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Trump And Zelenskyy Set To Meet Tomorrow Over Peace Plan; Canada Pledges Additional $2.5B In Financial Aid To Ukraine; California Storms Leave Homes Buried In Mud And Debris; Major Storms Could Cause Chaos For Post-Christmas Travelers; Ashlee Buzzard Pleads Not Guilty To Murder Of 9-Year-Old Daughter; DOJ Sorts Through 1m Plus Newly Discovered Potential Epstein Docs. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired December 27, 2025 - 15:00   ET

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

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[15:00:38]

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN HOST: Good afternoon. Thank you all so much for joining us on a holiday weekend. I'm Danny Freeman in for Fredricka Whitfield.

A lot of news to cover. And we begin with Russia's large-scale attack on Kyiv that lasted nearly 10 hours. View that scary video right there. Ukrainian officials say at least two people were killed and dozens were injured. They also say the strikes knocked out heat to thousands of buildings in freezing temperatures, no less.

Right now, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney before he heads to Florida for talks with President Trump. We've got full coverage for you today on this issue. CNN senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak is near Mar- a-Lago. And correspondent Paula Newton is near Toronto.

Kevin, let's start with you. First, let's talk about this 20-point plan, we understand, that may be on the table for these talks between Zelenskyy and Trump. What can you tell us?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, and this is essentially Ukraine's revision of the multi-point peace plan that President Trump put on the table earlier this month. They have been kind of going back and forth, tweaking some of the terms of the deal to try and reach something that all sides in this conflict can agree to. And so it will be an important moment, I think, for Zelenskyy to lay out what he is putting on the table here.

President Trump, in an interview yesterday, sounded somewhat tepid about the prospects that this could be the ultimate deal that brings the war to an end. He's saying, Zelenskyy doesn't have anything until I approve it and we'll see what he's got. Nonetheless, just the fact that this meeting has been put on the calendar at all, I think, is significant. President Trump, just this month, said that he didn't think it would be useful to meet with Zelenskyy unless he thought they were close to reaching some kind of deal.

And there have been quite intensive talks over the last couple of weeks between the President's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and the Russians and the Ukrainians to try and work on this plan. But I do think what we're seeing happening in Kyiv today is an important backdrop to this meeting. You know, it does lend some urgency to what Zelenskyy is doing here, but I also think it underscores that Russia, so far, seems completely unwilling to back off or to agree to any kind of ceasefire that would allow any peace plan to take effect.

And so that will be, I think, an important sort of mood music as these men sit down. What Zelenskyy has said is that he is willing to put this peace plan up for a referendum if a ceasefire is in place. And I think that that is a notable development. You know, Ukraine's constitution says that any land concession would require a vote by the country. And Zelenskyy had, up until now, really kind of written off the idea of land concessions. He's no longer ruling them out completely.

And I think that's important because all sides of this seem to agree that Ukraine will have to cede some territory in order for the war to come to an end. But that still remains a huge sticking point. You know, American officials have said that they think that 90 percent of this deal is there, but it is that 10 percent that is proving so difficult. And those land concessions are a part of that.

You know, Moscow has not backed off some of its maximalist demands, including that Ukraine give up the entire Donbas region. And I think the task for President Trump and other American officials is to work out a way to kind of massage this point so that Zelenskyy is able to come to some kind of an agreement.

So it's clearly a critical moment for these men. Ukraine has been pushing for this meeting for quite some time, the President agreeing to it now. It's so important to see what actually comes out of these talks down here in Palm Beach. Danny?

FREEMAN: Yes, all eyes going to be on Mar-a-Lago tomorrow. But today, all eyes a little bit north in Canada. Paula, what are we hearing from the meeting between Carney and Zelenskyy that has been ongoing throughout the day?

PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT: Yes, somewhat unexpected that the attention did turn here to Canada. They met on Canada's east coast in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The meeting was quite brief and short, but certainly pivotal in terms of what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is facing at Mar-a-Lago.

Now, look, President Zelenskyy did not leave empty-handed from Canada, about $1.9 billion in additional aid, but it is more economic aid. And what Zelenskyy is really looking for is military aid. Now, when the two leaders spoke just before their meeting, you know, it was clear that the missing ingredient here is Russia, and whether or not they have any willingness whatsoever to come to the peace table. I want you to listen to both leaders now.

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[15:05:15]

MARK CARNEY, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: And the barbarism that we saw overnight, the attack on Kyiv, shows just how important it is that we stand with Ukraine during this difficult time, and that we create the conditions for this just and lasting peace and a true reconstruction.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Last week, we had good steps in diplomacy, but we can't live in the illusion that it gives us the possibility to have less defense, with Russia not at war.

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NEWTON: You know, you see that both leaders there highlighted Russia, and the fact that it continues to prosecute this war in a way that is really detrimental to anything happening at the peace table. Key, Danny, here, that I've been hearing from the Canadian government at cabinet level for months, is that it is crucial that President Trump remain engaged, and that as he remains engaged, that he is willing to turn up the pressure on Russia, firstly, and secondly, provide those security guarantees to Ukraine if there's any peace deal to be had here.

We believe that the so-called Coalition of the Willing, they had a virtual telephone call with those European leaders, NATO Secretary General, Zelenskyy, of course, and Prime Minister Carney, and nothing newsworthy to come out of that, except to say they definitely want President Zelenskyy to head into that meeting with President Trump with some clear outlines on what the European allies, including Canada, are willing to put on the table, in terms of economic and military security as well.

FREEMAN: All right, a lot of moving parts. Paula Newton and Kevin Liptak, thank you both for tracking it all. Appreciate it.

All right, to this now. Cleanup is underway after California was pummeled with months' worth of rain in just a week. Heavy rainfall led to days of flooding and mudslides, burying homes and cars under feet of mud and debris. The storms also killed at least four people, forced evacuations, and led to more than 100 water rescues.

Well, now homeowners in Wrightwood, a small mountain community about 80 miles northeast of L.A., you see on your screen right here, they're dealing with the aftermath with scenes like this. Joining us now is the homeowner from that video, Misty Cheng.

Misty, again, the video is stunning. You were out of town, thankfully, when the storm hit your house, but tell us what happened to your home there in Wrightwood.

MISTY CHENG, HOME HIT BY MUDSLIDE: Well, all the mud, water, debris from the burn scars had broke the fence behind my house and just plummeted into my backyard, filling my backyard with so much debris that there was nowhere to go. It was like a rushing river. My neighbor had informed me since I was out of town that, and she had a key, and her family, her husband and son went inside to take a look. And my sliding glass door to the backyard was like an aquarium with water sloshing back and forth.

I knew at that moment there was going to be significant damage, but that water had to get out once it broke through. So I instructed them to open up the garage door about a foot and also my front door in the event when it was going to break, the water could escape. And that's what they did. And within about two, two and a half hours later, they gave me a call and said, it's done. And I didn't quite understand, what do you mean it's done? Has my house collapsed? And sure enough, my garage wall had caved in from the pressure of the mudflow. And it did escape out of the garage and out of the front door. But what remained now is mounds and mounds, tons and tons of dirt, rock and debris inside my house.

FREEMAN: Misty, do you have any sense of if you're able to salvage your home or save it in any way?

CHENG: Well, I certainly hope so, because as we speak now, I've sent a crew up there to dig my house out. So they are there on the spot, and digging by hand with shovels inside my house to get the dirt out. There's about, at the highest point, probably about five feet. I can touch my ceiling.

FREEMAN: Wow.

CHENG: -- feet left.

FREEMAN: Misty, can you just talk to us a little bit about not just how you're feeling in this moment, but how the whole community of Wrightwood is feeling? You noted that part of the reason that we're seeing these mudslides is because of some of the bad wildfires from before. I mean, just frankly, how are you and your community doing?

[15:10:07]

CHENG: Well, the community has always been very tight. I mean, just frankly, how are you and your community doing? Well, the community has always been very tight-knit, close-knit, and has come together to help each other in good times and bad. I'm so grateful for my immediate neighbors, because I was not home at the time. They were able to step in and help as much as they could. And also, at the same time, do whatever efforts they could to remediate, or not remediate, but rather ensure that their homes weren't engulfed in this mudslide.

But the whole community, we have a community Facebook page where everybody is offering help to each other. We've just had so many natural disasters, from a snowstorm where we were snowed in, the Bridge Fire in 2024 that ravaged the community, the ski resort, and several houses were burned down, and natural wildlife, not wildlife, but nature, trees, and that's what left the burn scars. So we're all gathering together. Everyone is working out.

FREEMAN: Well, Misty, I'm so glad you're safe and your neighbors are safe. Thank you so much for sharing a bit of your story. I really appreciate it at this time. CHENG: Thank you for having me.

FREEMAN: All right, and still to come this hour, a powerful snowstorm blasting the Northeast, meanwhile, leaving a travel mess in its wake. Stay with us.

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[15:15:47]

FREEMAN: All right. Now the Northeast is digging out from a massive winter storm that dumped heavy snow and danger size all across the region. New York City clearing out after its first snowfall greater than four inches since 2022. Now LaGuardia was one of the several airports in the area hit hard with flight delays and many cancelations. Plus, thousands of customers across Michigan started their weekend without power.

CNN meteorologist Chris Warren joins me now with the latest. Chris, it's amazing because this is just one of two storms hitting the U.S. Basically at the same time. What's in store for folks on both coasts today?

CHRIS WARREN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, what we're going to be watching, Danny, is the next one really winding up and moving through the Midwest, while the one that we saw overnight when really that's when the majority of the snow came in New York and Connecticut and throughout a lot of the Northeast here as that is moving out. Cold air is moving in.

Some of the higher snowfall totals were in New York and Connecticut, close to a foot of snow. There's that Central Park at 4.3 inches of snow. The forecast changed a bit late last night as the heavy snow band kind of moved a little bit to the east. So New York could have, we were thinking, would get almost double what they did get. But some areas did absolutely get clobbered by a lot of snow. That is winding down.

A few snow showers lingering in New Jersey and far eastern P.A. at the moment. And then here comes the next one. This one going to be too mild across much of the Northeast for snow again. A little bit of wintry mix is possible here in pink. But the big time snow happening in Wisconsin and parts of Minnesota, you can see right in here, these pink colors, six to eight inches, some areas locally, maybe even a foot of snow.

And then on top of that for, you know, late tomorrow and into early Monday with the snow and the rains also going to be the wind. And of course, when it comes to holiday travel, that is tough at the airports, not just how strong some of these winds are going to be by Monday morning, really Sunday night into Monday morning, 45 to 50 mile per hour gusts in Chicago. But it's also the wind direction, changing wind direction over the runways can lead to delays and through Monday afternoon into the evening hours. The Northeast will be seeing some of those strong winds again, going along with some of the rain. The temperature changes here. How about this in Chicago with daytime highs well above average tomorrow, 55 degrees and then just drops down, not just well below average, but staying below freezing for highs and lows, Danny, most of the week.

FREEMAN: Wow, that's wild. Listen, I don't envy those who have to travel, but I will say it was beautiful with the snow coming down in New York City last night. Chris Warren, thanks so much as always. Appreciate you.

All right. Joining me now, though, to talk more about that travel is Clint Henderson, the managing editor for the travel website, The Points Guy. Clint, good to see you. Let's start here. If you were flying today and you were seeing that board turn redder and redder and delayed and delayed, what would you do? What would be your advice?

CLINT HENDERSON, MANAGING EDITOR, THE POINTS GUY: So the best advice in a situation like that when weather is really wrecking your local airport is see if the airline will let you reschedule. That's honestly my best advice in a situation like that. The airlines are getting better and better at putting in place waivers. So today, for instance, they've had a weather waiver in place for the northeast so you can reschedule your flight with no issue. And the airlines are being very flexible these days.

So if you're in a situation where you're traveling from or to an airport that's really socked in by weather, I say cut bait and just reschedule for another day if you can, you know. The other thing I would just say to travelers is make sure you're situationally aware. Make sure you know what's going on at the airport. Have that airline app installed. Have the customer service phone numbers. Have a plan B. You really got to use all the tools in the toolbox.

FREEMAN: Yes, it's amazing. Sometimes they'll rebook you without you even knowing that it has happened. But like you said, they're getting more and more used to this process. Clint, I'm curious though, are we past the busiest days of travel or do a lot of people have their eyes on tomorrow?

HENDERSON: No, tomorrow is the busiest day. And that's all the more reason to be on top of things because flights are full. So a lot of those folks who have been on canceled or delayed flights, they're going to want to get on a new flight tomorrow. Well, if the plane's already full, you get in a situation where there's just no available seats. So you got to have that plan B handy.

[15:20:07]

FREEMAN: Yes, I think that's right. Monday might end up being the day. But do you have any tips for those folks who let's say they do already have their flights tomorrow? I'm sure airports are going to be crazy no matter what. What tips would you give to those folks who are planning their holiday getaway?

HENDERSON: Yes, the first thing I would say is get to the airport early. Obviously, make sure you know what's happening with your flight, but then get to the airport early. Just give yourself some grace. You know, you don't want to be rushing. And remember, a lot of people traveling this time of year don't know what they're doing. Not to be too rude, but you know, they may not even know that they don't longer have to take off their shoes.

So you've got a lot of folks who don't travel a lot. So just give yourself some extra time. There's so much to do at airports these days. I don't consider it wasted time to get there three hours early just in case. So that's my strongest recommendation.

FREEMAN: No, but it's a good point. You know, for a lot of most people, right, if they travel, this is the one time of year perhaps that they travel. So that is a point well taken. Selfishly, though, I wanted to ask you one more thing, Clint. Is this a good time to maybe look at taking any last minute trips? Again, hypothetically, maybe if you've been working straight through the holidays and through the holiday weekend, for example.

HENDERSON: Yes, this is a great time to use points and miles last minute because you're going to get maximum value. The other thing I would say is use a tool like Google Flights Explorer. Say you want to go to the Caribbean. You put in your home airport. It'll show you the cheapest options in the Caribbean, even last minute. So I love that tool. And one more tip. Start booking your spring break trips now because it's cheapest it's going to be before spring break.

FREEMAN: Start booking your spring break trips now. Clint, I'm trying to get through this weekend. Spring break.

HENDERSON: Sorry, sorry man.

FREEMAN: No, no, it's good advice. And listen, the gift cards that people have in stockings, maybe that's exactly what you can start putting them towards now. Clint Henderson, thanks so much for breaking all that down. Really appreciate your time.

HENDERSON: Yes. Happy New Year.

FREEMAN: To you as well.

And you can kick off the year with comedy legend Chevy Chase in a sharp, funny, and revealing new CNN film featuring candid interviews with the Chase family, friends, co-stars, and of course, the man himself, Chevy. "I'm Chevy Chase and you're not" premieres New Year's Day at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and the next day on the CNN app. Looking forward to that one.

All right. Months after nine-year-old Melodee Buzzard vanished, a backroad discovery revealed the devastating truth. Now, Melodee's mother is facing charges in her death. In just a moment, we'll take a deep dive into the months-long investigation. Don't go anywhere.

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[15:27:00] FREEMAN: Investigators in California are searching for a possible motive in the killing of nine-year-old Melodee Buzzard. Now, she vanished while on a road trip with her mother, triggering a massive multi-state search. Well, now her mother, Ashlee, has been charged with first-degree murder in Melodee's death, pleading not guilty during a Friday court appearance. CNN's Maribel Gonzalez joins me now. Marybel, what's the latest on this story?

MARYBEL GONZALEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Danny. Well, the long search for nine-year-old California girl Melodee Buzzard is now over, but the hunt for answers into exactly what happened to her is just beginning. Now, her mother, as you just mentioned, Ashlee Buzzard, appeared before a judge Friday following her arrest, Tuesday. She's charged with first-degree murder in her daughter's killing, which, according to a criminal complaint, was carried out with exceptional, quote, cruelty and viciousness.

Now, after searching for two months across eight states, Melodee's body was found on December 6th in the rural community of Caineville, Utah, by a couple who pulled off a state highway onto an easily-missed dirt road. Now, authorities said she died from gunshot wounds to her head. Now, they also say that evidence points to a suspect whom Melodee trusted the most in this world, her mother.

Ashlee Buzzard has pleaded not guilty on Friday, and prosecutors said they would not seek the death penalty if she is convicted, but would instead ask for life in prison without parole. Now, Melodee's family had a strong reaction to that announcement.

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MARVIN MEZA, MELODEE BUZZARD'S PATERNAL UNCLE: The prosecution stating that they're not going to seek the death penalty, I don't understand why. I think, I mean, they're going to seek life in prison. That's fine. But I think for what she did, it should be a lot worse.

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GONZALEZ: Now, it's interesting to note that many of Melodee's extended relatives said they had not seen her in years, and it was ultimately not her family that reported her missing back in October, but rather a concerned school administrator. Now, Melodee was last seen on video with her mom, Ashlee, on October 9th near the Colorado and Utah state line while on a road trip, both appearing to wear wings.

Detectives now believe Melodee was killed shortly after this video was taken. Now, they also say they were hindered by deliberate efforts to hide the truth from clumsy disguises, swapped license plates, and an uncooperative mother who could not provide a reasonable explanation for her daughter's whereabouts. We have reached out to Ashlee's attorney for comment. She is due back in court in January. Danny?

FREEMAN: Such a sad and bizarre story. Marybel, thank you so much. Just before you go, though, can you tell us what exactly happens next in this case? GONZALEZ: Well, this is just -- she just got charged with first degree murder charge. She did plead not guilty. She is back for a preliminary hearing back in court. And that is when we will see where this case goes, legally speaking.

FREEMAN: OK, got it. So a lot more in the new year. Marybel Gonzalez. Thank you so much for that. Appreciate it.

[15:30:02]

All right, I want to get an expert perspective on this now. I'd like to bring in former senior FBI profiler Mary Ellen O'Toole. Thank you so much for joining us and for breaking down a really complex, bizarre case. Let's start here. What does Ashlee Buzzard's, Melodee's mother, of course, lack of cooperation with investigators suggest about her potential involvement here?

MARY ELLEN O'TOOLE, FORMER SENIOR FBI PROFILER: Well, it's not just her lack of participation in the case. It's a combination of behaviors and forensic evidence that they're looking at. So the fact that she's not cooperating with law enforcement, that's certainly significant. But they're also looking at how well the trip was planned, all the effort and the behavior that went into that premeditation that went into the planning.

And so when you combine all that together, I mean, it came across to them that this woman did not want to participate, did not want to help find her daughter. And as more evidence is collected, then she begins to look, you know, more and more responsible for what happened to Melodee.

FREEMAN: You know, this stood out to a lot of us. I believe the criminal complaint describes the act as a calculated and vicious killing. That struck me as really strong language. What specific evidence led investigators to characterize it this way?

O'TOOLE: Well, probably several things. And the one thing that really has jumped out at me is that this is a little girl and she is, according to the reports, and that could certainly change, but she was shot in the head. And that's tantamount to an assassination. She's then left along the side of the road.

And in my old unit, the profiling unit, we look at the ways bodies are disposed of. They're staged, they're buried or they're dumped. And this body was dumped on the side of the road. And when a body is dumped, that implies I don't care about this person anymore. They're meaningless to me. And in some instances, the offender abused the victim as garbage.

So when I look at the cause of death and the way that Melodee was left on the side of the road, that certainly suggests to me that it was extremely cold. And then the planning on top of that suggests that it was very calculated and intentional. So it rules out defenses like impulsive act, accidental act. And then it begins to help investigators really narrow down what the motive or motives might have been. FREEMAN: Well, again, I've been out there in parts of Utah, which is very, you know, there are parts that are really rural. It's amazing that anyone ultimately found that poor girl's body.

O'TOOLE: Yes.

FREEMAN: Given that Melodee had been missing, though, for months, why do you think it took investigators so long to formally charge her mother, Ashlee, despite actually having her in custody earlier on a false imprisonment charge?

O'TOOLE: They needed the forensic evidence. And what they need in a case like this is they needed Melodee's body. They needed to be able to determine cause and manner of death, which they now have. They needed strong forensic evidence, which they have, which is the DNA. And then they also have the ballistic evidence. So you can't go into court on a major case like this and just explain that the mother wouldn't cooperate, because there could be a lot of reasons for that.

You have to say Melodee is not just missing. Melodee is dead. She's dead as a result of homicide. Homicide is the result of a gunshot wound to the head, which is tantamount, again, to an assassination, so we can rule out all of these other motives. So they needed all of that to paint the correct picture of very likely what happened here.

FREEMAN: And yet still it seems that we're in the very early stages. So I guess from your perspective, what do you expect investigators and, of course, ultimately prosecutors to do next as we enter the new year?

O'TOOLE: Well, one of the first things that a jury is going to want to understand is there is this sweet little girl. What could possibly this child have done to cause this kind of behavior? So as best as they can, they will go back and attempt to establish the relationship that the mother had with the daughter and what took place in that relationship. And that's going to be a challenge because Melodee was homeschooled.

She was removed from the rest of her family. So that's going to take months of investigative work to be able to establish that pattern of behavior that led up to, at least right now, what appears to be that this child was not wanted by her mother, maybe even hated by the mother, got in the way of the mother's life. But to get to that point, they have the evidence, but I think they need to walk the jury through that so they can understand that's more than likely a possible motive in this case.

FREEMAN: Again, a lot more to come on such a sad and bizarre story. Mary Ellen O'Toole, thank you so much for your perspective. Really do appreciate it.

O'TOOLE: You're welcome.

[15:35:00]

FREEMAN: All right, coming up, President Donald Trump says the Justice Department should be working on election fraud instead of redactions in the Epstein files. We'll tell you where things stand today as more than a million more documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein need to still be sorted through.

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FREEMAN: Election fraud, not Jeffrey Epstein. That's what President Trump thinks the Justice Department's focus should be. After officials announced this week they found a million additional documents potentially related to the late sex offender, President Trump took to social media last night to blast the DOJ for spending too much time on what he calls a Democrat-inspired hoax, writing, "When do they say no more and work on election fraud."

[15:40:03]

All right, let's discuss more now with Politico Magazine senior writer and former federal prosecutor, Ankush Khardori. Ankush, thank you so much for being here on this holiday weekend. Let's start here. If you can help explain for our viewers, how does the DOJ just find a million new documents?

ANKUSH KHARDORI, SENIOR WRITER, POLITICO MAGAZINE: This is an excellent question. It's particularly a good question, I think, for a reason that I don't think has gotten enough attention, which is that the Trump Justice Department claimed that they reviewed all the documents before they issued a joint memo saying that there was nothing further to investigate, that they went over the prior investigation.

In terms of how they find a million documents, I've never seen this happen before. I can tell you as someone who represented corporations once in response to Justice Department criminal investigations and had to facilitate the production of documents, if a corporate defendant waited until the last day to respond to a subpoena, said that they were doing rolling productions, and then told the government a week later that they had a million documents they had missed, the Justice Department would go ballistic. This is a total, like, professionally incompetent endeavor. It reflects very poorly on the Bondi and Blanche Justice Department.

FREEMAN: Yes, the word find also doing a lot of work there. But also help explain this, if it's all right. By law, the Justice Department had 30 days to release all of the Epstein files. OK, that deadline was last Friday. So why are we still seeing dumps of documents and also discovery of new ones to this point that we're talking about?

KHARDORI: Incompetence. I mean, there's actually no other explanation. I mean, it would have been fine, you know, the day after the deadline, people like we were prepared to grant them a little bit of grace because they said, oh, we have some more stuff coming. And it's like, OK, if you need, it takes a few more days to put it out.

You know, people aren't going to bat an eye. What should have happened here is the Justice Department should have asked Congress for an extension. They clearly were not prepared to do this, despite the fact that it was Trump's idea, right? I mean, Trump is the one who committed to doing this last summer in an interview with "Fox News."

Kash Patel spent years ginning this up. It was Vice President J.D. Vance who was laughing about a totally unfunny matter, this case, on a podcast with Theo Von talking about releasing the client list. The fact that these folks were not prepared to do it after hemming and hawing all year trying to avoid the day finally arriving reflects incompetence.

We could talk about malice, cover-up, whatever, but at a bare minimum, it's gross incompetence.

FREEMAN: Yes, and again, transparency is something that the Trump administration keeps trying to trumpet in all levels, including this one as well, but that certainly has not happened yet, as these documents keep coming out. I'm curious, though, in a new piece for "Politico," you write about how whatever emerges in the files is, "unlikely to put an end to all of the Epstein conspiracy theories." Explain that further. Why do you think that is?

KHARDORI: Well, look, I mean, we've never done this before. Dumped a gigantic, raw investigative criminal file onto the public, millions of pages, on the theory that the public will somehow be able to clarify a whole set of facts that the government evidently was unable to. I mean, this was not a good idea from its inception, and I talked about this even when the bill was just a bill.

I think really what should have happened here, if we wanted to get some answers about this investigation and how it proceeded, is the Trump Justice Department, instead of firing the Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell prosecutors, should have allowed them to testify before Congress about what they did, how they did it. Kash Patel, Pam Bondi, when they released that memo over the summer saying, we're done, nothing left to see here, we've been over it.

They should talk to the American public and testify to Congress about what they did. I think the dumping of these files is not going to clarify much of anything, but again, this is a mess entirely of the Trump administration and Justice Department's own making.

FREEMAN: Well, and again, to that point, then it is up to the public to decide what is important, what is not, what is real, what is not. I mean, you have the DOJ replying in tweets to people, as well, about specific elements in these files. I mean, yes, a lot more to talk about the Epstein files, I'm sure, as we go into the new year. A lot more to talk with you about, but we have to leave it there for now.

Ankush Khardori, thank you so much for your time and expertise. Appreciate it.

KHARDORI: Thank you.

[15:44:11]

FREEMAN: All right, coming up in a moment, resilience in the face of tragedy. I'll introduce you to a high school senior rebuilding life in Philadelphia after being forced from home in Ukraine by Russia's war. Stay with us. You're not going to want to miss this.

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FREEMAN: To this now, flu cases are on the rise across the country this holiday season. In its latest report, the CDC says flu cases nationwide jumped nearly 15 percent over the previous week and nearly 10,000 people have been hospitalized. Tamiflu is widely prescribed as a treatment for the flu, of course, but it's not the only option.

CNN health reporter Jacqueline Howard has more on what other flu treatments are available.

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: The CDC recommends four different antiviral flu medications for this flu season. One of them is Tamiflu. That one's already widely used, widely available. It's typically taken twice daily over the course of five days and it can be administered either in pill form or liquid form.

It's approved for nearly everyone ages two weeks and older. Now there's also Relenza. This is typically inhaled as powder form. It's approved for ages seven and older. There's also Rapivab. It's an I.V. infusion for ages six months and older. And there's Xofluza. Now this is a single dose pill and it's approved for ages five and older. And Xofluza is growing in popularity because of that convenience of having just one dose to take and then you should be good to go.

[15:50:04]

Now, if you have flu symptoms, it's important to get tested if you test positive, call your doctor right away because all of those antiviral medications, they are prescription drugs. So you do need to be prescribed the treatment. And once you're prescribed, it's important to start your treatment as soon as possible because these medications work best when taken within the first 48 hours after your symptoms start.

And again, while Tamiflu is widely popular, Xofluza is becoming more well-known. There are slight differences. The side effects associated with Tamiflu are typically nausea and vomiting. But with Xofluza, most people typically experience nausea and diarrhea. Now Tamiflu does tend to cost less than Xofluza, but with Xofluza, you could look into getting manufacturer coupons to help lessen the cost. And for both medications, they do work prophylactically as well.

So if you've been exposed to the flu virus or if someone in your household has the flu, your doctor may prescribe either medication to help reduce your risk of getting sick as well.

FREEMAN: Jacqueline Howard, thank you so much for that report.

All right, to this now. As the fighting has raged for nearly four years, life for some of the thousands who fled Ukraine at the start of the war has changed dramatically. Now I spoke with a young woman in Philadelphia who came to the U.S. as a timid teenager but is achieving great success despite the adversity in her homeland.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREEMAN (voice-over): On a recent chilly morning in northeast Philadelphia.

BILLY MARCHIO, HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER: Who is the real Othello?

FREEMAN (voice-over): An advanced English class read Shakespeare.

MARCHIO: It's act five, scene two.

FREEMAN (voice-over): Acting out a tragedy about unjust violence.

KATE SOBOLEVSKA, FLED WAR IN UKRAINE IN 2022: Then Lord, have mercy on me.

FREEMAN (voice-over): But in this class, 18-year-old senior, Kate Sobolevska, is herself a symbol of resilience in the face of tragedy. Because before she was Kate from Philadelphia --

SOBOLEVSKA: I feel like it's easier to say Kate.

FREEMAN (voice-over): She was Kateryna from Ukraine.

SOBOLEVSKA: I'm from Lviv, not exactly the city, the smaller city in Lviv region.

FREEMAN (voice-over): Just a few years ago, Kateryna was living happily in her peaceful community.

SOBOLEVSKA: It's very cozy. It's very, very small. I can cross the whole city in like a day.

FREEMAN (voice-over): A big sister with a loving family. President of her student government, who loved handball and ballroom dancing.

FREEMAN: Like waltz.

SOBOLEVSKA: Yes. Cha, cha, cha, cha. Yes.

FREEMAN: Really?

SOBOLEVSKA: Yes.

FREEMAN: You did all of that in Ukraine when you're small.

SOBOLEVSKA: Slick hair and heels.

FREEMAN: Do you remember when it all changed?

SOBOLEVSKA: I do.

FREEMAN (voice-over): In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. Kate, her mom and her little brother quickly decided they had to leave the country.

FREEMAN: What went through your mind when you heard that news that you were leaving your home?

SOBOLEVSKA: It was really stressful, but I believed it would be for like two weeks, then a month, then two months.

FREEMAN (voice-over): And men between the ages of 18 and 60 were banned initially from leaving the country. So her father had to stay behind.

SOBOLEVSKA: I talk with him every single day. He's my main support. And he's really proud. And I just wish he could see me grow up. And just understanding that last time he saw me was when I was 14 is really hard.

FREEMAN (voice-over): Kate's family traveled through Europe and passed through New York before settling in Philadelphia, where she started attending George Washington High School.

FREEMAN: How would you describe yourself when you first got here?

SOBOLEVSKA: Very lost. The school was very big. And also, again, language barrier. I wasn't really confident in speaking. And I was also really shy. And I didn't know anyone.

GIANNA LOZZI, HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER: She's very quiet, very reserved.

FREEMAN (voice-over): But then South Philly English teacher Gianna Lozzi started to read Kate's work.

LOZZI: There's something about being an English teacher and getting that first paper from a kid and being like, oh, OK, like you could write.

FREEMAN (voice-over): But she had no idea about Kate's journey.

LOZZI: She would start to come for lunch and, you know, sit closer to me and we would talk a lot. And that's when she opened up about, you know, all the things that she's been through, what brought her here.

FREEMAN (voice-over): English teacher Billy Marchio runs the school's honors program.

MARCHIO: I said, you know, what can you tell me about Kate? And they said, oh, you know, the levels are off the charts. So I took Kate in.

FREEMAN: And it sounds like she rose to the occasion.

MARCHIO: She did.

FREEMAN (voice-over): While frequently translating for her family at home and helping take care of her younger brother since arriving in 2022, Kate has simultaneously risen to the top of her class, become a member of the National Honor Society, and even got into a summer journalism program at Princeton.

MARCHIO: We're academics first and artists after. FREEMAN (voice-over): This past fall, Mr. Marchio nominated Kate to be Senior of the Month across the entire Philadelphia School District, and she got it.

[15:55:02]

MARCHIO: Not many people can, you know, do calculus and do these chemical equations with all of that weighing in their mind.

LOZZI: I think that her classmates are very, you know, inspired by her. We have a lot of, you know, Ukrainian refugees here, and I think it's going to be so encouraging and a hopeful scenario for them.

FREEMAN (voice-over): And Kate, from Ukraine, understands the responsibility.

SOBOLEVSKA: There are kids in Ukraine who don't have ability to go to school or go to school, and they have to go to bomb shelter every single day. I feel like I just have to be grateful for what I have. And that's the best thing I could do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREEMAN: Just incredible strength right there. And a big thank you to Dr. Thompson, the principal of George Washington High School, for sharing her wonderful community with us.

All right, we have a lot more news coming up ahead on the next hour of CNN Newsroom. That's coming up just after a quick break.

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