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Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene Says She's Leaving Congress, Laughs Off Idea She'll Run For President; Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani Says He Still Believes Trump Is A Fascist; Trump Blasted Ukraine's Leadership For Showing "Zero Gratitude" to U.S.; Democrats, All Veterans, Threatened After Video To Service Members; British, France And Germany Draft Counter-Proposal To White House Plan To End Ukraine War; Senator Bill Cassidy Stresses Vaccine Safety Despite CDC Web Site Changes; Inside Southwest Airlines' Command Center Ahead Of Thanksgiving; 2016 CNN Hero Helps Give New Life To Senior Dogs. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired November 23, 2025 - 18:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[18:00:05]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN ANCHOR: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. Hi, everyone. I'm Jessica Dean here in New York.

Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene shutting down speculation about her future political ambitions, at least for the moment. At least right now. Greene posting on social media, "I'm not running for president and never said I wanted to, and have only laughed about when anyone would mention it." Today's post coming after Greene announced on Friday she is resigning from her House seat in January.

CNN Capitol Hill reporter Camila DeChalus is joining us now.

So walk us through how we got here. Not the first time someone would say they're not running for president many years out from that presidential election, but walk us through what we are learning tonight.

CAMILA DECHALUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Jessica. This all started Friday night when Marjorie Taylor Greene announced, put out a statement and then a video just announcing that she was no longer going to serve in Congress starting effective in January. A lot of the things that she cited was one that she kind of pushed was part of the bipartisan effort to release all the Jeffrey Epstein files, and she often in the last few months became very critical of President Trump, often stating that he's spending a little bit too much time focusing on his foreign policy agenda and not enough about focusing on the issues that are affecting Americans here in this country.

Now, part of her statement, she acknowledged that being a part of this bipartisan effort to release all the Jeffrey Epstein files, just even further the tension between her and the president and that really kind of played this contributing factor. She also noted that she was receiving a lot of threats, not just to herself, but also her son was receiving threats just in light after President Trump called her a traitor.

And so all these small incremental things really became a big head to boiling point and really that led to her decision to announce that she was retiring from Congress.

DEAN: Reaction has this been getting.

DECHALUS: Well, Jessica, just since her resignation announcement, a lot of lawmakers, especially across the aisle, have really weighed in on this. And some Democrats say that they're just not quite sure what to make of her decision. But they noted that they were often counting on her in the upcoming deal to try to find a solution to around these enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies. As you know, that was at the heart of the issue of why the government shutdown lasted for so long.

And even other Democrats went as far as praising Greene for helping them push for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. And even in her resignation, that was one of some of the things that she said that really led to the tensions and really her decision to then resign from office. But it is notable that one Democratic lawmaker, Jasmine Crockett, did not shy away from criticizing Greene and her announcement of her retirement. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JASMINE CROCKETT (D-TX): Honestly, I was like, you've got to be kidding me. You're on the other side of the president for one week, and you can't take the heat. Imagine what it is to sit in my shoes to not only be on the opposite side of him, but to have people like her who are constantly fanning the flames of hate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DECHALUS: Now, Jessica, that was part of what I've heard from other Democratic lawmakers, really just talking about, you know, on the other end, Marjorie Taylor Greene was known as being a very polarizing figure on Capitol Hill. And it is worth noting that last week, she even went as far as a Republican lawmaker to apologize, saying that she was no longer going to use that toxic rhetoric.

And now that she's leaving office, it really does have some lawmakers wondering what is next, because some Democratic lawmakers did see her as potentially being an ally on Capitol Hill just in the fact of how she was voting in the last few weeks and moving forward on how they're going to address some key issues in the upcoming weeks.

DEAN: All right. A lot there, Camila, thank you so much for that.

Today New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is addressing that moment after his friendly meeting with President Trump in the Oval Office, where one reporter asked Mamdani about his past comments on Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Are you affirming that you think President Trump is a fascist?

ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D), NEW YORK CITY MAYOR-ELECT: I've spoken about --

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That's OK. You can just say that.

MAMDANI: No, it's OK.

TRUMP: OK. That's easier. It's easier than explaining it. I don't mind.

KRISTEN WELKER, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: Just to be very clear, do you think that President Trump is a fascist?

MAMDANI: And after President Trump said that, I said yes. And --

WELKER: So you do?

MAMDANI: And that's something that I've said in the past. I say today. And I think what I appreciated about the conversation that I had with the president was that we were not shy about the places of disagreement about the politics that has brought us to this moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: CNN's Gloria Pazmino is joining us now on this.

And, Gloria, you actually spoke with the mayor-elect this morning. What's he telling you?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jessica, you know, I can tell you that a lot of Mamdani supporters, people here in New York, some of his allies looked at the comments on "Meet the Press" this morning, and they were frankly shocked that he doubled down on that term for the president and that he was not shying away from the criticism that he's had for the president before.

You know, Zohran Mamdani often tries to cast political disagreements as strengths rather than weaknesses, and that's what he was doing there.

[18:05:06]

He said that he disagrees with the president. He talked about how their politics are very different, but he wants to be able to work with him because he knows he has to in order to help deliver on his agenda here in New York City when he takes office on January 1st, the affordability agenda that he ran on and that so many people here in New York City supported him on. He told me a little bit more about what they talked about.

He told me that during that Oval Office meeting, which lasted nearly an hour, they talked about real estate and zoning code here in New York City. And while that might sound a little bit boring to the average person, the reality is that that is a subject matter that Donald Trump cares and knows about. And Zohran Mamdani was using it to sort of explain to him and talk about the fact that it's very difficult to build housing here in New York City.

And that is a key part of his agenda. So they talked about that. They talked about Con Edison and potentially bringing down the rates for people here in New York City. And they talked about immigration. And while Zohran Mamdani did not exactly get a promise from the president that he would not deploy National Guard troops here into New York City, we saw that the president yesterday said that he would only do it if New York City felt that it needed.

Take a listen to Zohran Mamdani telling me about how he prepared for that meeting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: Talk to me about how you deciphered his language.

MAMDANI: You know, I approached this meeting thinking about what I'd heard from New Yorkers who voted for the president. And when I asked them why they did so last November, they told me, cost of living, cost of living, cost of living.

Oftentimes in a conversation between two politicians, the conversation rarely extends beyond either of them. Our conversation focused on New York City, and I think that is a point of shared focus, a point of shared admiration for the city that we both call home, and a city that is in danger of becoming a museum of where working people once were.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: Jessica, immigration was also on the agenda. Mamdani told us earlier today, he said that he talked to the president about enforcement and about how the city's sanctuary -- sanctuary city status prevents it from cooperating with federal law enforcement, immigration enforcement. So we will see what happens. You know, the relationship appears to be off to a good start, but we'll see if anything changes once Mamdani takes office on January 1st -- Jessica.

DEAN: As we often say, time will tell. Gloria, thank you. We really appreciate it.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio emerging from meetings with Ukraine today, sounding optimistic, saying negotiators could reach a deal to end Russia's war. That sentiment echoed by the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINE (through translator): Diplomacy has been activated which is good, very good. We expect that the results will be the right steps. The first priority is reliable peace, guaranteed security, respect for our people, respect for everyone who gave their lives defending Ukraine from Russian aggression.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: CNN's Betsy Klein is live at the White House tonight. Betsy, this is -- this is obviously moving very quickly. There had

been that deadline of Thanksgiving. Now it sounds like maybe there is some wiggle room on that. What more are you learning as we're getting readouts from these talks?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jessica, there's certainly some cautious optimism here at the White House. And President Trump, as you mentioned, had set that Thanksgiving Thursday deadline for Ukraine to respond to a peace plan. But now we are learning that there is some flexibility as diplomacy accelerates. And just after 9:00 this morning, President Trump was lashing out at Ukraine.

He said in a post to social media, quote, "Ukraine leadership has expressed zero gratitude for our efforts." And then just hours later, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, emerging from talks with Ukrainian officials indicating that they had resolved some of the ongoing sticking points, he said that at the core of these discussions is this 28-point peace plan, which Rubio really described as a living, breathing document after that plan had received some bipartisan pushback here in Washington.

Some of the provisions, according to an earlier draft memo obtained by CNN, included Kyiv ceding territory to Russia, giving up any ambitions to join NATO, as well as scaling back its army. But Rubio now says that many of these outstanding issues have been resolved in a substantial way. And Zelenskyy says in a new video that he believes that Trump's team is listening to Ukraine.

But it's worth noting that this is still going to require signoff from President Donald Trump, from President Zelenskyy, as well as critically sign off from Russia. And that is going to be a major obstacle. But Secretary Rubio was asked about President Trump's post earlier this morning and whether he had come around. Listen.

[18:10:02]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: It was very positive. I'm telling you, today was the most productive day we've had.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: He says they're ungrateful.

RUBIO: Well, today, and we've talked to him since, I think he's quite pleased at the reports we've given him about the amount of progress that's been made.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KLEIN: Now, Rubio was joined by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, along with U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. And there was another notable name in the U.S. delegation, and that was the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Kushner is not a member of the Trump administration, but he has been tasked with negotiating some of the thornier foreign policy issues for the president. We'll see how this plays out in the days to come -- Jessica.

DEAN: All right. Betsy Klein, with the very latest from the White House. Thank you for that.

Still ahead here this evening, President Trump called it seditious acts. Now they're receiving death threats. The latest on that group of lawmakers, all military veterans who reminded service members of their duty to ignore illegal orders. Plus, we now know who told the CDC to change its Web site to contradict its own guidance about vaccines and autism. And later, our team goes behind the scenes of one of the largest domestic airlines as they prepare for an expected record- breaking travel week.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:15:46]

DEAN: President Donald Trump continuing to target a handful of Democratic lawmakers, all veterans who appeared in a video reminding service members they can refuse illegal orders. Trump posting this late last night, writing, quote, "The traitors that told the military to disobey my orders should be in jail right now. It was sedition at the highest level, and sedition is a major crime. There can be no other interpretation of what they said."

Yesterday, I spoke with one of the lawmakers in that video, Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander. Here's what she told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MAGGIE GOODLANDER (D-NH): I served under three presidents and under six secretaries of Defense. One of them was Secretary of Defense Esper, who stood up and spoke clearly to the president when he suggested an unlawful order like shooting on peaceful protesters. He's stepped up and he spoke clearly when the president was suggesting he might invoke the Insurrection Act to send American troops to American cities. We don't have a secretary of Defense who's standing up in the way that Secretary Esper did.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: Five of the lawmakers in that video, including Goodlander, have said they received bomb threats or threats to their lives after Trump initially accused them of that seditious behavior, punishable by death.

Democratic strategist Chuck Rocha and CNN political commentator and Republican strategist Shermichael Singleton are both joining us now.

It is good to see both of you on this Sunday night. Thanks for being here.

Shermichael, I'll start first with you. Trump is accusing these lawmakers of sedition. He said in his own words, it's punishable by death. He then doubled down on that posting again last night. Meanwhile, former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was convicted of actual seditious conspiracy following his role on January 6th, 2021, and Trump went on to pardon all of the January 6th rioters, including him.

So I'm curious what you think his message is to the country here when it comes to sedition and who's betraying this country?

SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, look, obviously, I think people who are making those calls against the lawmakers, who I naturally disagree with as a Republican, should stop. Look, we don't need any more political violence in this country. I think I speak for the three of us when I say that. That aside, with all due respect to those lawmakers, and we certainly thank them for their service to our country, they have done the very thing that they've accused Donald Trump of doing many times, and that is to politicize, in this instance, the chain of command.

If they want to weaken Trump politically, there are a slew of issues that I think Democrats could talk about. When Democrats effectively won two governors' seats in Virginia, my state, and New Jersey, and Mamdani's success in New York, it wasn't because of topics like this, Jessica. It was because of the cost of living. It was because of affordability. And so politically, as a strategist, I'm looking at this and I'm thinking, I don't understand what type of electoral gains or dividends you would even gain out of this type or line of messaging by going after the president in this way.

So it just doesn't make sense. This isn't effective to me. But, again, I want to be clear. Political violence of any kind is just something that isn't acceptable.

DEAN: And Chuck, what's your read on this situation?

CHUCK ROCHA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: You know, it was interesting. I watched this when it came in and I was thinking the same thing. Shermichael did is, I think what these lawmakers were doing was trying to remind lots of folks that serve in uniform that they pledge to the oath to the Constitution, not to a king, not to a president.

I understand the chain of order. And Shermichael was right about that. But in the first Donald Trump presidency, I'll remind everybody is there was a lot of people who stood up to him and said, look, this may not be lawful. The Constitution says we can't do these things, and you need to be reminded of that. And I think that's what they were trying to accomplish with this letter.

DEAN: Yes. And do you think, do you think that that was like a -- I mean, Shermichael kind of points out, I think, Shermichael, I don't want to put words in your mouth, but it sounds like what you're saying is that they were kind of doing this in a way that was somewhat antagonistic or kind of like poking at the bear. I don't know, Chuck, what do you think about that?

ROCHA: Well, anytime that the Democrats aren't talking about affordability, just like Shermichael said, there's a reason why we swept every county where there was an election just two weeks ago.

[18:20:04]

If we're not talking about that and we're talking about any other topic, we learned this lesson just a year ago when we lost in every county around the country, talking about either choice or democracy. The American people are sick and tired of being sick and tired, and Democrats need to hyper focus our message on folks that are sick and tired.

DEAN: Yes. So, OK, so on that note, talking about messaging, let's look a little ahead to the midterms because I think now that we're past these elections, people are starting to get ready for that.

Shermichael, it is interesting to see with Marjorie Taylor Greene announcing her resignation from Congress, we are seeing some shifting dynamics on the Hill with congressional Republicans who are all, you know, in the House. They're all going to have to obviously run again in less than a year. And at some point, they're going to have to deal with and choose, do you stay wholly aligned with the president, hoping then that he will support you, but also knowing that if you live in one of those swinger districts, you're not distinguishing yourself from him or maybe some of his unpopular policies?

Or do they break with him and risk his ire? What is your sense of where these Republican members are right now and what we're seeing, the dynamic we're seeing as we head into this new year of 2026?

SINGLETON: Yes. Look, I think it depends on your district. And if I were advising the president, if I was a part of his political shop within the White House, I would say, sir, we need to give a little bit of lee (PH) room to our Republicans who are in purple districts, hotly contested races if they need to distance themselves just a little bit in order to retain those districts. We want to do that because that's obviously in the best interest of the party writ large, but it's also in the best interest of the president, who wants to see his agenda continue.

The second advice I would give, and we're actually already seeing this. I think this is why the president met with Mamdani is that we have to begin to focus on cost of living. We have to start talking about affordability. We have to start talking about housing. The president came out with an interesting idea, the 50-year mortgages. I have my critiques about that. But what it does showcase is that the president recognizes that voters are saying, hey, we supported you.

We gave Republicans an opportunity across the board to do what we believe. Democrats didn't deliver on four years under Biden-Harris. Can you do it? We haven't necessarily gotten there as quickly as I think we wanted to, as quickly as the president thought we wanted to. And so we're slowly starting to turn the key on that, I think. And some Republicans have criticized the president about meeting with Mamdani.

But I think if you can figure out some way to address affordability for those progressives who, by the way, those Bernie Sanders voters, they are very similar to Trump voters. If you can deliver for some of them, then the message from Republicans is we can deliver for anybody. And so if Democrats want to focus on the things that we just talked about a couple minutes ago, go for it. Give Republicans an opportunity to recalibrate and focus on the things that really matter to everyday people.

DEAN: Yes, I mean, it is interesting, Chuck, because as Shermichael is talking about that and we watched Mamdani in the White House, obviously, that I think it took everybody by surprise exactly how that played out. But there is this idea of the crossover between, it appears that people are voting for anyone. They don't necessarily care where, you know, who, what side they're on. It's about, can you help make my life more affordable?

And to your point, Chuck, that seems to be where Democrats want to be, which is driving home, we can make your life more affordable.

ROCHA: Exactly right. And there's a group of folks that are on the far-left that are going to vote for any Democrat or on the far-right that's going to vote for any Republican. It's those folks in the middle who kind of feel left behind. Donald Trump has done something very unique, and he's brought new people into the electorate last -- just a year ago because they were frustrated. Those same people did not show up to vote just two weeks ago in these off-year elections.

So you saw a dramatic shift, not only with Latino voters, but with men voters and other voters. That's where the big difference is. Shermichael said something really important there is like when Donald Trump is not on the ballot, the voters act differently and they vote differently. And to answer the specific question you just asked about, Jessica, is watch what happens after the filing deadlines are over. 98 percent of all the Republicans, and for that matter, Democrats across America can't get beat in a general election because they're in a safe district.

The only thing that really worries them is somebody running against them in their primary. So I bet a lot of them grow a backbone after the filing deadlines are over and there's nobody running against them in their own primaries.

DEAN: Yes, that is an interesting point as well. Something to watch for.

Shermichael and Chuck, it's great to see you. Really appreciate your time. Thanks.

SINGLETON: Thanks, Jessica. Happy Thanksgiving.

ROCHA: Have a good Thanksgiving.

DEAN: Yes, enjoy it. Happy Thanksgiving to you, guys.

Still to come, tremendous progress. There's some optimism from U.S. officials following their meeting with Ukrainian leaders today. So now what happens? We'll discuss that next.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:29:19]

DEAN: Israel's military today saying it's killed Hezbollah's second most senior leader during airstrikes on Southern Beirut. Images from the scene showing smoke coming from an apartment building in a crowded part of the Lebanese capital. According to Israel, the airstrikes, the first in months on Southern Beirut, targeted Hezbollah's chief of staff. The prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): The policy I'm leading is absolutely clear. Under my leadership, the state of Israel will not allow Hezbollah to rebuild its power, and we will not allow it to once again pose a threat to the state of Israel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, five people were killed and 28 injured in the attack. Hezbollah has not yet publicly commented on that strike.

[18:30:05]

Also new tonight, Europe is offering a counterproposal to the White House's plan to end Russia's war on Ukraine. One of the key changes is a softening of the language around restricting NATO in Europe, and this comes after hours long meetings between U.S. and Ukrainian officials today in Geneva.

We are joined now by CNN contributor and former CNN Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty.

Jill, nice to see you. Let's talk a little bit about what we've heard from these talks today, starting with Europe. Do they have the leverage they need to get the changes they want to this peace plan?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I mean, they are toughening it up. There are a lot of examples of that where, you know, the phrasing, there was an expectation, for example, in that the original 28 points, an expectation that Russia would not invade its neighbors. And you can see how wide a hole you could punch in that. So they are trying to toughen it up.

And the one major point is the size of the Ukrainian army that would be allowed. You know, in the 28-point proposal, it's around 600,000. And in this it's 800,000, which gets closer to what it is now. But really, I think it boils down to, what does Donald Trump do? You know, he's set a deadline of Thanksgiving. So is there actually a deadline because he himself has admitted he's had many deadlines that have been extended? And then the other thing is, is this a take it or leave it proposal

that -- or a plan that the United States has. And right now you can see the Europeans are trying to change it. And, you know, Zelenskyy I'm sure himself would try to change it. But this is a very complicated situation for him on every single level.

DEAN: Yes. And this European plan also removes references to territorial concessions and the U.S. recognition of Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk as de facto Russian territory. What do you think about if Russia will make a deal without that? Because that's something they've been very adamant about. Putin has been very adamant about.

DOUGHERTY: Yes. But I think you have to say what kind of recognition, is it de facto, you know, admitting, yes, this is the case, but legally, de jure it is not. You know, there are different ways that you can do this diplomatically and legally. So I think Russia, at this point, you know, I was watching the Russian media, let's say, this morning, U.S. time. And they seem to be crowing, and they were very happy about what's going on.

And then things changed during the day. Now the Europeans are in there. Now there could be the expectation that this 28-point plan could change. So now you're getting a little bit of concern coming from the Kremlin, or actually, I should say Russian media, which reflect the Kremlin position about how this could change. So, you know, even though it's just a few days until Thursday, a lot can change.

I mean, this is a very rapidly changing situation and ultimately I think it is -- it's really two men at this point. Donald Trump, does he stick with this really, you know, I can't change it, although he said he could, but there's still a deadline? And then Zelenskyy, and does he go along with it to a certain extent or does he reject it outright, which I doubt he would do? Perhaps he'll play for time and say I'll negotiate. It's really hard to say. But it's very fast-moving diplomacy, you'd have to say.

DEAN: Yes. And there is the Putin piece of this, which you know so well. This current plan would also allow Russia back into the world economy and into the G-8. And you have to think that boosts Putin and his power.

DOUGHERTY: Yes. I mean, when you look at the original 28 points, it looked more like a business deal than a peace deal, at least in my opinion, because a lot of it said kind of like bygones be bygones. You know, if Russia behaves itself and there was really no concrete demand that Russia do this or that, it was kind of like the expectation. But if Russia did what is expected, then they could go back in, as you said, to the G-8.

They could have trade and new deals to cooperate with the United States on all sorts of levels. This seemed pretty unrealistic. So, again, we're at the point where there were so few details in the original agreement and so little teeth in it to force Russia to do something that now we have to see whether Zelenskyy, who's been pretty successful so far in kind of getting out of tight situations, can he really at this critical moment make a decision to -- make the right decision that will preserve the sovereignty of Ukraine?

[18:35:15]

And also, you have to say, you know, security in Europe. This is -- it goes way beyond Ukraine even at this point.

DEAN: All right. Jill Dougherty, great to have you. Thank you so much for your thoughts on this. We appreciate it.

DOUGHERTY: Thank you.

DEAN: And still ahead, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. doubling down on his anti-vaccine claims surrounding autism. His controversial new guidance for the CDC that has a lot of health experts quite concerned.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:40:23]

DEAN: Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, a physician, is pushing back on any suggestions that vaccines cause autism. In an interview with our Jake Tapper earlier today, Cassidy, responding to a recent change on vaccine safety Web site that now says vaccines do not cause autism is not based on evidence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BILL CASSIDY (R-LA): Anything that undermines the understanding, the correct understanding, the absolute scientifically based understanding, that vaccines are safe and that if you don't take them, you're putting your child or yourself in greater danger. Anything that undermines that message is a problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: The change was made after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he ordered the CDC to update its Web site.

Let's bring in CNN's Julia Benbrook.

Julia, Senator Cassidy was a very key vote to confirm Secretary Kennedy as the Health and Human Services secretary. There were a lot of promises made about -- by Kennedy about what he would or would not do. Where do things stand now?

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He was a key vote, and he is now one of many medical professionals voicing concerns as scientific language on the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Web site has been replaced with anti-vaccine talking points.

I do want to take a closer look at the specifics that were changed on the Web site. There are now bullet points that include the statement "Vaccines do not cause autism is not an evidence-based claim," adding, quote, "Studies supporting a link have been ignored by health authorities." So that's what you see first on the Web page. And then you scroll down and see the main header. And that is where it says vaccines do not cause autism.

But there's an asterisk there that directs readers to a footnote. And there it states that the wording was not removed due to an agreement with the chair of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. So that refers to a promise made by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti- vaccine activist, a promise that he made to Senator Bill Cassidy during that confirmation process.

Now I want to take a look back to a speech made by Cassidy when he explained his support of Kennedy's nomination. He actually mentioned the Web site specifically. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CASSIDY: And confirmed he will maintain the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations without changes. CDC will not remove statements on their Web site pointing out that vaccines do not cause autism.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: Now, following the changes to the Web site, Cassidy said in a statement in part, "I'm a doctor who has seen people die from vaccine preventable diseases. What parents need to hear right now is vaccines for measles, polio, hepatitis B and other childhood diseases are safe and effective and will not cause autism. Any statement to the contrary is wrong, irresponsible and actively makes Americans sicker."

And then in that interview with CNN's Jake Tapper earlier today, Cassidy did not specifically comment on his decision to back Kennedy, even when he was pressed to do so. He did, though, reiterate his stance, saying that vaccines are safe and that any statement otherwise is opposite of the science. He did encourage people to speak with their doctors.

Now, in a statement, an HHS spokesperson defended the Web site changes, saying that they are the gold standard of evidence based science. Important to note here, though, Jessica, there are many credible studies that have found no relationship between vaccines and autism.

DEAN: All right, Julia Benbrook with the latest. Thank you so much for that.

Taking a look at another story we're following tonight, a 23-year-old Wisconsin woman convicted of the brutal stabbing of her then sixth grade classmate more than a decade ago, is missing. Police in Madison say Morgan Geyser left a group home where she had been living after cutting off her Department of Corrections monitoring bracelet. She was last seen with an adult acquaintance in that neighborhood around 8:00 last night.

Kaiser's attorney just posted this on Instagram.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY COTTON, LAWYER FOR MORGAN GEYSER: If there is somebody who assisted her, that person will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. If anybody has contact with Morgan, hears from her, or if Morgan happens to see this, turn yourself in.

[18:45:03]

Do not continue to remain on the run like this. It is not in your best interest to handle this matter that way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: You may remember the so-called "Slender Man" stabbing back in 2014. Geyser was 12 years old. She and another classmate lured another 12-year-old classmate to a park where they stabbed her 19 times to impress the fictional internet character "Slender Man." The girl did survive that attack. Geyser struck a plea deal with prosecutors and was placed in a mental institution instead of serving jail time.

Still to come after this break, we're going to take you inside the control hub of one of the world's busiest airlines as they prepare for the Thanksgiving travel rush.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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[18:50:23]

DEAN: The government shutdown may be over, but airlines are now preparing for another big challenge. That would be holiday travel. The FAA predicting this will be the busiest Thanksgiving travel period in 15 years, with Tuesday being the peak day for flights.

So who's going to be watching all those jets and trying to make sure you get there on time?

CNN's Pete Muntean met some of them at Southwest Airlines big control hub.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, good morning, Southwest.

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: This is mission control for your Thanksgiving trip, from storms --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some scattered showers with isolated thunderstorms.

MUNTEAN: To software snags.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll keep you updated if that status changes. MUNTEAN: Three workers here inside Southwest Airlines Network

Operations Control in Dallas are diving headfirst into the biggest travel rush of the year. Justin Lebon is helming what's called the bridge. And reporting to him are about a dozen different divisions on the floor, all monitoring everything from crew schedules to space launches to keep 800 airplanes moving.

JUSTIN LEBON, NETWORK OPERATIONS CONTROL DIRECTOR, SOUTHWEST AIRLINES: We move about 500,000 to 600,000 people a day, and you never know what's going to walk through that door with a problem.

MUNTEAN: Thanksgiving is this team's latest challenge after the government shutdown forced Southwest to cancel hundreds of flights a day.

ANDREW WATTERSON, COO, SOUTHWEST AIRLINES: That's about what you'd see from a very bad winter storm.

MUNTEAN: Andrew Watterson is Southwest's chief operating officer.

WATTERSON: So it wasn't that bad. Not easy, but it did not stress the network at all.

MUNTEAN: Southwest says even still, 83 percent of its flights arrived on time, a testament to improvements it made after its massive schedule meltdown of 2022.

WATTERSON: We have redundant technology. We have better staffing, better decision-making, and so we're able to handle these largescale events very well.

MUNTEAN: These numbers are the flights that Southwest is monitoring in real time. There are about 500 flights in the air right now, but the day is still pretty young and the airline still has about 2500 flights left to complete for the entire day. On the biggest days of the Thanksgiving rush, that's like moving the population of Minneapolis.

STEVE WEST, VP NETWORK OPERATIONS CONTROL, SOUTHWEST AIRLINES: That's our goal is to -- is to complete the schedule.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): Steve West heads the command center and showed me the scope of the work that goes on here. On this day, teams are monitoring bad weather coming for Las Vegas and Phoenix, both major bases for the airline. The goal here is to maintain what's called A-30 that's getting flights to their destinations no more than 30 minutes late.

Is this stressful? It seems kind of stressful.

WEST: It can be. But, you know, these guys have been doing it for so long that it becomes natural for them.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): For Justin Lebon, he says just 10 people not making their connections becomes personal. That's why he's confident Thanksgiving for the airline will be something to be thankful for. LEBON: It's looking pretty good. I think the weather next week is

looking pretty good. We always kind of stay, you know, about a week ahead looking at general trends and everything. Pretty good spirits and everything, so we're looking forward to it.

MUNTEAN: Pete Muntean, CNN, Dallas.

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DEAN: Hoping for smooth sailing. Pete Muntean, thanks so much.

Voting is underway for the 2025 CNN Hero of the Year. And while you cast your vote, we're checking in with past CNN Heroes who continue to make a difference.

This is our 2016 Hero Sherry Franklin, an animal advocate who saved the lives of thousands of senior dogs. Anderson Cooper has her story.

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SHERRY FRANKLIN, 2016 CNN HERO: Watching these old dogs spend their last weeks in a cold, hard, loud shelter made me realize that we need to give these dogs an opportunity to get the love and to give the love that they still have left.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Sherry Franklin's passion for senior dogs inspired her to found Muttville in 2007. A rescue dedicated to saving older dogs from shelters and helping them find loving forever homes.

FRANKLIN: Chulo has got a new mommy because he's getting adopted.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I need somebody to hug.

FRANKLIN: And he needs you to hug him. So thank you.

They have changed people's lives with their gratitude, with their tenderness.

COOPER: She was recognized as a CNN Hero in 2016, an honor she credits with giving senior dogs a voice and helping her expand her mission.

FRANKLIN: Thanks to the exposure and the credibility. We have been able to save over 13,500 senior dogs at Muttville. We've even opened a whole new community center here in San Francisco.

COOPER: Muttville's new 18,000 square foot facility is a thoughtfully designed, cage-free shelter. Every detail supports senior dogs from acoustic floors that absorb sound to ramps and soft surfaces, and all furniture is donated or second hand.

[18:55:04]

FRANKLIN: We wanted to make something really different. We wanted to make something that people would enjoy coming to. Not the scary animal shelter that you're used to. A place where dogs can also relax and enjoy. Our adoptions are adoptions through the roof. Our dogs are happy and all the humans that are in our community are also just thrilled to be a part of this.

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DEAN: It's sweet. To learn more and to vote for the CNN Hero of the Year, you can go to CNNHeroes.com.

Still ahead in our next hour here tonight, it will be the first true test of airport operations since the government shutdown ended. We've got tips on what to expect if you plan to fly for the Thanksgiving holiday.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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