Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Winter Storm Bringing Miserable Conditions Across U.S.; Funeral To Be Held Thursday at Washington National Cathedral; Trump Meets with Italian PM Giorgia Meloni at Mar-a-Lago; Biden Awards 19 People the Highest U.S. Civilian Honor; Letter Calls for Democrats to be Remove From Government; Russia Threatens to Retaliate for Alleged ATACMS Attack. Aired 5-6 am ET
Aired January 05, 2025 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:00:29]
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and around the world. I'm Fred Pleitgen in London.
Here's what's ahead on CNN News. The first major winter storm of the season is bearing down on much of the United States, the latest on the conditions and when residents can expect the system to pass.
Plus, we're learning more about the driver who exploded a Cybertruck in Las Vegas and the political grievances he held in the final days of his life.
And while Donald Trump has already flexed his political muscles with House Republicans, we'll look at why passing his ambitious legislative plans may prove to be a challenge.
I want to begin, though, with that powerful winter storm that's creating miserable and dangerous conditions across a wide swath of the U.S. and putting more than 70 million people there at risk. That includes nearly four million people in eastern Kansas now under blizzard warnings.
In Colorado, travelers were also dealing with blizzard-like conditions. The storm is expected to bring heavy snow, hazardous ice, rain, and severe thunderstorms stretching more than 1,300 miles across the country.
Governors in Kentucky and Virginia have already declared a state of emergency, while Maryland has declared a state of preparedness.
Icy roads in Kansas created dangerous conditions. Even tractor trailers were slipping along the interstate. The Kansas City International Airport was closed for hours because of icy runways and icy taxiways. More than 550 flights in the U.S. have already been canceled for today, the bulk of those in Kansas City, St. Louis, and Chicago.
Officials say travel will be hazardous as Kansas City and St. Louis will be hardest hit this morning. One Kansas State trooper had a simple message. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN GARDNER, TROOPER, KANSAS HIGHWAY PATROL: What I want to show you, though, is that this roadway is very slick, very, very slick. So let me get some traction here and watch my feet here. Ready for this? That's what we're dealing with out here, and it's not getting any better, it's getting worse. So get off the roads.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: Get off the roads, he says, and for more on what's in store, let's bring in William Churchill. He's a forecaster with National Weather Service, and he joins us from College Park, Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C., of course. And William, this system appears to be a complete beast. Tell us what's going on.
WILLIAM CHURCHILL, FORECASTER, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE: Yeah, absolutely, thanks for having me. Yeah, this is going to be a major winter storm for a large portion of the country. As you stated, the blizzard conditions are really only just getting started in Kansas, impacting the, you know, Kansas City most significantly in that area.
And there, you know, we're expecting snowfall amounts to surpass 15 inches in spots, and that'll be the heaviest in at least a decade for some of those areas, and that's going to make travel extremely hazardous. And then shifting eastward, we're expecting a heavy band of snow to go all the way from those central plains into the Ohio Valley, all the way to the central Appalachians, and into the mid-Atlantic. And there, we see this band of eight to 14 inches of snow developing, so very significant.
PLEITGEN: So, I mean, obviously, extremely -- extremely dangerous conditions, what are travelers going to have to contend with in those areas today? Because I know for some people, they'll say, oh yeah, it's going to be a little bit more difficult to drive, but I think in some places, it's almost impossible to move forward, isn't it?
CHURCHILL: Yeah, absolutely, especially in those blizzard condition areas. The visibility alone makes it difficult to drive, let alone what's happening to the roads. So if at all possible, you know, people should avoid travel, if at all possible.
And really, it could be even more significant into the Ohio Valley, in cities like Indianapolis and Louisville, and especially Louisville and areas south, where you could have the snow start with this event, eight to 14 inches, and then actually transition to freezing rain and get a large amount of ice on top of that. And that is especially dangerous. And there can be prolonged power outages in some of these areas that get more of the ice in addition to the snow.
PLEITGEN: Now, of course, today it's going to be bad, but tomorrow, Monday, was always going to be a giant commuter day. For all the people who maybe took off Thursday and Friday after the new year, then the weekend getting back to work, how much of an issue is this still going to be heading into the beginning of next week for commuters?
[05:05:03]
CHURCHILL: Yeah, that's a great point. And, you know, the storm will be shifting from the Ohio Valley, from those areas I mentioned, into the Mid-Atlantic during that timeframe. So we're very concerned about the morning commute in the D.C. region, especially. That's going to be the biggest metro region in the Mid-Atlantic that's impacted by this.
And there we could see six to eight inches of snow. There'll be a little bit of a break in the middle of the day, very heavy snow in the morning, and then possibly another round of heavy snow in the evening. We're actually looking at some of those models update this morning, and we're seeing indications that there'll be heavy banding of possibly 10 inches plus when all is said and done in the D.C. area. So very significant snow storm for that region as well.
PLEITGEN: Difficult conditions. William Churchill in Maryland, thank you very much.
CHURCHILL: Thanks for having me.
PLEITGEN: The United States is bidding a long farewell to former President Jimmy Carter, who died a week ago at the age of 100. His state funeral will be held this Thursday at Washington National Cathedral. President Joe Biden, a longtime friend of the Carters, will deliver the eulogy.
But first, Georgia is paying respects to its native son. The former president is now lying in repose at the Carter Center in Atlanta. After a memorial procession through the state, he called home.
Jeff Zeleny has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: In scripture and song on Saturday, Georgians paid their solemn tributes to Jimmy Carter, one of their own who rose from being a peanut farmer to the presidency. A day-long series of tributes started in Plains, Georgia, and literally tracked the remarkable journey that he had from his home outside of the tiny town of Plains to more than a two-and-a-half-hour journey to Atlanta, the motorcade passing the Atlanta Capitol, of course, where he served as a state senator and one term as governor before making the run for president back in the 1976 campaign. That was an improbable journey, one of many throughout his life.
But certainly once the motorcade reached the Carter Center on Saturday evening for a private family service, Chip Carter spoke about how both of his parents, Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter, and the work that they did for the world.
CHIP CARTER, JIMMY CARTER'S SON: He was an amazing man, and he was held up and propped up and soothed by an amazing woman. And the two of them together changed the world. And it was an amazing thing to watch from so close.
ZELENY: A very personal and public farewell for the life of America's longest living president. America has not seen a state funeral for a president since 2018 when George H.W. Bush was laid to rest.
Now, Jimmy Carter will go from Georgia on Tuesday morning to Washington. He'll be lying in state in the U.S. Capitol before the Washington National Cathedral hosts a state funeral. President Biden will be delivering that eulogy. But in Georgia throughout the day on Saturday, those personal touches from the son of Plains, Georgia on his improbable rise, he planned every moment of his funeral some decades ago, including music from the Morehouse College Glee Club. The family watched and listened as they sang Battle Hymn of the Republic.
(MUSIC)
ZELENY: Those strains were chosen themselves by the Carters, a nod to the deep importance that civil rights played in his governor and indeed his presidency.
Now, the late president will be lying in repose here in Atlanta through Tuesday morning before going to Washington.
Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PLEITGEN: And we move on to Washington now, where we are learning that Donald Trump plans to concentrate his ambitious policy agenda into one large sweeping package. It now appears Trump expects some of his biggest campaign promises on tax policy and the border to pass through Congress in a single massive bill.
Sources say the U.S. House speaker told Republican lawmakers of the plan in a closed-door meeting on Saturday. After the spending bill debacle and a narrow speaker's race, Trump seems to believe there will be very little room to maneuver separate bills, but legislation of this size will still be a massive challenge for the GOP and will take far more time to negotiate. CNN spoke with Republican Congressman Rich McCormick, who was at that meeting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICH MCCORMICK, U.S. HOUSE REPUBLICAN: It's going to be very difficult, but everybody has the idea that we want to get something done historically. Because a lot of times, quite frankly, when the Republicans take over and we have both the trifecta -- when we have the trifecta we don't get things across the finish line because they're not working well together. I think this is the first time in a very long time that the speaker and the Senate leader both are going to be working hand-in-hand to get this across the finish line, along with the President's guidance and make sure we deliver on the things that we ran on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[05:10:08]
PLEITGEN: And McCormick also added that new Senate Majority Leader John Thune was at that meeting as well and is also on board with that plan. And while Republicans have a razor-thin majority in the House, in the Senate, Thune's pledge to protect the filibuster may pose challenges to Trump's ability to pass parts of his agenda.
On Friday, at the start of the new two-year Congress, Thune spoke of his commitment to protecting the legislative filibuster in his opening remarks. He said it's important to, quote, "Assure the Senate stays the Senate." During his first term, Trump had floated getting rid of the key rule, which requires 60 votes to close debate on a measure and is used as a tactic to delay voting.
And the U.S. President-elect met with Italy's far-right Prime Minister on Saturday. Donald Trump welcomed Giorgia Meloni to his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. This is not the only meeting the two leaders have had recently. Last month, Meloni dined with Trump and billionaire Elon Musk in Paris during festivities to mark the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral. Meloni will meet with President Joe Biden when he's in Rome later this week.
We are going to unpack all of that with Natasha Lindstaedt, who is a professor of government at the University of Essex here in the United Kingdom. She joins us now from Colchester.
Natasha, there's so much to unpack here, but I do want to begin with that visit by Giorgia Meloni to Mar-a-Lago, because it certainly seems as though a lot of European leaders are trying to create ties with Donald Trump. But at the same time, it also seems as though he's meeting with European leaders who are similar inclined as himself. What do you make of it?
NATASHA LINDSTEDT, PROFESSOR OF GOVERNMENT, UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX: No, definitely. We're seeing a lot of symmetry between Trump and particular the far-right leaders in Europe. And there's been definitely a rise of both leaders in the far-right, but also the parties on the far-right. We've seen this in not just Italy, but also Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, and so forth.
And Trump and Elon Musk are forging closer ties. They share similar ideas on immigration or being anti-woke. And along these lines, they have been connecting.
Now, in terms of the case of Meloni, she doesn't see Musk or Trump as a threat to her Italian policies that are based on making things in Italy and supporting Italian companies. And she's hoping that this relationship will only strengthen Italy.
Now, as far as Trump is concerned, I think he tries to forge these types of relationships that the ultimate goal is really to weaken the European Union and possibly also NATO. He is an anti-internationalist. He is, you know, anti-globalization. And he's against these international institutions or these intergovernmental institutions as well. And so I think that's what's often driving these types of partnerships.
PLEITGEN: Yeah, it's really interesting you say that because there was no readout or anything of that meeting. The only thing that we heard, I think this came from the Italian side beforehand, is that they said the main topics were going to be Ukraine, the Mideast trade, and of course that Italian journalist who's currently being held in Iran. But all of these, of course, extremely important topics for Europe.
Do you get the sense that right now, European leaders are trying to sort of figure out what Donald Trump's presidency is going to mean for Europe, for the future in Europe, and certainly also for the conflict in Ukraine that is so important for the European leaders as well?
LINDSTEDT: Definitely. I mean, it's a very precarious time in Europe because of all, as I mentioned, the rise of all these different far- right parties and leaders. So that means that Europe is not as united as it normally would be. And there are huge challenges ahead with what is going to happen with Ukraine.
So let's just say Trump does manage to engineer some sort of deal that ends or pauses the war in Ukraine. The idea behind that would be much of the reconstruction would be paid for by Europe.
And if there isn't some sort of deal, Trump has already signaled that the U.S. isn't going to be supporting Ukraine in the same way it has in the past, militarily, financially, and so forth. And so that means that European leaders are going to have very tough choices about how much money they can continue to give to Ukraine. So that's just one big issue.
And there are others, you know, in terms of what is Trump going to do to NATO? Is he going to limit U.S. military spending? And that will offer more burden for European NATO countries to pay more for their own military. And we've seen Emmanuel Macron already talking about this, that Europe needs to be more independent.
[05:15:06]
So they're all trying to weigh and figure out how they're going to deal with Trump and whether there are actually any opportunities to him being in power in terms of trade deals.
PLEITGEN: I want to go to Washington now, and I want to get your take on what you believe this idea of a large bill to push through a lot of the Trump agenda going forward. What that is going to mean, what the difficulties are with that, what the possibilities are for that. And if you look at just some of the things that apparently are going to be in there, tax cuts or the extension of tax cuts, especially for wealthier people, the border and also energy as well.
Where are the potential pitfalls and why do you think they're doing this? LINDSTEDT: Right, it's going to be a huge challenge to get this passed. I know the thinking behind it is that if they were to break it down into all these different separate bills, then that would also pose huge challenges as well because they'd have to negotiate in each bill with the Democrats. And with such a razor thin majority in the house, there's only really one defection that they can handle.
This is a really different environment than when Trump entered the White House in 2017, when the Republicans had something like a 47-seat lead in the house. It's going to be very, very difficult to get anything passed without some cooperation of the Democrats. So at the very least, putting everything into one bill means this is going to take a very long time. It's going to be a lot of negotiation. And I think part of the problem is that they want huge spending cuts. They want a huge tax cut.
And so in 2017, they were able to engineer a massive tax cut but that led to ballooning of the budget deficit by 4 trillion. And then they also at the same time want to spend all this money on immigration, on border security and on this deportation plan. All these things, managing all these things and trying to find some Democrats to get on board with this is going to be incredibly challenging.
PLEITGEN: Natasha Lindstedt in Colchester, England. Thank you very much for joining us.
U.S. President Joe Biden held his final Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony on Saturday, awarding 19 people with the country's highest civilian honor. Mr. Biden, who was himself awarded the Medal of Freedom by former President Barack Obama, presented the award to musicians, actors, athletes, philanthropists, and politicians. He described why he chose whom he did.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, (D) U.S. PRESIDENT: It's cultural icons, defined statements, should be a dignified statement, humanitarians, rock stars, sports stars. You feed the hungry, you give hope to those who are hurting, and you craft the signs and sounds of our movements and our memories. You know, it's amazing. Your innovation, you inspire, you bring healing and joy to so many lives otherwise you wouldn't be touched.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: Mr. Biden honored former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton for her decades of public service, and she received a standing ovation as she accepted the award. U2's frontman Bono was honored for his activism against AIDS and poverty. Spanish-American chef Jose Andres was awarded for his World Central Kitchen organization, which of course brings food aid to communities affected by disasters and war.
And Magic Johnson recognized for his achievements in basketball and philanthropy while also giving President Biden a helping hand, as you see there, to adjust for their significant height difference. A new update on indirect talks between Israel and Hamas, and as Israel
conducts more strikes in Gaza, Hamas releases a new hostage video. That's ahead on CNN Newsroom.
Plus, what investigators are learning about the political grievances of the man behind the Las Vegas Cybertruck attack. That's after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:22:23]
PLEITGEN: Welcome back, everyone. In New Orleans this morning, the 14 people killed in the Bourbon Street terrorist attack. And we've learned that U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to attend a vigil in the city on Monday.
Several hundred people have already gathered for a candlelight vigil. In the French Quarter on Saturday, dozens of blue crosses, each bearing photos of the victims, stood in a row with Mardi Gras necklaces and flowers draped over them.
"Reuters" news agency, meanwhile, is reporting that new vehicle barriers being installed in New Orleans would have done nothing to prevent the attack. The new barriers reportedly can only withstand vehicle impacts of up to 16 kilometers per hour. That's about 10 miles an hour. And months ago, an assessment found that a similar truck model to the one used was capable of plowing through the area at speeds up to seven times faster.
A 2019 report warned the terrorism risk in the French Quarter specifically for vehicular attacks was quote, "highly possible." And now the city council will launch a fact-finding committee to find out how this happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OLIVER THOMAS, NEW ORLEANS CITY COUNCILMEMBER: What occurred or should have can always come into play. I just know that we need to do better moving forward. Of course, what a lot of people know is that I've been surveying the French Quarter walking with a retired police officer who was stationed in there for 20 years, looking at a lot of the entrances and exits. And I've learned a lot of things. I've talked to security experts that talks about how we need a better coordinated effort. There needs to be better coordination and experts who are talking to each other that can talk about how we best protect ourselves, especially around special events.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: Meanwhile, federal agencies in the United States are warning of copycat vehicle ramming attacks. And former defense secretary under Donald Trump and CNN Global Affairs Analyst, Mark Esper, spoke with CNN earlier about the seriousness of something like this happening again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK ESPER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: I think it's a serious risk and I think it's prudent to put it out. We often see copycatters when these types of events happened and we have a number of important events coming up. We have president Carter's funeral coming up, but also inauguration, the Super Bowl. So a number of high-profile events coming up that might attract somebody who wants to make a name for himself or herself or wants to advance their cause. So I think it's very smart to take extra precautionary measures.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: And investigators looking into the New Year's Cybertruck bombing in Las Vegas have recovered a second letter from a cell phone left behind by the man responsible for the explosion. They say it sheds more light on the political grievances he harbored in the final days of his life. Natasha Chen has that story for you.
[05:25:05]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: One letter that investigators believe was written by Livelsberger calls for action to remove Democrats from the federal government and from the military, including the possibility of occupying roads and federal buildings, not ruling out the use of force.
Another letter that investigators found outlines grievances, political grievances, what he found wrong with American society and culture, supporting President Donald Trump and supporting Elon Musk. The investigators read a few excerpts from these letters to the media on Friday in hopes that it would provide some context to Livelsberger's state of mind and why he did this on New Year's Day.
One of those excerpts said, "Time to wake up. We are being led by weak and feckless leadership who only serve to enrich themselves."
Now, the day before the explosion, he had sent an email to some online media outlets saying that he was in possession of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, that he was armed.
U.S. officials also told CNN that he had been to see the military behavioral health program during recent months and was diagnosed with depression last year, but he was not assessed to be a risk for violence toward others or toward himself.
Right now, investigators are still combing through a lot of evidence, trying to look at all the data on his devices, and they said they're just scratching the surface of that.
Natasha Chen, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PLEITGEN: Mexico says it will consider receiving non-Mexican deportees from the United States. On Friday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she's open to, quote, collaborate with the U.S. on returning migrants to their countries of origin. Just last month, Sheinbaum said she would push U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to handle non-Mexican deportees. This somewhat sudden change in position comes weeks before Trump's inauguration.
One of Trump's main campaign promises, of course, was to begin massive deportations, and if enacted, some believe his policy of deportation would further compromise Mexico's border cities in the north, which already struggle with high levels of organized crime and where non- Mexican migrants would be at risk for kidnapping, extortion, and possible death.
The president of U.S. Steel is slamming President Joe Biden for his, quote, "political corruption." On Friday, Biden uses his executive authority to block the $14.3 billion acquisition of the company by Japan's Nippon Steel.
Since the deal was announced a year ago, both Biden and President- elect Trump said they would oppose it. The U.S. Committee for Foreign Investment failed to reach a consensus on whether the acquisition would pose a national security risk to the United States, leaving the decision to block the deal up to Biden. The Steelworkers Union has strongly opposed it from the beginning, arguing that Nippon would not protect jobs held by union members.
Ukrainian troops are between a rock and a hard place ahead of a change of power in Washington. They're stuck between Russia's pressure on the front lines and the prospect of U.S. military aid going away. We'll discuss Kyiv's options when we return.
Plus, the U.S. Secretary of State reveals an offer that he says Israel made to Hamas if the group will release its hostages. That's up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:31:34]
PLEITGEN: Welcome back to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Fred Pleitgen in London, and this is CNN Newsroom.
Now, despite optimism in recent weeks, officials now say there is little progress in the latest Gaza ceasefire and hostage release talks. Thousands of anti-government protesters were on the streets of Tel Aviv Saturday night, and they are demanding a deal with Hamas to get the hostages home.
One of the protesters said Israel's government, as he puts it, doesn't understand what's really important.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE CAMERON, PROTESTER: It definitely has to go. It's a very simple equation. When the government realizes that the people that they serve are more important than they themselves, perhaps we'll get the hostages back. (END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: And there is now new video of one of the hostages, 19-year- old Liri Albag. She references the new year, but there is no indication of when the recording was actually made. At the request of her parents, CNN is not airing the hostage video.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELI ALBAG, FATHER OF HOSTAGE (through translator): Dear people of Israel, today we received a sign of life from Liri. We saw a video that was difficult to watch. This isn't the Liri we know.
SHIRA ALBAG, MOTHER OF HOSTAGE (through translator): We demanded from the Prime Minister and Defense Minister that the negotiating team must not return without an agreement. We understood from their words that they are willing to make a deal and bring all the hostages home. I want to tell Liri, if she sees this, Liri, we are fighting for you. We aren't giving up on you. And you're coming home alive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: Meanwhile, in a new interview with The New York Times, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Israel has offered Hamas members safe passage out of Gaza on one condition, the release of all the hostages.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Israel on various occasions has offered safe passage to Hamas' leadership and fighters out of Gaza. Where is the world? Where is the world in saying, yeah, do that, end this, stop the suffering of people that you brought on?
Now, again, that doesn't absolve Israel of the way of its actions in conducting the war. But I do have to question how it is we haven't seen a greater sustained condemnation and pressure on Hamas to stop what it started and to end the suffering of people that it initiated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: Meanwhile, officials in Gaza say Israeli strikes killed 28 people on Saturday. Gaza civil defense says 11 people, including seven children, were killed in a strike on a house east of Gaza City. The Israeli military says for the past week, it's conducted operations in what it calls an area used by Hamas commanders as a hideout and terror complex. But at least one of the areas hit Saturday, a witness says there were no members of Hamas present on the ground.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMJAD QANDIL, WITNESS (through translator): I was waiting outside the bakery to get bread and get it to my kids. We felt an earthquake at the site. A full neighborhood was destroyed. There are no militants here. They are all women and children. You have to see the bodies, go to the hospital and you can find out they are all civilians. Why were they targeted? There are no militants in this area.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: The Kremlin is vowing to retaliate after Ukraine reportedly fired U.S.-made missiles into Russia. Moscow allegedly shot down eight ATACMS missiles over the Russian territory on Saturday, along with dozens of Ukrainian drones. The statement didn't say how Russia would retaliate, but in the past, it threatened to use again its new hypersonic Oreshnik missiles.
[05:35:05]
Meanwhile, North Korean troops are reportedly racking up losses as they fight Ukrainians in Russia's Kursk region. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says one particular fight on Friday didn't go well for the North Koreans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (voiceover): The commander- in-chief also reported on the situation in the Kursk region. Specifically, in battles yesterday and today, near just one village, Makhnovka in the Kursk region, the Russian army lost up to a battalion of North Korean infantry soldiers and Russian paratroopers. This is significant.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: Meanwhile, Ukraine is largely on the back foot along much of the front line, especially in the city of Pokrovsk. And there are open questions about the future of U.S. military aid when the Trump administration takes over this month.
And for more analysis, we're joined by Mick Ryan, a Retired Major General of the Australian military. He also authored the book, "The War for Ukraine: Strategy and Adaptation Under Fire."
General Ryan, I want you to first take us through the current situation in Ukraine. We saw those sweeping gains by the Russian military at the end of last year, but it seems that's somewhat come to a halt.
MAJOR GEN. MICK RYAN, AUSTRALIAN ARMY (Ret.): Yeah, we've seen the Russians accelerate their operations over the last few months, but across the month of December, we also saw these operations slow down, notwithstanding the very large casualties that the Russians are still suffering. They have, however, continued their large-scale drone and missile attacks against Ukraine with over 300 missiles and drone attacks against Ukraine just in the New Year itself.
PLEITGEN: What are the two sides' biggest challenges right now? Because it appears as though, as you point out, the Russians, while, you know, they still have the initiative, they are losing a lot of people, both killed and wounded, while the Ukrainians seem to have the problem of not being able to mobilize and get to the front line enough people. RYAN: Yeah, both Russia and Ukraine would be described as wounded countries. They've both lost a lot of their people in this war. Unfortunately, given the size of Russia, they can probably sustain more casualties for a longer period of time than Ukraine can or is willing to.
Both appear to be reasonably evenly matched at the moment in firepower and the capacity to produce drones and missiles, but manpower is the real difference, and it's the real advantage that the Russians have over the Ukrainians at the moment.
PLEITGEN: To what extent do you think right now the Kremlin would be willing to enter into, possibly mediated by the new Trump administration, enter into talks with Ukraine? Do you think that Vladimir Putin is ready for something like that? Because what we keep hearing from the Kremlin is they want to achieve what they call all of the objectives of the special military operation, as they still call it.
RYAN: It doesn't appear that the Russians are keen for negotiations at the moment, unless those negotiations involve Ukraine giving up its sovereignty and never being part of NATO. So I think it'll take a fair bit of convincing Putin and the Russians to negotiate in good faith and to negotiate from a basis where both sides will have to compromise. I think the only way to convince the Russians to do that is hand them a few more defeats on the battlefield.
PLEITGEN: What about the Ukrainians? We have heard some statements recently from Zelenskyy, also from some other Ukrainians as well, that, you know, with the way things are currently going, they're not confident that they'd be able to win back all the territory that they've lost to the Russians. How ready are the Ukrainians to freeze the war, maybe to end the war, if there is a deal on the table?
RYAN: Well, I think every Ukrainian would like peace, but at the same time, I don't think anyone wants a premature or a bad peace that might just kick the can down the road so the Russians can restart this conflict at some point in the future when the West loses interest. So the Ukrainians would be keen for some kind of ceasefire, I'm sure, but not at this point in time and not at the compromise of long-term security guarantees and an enduring peace for their people.
PLEITGEN: How confident do you think both sides are? Or how hopeful do you think both sides are that bringing the new Trump administration into the mix can lead to a deal?
RYAN: Well, I think both sides are looking at the new administration, but looking at it differently. I think Putin believes he largely has a measure of the Trump administration. He's watched the statements of many of Trump's advisers and members of the administration that come in and will think that, you know, they're probably amenable to some kind of deal with Russia.
That may actually not be the case because Putin at the moment isn't inclined to negotiate. From the Ukrainian perspective, they will want to bring the Trump administration on a journey of where they're at and where they see this war going and hope to win their support for future assistance for Ukraine.
[05:40:06]
PLEITGEN: Mick Ryan in Brisbane, always great talking to you, sir. Thank you very much.
RYAN: Thank you.
PLEITGEN: All right, folks, we're monitoring a developing story for you in South Korea, where both supporters and opponents of its impeached President, Yoon Suk Yeol, have gathered near his official residence.
Investigators tried to arrest Yoon on Friday, but they backed down after a standoff with his security detail. Police are now urging the country's acting president to order the security team to stand down and allow investigators to reach Yoon.
Police also want the presidential security chief to appear for questioning next week. Yoon has been charged with abuse of power and leading a rebellion over a martial law he briefly imposed last month.
The arrest warrant against him is valid until Monday, but it could be extended. In the midst of that political chaos, South Korea's acting president will hold talks with the country's key foreign ally in the coming hours. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is now on his way to Seoul.
Officials say his goal is to reaffirm U.S. ties with South Korea, which hosts about 30,000 U.S. troops. Blinken will later head to Japan and France in what could be his last trip as the top U.S. diplomat.
Now, for 100 years, The Great Gatsby has been a classic of American literature. Ahead, how the story of a glitzy millionaire and his doomed love affair has now become a Broadway musical.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PLEITGEN: Hollywood's award season officially begins tonight with the 82nd Golden Globes and history will be made as comedian Nikki Glaser becomes the first woman to host the award show solo. Hundreds of entertainment journalists from around the world will decide what has been the best this year on the big and also on the small screen with categories like the relatively new cinematic and box office achievement recognizing movies that have, quote, "garnered extensive global audience support such as Gladiator 2, Alien: Romulus, and Wicked are among the contenders and Best TV series musical or comedy shows like Hacks, Abbott Elementary, and Only Murders in the Building are hoping to take that statue at home come Sunday night.
[05:45:17]
Now, F. Scott Fitzgerald glitzy novel The Great Gatsby is regarded as a masterpiece. Since it was published 100 years ago, it's been adapted for the screen and stage. And now this tragic tale of the American dream gone wrong is getting the Broadway treatment as a musical. CNN's Lynda Kinkade caught up with the stars.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): The glamorous and gritty 1920s has roared onto the stage at the Broadway Theater. The Great Gatsby musical follows the eccentric yet mysterious millionaire, Jay Gatsby, played by Jeremy Jordan.
JEREMY JORDAN, PLAYS JAY GATSBY IN "THE GREAT GATSBY": You have to make him as real, and likable, and complicated as possible. And if you can achieve that, then you've done what you've set out to do.
KINKADE: Gatsby desperately pursues the love of his youth, Daisy Buchanan, played by Eva Noblezada.
EVA NOBLEZADA, PLAYS DAISY BUCHANAN IN "THE GREAT GATSBY": I wanted this role so bad. And I was so nervous. But the process couldn't have been more invigorating and more challenging, but also like, rewarding.
KINKADE: The Great Gatsby novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald was published in 1925.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Gatsby would like to speak to you alone.
KINKADE: Since then, it's been adapted to film multiple times.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will you have a drink Old Squad?
KINKADE: Made into a stage play. And now, a musical.
JORDAN: I think there's also this morbid fascination that we have with watching rich people do crazy things.
NOBLEZADA: No matter how crazy these characters are, you can kind of sympathize and see maybe a bit of yourself in a most -- in a very extreme lens.
KINKADE: Brought to Broadway by acclaimed Korean musical producer Chunsoo Shin.
KINKADE (on camera): Why do you think the story still resonates with people 100 years after the novel was published?
KAIT KERRIGAN, WRITER, THE BOOK OF THE "THE GREAT GATSBY" MUSICAL: I think there's a lot of ways in which we're not that very different.
KINKADE (voice-over): The musical's book writer, Kait Kerrigan.
KERRIGAN: They were dealing with technological changes that made it feel like the world was going so fast.
LINDA CHO, 2024 TONY AWARD WINNER, BEST COSTUME DESIGN IN A MUSICAL: So the book is in the 1920s, but my design is actually the Gatsby of our imagination.
KINKADE (voice-over): Winner of the 2024 Tony Award for Best Costume Design in a Musical, Linda Cho.
CHO: There are 250 costumes on stage every night. But one of the challenges of designing for a musical that has dancing, and contemporary movement, and things like that is you also have to consider making an outfit that they can move in.
KINKADE (on camera): You entered this industry against the advice of your mom, is that right?
CHO: Yes. The hope was that I would become a doctor. She didn't want to see me flounder or suffer. Once she saw that I was interested in it and I had some skill, she -- I did not have a bigger cheerleader or supporter in my life.
JORDAN: We've started to have the tourists come in and the school groups and the things that sort of keep your show running for a long time. I think it holds its own because it is still so special of a piece.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PLEITGEN: It is the final weekend of the NFL's regular season and there are huge playoff implications for a whole host of teams. More on that coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:52:00]
PLEITGEN: Welcome back, everyone, and turning now to the National Football League, and there's plenty at stake on the final Sunday of the regular season. Joining me now from Atlanta is CNN Sports Anchor Coy Wire. And Coy, I have to say, I think there's very little in the world that is better than AFC North football in January. The Bengals got it done last night. Playoff hope's alive, but they do have a waiting game ahead of them.
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes, AFC North, as tough as it comes, Fred. Bang, bang, football, as we like to say. It's tough. The Bengals, they are still alive, and they now need a Broncos and Dolphins losses today to make the playoffs. Here's how they got it done, Fred. Lots of Joe Burrow, lots of Ja'Marr Chase.
Burrow's had an MVP season statistically, leads the league in passing yards and passing touchdowns, and with continued plays like that, he's still a legitimate contender. How about this throw and catch? To Ja'Marr Chase again, fourth quarter. Bengals up 16-7, Chase is like poetry in motion. First player in NFL history with 1,700 yards receiving and 17 touchdowns in a season. Bengals win 19-17, and they'll now get that popcorn and watch to see if Denver loses to KC and Miami loses to the Jets.
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens hosting the Browns with a chance to clinch their division on the line, and Jackson continues his sorcery. Touchdown to Mark Andrews. Lamar finishes the season with four interceptions with 41 passing touchdowns, but this one, crazy. Third quarter to Rashod Bateman, and Jackson pulls a Steph Curry. Turns and celebrates before the ball's even in the bucket. First player with 4,000 pass yards, 800 rushing, but that right there is the play of the day. Big man interception. Michael Pierce saw 355 pounds of him sliding to seal the win. His team goes berserk.
Baltimore are your AFC North champs after a 35-10 beatdown of the Browns.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL PIERCE, BALTIMORE RAVENS DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: There's a long history of turning big guy interceptions and fumbles and all that stuff in the means, so at the risk of ruining a career play like that for myself, I just decided to go home. So, to us, we're out of gas, we're good.
LAMAR JACKSON, BALTIMORE RAVENS QUARTERBACK: I'm very proud of my team, man. We battled, and we got the job done, but the job is undone, you know what I mean?
I'm focused on the wild card game. I'm not going to lie to you. I'm cool with what's going on today, you know? I'm cool. Don't get me wrong, but my mind on something else.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: All right, here's a look at the AFC. Who's going to get that seven seed? Broncos get it if they beat the Chiefs, who will be resting several starters, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
In the NFC, only the Eagles are locked into their spot as the two seed, and it's all on the line for the Falcons. If they win today and the Bucs lose, they're in the postseason, but if the Bucs win, they are in. But the NFL saves its biggest game of week 18 for last, the Vikings at the Lions.
Sunday night, both 14 and 2. 28 combined wins, most ever for a regular season matchup. The winner gets the one seed and a first round by, while the loser will not only have to play in a wild card game, they'll be the visitors in that game. This one is huge.
[05:55:11]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAN CAMPBELL, DETROIT LIONS HEAD COACH: I don't see it another way. It's about this next game, and it's about finding a way to win, no different than what we just did. It's the next one -- it's the next one in front of us, and we got to find a way to win this game, period. And really don't care what it looks like, we just got to win.
KEVIN O'CONNELL, MINNESOTA VIKINGS HEAD COACH: We know the challenge it's going to be both environment and playing a premier team in our league that presents so many challenges across the board in all three phases. So going into a hostile environment with just us is, we're all right with that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: All right, Fred, I was today years old when I learned that you were a huge football fan. I want to know how do you see all this playing out by the end of the season here?
PLEITGEN: Well, so first of all, I'm happy that the Washington Commanders are in, I've been a lifelong fan. And then second of all, there's absolutely no way I am not staying up to watch the Lions against the Vikings.
And I want to know from you, the Lions have had the injury bug as of late. They had a great season, but have had the injury bug. What are you feeling for tonight?
WIRE: Yeah, it's sustainability is one of the greatest abilities in the NFL. And they keep finding ways to win and not just win, but dominate despite those injuries. And now they get two of their players back for this game, a receiver and a defensive player going to help them out. They have that grit that they always talk about, that it takes to shine in the postseason. They're my pick for the NFC to make it to the Super Bowl.
PLEITGEN: No better expert than Coy Wire. Thank you very much, sir. And you're serious to watching the games tonight?
WIRE: Yes, sir.
PLEITGEN: And that wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Fred Pleitgen.
For viewers in North America, CNN This Morning is next. For the rest of the world, it's Connecting Africa. Stay tuned.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
