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Israeli Strikes Hit Yemen's Airport; New Details In Kazakhstan Place Crash; Inside Russia's Drone Factory. Corporate Donors Pledging Millions to Trump Inauguration; Trump: U.S. Should Control Panama Canal, Buy Greenland; Bird Flu Kills Big Cats at Washington Sanctuary; "Beyonce Bowl" Brings in Top Ratings for Netflix; Viral Moments of 2024. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired December 27, 2024 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Eleni Giokos live in New York. Ahead this hour, Israeli strikes targeting Houthis hit civilian infrastructure in Yemen, a sign the war in the Middle east could be shifting. New intelligence in the Kazakhstan plane crash investigation, how Russia may be involved. And a look inside Russia's drone factory, making cheaper versions of Iranian drones to fuel its offensive in Ukraine.
Israel's military says it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen early Friday before it entered Israeli territory. The interception comes just hours after Yemen's Houthi rebels vowed retaliation for a strike string of deadly Israeli airstrikes on the country on Thursday. The Houthis say the attacks on Yemen's main airport, a power station and two ports killed at least six people and wounded at least 40.
The head of the World Health Organization says he and a UN Team were about to board a plane at the Sana'a airport when it came under Israeli bombardment. One of the plane's crew members was injured.
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STEPHANIE TREMBLAY, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL SPOKESPERSON: The secretary general condemns the escalation between Yemen and Israel. Israeli airstrikes today on Sana'a International Airport. The Red Sea ports and power stations in Yemen are especially alarming. The airstrikes reportedly resulted in numerous casualties.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Well, the director general of the WHO says he and his team will need to wait for the damage to be repaired at the airport before they can leave. Elliot Godkin is in Jerusalem with more details.
ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: The Houthis have lobbed ballistic missiles towards Tel Aviv for four out of the last seven nights, sending millions scrambling to bomb shelters. On Thursday, Israel responded, launching its first-ever attack on Yemen's main airport and hitting two power stations. The strikes, the Israeli military said, targeted infrastructure the Houthis have been using to bring Iranian weapons into Yemen. Among those hurt, a crew member for a plane for the World Health Organization, whose director general says he was just meters away from the impact.
This was the fourth time Israeli planes have attacked the Houthis, who say they're firing on Israel and international shipping in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. On Wednesday night in the war-battered enclave, five men, all of them journalists, according to hospital officials and AlQuds Today TV were killed while sleeping in their van.
The channel, affiliated with Palestine Islamic Jihad, which the U.S. and others proscribe as a terrorist organization, says the men were carrying out their journalistic and humanitarian duty. Israel says they were Islamic Jihad militants posing as journalists. For evidence, it provided what it said was a list of operatives it picked up during operations in Gaza, edited to translate names and details on which four of the men's names appear along with their roles. And as the war in Gaza rumbles on, ceasefire talks aimed at securing the release of the hundred or so hostages still being held captive appear to have hit another snag.
On Christmas Day, Hamas accused Israel of moving the goalposts in negotiations and said this was why a deal had yet to be done. For its part, Israel said Hamas was lying and reneging on understandings that had already been reached.
Whatever the case, despite renewed optimism that a deal could soon be done, the reality is the two sides appear no closer to reaching an agreement that could end the year-long war and bring all the hostages home. Elliott Gotkine, CNN, Jerusalem.
GIOKOS: New details are emerging from the investigation into a deadly Christmas Day plane crash in Kazakhstan. Crews have recovered a second black box at the crash site. That's according to the Kazakh state news agency. Officials say the black box will be used to investigate the cause of the accident. More experts are expected to arrive on the scene in the coming hours, including representatives from the plane manufacturer and airline. New video showing the moments the plane crash happened.
As you can see, they're killing at least 38 of the 67 people on board. CNN's Bianna Golodryga, reports the U.S. is now breaking its silence on the incident.
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BIANNA GOLODRYGA: As investigators race to determine the cause of the deadly Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash, early indications suggest that a Russian anti-aircraft system may be responsible, a U.S. Official told CNN. The aircraft was traveling from the Azerbaijani capital of Baku to the Russian republic of Chechnya when it attempted an emergency landing in Kazakhstan. The crash occurred shortly after Ukraine fired drones nearby at southern Russia, possibly leading Russia's defense systems to inadvertently strike the aircraft, the official said.
Video from onboard the flight shows panicked passengers praying and holes visible in the body of the aircraft. The source of the apparent damage has not been confirmed. The airline and Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency initially told local media the aircraft crashed after it collided with a flock of birds, an account disputed by Ukrainian counter disinformation official Andrey Kovalenko.
Russian state media also reported that the plane had been rerouted due to heavy fog around Chechnya's capital. Several investigations have been opened, including one by a joint commission involving representatives from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Russia.
ILHAM ALIYEV, AZERBAJIAN PRESIDENT (voiceover): The commission's task is to fully investigate the matter, the causes and all the details of the accident and to inform both me and the people of Azerbaijan.
GOLODRYGA: The Kremlin expressed condolences for those impacted by the crash and urged against speculation into the cause until the investigations have concluded. Of the 67 people on board, 29 survived, including two children, authorities said. In Azerbaijan, a day of mourning was declared for the dead. Some relatives of the survivors remain on edge waiting for news on loved ones' recovery.
FIZULI JAILOV, FATHER OF SURVIVOR NIZAMI JALIOV (voiceover): I don't know what to say honestly. I spoke with my son today. Thank God his condition is good. If everything goes well today and tomorrow, he will come to Baku. Let's see what happens next.
GOLODRYGA: For many families of the at least 38 people killed in the crash, answers can't come soon enough. Bianna Golodryga, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Well, it's not the first time we've seen an incident like this. CNN's Oren Liebermann takes a look at the similarities between this crash and one over Ukraine in 2014.
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: It's worth noting that this has happened before a decade ago with Malaysian Airlines Flight 17, MH17. It was a Russian anti-aircraft missile operated by Russian- backed separatists in Eastern Ukraine that downed that commercial airliner, killing those on board. So there has been a similar situation to what the U.S. May be seeing when it comes to this Azerbaijan Airlines flight. Now it's worth looking at the environment there. Ukraine had just carried out a drone strike in southern Russia and according to Defense experts, Russia's air defenses were active in that region at around the time of this Azerbaijan Airlines flight.
In fact, the U.S. Official with whom I spoke said that because of the poor training for Russia's air defense units and for its military, it may be that led to the confusion in which Russian air defense units may have fired on a commercial airliner. GIOKOS: Well, CNN analysts are weighing in on the investigation and
Russia's possible involvement in the crash. Here's what they told CNN earlier.
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DAVID SOUCIE, CNN SAFETY ANALYST: Well, to me, it just indicates that the missile was not a direct hit. And if you look at the damage to the aircraft that we have so far, and of course, all we can see at this point is the tail section. But if the impact was mostly in the tail section, it would have avoided the fuel cells, it would have avoided the engines. All of the critical parts of keeping the aircraft flying were avoided. And if that's the case, then that missile would have just struck in the tail. And that would indicate too, that's why we've lost the flight control, indicating that he's lost flight controls. That could have been from a hydraulic leak caused by the by the impact as well.
So it makes sense to me that that missile would have just hit in the rear section of the aircraft and it would have been able to continue to fly. But regarding where it went, I think it's important to point out that the first alternate airport that they had was closed that day. And whether they had planned to use it or not, the second alternate was clear across the Caspian Sea on the other side.
COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Normally, what happens in a case like this is the airspace is shut down. There's a notice to airmen that goes out that says this area is restricted and you can't fly in it. Apparently, that did not happen. And when you look at, you know, obviously, the crash scene, it's pretty clear that the pilots had to do some incredible flying in order to get to the point where they could crash land the way they did. But it's absolutely abnormal for this area not to be closed off to air traffic.
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When you look at the way in which the Russians have handled air defense issues going back decades, you can see that there are certain weaknesses in the way the Russians do their training and really execute operations in the air defense realm. And in this particular case, it's very possible that the air defense operators, the radar operators and the missile operators mistook aircraft and that for drones. And that, of course, is a critical element in this. And mistaken identity can obviously cost lives and cause crashes.
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GIOKOS: All right. South Korea's Constitutional Court is preparing to hold its first public hearing on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. As you can see, these are live pictures coming through from the Constitutional Court. It is part of what could be a very long process. The court has up to 180 days to decide whether Yoon will be formally removed from office or reinstated.
Yoon was impeached on December 14 after refusing to resign amid controversy over his decision to impose martial law. Meanwhile, the acting president, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, is now facing his own impeachment threat. Voting on that is expected to begin this hour.
Israel's attorney general has ordered an investigation into Sarah Netanyahu, the wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over allegations she harassed opponents. This comes after a report from Israeli media outlet Channel 12 alleged the prime minister's wife intimidated a witness in her husband's criminal trial and indirectly harassed the attorney general and deputy state attorney. Hours before the investigation was announced, the prime minister defended his wife and condemned the reports as biased and false propaganda. The prime minister is facing corruption charges in three separate cases.
The former prime minister of India, Manmohan Singh, has died at the age of 92. Singh died at a New Delhi hospital that said he was brought in after losing consciousness at home Thursday evening. The hospital also said he was being treated for age-related medical conditions. Singh served two terms from 2004 to 2014 in which he continued economic reforms. He had begun as finance minister and helped improve relations with the United States.
India's current prime minister, Narendra Modi called Singh, quote, "one of the country's most distinguished leaders". Russia is ramping up its production of military drones with Iran playing a supporting role. Half facility east of Moscow became a Mecca for drone production, which is growing by leaps and bounds. That is coming up after the break.
Plus, authorities in Finland seize an oil tanker with connections to Russia. The reason why just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.
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GIOKOS: So the Baltic Sea where Finnish authorities have seized a tanker carrying Russian oil suspected of causing undersea Internet and power cable outages.
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KRISTEN MICHAL, ESTONIAN PRIME MINISTER (voiceover): This is the first time during these incidents where the guilty party or let's say a suspect vessel has been detained. And in order to carry out investigations, we have had first steps already taken. Finland has taken the lead in its investigation as it has happened before since its damage to the S Link 2 cable is on the Finnish side. So the Finnish will take the lead but we will be working together. So now for us regarding these different points, what is important is to get answers to the questions regarding our security of supply and whether it's under threat.
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GIOKOS: Well, the vessel is believed to belong to Russia's shadow fleet looking to avoid oil sanctions. Countries around the Baltic are on high alert for sabotage following a string of disruptions with power, communications, and gas. Here is one analyst with more about the ship.
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MICHELLE WIESE BOOKMAN, PRINCIPAL ANALYST, LLOYD'S LIST INTELLIGENCE: Well, this ship is one of about 26 ships that belong to a cluster of dark fleet tankers that are being used by Russia to evade Western sanctions. It's one of -- linked to three different -- three related companies, two of which have been sanctioned by the U.K. government 12 months ago for being part of Putin's fleet. And we also know that the ship is in -- in terrible condition. It has recently been found to have a number of safety deficiencies and that it's an environmental risk and it's a danger -- a safety danger to the crew. And now that we know, it's probably a security danger as well.
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GIOKOS: Russia's president is pitching Slovakia to be the host of possible peace talks with Ukraine. Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he's open to holding negotiations there, a country whose prime minister is known for his pro-Moscow stance. But the Kremlin is making it clear it is not interested in a cease fire. It wants a legally binding agreement that will address Russia's security concerns. But as he talks peace, Mr. Putin also says his powerful new weapon, the Oreshnik hypersonic missile, is now in serial production.
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VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (voiceover): We have them and not just one system. But we are in no hurry to use them because these weapons are powerful. They are designed to solve specific problems. We have started serial production. Now we will produce the required and necessary quantity and we will place some on the territory of Belarus. We act systematically but we do not exclude the possibility of using them both today and tomorrow if there is such a need.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well, Russia seems to have an endless supply of drones these days thanks to technology acquired from Iran. A factory east of Moscow is cranking out the Russian version of Iran's Shahed drones, which Tehran has been supplying to Moscow. But as Clare Sebastian reports, Russian engineers are taking the Iranian know how to a new and deadlier level.
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CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): The caption My mom's reaction when she found out I earned more than her, cat videos TikTok memes all part of a recruitment effort funneling workers into Russia's ever expanding drone program. The videos are made by Alabuga Polytechnic, a technical college based in at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in southern Russia, the same site identified by the White House last year as Russia's domestic Shahed factory producing Iranian-designed drones. In February, the U.S. slapped sanctions on Alabuga, noting it exploited underage students from an affiliated polytechnic university as laborers to assemble these attack UAVs. David Albright, a former nuclear weapons inspector, has been tracking
Alabuga since 2022.
DAVID ALBRIGHT, INSTITUTE FOR SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY: The only benefit is -- is the high salary but the males get exemption from military service, and so that -- that's a drawing card.
SEBASTIAN (voiceover): A Ukrainian intelligence officer only authorized to speak to CNN anonymously told us those perks come at a cost.
"OREST", UKRANIAN DEFENCE INTELLIGENCE OFFICE (voiceover): All students involved in the production of these UAVs live at a separate limited access compound. Once employed, they sign NDAs. Their contracts say they produce motorboats.
SEBASTIAN (voiceover): And yet, as recruitment efforts step up, this video from July allowed the facade to slip. Thinking of starting 10th grade, says the voiceover, join the Super Elite program, air navigation, and drone programming at Alabuga Polytechnic and help the Stalin's Falcons, That's a new drone unit in the Stalin's Falcons. Pause here and you see the distinctive serial number of the Russian produced Shahed and the unit emblem.
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In July, Russia fired 422 Shahed or similar drones at Ukraine. By November, it was almost six times that. Analysis of Air Force reports and official data show. To meet that demand, Shahed production at Alabuga has more than doubled this year, say CNN sources in Ukraine's Defense Intelligence. And there's a new product.
This is the Gerbera, a much cheaper copy of the Shahed pictured in a video posted in July by the Stalin's Falcons, that same drone unit. For this volunteer air defense unit in Kyiv, it's clear the cheaper copies are fueling bigger attacks.
YURLY CHUMAK, UKRAINIAN AIR DEFENSE VOLUNTEER: Now they send Russia sends every day a lot of drones. More of them are not even with the explosive things. It's just very cheap and very simple drones.
SEBASTIAN (voiceover): For Yuri Chumak, a serving Supreme Court judge by day, there's no denying the decoys are working.
CHUMAK: We cannot detect what it is. You just see that it's drones so you shall use missile or you shall use machine gun to shut down it.
SEBASTIAN (voiceover): CNN's sources in Ukrainian defense intelligence believe Alabuga will produce up to 10,000 Gerberas this year alone. Analysis of downed drones shows Russia has also adapted the original Shahed, making it tougher, more weatherproof, and in some cases, deadlier. In late October, experts in Kyiv found traces of thermobaric munitions on downed Shaheds.
OLEKSIY STEPANIUK, KYIV SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF FORENSIC EXPERT (voiceover): There were several of them. Their effect is that they're used as incendiary munitions. In a certain radius, they disable all equipment and people.
SEBASTIAN (voiceover): Ukraine has tried hitting back. This April strike, using a modified small aircraft, blew a hole in the roof of a worker dormitory at Alabuga.
But neither that strike nor international sanctions could stop the breakneck pace of expansion here. Between March and September this year, two entirely new buildings appeared next to the original ones. And this image from late November seems to confirm they're connected. New covered walkways link old and new buildings. Another looks set to join the factory to the worker dormitories now fully repaired.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They started to create, we thought, drone cages over the buildings. And then as they build other buildings, it looks like they're expanding the security perimeter.
SEBASTIAN (voiceover): NATO told CNN it is, quote, well aware of Alabuga and expects it to ramp up production even further. This military patriotic team-building event for Alabuga students, a glimpse into the high-octane world behind that security fence. Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.
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GIOKOS: Global affairs Analyst Michael Boseki is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and a former spokesperson for the organization for security and cooperation in Europe. Michael, always good to see you. And we've just heard Clare's report really shedding light on the fact that you've seen drone production increasing rapidly. I mean, it's such an incredible story and to see how the factory itself is expanding. We've seen a barrage of these attacks, sometimes they last hours in Ukraine. What kind of advantage is it giving Russia?
MICHAEL BOCIURKIW, FMR. SPOKESPERSON, ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE: Good to be with you. Well, quite a big advantage. I mean, President Putin has said he'd like to multiply drone production by 10 times, according to CN reporting, to 1.4 million drones or so this year. And what Clare's report there hints at is that Western sanctions are almost becoming a joke because not only are they using Chinese components. But according to Financial Times report today, there's also Western metal working machinery being employed to make this equipment. So what we thought would have stopped Russia from producing weaponry with Western components isn't happening.
Now, having said all that, Ukraine is not taking this sitting down in any way. Their drone production is headed to the hundreds of thousands. And this ranges from small kitchen tabletop productions to factory based monotonic tweaks, jet engines, and can strike with force deep into Russia.
One more thing, though, it has to say, Clare mentioned thermobaric warheads on some of the drones. Those are very devastating. We've seen firsthand in Ukraine what they can do.
GIOKOS: Yes, I know and you actually live in Ukraine. You live in Odessa. So you've lived it -- you've live it firsthand. One thing that was quite interesting about Clare's reports as well is that a lot of the drones, some of the drones are actually dead drones and they're used as decoys. We know a large percentage of the drones that infiltrate Ukrainian airspace are shot down. But what is -- what is Ukraine's capabilities to increase destroying these drones?
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BOCIURKIW: It's very difficult because Ukraine is a large country, the size of France. And what the Russians are doing and employing very evasive techniques, sending basically tsunami waves of drones, if you will, across the country that take various security of routes and then strike their targets, including, as you mentioned, those decoy drones. But the range of Ukrainian defenses are quite impressive. You have teams of volunteers literally standing on rooftops, shooting with rifles at some of them. And then you have the high-tech stuff. The problem with the high-tech air defense system by the West, it's very expensive to deploy them against these relatively inexpensive Russian drones.
So we know very well that there's no interview in Ukraine now that can be considered safe because of these Russian attacks.
GIOKOS: I mean, and we know what kind of devastation we're seeing here. We saw the strike on energy infrastructure on Christmas day. There've been 13 strikes on energy infrastructure in Ukraine just this year. We also know that Russia has said they're now going into serial production for the Oreshnik, which is a completely new risk. And we know how absolutely terrifying that prospect is. Tell me about how people are feeling about these realities.
BOCIURKIW: Well, they're scared. It's difficult to get into the twisted mind of Mr. Putin. But he has threatened to send several of these Oreshnik via CBMs to decision making centers like Kiev. They are very powerful. Mr. Putin claims they can produce temperatures that rival the surface of the sun. They travel very fast. To give you an idea they can cover -- they cover the distance from Russia to Dipro, about 800 kilometers, 15 minutes. That's equivalent to the driving distance from Washington D.C. to Toronto. And again, if deployed in high numbers, they can produce a massive destruction. So Ukrainians are understandably very worried that acts on his threats.
GIOKOS: You know, President elect Trump is very against the fact that the Biden administration has done a massive U turn and allowing for U.S. weapons to be used into Russian territory. What is your take on what Trump could do once he comes into office?
BOCIURKIW: Sure. Well, if there's anything we Learned from Trump, 1.0 is it's difficult to believe anything he says because he is the -- he presents himself as the master of the art of the deal. But he's also master of the art of bullying and presumption and so on. So I expect what probably happen is to pull pressure Mr. Putin very early on to find some kind of settlement for this war. But it probably won't be on Ukraine's terms. Putin will say no and then Trump will display his bravado. We're giving Ukraine everything it needs. The problem with that, of course, we all is that that Biden has been approach has not given wars. They're very far behind. What happens, Michael?
GIOKOS: Yeah, Michael, I want to I also want to get to the plane crash on Christmas Day in Kazakhstan. And of course, there's a lot of questions around what actually causes. Sources are saying that it could be Russian air defense systems. What's your assessment?
BOCIURKIW: Well, very quickly is I worked the MH17 crash with the OSE in July 2014, and we saw very quickly on the side of the fuselage these very distinct pockmarks that eventually ended up being a signature damage from Russian Buk missile. I was shocked when I saw the fuselage of this Azerbaijani plane because they look very similar. So all evidence that points to an explosion by a missile, that aircraft that like something made it unworthy and brought it down.
GIOKOS: Well, Michael, always good to speak to you, always fantastic to get your insights. I wish you all the best. Thank you so much.
BOCIURKIW: My pleasure.
GIOKOS: Michael Bociurkiw joining us. Thank you.
Well, Donald Trump's inauguration is still three and a half weeks away. But hefty donations already starting to flood in as major corporations work to curry favor with the new President. And there's worry over the spread of bird flu after the death of big cats at a sanctuary in Washington State. Those stories when we come back.
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ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Donald Trump's inauguration is still three-and-a-half-weeks but hefty donations are already starting to flood in as major corporations work to curry favor with the new president.
And as worry over the spread of bird flu after the death of big cats at a sanctuary in Washington state.
Those stories when we come back
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GIOKOS: In 24 days, Donald Trump will be inaugurated for his second term as president. Corporations are clamoring to be part of the celebration and putting up big money for the privilege.
A handful of Fortune 500 companies, cryptocurrency firms and individual billionaires are promising massive donations, some as high as seven figures.
Major donors will have the chance to dine by candlelight with the president and the first lady at a post-inaugural starlight ball. They'll also get private face time with the incoming cabinet and other exclusive benefits.
Unlike an election, there are no legal limits on donations to an inaugural committee.
Meantime, Trump has named his pick for U.S. Ambassador to Panama. If approved, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Kevin Marino Cabrera would have his hands full amid Trump's complaints that Panama is, quote, "ripping off U.S. ships" that pass through the waterway.
Well, that's just one of the many Trump comments raising eyebrows worldwide right now.
But our Alayna Treene says it's part of a larger strategy.
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ALAYNA TREENE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Donald Trump's fixation this week over wanting to take control over the Panama Canal, as well as the revival of his desire to purchase Greenland, a Danish territory, is really part of a larger negotiating tactic, I'm told.
One Trump adviser told me his interpretation of what Donald Trump has been saying this week is really that he wants to force foreign leaders to the negotiating table to bolster United States trade. But also to try and curb both Russia's and China's larger influence over the global region.
Now, as it relates to Panama, specifically, Donald Trump believes that Panama -- as it relates to Panama Canal, specifically is taking advantage of the United States and its companies.
He really is pushing for a new agreement that would lower the price that different American vessels pay for passage throughout the Panama Canal.
He also believes that many Chinese companies are controlling the ports around the Panama Canal, essentially giving them more control over which ships can pass through and again, what the prices are for other countries.
Now, as it relates to Greenland, I'm told that Donald Trump's kind of fixation on that has been about trying to curb Russia's influence in the Arctic Region.
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TREENE: And that's part of why he's continued to say that he wants to buy Greenland, even though we know that its prime minister who controls the Danish territory, has said that Greenland is not for sale, just like it wasn't for sale back in 2019 when he first floated this idea of trying to purchase the country.
Now also say, this is what one of the Trump advisers told me. They said, quote, "Everything has to be looked at in terms of curbing Russia and China influence, while also protecting the economy."
Now, to be clear as well, to go back to the Panama Canal here and what Donald Trump has been saying, Donald Trump has actually been fixated on this for several months now, I'm told. And I would actually point to an August interview he did with Tucker
Carlson on X, where he brought this up. He said that he believed that the former President Jimmy Carter, who negotiated this treaty to give Panama control over the canal despite it being U.S.-made, was a stupid idea.
He believes that Panama is taking advantage of the United States, and that he would potentially want to negotiate some sort of different deal with Panama if he were to be elected president.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: A new tornado watch has been issued for western and central Louisiana, according to the Storm Prediction Center. This twister was seen across a highway in southeastern Texas, where nearly 9 million people are also under a tornado watch.
And take a look at the small twister near a warehouse south of Houston. Weather officials say there's a possibility that 1 or 2 strong tornadoes could hit the region.
Meantime, this waterspout popped up over Lake Houston in Texas on Thursday. Waterspouts are sometimes called tornadoes over water and can be just as destructive as the ones on land.
And in Utah, a different kind of weather problem. That's where a man triggered an avalanche and then proceeded to save his brother, who got buried under the snow.
According to authorities, the pair were snowmobiling on Wednesday when it happened. One brother, who was further down the slope, was swept under the snow and fully buried.
The man used a transceiver to find his brother, spotting just a couple of fingers in his glove's hand sticking out. He sustained only minor injuries.
Concern is growing over bird flu spreading to other animals. Last week, California declared a state of emergency after a mass infection of dairy cattle. And in Washington state, more than half of the big cats at a wildlife sanctuary died after contracting the virus.
Now, it is unclear exactly how they got the disease, but there's fear of a potential spread to humans.
CNN's Randi Kaye has the story.
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RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's Thumper, a ten-year-old Eurasian lynx who used to love to play and scratch the decks high above the foliage.
The video from August was taken at the Wild Felid Advocacy Center of Washington, a big cat sanctuary where Thumper lived. Thumper is one of 20 cats from the sanctuary who died in recent weeks from bird flu. MARK MATTHEWS, DIRECTOR, WILD FELID ADVOCACY CENTER: We thought we
were doing everything we could to avoid anything like this from happening. The cats are pretty well split up into 30 by 40-foot habitats.
KAYE: The sanctuary's director and co-founder, Mark Matthews, says the cats' enclosures are spread out among five acres. He told me their first cat got sick on November 22nd.
The 17-year-old cougar, named Hanna Wyoming, stopped eating and died the next day. A day later, this African caracal named Crackle also got sick and died. Others they lost included this cougar named Holly and Tabby, a Bengal tiger.
MATTHEWS: Tabby, the tiger was a very fun-loving tiger. She had a super personality. Every time I came up, she'd come running -- running to meet me.
KAYE: This Bengal cat, Pebbles also succumbed to bird flu, as well as Mouse, a Jeffrey cat. Only 17 of the 37 cats once housed here are left.
Nico, an African serval, is still in critical condition, fighting to regain the use of his back legs.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Feeling devastated. Kind of in shock and just taking really good care of those ones who are recovering.
KAYE: The disease spread rapidly and they still don't know how exactly the bird flu entered their facility.
MATTHEWS: Initially, we thought it was bird droppings from waterfowl. We are in a flight pattern for migratory birds, so I don't know if that's part of the equation or not.
So we really don't know at this time if it was food related or not.
DR. DEAN BLUMBERG, INFECTION DISEASE EXPERT, U.C. DAVIS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL: Although we don't know exactly how it got there, it just makes sense that its likely due to migratory birds because we know bird flu is transmitted through the migratory bird population.
KAYE: Dr. Dean Blumberg is an infectious disease expert at U.C. Davis.
DR. BLUMBERG: It spread through the bird saliva, the feces, the urine. And so you really can't protect against that in the natural environment.
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KAYE: The staff at the sanctuary are working tirelessly to disinfect the habitats while also protecting themselves from getting sick. They're wearing PPE, including N95 masks and doing foot baths when they enter and leave.
DR. BLUMBERG: The virus may mutate and become more easily transmitted person to person, so the more this virus circulates, and specifically co-circulate with human strains, that's going to increase the odds of the virus evolving to more human-to-human transmission.
And that, of course, could signal another pandemic.
KAYE: Randi Kaye, CNN -- West Palm Beach, Florida.
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GIOKOS: Peru's government has declared an environmental emergency as it tries to handle a crude oil spill in a northern coastal area. The state oil company, Petroperu, has not disclosed how much crude oil was spilled last Saturday.
But Peru's environmental watchdog says it has affected about 10,000 square meters of surface seawater and at least seven beaches.
Local officials say the oil spill has damaged coastal plants and animals such as crabs, and stopped fishermen from working.
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RICARDO BANCAYAN, MAYOR, LOBITOS MUNICIPLAITY: Tourism will suffer losses in Lobitos due to this contamination. So we call on the responsible authorities to take action.
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GIOKOS: Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, we dive into the waters surrounding Hong Kong with students who are helping a local nonprofit create new marine protected areas.
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GIOKOS: Towering buildings and bustling streets maybe the images that come to mind when you think of Hong Kong, but its surrounding seas are also teeming with life.
Today on "Call to Earth", we dive into the South China Sea with a group of students who, as part of their school sustainability programs, are collaborating with a local organization to bolster its efforts to protect the ocean.
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DAVID O'DWYER, CHAIRMAN, LIVING SEAS HONGKONG: This is a particular dive site that we think is fantastic from a biodiversity perspective. But it is currently outside the radar of other groups in terms of identifying sites that need to be protected.
JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Its Saturday in the water surrounding Hong Kongs Basalt Island, where a group of students from the Li Po Chun United World College are being prepped for a full day of underwater research.
SEBASTIAN PILACUAN, STUDENT, LI PO CHUN UNITED WORLD COLLEGE: Today, we're doing some citizen science, so we're collecting biodiversity data of marine ecosystems.
O'DWYER: As you're diving along with your buddy teams, you're going to be making a note of what you see as best as you can.
JONES: Local nonprofit Living Seas Hong Kong set up the excursion for the school's coral monitoring group, a decades' old program that teacher Craig Hamilton says has evolved in recent years.
CRAIG HAMILTON, TEACHER, LI PO CHUN UNITED WORLD COLLEGE: It's developed a lot further into more coastal sustainability practices, such as oyster restoration and mangrove restoration, as well.
[01:44:51]
JONES: Today, the focus is on marine life identification in support of a Living Seas Hong Kong project that aims to create more marine protected areas.
O'DWYER: We started the Living Seas marine life surveys during COVID, 2021. We thought that there wasn't enough data coming out highlighting the marine biodiversity hotspots in Hong Kong waters.
JONES: Only around 5 percent of Hong Kong's seas are currently designated as marine protected areas, a number David O'Dwyer would like to see increased rapidly.
O'DWYER: Hong Kong is a signatory on the convention on biodiversity, which has set a target of 30 percent of seas by 2030. So there actually still needs to be more.
And marine protected areas are important because the seas here are a fantastic resource, but it's under threat and it's been under a lot of stress for many years. Too much fishing has been going on, too much damaging things happening in the environment.
JONES: With the support of Living Seas personnel, once underwater the students do the best they can to identify various marine life.
CICI CHEUNG, STUDENT, LI PO CHUN UNITED WORLD COLLEGE: I think data collection is definitely a vigorous source, and for us, if we want to like increase protection, we need to show proof that it is necessary here.
JONES: When they return from a dive, each team discusses what they saw, reviews any notes made on their underwater slates, and record it all on identification sheets.
O'DWYER: So we'll see if you recognize it. If you don't, we can have a look at the photos.
JONES: A recent typhoon has made today's survey particularly challenging compared to the last time they were here. Today.
SOFIA MORA, STUDENT, LI PO CHUN UNITED WORLD COLLEGE: The visibility wasn't that great, so we couldn't catch everything this time. We didn't find as much, but we found really cool things. JONES: The second dive site near Sharp Island offered slightly clearer
waters, but for Living Seas, any and all data collected is critical, regardless of the circumstances.
O'DWYER: It is important to do surveys at different times of year under different conditions.
You've got to choose different seasons. You don't necessarily, you know, just choose the good times.
JONES: When the students return to the classroom, they'll begin the process of cross-referencing their findings.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sure we will see some additional species when we look at the photos.
JONES: A thorough review of the pictures they've captured helps confirm the identities of the various marine life.
NATHAN CHEUNG, STUDENT, LI PO CHUN UNITED WORLD COLLEGE: So right now we have spotted that this is indeed a large hermit crab. And we just renamed this picture so it's easier for us to identify in the future.
JONES: Once validated, the information they've gathered will be added to the Living Seas database, which will ultimately be used in future efforts to establish new marine protected areas.
O'DWYER: Our goal is that we are creating the leaders of the future, and we want them to have a passion for protecting the environment as well.
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GIOKOS: All right. For more on "Call to Earth", you can go to CNN.com/Call to Earth.
We'll be back after this short break.
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GIOKOS: The Beyhive showed up in big numbers for their queen's NFL halftime show on Netflix.
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GIOKOS: Well, the streaming network reported its biggest ratings ever for an NFL stream during Wednesday's Baltimore Ravens-Houston Texas game.
Netflix says the numbers peaked with Beyonce's halftime performance. More than 27 million viewers tuned in to see what fans dubbed the "Beyonce Bowl". While the ratings were strong for Netflix's Christmas Day debut for the NFL, viewership was down from last year when the games were broadcast on cable television. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARIANA GRANDE, ACTOR: I saved you some space, by the way.
CYNTHIA ERIVO, ACTOR: Do you really think this is fair?
GRANDE: I do not, I was promised a private suite, but thanks for asking.
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GIOKOS: Fans of "Wicked" will be able to enjoy the hit film along with new bonus content from the comfort of their homes next week. The musical will make its streaming debut December 31st on several platforms, including Prime Video and Apple TV. Viewers can buy or rent the nearly three-hour long movie and check out additional content, including deleted and extended scenes, commentary and a sing-along version of the film.
Well, 2024 was full of viral moments we followed from our phones. CNN's Boris Sanchez takes a look for us.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Buster. Come here. Come here. Come here, you little (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Coming in at number ten on the list of the viral videos on CNN that everyone was talking about in 2024. A lovable but very disobedient dog.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you ready to come in.
SANCHEZ: Over and over again his owner tries to get him to leave the pool.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Be a good boy for once in your life.
SANCHEZ: But this Florida dog just won't listen.
It's only when dad uses his "I mean business" voice that Buster does listen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go. Come on. No, sir. Buster, get over here now.
SANCHEZ: Number nine.
CATHERINE MIDDLETON, PRINCESS OF WALES: It has been an incredibly tough couple of months.
SANCHEZ: A stunning announcement from Catherine, the Princess of Wales.
MIDDLETON: In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. SANCHEZ: In September, Kate released a video saying she had completed
her chemotherapy treatment.
Her startling cancer diagnosis announcement came weeks after we learned King Charles was also battling an unspecified cancer, following a procedure for an enlarged prostate in January.
At number eight, dramatic footage of a passenger plane in Brazil falling from the sky in August. The shocking video showing the twin engine turboprop plane spiraling out of the sky into the city of Veneto before hitting the ground, killing all 62 people on board. No one on the ground was hurt.
Number seven.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's really picked up.
SANCHEZ: Hurricane Milton making landfall on Florida's West Coast.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look at that huge tree limb just blowing through the intersection.
SANCHEZ: It was a dangerous category three storm.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This fence came down earlier right here behind me here. And now it seems to be breaking apart.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The wind and the storm surge associated with this hurricane that is right now pushing its way inland.
SANCHEZ: Milton dropped about 18 inches of rain on Saint Petersburg, representing a more than 1 in 1,000-year rainfall for that area.
Number six. In September, explosive attacks in Lebanon targeting pagers used by Hezbollah members. The blasts killed 12 and injured more than 2,300.
CNN learned Israel was behind the attack, which was a joint operation between Israel's intelligence service the Mossad, and the Israeli military.
The Lebanese government condemned the attack as criminal Israeli aggression.
Number five, police in Illinois releasing body camera footage of the deadly police shooting of Sonya Massey in July. The 36-year-old black woman had called 911 for help to report a possible prowler at her home in Springfield.
SONYA MASSEY, POLICE SHOOTING VICTIM: I heard somebody outside.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We didn't see nobody. Nobody's out here.
SANCHEZ: The body camera footage shows the deputy continuing to interact with Massey, but things take a turn when she goes back to check on a pot on the stove. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Away from your hot, steaming water.
MASSEY: Away from my hot steaming water?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
MASSEY: I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll shoot --
MASSEY: In the name.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You better (EXPLETIVE DELETED) not. I swear to God (EXPLETIVE DELETED) I'll shoot you in your (EXPLETIVE DELETED) face.
MASSEY: Ok. I'm sorry.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Drop the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) pot. (EXPLETIVE DELETED) drop the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) pot.
SANCHEZ: Three shots were fired, killing Massey. No intruder was found. The deputy was fired from his job and charged with first degree murder. He's pleaded not guilty.
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SANCHEZ: At number four on the list, the presidential historian who's correctly predicted nine of the last ten presidential races, makes his pick for the 2024 winner, Vice President Kamala Harris.
LAURA COATES, CNN HOST: Have you ever changed your prediction?
ALLAN LICHTMAN, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: I have never changed my prediction once I've made a final call.
SANCHEZ: Unfortunately for Allan Lichtman, this year's pick did not pan out for him.
Number three on the list. Baltimore's Key Bridge collapse. Video shows the moment a cargo ship crashed into the bridge in March. Six members of a road crew who were working on the bridge at the time were killed.
A preliminary report by the NTSB found the ship had a pair of catastrophic electrical failures minutes before the crash and experienced two blackouts a day before. The preliminary report does not conclude a probable cause.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you want to really see something that said, take a look at what happened.
At number two, the failed assassination attempt of Donald Trump in July, Trump was speaking at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when shots rang out. Trump grabbed his ear, dropped to the ground and was quickly surrounded by Secret Service agents.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got you, sir. TRUMP: Let me get my shoes on.
SANCHEZ: Trump was seen with blood on his ear and cheek as he was rushed off the stage. The shooting left one person dead and two others critically injured.
Another video from that day shows the moment people attending the rally spotted the shooter on top of a nearby building.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, someone's on top of the roof. Look, there he is right there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right there. You see him?
He's laying down. You see him?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, he's laying down.
SANCHEZ: Moments after the 20-year-old gunman opened fire, he was killed by a Secret Service sniper.
And the number one viral video of 2024, disturbing hotel surveillance video of Sean "Diddy" Combs.
In May, CNN published exclusively obtained video from 2016. In it, you see the hip hop mogul physically assaulting his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in the hallway of a hotel. Combs previously denied Ventura's allegations of assault, which were the basis of a now settled federal lawsuit filed by Ventura in 2023.
Soon after the video was published, Combs apologized for his behavior in a video statement posted to Instagram.
Now in federal custody, Combs was arrested in September after a sprawling federal investigation. He's awaiting trial on numerous charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. He's pleaded not guilty.
Combs is also facing dozens of civil lawsuits accusing him of a range of sexual misconduct and other illegal activity. Attorneys for Combs deny the claims.
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GIOKOS: Thanks so much for joining me. I'm Eleni Giokos.
CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber is next.
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