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Transitioning to Trump; Russia May Have Mistaken Jet as Attack Drone, Quickly Pushes Theories about Cause of Crash; IDF Forces Last Major Health Facility in Northern Gaza out of Service; Stowaway Caught on Christmas Eve Delta Flight to Hawaii; Trump's Border Czar Threatens Aggressive Immigration Crackdown; World's Largest Snow Theme Park Opens in Northeast China; Christmas at Hogwarts. Aired 5-6a ET
Aired December 28, 2024 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Hello. Welcome to our viewers in the United States, here in the U.K. and all around the world. I'm Ben Hunte in London. It is so good to have you with me.
Coming up on CNN NEWSROOM, Donald Trump is taking a stand on TikTok. Why he's changed his tune about the app that Congress calls a national security risk.
A war of words takes over Trump world. We'll break down the online feud before -- between the immigration, between MAGA hardliners and Silicon Valley insiders.
Winter is here and people in Asheville, North Carolina, are still rebuilding after Hurricane Helene. How the recovery effort is going three months on.
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HUNTE: Donald Trump appears to have had a change of heart and now wants the clock stopped on the U.S. TikTok ban.
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DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND CURRENT PRESIDENTIAL- ELECT: We'll take a look at TikTok. You know, I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok, because I won youth by 34 points. And there are those that say that TikTok has something to do with that.
We -- we did go on TikTok and we had a great response with billions of views, billions and billions of views. Maybe we got to keep this sucker around a little while, you know?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTE: Mr. Trump is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to pause a controversial TikTok ban, set to take effect just one day before his inauguration. The president-elect says he wants a negotiation. CNN's Alayna Treene has more.
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ALAYNA TREENE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, president-elect Donald Trump on Friday urged the Supreme Court to put a pause on a controversial ban on TikTok, arguing that a delay in implementation would allow his incoming administration to try and negotiate some sort of deal that would save the app.
Now all of this relates back to a ban that Congress approved earlier this year and Biden signed into law, really arguing and requiring that the platform be sold to a new non-Chinese owner or be banned in the United States.
That ban is currently slated to take effect on January 19th, just one day before Donald Trump is sworn in to office. Now what Donald Trump is urging the Supreme Court to do puts him at odds with the Biden administration, which filed its own briefing on Friday, urging the Supreme Court to move forward with the ban.
And they warned of grave national security concerns if it is not implemented. Now one thing to be clear on is that Donald Trump, in his briefing, did not really address the underlying First Amendment questions. But he did urge the court to put this pause on the ban so that his administration can try to find some way to resolve the issue.
This is what he said in the briefing, quote, "President-elect Trump urges the court to stay the statute's effective date to allow his incoming administration to pursue a negotiated resolution that could prevent a nationwide shutdown of TikTok, thus preserving the First Amendment rights of tens of millions of Americans.
"While also addressing the government's national security concerns."
Now one thing to be clear on is that TikTok is very popular in the United States. It has 170 million monthly users in the U.S.
And Trump, for his part, has wavered on the issue. Back during his first administration, he actually signed an executive order that would have effectively put a ban on TikTok, also arguing of its national security concerns, given China's influence over the social media platform.
However, throughout his time on the campaign trail in 2024, as well as just a couple of weeks ago, Donald Trump said that he is warming to TikTok. And he argued that part of his stance on that is because so many young voters who voted for him use the app.
Now all to say it is very unclear what is going to happen. But Donald Trump's argument is that he wants a pause on this ban so that his administration can figure out how they want to resolve this -- Alayna Treene, CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.
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HUNTE: However, on the other side of the issue, there are those making a national security argument for keeping the TikTok ban.
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REP. JAKE AUCHINCLOSS (D): Congress, the president and an appeals court have all said that this law is valid. And the reason that this law is valid is that it is meeting a national security imperative.
Xi Jinping has called influence operations "the smokeless battlefield." And TikTok is his most important weapon. It is the dominant media and information platform for Gen Z. They are consuming huge amounts of content on that platform. And that content is being brokered for them by an algorithm that the Chinese Communist Party controls.
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Now in China, that algorithm shows Chinese children educational content. And it limits the amount of time they can spend on the platform.
In the United States, it shows American kids anti-Western, anti- American content and it keeps them scrolling for hours on end. This is undermining the ideological coherence of the next generation of Americans.
And we have every reason to insist that, while people can post whatever they want, the manner by which that content reaches eyeballs is not going to be dictated to us by a foreign adversary.
CHARLIE DENT, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Donald Trump, I think, is in a bit of a conundrum. On the one hand, he wants to be tough on China and the United States would never -- I should say China would never allow a company with close ties to the National Security Agency to operate freely within China.
That's the same argument being made about TikTok in the U.S., that the Chinese government has far too much influence and control over that company and its operations here in the United States access to people's data.
And there are a lot of national security hawks within the House Republican conference and across the whole conference, who highly object to allowing TikTok to operate.
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HUNTE: The only person to have led both the CIA and FBI is warning the Senate that Kash Patel and Tulsi Gabbard are not fit to lead. William Webster sent a letter to senators on Thursday stressing the dangers of confirming Patel as FBI director or Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence.
He said he was deeply concerned about the nominations and emphasized that the effectiveness of both agencies, quote, "depends on operating with complete independence from political influence." He went on to question Patel's impartiality and Gabbard's experience.
Former U.S. Defense Secretary and CIA director Leon Panetta also voiced his concerns about Trump nominations.
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LEON PANETTA, FORMER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: You should select individuals for these very important posts not just on loyalty. I mean, loyalty is important. No question about it.
But you also want to look at their experience. You also want to look at their knowledge of that institution. And you also want to look at their judgment and whether they have the right judgment.
I hope that the United States Senate exercises its responsibility to really look carefully at them and a few of these candidates where questions have been raised. Look at the background checks that the FBI are providing.
But more importantly, ask them the questions that relate to whether or not they have the experience and judgment to do a good job. I'm concerned, obviously, from what I see about these candidates. But I'm willing to have the Senate proceed with advice and consent.
And do it responsibly so that the American people are protected and we get the right people in the right jobs.
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HUNTE: We're learning that Russian air defenses may have misidentified the commercial jet that crashed in Kazakhstan on Christmas Day. A U.S. official tells CNN Russia may have mistaken a plane for a Ukrainian drone. Moscow is trying to blame the pilot, claiming he failed to land a plane in Chechnya twice.
But Azerbaijan Airlines says its early investigation shows, quote, "physical and technical external interference caused the crash." The airline has now suspended flights from the country's capital to several Russian cities.
Let's get more on this. CNN's Hanako Montgomery is joining us live from Tokyo.
Thank you for joining me again, Hanako.
For anyone just waking up now, anyone just tuning in, what is the latest?
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Ben. It's good to see you again. So we are hearing more from these 29 survivors and they're revealing some interesting new details about what exactly happened the moments before that plane crashed.
Some of them are saying that they heard a loud bang and felt an explosion right before the plane crashed on Azerbaijani soil. Here's what one woman had to say about her experience. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VAFA SHABANOVA, SURVIVOR OF AZERBAIJAN AIRLINES CRASH (through translator): About 20 or 30 minutes after takeoff, we felt two explosions. The plane was supposed to land but it didn't. Something exploded inside twice. A man's hand was injured. We panicked.
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MONTGOMERY: I mean, really harrowing accounts of this plane crash, Ben. And we also heard from another passenger who was actually recording himself praying on the plane before it crashed, who said that he saw some damage to the plane's main body.
And if you take a look at this video, Ben, you can actually see there are visible holes in the plane's body. Now we don't know what exactly caused this hole or exactly what caused the damage to the plane.
But according to one of our aviation experts, Miles O'Brien, the fact that the metal around these holes is bent inwards and not outwards could indicate the fact that there was an explosion near the tail of the aircraft.
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Now again, Ben, we've really heard from several different experts, ranging from a U.S. official, an Azerbaijani lawmaker and also experts in the aviation and military fields, all of whom have suggested that potentially Russia could have been involved in this crash.
They say that perhaps Russia might have misidentified the passenger jet using its air defense systems and have might have accidentally shot it down.
Now interestingly, on Friday, Russia, for the very first time, actually said that the passenger flight had to be redirected, diverted to a new location, a new destination because of Ukrainian drones in that area as well as fog.
So this is really interesting new information and development. But again, all of this is still unconfirmed. This theory is still unconfirmed but it is gaining more traction now in terms of Russia's official response.
Officials have remained fairly tight-lipped about the entire investigation, saying that they're not going to offer really any opinion about it until the investigation has concluded.
And in terms of what's next for this investigation, Ben, a second black box was recovered on Friday and investigators are hoping that this will really be key to the puzzle, solving what actually happened on Christmas Day.
They're hoping that instrument readings and voice recordings from the cockpit will give some kind of indication as to what exactly happened on Christmas Day that led to dozens of lives being lost -- Ben. HUNTE: Yes, indeed. Well, I'm sure this story is going to continue.
Our analysis will continue. Thank you so much for your reporting and thank you for joining me, Hanako Montgomery in Tokyo. See you soon.
Israeli forces have arrested dozens of health care staff, including a hospital director, after raiding the last major health facility in northern Gaza. That's according to Gaza's ministry of health. The Israeli military surrounded the Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahiya on Friday as part of its ongoing operations in the area.
The World Health Organization says the raid put the facility out of service, warning that at least 60 health workers and 25 patients in critical condition remain inside. Multiple staff members also reported a massive fire at a hospital, describing extensive damage to emergency units and key departments.
The IDF denies any connection to the fire and says its troops are operating in the area of the hospital and not inside of it. Israel claims Hamas is using the facility for its operations.
Witnesses and staff say the IDF ordered patients and medical workers to evacuate, despite there being nowhere else to go. Listen to how one nurse described the scene.
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SHUROUQ SALAH, NURSE, KAMAL ADWAN HOSPITAL (through translator): They separated the men from the women and took the women in groups. Those who refused to remove their clothing were beaten.
And they took our phones. I didn't have a phone but those who were refusing to hand over their phones were beaten and those who refused to take off their clothes were also beaten.
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HUNTE: Meanwhile, some Israeli government ministers are criticizing a new investigation into Sara Netanyahu, the prime minister's wife. Israel's attorney general announced the inquiry on Friday on allegations Ms. Netanyahu may have harassed a witness in one of her husband's corruption trials.
Israel's justice minister and the far right national security minister both denounced the new probe. Elliott Gotkine has more on that plus details about the hospital in northern Gaza.
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ELLIOTT GOTKINE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: If there is one thing that riles Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu more than being in the dock himself, it's accusations against his wife.
Sara Netanyahu, who has a 2019 conviction for misusing public funds, now faces formal investigation for allegedly intimidating a witness in her husband's corruption trial as well as indirectly harassing the attorney general and deputy attorney general. The allegations were first aired on Israel Channel 12's "Uvda" program, the country's equivalent of "60 Minutes." Benjamin Netanyahu decried the report as a new blood libel, calling it biased and false propaganda.
The prime minister sees it as another strand of what he describes as a witch hunt against him, orchestrated by the left-wing media and which led to him being tried for fraud, breach of trust and bribery, charges he vehemently denies.
Netanyahu asked that his trial be postponed due to the wars with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza but to no avail. In the enclave itself, the Israeli military, on Friday, said it was carrying out targeted operations against what it described as a Hamas terrorist stronghold in and around the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza.
Hamas has denied that it uses hospitals for military purposes and the IDF has not offered definitive proof of its claims.
Hospital director Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya said in a social media post that the IDF was besieging Kamal Adwan and issuing orders for its evacuation.
A few hours later, Abu Safiya said the Israeli military was burning all the operating departments in the hospital and had evacuated all displaced people and staff, some of whom he said had been arrested.
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Smoke could be seen billowing from the building.
The IDF said troops had facilitated the secure evacuation of civilians, patients and medical personnel prior to the operation -- Elliott Gotkine, CNN, Jerusalem.
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HUNTE: Flights have resumed at the international airport in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, after being damaged by Israeli airstrikes, according to the Houthi transport minister. A statement from the military group said at least six people were killed and dozens more injured in the strikes at the airport and in Hudaydah to the west.
The minister said the targeting was deliberate.
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YAHYA AL-SAYANI, HOUTHI DEPUTY TRANSPORT MINISTER (through translator): The Sanaa airport was directly targeted. The control tower was directly targeted. The departure hall was directly targeted, as well as the airport's navigational equipment.
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HUNTE: Well, as the strikes began, a high-level U.N. delegation, led by the World Health Organization's director general, was in an airport lounge, waiting to depart. They ran for cover and later evacuated to Jordan, where one U.N. crew member injured in the bombardment was being treated.
People in the Deep South and the eastern part of the U.S. will get more severe storms, strong tornadoes and damaging winds today. And the Western states will see more rain, snow and gusty winds.
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HUNTE: A man was found with burns across his body in New York's Penn Station on Friday. Just ahead, why police say they're still trying to figure out exactly what happened.
Plus, for the second time in two months, a stowaway was found on a Delta flight. This latest incident happened on Christmas Eve. That story and much more straight ahead.
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HUNTE: Welcome back.
A 67 year old man is in stable condition after he was found with burns on his body in New York City's Penn Station. Police were flagged down by a passerby, who reported seeing a man on fire on Friday.
The flames were out when police arrived and the man was sent to a nearby medical center but he sustained burns across his legs and torso. The extent of his injuries was not known. Police say they're still trying to find out how the man suffered the burn injuries.
Well, that incident comes less than a week after the gruesome burning death of a woman on a subway car. And now a suspect has been indicted by a grand jury.
Sebastian Zapeta-Calil is scheduled to be arraigned on January 7th on charges including first and second degree murder. Police say the 33 year old undocumented immigrant set fire to the woman as she slept on the stationary subway car. They say he fanned the flames with his shirt after igniting her clothes.
Law enforcement sources tell CNN the victim is believed to have been homeless, which makes identifying her quite difficult. Though her body was badly burned, investigators have made progress using fingerprints and DNA evidence.
The governor of New York has ordered an investigation into the fatal beating of an inmate on Friday. The state's attorney general released body cam footage showing the brutal beating of Robert Brooks, who was a prisoner in upstate New York. Some may find this video disturbing.
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HUNTE (voice-over): You can see Brooks is handcuffed and being carried into the facility by officers. They carry him into a medical exam room, where multiple officers can later be seen punching and kicking him as he is handcuffed on the table.
The governor called it a, quote, "senseless killing" and has ordered the state corrections department to fire the 14 workers involved in that.
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HUNTE: There are new concerns about airport safety and security during this busy holiday travel season after a stowaway on a Delta flight was arrested on Christmas Eve. CNN's Carlos Suarez has more.
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CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A stowaway discovered again, hiding on an airplane just moments before takeoff on Christmas Eve in Seattle.
The unidentified individual cleared a standard security screening the night before the flight, bypassing identity verification and boarding status stations without a boarding pass, an airport spokesperson tells CNN.
The following afternoon, they were able to board the Delta flight, still without a boarding pass.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He must have been a sweet talker, Betty Crocker, because I don't -- I couldn't imagine how you could ever do that.
SUAREZ: When the person was discovered on board, the plane returned to the gate to remove them, according to the airport spokesperson. The suspect then ran out of the plane before police arrived and hid in a bathroom in the airport terminal.
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Port of Seattle police used video surveillance cameras to find and arrest the suspect.
BRADY BLY, PASSENGER ON FLIGHT 487: Nobody knew really what was going on, so we were kind of left in the dark.
SUAREZ: All passengers on board were deplaned and rescreened by TSA, delaying the flight for nearly 2.5 hours.
BLY: Which leaves you to wonder the worst. You're stuck on the plane. And you know what if there was explosives or something?
SUAREZ: The incident elevating security concerns during one of the busiest seasons for travel.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN AEROSPACE ANALYST: I understand that the Transportation Security Authority agents are besieged but these are the areas where the system is, you know, blinking red.
SUAREZ: So far, officials from the TSA, the port of Seattle and Delta representatives have not explained how this person was able to bypass so many layers of security.
Delta apologized to delayed passengers in a statement, saying, quote, "There are no matters more important than safety and security."
The TSA said it takes such incidents seriously and, quote, "will independently review the circumstances of this incident."
O'BRIEN: I think the responsibility for these stowaway events so far has been sort of joint between the TSA for letting these individuals pass their ID check points and the airline, in this case, Delta, for not being vigilant enough at the doorway to that jet way.
SUAREZ: It's the second time in weeks that a passenger boarded a Delta flight without a ticket.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Folks, this is the captain, we are just waiting for the police to come on board.
SUAREZ: Just before Thanksgiving, a woman snuck onto a Delta flight from New York's JFK Airport to Paris. It took three attempts to get her back to the U.S. to face charges.
The TSA said that the unticketed passenger didn't have prohibited items. Now officials with the port of Seattle added that the aircraft and the terminal was swept by a police canine and all of the passengers were rescreened -- Carlos Suarez, CNN, Atlanta.
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HUNTE: It's MAGA versus Musk: fighting over immigration visas for skilled workers is causing a big disruption in Trump world. The story straight ahead.
Plus, we'll look at possible changes coming to U.S. immigration policy and Trump's plans for children born to undocumented parents in the U.S. Stay with us.
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HUNTE: Welcome back to our viewers in the United States, here in the U.K. and all around the world, I'm Ben Hunte and this is CNN NEWSROOM.
The battle over immigration that's brewing within MAGA world shows no signs of easing at all. The big question is all about providing visas for highly skilled workers. Media platform X CEO Elon Musk and incoming co-chair of the proposed
Department of Government Efficiency, Vivek, defend the program, arguing that tech companies need foreign workers to compete.
That puts them at odds with Trump supporters, who say U.S. companies should hire American workers.
Now some of them are accusing Musk of weaponizing X to retaliate against them. Laura Loomer is an immigration-critical Trump loyalist. She says her blue check mark was removed and her subscriptions deactivated because of her opposition to Musk. Loomer told Steve Bannon's war room she sees trouble ahead.
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LAURA LOOMER, FAR RIGHT ACTIVIST: Why does this guy have unfettered access to President Trump?
And what are these, the national security implications of this?
I know that you've spoken out about this and we really need to have an honest conversation about this.
At what point do we say, thank you so much for supporting President Trump and donating to his ground game but these conflicts are inappropriate and they're going to create a potential controversy for President Trump and his nominees in the Trump administration?
We need to have an honest conversation about this that isn't blinded by people's love fest for a technocratic billionaire. We need to protect President Trump from a conflict.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Musk has called some Trump supporters "contemptible fools who must be removed from the Republican Party, root and stem." Musk's and Ramaswamy's focus on skilled foreign nationals stands in stark contrast with the incoming Trump administration's aggressive immigration agenda.
Trump's pick for border czar has said repeatedly that he is planning a major crackdown and mass deportations. Tom Homan stresses that illegal immigrants who have committed crimes will be the top priority. But they won't be the only ones agents will be looking to arrest.
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TOM HOMAN, TRUMP BORDER CZAR: A whole bunch of agents into your community and we'll find the bad guy. And when we find the bad guy, he's probably going to be with others, others that aren't a priority apprehension.
But guess what?
They're getting arrested, too.
So are you going to get exactly what you don't want?
More arrests in your communities. You're not going to stop us. Put all the roadblocks up, roadblocks you want. It's not going to work. We're going to do this, OK?
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HUNTE: I want to dig into this a bit more. So Cody Wofsy is the deputy director for the ACLU's Immigrants Rights Project. He joins us from Atlanta.
Cody, thank you for joining me.
How are you doing?
CODY WOFSY, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, IMMIGRANTS RIGHTS PROJECT, AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION: Thanks so much for having me, Ben.
HUNTE: You're so welcome. I'm about to move over to the U.S. myself. So this is all very real to me. And I'm ready for you to school me on what's going on. So let's go.
But before we get into the details of what Trump actually plans to do, I want to talk about this war of words that's going on around the administration right now. I'm seeing Laura Loomer and Steve Bannon's far right anti-immigrant group in MAGA, which seems to be so set on the most aggressive forms of the policies that Trump wants to impose.
But then we've also got Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, saying, nope, and arguing that they do need some immigrants in the workforce. Break this down for me.
What is going on and who is going to win?
WOFSY: Yes, I think it's a fascinating dynamic we're seeing right now within the administration and these two factions. The bottom line for us is that, during the first Trump administration, we saw just endless cruelty toward immigrant communities, including toward children and families. And we do expect it to be even worse this time.
We've seen the Trump administration moving to put anti-immigrant extremists like Stephen Miller into positions of even greater authority this time. And so the indications are that that portion of sort of the MAGA movement is ascendant within the Trump administration.
HUNTE: Your ACLU group has been focused on the issue of birthright citizenship.
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Can you just define that for me and just tell me, what does it actually mean if that is going to end? WOFSY: Right. So birthright citizenship is the guarantee in the Constitution that everyone born within the United States, regardless of the status of their parents, is a U.S. citizen. It's really a fundamental value in our country. It's what makes America the vibrant melting pot that it is.
And if that rule were to change, it would be really dramatic impacts for our country. The idea would be that there would be this sort of permanent underclass of children who wouldn't be U.S. citizens but have never even been to any other country. They would be effectively stateless and that would have all kinds of effects on them moving forward.
The good news is that this is a principle that's guaranteed by the Constitution. So it would be entirely illegal for the Trump administration to try and change it or end it by some executive dictate.
HUNTE: Yes. So in "The Post" interview, Homan says we need to show the American people we can do this and not be inhumane about it. We can't lose the faith of the American people.
At the same time, he's talking about family separation, detention centers and restarting worksite raids.
I mean, humane -- can you be humane while surprising people at work and putting them on planes?
WOFSY: Whether you can or not, we know that this administration will not be. And we know that because we saw it during the last Trump administration.
As I mentioned, it was just endless efforts to be essentially as cruel as possible, including to children and families. And so that's what we are clear-eyed preparing for is a renewed and even worse range of threats against immigrant communities.
HUNTE: Well, Cody, thank you so much for joining me. Now we're going to see what happens with this over the next few months. Thank you so much.
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HUNTE: A mountain paradise taking a hit from one of the deadliest storms in decades. Still ahead, we go to Asheville, North Carolina, to see how the city is bouncing back from Hurricane Helene.
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HUNTE: Parts of Texas cleaning up this weekend after severe storms brought tornadoes, damaging winds and large hail there and Louisiana. The threat of severe weather is expected to ramp up again across the South in the hours ahead, from Texas to Alabama.
The weather service reports that the strongest tornadoes could come late this afternoon into the evening. Sunday, that threat shifts to the Southeast and the East Coast, where tornadoes spawning storms are expected in Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia.
We'll have more coming up on "CNN THIS MORNING" in about 20 minutes' time.
The threat of severe weather in the Southeast comes as parts of the region still struggle to rebuild from Hurricane Helene.
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HUNTE (voice-over): This is how much of the city of Asheville in North Carolina looked after the storm struck in September. It caused what some officials described as biblical devastation, wiping out homes, roads and bridges.
More than 230 people were killed, including more than 40 in Asheville alone. Even weeks later, parts of the city were still underwater as some businesses worked to get back on their feet.
All of this coming during the fall foliage season, which is usually the lifeline for the local economy. The city is now slowly recovering but there's a long road ahead.
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HUNTE: Let's dig into this. Hayden Plemmons is the executive director of the Asheville Downtown Association. She's speaking with us from Asheville.
Hello. How are you doing?
HAYDEN PLEMMONS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ASHEVILLE DOWNTOWN ASSOCIATION: Doing well. Thank you.
HUNTE: So glad to hear it. There is so much going on in the world right now. There's so much happening in the U.S., too. After so much of the coverage of Helene in September, I guess people just moved on but not the people actually impacted by it.
So tell me, what is the latest on recovery efforts?
And how do you feel about the world just moving on so quickly?
PLEMMONS: Sure. Well, speaking for Downtown Asheville, you know, we've seen a lot of support from our locals and the regional visitors, those who have been able to drive into Downtown Asheville and really support our businesses and restaurants. So we've appreciated that. And any coverage, you know, we can get to
remind folks that were still working in Western North Carolina to get back on our feet is much appreciated.
HUNTE: It is winter in Asheville and I saw that there's potentially some snow coming within the next few days.
How is the weather impacting the rebuilding and how are people coping with that?
PLEMMONS: Sure.
Well, it's quite difficult as a lot of our neighbors in communities outside of Downtown have lost homes and have lost everything. And it's really difficult, you know, to be able to get into homes quickly.
And so they are struggling with the weather, the cold, frankly, and need heaters and propane and need folks to continue to donate to make sure that they can stay warm this winter.
HUNTE: That makes a lot of sense. I actually watched one of your last interviews on CNN and you were really confident about Downtown Asheville bouncing back from the devastation.
Would you say that businesses are back to where they were at before all of this?
PLEMMONS: I wouldn't say we're back to where we were before. You know, there's a big season that we missed in that foliage season, like you mentioned.
We have seen a real increase in foot traffic in Downtown and our businesses felt like there was much of a correction during the holiday season and a lot of support online and with folks shopping locally but definitely not where we were before.
And I think there's a real fear for the first quarter of next year.
Are we going to have the tourists that we need to sustain?
HUNTE: Well, you did just mention online there. So get your promo. Let's talk about it.
What is still needed in Asheville?
How can people get involved?
How can we help?
I saw a website where you can buy things from Asheville, support local businesses.
Is there anything that I would like on there?
Anything you think I'd love? PLEMMONS: Oh, certainly. We have so many fantastic businesses, so many great entrepreneurs, art. We've got amazing food products, online jewelry. I mean, the artist community and the entrepreneur and small business community in Asheville is what makes us so special.
So I would be very surprised if you didn't find something you loved on loveashevillefromafar.com.
HUNTE: Love it. Well, thank you so, so much for that and all the very best with the recovery efforts. Thank you for your work.
PLEMMONS: Thank you.
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HUNTE: Still ahead, basketball turns into basketbrawl. An NBA game stopped as punches were thrown and three players were ejected. Details on the third quarter dustup with CNN sports next.
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BINDI IRWIN, WILDLIFE CONSERVATIONIST: G'day, I'm Bindi Irwin and, in 2025, I'm looking forward to sharing our family's message of wildlife conservation and continuing our work as Wildlife Warriors. Crikey!
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HUNTE: A winter wonderland unlike any other is now open to the public in China's northernmost province.
It's the 26th edition of the world's largest indoor ice and snow theme park in Harbin, China. Harbin is also known as Ice City. The festival runs until late February and features interactive projects, entertainment, ice sculptures, gourmet food -- love that -- and more.
It is Christmas in the Wizarding World. The Warner Brothers studio in London has given their Making of Harry Potter exhibit an enchanting holiday makeover, showcasing some of the films' most festive scenes. CNN's Anna Stewart has more as she tours the grounds of Hogwarts.
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ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is that time of year when we all rewatch family-favorite movies but this time I'm taking it a step further.
STEWART: Could there be a more magical place to spend the Christmas holidays than Hogwarts?
Ahh.
STEWART (voice-over): This is the great hall all decked out for a festive feast.
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STEWART: Laura, nice to meet you.
LAURA SINCLAIR-LAZELL, HEAD OF SHOW EXPERIENCE, WARNER BROS. STUDIO TOUR LONDON: Hello. Nice to meet you.
STEWART: You're going to give me the grand tour.
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: I am, indeed. Welcome to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London -- The Making of Harry Potter.
STEWART: Thank you.
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: I'm Laura Sinclair-Lazell and I'm head of show experience.
STEWART: You are the person who's going to tell me everything about this place. And I should tell you I'm probably CNN's biggest Harry Potter fan or nerd, depending on how you view these things.
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: Amazing. Well, you've come to the right place.
STEWART (voice-over): It feels like we have walked into a Harry Potter movie minus one enchanted ceiling and two tables, which allows more room for visitors.
In the movies, Professor Flitwick made light work of baubles. It's a lot more work for the muggles working here.
STEWART: Those aren't real peas?
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: No, sadly not, no.
STEWART: None of the food is real?
SINCLAR-LAZELL: Not real. Not this time, no.
STEWART (voice-over): With stomachs rumbling time to move on. Now you may remember this scene, Hagrid lugging a Christmas tree across the Hogwarts courtyard.
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: So this is very reminiscent of that moment and this would have been the original costume as worn by Martin Bayfield. So it's --
STEWART: So this is what was worn by the body double?
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: Absolutely, yes. Any of the long shots that you --
STEWART: Wow.
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: -- see were usually worn by him.
STEWART (voice-over): Time for a little retail therapy and it's been snowing.
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: We use shredded paper and --
STEWART: Is this shredded paper?
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: Or shredded plastic, yes. And then --
STEWART: Wow.
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: And then on top we sprinkle some glitter to give it that kind of real-life snow effect.
STEWART (voice-over): From Ollivander's to Flourish and Blotts, Diagon Alley has everything the witch or wizard needs.
STEWART: OK. If you could go into any of these shops for real which one would you go into?
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: I'm torn. Probably I'd want to hang out with the twins, so I'd want to go to --
STEWART: You'd want to go to Wizard Wheezes --
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: Yes.
STEWART: -- OK, joke shop.
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: I'd pick up a few jokes.
STEWART: I mean, maybe the quidditch shop for me --
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: Yes.
STEWART: -- once I've got my wand.
STEWART (voice-over): And clearly, it would be a Firebolt.
STEWART: The Firebolt, the fastest broomstick in the world.
STEWART (voice-over): Although sadly, no holiday sales here.
And to end the tour a breathtaking view of Hogwarts in the snow -- Anna Stewart, CNN, Watford.
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HUNTE: OK, let's turn to some sport now, where three players were ejected after a brawl between the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns. CNN's Carolyn Manno joins me now.
Hey, Carolyn, tell me more. How did this all happen?
CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Ben.
Well, this sort of thing happens a number of times during the course of any NBA season. Tempers flare but hefty fines and suspensions from the league office could certainly be on the way after this particular instance. I'll show you what happened.
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MANNO (voice-over): This is early in the second half. Jusuf Nurkic getting called for an offensive foul here after running over Daniel Gafford. Naji Marshall confronted him over the hit. And you can see Nurkic slapping him in the head. Marshall taking a swing at him.
PJ Washington threw Nurk to the ground in the melee as well. So it took several minutes for order to be restored after all this. Nurkic, Marshall and Washington were all ejected from the game. The Mavs would go on to win 98-89, in their first game since losing their star, Luka Doncic, for at least a month with a calf injury.
Elsewhere, a night after Minnesota beat the Mavs on Christmas Day, they flew to Houston to face the Rockets. Amen Thompson with a huge jam. Houston led by 16 with under five minutes to play.
But Minnesota made a huge comeback in this game. Anthony Edwards dialing the step back three here in the closing seconds to give his team a one-point lead. And then Fred VanVleet had a chance to win it for Houston. But his three just off the mark. So Minnesota wins it 113-112 in exciting fashion.
Let's go to the English Premier League now where Arsenal are back in second place, even though they had a less than impressive win over struggling Ipswich. Kai Havertz tapping home a nice cross halfway through the opening half to secure the three points for the Gunners. They are now six points back of leaders Liverpool atop the table.
But the Reds have a game in hand. American football is at a fever pitch this time of year here in the United States. While the college playoff quarterfinals are still a few days away, teams that didn't make the playoffs still get a chance to end their seasons on a winning note.
And the University of Southern California certainly did that at the Las Vegas Bowl last night. They rallied from being down 17 late in the second half to beat Texas A&M. Quite the comeback, a touchdown pass to Kyle Ford with eight seconds to go, sealing it as the Trojans win it 35-31 to claim the Las Vegas Bowl crown.
Eight more bowl games are on tap for Saturday for you. Three games on the NFL slate on Saturday, too. So it's a busy one, including the Chargers and Broncos both looking to secure the final two wild card playoff berths in the AFC.
L.A. and New England to face the Patriots. Denver is in Cincinnati to battle the Bengals and the L.A. Rams will try to stay in the driver's seat for the NFC West title as they host the Cardinals. The Rams, riding a four game win streak right now.
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They host the Seahawks in the finale next Sunday, Ben. And that could be for the division title. So there's a lot on the line as the regular season comes to a close. Very busy time of year here stateside.
HUNTE: Oh, it all sounds so exciting. Carolyn, thank you so much for that.
New York is getting ready for the famous Times Square New Year's Eve Ball Drop.
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PITBULL, AMERICAN RAPPER: Five, four, three, two, one. whoo!
HUNTE (voice-over): Well, that's American rapper Pitbull in the white coat, practicing for Tuesday night's countdown. He used to clean houses with his mom. And on Friday, he helped to clean the last crystals installed on the huge ball.
PITBULL: This crystal ball right here is the most famous ball in the world. And this ball is something that's very, very powerful, motivational and inspirational. I mean, this is the ball that basically helps set off all the New Year's resolutions going into every year. So going into 2025 is going to be all the way live.
HUNTE (voice-over): Pitbull is representing his company, Clean Boss. It's the official cleaning partner of the one time Square building where the ball drops at midnight on the 31st.
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HUNTE: Someone is now $1 billion richer after winning Friday night's Mega Millions draw.
What?
Lottery officials say the single winning ticket was sold in California and is worth $1.2 billion. Wow. That is the fifth largest jackpot in the game's history. By the way, the odds of winning that jackpot were one in more than 300 million. That's a lot of money.
Well, it's been real but that's all I've got for you for this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. Let's do it again tomorrow. Sounds good to me. I'm Ben Hunte in London. For those of you watching in the U.S., "CNN THIS MORNING" is up next. For those of you overseas, it's "AFRICAN VOICES: CHANGEMAKERS." See you soon.
