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CDC Panel Votes to End Universal Hep B Shots for Newborns; FIFA Gives Trump Its New "Peace Prize"; Human Rights Groups Urge Probe into IDF and Unmarked Graves; ICE Raids Raising Fears around New Orleans Area; Eliz Digital Turns Passport Photos into Art. Aired 4-5a ET
Aired December 06, 2025 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
Medical professionals are sounding the alarm over a massive shift in U.S. immunization policy. We'll have details on the change and why it's causing so much concern.
President Trump gets his peace prize, just not the one he's been looking for. A look at how Trump factored into the highly anticipated World Cup draw.
And New Orleans is the latest blue city facing an immigration crackdown. We will bring you the latest on the ground there.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from Atlanta this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: President Trump is praising CDC advisers for making what he calls a very good decision to abandon universal hepatitis B vaccine for newborns.
The panel is instead recommending that mothers who test negative for the virus consult with the health care provider about giving their children the vaccine.
The president also said he wants the Health and Human Services Department to do a review of vaccine schedules from other countries and better align the U.S. vaccine schedule with them.
Trump's health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is a longtime anti- vaccine activist. He chose the members of the advisory panel earlier this year and many of them have also expressed anti-vaccine sentiments.
Experts are criticizing Friday's decision, saying it will make America sicker. The American Medical Association says the panel's vote undermines decades of public confidence in a proven, lifesaving vaccine that fights hepatitis B, a liver infection caused by an extremely infectious virus.
Want to get more insight from Dr. Peter Chin-hong, infectious disease specialist at the University of California/San Francisco.
Good to see you again, Doctor. So the CDC just voted to end what was standard practice for more than 30 years. I mentioned some fear this will make Americans sicker.
Do you agree?
DR. PETER CHIN-HONG, INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA/SAN FRANCISCO: Certainly, Kim. I think that we went from about 200 -- sorry; 20,000 cases a year of hepatitis B in infants to about 20.
And I think that, you know, not all women get screened. So it's really tough to think that people won't fall between the cracks with this new policy.
And given that it's such a transmissible agent, you know, even if an infant is negative at birth and doesn't get the vaccine, it doesn't mean that the infant won't be susceptible before the age of 2 months.
BRUNHUBER: Right. But you know, the administration points to Europe as a model. They say countries like Denmark only recommend hep B vaccines for babies whose mothers test positive.
So I mean, does that make sense to you?
CHIN-HONG: It doesn't at all because it's like comparing apples and oranges. Denmark has a national health care system. It's fully electronic in terms of a national electronic health system as well.
And, you know, I think because we don't do a great job of screening and we don't have universal access to health care, it will mean that many particularly vulnerable populations will fall between the cracks.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. Now this committee was appointed by RFK Jr. after he fired all the previous members.
I mean, when you look at what other countries do with their vaccine advisory panels, I mean, is there anything comparable to what we're seeing now here?
CHIN-HONG: No. Certainly not. The first step is, really, one of vetting. You know, it takes maybe two years, 1-2 years to really fully vet someone as a true expert and to orient them to how the panel works.
You know, hiring somebody just days or weeks before the meeting is really unprecedented. And to not have, you know, a scientific committee and rather have a political committee really doesn't set a great precedent for how to make decisions around vaccines. BRUNHUBER: Yes. And president Trump signed a memo last night, as I
said, calling for HHS to fast-track a review of vaccine schedules from other countries. He says that the U.S. has far more shots than places. We mentioned Denmark. Japan.
Is that true?
Are our kids being over vaccinated?
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Or as you say, is it comparing apples to oranges because of those different health care systems that you mentioned?
CHIN-HONG: I think it's certainly not comparable when you look at what happens from country to country. We probably prevent about the same number of diseases, say, that Canada does or Australia and the U.K., to some extent.
But we give more shots. And some of that is due to, you know, giving more durable protection because, for example, hepatitis B, giving three shots just proves that the protection will be more durable.
You know, if you look at what the other movement is, it also is somewhat contradictory because, if you want to have fewer shots, having more combination shots can achieve that.
But one of the other rulings that they had in the previous meeting was separating MMR from varicella. So again, you split, you know, potentially one combination shot with -- for virus protection to two shots.
So I think that's an example of, you know, not saying the same thing and having even more shots by some of the rulings that have been occurring.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. And presumably this would set the stage for cutting more vaccines down the road.
So listen, for parents who are watching this right now, I mean, they might be confused about what to do. We have the CDC saying one thing. Experts like yourself saying another.
I mean, how can families navigate that?
CHIN-HONG: Well, I think the public pools right now speak to this. And I would say speak to your physician. There are medical bodies that are going to really diverge from the CDC in terms of their recommendations. And I think that's going to be problematic.
But Americans do see, in the latest polls from Annenberg, for example, that they do trust medical organizations, their physicians, more than national organizations like the CDC at this point.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. Sad to see. Listen, I really appreciate getting the benefits of your expertise. Dr. Peter Chin-hong, thank you so much. CHIN-HONG: Thanks so much, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: We're learning more about the double tap U.S. boat strike that happened on September 2nd. According to sources, the alleged drug boat wasn't heading to the U.S. but was bound for a larger vessel on its way to Suriname.
The alleged drug boat was struck four times. The first one split the boat and left two survivors. The three other strikes sunk the vessel and killed the two people.
Although it's considered a war crime by the U.S. to kill shipwrecked survivors, Defense officials argued the sailors remained legitimate targets. Now since that strike, the U.S. military has carried out more than 20 additional strikes, killing at least 87 people.
Earlier, CNN spoke to CNN military analyst retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton about the recent reporting on the boat strikes. And here's part of what he had to say.
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COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: The intelligence picture that they should be working off of is one in which they would have actual knowledge of the drugs going from point A to point B.
And if point B is United States, then, that's one thing. But in this particular case, we are talking about a completely different country. Here. We're talking about the country of Suriname, about the size of Georgia.
Most of the drugs that go from Suriname or through Suriname end up in Europe or Africa. Very few of them end up in the United States. So, it makes no sense, from an intelligence perspective or from a military perspective, to be conducting this operation.
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BRUNHUBER: Well, we've been following the long-awaited draw for next year's FIFA World Cup. The tournament is considered the most widely viewed sports event on the planet.
The draw took place with plenty of fanfare in Washington, D.C., as the 48 national teams learned who they'll play in the opening group stage. The U.S., Canada and Mexico, whose leaders took part in the ceremony, will jointly host the tournament, the first to be held in North America in more than three decades.
So the U.S. will face Paraguay, Australia and the winner of a forthcoming European playoff. The tournament kicks off in Mexico City, with Mexico and Brazil facing each other and the first match in the United States will take place in Los Angeles on June 12th.
Now the draw wasn't the only notable thing that happened on stage in Washington. FIFA president Gianni Infantino also gave president Trump the newly created FIFA peace prize. Prior to receiving the prize, our Kaitlan Collins asked president Trump about the message it sends. Here it is.
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KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN HOST: What would you say to people who say that prize might conflict with your pledge to strike Venezuela?
TRUMP: Well, I think the Peace Prize, I mean, I settled eight wars. I don't know that I'm getting it. I haven't been officially noticed. I've been hearing about a Peace Prize.
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BRUNHUBER: CNN's Kristen Holmes has this report on reaction to the prize.
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KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: President Trump relishing the limelight today at the Kennedy Center during the FIFA World Cup draw.
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Even winning what they called a FIFA peace prize.
Now this was given to him by the head of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, who has become somewhat of a friend of president Trump's, almost always by his side these days as head of that World Cup.
And this prize seemed to be almost a conciliatory prize for the fact that president Trump did not win the Nobel Peace Prize. It is not a prize that has previously been given. They called this the first annual FIFA peace prize.
But he seemed happy nonetheless to get it. He also danced to "YMCA." And one of the things to keep in mind here, as we move forward in president Trump's tenure, there are three big events that president Trump behind closed doors talks about on a regular basis and that is the FIFA World Cup.
It is also the Olympics. And, of course, America 250. He revels in the fact that he gets to be president during those three events. Now, of course, the fact that those events are coming to the United States under his presidency, those are decided by global committees and one is an actual anniversary.
But it does nonetheless fit into a timeframe that president Trump will be in office and is very, very happy that he gets to oversee these events.
Now, of course, again, this happened at the Kennedy Center, a place that president Trump has effectively taken over. In fact, this week he called it the Trump Kennedy Center during an event he has pledged. And Republicans have pledged about $250 million in renovations to the Kennedy Center. He walked the red carpet there today and spoke to the acting head
about all of those new renovations -- Kristen Holmes, CNN, the White House.
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BRUNHUBER: Ivan Sarmenti will bring us reaction from Argentina in a moment as fans of Lionel Messi and the reigning champs hope for a repeat. But first, the U.S. hosts also want to take a run at winning the trophy. CNN's Andy Scholes spoke to fans here in Atlanta, Georgia, one of the World Cup host cities.
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ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORT CORRESPONDENT: It was an exciting day here in Atlanta as fans gathered to watch the draw for the largest World Cup ever. Now the city of Atlanta is hosting eight World Cup games, including a semifinals.
And all the fans are certainly dreaming of making it that far in the tournament. And I caught up with many of them to ask him how they were feeling after the U.S. learned their group.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Love the U.S. group. I think it's going to take four points to come out of that group. So they got a really good chance, you
know, finishing that top two spot.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's not the best. It's not the worst. We're going to have some good challenges. I think we're going to make it out and I think we're going to have a good path to get to the final.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm feeling really good about the group. It's different group for -- I mean, different teams play differently. And so, it's going to be a good challenge.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's have a nice, clean, tidy group play. Get at least the four points. Let's get in the knockout round. And once you get in there, anything can happen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe semifinals right here in Atlanta.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're still going to the final, baby. We're going up there. At least quarters for sure. And we're going to surprise everybody, make it to the top.
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SCHOLES: So in the U.S.' group is Australia, Paraguay and a European playoff winner. The best the U.S. has ever finished in a modern World Cup was when they made the quarterfinals back in 2002.
But as you heard, a lot of fans very optimistic about their chances this time around. You can just feel the energy and we're still about six months away. The U.S. will kick off action in the World Cup at SoFi Stadium against Paraguay on June 12th.
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IVAN SARMENTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Argentina will lead the J (ph) group at the next World Cup and will face Austria, Algeria and Jordan. The first match will be with Algeria. They are back at the world championship after 12 years.
The second one will be Austria, whose last participation in a World Cup was in 1988.
And the last one is Jordan, making their debut at the world tournament. With the same coach, Jamal Sellami, and the same goalee, Lionel Messi, Argentina will face all of them, dreaming of its fourth cup.
But Argentina have chances to win. It is the reigning champion from Qatar in 2022 and also won back-to-back Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024.
But besides that, there is someone everybody is waiting for: Messi, who will turn 39 during the tournament. And he has announced this will be his last world championship -- Ivan Sarmenti, CNN, Buenos Aires.
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BRUNHUBER: All right, still ahead, a CNN report on missing Palestinians and unmarked graves sparks a call for an international investigation.
Plus, it took nearly five years but a suspect is now charged with leaving pipe bombs in the Washington, D.C., the night before the January 6th U.S. Capitol riot. We'll have that story ahead on CNN. Please stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: All of Ukraine was under alert on Saturday for missile threats as Russia launched another massive attack. People took shelter in the metro in Kyiv, where the air alert lasted for eight hours.
Ukraine says missiles and drones targeted generating, distribution and transmission facilities in Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhya and Kyiv. Some people were still without power as of this morning.
Ukraine's foreign affairs minister says Russia is degrading peace efforts, even as a Ukrainian delegation is in Miami for talks. Officials are set to meet with U.S. officials again in the coming hours.
In Israel, dozens of people joined the family of final Israeli hostage Ran Gvili to call for the return of his body. The deceased police officer had rushed to the southern border on October 7th. He was killed in battle and his body was taken. His sister spoke of his family's commitment for his return.
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SHIRA GVILI, RAN'S SISTER (through translator): We are here today at an event at the reception of Shabbat in the Hostage Square, where we pray for Ran. It's Ran's week. Ran remains the last one and we will not give up on him. And we are here until the last hostage returns home.
The reception of Shabbat is an event that really moves me, because it takes me back to moments with Ran, when we would spend every Friday at my grandmother's house and sing together all the time.
So we're not without him but he's with us in our hearts and we pray that it won't happen again. No Shabbat without Ran. We want Ran with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Following original reporting by CNN, human rights organizations are calling for an international investigation into alleged unmarked Gaza graves.
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It's alleged that the Israel Defense Forces buried Palestinian bodies in the unmarked graves. CNN's Jeremy Diamond reports.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My brother is missing. Anyone who saw or glimpsed him --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My cousin went missing yesterday in Zikim --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ehab Adel Mansour, 16 years old, went missing in the Zikim area.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My son went missing while going to the aid area in Zikim on Sunday.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Messages from desperate families all searching for loved ones who went out to seek aid
and never came back.
Twenty-three-year-old Ammar Wadi was one of them, last seen in June going to the Zikim crossing in Northern Gaza, where United Nations food trucks
entered. His mother is still desperate for answers.
NAWAL MUSLEH, AMMAR WADI'S MOTHER: I just want peace of mind, to know what his fate is. Even if he is a martyr, praise be to God. I just want to know
what happened to him.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Wadi's fate is still unknown but a CNN investigation based on video, satellite imagery and eye witness accounts points to the
Israeli military bulldozing the bodies of some of those killed near the Zikim crossing.
IDF whistle blowers who spoke to CNN also point to a broader pattern of the Israeli military mishandling bodies in ways that could amount to war
crimes.
Collecting humanitarian aid became a deadly reality in Gaza over the summer before the ceasefire took effect.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They killed him on the spot.
DIAMOND (voice-over): More than 2000 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire while trying to get aid, according to the World Health Organization.
The Israeli military has acknowledged firing toward these crowds but said it does not intentionally fire at civilians.
Hundreds, some dead, others still clinging on to life, were hauled away amid the mayhem, including here near the Zikim crossing but amid the
clattering of gun fire, others were left behind.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gunfire, death, killing, martyrs -- so many martyrs.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Six aid truck drivers told CNN they saw dozens of bodies near the Zikim crossing. One shared these photos showing partially
buried remains surrounded by aid boxes. Some said they witnessed Israeli military bulldozers burying bodies. They've asked us to conceal their
identities, fearing retribution from Israeli authorities.
There are bodies everywhere. Decomposed, skeletal remains. One truck driver told CNN. Some are covered with dirt because the army cannot tolerate the smell of decomposing bodies, said another. I watched Israeli bulldozers bury the dead, said, a third.
This video appears to show the aftermath of Israel's bulldozing alongside a crushed, overturned truck, partially covered bodies of several Palestinians
jut out from the earth.
A paramedic at the scene said rescue workers managed to haul away 15 dead Palestinians. With the ambulance full, some bodies had to be left behind.
CNN geo located the video to this location near the Zikim crossing. You can see the overturn truck here alongside bulldoze roads and track marks left
by heavy machinery or armored vehicles.
These are the roads where crowds of starving Palestinians swarmed aid trucks on a near daily basis, where they were fired upon and at times
killed by Israeli gun fire. We geo located multiple videos of people being shot and killed to these bulldozed areas. The same areas where Palestinians
said some bodies were left behind in the chaos.
On August 9, 31 hours after crowds are seen here, evidence of fresh bulldozing appears in the exact same location. This video shows just how
close Israeli forces, including this D9 bulldozer, were to those crowds.
"The soldiers came in front of us, eyes to eyes and the quad copter was 10 meters away from us. They were shot in front of us and there is a martyr
that stayed over there and no one could get close to him. We begged the soldiers to carry him back but they didn't allow us."
We provided the Israeli military with GPS coordinates for the locations where bodies were likely bulldozed and a detailed list of questions.
The military said bulldozers positioned in the Zikim area are, quote, used for operational purposes to deal with IED threats and for routine
engineering needs. It denied they were used to remove bodies but did not address questions about burying them.
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The military also declined to describe its protocol for dealing with bodies in Gaza. The Israeli military's apparent improper disposal of bodies of Palestinians stretched far beyond Zikim.
We spoke with two Israeli soldiers on condition of anonymity due to fears of retribution, both described bodies of Palestinians being buried in
shallow, unmarked graves in different parts of Gaza.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Essentially, the idea was to shove the body with a bunch of dirt clearing the road and push it to the sides.
DIAMOND: And that was it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was it. Yes.
DIAMOND: The grave was not marked.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
DIAMOND: There was no identification process or notification process to any international or Palestinian organization.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not that I was aware of, not in my unit. So essentially, we were never given any protocol or any order of how to handle
any bodies. There was never once that anyone told us, if you have a body, this is what should be done.
DIAMOND (voice-over): By allowing the dead to become the missing, international law experts say bulldozing bodies into unmarked graves can
violate international law. And if those bodies are mutilated or desecrated, the practice can rise to the level of outrages upon personal dignity, a war
crime under the Geneva Conventions.
As for Ammar Wadi, about a month after he went missing in late June, his phone was returned to his family. A message had been left on the home
screen, forgive me, mom, if anything happens to me, whoever finds my phone, please tell my family that I love them so much.
A message that reads like a young man's final words -- words that are impossible for a mother to accept without a body to bury -- Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.
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BRUNHUBER: We'll take a quick break. For our viewers here in North America, I'll have more news in a moment. For our international viewers, "CNN CREATORS" is next. (MUSIC PLAYING)
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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States and Canada. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
The man charged with leaving pipe bombs in Washington, D.C., ahead of the January 6th riot in 2021 appeared in court Friday. Brian Cole Jr. is facing federal explosive charges but officials say the investigation is ongoing and more charges could follow. CNN's Brian Todd has details.
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BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Wearing a tan jumpsuit and glasses as he made his first court appearance, 30-year-old Brian Cole, Jr. was read his rights today by a federal judge.
Six members of his family, visibly emotional, stood up at various points in the hearing, then shouted, "We love you, Brian. We're here for you, baby."
Cole faces two federal explosives charges connected to two pipe bombs left at Democratic and Republican Party headquarters in Washington nearly five years ago, the night before the January 6th attack on the Capitol.
One of the charges states he allegedly had the intent to kill, injure or intimidate. Attorney General Pam Bondi told FOX News the legal case against him could build.
PAM BONDI, ATTORNEY GENERAL: Hundreds of agents are on this case because this is a very dangerous person. And again, I believe there are more charges to come.
TODD (voice-over): Cole did not enter a plea. People briefed on the matter tell CNN, during interviews with the FBI, Cole told investigators he believed the 2020 election was stolen, perhaps providing the first indication of a possible motive.
BRADLEY MOSS, NATIONAL SECURITY ATTORNEY: Certainly seemed like an effort to disrupt things, to prevent the certification of the electoral slate that next day and to somehow prevent Joe Biden from becoming president two weeks later.
TODD (voice-over): But sources tell CNN Cole made multiple statements with FBI investigators over a period of hours.
And officials are being cautious about discussing a definite motive. Investigators say they used Cole's cell phone data to track his location the night the bombs were dropped and they traced purchases he made of the bomb components, including galvanized pipe timers and batteries.
And new details from neighbors and officials of a reclusive suspect who kept a low profile in the Woodbridge, Virginia, cul-de-sac where he lived.
JEANINE PIRRO, U.S. ATTORNEY FOR WASHINGTON, D.C.: His closest friends or his family. He lives with his mom and his sisters. He would go to work for a few hours a day. His father had a bail bonds -- bail bondsman company.
TODD (voice-over): Neighbors told CNN they'd often see Cole walking his chihuahua in the neighborhood. He had quirks, like wearing shorts and red Crocs, even on the coldest days of winter, they said. And they said he was antisocial.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He never interacted, never made eye contact, always kind of kept to himself, often would be wearing headphones and just seemed like he was either listening to something or just kind of wanted to stay by himself.
TODD: Officials tell CNN this nearly five year investigation is still ongoing, with more search warrants being executed. The criminal complaint against Brian Cole says that in the days after he allegedly planted the pipe bombs on the night before January 6th, he continued to buy components used in bomb making -- Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
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BRUNHUBER: The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether president Trump's executive order ending birthright citizenship is constitutional. The 14th Amendment guarantees U.S. citizenship to people born here, even if their parents weren't. That's been considered law since the 19th century.
But now the justices are revisiting the issue after sidestepping it earlier this year. They'll hear arguments next year and likely hand down a decision by the end of June.
Minnesota and Louisiana are now the focal point of president Trump's immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
The Department of Homeland Security says it has detained, quote, "some of the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens."
But court documents and federal data show many of those detained haven't been convicted of any crime.
Meanwhile, in New Orleans, the Department of Homeland Security is aiming to make 5,000 arrests. A controversial state law makes it a crime to interfere, ignore or thwart immigration enforcement efforts. But residents can report alleged abuse or misconduct from federal officers through a new online portal.
Drew Hawkins is a reporter with the "Gulf States Newsroom" and he joins me now from New Orleans. Thanks so much for being here with us early this morning. So in other
cities, we've seen tactics like federal agents rappelling from a helicopter into an apartment complex, firing tear gas at protesters. I mean, you've been covering this from the ground in New Orleans.
What has the operation looked like in your city?
DREW HAWKINS, "GULF STATES NEWSROOM": Good morning. Kim.
[04:35:00]
So the way it's taken on here is it varies. We've seen a lot of incidents where you'll just see a swarm of vehicles pulling up on people, detaining people. They have been targeting specific sites, like home improvement stores, Home Depot, Lowe's.
But there's also been incidents of people just walking through their neighborhoods, where unmarked vehicles kind of surround them and put them into vehicles and just disappear. So it can vary.
We haven't seen, you know, helicopters rappelling or anything like that but it's taking on different forms. It's not predictable. We don't know exactly how it's going to happen but that's how it's happening here so far.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. I mean, talking of people being detained just walking through in their neighborhoods, I mean, we're hearing reports about people who are being detained who are actually citizens or who have work permits.
What are you learning about that?
HAWKINS: Yes. I mean, you know, so far there haven't been many arrests that seem to be people who have serious, you know, criminal convictions or criminal records. Like you just said, you know, people who are born here, people who have legal status to be here.
But you know, the real thing is that we don't actually know much about the people who are detained. It's hard to confirm their identities. It's hard to figure out exactly who everyone, how many people are being detained.
Even when people will ask Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino, who's leading the operation here, he will not directly answer the identities of people or exactly how many people are being detained or arrested.
So the real challenge is actually determining who -- how many people are being taken and who they are.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. And why as well. And the process has been so opaque. And I mean, just hearing you talk about people being disappeared off the streets, I mean, clearly that would, you know, make people pretty frightened, especially in immigrant communities.
I mean, what are you hearing from parents and families about how they're making decisions day to day? You know, kids staying home from school, for instance, people staying away from work?
HAWKINS: That's exactly right. So you know, I would describe the mood in the immigrant community here being very fearful, people afraid to go to work, to leave their homes. You're hearing reports about, you know, Hispanic restaurants closing down.
Kids missing school is becoming a big concern. You know, teachers are talking about classmates not coming to school and their classmates asking about where they are. And they're having to answer these heartbreaking questions about saying, I don't know where they are or if you'll see them again.
You know it's -- it -- it's also -- at the same time there's this feeling of anger and frustration and this was actually building and starting before the operation officially began.
You know, just yesterday, there were a group of people who a caravan followed Border Patrol agents to Lafreniere Park. It's a big park here in the city. And they directly confronted him there.
So you are definitely seeing this mixture of fear and concern within the immigrant community. But in the community at large in New Orleans, you're also seeing anger and frustration. And those are protests are building. They're being held almost on a daily basis.
Just yesterday, just yesterday, we saw -- or two days ago we saw at the city council meeting protesters, you know, co-opted and stormed that meeting and demanded city council to do more to get federal agents out of the city. So anger from residents and fear from the immigrant community.
BRUNHUBER: Let me ask you about what the politicians there are doing. Obviously, as you say, there's been plenty of opposition locally. I want to play a clip from the mayor elect. Here she is.
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MAYOR-ELECT HELENA MORENO, NEW ORLEANS: Well, we, of course, firmly believe that the most dangerous and violent offenders must be taken off of our streets. Unfortunately, it does not appear that these are the people being targeted in Operation Catahoula Crunch.
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BRUNHUBER: That name, we didn't mention that earlier but that is the name that they're giving to this operation in New Orleans. So that that, you know, her explanation there is why she is asking for changes to how federal agents are conducting raids, things like how Asians shouldn't be wearing masks and so on. Take us through that.
HAWKINS: Yes, exactly. You know, you mentioned the name is Catahoula Crunch. Until that was officially announced, we had thought it was called Operation Swamp Sweep, based on reporting that the AP had done. But it really just speaks to this larger uncertainty. And that's our mayor-elect, Helena Moreno. And she's, you know,
describing this idea that it's not all violent criminals that are being taken, right.
And so she demanded, among other things, you know, more transparency, not wearing masks and for federal agents to, you know, follow the legal guidance and to, you know, the rule of law here really.
BRUNHUBER: Yes.
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Listen, great to get your reporting on the ground there in New Orleans. Drew Hawkins, thank you so much
HAWKINS: Thanks, Kim. I appreciate it.
BRUNHUBER: California's attorney general is fighting to block the continued deployment of National Guard troops in and around Los Angeles. His motion for a preliminary injunction was heard Friday in San Francisco.
President Trump initially called up some 4,000 California Guard troops in response to protests over his immigration enforcement actions. About 100 troops remain in the L.A. area. The attorney general says the order would ensure that American cities aren't militarized areas.
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ROB BONTA, ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CALIFORNIA: We very strongly believe that the National Guard is not the Royal Guard, that the National Guard is not the president's traveling private army to deploy where he wants, when he wants, for as long as he wants, for any reason he wants or no reason at all.
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BRUNHUBER: The judge who heard Friday's motion hasn't ruled yet.
Authorities in Texas have released more than 20 hours of desperate 9- 1-1 calls made during last summer's deadly flash flooding. The calls are from the early morning of July 4th. That's when the floods killed 136 people, including several children, at a summer camp for girls. CNN's Julia Vargas Jones has listened to the audio and filed this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN PRODUCER: Hundreds and hundreds of very distressing calls. At least 435 in the first six hours alone, more than 100 between 4 and 5 in the morning.
And what these calls are doing is painting a picture of what was going through the minds of those people who were stranded and who were looking to operators, dispatchers, 9-1-1 dispatchers for help, as well as a little bit of hope. Take a listen. (BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've got -- the flood is up to our house right now. We're OK. But we live about a mile down the road from Camp Mystic and we've already got two little girls, who have come down the river. And we've gotten to them but I'm not sure how many else are out there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you have the girls at your house?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have we have two little girls who have come by in the river and we've been able to grab them. And that's all we've seen so far.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
JONES: And other callers are from Camp Mystic. There's one caller who says there's at least 30 girls missing. She says an entire cabin is missing. As she tells dispatchers the only way to get to them will be via helicopter.
Now we did hear on Friday from the police chief of Kerrville, who said many of those callers did not survive the flood and to please keep them in our thoughts and prayers as we listen to their voices; their last calls, in many cases.
Now Camp Mystic is set to reopen this summer, they say, with some changes.
One of them is enhanced safety measures that include for flood warning river monitors, designed to provide early detection of high water events; two-way radios in every cabin enabled with national weather alerts; high-capacity generators to maintain power in critical areas of the camp.
This comes after the Texas legislature passed new camp safety laws aimed at addressing those gaps in disaster preparedness back in September -- Julia Vargas Jones, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Netflix has made a $72 billion bid to acquire Warner Bros. We will dive into the controversy and the potential impacts of the deal after the break. That story and more coming up. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Streaming powerhouse Netflix is making a $72 billion bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery's film studios and streaming divisions. The deal would give Netflix control of Warner Bros.' vast film and TV library, including HBO.
But it still needs approval from regulators here in the U.S., Europe and beyond, a process that could take years. CNN's Brian Stelter has more on the controversy surrounding the deal.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: This is a jolt for Hollywood and for streamers all around the world. You know, we live in a streaming era that has been defined by Netflix. Netflix has been growing by leaps and bounds for years. We already talked about it as the king of streaming services and now it is trying to get even bigger.
This is going to face a significant regulatory review in the U.S., in the E.U. and in other countries. So I said this is a jolt for Hollywood. In some ways, it's an unexpected development in the auction that's been underway for Warner Bros. Discovery.
So that is CNN's parent company. Warner Bros. Discovery was formed about three years ago. Its stock has languished. It has been in the basement for a couple of years. So earlier this year, there was an announcement about a breakup of Warner Bros. Discovery, going off into two different halves.
The Warner Bros. and HBO half will be on one side and CNN and other cable channels will be on the other side. That breakup is now moving forward and will take effect in the summer of 2026.
And once it takes effect, that's when Netflix will come in and try to buy Warner Bros. and HBO. For CNN viewers wondering what's going to happen to this channel, it will be off in a different half of the house called Discovery Global, a separate publicly traded company.
So Netflix is clearly interested and wants to take over the HBO Max streaming service, the HBO content library, the Warner Bros. movie and TV studio. This would bring together two of the three biggest streamers out there.
And it would involve Netflix taking over one of the most famed movie studios on the planet. So the regulatory questions are going to be huge here. We don't know how the Trump administration will react to this proposed deal. We also don't know how regulators in other countries will react.
And there's one other big X factor and that's the other bidders for WBD. Comcast had been making offers and, more importantly, Paramount have been trying very aggressively to buy all of WBD, including CNN.
Yesterday, Paramount sent a letter to the WBD board, essentially suggesting it might go hostile. It might try to go over the board's head and make a proposal directly to shareholders. So we don't know if this is the end of the story or just the very beginning.
But at least in this very moment, it's a seismic development for Hollywood to see Netflix, already the biggest streamer out there, trying to get even bigger, trying to gobble up one of the most famous movie studios in the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: After a summer splurge, a delayed report from the U.S. Commerce Department shows consumer spending slowed in September while inflation climbed due to rising gas and food prices.
Now this was the last piece of official inflation data to land before the U.S. government shut down, delaying the monthly report. The Federal Reserve's preferred gauge, the Personal Expenditures Price Index, rose 0.3 percent and that pushed annual inflation to 2.8 percent, the highest it's been in nearly 1.5 years.
Well, ever wish your passport photo looked less like a mug shot?
We visit a New York shop that's turning your travel ID pictures into something you might actually like.
[04:50:03]
Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: A small photo shop in New York City's Chinatown has developed a cult following, in part because the owner takes incredible passport photos. CNN's Meena Duerson pays a visit to see what the hype is all about.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's do one more.
MEENA DUERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 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. Photographers all over the city swear by her.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Join me on my walk to my favorite lady in Chinatown.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The best place ever to get film developed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Eliz Digital.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Come get my passport photo with me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She takes the best photos. I really recommend.
DUERSON (voice-over): Sam Shekian (ph) has been taking a passport picture here every month since 2022.
SAM SHEKIAN (PH), PHOTO CUSTOMER: 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?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, Sam. Oh, you're looking great. I love the color.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you. Your hair looks so nice.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got I got to do my regular check.
DUERSON (voice-over): You've gone every single month for three years?
SHEKIAN (PH): For four now.
[04:55:02]
DUERSON (voice-over): Four years.
Oh, my gosh.
SHEKIAN (PH): It's crazy.
DUERSON (voice-over): It's just the kind of place --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, I love that one.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Different?
DUERSON (voice-over): And the store's owner, Chunika Kesh, is the kind of person that inspires devotion.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This one?
Done. OK.
DUERSON (voice-over): Particularly among photographers like Laura Fuchs.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, 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 (voice-over): When I first started coming to develop film, I had randomly two shots left on the roll and I thought, OK, 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 (voice-over): What's the response like?
(CROSSTALK)
FUCHS (voice-over): People love it.
They love it and they love her.
And I've had people, you know, where's that film shop that you get them developed?
And they go and find her.
DUERSON (voice-over): After all the buzz, I was dying to experience the magic myself.
CHUNIKA KESH, PHOTOGRAPHER: OK. Sit up straight, relax a bit and turn your face a teeny bit and slightly lean forward. All right.
DUERSON (voice-over): OK. 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 (voice-over): No secret. It's not really me.
DUERSON (voice-over): Yes, yes.
KESH (voice-over): Usually it's the person who's posing, more relaxing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 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.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Love it. And I like that you picked it out.
DUERSON (voice-over): What kind of role does this place play in your life?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Huge. So I'll see you tomorrow. We'll get breakfast. She has become not just my friend. She's my family.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're the best. See you.
KESH (voice-over): Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): I'll see you in one month.
KESH (voice-over): OK, bye.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I always said I'll do it for as long as I live in New York.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, wow.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If I'm going to live here forever, I'm coming here forever.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: All right, that wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more news in just a moment.
