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Trump And Zelenskyy Meet For Talks on Ending Russia's War; FAA, NTSB Investigating Deadly Midair Helicopter Crash Over NJ; Millions Under Winter Weather Alerts On Busy Travel Weekend; Interview With Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown; L.A. Rallies To Help Families Impacted By ICE Raids; A.I.-Generated Video Of Gaza Hostage Addresses Trump. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired December 28, 2025 - 14:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:00:33]

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN HOST: Hello, and thank you for joining us on a very busy holiday weekend.

I'm Danny Freeman, in for Fredricka Whitfield.

We begin this hour with breaking news. Right now Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is meeting with President Donald Trump in Florida. Zelenskyy arrived at Mar-a-Lago, you see on your screen, just moments ago.

Now they're discussing a peace plan released last week after earlier talks between both countries. President Trump says there is urgency to get a deal done.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're in final stages of talking and we're going to see. Otherwise, it's going to go on for a long time. It will either end or it's going to go on for a long time, and millions of additional people are going to be killed -- millions. And nobody wants that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: We have an incredible group of reporters who have been following every movement here. First, we have senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak, who is near Mar-a-Lago; also CNN senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen with us in Berlin.

Kevin, let's start with you. What did you take away from the comments that we heard outside of Mar-a-Lago?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. The president says he's confident that both sides of this want to reach an agreement. He says reaching such a deal is complex, but not that complex. And he says that they are in the final stages of trying to come up with something that both Moscow and Kyiv can agree on. His tone towards Zelenskyy was friendly. He says he is brave, that he

has been through quite a bit. But still the president, offering a somewhat equivocal statement on those overnight missile and drone attacks that Russia launched on Ukraine, saying that Ukraine had also launched its own attacks.

And so you hear from the president essentially trying to straddle these two sides as he works to bring about this agreement. The president said that the war will either end or, quote, "it will go on for a long time with many more casualties".

And I think that's the president's way of signaling that now is the moment for all parties to come to the table and come with some kind of agreement that would end this conflict.

The president has been impatient in getting this war to an end. He once said he would be able to do it within 24 hours of taking office. We are now approaching the one-year mark of his term, and I think it's significant.

This is the, you know, sixth time the president has met with Zelenskyy. This is a moment for him, I think, to really delve into some of the details of this 20-point peace plan that Zelenskyy has brought.

Zelenskyy wants to hear some more nuance and details about what precisely President Trump is putting on the table.

Now, about an hour before Zelenskyy arrived, President Trump said that he had also spoken to Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia. He also says he plans to speak with Putin after this meeting wraps up, as well as with European leaders.

And so you do see kind of the diplomatic gears turning very hurriedly down here in south Florida.

You know, I think this is a moment for the president to talk to Zelenskyy about the security guarantees that will be part of this deal. The U.S. has said that it is providing what one official called platinum security guarantees to ensure that Russia doesn't invade further.

The one thing that we did not hear either men discuss up there on the steps at Mar-a-Lago was the issue of land concessions, which at this point is one of the biggest remaining issues in any peace deal.

The other issue is the fate of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. They also didn't discuss that. But obviously this question of land concessions has been such a sticking point in these peace process so far.

And I think President Trump is going to have to find a way in this meeting to massage with Zelenskyy some sort of concession that he can agree to, that he can put before the Ukrainian people with the recognition that that will be a necessity if this war is to ever end, Danny. FREEMAN: Well, and to that point, one -- I shouldn't say one -- many

countries who are eagerly looking on the result of this meeting is, of course, the European Union and those countries within.

Fred Pleitgen, to the point about land concessions and other compromises that might be on the table, that was actually, I should say, Zelenskyy opened the door a little bit to compromise in this latest peace proposal.

[14:04:52]

FREEMAN: What's your perspective there? How do you think that could play out in today's talks?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think that was probably one of the most significant points of motion, if you will, over the past couple of days. And is really something that's been taking shape over the past, I would say, around two weeks when the Europeans, the U.S. and the Ukrainians sat down here in Berlin for extended talks.

And we really have seen both the Europeans and the Ukrainians, I wouldn't say change their tune, but showing themselves more open to possible land concessions as part of a wider peace agreement, especially if there are those very strong security guarantees.

One of the things that we have seen change is that the Europeans who used to say that the -- that the Ukrainians should not be forced to give up any territory, are now saying that in the end, this is a decision that the Ukrainians need to make themselves.

That obviously makes it very difficult for the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, because then all of the weight is on him.

Now, you're absolutely right. We have seen Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the past couple of days, I think it was since last this past Tuesday, sort of opened the door to possible land concessions, meaning a very small portion of the Donetsk Oblast, the Donetsk area in the east of Ukraine.

It's the portion of that -- of that state that the Ukrainians still hold and the Russians want, but that are very heavily fortified. And a lot of Ukrainian forces there defending that area.

Now, as far as a possible compromise is concerned, one of the things that the U.S. has put out there is those very strong security guarantees saying, look, if you make that concession, then the U.S. will be part of very strong security guarantees that are almost like being in NATO. Even then, Ukraine would not be in NATO.

And the other thing, of course, is that the U.S. is saying, if you're willing to make those compromises, that concession, that then there could also be massive investment not just by the U.S., but by other countries and companies into Ukraine in the future, not just to rebuild Ukraine, but to make Ukraine prosperous, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio put it at one of the meetings with the Ukrainians. The big question, of course, is what are the Russians going to do?

They're demanding those territories. But at the same time, the Russians are saying they don't want a temporary ceasefire, even if there would be a referendum in Ukraine to decide whether or not the Ukrainian people would be willing to give up land for security guarantees and for possible big economic aid as well, Danny.

FREEMAN: Yes, whatever comes out of these meetings today, clearly just potentially the beginning of a much longer conversation, certainly within the boundaries of Ukraine.

Kevin Liptak and Fred Pleitgen, thank you so much for breaking all of this breaking news down for us.

I want to continue the conversation now. Joining us is Margaret Talev. She's a senior contributor at Axios. And once again, Jill Dougherty. She's a CNN contributor and former CNN Moscow bureau chief. She also wrote a great book about her time in Russia called -- forgive me, I did not have the name of the book in the last segment -- "My Russia, What I Saw Inside the Kremlin". There we go.

Margaret, I want to start with you, though President Trump spoke with Vladimir Putin shortly before today's meeting, and he said he will speak with him again afterwards.

How significant is it from your perspective that Putin got a word in before and will have perhaps the last word after this meeting with Zelenskyy?

MARGARET TALEV, SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR, AXIOS: Yes, I certainly think it's a -- it bears watching because what Zelenskyy is hoping to avoid is an outcome where he travels to Mar-a-Lago, expresses a willingness to make concessions, and then gets undercut by the American president. So I think we need to wait and see what emerges here.

But we've seen some interesting developments, even just in the last few days. Republican members of Congress and the U.S. Senate feeling more comfortable speaking out publicly against Putin and Russia to sort of help bolster Zelenskyy coming into this meeting. We saw a group of GOP senators join with Democrats in a very critical statement about Putin. And even heard a Congressman Mike Turner, Ohio Republican today suggesting that if Trump's truly embracing an America First policy, that cannot be to be pro Russia.

So what Zelenskyy is hoping for is that President Trump, if not acting on Ukraine's behalf, at least, can be a neutral party in these negotiations. But it really does come down to whether Russia is willing to accept some of these terms.

FREEMAN: Jill, first, I'm curious your perspective also on that question of Putin getting the first word in the door to this meeting of Zelenskyy and then also potentially the last word after this meeting. What's your thought on that?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I mean, Putin obviously wants to get in every word that he can. And so having, you know, that last- minute little conversation over the phone before President Trump goes into these talks with Zelenskyy is important.

[14:09:50]

DOUGHERTY: But I think at this point, it's fair to say it's time to talk to Putin.

And, you know, if you look at the men at the table right now in Mar-a- Lago, this is the big picture. This is, you know, this is where do we go from here, any structure for security and territory.

But then you get into the nitty-gritty. And I was just thinking, ok, we talk about territory. Territory is people. Territory is homes of people who lived there.

And this is where I think the professional diplomats will have to get into this from both sides, all sides and say, how do you work this out?

For instance, President Trump is talking about these areas that Ukraine gives up, will turn into free economic zones.

Now, that could also be described as a demilitarized zone. And it feels like a big difference between those. What does that mean? What is a free economic zone? Does anybody live there? Do they have to move? Do they have to flee? Do they belong to any country? Do they vote in it?

You see the issues. It's a very complex situation. But I don't think that President Trump at this point wants to get into the weeds. He will leave that to his negotiators.

But you have to say Putin and Zelenskyy know the weeds. They know these territories. And that's where it gets really complicated, especially for Zelenskyy, because he has said, according to the constitution, he can't give up any land unless he asks the Ukrainian people.

And that's where we're back to this kind of Catch-22. Russia saying, were not going to have a peace, a ceasefire, to let people vote.

So again, I think we're at a moment -- I mean, people do feel this is a moment that things are changing. There are possibilities, but it is fraught with really nitty-gritty details that are extraordinarily complex and very emotional and deal with people's lives.

FREEMAN: Oh, absolutely. And again, any sort of plan like this, as you noted, Jill, will have to ultimately be sold to the Ukrainian people by Zelenskyy.

Margaret, President Trump though said in his comments today there would be a security agreement for Ukraine, but we really don't have any specifics yet.

Can you share some insight on what you think will be worked out when it comes to again, the security guarantees, potentially both from the U.S. or from Europe? TALEV: Well, Zelenskyy, you know, is looking for the ability to have

as close to those NATO security guarantees as possible. But one of the questions does involve, ok, let's say there's a guarantee that if Russia breaks its end of the deal, that Zelenskyy could, enjoy the protection -- more protections of NATO or the European Union, what would be effective dates on that? Who would guarantee it? How would it be administered? And how do you deal with the sort of political rule- making inside these multilateral bodies? Is that a guarantee that President Trump even could make?

So I think, as Jill was talking about, there are a number of complexities around being able to guarantee the guarantees that that he's seeking, even if it did come down to this.

When it comes to the nuclear power question, for example, will Russia agree to cede that. Would the U.S. then carve out Russia's ability to profit or use nuclear power? Is Zelenskyy comfortable with that? What would the people of Ukraine do?

And so, it does really come down to the internal politics that he needs to have something that he could sell to the Ukrainian people. But also sort of the very complicated multilateral politics involved in, you know, they -- Trump has been saying or Zelenskyy has been saying we're 90 percent of the way there. The 10 percent is really tricky stuff because it does come down to territory, access to the use of nuclear power and not just what the security guarantees would be, but how they could be enforced.

FREEMAN: Well, Jill Dougherty and Margaret Talev, I really do appreciate both of your expertise again, on such a consequential day. I have a feeling we'll be speaking with you more as this meeting progresses. But thank you so much for your time this Sunday afternoon.

All right. To this now, were also following breaking news out of New Jersey where you can see on your screen one person was killed and another was left critically injured after two helicopters crashed midair. Stay with us for more on this.

[14:14:32]

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FREEMAN: We're following breaking news out of New Jersey, where one person has died and another is critically injured after FAA officials say two helicopters collided in midair.

Local police say rescuers responded to a report of an aviation crash in Hammonton, about 30 miles southeast of Philadelphia, with emergency crews working to put out flames that had engulfed at least one of the helicopters.

The FAA and NTSB are now investigating the collision, and we'll bring you more information on this story as it comes in.

Moving across the country, officials in California are working to determine the cause of a natural gas pipeline rupture, shut down a major highway for more than three hours in both directions on Saturday.

Now, the interstate has since reopened, but clouds of dirt and dust can be seen flying into the air. This happened in Castaic, about 40 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Officials have not ruled out a mudslide near the rupture as a cause. Shelter in place orders have been lifted for two nearby neighborhoods.

And millions of people in the Midwest and northeast are under winter weather alerts on this busy holiday travel weekend. Parts of the Midwest are seeing dangerous blizzard conditions.

[14:19:49]

FREEMAN: For more on this, we have CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar. She's tracking the threat.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: More than 30 million people are under some type of winter weather alert across the Midwest and into the northeast in anticipation of our next system.

Now that low pressure system right through here is not only going to bring rain, freezing rain, and snow, but also very windy conditions. So you actually have several million people under blizzard warnings because we are expecting wind gusts of 40 to 60 miles per hour that will take all of that snow, blow it all around, reducing visibility back down to about a quarter of a mile or less.

Through the evening hours more of that snow is going to infiltrate areas of the Midwest through the U.P. (ph) of Michigan, portions of Wisconsin and Minnesota, and then gradually start to spread eastward into the Great Lakes and into the northeast as we go through the overnight and early morning hours.

So right around the morning rush tomorrow, the heaviest snow will still be focused over the Midwest, but you're also going to have some heavy rain at times right there along the I-95 corridor.

That could cause some problems as well, but all of these areas are going to be looking at very gusty winds as we transition through the next 24 hours.

So these areas right here where you see the purple and pink color indicating some pretty heavy snow, some spots here you can see 8 to 12 inches of snow total. Taking those 40 to 60 mile per hour winds is really going to reduce the visibility for a lot of these areas.

Here's a look at those winds that we talk about through the overnight you'll gradually start to see them pick up 30, 40, 50 miles per hour, even around 50 to 60 miles per hour through tomorrow afternoon and through the early evening.

It's not until we get to late Monday night into early Tuesday that we finally start to see those winds calming back down. Take a city like Chicago, for example. Still very, very warm today,

the last of those warmer days. High of 54, dropping all the way down to a high of only 26 for Monday. And that's going to be mixed not only with some snow showers, but also those very gusty winds.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREEMAN: It seems like every part of the country has had holiday weather to deal with. Allison Chinchar, thank you so much for that.

All right. Coming up, a major legal setback for President Donald Trump. A federal judge he appointed blocks the administration from withholding disaster funds from some Democratic states. I'll speak to Washington State's attorney general about what this ruling means for his state. Coming up after a quick break.

[14:22:08]

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FREEMAN: One of President Trump's efforts to force states to comply with his immigration crackdown has hit a roadblock. A federal judge last week ruled against the Trump administration after it cut hundreds of millions of dollars in disaster aid from Democratic-led states that did not cooperate with its immigration enforcement policies.

For more on this, let's discuss now with Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown. His state was one of 11, along with D.C., that successfully sued against these cuts. Attorney General Brown, thank you so much for being here.

First, let's just get your top line reaction to this ruling?

NICK BROWN (D-WA), ATTORNEY GENERAL: Well, it's a great ruling for public safety here in Washington and the other states that joined the lawsuit, because we needed the funding that was authorized by Congress to help us prepare for natural disasters, terrorist attacks and those sorts of emergencies.

And the fact that the administration tried to cut this money illegally from Washington and other states is really abhorrent. And so this is an important victory for the people in our states.

FREEMAN: Can you be a little more specific, if that's all right, about what kind of things this type of funding is actually used for? What have you used it for in your state? And what things are you looking ahead that you will need to use it for?

BROWN: Yes, absolutely. There's a few things just to highlight. This money helps us prepare for cyber-attacks, so it helps strengthen our existing computer systems in our state. It also provides for important training for responders to natural disasters and terrorist attacks, both at the state and local level.

And there's a number of grants that Washington State and the receiving states fund to local jurisdictions to help them prepare at a local level for those same types of natural disasters and emergencies.

And so that type of, you know, cyber infrastructure, security training and the like is really vital as we respond to natural disasters. And that money was cut by almost 50 percent to the 12 states that or 11 states and D.C. that joined this lawsuit.

FREEMAN: Well, so at this point, it appears the administration may actually try to fight this ruling. The assistant secretary for Homeland Security says, quote, "this judicial sabotage threatens the safety of our states, counties, towns and weakens the entire nation".

What's your response to that?

BROWN: Well, I would point people to what the judge said in this case. And the judge looked very closely at the arguments that the department was making and those of the states that brought this lawsuit.

And the judge called this action by the administration politically- motivated, unconscionable, and really wrong under the law. And the money, again, was authorized by Congress, approved by Congress, given to the states to prepare and protect our people.

And the fact that they then tried to change the rules after the law had already passed granting this money, changed the rules to add in new requirements that have nothing to do with protecting people from terrorist attacks and cybersecurity, I feel very confident that as we move forward, if they chose to actually appeal this, that we would continue to prevail.

FREEMAN: Are you concerned that the administration might try to ramp up ICE efforts or immigration crackdown efforts in the wake of this ruling, or as we go into the New Year?

BROWN: You know, we don't try to predict what this administration is going to do. They need to be doing immigration enforcement, but they need to do it in accordance with the law.

And the fact that they've tied their immigration goals to other things that keep people in Washington and other states safe is really just unconscionable.

BROWN: And we need to stay focused on doing our jobs as state leaders and state authorities to make sure that we can prepare against a myriad of different challenges that we're having in our states.

But this administration really does seem hell-bent on simply getting people to meet a certain quota of a number of arrests that they're pursuing, but that has nothing to do with preparing for natural disasters or terrorist attacks or cyberattacks against our communities.

[14:30:11]

And we're going to stay focused on that.

FREEMAN: We only have about 30 seconds left. I want to ask you, though your state has been dealing recently with intense flooding, forcing Health Secretary RFK, Jr. to declare a public health emergency. Has the administration been working with you to respond to this disaster?

BROWN: Well, Governor Ferguson in our state did ask for federal assistance and got the assistance that we requested, which was great. As you know, we've had so many communities here in Washington get really unprecedented amounts of flooding, particularly in some of our coastal communities and communities surrounded by the water that here, here in Washington. And it's been a real tragic disaster in so many parts of our community.

So, we need all the assistance that we can get from federal authorities and from local officials. And thus far that's been forthcoming, which is -- which is fantastic.

FREEMAN: All right. Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown, thank you so much for joining us on a holiday weekend to talk through the impacts and the results of this ruling. Appreciate it.

All right. Still ahead, in Los Angeles, hope and holiday joy delivered to families impacted by immigration raids. We'll tell you how community groups stepped in when it mattered the most.

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[14:35:33]

FREEMAN: Across Los Angeles, more than a thousand toys and essential items were donated to families impacted by the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policies. It was thanks to a holiday donation drive hosted by L.A. Mayor Karen Bass.

Now, the gifts were given to migrants retreating in isolation out of fear as the deportation crackdown continues.

CNN correspondent Marybel Gonzalez joins me now with more.

Marybel, you, I understand, were at the event. What did you hear from these migrant families?

MARYBEL GONZALEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Danny.

Well, many of them said they were grateful for this gesture, especially during a time when many of them say they're afraid to leave their homes to go to work and let alone go shopping for their children. The L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said this toy drive was more than just about gifts. It was a way, she says, of reminding those families that Los Angeles stands with them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDREA LOPEZ, MOTHER: Before there was freedom, before we smiled a lot, before the whole family was here.

GONZALEZ (voice-over): Andrea Lopez, a mother living in Los Angeles, says she came to California seeking safety. LOPEZ: I was experiencing domestic violence in my country, so I

decided to seek a new future as a single mother. I left everything behind.

GONZALEZ (voice-over): Now she fears being sent back.

LOPEZ: We're very scared. I'm sorry. We never thought it would happen to us.

GONZALEZ (voice-over): To help families impacted by ICE raids, the Los Angeles mayor's office held a holiday toy drive, collecting new toys, books, sports equipment, winter clothing, grocery gift cards, and household essentials, according to a statement from the mayor's office.

MAYOR KAREN BASS (D), LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: This is an example of Los Angeles sticking together to protect the most vulnerable.

GONZALEZ (voice-over): The items were distributed through immigrant rights organizations such as the Coalition of Humane Immigrant Rights and the Institute of Popular Education of Southern California, or IDEPSCA.

MEAGAN ORTIZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, IDEPSCA: We have been fighting for health and safety protections for day laborers and household workers for just about 30 years.

GONZALEZ (voice-over): Meagan Ortiz, the executive director of IDEPSCA, says while the federal crackdown on immigrants continues, families need help year round.

ORTIZ: We need people to help deliver groceries. We need people, you know, to help when people are picking up their kids from school.

GONZALEZ (voice-over): Yet immigrant families are holding out hope.

BASS: We understand that wherever you came from, when or why, if you're here in Los Angeles, you're an Angeleno, and we're going to do whatever we can to protect you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GONZALEZ (on camera): Now, this is not the city's first effort to assist people impacted by immigration rates here in Los Angeles. Back in October, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted to declare a state of emergency. This to provide financial assistance to those affected. And part of that measure included providing rent relief for tenants who have fallen behind as a result of the crackdown on immigrants -- Danny.

FREEMAN: Marybel Gonzalez, thank you so much for bringing us that piece. Really appreciate it.

And to this now, a new CNN film explores the life and career of actor and comedy legend, the one and only Chevy Chase. CNN's Stephanie Elam spoke with the film's director and Chase's wife,

Jayni, to discuss why they think Chevy is misunderstood. Now, we'll give you a warning. You'll hear some language not suitable for all ages.

Take a look

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From "Fletch" in 1985 and --

CROWD: The "Three Amigos."

ELAM (voice-over): -- to "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."

CHEVY CHASE, ACTOR: Hallelujah! Holy (EXPLETIVE DELETED)! Where's the Tylenol?

ELAM (voice-over): Chevy Chase, the charismatic comedian, ruled the bar.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was the one that people went nuts over. Two years after a premiere of a show where no one knows him, and he's now co-starring with Goldie Hawn.

GOLDIE HAWN, ACTRESS: They opened the door and there comes this six- foot-four guy. He's got presence, I mean, aside from being funny, but I mean, he really was kind of adorable.

ELAM (voice-over): "Saturday Night Live" was the perfect showcase for Chase's talent.

C. CHASE: Live from New York, it's Saturday Night.

ELAM (voice-over): Chase's signature weekend update intro --

C. CHASE: I'm Chevy Chase and you're not.

ELAM (voice-over): -- is also the name of a new documentary debuting on CNN about Chase's life and career. But while cracking up crowds, Chase gained a reputation for being --

C. CHASE: Basically an asshole, if you're part of the expression.

[14:40:00]

MARINA ZENOVICH, DIRECTOR, "I'M CHEVY CHASE AND YOU'RE NOT": There's his family and his friends who adore him and are so protective of him. Then there's Hollywood, and I would say just doesn't really like him. And then you have his fans. They just adore him.

C. CHASE: Thank you.

ELAM (voice-over): An improv master who knows how to use his stature to his comedic advantage, Chase is always after the laugh. C. CHASE: It's the laugh that means everything to them and to me, because it's as if I'm being told I'm loved, you know, as a child.

ELAM (voice-over): This from a man who had a less than loving childhood.

ZENOVICH: Chevy had a lot of pain, and he still carries around a lot of trauma to this day. His way of dealing with it was being funny.

ELAM (voice-over): His wife of more than four decades says it was time to set the record straight for Chevy and their three daughters.

JAYNI CHASE, WIFE OF CHEVY CHASE AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AMBASSADOR: It's been very hard and hurtful. We've been in love and we've been through some rough stuff.

ELAM (voice-over): The rough stuff includes addiction and depression. The 82-year-old's more recent health battles also spurred the desire to open up.

J. CHASE: We almost lost him to heart failure in February of '21. He was in the hospital for six weeks. He was on life support.

ELAM (voice-over): Zenovich hopes the film gives both his fans and haters perspective.

ZENOVICH: I think people will walk away from this and go like, you know, wow, he's been through a lot. Maybe he's a bit of an asshole, but I understand why.

ELAM (voice-over): But Jayni Chase believes her husband is chronically misunderstood.

J. CHASE: If Chevy says something and you feel offended, it's a little more on you than him. He takes risks. You can't get where he got without being a risk taker. So dial it back. Get a sense of humor. He's not an asshole and neither are you.

ELAM (voice-over): Stephanie Elam, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREEMAN: All right. I'm sold. Be sure to tune in the new CNN film, "I'M CHEVY CHASE AND YOU'RE NOT" airs New Year's Day at 8 p.m. Eastern.

To this now, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's plane just arrived in Florida ahead of tomorrow's meeting with President Trump. The two are set to meet to discuss the future of the Gaza ceasefire. But one major sticking point, the last Israeli hostage in Gaza. We'll tell you the powerful message his family is sending to President Trump with a little help from A.I.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [14:46:57]

FREEMAN: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to arrive this hour in Florida, ahead of meetings with President Trump tomorrow. Now, the meeting comes at a critical point as the Gaza ceasefire nears the end of phase one. Under the deal, Hamas was required to return all living and deceased Israeli hostages being held in Gaza. But one set of remains has still not been located.

CNN's Matthew Chance has more on the family's push to bring home their son.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

RAN GVILI, ISRAELI HOSTAGE: President Trump, my name is Ran Gvili, the son of Talik and Itzik.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's an extraordinary message generated by A.I. from beyond the grave in Gaza, recreating the image and voice of the last Israeli hostage in Gaza, authorized by his relatives and released by the Hostage Families Forum.

R. GVILI: Mr. President, I'm asking you to see this through.

CHANCE (voice-over): It's a carefully crafted message. His mother tells me she'll personally deliver to President Trump when she meets him with the Israeli Prime Minister in Florida. Hamas is keeping hold of her son's remains, she insists, as a cynical bargaining chip. The group says it just can't find his body.

TALIK GVILI, MOTHER OF LAST HOSTAGE IN GAZA: We don't go to the second part of the agreement until Rani come back, because everyone in Israel understand it.

CHANCE: U.S. officials, including the ambassador here in Israel from the United States, has suggested that the peace process can advance while the search for your son continues. Would that be acceptable?

T. GVILI: No, no. It's not acceptable because we don't want to -- Gaza will build on my son.

CHANCE (voice-over): Under the ambitious second phase of the Trump plan, Hamas would be expected to surrender its weapons and power, something the group, which has survived an Israeli onslaught, may be reluctant to do. Israel would also have to make painful concessions, like withdrawing from Gaza while handing control to an international force. Both sides, it seems, may share a common interest in stopping Trump's peace plan in its tracks.

But frustration in Washington is growing, amid concerns both Hamas and a skeptical Israel are dragging their feet.

R. GVILI: Mr. President, finish what you started. Bring me home before it's too late.

CHANCE (voice-over): While the unknown whereabouts of the last Israeli hostage is further complicating Trump's Gaza peace plan.

Matthew Chance, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREEMAN: All right. Matthew, thank you for that reporting.

Coming up, the end of an era today. "The Atlanta Journal Constitution" printed its final Sunday paper. I'll speak with a reporter coming up who's been there for more than 30 years about what comes next, as the publication prepares to go digital.

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[14:54:18]

FREEMAN: This week, one of the country's better known and premier newspapers, "The Atlanta Journal Constitution", is turning a page as the paper itself describes it. After 157 years, the "AJC" will publish its last print edition this coming Wednesday, becoming a fully digital news operation in the new year.

Now, "The Journal Constitution" is just really the latest American newspaper to end its print run.

So, joining us now to discuss it all is Bill Torpy. He's a longtime columnist and reporter at "The Journal Constitution".

Bill, good to see you.

You started at the paper in 1990, as I understand it. Did you ever think the day would come when the paper stopped printing?

BILL TORPY, COLUMNIST, ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION: Well, thank you for having me.

Years ago, I remember Ted Turner was predicting the end of print somewhere, I think around 2017.

[14:55:06]

And that was, you know, in the '90s. I remember thinking, huh, he has a pretty good sense of history and the future. And, you know, that may be the case.

But once again, I mean, I never thought the newspaper would stop printing newspapers.

FREEMAN: Yeah, Ted Turner has a way of seeing into the future in those ways. I want to play something. Your colleague Thomas Lake caught up with longtime newspaper carrier David Neeley. Take a listen to this. Hold on.

(BEGIN VIDOE CLIP)

THOMAS LAKE, REPORTER: Do you remember, like a major historical event? DAVID NEELEY, LONGTIME NEWSPAPER CARRIER: We had the Olympics here in Atlanta. There was a bombing on Friday night. They stopped presses. They wanted to feature that on Saturday mornings paper.

LAKE: The biggest thing that's ever happened to Atlanta, the Olympics come here. And then you have this horrific explosion.

NEELEY: Right. And we're on the international stage. So, they have to print it then, they can't wait.

LAKE: This thing throwing into these driveways, this really has value. It means something to people.

NEELEY: Precisely. It was kind of fulfilling. You got a sense of purpose, you know, a real purpose. Not just earning some money. This has been a part of their daily life for how many years? That last paper, December 31, maybe a keepsake for a lot of people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: You know, the question I want to ask you is, do you feel that that sense of purpose will ever go away? But just before I even get there, I mean, stop the presses. I mean, that's going to be a phrase that is going to be totally outdated, right? I mean, eventually.

TORPY: Well, that's a true, true statement. In fact, when you look at old movies and I was just watching the other one the other night and they throw newspapers like a newspaper stand or a copy of the hard, hard edition just to show you as a -- as a device in movies. You know, here's a point in time, and I don't know about that. That's my son that you see there reading the comics today, oddly enough.

But newspapers, they're tactile. They have a sense of place. You cut out, you clip pieces that are important to you, and you put them in your bible and, you know, I don't know what we'll be doing with the Internet, but that's our new mission.

FREEMAN: Well, your publisher has said that for many, reading the paper with their morning coffee, right, is as routine as brushing their teeth or having eggs with bacon. What's your feeling about that?

TORPY: It is a routine. It's a routine that lesser people have been doing. I still do it, but oddly enough, I read probably more of my news online. Like, I think most people, I think it's a sense of age. I'm of the age where a lot of people my age read the paper. But you go under 50, and I think that's a lot, a lot fewer.

FREEMAN: I mean, I love hearing my parents tell stories and they're a little bit older, but of, you know, their parents going to the corner to get the late edition. And, you know, it was an activity just to read the paper. But, you know, in the end, listen, it's all about giving the public robust journalism. The paper says it's still committed to that.

What's your view of the future of the "AJC"? TORPY: Well, we're still going to give people robust journalism. It's a new delivery system, but it's a lot of the same people, most of the same people, will be doing it the same way. Although now we can add video, we can do, other, you know, other tricks of the trade, the new trade. I mean, now I have our old paper I'm going through, you know, being nostalgic.

Now, the front section, the metro section, sports page, you know, I mean, that's -- and all, of course, we have the comics, right? I have a guy write me today saying I'll miss reading you, the obits and Blondie. So, you know, to be compared to Blondie, I'm thrilled.

FREEMAN: Yeah, yeah, in my household, it would be you, the obits and Cathy or Garfield or Peanuts, of course.

Last thing for me, Bill, is just. How are you looking at this transition? Are you thinking of this as a loss or the start of really a new era for "The Journal Constitution"? Or maybe a little bit of both?

TORPY: Obviously, it is both. I'm sad that the paper won't be there because I still clip out some of my articles and send them to family members. But the reality is that newspapers are a 19th century manufacturing process, you know, cutting down trees and printing them and then driving them to your house.

Now we hit send and you get it. So it's a lot more efficient manner of delivering the news. And obviously, it's the news of the future. Our publisher said that, you know, we had to pull the band-aid off one day. It's been a few years coming.