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Russian-U.S. Talks End with No Breakthrough; Republican Matt Van Epps Wins Tennessee Special Congressional Race; CNN Tracks Down Laura Fuchs, Known for Taking Passport Photos in New York's Hidden Gem Photo Shop. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired December 03, 2025 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead.

Hours of talks between a U.S. delegation and Vladimir Putin, but still no deal to end the war in Ukraine.

Republicans score a win in a special U.S. House election in Tennessee, but there's a silver lining for Democrats.

And we track down a photographer in New York City, known for taking legendary passport photos. We'll explain.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Good to have you with us.

Well Donald Trump's top negotiators have not closed a deal with Russia's president to end his so-called special military operation in Ukraine.

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, sat with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a meeting that lasted nearly five hours. A top Kremlin aide says those talks were, quote, constructive and highly substantive. But there are other points that, quote, "do not suit us."

Putin appears to be accusing Europe of altering the Trump administration's original 28-point peace plan. That proposal had been criticized for appearing to favor Russia. He also said this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We are not planning to go to war with Europe. I have already spoken about this a hundred times. But if Europe suddenly wants to go to war with us and starts, we are ready right now. (END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Well, shortly after the meeting ended, a top Russian official posted a single word on social media, "productive," punctuated by a dove and an olive branch emoji.

Well CNN's Salma Abdelaziz joins us now live from London. Salma, no deal, perhaps no surprise there.

But what comes next and what more are you learning about these talks? Five, nearly five hours.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Nearly five hours of talks described as substantive by the Russians, but no compromise, no deal. Now, I do want to say that we have no readout from the American side. As to how these talks progressed from the Russian side, we are hearing positive indications, but of course, no agreement.

Now, there's been a lot of concern about how the United States is handling these talks. It seems that President Trump is absolutely desperate for a deal, whereas, of course, Ukraine and its European allies and NATO are saying, hey, slow down.

I want you to take a listen to what the NATO Secretary General said just before these talks were about to begin. He was doorstepped in Brussels. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK RUTTE, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: How do we make sure that Ukraine stays as strong as possible? The peace talks are ongoing. That's good. But at the same time, we have to make sure that whilst they take place and we are not sure when they will end, that Ukraine is in the strongest possible position to keep the fight going, to fight back against the Russians, but also in strongest possible position when peace talks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: So what do we know? Well, these talks culminated after a week of intensive diplomacy.

What was the original 28 plan that was put forward by President Trump was seen essentially as a wish list for President Putin. The Ukrainian delegation met with an American delegation in Geneva shortly after that proposal and essentially pushed for more concessions from Russia. The United States, in the form of Jared Kushner, of course, the President's son-in-law and the special envoy, Mr. Witkoff went to the Kremlin with these changes.

Now, we don't have any details on exactly what those changes were, what those demands were from Ukraine. But we know in the past that the sticking points have been Russia calling for Ukraine to denounce its aspirations to join NATO, Ukraine also ceding territory in the Donbass, something that's absolutely a red line, and also agreeing to downsize its military potentially or downsize its aspirations to grow its military in the future.

Now, these are, again, red lines for Ukraine. But for President Putin, who seems to be biding his time, there is no issue here in running down the clock. It was only a couple of hours or a few hours, about a day before his meeting with Mr. Kushner and Mr. Witkoff, that Russia claimed the victory of yet another city, Pogorovsk.

[03:05:09]

Now, Ukraine disputes that victory, but very much President Putin in military fatigues, declaring that victory, using that as an opportunity to show that Russia is not only winning in his mind on the battlefield, but is in no need, essentially, of a compromise.

So the next step, what do we wait for next year?

Well, first of all, we need to hear from the American side, of course, how they believe this five hours of talks went. We need to understand what are the next steps here. Now, one might ask for a direct meeting between President Putin and President Trump, but the Kremlin has indicated the time is not now for that, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Many thanks to Salma Abdelaziz bringing us that live report from London, I appreciate it.

Nigel Gould-Davies is a senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. He joins me now from London. Thanks for being with us.

NIGEL GOULD-DAVIES, SR. FELLOW FOR RUSSIA AND EURASIA, INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES: Good morning.

CHURCH: So President Trump's special envoy and son-in-law failed to reach a compromise after nearly five hours of talks with President Putin, who made Witkoff and Putin apparently not happy with Europe's input on the altered peace plan. What did you make of the long talks ending in no deal? And what is Putin's message here, do you think?

GOULD-DAVIES: Well, firstly, it's possible that more has happened and more has been discussed than so far publicly disclosed. But on the basis of what we now know, it's completely unsurprising to me that these talks have failed and made no substantive progress. There has been a sort of 10 days or so of sound and fury around the 28-point plan, as your reporter was saying, and all of the diplomacy that's followed from that.

But the underlying structure of the situation remains entirely unchanged. Russia's fundamental demands and ambitions to subordinate Ukraine remain fundamentally incompatible with Ukraine's continued willingness and ability to resist Russia. And for all of the talks, there's no sign of any movement for compromise on either side.

So as much as anything, I think this is a way for Putin to have restated his, frankly, uncompromising positions and to try to hope that America will now impose pressure on Ukraine to make fundamental compromises. I don't think it's likely that Ukraine will do that. I'm just back

from 10 days in Kyiv. And while the people are weary, they still retain their determination to resist Ukraine and not make compromises that would fundamentally jeopardize their security.

CHURCH: Why do you think U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio isn't present here at these talks instead of Witkoff and Kushner? And did their presence indicate this was more about business deals rather than peace deals?

GOULD-DAVIES: That's a very interesting question. And if it's a matter of the politics of the Trump administration, well, one has to sort of try to conduct some sort of White House criminology, so to speak, of the different views and the degrees of influence that different factions wield.

I think partly it's because there's an understanding that the central state Rubio has, let's say, a more orthodox and traditional understanding of the extent to which Russia presents threats to Europe and to American security. And Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Kushner are inherently more willing to see things from Russia's point of view in contrast to America's longstanding commitments.

To your question about the distinction between business deals and peace plans, I mean, it's worth considering whether that really is a distinction or whether in some sense all of them are bound up together, because I think the more that we've seen of America's peace plan emerge and the more that reporters have sort of dug and discovered about what might be going on here, there is a really increasingly alarming sense that one of the drivers of President Trump's policy towards Russia is indeed a determination, an aspiration to reach business deals that may benefit not only America as a whole, but particular companies and individuals that enjoy some access or relationship with this White House.

So and this is something I'm not sure you've ever seen in American foreign policy before.

[03:10:02]

It's geopolitics defined in terms of private corporate interests. There's a very unsettling and new development.

CHURCH: And of course, as you point out, we'll wait to see what the next step is here. Nigel Gould-Davis, thank you so much for joining us. I appreciate it.

Well, now to U.S. politics, where Republicans are celebrating a projected win for Matt Van Epps in a House race in Tennessee. But Democrat Aftyn Behn came within nine points of her opponent in a ruby red district that Donald Trump won by 22 points just last year.

CNN's Eva McKend reports from Nashville.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) EVA MCKEND, CNN U.S. NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Though this wasn't the outcome that Aftyn Behn wanted, she very much gave an upbeat message to her supporters, saying that she was proud of the campaign that she ran and that she's essentially not done yet. She said that her campaign outperformed every metric that they had for themselves.

You have to remember, this was not supposed to be a competitive contest here in Tennessee's seventh congressional district, where President Donald Trump won by more than 20 points last year in 2024. But Behn made it so by focusing relentlessly on an affordability message and energizing the Democratic base.

Well, Republican Matt Van Epps, he was victorious tonight and he thanked President Donald Trump for that victory. Van Epps, with a military background and elevating his America first agenda, Republicans have long maintained that he better fits the character of this district. Take a listen to how Behn and Van Epps address their supporters.

AFTYN BEHN (D), TENNESSEE CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: This campaign proved that Tennessee is full of people who want to build something better, something that belongs to all of us.

So tonight isn't the end. It is the beginning of a next chapter of Tennessee and American politics. What a possibility, what a power and what a progress for the people that we love.

MATT VAN EPPS (R), TENNESSEE CONGRESSMAN-ELECT: Our victory was powered by supporters of President Trump turning out to vote. The President built the largest, most diverse coalition to ever elect a Republican, and we leaned in on that.

President Trump was all in with us and it made the difference. In Congress, I'll be all in with him.

MCKEND: Now, Behn may very well decide to run in the future. This is a special election. She could run again in a Democratic primary and if she's victorious in a general election.

But for now, Republicans in Washington breathing a sigh of relief because they were able to hold on to this seat in their already fragile majority.

Eva McKend, CNN, Nashville.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The U.S. is pausing immigration applications for people from 19 countries. What the Trump administration calls nations of concern. They include Afghanistan, Iran, Venezuela and Somalia.

Immigration officials say requests from those countries will undergo a comprehensive review. People from those nations already can't travel to the U.S. The Homeland Security Secretary is now recommending that the administration expand that list, a source says Kristi Noem wants to add about a dozen more countries to the travel ban.

Minnesota's twin cities are bracing for new federal immigration raids targeting undocumented Somali immigrants. The planned operation comes as the White House ramps up attacks against the Somali community in Minneapolis and St. Paul, with President Trump and his allies citing an alleged $300 million fraud scandal. The case centers around a nonprofit organization and a COVID-19 program meant to provide meals to hungry children.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Somalians ripped off that state for billions of dollars, billions every year, billions of dollars, and they contribute nothing.

The welfare is like 88 percent. They contribute nothing. I don't want them in our country, I'll be honest with you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Donald Trump went on to call Somali immigrants garbage, specifically referencing Somali-American Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. Minnesota's Democratic governor, Tim Walz, called the federal

operation a P.R. stunt that indiscriminately targets immigrants.

Meanwhile, the mayors of the twin cities emphasized their citizens have rights and legal resources and offered their support to the Somali community.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR MELVIN CARTER (D), ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA: The last thing that we need is federal agents coming here pretending that we should be afraid of somebody just based on the color of their skin, just based on what they look like, just based on what country their ancestors claim as honor as a motherland.

[03:15:09]

MAYOR JACOB FREY (D), MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: To our Somali community, we love you and we stand with you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: President Trump says the U.S. will begin striking targets inside Venezuela very soon. If true, it would mark a significant escalation in the U.S. crackdown on Caribbean drug trafficking. Since September, the U.S. has conducted at least 21 known strikes on alleged drug boats, killing more than 80 people at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

The President said attacks on land would be much easier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: These people have killed over 200,000 people, actually killed over 200,000 people last year, and those numbers are down. Those numbers are down and way down.

And they're down because we're doing these strikes and we're going to start doing those strikes on land, too. You know, the land is much easier. It's much easier.

And we know the routes they take. We know everything about them. We know where they live.

We know where the bad ones live. And we're going to start that very soon, too.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: This comes as the administration faces intense scrutiny over a double tap strike in early September, which reportedly killed survivors on one of those boats. On Monday, the White House acknowledged the follow up attack did occur and shifted the responsibility to the head of U.S. Special Operations Command.

Both President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth continue to distance themselves from the incident on Tuesday, insisting they were not aware of the second strike order. Hegseth claims he left the room before it happened, but defended Admiral Frank Bradley's combat decision.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: I watched that first strike live. As you can imagine, the Department of War, we got a lot of things to do. So I didn't stick around for the hour and two hours, whatever, where all the sensitive site exploitation digitally occurs.

So I moved on to my next meeting. A couple of hours later, I learned that that commander had made the which he had the complete authority to do. And by the way, Admiral Bradley made the correct decision to ultimately sink the boat and eliminate the threat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Despite President Trump's intense campaign to fight drug trafficking, he has officially pardoned the former president of Honduras. Juan Orlando Hernandez was convicted in the U.S. last year and sentenced to 45 years in prison for conspiring to move 400 tons of cocaine into the country.

CNN's Maria Santana explains how this all came about.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARIA SANTANA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez walked out of a federal prison in West Virginia on Monday night after receiving a full and unconditional pardon from President Donald Trump, a move that erases one of the most consequential drug trafficking convictions ever brought against a foreign leader in the United States. And now new details are emerging on how he was able to secure the

pardon. His wife, Ana Garcia Hernandez, confirmed that the ex- president of Honduras wrote a letter to President Trump back in October, calling Trump Your Excellency and praising Trump's resilience in what he called the face of political persecution, writing in part, "Just as you, President Trump, I have suffered political persecution targeted by the Biden-Harris administration, not for any wrongdoing, but for political reasons."

That letter, along with a persistent lobbying campaign from longtime Trump ally Roger Stone, who argued to the President that Hernandez was a victim of leftist lawfare, was what helped propel the former Honduran president to freedom.

Now, the move represents a stunning development and reversal for the United States, as the Trump administration touts an aggressive anti- drug trafficking campaign in the Caribbean Sea and has threatened military action against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro for his supposed ties to drug trafficking organizations. Hernandez's wife, however, sees no contradiction and says that there is no comparison between her husband and Maduro. Let's listen.

ANA GARCIA DE HERNANDEZ, WIFE OF FORMER HONDURAN PRESIDENT JUAN ORLANDO HERNANDEZ: I don't think there is any contradiction in the decision of President Trump. On the contrary, I think that what he's doing is that he's making -- is doing justice in a case that is clearly like my husband, a case of lawfare, political persecution, also a case where they didn't have any proof at all. They didn't have anything against my husband, just the war of narco traffickers who wanted to get revenge against my husband and wanted to go out of jail.

SANTANA: Trump's pardon of Hernandez has garnered bipartisan backlash, as some also say that the timing is no coincidence. So Trump made the announcement just hours before Honduras presidential election on Sunday, where he backed publicly right-wing candidate Nazri Tito Asfura, Hernandez's political ally.

[03:20:09]

Trump announced he would both endorse Asfura and pardon Hernandez. Still, the future of the ex-Honduran President remains uncertain. He's still in the United States, citing security and logistical concerns that prevent his return to Honduras.

Maria Santana, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Still to come, the United Nations says Israel must withdraw from the occupied Golan Heights. What Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is saying about the issue, that's next.

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[03:25:07]

CHURCH: Welcome back everyone.

The United Nations is calling on Israel to withdraw from the occupied Golan Heights. The U.N. General Assembly passed the resolution on Tuesday with one hundred and twenty three members voting in favor. The U.S. and Israel were among the seven members that voted against it.

The vote comes just days after Israel conducted the deadliest attack by a foreign nation in Syria since the fall of the Assad regime. Israel's ambassador to the U.N. condemned the vote and accused the assembly of being disconnected from reality.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that a deal between Israel and Syria is possible.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We are committed to defending our communities on our borders, including on the northern border and burning the bases of terrorists and hostile actions against us, to defending our Druze allies and to ensuring that the state of Israel is protected from ground and other attacks from the border adjacent areas. What we expect Syria to do is, of course, to establish a demilitarized buffer zone from Damascus to the buffer area and, of course, to cross Mount Hermon and the peak of Mount Hermon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has not brought an end to the killing in Gaza. The latest casualties, two young boys out gathering firewood over the weekend when they were killed by Israeli forces.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tamer Abu Asi cries out to God as he clings to two body bags. They carry the remains of his sons, Jamal and Fadi, who were just 10 and eight years old.

They were killed in an Israeli drone strike this weekend. Their wheelchair bound father says they had gone out to gather firewood.

Not long after, I saw people suddenly running. And after a short while, they told me the little children had been targeted. He said that the Israelis had struck right where they were.

The boys were rushed to the hospital, where Tamer learned that the children who had been killed were his sons.

I looked at my son, Juju, and there was almost nothing left of him. His head was gone, only the skin was there. May God have mercy on his soul. Jamal and Fadi are among more than 350 Palestinians who have been

killed by the Israeli military since the start of the ceasefire, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, which says more than 70,000 people have now been killed since the war began in 2023.

The Israeli military said it killed two, quote, "suspects" after they crossed the yellow line, which marks the beginning of Israeli- controlled territory in Gaza, claiming they posed a threat to Israeli forces. While Israel has deployed some yellow concrete blocks to mark that line, it remains invisible in many parts of Gaza.

We visited an Israeli military position near that yellow line last month.

DIAMOND: We asked where exactly that yellow line is, and I was just told that it's slightly beyond some of those few remaining buildings that are still standing there. But it's almost impossible for us to distinguish exactly where that yellow line is. And we know that it's also the case for the Palestinians on the ground.

DIAMOND (voice-over): A dangerously confusing reality that turned deadly for two boys now mourned by their families and a mother who wishes she could turn back time.

I told them to go collect firewood for their father so he could sell it and go to the doctor. And then in the blink of an eye, she says they were gone.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Stranded an ocean away from home, Venezuelans stuck in Madrid's airport after flights to Caracas were suspended. We'll hear their stories after a short break.

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[03:30:00]

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CHURCH: Welcome back to "CNN Newsroom," I'm Rosemary Church. I want to check today's top stories for you.

CNN projects Republican Matt Van Epps will win a special election in Tennessee for a U.S. House seat. He defeated Democrat Aftyn Behn by nine points in a district Donald Trump won by 22 points just last year. Behn's vote total is in line with significant Democratic gains in other off-year elections last month.

President Trump has issued a full and unconditional pardon for the former president of Honduras. Juan Orlando Hernandez was serving a 45- year sentence after he was convicted on major drug trafficking charges in the U.S. last year. President Trump says Hernandez was set up by the Biden administration, but offered no evidence to back it up. [03:35:05]

The U.S. President also announced plans to launch land strikes inside Venezuela very soon. Donald Trump says those strikes would make it much easier to target alleged drug traffickers in the country, and he refused to rule out striking targets in other countries as well.

Some airlines have suspended flights from Spain to Venezuela amid rising tensions between Washington and Caracas. Dozens of Venezuelans are stranded in Madrid's airport terminal, unable to board flights back to their home country.

CNN's Pau Mosquera has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAU MOSQUERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: These blankets and suitcases have been their only companion for days. We're talking about the dozens of Venezuelan passengers that have been stranded here at Madrid's Airport Terminal 1.

They have not been able to embark on their airplanes back to Caracas because of the different recommendations both from the European Union and Spanish aviation security agencies that have recommended the airlines not to cover this distance because of the increased military activity on the Caribbean. And that's why many of them, they told us, have been sleeping on the floor of this terminal during days.

Now, this Tuesday, a little group of them went to the Venezuelan embassy in the Spanish capital to try to negotiate with the authorities a solution, and that's what they got.

JOSE ENRIQUE GARCIA, VENEZUELAN IMPACTED BY THE SUSPENSION OF FLIGHTS (through translator): They gave us the option, well, to organize a list with all the Venezuelans who are stranded here in Madrid and nearby areas. There are about 80 of us, and maybe more, because people keep joining. Basically, we are not going to be able to enter Venezuela because, well, there are some sensitive issues there.

MOSQUERA: After receiving the good news, many have celebrated the opportunity to get back to their homes, even if it's with an alternative route. And it is important because many of them, they told us, have been waiting here for days.

MIGUEL VEGAS, VENEZUELAN IMPACTED BY THE SUSPENSION OF FLIGHTS (through translator): I've been here at the airport for a week. I've been waiting since the 24th. I'm with a three-year-old baby and another one who is seven.

We've slept here on the floor. The airport gave us a space, the Red Cross has come, they've offered us hotels, but not all of us can go to the hotel.

We have to take turns because of the luggage. There's a lot of luggage, and we're moving it every day. They give us a room for one night. MAXIEL ACEVIN, VENEZUELAN IMPACTED BY THE SUSPENSION OF FLIGHTS (through translator): My flight was scheduled for last week, Wednesday. We have been here during all these days. I, for example, have some very good Spanish friends who have helped me, but out of 10 people, I am just one.

The others have had to deal with all the problems of cleaning, sick children, and the discomfort here.

MOSQUERA: Even the Venezuelan embassy in Spain has committed to take them back home. They still don't know when they will be able to embark on these airplanes in, bounded for Colombia or any other country bordering Venezuela. But they expect, or at least they hope, that this can happen this Wednesday or then on Thursday.

Pau Mosquera, CNN, Madrid.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: This is your Business Breakout.

Markets in Asia are mixed at the end of trading. The Hang Seng closed down more than 1 percent, while the Nikkei ended in positive territory, the Seoul KOSPI also closed up with just over 1 percent gains for the day.

And these are the business headlines.

One of America's richest men is making a major investment in the future of its children. Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Technologies, and his wife Susan are donating $6.25 billion to supplement so-called "Trump Accounts." The donation covers children younger than 10 who are not eligible for the government's starter accounts.

AT&T says it has committed to ending its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. It reaffirmed that position in a letter to federal regulators after announcing it was ending DEI policies earlier this year. AT&T is seeking approval from the Trump administration to buy wireless spectrum assets in a deal valued at more than $1 billion.

The U.S. Postal Service is moving into its busiest time of the year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE BANKS, USPS LOS ANGELES PROCESSING AND DISTRIBUTION CENTER: This is our Super Bowl. We gear up for this each and every year. In fact, once we get through with this peak season, we'll be right back planning for the next one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Workers at the busiest facility in Los Angeles process about 30,000 packages an hour during the peak holiday season. If you're sending gifts through the mail, they say it's important to pack properly and ship early. The Bank of England is warning of growing risks to the UK's financial system due in part to heavy investments in A.I. Analysts say a market correction or massive drop in value is possible, comparing the A.I. hype to the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s.

[03:40:09]

Here's what the bank's governor told CNN about the risks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREW BAILEY, BANK OF ENGLAND GOVERNOR: I mean, we are seeing stretched valuations in some equity markets, particularly A.I.-related companies, particularly in the U.S. markets. Now, I would say, look, I think it's important to put this into perspective, I think and hope that A.I. is going to be the next sort of, in a sense, source of what I call, sort of, dial moving productivity growth for all of us because we need it.

And that's what really drives living standards. But of course it is quite possible that markets have to value this future stream of returns and they could overvalue it clearly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: I want to thank you for your company, I'm Rosemary Church. For our international viewers, "World Sport" is coming up next. And for those of you here in North America, I'll be back with more "CNN Newsroom" after a short break, do stay with us

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[03:45:00]

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CHURCH: Welcome back everyone.

A New York judge is reviewing details of Luigi Mangione's arrest at a Pennsylvania McDonald's almost one year ago. Lawyers for the accused killer of UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson are trying to have certain evidence barred.

Body cam footage played in court on Tuesday shows the arresting officers approaching Mangione. His legal team wants Mangione's first statements to police to be suppressed and they say writings and a gun in his backpack were found before officers obtained a search warrant.

Well gruesome online searches took center stage in day two of Brian Walshe's murder trial near Boston. He's charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife Anna.

CNN's Jean Casarez has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Day two of the Brian Walshe trial was all about forensics.

Trooper Nicholas Wardino of the Massachusetts State Police, who specializes in forensics, took the stand and he talked about how that he had gotten a warrant for these devices. He did extractions and found out the search history is a very limited time, though. December 25th of 2022 through January 7th of 2023, right around that time period.

And let's look at some of the searches that he found that Brian Walshe allegedly did.

Now, I say allegedly because we don't see Walshe at the computer. But this is what the prosecution is alleging that he alone was responsible for.

First of all, how to saw a body. This would be on January 2nd.

Can you identify a body with broken teeth? Can you be charged with murder without a body?

And then on January 3rd, cleaning up blood without leaving a trace - five tips.

Can police get your search history without your computer?

Now, there were some other searches that are important for the prosecution.

On December 27th, Walshe made a search regarding divorce. So you see the mindset there.

It was best divorce strategies for men, best state to divorce Washington, D.C. divorce lawyers. On the very same day, he went to an adult website to watch a movie about a cheating spouse. The prosecution is going to look at that, focus in on that because there's something called motive in a murder trial.

And Anna Walshe was having an affair with a man in Washington, D.C. Brian Walshe actually the search of this man on December 25th. And they're going to focus in on that Brian knew about this adulterous affair.

She even went to Dublin, Ireland over Thanksgiving with him. She was not with her husband and children. So this is something that had been ongoing.

That man, William Fastow, is going to take the stand, it is believed, on Thursday in this murder trial.

But the cross-examination of the forensics expert focused in on you had such a narrow window of your search. Why didn't you expand it? You could have learned so much more.

Also, you cannot take a search just on face value. For instance, how to dispose of a body.

Well, maybe that is when someone is trying to find a cemetery. You can't say that that is for a malicious purpose at all.

And then also that all of the searches occurred on January 1st after 4:52 a.m. And so the defense is conceding that that is after Brian Walshe found his wife deceased in their bed.

And so there is no pre-meditation for murder because she died of natural causes. It is all up to the jury.

Day three will begin on Wednesday of the Brian Walshe first degree murder trial.

Jean Casarez, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Pope Leo has returned to Rome after the first overseas trip of his papacy. The pontiff spent nearly a week in the Middle East.

CNN's Christopher Lamb wraps up the trip.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well Pope Leo, for the first time, has shared his thoughts on what it was like to be elected pope in the conclave earlier this year.

[03:50:05]

Speaking on board the plane, taking him from Beirut to Rome, he said that when he realized that he was going to be elected, he took a deep breath, turned to God and said, you're in charge, you lead the way. Leo even joked that just a year or two earlier, he'd been thinking about retirement.

Now, Leo was speaking after his first international trip to Turkey and Lebanon, where he had focused on peace and building harmony between different faiths. Leo saying that he was considering further trips to Algeria, where he would continue to build relations with the Muslim world and to Latin America. Of course, Leo was a missionary in Peru for many years.

Leo also talking about tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela, urging against any kind of military incursion by the U.S. and saying that dialogue was the way to handle the problems.

He also said that Western countries needed to be less fearful of immigrants from different religions, he held up Lebanon as an example of where Christians and Muslims live together harmoniously. Leo said he's also struck by the faith of the young people in Lebanon, he said it was awe inspiring to see Leo clearly relishing and enjoying his first trip abroad.

Now, the pope is back in Rome. He's going to have some rest. But it seems it won't be too long before Leo is back on the road.

Christopher Lamb, CNN, Rome. (END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The famous puppet characters from the Emmy Award winning series "Fraggle Rock Back to the Rock" are back with a new holiday special.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN TARTAGLIA, VOICED AS GOBO FRAGGGLE: Preparation, perspiration, dynamite, determination. Wow. Oh, that was close.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: In it, Gobo travels to Earth where he is inspired by a new human friend to write a brand new Christmas song and he helps the other Fraggles become more open to new ideas when they experience their first snowfall. "The First Snow of Fraggle Rock" starts streaming on Apple T.V. on Friday.

Well, tucked into the streets of New York's Chinatown is a small photo shop that's quickly gaining a reputation for producing top tier passport photos.

CNN's Meena Duerson popped by to try and find the secret to what makes their pictures stand out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MENNA DUERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So I'm in Chinatown to find Eliz Digital, which is this hidden gem New York City film store where the owner apparently takes the city's best passport photos. People have said that it's like getting the best headshot in New York City.

UNKNOWN: Photographers all over the city swear by her.

UNKNOWN: Join me on my walk to my favorite lady in Chinatown.

UNKNOWN: The best place ever to get film developed.

UNKNOWN: Eliz Digital.

UNKNOWN: Come get my passport photo with me. She takes the best photos I really recommend.

DUERSON (voice-over): Sam Shekian has been taking a passport picture here every month since 2022.

SAM SHEKIAN, LOYAL CUSTOMER AT ELIZ DIGITAL: 2023, I'm a woman of routine. I'm going to keep going.

January, February, March. And then it just became a thing that I was like, I can't stop now. How could I stop?

Hello.

CHUNIKA KESH, OWNER, ELIZ DIGITAL: Hey, Sam. Oh, you're looking great. I love the color.

SHEKIAN: Thank you. Your hair looks so nice.

KESH: Thank you.

SHEKIAN: I got to do my regular check.

DUERSON: So you've gone every single month for three years?

SHEKIAN: Four.

DUERSON: Four years. Oh my God.

SHEKIAN: It's crazy.

DUERSON (voice-over): It's just the kind of place.

SHEKIAN: Oh, I love that one.

KESH: Different?

DUERSON (voice-over): And the store's owner, Chunika Kesh, is the kind of person that inspires devotion. Particularly among photographers like Laura Fuchs.

DUERSON: Yay, there she is.

DUERSON (voice-over): She's made a whole Instagram series out of her trips to the store, which she captions Chunika and me.

LAURA FUCHS, PHOTOGRAPHER: When I first started coming to develop film, I had randomly two shots left on the roll. And I thought, okay, like, let's do this.

I'll shoot you and you can shoot me. And it became kind of a tradition. So we do it every single time that I come.

DUERSON: What is the response like? Like, what do people say?

FUCHS: People love it. They love it and they love her.

And I've had people, you know, where's that film shot that you gave them to build? And they go and find her.

DUERSON (voice-over): After all the buzz, I was dying to experience the magic myself.

KESH: Okay, sit up straight a little bit. Relax a bit. And turn your face a teeny bit and slightly lean forward.

All right.

DUERSON: Okay, I got my passport picture. And I think it is quite literally the best picture anyone has ever taken of me.

Are you kidding me? I do not actually need a new passport. So I'm going to have to hang on

to this one.

What's your secret? Like, the lighting is so good.

KESH: No secret, guys. Not really me.

DUERSON: Yes?

KESH: Yes, usually it's the person who's posing more relaxing.

SHEKIAN: They always come out good. She's just capturing who I am. If you're saying this one, I really, I do trust you with my life.

So I'm like, maybe this one is my favorite. I know, but I do, I like this one too.

KESH: Yes.

SHEKIAN: Love it. And I like that you picked it out.

DUERSON: What kind of role does this place play in your life?

FUCHS: Huge.

KESH: So I see you tomorrow.

FUCHS: We'll get breakfast.

KESH: Okay.

FUCHS: She has become not just my friend, she's my family.

KESH: You're the best. See you.

SHEKIAN: Thank you. Bye. I'll see you in one month.

Okay. Bye.

[03:55:07]

I always said I'll do it for as long as I live in New York.

DUERSON: Oh, wow.

SHEKIAN: So we'll see. If I'm going to live here forever, I'm coming here forever.

DUERSON: Forever.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Cute story.

And finally, check out these unique palm trees blooming in Rio de Janeiro. The talapot palms take anywhere from 30 to 80 years to produce a single bloom and then die naturally about a year later. But their seedlings keep that cycle going.

I want to thank you so much for joining us, I'm Rosemary Church. "American Pulse" is next and then Brian Abel will be along with more "CNN Newsroom" at 5 a.m. Eastern. Enjoy your day.

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