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Russian President Vladimir Putin Apologizes for Crash of Azerbaijani Airliner in Russian Airspace that Killed 38 People on Christmas Day; Israeli Forces Raid Last Major Health Facility in Northern Gaza; Emergency Communications Specialist for UNICEF Interviewed on Toll War and Conflict Take on Children; President-Elect Trump Asks U.S. Supreme Court to Delay National Ban on Social Media App TikTok; Tornado Watch Issued for Parts of Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi; CDC Report Indicates Bird Flu Virus Appears to have Mutated in Infected Patient from Louisiana; Top Ten CNN Viral Moments from 2024 Reviewed. Aired 10-11a ET.
Aired December 28, 2024 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:38]
RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning and thanks for joining me. I'm Rahel Solomon live in New York.
We begin this morning with breaking news on that deadly plane crash in Kazakhstan. Today, Russian President Vladimir Putin is apologizing for what he calls a tragic incident following the crash of that Azerbaijani airliner that killed 38 people on Christmas Day. But the Kremlin leader is also stopping short of admitting responsibility for the disaster. This comes as a U.S. official tells CNN that Russian air defenses may have mistaken the commercial jet that crashed on Christmas Day with a Ukrainian drone. Today, Putin admitted that Russia's air defense systems were active when that flight attempted to land in Chechnya on Wednesday.
All of this happening as we are also now hearing from one of the 29 people who emerged from that disaster alive. Let's go to CNN's Nada Bashir, who is covering this for us. Nada, good morning. What more are you learning here?
NADA BASHIR, CNN PRODUCER: Rahel, there has been certainly a lot of questions swirling around the cause behind this crash. And one of the key lines of inquiry that we have repeatedly heard now from U.S. officials and according to Reuters sources who are familiar with that ongoing investigation, is this question of Russia's air defense systems in the area, and, of course, nearby drone activity. It is understood that the crash occurred shortly after drone strikes, Ukrainian drone strikes hit parts of southern Russia.
And as you mentioned, we have now had this update, latest information from the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. Again, not acknowledging responsibility and not admitting any sort of responsibility for that crash, but apologizing for the crash happening within Russian airspace, and crucially, noting that Russia's air defenses were active in this region at the time. So that will certainly raise some questions for investigators as they continue to assess the evidence at hand at this stage.
But also, they will be looking at those eyewitness accounts. Remarkably, 29 people survived the crash, and we have had some firsthand testimonies, quite terrifying firsthand testimonies recounting those final moments before the plane crashed. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
SUBHONKUL RAKHIMOV, PLANE CRASH SURVIVOR: Subhonkul Rakhimov thought he was plunging to his death. He said he heard a bang before oxygen masks dropped, reciting the Shahada, the Muslim proclamation of faith. He says what he had thought to be his final prayer. According to Azerbaijan Airlines, the plane had faced physical and technical external interference. As the pilot attempted an emergency landing, the plane burst into flames upon impact, 38 people on board did not survive.
Remarkably, Rakhimov was among 29 people who survived the crash. "After the bang, I already had my mind set that something bad would happen because it was clear that the plane had received some damage," Rakhimov says. "And when the plane started behaving unusually, then it became 100 percent clear. I realized then that it was all over and decided I should film my final minutes."
Accounts from survivors like Rakhimov give a rare firsthand glimpse into the terrifying final moments of the flight and potentially what may have caused the crash. Azerbaijani sources and a U.S. official say preliminary evidence suggests the plane may have been hit by Russian air defenses, a possible case, one U.S. official told CNN, of mistaken identity, with the Russian city of Grozny, the flight's intended destination, under Ukrainian drone attack at the time.
"Ukrainian combat drones were mounting terrorist attacks on civil infrastructure in the cities of Grozny and Vladikavkaz," the head of Russia's federal air transport agency said. "Due to this, in the area of the Grozny airport, the Koviar (ph) plan was introduced, meaning all aircraft had to leave the indicated airspace immediately."
Russian aviation authorities claim the plane had initially attempted to land in Grozny twice, and was later offered other airport options within Russia. But the pilot rerouted towards the Kazakh City of Aktau instead. For those on board, it was a terrifying physical and emotional ordeal. For a brief moment, passengers thought they were out of danger.
[10:05:06]
"But when the Caspian Sea appeared, the clouds dispersed and the plane began to behave unusually," Rakhimov says, "The feeling of tension began to increase, both for other passengers and for myself." Clear perforations in the fuselage point to shrapnel or debris hitting the plane while still in the air, according to several aviation experts. The hope now is that recovered black boxes will provide more definitive information regarding the plane's final moments.
"I was conscious when I felt the impact. I was thrown up and down and back up again. I was strapped in, yet I was being thrown back and forth," Rakhimov recounts. "It all lasted for a few seconds. Then everything went quiet. There was silence, everything was calm, and I realized that that was it. We had landed."
(END VIDEO TAPE)
BASHIR: And Rahel, there have been no clear conclusions just yet from investigators. The Kazakh government has established a commission to carry out that investigation, but authorities say it could take around two weeks before a full assessment can be made of those black box recorders.
SOLOMON: Nada Bashir reporting there. Nada, thank you.
Israeli forces have arrested dozens of health care staff, including a hospital director, after raiding the last major health facility in northern Gaza. Thats according to Gaza's ministry of health. The Israeli military surrounded the Kamal Adwan hospital on Friday as part of it's ongoing operations in the area. The World Health Organization says that the raid put the facility out of service, warning at least 60 health workers and 25 patients in critical condition remained inside. Now, Israel claims that Hamas is using the facility for it's operations. Multiple staff members also reported a massive fire at the hospital, describing extensive damage to emergency units and key departments. The IDF denying any connection to the fire and saying that it's troops are operating in the area of the hospital and not inside of it. Witnesses and staff say that the IDF ordered patients and medical workers to evacuate, despite there being nowhere else to go.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABDULRAHMAN RAYYAN, EVACUATED FROM KAMAL ADWAN HOSPITAL (through translator): They were shooting through the windows. There were artillery shells by the gates. We came out at 7:30 a.m. and did not know what to do or where to go. They asked us to leave Kamal Adwan and head to Fakhoora. The way there, there is no road, just deep sand. My father kept having to pull me out of the sand, piles of sand, that is difficult to walk in with an injury.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: And here's how one nurse described the scene.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHUROUQ SALAH, NURSE AT 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: All right, staying in Gaza now, where winter is taking a deadly toll. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced by Israel's war now huddling for warmth in tents. Just this week, Gaza's Ministry of Health said that four infants were killed by the cold, dying of hypothermia. That includes this baby, who was only three weeks old. Her father burying her on Christmas Day. More than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed so far in this war. That's according to the health ministry. That includes over 17,000 children. The U.N. Agency for Palestinian Refugees says that a child is killed every hour in Gaza.
Joining us now is Joe English. He's an emergency communications specialist for UNICEF. Joe, welcome. Good to have you this morning.
JOE ENGLISH, EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST, UNICEF: Good to be with you, Rahel.
SOLOMON: Let's start with that hospital taken out of service in northern Gaza. What are the consequences of not having that facility operating at this stage of the war?
ENGLISH: Its absolutely catastrophic. And according to our colleagues at WHO, the last of those patients who were in intensive care have now been moved to the Indonesian hospital. But the Indonesian hospital does not have the capacity or the capability to care for them either. And so, you know, we've seen this across Gaza. We have been warning about this for many, many months, the impact that this has on children, on families. These health centers are the last remaining lifeline for many. And so the systematic destruction of this health system is effectively a strung out death sentence for many, many children who rely on medical care and assistance.
SOLOMON: And Joe, just turning to these stories that were now learning of children dying from the cold as winter settles in. I mean, obviously, these stories are horrific. They're heartbreaking. What are the biggest challenges facing young Palestinians who are displaced in Gaza?
ENGLISH: It is absolutely everything. You know, it is sufficient shelter, warmth at night. You know, these stories of young babies losing their lives in the past few days is really heartbreaking. I mean, any parent's nightmare.
[10:10:05]
And we just had a report out today that shows that this is happening all around the world. And we, the numbers often can feel overwhelming -- 473 million children living in areas affected by conflict. But each one of these is a child. It's their mother and father's pride and joy. And so when we see stories like this, young infants one day old, one month old, perishing because the tent that they are in just is not warm enough to keep them alive, this should bring it home, what war and conflict does to children and families. SOLOMON: Yes, and I want to turn now to that report that UNICEF put
out today, calling 2024 one of the worst years in their history for children in conflict. You cite Gaza, but you also cite conflicts around the world, Haiti, Myanmar, Lebanon, Sudan, Ukraine, totaling over 47 million children altogether. I mean, just to sort of put a fine point on it that children missing out on school, lifesaving vaccines, being malnourished. Joe, what more needs to be done at this point to take care of these immediate needs? And how much more challenging does it make your work when you have these conflicts happening simultaneously around the world where the need is great and each of these situations?
ENGLISH: Yes, infinitely. And for every conflict that is that is on the news and that we get to talk about, there are many more that go unreported. Eighty percent of humanitarian work around the world is due to conflict, 80 percent. And the numbers, as you say, are just staggering. Conflict touches every area of a child's life. But it's important that we bring it back to what this actually means. This means thousands of parents having to bury their children, having to say final goodbyes, millions of parents making that heartbreaking, impossible decision to uproot their family in search of safety.
In terms of what can be done, it's choices. We cannot say we do not know what impact this has. A recent war child study found that 96 percent of children in Gaza feel that death is imminent, 49 percent feel that they want to die because of the conflict. So when parties to the conflict, grown men, are making decisions about how they, you know, their military strategies, how they wage these wars, they have to protect children. We're not asking for any new laws or any new conventions. We are asking that the grown men who are making these decisions leading to children suffering adhere to the laws that exist.
SOLOMON: And just really hard to hear just how many children, as you point out, think about death or would prefer death considering the situation that they're in. What about the long-term effects from some of these conflicts, the trauma that will now likely follow these children and may last a lifetime?
ENGLISH: Yes, indeed. You know, the psychosocial toll, psychological toll that this takes on children is absolutely huge. But one of the things that UNICEF does is provide that psychosocial support. I've seen it in in conflicts all around the world, and we provide a safe space for children to play, to draw, to speak with, with professionals who can provide that kind of care and assistance.
But it is impossible to truly help children recover from this and rebuild their lives whilst bombs are still falling, whilst conflict still rages. And so that is the first thing we need to see. We need to see an end to this fighting.
In Syria, a rare moment of hope after 12 -- more than 13 years, sorry, of conflict in Syria, we now see hopefully an end to the war, and families, the joy and optimism they have to be able to rebuild their lives. We have to see that elsewhere in the world.
SOLOMON: Yes. OK, Joe English, we'll leave it here. Appreciate the time today. Thank you.
ENGLISH: Thank you.
SOLOMON: All right, and still ahead for us, President-elect Donald Trump changing his tune on TikTok, his new appeal to the Supreme Court to delay the app's ban. And nearly 5 million people across the south are under a tornado watch this morning as millions head home from their holiday breaks. We'll have the latest.
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[10:17:39]
SOLOMON: Welcome back. A new legal tit-for-tat for the impending TikTok ban. This time, President-elect Trump is pleading the case, filing a legal brief to the Supreme Court arguing that the Supreme Court should delay a U.S. ban on the social media platform, which is set to take effect in just three weeks. Now, that's putting him at odds with President Biden's White House, which is arguing that TikTok's ties to China pose grave threats to national security.
Let's bring in CNN's Alayna Treene, who is live for us in Florida. Alayna, good morning. So Trump signed this executive order the last time he was president, effectively banning TikTok. What's he now saying in this new brief?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Thats right, he did. He's kind of changing his tune here, Rahel, from his previous administration's stance. On Friday, in this legal brief, he urged the Supreme Court to put a pause on this controversial ban on TikTok, arguing that such a delay in it's implementation would give his incoming administration an opportunity to try and come to some sort of resolution to save the app.
Now, as you mentioned, this is related to a law that Congress approved earlier this year, Biden also signed it into law, that would effectively make sure that the ban was apt in the United States if it does not divest from it's Chinese owner, ByteDance. Now, that law is set to take effect on January 19th, just one day before Donald Trump is sworn into office. And that's really what Donald Trump's brief focused on, and arguing that he wants to be able to have a pause so that his administration one day later, after this ban is expected to take effect, would be able to try and work out some sort of negotiation.
I'm going to read for you what he wrote in this brief. He said, quote, "President-elect Trump urges the court to stay the statutes 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, to be clear here, Rahel, this puts him at odds with the Biden administration, which also filed it's own brief on Friday, warning, as you mentioned, of these grave national security concerns that TikTok poses, specifically citing Chinas influence through the app and on young kids throughout the United States.
Now, to go back to Donald Trump's previous position on this, you mentioned he signed an executive order while he was in office in his first administration that would have effectively banned TikTok.
[10:20:2]
However, we've heard him really kind of say more positive things about the app in recent weeks. I want you to take a listen to some of what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, (R) U.S. PRESIDENT-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 did go on TikTok, and we had a great response. We had billions of views, billions and billions of views. Maybe we got to keep this sucker around a little while, you know?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TREENE: Now, Rahel, one very notable thing is that also earlier this month, Donald Trump met with the TikTok CEO at Mar-a-Lago. And we also learned, our colleague Kaitlan Collins is reporting, that the TikTok CEO and Donald Trump also spoke last night.
All to say, it's very unclear what is going to happen with this. The real question before the Supreme Court that justices now have to weigh is whether or not the ban would violate First Amendment rights. But what Donald Trump is really pushing for is for more time so that his administration can address this and try to find some sort of negotiation, as Donald Trump put it in his legal briefing, try to save the app. Rahel?
SOLOMON: OK, we will soon see. Alayna Treene, thank you.
And for more on all of this, let's bring in CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein. He is also a senior editor at "The Atlantic." Ron, great to see you. Good morning.
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning. Good morning.
SOLOMON: So Trump's arguments for delay appear to be more political than legal. He doesn't really take a position on the underlying First Amendment question. Instead, he talks about his sort of prolific social media use, his fan base, and he argues that a delay will give him more time to negotiate. Ron, from your perspective, what's the real motivation here?
BROWNSTEIN: Well, I mean, just think about what he's asking the Supreme Court here, right? As you point out, he is not weighing in on the central legal dispute here, which the D.C. circuit court ruled on, which is do the national security concerns of the government justify impinging the First Amendment rights of the users? He's not weighing in on that. He's basically just saying to the justices, hey, guys, I'm coming into office. I want time to resolve this. So therefore, you should delay the implementation of this law.
I mean, that's a pretty broad request, pretty bold request. I mean, there's lots of presidents who don't like laws that they inherit. And for the court to simply say, well, OK, he's coming in. He wants a chance to reconsider this, therefore, we're going to delay it or strike it down, I think that would be a pretty revealing moment in terms of how much deference this court majority is prepared to give him.
So I kind of look at -- I mean, his request is unusual in that respect. But, you know, with Donald Trump, sometimes he's very transparent. I mean, he said he did better with young voters than he did in 2020. He thinks TikTok was a big part of the reason why. And now he may be less keen on banning it than he was when he was first president.
SOLOMON: Yes. Any early predictions, Rron, on how you see the Supreme Court going on this? Because, as you pointed out, if they were to, I don't know, if they were to, sort of, follow this request or abide by Trump's request, it would sort of -- it would be a moment. Let's just put it that way, it would be a moment. Where do you see this going?
BROWNSTEIN: Look, I think we've long passed confidently predicting where the Supreme Court majority will go. They're very willing to overturn established precedent, as we saw in the Dobbs case. They are willing to kind of expansively write new law, as we have seen in the major questions doctrine and in their immunity ruling last year.
But again, you know, it would be a striking choice by them to say, essentially, well, we can't find a legal reason to block this law, but the new president wants us to so he can reconsider it. And he can't just negotiate a deal, right. This is a statute. He would have to change the statute, convince Congress to change the statute in some way, get 60 votes in the Senate to change the statute in some way.
So I would -- if the Supreme Court does this, as I said, I think it will be a very revealing marker of how much deference they are prepared to give him on the other issues that are steamrolling their way, like the coming attempt to end birthright citizenship, or what he does with mass deportation, and so forth. So I look at this as kind of an early signifier of where they are headed.
SOLOMON: Ron, let me get your take on something before I let you go. This is the fight that's been brewing in the past days or so in MAGA world, Trump's picks to lead DOGE, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, taking to social media, arguing in favor of expanding the visa program, arguing that tech companies, including those owned by Musk, depend on foreign workers to operate. That has been sparking pretty strong attacks from some MAGA supporters, concern that it basically undermines Trump's promise, hardline promise to curb immigration. Where do you see this going and what side do you see Trump backing here? [10:25:07]
BROWNSTEIN: Yes, it is a fascinating fight because, you know, in many ways the agenda of the tech bros, the billionaire tech bros who've come on to the Trump coalition do collide with the with the core of the Trump movement, which is, I think, hostile to immigration in all forms, legal as well as illegal.
The traditional, the best argument for the kind of visas, the H1-B visas that bring in talent, high end talent is the one, actually that Elon Musk made, which is that like we want the most talented people in the world to come to the U.S., to work here, to excel here, to innovate here. And that creates benefits for the broader society. What Vivek Ramaswamy argued was different, though. What he argued was essentially, we need these people to come because Americans don't study hard enough in high school and college, and we venerate the jock and the homecoming queen and not the valedictorian.
I'm just trying to imagine what would be happening on FOX this weekend if a Democrat had made that argument and said, we need more immigrants because Americans aren't up to the jobs they would fill. In the first term, Trump was very hostile to H1-B. I'm guessing there's going to be more of a compromise this time. But you still have a lot of voices on the other side of this debate, Rahel, led by Stephen Miller in the White House. And I doubt that Elon Musk and Ramaswamy are going to get everything they want here. But again, I suspect that they will get somewhat more of what they want than what we saw in Trump's first term.
SOLOMON: Yes, it's a really fascinating debate playing out. And some of the comments, I mean, Ron, to your point, are just really head scratching, considering Donald Trump's base and his stance on some of these issues. Ron Brownstein --
BROWNSTEIN: Can you imagine, can you imagine him repeating the Ramaswamy quote at one of his rallies if a Democrat had said it, what the reaction would have been from the MAGA audience? Just read that quote at a Trump rally and try to imagine what would happen, try to imagine what would be happening on FOX today if that was Kamala Harris or a Democratic senator who had said exactly what Ramaswamy said. And I think it does show a potential seam in this coalition.
SOLOMON: Yes, it'd be a total meltdown, to say the least. Ron Brownstein, we'll leave it here. Good to see you. Thank you.
BROWNSTEIN: Hey, thanks. Happy holidays.
SOLOMON: You too.
All right, still ahead for us, tornado outbreaks are expected for millions today as severe weather sweeps across the country. Nearly 5 million people are already under a tornado watch this morning. We'll bring you the forecast coming up next.
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[10:30:38]
SOLOMON: Welcome back. In the last hour, a tornado watch was issued for parts of Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. This is happening, of course, on one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. And as people head home, severe weather may cause more snarls. So far, more than 14,000 flights have been delayed, that is according to FlightAware. Just one day after severe storms hit parts of Texas and Louisiana, the storm prediction center, raising its threat level, cautioning that a tornado outbreak is likely across the south later today.
Let's get to CNN meteorologist Elisa Raffa to tell us what's the latest this morning. Elisa?
ELISA RAFFA, CNN WEATHER ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: It's already pretty active and we are expecting it to get even more active as we go through the day today. This red, that's the tornado watch that's in effect until 3:00 central time, including places like Shreveport and Baton Rouge, where we could find some strong tornadoes possible. And again, we have another round where even stronger tornadoes are possible.
We've got some severe storms firing up in Texas, another watch will likely be needed here. Weve got some severe thunderstorm warnings there. And here, we've had already multiple tornado warnings as some of these supercells are spinning and creating that rotation that's triggering these tornado warnings.
This is the threat, it's a level four out of five moderate risk. We're not just looking at a couple of tornadoes possible. We're looking at strong, possibly violent tornadoes, EF-3 or greater as we go through the day today. So the type of tornadoes you really need to take seriously. Get in basements, storm shelters once those warnings are issued, have multiple ways to get warnings.
This is the threat going through tonight. Some of it, again, through the overnight hours. And then it slides to the east tomorrow, Charlotte and Atlanta in the risk for some damaging winds. Not quite as intense tomorrow, but could still pack a punch.
So you could see we have these storms getting into a line as we go into the afternoon, a push of damaging winds as we go into the evening across Mississippi, some of this overnight. This is midnight. Again, very dangerous. While you're sleeping, make sure your phone is on loud to get these warnings. And it continues waking up to thunder and lightning in Atlanta tomorrow morning. The damaging winds stretch into the Carolinas by the afternoon. All of that rain swirling into the northeast.
So when it comes to flight headaches, we'll have some problems across the south today for sure. You cannot fly through these storms. They are much too tall, pack too much of a punch with lightning and wind. You need to fly around them.
We've already had some problems this morning because of fog and low ceiling heights with the clouds in the New York area airports, so that will also cause some headaches. But travel again, a problem across the south and the Pacific Northwest through the next couple of days. Rahel?
SOLOMON: A lot of red there. All right, Elisa Raffa, thank you.
All right, and coming up for us, growing concerns about bird flu after samples taken from the first severe human case in the U.S. showed signs of mutation that could make it easier for the virus to spread. What the CDC is saying about it when we come back.
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[10:36:47]
SOLOMON: Welcome back. A new concerning CDC report about the bird flu here in the U.S. The virus appears to have mutated in an infected patient from Louisiana, which could possibly increase the chances of human-to-human transmission. That hospitalized patient is the first severe human case of bird flu in the country. And CDC officials say that the patient likely contracted it after contact with sick and dead birds in a backyard flock. But the CDC also emphasizing that there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission, and that the public risk of infection remains low.
CNN medical correspondent Meg Tirrell has more details on what happens now.
MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the CDC analyzed these samples that were taken from this patient who was hospitalized in Louisiana with the country's first severe case of H5N1 bird flu. And what they found is mutations in this virus that may make it easier for the virus to infect human cells in the upper respiratory tract. The bird flu isn't very good at infecting people in our nose and throats. But with these mutations, possibly it could get better at that.
Now, the good news is that the patient doesn't appear to have spread the virus to any other humans, and it doesn't look like the patient picked up these mutations from wherever the patient caught this virus in the wild. So it's thought that the patient was infected after having contact with sick and dead birds in a backyard flock. And these mutations weren't seen in the birds. And so it really seems like these mutations are confined to this one patient.
We have seen similar mutations to these before, also, in a severe case of H5N1, this one in a teenager in British Columbia, Canada. Again, in that scenario, it appears that these mutations happened in the patient and weren't spread to anybody else. So really the threat level would rise if we see human to human transmission of bird flu, and we have not seen that as of this point.
Of course, health experts are worried when they see these mutations. It shows they are potentially possible. So they are watching this very closely. There have been a couple instances where we don't know the source of exposure. And then this one patient in Louisiana is the only one associated with backyard flocks. So this is something that the CDC is following very closely, but they say right now the risk to the public is low, especially because we haven't seen that human-to-human transmission.
SOLOMON: All right, Meg Tirrell, thank you.
And let's discuss this further now with Dr. Carlos del Rio, who is the chair of the department of medicine at Emory University. Doctor Del Rio, good to have you this morning.
DR. CARLOS DEL RIO, CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE AT EMORY UNIVERSITY: Happy New Year.
SOLOMON: Yes, happy New Year. Are you worried about bird flu spreading further? And how high is the danger of bird flu mutating so that it might start spreading from person to person?
DEL RIO: Well, you know, those of us in infectious disease always worry about influenza. And when you start seeing bird flu emerge, everybody is concerned. The overall level of concern is rising because we're seeing infection not only in the cattle and in people that work with cattle, like farmers, but we're seeing also in other people exposed to birds, and we're beginning to see severe cases.
The risk to the general public, as CDC says, remains low. But I think we really are, we should start thinking about high alert. There's more testing available. We need to have more testing and rolled out.
[10:40:02]
We need to have more surveillance done, because the reality is bird flu can mutate at any time, and producing what we're hearing right now, there's not yet cases of human-to-human transmission. That can happen at any time. Once that begins, we are indeed in for another pandemic.
SOLOMON: Wow. What would you say are the telltale signs for someone listening or watching of bird flu in humans? And what should someone do if they think they've contracted it?
DEL RIO: Well, the first thing I would say, Rahel, is that I want to remind people that the most dangerous thing you can do right now, and the one thing you need to do to not get exposed to bird flu is not drink unpasteurized milk, because many cattle are infected. They're infected in their mammary glands, and the milk is getting infected. When you pasteurize the milk, the virus gets inactivated. But if you're drinking unpasteurized milk, that's how you can get exposed to it. So be careful. Do not drink unpasteurized milk.
The second thing is, be careful with birds, with dead birds. Don't pick up a dead bird, don't start playing with it. If you work in a poultry farm, you know, protect yourself. Same thing for farm workers. So farm workers are at higher risk of exposure, both in poultry and in cattle farms.
And testing needs to happen there. If you start developing any respiratory symptoms, you need to get tested. And now the good news is we have testing for COVID and for RSV and for influenza. We're seeing a big uptick nationwide of influenza. So right now, the biggest concern is Influenza A. So again, people need to get tested and people need to be treated. We have treatments available.
SOLOMON: Yes. And we know that two-thirds of California dairy farms are under quarantine because of bird flu, and 20 big cats reportedly are dead in Washington state from bird flu. How easy or difficult would you say it is to jump from animals to humans? And how severe of a threat does that pose?
DEL RIO: Well, that's what that's what flu does. Flu, influenza, it's an animal virus. It infects animals, birds, poultry, other mammals. But when it's swine, when it goes into humans, it's when we start seeing influenza. And the problem is this virus is continuously mutating. And it is what, you know, let's suppose somebody is infected with Influenza A, the influenza that we're normally seeing right now go up, and they get infected with this swine flu virus. The two viruses can mutate and the virus can then become more easily transmissible to others.
So again, how easy it is to go, it's not very easy. It's still not able to do it very effectively because the virus has not adapted well to infect humans. But once we start seeing mutations that make it easier for the virus to infect humans, we all start getting concerned. And that's why this case in Louisiana is particularly concerning.
SOLOMON: Yes, absolutely. Dr. Carlos del Rio, thank you for helping us understand it a bit more and try to be even safer. Thank you.
DEL RIO: Take care.
SOLOMON: And still to come for us, check those Megam Millions tickets, because someone out there is waking up a billionaire today where the winning ticket was sold, coming up.
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[10:47:08]
SOLOMON: Well, someone is waking up and starting the new year $1 billion richer after winning last night's Mega Millions jackpot. California lottery officials say that the single winning ticket was sold at Sunshine Food and Gas in Shasta County, and it is worth $1.2 billion. That is the fifth largest jackpot in the game's history. Now, if the winner takes the lump sum payout, they will walk away with nearly $550 million before taxes. By the way, the odds of winning that jackpot were one in more than 300 million. That's a way to start the new year.
2024, meantime, was full of viral moments that we all followed from our phones. CNN's Boris Sanchez takes a look back at the videos and events that captivated us all this past year.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Buster. Come here. Come here. Come here, you little --
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 has 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 one in 1,000-year rainfall for that area. [10:50:01]
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: I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You better -- not. I swear to God -- I'll shoot you in your -- face.
MASSEY: OK. I'm sorry.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Drop the -- pot. Drop the -- 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.
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.
SANCHEZ: 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 has 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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SOLOMON: Boris Sanchez, thank you.
Well, a new CNN film examines the storied career of one of the most influential artists of all time, Luther Vandross. From his formative years in Harlem, appearing in the Apollo theater house band and the first episodes of "Sesame Street," to his rise as the king of love songs. Using a wealth of archives, Luther tells his own story along with the voices of his closest musical collaborators and friends. Here's a preview.
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LUTHER VANDROSS, SINGER: Like from out of a dream. And in this dream, there was a major diva in the wings waiting for me.
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[10:55:04]
VANDROSS: Oh, yes, she will appear out of somewhere.
MARIAH CAREY, SINGER: I was so nervous because I had never probably played in a place that big before. It's the beginning of the performance, and Luther is like, I'm seeking out a diva, and she's here and she's there. And I really was honored when he brought me out to sing with him.
(SINGING)
VANDROSS: My Love, there's only you in my life.
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SOLOMON: Tune in. The all-new CNN film "Luther, Never Too Much," premieres New Year's Day at 8:00 p.m. eastern and pacific on CNN.
And thank you for joining me. I'm Rahel Solomon in New York. I'll be back in an hour from now at noon eastern. THE AMANPOUR HOUR is coming up next.
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