortens lifespan. Researchers are now trying to figure out if ultra-processed ingredients are all created equal.

An alarming spread of bird flu throughout dairy herds across the United States has scientists on edge.

ANDREW BOWMAN, OHIO STATE EPIDEMIOLOGIST: As we think about a virus that might move from animals into humans, and potentially cause the next pandemic, certainly has everyone's guard up.

GUPTA (voice-over): While the CDC says the public health risk remains low, there have been cases of bird flu in humans.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: The CDC is now confirming the first severe case of H5N1 bird flu in a human inside the United States.

GUPTA (voice-over): Most human cases have been among people who've been exposed to sick animals, but that hasn't completely eased the fears of possibility of human to human transmission.

[09:55:08]

GUPTA: There may be more hope for Alzheimer's patients than ever. A new study led by Dr. Dean Ornish found that some patients who underwent lifestyle interventions alone, like eating a vegan diet, exercising daily, practicing stress reduction, they saw improved cognition, even signs of reversal of the disease. I got to see this firsthand, meeting patients all over the country.

MIKE CARVER, ALZHEIMER'S PATIENT: This is the best I can do to stay alive. And I want to live with my wife as long as I can.

GUPTA (voice-over): We also did see promise in newly approved pharmaceutical interventions, including monoclonal antibody treatments, Donanemab for example, demonstrating the ability to slow the progression of the disease. You know, for decades, we only saw incremental progress in treating this disease. But now, I have to say, these options are giving patients new hope. This year, we traveled around the world, investigating the impact of the GLP-1 weight loss drugs. With no signs of slowing in popularity now, these drugs have given us new insight into obesity as a disease.

RASHEEDA BUSH, OZEMPIC USER: What it did help me was not have a whole lot of thoughts about food. My cravings went away.

GUPTA (voice-over): We now consider obesity a disease of the brain, a revelation that I think has lifted a sense of guilt associated with this disease, helped us get to a better understanding of how to treat it as well.

DR. DAN SKOVRONSKY, CHIEF SCIENTIFIC OFFICER. ELI LILLY: It's definitely true that there are people out there who've said time and again, obesity is not really a disease. All you need to do is eat better and exercise more and you'll be OK.

GUPTA (voice-over): While these drugs may not be for everyone, we have seen how they can transform people's lives, physically, yes, but also emotionally.

GUPTA: We've only at this point, begun to unlock the possibilities. Studies have found that these drugs could be associated with cardiovascular benefits, lowering the risk of certain cancers, curbing cravings as well beyond food, like nicotine and alcohol. And I'm sure we're going to continue to learn a lot more about this in 2025. Happy New Year.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)