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President Trump To Host Kennedy Center Honors Ceremony; Interview With Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA); Court Releases 911 Call That Led To Arrest Of Luigi Mangione. Aired: 3-4p ET

Aired December 07, 2025 - 15:00   ET

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

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: So Actors on Actors creating friendships. They even told me that they want to work together in a musical. So, we may see a lot more of them -- Fred.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Okay, let's hope so.

You can watch that all new episode of "Variety's" "Actors on Actors," now streaming exclusively on the CNN app.

[15:00:22]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: All right, hello, again, everyone. Thank you so much for being with me this Sunday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

All right, we are just a few hours away from President Trump's debut of the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony. It is an event that he skipped during his first term, but tonight he will take center stage at one of America's most iconic art institutions, as he recognizes a handful of performing artists for their lifetime contributions to culture.

The President not only handpicked many of this year's Kennedy Center Honorees, but he also plans to host the ceremony himself. The show will be recorded tonight, and then it will air later on this month on CBS.

Since taking office in January, Trump has been reshaping the center's leadership and programing, which has sparked cancellations and some backlash.

CNN's Julia Benbrook is joining us right now.

Julia, what more can you tell us about the event and the changes at the Kennedy Center?

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fred, just last week or just a few days ago now, during an event, Trump referred to it as the Trump- Kennedy Center, something that he brushed off as a joke, but he has made it clear that he wants to leave his mark on this performing arts area.

Now, he will tonight not only be there as the sitting President of the United States, but also the Chairman of the Kennedy Center Board and the host of the event. That is unprecedented. We've never had a President serving in that role, and he announced that when he announced the honorees back in August. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: It is going to be a big evening. I've been asked to host. I said, I am the President of the United States, are you fools asking me to do that? Sir, you'll get much higher ratings. So I have agreed to host. Do you believe what I have to do? And I didn't want to do it, okay, they are going to say, he insisted. I did not insist.

But I think it will be quite successful, actually. It has been a long time. I used to host "The Apprentice" finales and we did rather well with that. So I think we are going to do very well because we have some great honorees.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: During that same announcement, Trump highlighted another change. He said that he was "98 percent involved in selecting this year's winners."

So, let's take a closer look at that list. It includes country music star, George Strait, actor and Broadway alum, Michael Crawford; actor, Sylvester Stallone, as well as singer, Gloria Gaynor; and members of the rock band, Kiss.

Now, during his second term, Trump has had an intense focus on the Kennedy Center and making various changes there. In fact, back in February, he dismissed a slew of Democratic appointees to the Board of Trustees and then appointed several aides and allies, including chief- of-staff, Susie Wiles, as well as Second Lady Usha Vance. He was subsequently elected Chairman of the Board.

Then there are changes to the building itself. In his so-called One Big Beautiful Bill, there was more than $250 million allotted for repairs and restoration, and he has touted changes to the exterior marble, as well as the interior chairs and making changes, as well to the stages and updating things there as well.

One more change that people are going to see as they watch this, and as they saw the medals handed out last night in the Oval Office, is the medals. For a long time, decades since the creation of this award, you've seen that rainbow ribbon that really goes hand in hand with this. A lot of people associate it with this award, but that is changing this year. Those were crafted by a Washington area family.

Now, they have been reimagined and they are donated by Tiffany & Co. It is a gold disc. It has the honorees name on one side, an outline of the Kennedy Center on the other. Now the rainbow, which represents the breadth of the arts that are recognized during this honor, it is still included, but in a much more subtle way. You can see it on the top and bottom there -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Yes, huge contrast. That family had been crafting those especially rainbow made kind of ribbons and medals since the early 70s, so it has been a really long tradition for that family, but now hand it off to Tiffany as you say.

Julia Benbrook, thank you so much.

So as questions mount over the Trump administrations targeting of alleged drug boat, the man at the center of the controversial attacks is digging in. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is defending the Trump administration's actions in the Caribbean, arguing they are justified to protect the U.S.

[15:05:05]

But after a so-called double tap strike that killed survivors on a boat just off the coast of Venezuela, bipartisan criticism of the attacks and Hegseth's Pentagon leadership is growing.

This is what some lawmakers have said in just the last day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARK KELLY (D-AZ): He doesn't look out for anybody. It is not leadership to throw your people under the bus. I mean, he turned around and ran away from this as fast as he could.

DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR AND POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: If you were to take the confirmation vote again today, would you vote to make Pete Hegseth Defense Secretary?

SEN. JOHN CURTIS (R-UT): That is a question I can't answer without as much thoughtful research as I did the first time I did that vote.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF AND CORRESPONDENT: Would you vote the same way today to confirm?

SEN. JONI ERNST (R-IA): I am not going to answer it in front of all these good people.

SEN. TAMMY DUCKWORTH (D-IL): I have been shot down behind enemy lines. Under the laws of war, if a pilot bails out, he gets shot down, he bails out. He is in a rubber dinghy in the middle of the ocean, under all the international laws of warfare, you are supposed to help render aid to that individual.

Everything that they did here was illegal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Today, calls are growing for video of that second strike to be released, all of the video. Last hour, I spoke with Democratic Congressman and Marine veteran -- U.S. Marine veteran, Seth Moulton about that and here is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Earlier this week, President Trump says he supported releasing all video of this double tap strike as a result of drone video, et cetera. We know that some portions of it have been seen and, you know, on public airwaves. But when asked about that yesterday, Pete Hegseth wouldn't commit, saying, "We'll see."

What do you think should happen? Should all of the video available, drone video or otherwise be shared and seen?

REP. SETH MOULTON (D-MA): So although I haven't seen every minute of it, I have talked to people who have who are close with me on the Committee and it is horrific. It is not something that I want the American public to have to see. But when the commander-in-chief and his Secretary of Defense are flagrantly violating the law and committing murder, yes, the American public needs to see it.

And it is pretty amazing, Fredricka, how quickly this administration releases video that they want people to see and the extent that they go to cover it up when they clearly don't want the American people to see the truth.

WHITFIELD: So if that opportunity becomes available, you just said there, some portions that you really don't want the public to see, but if some of that video is made available, how then would you also want the public to see it as you just underscored in that latter comment?

MOULTON: Well, I mean, the point is it would have to be carefully you know, managed to say, you know, viewer discretion is advised. Don't let your kids see this, because what you're about to see is disgusting.

I've heard that one of the people briefed on Capitol Hill nearly threw up, just seeing this happen. And any member of the military who has been trained in the law of war that has seen this, literally used as an example of what not to do in law of war manuals will be disgusted, will be horrified by this video.

But the truth needs to come out.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: As President Trump increasingly criticizes various countries for allowing drugs to be sent into the U.S., Colombia's police and military are fighting back against the drug trade, including using A.I. to flag suspicious passengers and cargo.

CNN's Isa Soares gives us an inside look at the country's war on drugs.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In Colombia's decades long struggle with narco-trafficking, concealment has become an art born of desperation, driving traffickers from low-level couriers to organized networks to employ methods that range from the absurd to the darkly ingenious.

SOARES (on camera): This is 1.2 tons of coffee destined for the United Kingdom. At least, it looks like coffee, right? You've got the very official packaging product of Colombia there, the date it expires. If I look closer, actually looks and smells like coffee. But under a microscope, there's cocaine inside.

SOARES (voice over): Lieutenant Colonel Hector Toro (ph) says his unit tested this load after it was flagged by an artificial intelligence system they use to identify suspicious shipments, passengers and even mail. It's one of the many examples of how drug seizures here at Bogota's El Dorado Airport have become bolder and more frequent, forcing authorities to adapt as coca production in Colombia continues to rise.

SOARES: As you can see that one, you can see the white inside.

SOARES (voice over): That increase, the reason why the U.S. says it has dropped Colombia as a partner in the fight against drug trafficking, ending a partnership that had been in place for decades.

[15:10:10]

(ISA SOARES speaking in foreign language.)

It's President Gustavo Petro with whom I sat down for an exclusive interview is also feeling the heat with the U.S. hitting him with sanctions and accusing him of being an illegal drug dealer.

GUSTAVO PETRO, PRESIDENT, COLOMBIA (through translator): What President Trump says is the opposite of reality.

SOARES: Why doesn't he listen? Why do you think he doesn't hear you?

PETRO (through translator): Out of arrogance, because he thinks I am a thug, a subversive, a terrorist, things like that.

SOARES (voice over): The tit-for-tat between both Presidents has only escalated as President Trump goes after alleged drug boats off the coast of Venezuela and Colombia as well. Actions that Petro has deemed illegal under international law. And as far as drugs are concerned, the Colombian president says he is doing his part.

PETRO (through translator): The government that has seized the most cocaine in history globally is the government of Colombia under my administration.

SOARES (voice over): Major General Edgar Falla Vargas who oversees Colombia's aerospatial forces in the southern hemisphere, tells me cooperation, collaboration and Intelligence-sharing with the U.S. and 41 other countries have been key to their success in nearly eradicating drugs by air inside Colombian airspace.

MAJ. GEN. EDGAR FALLA VARGAS, COLOMBIAN AIR FORCE (through translator): In 2003, there were 639 aircraft leaving Colombia bound for the United States. This year, we can say we have had three involved in some type of illegal movement.

SOARES (voice over): Under pressure, traffickers have looked to the sea to make their gains. Most shipments leaving Colombia on speedboats or concealed inside shipping containers, but the main route, not the Caribbean as President Trump's campaign against Venezuela seems to suggest.

SOARES: That Caribbean corridor --

VARGAS: Yes --

SOARES: -- is that the biggest? Is that the one you see the most action?

VARGAS (through translator): From my perspective, we have an increase in the Pacific corridor. However, activity in the Caribbean is not zero.

SOARES (voice over): Despite tensions between both leaders and the threats of stopping Intelligence-sharing by President Petro, this is an area where collaboration is non-negotiable. Major General Vargas, who has repeatedly exalted the importance of Intelligence-sharing during our conversation, and prefers not to wade into the world of politics, tells me very simply that when it comes to cooperation.

VARGAS (through translator): There really isn't a problem.

SOARES (voice over): As drug production climbs and political rhetoric heats up, it seems both countries are bound by necessity, knowing all too well, perhaps, if cooperation were to falter, only one group stands to gain, the drug traffickers.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Isa Soares, thank you so much for that report.

All right, still to come, Luigi Mangione is heading back to court as defense lawyers question more of the evidence against him. We will look at how these hearings will impact the case of the murdered healthcare CEO.

And later, a wild championship, Saturday that left some football powerhouses sitting out of the playoffs. We have the details of the bracket straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, it has been a year since the UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson, was fatally shot on a New York City sidewalk. And this week, we heard for the first time the 911 call that led to the capture of his suspected killer, Luigi Mangione at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania. Here is part of that call.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCDONALD'S MANAGER: I'm a manager at Plainsboro, McDonald's out here on the Boulevard.

DISPATCH: Okay. MCDONALD'S MANAGER: And I have a customer here that some other customers were suspicious of, that he looked like the CEO shooter of New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The audio was one of the many exhibits submitted during a multi-day pretrial hearing for Mangione. The focus of the hearing is a defense motion to suppress evidence in the state's case against him.

CNN correspondent, Leigh Waldman is following these developments for us. Leigh, good to see you.

Bring us up to speed on what we have learned and what we can expect in court tomorrow.

LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, we are expecting tomorrow to kind of be a do over for what was supposed to happen on Friday. The defendant, Luigi Mangione, who was sick, so the judge pushed things back. This was after the judge told the parties, we need to move things along here. It is stretching longer than he anticipated, but we've already learned a lot here from the witnesses that the prosecution has called upon.

We've had big moments in the court. Body camera video of Mangione's arrest at that McDonald's in Pennsylvania. We've heard from several corrections officers who were interacting with Mangione at the jail he was being held at in Pennsylvania.

One of those correctional officers saying that they were monitoring Mangione because they didn't want "an Epstein style situation." Another correction officer saying that Mangione told him that he had a backpack with foreign currency and a 3-D printed weapon.

[15:20:10]

Now, we are starting to see some new images released from the D.A.'s office here. Of the evidence that is being shown in that courthouse. It includes photos of what appears to be a necklace with a USB attached to it. You can see it on your screen right there. Also, a facemask that was referenced in that 911 call from the person who called police there, and then also a handwritten note.

And in that note, it appears to be a to-do list from the December 8th and 9th. Mangione was arrested on the 9th, and in writing about the 9th, it is a future to-do list, including an Intel check and grabbing a survival kit.

Now, during his arrest, law enforcement recovered several items from his backpack after the shooting and killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson here in New York, in that they said that they recovered what appears to be a gun, also, what is being described as a manifesto. What is at stake here is the defense is saying that the police searched that backpack without a warrant. Police saying that they were actually just following Pennsylvania law there. The prosecution is disagreeing -- agreeing to this hearing, saying that it can all be for the judge to decide here, Fred, and if the judge is not convinced, he could throw out key pieces of evidence like one of those USBs that was recovered in the backpack and what they're calling a manifesto and the gun itself -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. It could be a potentially pivotal week.

Leigh Waldman, thank you so much.

All right, up next, we can now hear the chaos inside a cockpit when an off-duty pilot tried to shut off the engines of an Alaska Airlines jet, that newly released audio coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Newly released audio and video obtained by CNN affiliate, KGW, provide new details on what happened on an Alaska Airlines flight that made an emergency landing back in October of 2023. The flight was headed to San Francisco when an off-duty pilot, who said he had taken psychedelic mushrooms, tried to shut off the engines of the plane. Fortunately, no one was injured, and the Alaska Airlines flight was able to land safely.

However, the conversation between the pilots in the cockpit is pretty chilling. Here's Kyle Iboshi from KGW.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYLE IBOSHI, KGW (voice over): Newly released dashcam footage photos, videos and police reports help reconstruct the in-flight emergency when a former Alaska Airlines pilot tried to shut down the engines of a passenger plane in October of 2023. Horizon Flight 2059 was headed from Everett to San Francisco when off-duty pilot Joseph Emerson, riding in the jump seat, tried to pull the fire suppression handles.

This is audio from the melee in the cockpit.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not okay.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's wrong?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've got to get home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You want to be home?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Okay.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Bleep). (Bleep). (Bleep). Dude! What's going on?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Uh!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Huh?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Horizon. We need to make an emergency landing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm sorry. Who was that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's Horizon 259. We've got a jump seater who just tried to shut our engines off. We need to go direct to Portland now.

DIGITAL VOICE: Throttle! Throttle!

IBOSHI (voice over): The flight crew averted catastrophe and safely landed at Portland International Airport.

Emerson was taken into custody, hauled off the airplane, then interrogated by police.

OFFICER: So what's going on?

JOSEPH EMERSON, OFF-DUTY PILOT: I'm having a nervous breakdown.

OFFICER: Okay.

EMERSON: I don't really know why.

IBOSHI (voice over): Emerson told investigators he'd taken psychedelic mushrooms two days before the incident and hadn't slept in 48 hours.

OFFICER: So were you trying to kill yourself?

EMERSON: I was trying to wake up. Trying to wake up because I don't -- I don't -- I didn't feel like this is real. I didn't feel like it is real.

OFFICER: Okay. So when did you -- when did you finally notice that this was real?

EMERSON: When I saw the look on people's faces when I came and when you guys brought me out here.

IBOSHI: Last month, a federal judge sentenced Emerson to time served and three years of supervised release.

The judge said the case offers a cautionary tale, not just about air safety, but the dangers of hallucinogenic drugs.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Kyle Iboshi, thank you so much, from affiliate KGW for bringing that to us.

All right, joining us now is CNN safety analyst and former FAA safety inspector David Soucie.

David, I mean, wow! Huh? But --

DAVID SOUCIE, CNN SAFETY ANALYST: Yes. WHITFIELD: I mean, this is amazing and thank goodness, thank goodness no one was injured and that that plane was able to turn around and land safely. So now hearing all of that, what stands out to you?

SOUCIE: Well, what is amazing to me is that this flight crew was able to subdue this person and put them down into a place where he couldn't handle -- grab the handles because they are right there in front of that jump seat, those handles for the for the cut offs and fire extinguishers are right in front of his face. So for them to be able to do that and then you can hear how calm he was after, while he was still upset. But, you know, how calm he was afterwards saying, well, we are going to have to land. And it was just fascinating to me to see how well they handled that situation.

[15:30:06]

WHITFIELD: Indeed, it was fascinating. And I am not familiar with the communication in the cockpit, but to hear him just kind of like, you know, like, okay, now I've got to shift gears here. Yes, we need -- we have an emergency and we need to land, like, right now.

I mean, can you help people understand what -- you know for those handles, ordinarily, what are they there for? How are they normally being used?

SOUCIE: Well, normally if you have a fire in one of your engines, you use that to extinguish the fire. There is one for the left and one for the right. You use that to pull and you extinguish the fire. But of course, if you extinguish the fire, that's step one. Step two is that it also cuts off the fuel to that engine so it doesn't continually feed the fire.

So it is never intended to pull both of them, but you can because if you don't know which one you're going to need, so what happens is, those are pulled in case of a fire to extinguish or to can that engine, they call it to make sure that there is no more fuel feeding that fire and then you can make a safe landing with one engine out, but that's not what happened here, obviously, but, yes.

WHITFIELD: Right. Oh my goodness! And so -- and generally you know, you said one would be pulled. You can turn around, but if you have both that were pulled in mid-flight, what would happen?

SOUCIE: Well then at that point, you'd have to pretty much pick your destination ahead of you and decide where you're going to land, what the best place is. But whether it be a highway or a forest area or whatever it is that you need to go down to, but rarely would you have enough time to actually make a turnaround and glide path. You're still gliding, but in that aircraft, I think it is around seven or eight percent glide slope where you're coming in and you can land the aircraft with no engines.

But it is -- the problem is finding a place to put it down without losing all your airspeed.

WHITFIELD: Wow. So lesson learned. We heard from the judge who said, hey, this should be a lesson to everybody about the hallucinogenic mushrooms, et cetera. But I mean, there is a lesson for everyone, right? But for pilots, I mean, what would you hope that people glean from this kind of example?

I mean, again, thankfully the plane -- that one pilot was very calm. They were able to land safely all the passengers, everyone on board okay, but what's the lesson, I guess that you know, you want underscored to others in this kind of situation?

SOUCIE: Well, one of the things, Fredricka, we've talked about this before about pilot mental health and when pilots are faced with difficult times and this person from other reports I've read said that he had some depression problems, some other things that he was dealing with as well. So maybe he took his own medication a way to deal with it, but more importantly is the fact that we need to make it more available to pilots when they do face a mental distress, perhaps a divorce or some financial difficulty. They need to be able to report that when they get their medicals and be able to say, hey, I am having some mental stress, I have some difficulty and I need to get it dealt with.

If they do that now, under the current rules, it is very difficult because that could be a career ending move for them. So it is really important that we take this lesson and say with mental health of our pilots, they need to be able to get the help they need without losing their careers.

WHITFIELD: Yes. Really important.

David Soucie, great to see you. Thank you so much.

SOUCIE: You as well.

WHITFIELD: All right, straight ahead, a second week of testimony in the murder case against Brian Walshe. We will look at what the prosecution must do to prove that he killed his wife.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:38:07]

WHITFIELD: A Medical Examiner is expected to retake the stand on Monday as a second week of testimony in the Brian Walshe murder trial gets underway in Massachusetts. Jurors have already heard from about two dozen witnesses. Prosecutors are trying to prove that Walshe killed his wife, Ana, around New Year's day of 2023. He has already pleaded guilty of disposing of his wife's body, but maintains that he did not kill her.

If convicted of her murder, Walshe faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.

I am joined now by Ashley Willcott, former judge and trial attorney. Good to see you.

ASHLEY WILLCOTT, FORMER JUDGE AND TRIAL ATTORNEY: Thank you. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: This is a wild one.

WILLCOTT: Yes.

WHITFIELD: It really is.

WILLCOTT: Yes.

WHITFIELD: So let's begin with, you know, these text messages right from Brian Walshe's phone that came out during testimony last week. The messages were sent to Ana Walshe's cell phone between January 2nd and January 4th after her purported disappearance. So how important will these text messages be?

WILLCOTT: Well, for him, I think he is saying, look, I was texting because I didn't know where she was and I was trying to find her. But what we know is, he has already pled to disposing of her body, and he said he cut up the body. So now we know it was a cover-up, and a cover-up is an important element for the jury to hear, to think, what is he covering up? A murder? Probably.

WHITFIELD: Okay. And it is so odd then to be able to say, yes, I disposed of the body, but I didn't actually -- and then what about the cause of death? I mean, there is going to be a Medical Examiner that's going to testify again, but then if you don't have the body, you don't really know the cause of death. So there's a huge puzzle piece missing here.

WILLCOTT: Yes. So let me tell you, when I was on the bench, I never saw a case like this. We see murders where there is no body, and individuals are convicted of the crime even though there is no body. But to have a case like this, I've never seen it where the defense says, oh, she just died suddenly. And after she suddenly died in my bed, I panicked and so I decided to cut her up into pieces and dispose of her pieces in different places.

WHITFIELD: That's gross.

WILLCOTT: Right, and it just doesn't --

WHITFIELD: Yes.

[15:40:09]

WILLCOTT: Is it reasonable? The jury has to decide is that reasonable or not?

WHITFIELD: Okay. And then if he is saying I didn't kill her, but I did dispose of the body. Has there ever been a mention of somebody else, you know, who is a suspect, a hit man, anything like that?

WILLCOTT: Not at all. Nothing. Because his defense is, keep in mind, she died suddenly in her sleep and then I panicked and so I cut her up and disposed of her. So that's his defense and that's what on the bench I've never seen that from a defendant, that reasoning. WHITFIELD: Yes. He has provided three interviews apparently, right, with the police and does this mean that he is, you know, going to get on the stand, potentially, tell his side of the story, reiterate all of that? Does he feel that confident about his story, that he is willing to take the stand to reiterate it?

WILLCOTT: You know, my opinion is anybody who has done this three times and told a story, he lied each time, three times, is sure going to want to take a chance to get on the stand to tell, I guess what he would say is the now truth. But I am going to tell you this.

I've seen very few cases again, when I was a judge that they were able to say I lied these three times, but now I am telling the truth. And, Fredricka, you're going to believe everything I am saying now.

WHITFIELD: Does he have credibility?

WILLCOTT: I don't think that he does, because those three stories, he admits -- his defense admitted he lied each of those times, but now he is going to tell the truth. Is that a credible person to the reasonable juror?

WHITFIELD: Yes, it is up to a defendant to say, you know, I want to take the stand, but what do you suppose his attorneys are advising him to do?

WILLCOTT: That's a really good question. You know, sometimes, usually it is do not testify. It is going to be used against you.

In a case like this, they may feel like, listen, there is no chance a jury is going to believe that you cut up her body after she died of natural causes unless you're able to convince them of that in your own testimony.

WHITFIELD: Yes. Okay, so tomorrow, we are expecting to hear from that Medical Examiner from Boston to continue testimony and potentially Ana Walshe's former boss. What will you be looking for in these testimonies?

WILLCOTT: Oh, boy. And the former boss was with them before she disappeared, before she died, and I think --

WHITFIELD: He may have been the last person to see her alive.

WILLCOTT: You're right, and I think that establishes part of that timeline to show exactly when she was last seen and pinpointing this must have been according to the state when he murdered her.

WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh. Okay. It is riveting. It is horrible. It is so disturbing.

WILLCOTT: It is. It is.

WHITFIELD: But, you know, there is still a lot -- more testimony to help fill in some of the blanks.

WILLCOTT: Yes, what is this jury going to do? We are waiting on pins and needles to see.

WHITFIELD: All right, Ashley Willcott, great to see you.

WILLCOTT: Great to see you.

WHITFIELD: Always. Happy holidays to you.

WILLCOTT: You, too.

WHITFIELD: All right, and you can follow every step of this case on the new CNN app. Watch the testimony in court live and get analysis from the CNN legal team streaming on the new CNN app under the tab "watch."

All right, straight ahead, the Cinderella season survives how Indiana found a way to get another shocking win, and how some other upsets shook up the college football playoff bracket.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:47:56]

WHITFIELD: The college football playoff field is set. The 12-team bracket was just announced, and it includes a few surprises. The Selection Committee left out one powerhouse football team as well as a power conference champion. CNN's Patrick Snell is here to divvy it all up for us.

What in the world?

PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: Yes, there is a lot going on, a lot to break down.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

SNELL: Some controversy as well. But overall, I would say exciting times.

WHITFIELD: Okay, got to have a little --

SNELL: Yesterday, we were talking about the FIFA World Cup draw.

WHITFIELD: Yes, that's right.

SNELL: This is U.S. college football.

WHITFIELD: Now, the other football.

SNELL: And there is plenty of debate. Yes, Notre Dame fans will definitely, I feel, will be upset by the fact that the Fighting Irish went ten and two, but lost the season opener if you recall, to Miami, who also went ten and two, but the Hurricanes did make the field. So what did it all come down to? Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) HUNTER YURACHECK, CFP SELECTION COMMITTEE CHAIR: You look at those two teams on paper and they are almost equal in their schedule strength, their common opponents, the results against their common opponents. But the one metric we had to fall back on again was the head-to-head.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNELL: Head-to-head, that's going to do it.

Alabama is also in despite having three losses, but do keep in mind, Alabama are in one of the top and toughest conferences. Here is the most recent game from yesterday against Georgia.

Georgia just dominated their game against Alabama, exorcizing some demons, shall we say, in the process. Head Coach Kirby Smart was oh and four against Alabama in the SEC title game, and just one in seven overall coming into this one.

But Gunner Stockton throwing for three touchdowns and that vaunted Georgia defense. He was pretty much unstoppable throughout the Bulldogs, a class apart in this game and winning it convincingly in the end, 28 points to seven.

WHITFIELD: Wow!

SNELL: That's what I call emphatic.

Virginia going into the ACC title game against Duke, ranked number 17. A win would mean an automatic bid to the college football playoffs. This one going to overtime and in overtime, Duke quarterback, Darian Mensah rolling out, eventually finding Jeremiah Hasley for the touchdown.

So the Blue Devils go up seven, Virginia then trying to run some trickery on their next play with Chandler Morris' pass is picked off, Duke winning it 27 to 20 to claim their first outright ACC title since the early 1960s, in 1962, I believe, is the year in question. High drama.

[15:50:18]

Now, in the Big 10 title game, we had number one Ohio State against number two, Indiana, the Heisman Trophy, likely on the line too. There's two front runners. The Buckeyes, Julian Sayin and Indiana's Fernando Mendoza. Third quarter, Indiana down ten, Mendoza to Elijah Sarratt for the touchdown, Indiana taking the 1310 lead all fired up there.

Now after Ohio State missed the game-tying field goal, Mendoza putting the game away with a beautiful pass to Charlie Becker there. Indiana winning it 13 to 10, snapping a 30-game losing streak against Ohio State. They complete their first ever undefeated 13 and oh season. I think they're rather happy.

WHITFIELD: I would say there is excitement there.

SNELL: Indiana, Big Ten Champs for the first time since 1967 and will be in the top overall seed in the playoffs.

WHITFIELD: What a great story.

SNELL: Great storylines everywhere.

WHITFIELD: But there is more.

SNELL: More! Texas Tech, meantime finishing off their best season in school history with their first ever Big 12 title, they powered their way past BYU on Saturday, 34 to seven.

The Red Raiders are dominant, and they've beaten every single team you know, since they've played by at least 20 points, their only loss coming when their quarterback was out. Tech, seeded number four and will receive a buy in the first round.

WHITFIELD: Oh, I am exhausted.

SNELL: All right lets reassess everything. Scanning the bracket. The top four seeds -- Indiana, Ohio State, the defending champs. We've also got Georgia and Texas Tech. They all earned first round buys. Will automatically advance to the quarterfinals, which begin just a few days after Christmas. New Year's Eve, in fact, and then carrying on the first day of next year, confirmation, Fredricka, that Miami make the playoffs while Notre Dame, and ACC champions, Duke are left out.

I told you there was a lot to talk about.

WHITFIELD: Yes, that's a lot.

SNELL: Hopefully, we've done it justice.

WHITFIELD: I am excited about what's to come because that was fun.

SNELL: Yes, it is going to be exciting.

WHITFIELD: And thank goodness I didn't have to watch all of it because, you know --

SNELL: That's a snapshot.

WHITFIELD: A girl has got to sleep. I caught a little bit of the Indiana-Ohio State game, so that was great. But it was still surprising to see the outcome. I love that wrap up.

SNELL: Such good stuff going on here.

WHITFIELD: Good stuff.

Patrick Snell --

SNELL: Yes, on this table, we try and deliver.

WHITFIELD: I love it. You always do. Thank you. All right, still to come, signs of the season. These children with hearing issues get a very exciting visit from Santa displaying special skills.

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[15:57:26]

WHITFIELD: All right, in a new episode of "The Whole Story," Anderson Cooper goes to Nairobi, Kenya, with a rare look inside some of Africa's harshest prisons.

These jails are often overcrowded with men and women who are waiting for years before they can even have a trial, but a remarkable program is in place that teaches these inmates about the law and their rights.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER: 360" (voice over): Just outside the cell, hundreds more men sit in rows five times a day. They gather for head count.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One hundred and ten.

COOPER (voice over): The guards tally their numbers.

By now, the men are used to this routine. They know what to expect from prison life on a daily basis. What many here and in prisons throughout Kenya don't know is how long they'll be locked up.

Some can't afford to pay a relatively small bail. Others aren't sure of the charges against them. They don't have access to an attorney and don't know their rights.

COOPER (on camera): There are inmates here who have been convicted of crimes, and many others who are still waiting to see a judge. Inmates who wear the striped uniform, that means they've had their case heard. They've been convicted by a court, but they're doing a head count now of inmates who have not been convicted of anything.

There are several hundred people here. There is more in this cell as well and very few of these hundreds of people have access to an attorney.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And be sure to tune in to an all new episode of "The Whole Story" with Anderson Cooper. One whole hour, one whole story, tonight, 8:00 P.M. Eastern and Pacific only on CNN.

All right, it was on this day 84 years ago, the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor killed more than 2,300 servicemembers and catapulted the U.S. into World War II.

A remembrance ceremony at the naval base's waterfront is held annually on December 7th. But this year's commemoration struck a different tone.

Just a dozen survivors of Pearl Harbor are still alive. All are centenarians, and none of them could make the pilgrimage to Hawaii to take part in the ceremony.

Today's service began with a moment of silence, followed by a series of other somber rituals, including the presentation of wreaths to honor those who died on that fateful day.

All right, it is the holiday season, and in Texas, Santa made a special appearance to share Christmas magic to deaf and hard of hearing children. He and Mrs. Claus attended Tarrant County College's Annual Signing Santa event meeting with more than 170 children ready to communicate with them in American sign language. The one-on-one moments helped them share their Christmas wishes with the man in red.

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HOLLY CATES, SUPERVISOR, REGIONAL DAY SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR THE DEAF AT IRVING, ISD: So, these kids find that so magical. They find that they can meet all of these other kids that are very similar to them. They have hearing loss, but also they sign, too, and all these adults and the deaf adults that can sign.

And I think that's very important for them to see and have role models and know that they are not alone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Important, so wonderful. Organizers say the tradition spreads the wonder of the season, regardless of hearing ability.

All right, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Thanks so much for being with me today. "The Source" with Kaitlan Collins starts right now.

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