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South Korea Investigators Seek To Extend Yoon's Arrest Warrant; Congress Is Set To Certify Trump's Win On Monday; Republicans' Big Tax Challenge Is Fitting All Their Priorities in One Bill; Hamas, Israel Appear To Differ Over Hostage Deal; Jimmy Carter's Church Holds First Service Since His Death; U.S. On High Alert Following New Year's Day Terror Attack; Inside Suspected Chemical Weapons Lab; New York City Implements New Congestion Pricing Toll; 82nd Golden Globes Launches Awards Season. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired January 06, 2025 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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JOHN VAUSE, CNN HOST: Ahead here on CNN Newsroom. Anti-corruption investigators in South Korea seeking to extend that arrest warrant for their impeached president, now asking police to serve.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If they fall into wrong hands, they could be used elsewhere.
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VAUSE: A suspected chemical weapons lab in Syria, CNN is there uncovering the deadly secrets of the brutal Assad regime. And the verdict is in on comedian Nikki Glaser and her time as host of the Golden Globes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN Newsroom with John Vause.
VAUSE: Hours away now from the expiration of an arrest warrant, South Korea's anti-corruption agency is not giving up on efforts to take the country's impeached president into custody.
The corruption investigation office will now seek an extension of the warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol, but it's delegating the execution of the warrant to the police who are now reviewing that request. Yoon is accused of abuse of power, leading an insurrection of his brief botched attempt to impose martial law last month.
Police and protesters both in sport of and against Yoon have gathered near his official residence in Seoul. These are live images Just past 3:00 our local time there in the afternoon. The warrant for Yoon set to expire at midnight local time, nine hours from now. These protests have been going on all part all over the weekend. They look set to continue for some time. Still, investigators tried to arrest him on Friday, but they were
prevented by the impeached president's personal security detail.
Amid all of the turmoil, the U.S. Secretary of State has arrived in Seoul and during a meeting with the acting president, he told her the U.S. has faith in the power of Korean democracy.
According to the State Department, Antony Blinken is working to reaffirm the alliance between the U.S. and South Korea, as well as discussing ways to build on their cooperation. Blinken is the first high level U.S. Official to visit South Korea during this month long political chaos.
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ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We had serious concerns about some of the actions that President Yoon Suk. We communicated those directly to the government. At the same time, we have tremendous confidence in the resilience of South Korea's democracy, in the strength of its institutions and in the efforts that it's making to work through those institutions pursuant to the constitution and the rule of law, to resolve differences and to do so peacefully.
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VAUSE: Joining me now from Seoul is Duyeon Kim, an Adjunct Senior Fellow from the Indo Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. Duyeon, thanks so much for being with us.
DUYEON KIM, CENTER FOR A NEW AMERICAN SECURITY: Great to see you again, John.
VAUSE: So now that officials from this anti-corruption office is seeking to, you know, extend the arrest warrant for Yoon, as well asking police to serve it, is it safe to assume that obviously there's now going to be another attempt to detain the impeached President sooner rather than later? And what's going to happen then?
KIM: Yes, I think it's safe to assume that's the route they're going to try. Now, there are already legal experts and scholars that are disagreeing over the legalities of this procedure of handing over to the police, which actually the police was the right agency to actually issue, request issue and execute a detention warrant.
Now, this whole standoff and disarray that we've been seeing since last Friday really is, you know, it's highlighting the turf battles and the weaknesses in South Korea's law enforcement system, which was really due to the previous progressive government reshuffling jurisdiction among the various law enforcement agencies to take power away from the prosecution, they created this anti-corruption agency, which now has fought to take the lead in Yoon's investigation case.
But the problem here is that the anti-corruption agency does not have the jurisdiction to investigate insurrection charges, and they don't have the jurisdiction to issue and execute a detention warrant, which is why we're seeing this issue. But we're also seeing a politicization of the various agencies and legal institutions.
VAUSE: So with that in mind, so how this plays out in the coming hours and days, in no small part will depend on the President's personal security detail and whose orders they will follow. So with that in mind, here's the head of that security detail.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The Presidential Security Service did not intend any kind of bother to the law enforcement of the investigation agencies. Although the impeachment motion for President Yoon Suk Yeol has been passed at the National Assembly, Yoon is still the current President of this country who is elected by the sovereign residents of South Korea. And Yoon is receiving the appropriate security service according to that, as stipulated by law.
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VAUSE: So why not wait until a hearing before the Constitutional Court? It's just over a week away.
KIM: Right. And so I think this is where the politicization comes into play, where the main opposition and the ruling Conservative Party in Yoon's side, they are trying to fight for time. Yoon's side will obviously want to buy time, and the main opposition will want to speed up time so that there can be an early election next year if the Constitutional Court decides to impeach President Yoon.
And so, you know, it's really right now a matter of who wins this legal interpretation battle, which really is what's happening right now. You're seeing various political parties interpret the law, the South Korean laws, and spin it to their political liking. And the key here right now is to allow the courts to actually and the law to actually play out and separate politics from it.
But we're also seeing public opinion pressuring various law enforcement agencies and legal institutions to rule in the favor of public opinion as well. And so this adds another complicated twist here in South Korea.
VAUSE: Well, it's a good point. There is legal opinion and then there is public opinion. So with that in mind, listen to this.
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UNDIENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The arrest warrant is just nonsense. Logically speaking, these things shouldn't be happening, but they are.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (though translator): I think the term arrest warrant for the President is incorrect, and the proper term should be arrest warrant for the ringleader of a rebellion. I believe this is something that absolutely must be done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Politics obviously plays a big role on how many see the legitimacy or otherwise of the arrest warrant. But just in sheer political terms, who has the weight of the majority of the country behind them? Is it Yoon or is it those who are against him and want him to stand down?
KIM: Well, the main opposition, or at least the six opposition parties, they're progressive and they dominate the National Assembly right now. And, you know, the conservatives are on the side of President Yoon, and public opinion polls so far suggest that right now, I mean, depends on which poll you look at, but there seems to be more weight behind some of the views that the progressives are presenting.
But at the same time, I just saw a recent poll that showed that public opinion has gone up for the conservatives and gone down a bit for the progressives. So, you know, again, you know, I think we'll have to see how this all pans out. And it's really, again, you know, really highlighting some of the weaknesses and the challenges that the system has.
Perhaps you can explain it as it's the first time trying to impeach and especially detain and arrest a sitting president. But no matter how you look at it, you know, the law is a law that needs to play out in a very fair and objective way. And I think we're clearly seeing some challenges there right now.
VAUSE: Very much so. Duyeon Kim in Seoul. Thank you. Good to see you. Appreciate your time.
KIM: Thank you.
VAUSE: For the record, the day today, January six, an infamous day in U.S. history. And now the U.S. Congress set to meet four years after the attack on the Capitol, this time to certify Donald Trump's election victory. Monday's certification will mark a striking political turnaround for Donald Trump, who is widely condemned even by prominent supporters for his actions or lack of actions on the day of that Capitol attack.
President Joe Biden told reporters Sunday he still believes Trump's actions were a genuine threat to democracy, but says he's hopeful we're beyond that.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump in November, will fulfill her duties as president of the Senate and preside over the counting of electoral votes from each state in today's joint session.
For many political commentators and critics of Donald Trump, his political future ended January 6, 2021. His poll ratings sank in the aftermath of the violent attack, but over the past four years, they've made a remarkable recovery. CNN reporters Harry Anton and Marty Raju break down the numbers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Remember, after January six, what do we have? We had the impeachment of Donald Trump, and then, of course, we had the trial in the United States Senate. I want you to take a look at Republicans who voted to impeach or convict Trump in a second impeachment or impeachment trial.
You know, you go back to January, February of 2021. What was it? It was 17. That's a significant chunk of folks, right, Manu? Most of the GOP didn't, but 17 is a pretty big number here.
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely.
ENTEN: And then you go to January of 2025.
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How many of those folks are still in the United States Congress?
RAJU: It's just five.
ENTEN: It's just five. Pretty much the ones who did were all run out of town. They're just two House members, three Senate members who remain. The bottom line is this, and we'll say it over and over again. This is Donald Trump's Republican Party. That's why he could pick up the phone, make those calls to ensure that Mike Johnson held on to his speakership.
But it's not just within the Republican Party. It's nationally, among the general populace as well. So take a look at Donald Trump's net favorable rating. Take a look here. Trump's net favorability rating. You go back to January 2021. Donald Trump was way underwater, minus 20 points. That's your favorable, minus your unfavorable look.
He's still a little bit underwater, but he's now at minus one point. He's considerably more popular. So folks were writing off Donald Trump's political career, writing his political obituary. He rose up from the grave. He almost looks like one of those WW characters, right, who kind of rose up. And that is what Donald Trump has said. He's right now broke even. He's about as popular with the American public, Manu, than he has ever been.
RAJU: Wow. And he's been talking about on the first day when he comes into office, pardoning all these January six prisoners. How does that fare with the American public's view?
ENTEN: Yes, how does that fare? Well, I will tell you, it ain't popular. It ain't popular. Donald Trump may be more popular than he's ever been, but the idea of him pardoning these January six protesters are, simply put, not a popular proposition.
You look, overall, it's 33 percent. It's 33 percent. Look at the opposition. 59 percent of the American. You can barely get 59 percent of the American public to agree on anything. But they do agree on opposing Trump pardoning the January six protesters, even among the Republican Party. Look at this number. Yes, it's two-thirds who support it at 67 percent. But, you know, Donald Trump's favorable rating with the Republican party is like 85, 90 percent.
RAJU: Yes. That's low for Trump.
ENTEN: This is low for Trump. You have this 21 percent who are opposed to it. That is a pretty significant chunk of folks who are opposed to it. So, yes, Republicans like Donald Trump, but they aren't necessarily in love with the idea of partying, certainly not overall.
Now, you may be asking yourself, OK, how the heck then did Donald Trump win that election back in November? Right. Given that you see this support and you see this opposition among the American public and most Americans, I will note in our CNN poll, said that they expected that Trump was going to try and pardon him. How did it work then?
Well, take a look at January six memories. Take a look here. All right. January 6th is the biggest memory of Trump's first term. Look at this.
RAJU: Wow.
ENTEN: It's just fine.
RAJU: That is -- that is something.
ENTEN: It's just 5 percent. I mean, most folks, simply put, were willing to dismiss it without much of an issue. And among Republicans, what do we see? It was just 2 percent. So even though you had that significant chunk of Republicans who said we oppose it, even though the vast majority of Americans opposed it, the bottom line, when it came to November, even when it comes now, most Americans, simply put, Manu, are not thinking about it.
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VAUSE: U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and his razor thin majority in Congress the plan for the coming months, go big or go home. Hoping to push through most, if not all, of Donald Trump's agenda in one very big bill. And he wants to do it within the first 100 days of the new administration.
Some members of Congress have proposed putting issues like border security in a separate deal, but in the end, Johnson says it's all about what Donald Trump wants.
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MIKE JOHNSON, U.S. SPEAKER OF THE HOSUE: I think at the end of the day, President Trump is going to prefer, as he likes to say, one big, beautiful bill. And there's a lot of merit to that because we can put it all together, one big up or down vote which can save the country quite literally because there are so many elements to it, and it will give us a little bit more time to negotiate that and get it right.
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VAUSE: After Congress struggled to pass a spending bill last month, a source tells CNN, Republicans recognize they have little room for error, but he passing one sweeping package with Trump's tax and border policies will be easier than separate bills.
And earlier CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein, if Johnson's mega bill plan was in fact smart politics.
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RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: High risk, high reward. He's citing the best case for doing one bill, which is that, you know, there are plenty of individual provisions in the overall Republican agenda that are going to be hard to swallow for certain members of this tiny House majority, the smallest one in 100 years. There are Republicans from the Northeast who are going to want to restore the deductibility of state and local taxes.
There are a lot of Republican members whose districts have benefited enormously from the clean energy investments created under the Inflation Reduction act, who may be uneasy about repealing those incentives. But theory is, is that you put it all together and you have big Republican priorities in there, like extending the Trump tax cuts and funding tougher immigration policies. It'll be harder for anyone to say no. That might be right.
I still think however they structure this, John, one bill or two.
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In the end, they're going to be back on terrain that has been tough for Republicans before, where they're arguing for tax cuts that primarily benefit the top while cutting programs that primarily benefit the lower half of the income spectrum in the middle class, like Medicaid, food stamps and maybe education funding.
VAUSE: Well, later Monday, when Vice President Kamala Harris presides over the certification of her own loss, we know it will be a ceremonial role by law because Congress passed the Revised Electoral Count Act of 2022 specifying that the role of the vice president during this joint session shall be ministerial in nature. No one should be chanting hang Mike Pence.
Everything about Monday's transfer of power should be routine. And that is in very stark contrast to four years ago. But is this to come before the storm?
BROWNSTEIN: Well, I think there are two ways to think about this. One is that now you have Republicans playing -- placing themselves in the position of saying, hey, there was nothing wrong with this election, an election that Donald Trump won, in stark contrast to four years ago, when not only Trump and his administration, but 139 House Republicans and eight Senate Republicans effectively voted to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Why? What was different? Donald Trump lost.
So this, I think, is now a yardstick that's going to be out there the next time Republicans lose. But surely they will in a two party system in 2028 or 2032, if they lose, can they plausibly say, well, there was fraud again, because we happen to lose. T
he other question, of course, is calm before the storm is where, you know, the question you just asked me, Donald Trump, tax cuts, legislative strategy, all the normal things you get in an administration. There's a whole other track of a potential Trump presidency, which is how far is he going to go in a straining, if not shredding the rule of law as we have understood it. And we just don't know how far he's going to go down those tracks.
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VAUSE: In the coming hours, U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to attend a vigil in New Orleans for the 14 people killed in a New Year's Day terror attack. Officials have now released a timeline detailing the events leading up to that attack, as well as shedding light on the extensive planning involved. CNN's Rafael Romer has details.
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RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A crucial question that has surfaced here in New Orleans after the New Year's Day terrorist attack is how long in advance did the attacker know what he was going to do, what he was planning to do? And we have gotten information from the FBI saying that perhaps it was weeks, if not years, before he knew that he was going to do that.
And that's because we now know that he came to New Orleans at least twice in the months preceding the attack, once in October where he was here for several days. At one point he was riding a bicycle and recording video here in the streets around the French Quarter. And then he returned in November. And we have also learned that he traveled internationally.
According to the FBI, Jabbar went to Cairo, Egypt in the summer of 2023, and a few days later he also traveled to Ontario, Canada. I asked the special agent in charge of the FBI here in New Orleans, whether they know at this point if the attacker was financed by a terrorist organization and this is what he had to say.
LYONEL MYRTHIL, SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, FBI NEW ORLEANS: At this time, we're still trying to determine the answers to that. That is exactly what our priority is for those international trips. Essentially, we're looking at who has he encountered during those trips, who is he meeting with, where has he traveled while in those specific countries, and whether or not any visits to those countries may or may not have any indication as to the reasons behind this attack in our city.
ROMO: All 14 fatal victims have now been identified. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry earlier said that the final victim identified was Latasha Polk, a certified nursing assistant and a mother of a 14-year- old. Rafael Romo, CNN, New Orleans, Louisiana.
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VAUSE: Possibly a glimpse of progress in the Gaza cease fire and hostage release talks in Doha, Qatar. According to Reuters, Hamas has approved an Israeli list of 34 hostages to be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners and detainees, but the Israeli government says it hasn't received that list.
Reuters reporting the exchange is contingent on Israeli forces withdrawing from Gaza or at least agreeing to this and a permanent cease fire.
White House Middle east adviser Brett McGurk is among officials at the latest round of indirect talks in Doha. Sources say Israeli Minister Ron Dermer is expected to travel to Washington this week, meet with the Biden administration as well as the incoming Trump officials.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the U.S. is hoping to get a hostage release and cease fire deal before the end of Joe Biden's presidency just weeks away.
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BLINKEN: What we've seen in the last couple of weeks is a reintensified engagement, including by Hamas, but we have yet to see agreement on the final points.
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So what I can tell you is we very much want to bring this over the finish line in the next two weeks, the time that we have remaining. And we will work every minute of every day of those two weeks to try to get that to happen. If we don't get it across the finish line in the next two weeks.
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VAUSE: Well, ceasefire and hostage release negotiations are underway. Israel continues to ramp up attacks in Gaza. The Civil Defense Authority there says four Israeli strikes on residential buildings in northern Gaza killed 12 members of the one family Sunday. A member of the family says a child was found alive in the rubble. Eleven others remain missing.
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WISSAM ZUHD, GAZA RESIDENT (through translator): We pulled out flesh and remains and there are still more trapped under the rubble. These are people who have no ties to resistant fighters or anything. We are here on the border of the conflict area, but now it is considered a red zone. They attack us every day now with missiles and bombs dropped by drones among the people. Everyone is at risk of being bombed at any moment.
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VAUSE: Gaza's health ministry is reporting that 88 Palestinians were killed Sunday, bringing the total death toll to almost 46,000 since the war began October 2023. In a moment, tens of millions of Americans under winter alerts as a powerful weather system moves across the United States.
Also, former President Jimmy Carter, his home state of Georgia paying final respects before he lies in state at the U.S. Capitol later this week. Those details in a moment.
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VAUSE: More than 60 million Americans are under winter storm alerts with a powerful weather system dumping a dangerous mix of snow and ice across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Blizzard warnings in effect for Kansas and Missouri, where tens of thousands of people now without electricity and wintry thunderstorms have been hitting parts of Kentucky, Illinois and Indiana.
Roads in the region covered in thick layers of ice, causing numerous accidents over the weekend. And the mayor of Washington, D.C. has declared a snow emergency as the District prepares for several major events, including the certification of the presidential election as well as funeral services former President Jimmy Carter.
Some places could see more than 30 centimeters of snow as the system continues to move east. Monday is the last day for the public to pay their respects in Atlanta for the 39th President. Jimmy Carter's body will remain at the Carter center until Tuesday morning, when his casket will then be flown to Washington to lie in state at the U.S. Capitol until his state funeral service on Thursday.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, the Carter family's former home church held its first Sunday service since his death. CNN's Eva McKend reports now from Plains, Georgia.
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EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: At President Carter's hometown church, a Sunday service that contained both elements of sorrow and joy as people that knew the president for decades showed up to worship and also to remember President Carter's life and legacy. We also saw people travel from neighboring states who in the past saw President Carter teach Sunday school here, which he did for many decades.
Now, his niece, Kim Carter Fuller, has taken over Sunday school lessons, and she leaned into the Book of Psalms where she talked about how their hearts were heavy, but they were leaning on the strength of God in this moment. And what's also remarkable about Maranatha Baptist Church is that it is now led by a female pastor.
We know that President Carter very notably broke with the Southern Baptists on this issue. He believed that women should be equal in all spaces, including religious ones. Take a listen to how the pastor is thinking about this moment.
ASHLEY GUTHAS, PASTOR, MARANATHA BAPTIST CHURCH: In this country where to speak bluntly, we still live in a patriarchal nation. We still live in a place where white men are often their voices are often elevated and listened to and believed more strongly than a woman. And so to have a president of the United States who realized within his lifetime the importance of speaking out to the harm that's been done.
But I am just incredibly grateful for the legacy and the work that we have to continue to do because women are still not equal and we have a long way to go. But his voice was one of power that was used for good.
MCKEND: And in her sermon, she talked about how President Carter really lived a life where he hungered for God and was an incredible man of faith. And at the end of the service, we saw the choir go to the head of the church where they seem to be preparing, going over the final details for President Carter's final tribute, which will take place here in Plains On Thursday. Eva McKend, CNN, Plains, Georgia.
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VAUSE: Still to come here after the end of the Assad regime, some of the horrors of that era now coming to light. CNN goes inside a lab that may have been used to develop chemical weapons.
Also, how Ukraine stepping up its fight to hold on to Russian territory, which it captured over the summer.
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VAUSE: Welcome back everyone. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause.
The head of U.S. Homeland Security is warning of what he calls a heightened threat environment following the New Year's Day terror attack in New Orleans. It comes with several high-profile potential targets this month, including Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20th. But officials say there are no specific threats surrounding any major event.
The concerns come from continued instability in the Middle East, particularly in Syria, as well as significant increase in violent extremism domestically in the United States.
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ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: We have not only the persistent threat of foreign terrorism that, of course, created the Department of Homeland Security, but we have adverse nation states.
We're very concerned about the instability that has resulted from that. And whether, in fact, it creates some space for the reemergence of ISIS in Syria.
And ISIS continues to seek to radicalize individuals outside of the Middle East and throughout the world and that is something that we are, of course, also very focused on. (END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Well, Syrian officials have urged the U.S. to lift sanctions on Syria during a meeting in Doha Sunday, according to Reuters. The sanctions had been imposed on ousted president Bashar al-Assad for a number of reasons, including the development and use of chemical weapons, often in barrel bombs dropped on civilian areas from helicopters.
And as CNN's Jomana Karadsheh reports since Assad fled, a number of possible chemical weapons labs have now been uncovered.
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JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They're gearing up for one of the most dangerous missions in Syria. And they have to be prepared. Exposure could be lethal.
FAROUQ HABIB, DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER, WHITE HELMETS: While we are searching for these secret prisons, we received information that there could be hazardous materials in this facility.
KARADSHEH: The White Helmets volunteer rescue group suspects this is a chemical weapons research site. We joined their hazmat team at a former state security building. They wanted us to witness what they find.
Throughout the war, the regime and its Russian backers have repeatedly tried to discredit them. With respirators fixed and suits sealed, the final touch, chemical agent detector patches.
With oxygen tanks and detection devices, these two men lead the way into the unknown. They have to move carefully and methodically. Looters got here first. Every surface is scanned for traces of chemicals. A suspected weapons delivery system sits in the middle of this room, but no traces detected so far.
Their advance team already told them it's the upper floors where they need to be. Slowly, they move upstairs. Step by step, on every floor and in every room, they're searching for clues.
What was the Assad regime doing here? Evidence of what appears to be a secret chemical lab emerges. In several rooms, they find countless labeled bottles and containers filled with chemicals.
Their main mission today is to document, try and find out as much as they can about the chemicals they're finding in this facility.
Something sets off the detector. They take pictures for experts to review the reading. It says TIC, toxic industrial chemical.
He checks his patch and carries on. Until another alarm goes off. And they realize it's one of the oxygen tanks. He has to get out fast. It's becoming clear they were experimenting with dangerous substances here. Tucked in the middle of a residential Damascus neighborhood, the local Druze community had long suspected this was more than just a state security building. As regime forces withdrew, people rushed in to see what was really inside this feared compound.
It was a local pharmacist who sounded the alarm, and the White Helmets were called in. Securing sites like this one is critical amid a post- regime vacuum and a volatile security situation.
[01:34:52]
HABIB: These materials could not only pose a risk to the civilians and neighboring areas. But also if they fall into the wrong hands, they could be used elsewhere and pose a threat to other communities and maybe other countries.
KARADSHEH: CNN shared images with four experts. Based on that snapshot, they all agree this was a chemical lab. It's unclear whether it was used for chemical weapons research or something else, including analysis of environmental threats or illicit drugs, among other possibilities.
Strewn about, they find what they describe as a trove of documents. One we can't independently verify mentions communications between the facilities command and a Russian military officer.
Preserving documents like this is now part of the team's mission. They also find weapons storage and production rooms.
We see all the necessary components to build modified and improvised explosive devices.
HABIB: It was a shocking how the previous regime used all these government institutions as multi-purpose facilities.
KARADSHEH: Down this dark and dingy, cockroach-infested basement is perhaps the most dangerous discovery so far. Almost every surface and sealed container sets off the detector. It registers lewisite, a blistering chemical agent. Experts say it could be a false positive. And like everything here, it will need additional testing.
The fall of the regime may be uncovering what until this day, had been hidden in the dark. Leaving Syria and the world a dictator's toxic legacy.
Jomana Karadsheh, CNN -- Damascus.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Almost a month on since dictator Bashar al Assad fled the country. And slowly, many are learning about the extent of destruction left behind after decades of brutality.
Residents of Jobar, a Damascus suburb and opposition stronghold, have finally been allowed to return home but the town is in ruins. That includes the local cemetery, where many are searching for graves of family members, just simply to find out what happened.
After months of holding their ground, Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region are under threat from a surge in Russian attacks. But Ukrainian officials say they're launching surprise counterattacks.
Russia's defense ministry, though, claims they're repelling those counterattacks. But Ukrainian military officials insist, quote, "Russia is getting what it deserves."
While Russia's military says its making advances in Ukraine's Donetsk region, a Russian military blogger claims that fighters have raised a flag near a key Ukrainian transit hub.
Well, in a moment, a new law has just made it more expensive to visit New York City by car or bus or Uber. But city officials believe it's a good thing. We'll tell you why.
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VAUSE: Being stuck in New York's notoriously bad traffic -- New York's notoriously bad traffic now comes with an extra cost, $9 a day. It's a new congestion pricing toll that's meant to reduce traffic and raise hundreds of millions of dollars for public transport at the same time.
CNN's Gloria Pazmino has details on day one of the new charge.
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GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right. In fact, congestion pricing has been in the works here in New York City for at least a decade but it's faced a lot of political opposition and obstacles in recent years. In fact, it still remains deeply unpopular in the New York City suburbs and in New Jersey, which sued to stop the program at the last minute. They were unsuccessful in that lawsuit.
So early on Sunday morning, at the stroke of midnight, congestion pricing officially went into effect here in the big apple.
Now, it is exactly what it sounds like. It is a congestion pricing tolling structure designed to alleviate congestion and traffic here in New York City. It's also intended to raise public funds for the city's public transit system. And eventually it is supposed to significantly decrease gridlock in what is one of the most congested zones in the entire world.
Now, this is a first-of-its-kind program here in New York City. No other city in the United States has done this before. In fact, many other cities around the world have implemented similar programs, including places like London.
Now, how much is it going to cost New Yorkers? Well, if you drive a passenger vehicle, it's going to cost you at least $9 on weekdays to come into the city from the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. and on weekends, it's going to cost you $9 between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Now, if you drive in during the off-peak hours, it will be
significantly less. And if you drive a commercial vehicle or a truck, it will also vary in price.
Now more than 700,000 vehicles are estimated to enter the tolling area on a given weekday, so that is where a lot of this revenue is expected to come from.
Now, officials here in New York City, especially in the suburbs, have been in opposition to this program. And even President-Elect Donald Trump has said that he will cancel the program when he takes office on January 20th. He has called it a regressive tax, saying he believes it will hurt families, workers and businesses here in New York City.
But the MTA chairman, who is in charge of administering this program, responded to that criticism on Sunday. Take a listen.
JANNO LIEBER, CHAIR AND CEO, NYC METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY: Were going to have to work with the new administration on all kinds of ways. I'm confident that agreements between the federal government and localities stand up to changes of administration.
So we'll have to deal with whatever it is. And find people don't just routinely pull grant agreements or other agreements between the feds and states and localities.
But I also keep saying it, and I believe it, that Donald Trump is a New Yorker, his office buildings, and he still owns a few, are filled with people who take mass transit. And I think he understands being on Fifth Avenue, living on Fifth Avenue and 59th street, what traffic is doing to our city.
So I'm hopeful that although there has been some rhetoric about this, that we will continue to work with the federal government and get through the change of administration.
PAZMINO: Now, if you don't have EZ pass, that's the electronic toll system, it will also cost you slightly more. And if you are taking a cab, whether that's an Uber or Lyft, the cost will be passed down to the passenger.
It will cost you an extra $1.50 if you are taking an Uber or Lyft and 75 cents if you are taking a yellow cab. The part -- the point -- the point of all of this is to encourage the use of public transit.
Gloria Pazmino, CNN -- New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: For the record, right now, the five most traffic congested cities in the world are New York, Mexico City, London, Paris and Chicago.
And earlier I spoke with Peter Furth, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Northeastern University. I asked him whether other cities across the United States, like Chicago, would actually follow New York's lead.
[01:44:46]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETER FURTH, PROFESSOR OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING, NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY: Transportation planners in those cities are all hoping it's a big success in New York, so they can bring it to their cities, because it's so much needed in the cities where the problem is congestion in the downtown. Now, a lot of our big American cities -- Houston, Los Angeles, Phoenix -- there's tremendous congestion on the freeways. And there yes, the solution is the same kind of thing.
Pricing -- that is what will get some people to say I'll travel at a different time of day or I'll carpool or now I'll use transit, especially when the revenue from the congestion pricing is being used to create express bus routes and other good transit alternatives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Well, a new documentary about Melania Trump is due out later this year. There's no title right now and few details, but the incoming U.S. first lady will serve as an executive producer, meaning she'll have editorial control.
The documentary began filming in December, slated for a theatrical release as well as streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Follows the release of Melania Trump's autobiography in October, which apparently is a bestseller on Amazon and a hit number one on "The New York Times" bestseller list.
Coming up here on CNN, a few surprises at the Golden Globes. Find out who won big, who didn't, and some emotional moments as well.
Stay with us. You're watching CNN.
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VAUSE: Well, it's a wrap for the 82nd Golden Globe Awards hosted by the first solo female host. That's comedian Nikki Glaser. Glaser managed to walk a fine line, cracking jokes about Ozempic and politics, as well as roasting several of the stars who were there at this boozy award ceremony.
The big winner of the night, as expected, was "Emilia Perez" winning best motion picture for musical or comedy, best supporting actress, best foreign language film and best original song just to name a few.
This one seemed to be a crowd pleaser. Demi Moore won for best female actor in a film musical or comedy for her performance in "The Substance", her first major award in a decades' long career, believe it or not.
For more on the winners and the losers, the tears, the laughter, the cries, everything else, live from New York is film critic Grace Randolph, who is also host and creator of "Beyond the Trailer" on YouTube.
I really think you got the spirit here. I love what you're wearing. It looks great. Thanks for being with us.
GRACE RANDOLPH, FILM CRITIC: Oh, thank you. Yes --
VAUSE: I noticed.
RANDOLPH: -- the awards season has kicked off.
VAUSE: And in a good way it looks like. But, so let's just quickly off the top, right. Not a great night for Wicked. Good night for the movie "Emilia Perez", and a very special night for Demi Moore.
And here's a little bit more from her. Listen to this. It was a great speech.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEMI MOORE, ACTRESS: In those moments when we don't think we're smart enough or pretty enough or skinny enough or successful enough or basically just not enough, I had a woman say to me, just know you will never be enough. But you can know the value of your worth if you just put down the measuring stick.
And so today I celebrate this as a marker.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: I just find it incredible to believe that what, after four decades or five decades that she's been acting this is her first major award.
[01:49:48]
VAUSE: So how did you see the awards play out from your point of view?
RANDOLPH: Well, it was fascinating because a couple of things got locked down. Zoe Saldana, Kieran Culkin for supporting actor categories.
But then some categories got blown wide open, like best actress. You know, Nicole Kidman was considered a frontrunner and now Demi Moore. And which is interesting because both roles, "Baby Girl" and "The Substance" are about ageism, particularly for women.
And you have two actresses who look amazing. But yet I think are still dealing with ageism in Hollywood today.
VAUSE: Yes. In many ways, comedian Nikki Glaser seemed to be the focus of -- as she hosted the awards for the first time. To be fair, she had a lot of good one liners. Here's a few.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIKKI GLASER, COMEDIAN: Welcome to the 82nd Golden Globes, Ozempic's biggest night.
"The Bear", "The Penguin", "Baby Reindeer" -- these are not just things found in RFK's freezer. These are TV shows nominated tonight.
And "Challengers", girl. Oh, my God, it was so good. I mean, that movie was more sexually charged than Diddy's credit card. I mean, seriously.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Yes. Before the awards, she said she was walking this fine line. She wanted to be edgy and entertaining, but she wanted to avoid sort of insulting the audience.
I thought she did a pretty good job. Do you think so? And do you think she'll be back as host?
RANDOLPH: I don't know if she'll be back as host. I think she did a nice job. I think she didn't, like, cut deep to people's souls like Ricky Gervais has done. But he was more famous when he hosted.
I thought she did a good job. I think that she's definitely somebody who thinks. I think she did a better job at the Tom Brady roast, which allowed her to get this gig. So I think her star is on the rise, but I don't know if she'll be back to host.
VAUSE: The Tom Brady Roast was amazing. The interesting thing about Glaser was her choice of wardrobe as well seemed pretty impressive. Those quick changes.
RANDOLPH: She looked gorgeous.
VAUSE: Yes.
RANDOLPH: She looked absolutely stunning.
She looked definitely like all the other movie stars in the room. So I definitely think she'll continue to get work, more comedy specials.
I think it's interesting to see a new wave of comedians are rising. Not only Nikki Glaser, but Nate Bogosian has been getting a lot of attention as well. And he even presented best stand up tonight.
VAUSE: Well, you know, the Golden Globes, it's more casual. It's as you said it's the start of the awards season, has not been without controversy, which is kind of an understatement.
Last year was kind of a dud. But would you say they're back now? Is this sort of now they've regained their status, as you know, the first of the award season and sort of setting the trend for the Academy Awards.
RANDOLPH: Well, you know, it's interesting, the Golden Globes in many ways reflect Hollywood and that when you're a big enough name, it's hard for even the biggest scandals to totally get rid of you.
You know, there's always, you know, there's so much name recognition with the Golden Globes. They've been so important for so long.
And then also the Critics' Choice -- I'm a member of Critics' Choice. Critics' Choice has been trying to come in there and take over for Golden Globes, but whoever has the first big night is really important. And the Golden Globes still manages to be first out of the gate, and that's really crucial.
VAUSE: And I thought they managed to keep the vibe from previous years. You know, it was -- they had the booze on the tables. It was friendly, it was fun. It wasn't as stiff as the Academy Awards.
RANDOLPH: No. Yes, that's their hallmark. They're a lot of fun. You know, they have new management this year for the ceremony. So they had some technical snafus. They had that crazy thing where instead of showing clips for the movies, they showed you where everyone was sitting like it was Google Maps in the room or something.
But I think everybody had fun. And I think there were great moments, like with Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley reenacting "The Substance".
VAUSE: Yes.
RANDOLPH: Vin Diesel calling out Dwayne Johnson on stage because of their feud. I mean, those are things that the Golden Globes are known for, and they continue to deliver on that front.
VAUSE: Yes, it seems like they're all back on track after a horrendous time over the last couple of years.
RANDOLPH: Yes.
VAUSE: So, yes, you know, let's, you know, fingers crossed.
RANDOLPH: Yes.
VAUSE: Grace, it's great to have you with us. And I think you look fabulous. So thank you for dressing up.
RANDOLPH: Oh, thank you. It was so nice talking about the Golden Globes with you. And thank you for having me on.
VAUSE: Real pleasure, thank you.
Latino superstar Benito Antonio, a.k.a. Bad Bunny, pushing the boundaries of his traditional Puerto Rican roots. His newest album released on Sunday, aims to highlight the musical history of his Caribbean island.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BAD BUNNY, PUERTO RICAN RAPPER AND SINGER: I think it is trying to do something different and try to keep the -- what I been doing all these years with this traditional music and try to make like a blend or like a mix between the music from my culture and also the music that I've been listening to all this time, because I love to listen a lot of salsa to bomba. [01:54:52]
BAD BUNNY: And that's what I've been listening all this time with this modern sound that represents maybe my generation.
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: The 17-track project combines layers of hand-played instruments with futuristic synthesizers. Visuals like the ones you see here create a collage of the identity Antonio would like to reflect not only of himself, but of his island that he calls home.
This is Bad Bunny's sixth solo album, intended as a celebration of Puerto Rico's rich culture and history, in case you forgot.
Well, a football loving nun in Brazil is now believed to be the world's oldest living person at nearly 117 years. Sister Inah Canabarro assumes the title after the death last month of Japan's Tomiko Itooka, who was 116.
Canabarro was born in 1908 to a large family in southern Brazil, and when visitors turn up at her retirement home, she often tells them, quote, "I'm young, pretty and friendly," all positive qualities that you have too.
Well, to Spain now, where the streets of Madrid came alive for the annual Three Kings Parade. Thousands of spectators gathered to watch the kings make their way along the parade route amid the costumes and lights were giant, colorful frogs, the highlight of the event.
The celebration marks the end of Christmas on the eve of the Epiphany, the day when three kings are said to have visited the little Baby Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. There's one.
In the north eastern city in China of Harbin, hosting its annual spectacle Ice and Snow Show. With average temperatures well below freezing, the festival runs from December to February, drawing visitors from around the world, including me.
In addition to the brightly-lit ice and snow sculptures, there are nightly fireworks displays and other events, including a snow carnival and dog-sledding. According to organizers, this year's event is the largest in history.
Thank you for watching. I'm John Vause.
I will be back. 100 percent more me next hour.
You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
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