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CNN This Morning

Jan. 6 Cmte Expected To Make Criminal Referrals Against Trump; Georgia Grand Jury Winding Down Investigation Into Efforts By Trump To Overturn 2020-Election Results; Negotiations Continue In Congress To Fund Government Before Friday; Thousands Without Power After Heavy Snow Blankets Northeast; Migrants Cross Rio Grande River To Seek Asylum In U.S.; Biden Admin Prepares For End Of Trump-Era Title 42 Policy. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired December 18, 2022 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: -- accident. They call themselves Team Ice Bath. They're in second place. Just two strokes behind the leaders Justin Thomas and his dad, Mike, who's a club pro. Tiger and Charlie looking to win the tournament. For the first-time, Tiger says I'm not worried about these injuries, they can heal up later. I'm more concerned about making these moments with my son.

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: It's uncanny their mannerisms, too, are like exactly --

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.

WIRE: Yes, it's so good.

WALKER: -- the same where he -- with the way he pumps his fist, right? That's Tiger.

SANCHEZ: He's got the (INAUDIBLE), yes.

WALKER: Yes.

SANCHEZ: Cory Wire, thank you so much.

WIRE: Got it.

SANCHEZ: The next hour of CNN This Morning starts right now.

WALKER: Good morning, everyone, and welcome to CNN This Morning. I am Amara Walker.

SANCHEZ: Good morning, Amara. I'm Boris Sanchez. After months of investigation, the January 6 committee is preparing to present its final findings. What we can expect from tomorrow's public hearing? Plus, new details on Georgia's investigation into former President Donald Trump. WALKER: As the snow moves out, a bitter blast of cold air is moving in. More than 260 million Americans will see temperatures fall below freezing. This week, we're going to tell you where we can see wind chills, as low as 60 below zero.

SANCHEZ: Well, plus stranded in Peru. We're joined live by one Americans still trying to make it home after protests and political unrest erupt in that country.

WALKER: And the stage is set. Argentina and France squaring off in the World Cup finals later this morning. We are live from Doha with the look at the big match.

Good morning, everyone. It is Sunday, December 18, exactly a week away from Christmas Day. Thank you so much for waking up with us. Boris, it's funny, because when I was reading that script about temperatures falling 60 degrees and then it says below zero, I was like, oh, no, I would just stop at 60 degrees because that's freezing more, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Yes, I heard the pain in your voice as you were saying that. And I thought back to all those times this summer when you're like, oh, I can't wait for winter.

WALKER: I know.

SANCHEZ: Winter is so wonderful. I love the snow. Now it's here round (ph).

WALKER: Call me out.

SANCHEZ: Great to be with you as always, Amara.

So this morning, we're starting with the House Select Committee investigating the Capitol riot because they are going to issue their final report and hold their final public hearing by making criminal referrals to the Justice Department. After nearly a dozen hearings, the panel has focused on proving then President Trump led efforts to overturn his loss of the 2020 election going so far as to incite this deadly riot.

WALKER: Now the committee of seven Democrats and two Republicans has interviewed hundreds of witnesses and gathered thousands of documents over the course of its investigation. And now they are expected to refer at least three criminal charges against former President Donald Trump. But it's going to be up to prosecutors at the Department of Justice to determine whether or not to pursue criminal charges.

CNN's Zach Cohen joining us now with more. Good morning, Zach. So walk us through what we can expect tomorrow.

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, Amara and Boris, tomorrow is really the grand finale of sorts for the committee. This investigation has been going on for over 17 months. We've been covering it every step of the way. But tomorrow is going to be different because they're going to -- the committee is going to finally say what really, it's the points we're trying to make the entire times that former President Donald Trump committed crimes, in their view, by inciting the violence on January 6.

Now, we know now from sources that the committee is going to recommend at least three criminal charges for prosecution to the Justice Department. Those charges include insurrection, obstruction of an official proceeding, and conspiracy to defraud the federal government.

Now, as you mentioned in the intro, it's up to prosecutors to decide if they want to take up these recommendations from the committee. But, you know, beyond Trump himself, the committee is really making a final statement that everybody involved in the insurrection on January 6, should be held accountable. And they feel it's important to make that point for historical record.

SANCHEZ: Zach, these referrals largely symbolic, right, but what do they mean in a practical sense?

COHEN: Yes, the members have been talking about this evolving thought around criminal referrals. Now they're not -- they didn't set out to make criminal recommendations to the Justice Department. They know that's not their mission. But over time, it became so clear to them that they thought that Donald Trump committed crimes.

They felt compelled to say something. They compelled to say something to the Justice Department and ask them to investigate and prosecute the former president. Now, it remains to be seen how exactly that's going to play out in the coming months. We know the Justice Department is already investigating former President Donald Trump and looking into his role in efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

But, you know, Chairman Bennie Thompson, Vice Chair Liz Cheney had made very clear since the beginning of the public hearings this summer that they need to say something so that once the committee is dissolved at the end of the year, that their views are documented for the record.

[07:05:01]

SANCHEZ: Yes, for the history books. Zack Cohen, thank you so much for that reporting.

Let's dig deeper now with former U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, Michael Moore. He's a partner at Moore Hall. Michael, we're grateful to have you this morning. Thanks for joining us bright and early.

As Zach just outline --

MICHAEL MOORE, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY: Hello.

SANCHEZ: Of course. As Zach just outlined, insurrection, obstruction of an official proceeding and conspiracy to defraud the federal government, your reaction to those anticipated referrals?

MOORE: Well, I'm glad to be with you both this morning. I'm not surprised at all to see the referrals come out. This is really the culmination of the committee's work. They've got a lot of time and treasure invested in the investigation and invested in what will be this report. So it really is no surprise, but you're worried about -- in your earlier question about whether or not this was symbolic, that's exactly what it is.

I mean, you have to remember, this is a piece of paper that goes to the Justice Department and they can decide to consider it or not. There's also will be some questions, I think, as we get forward, talking about the incitement piece, and whether or not there are some First Amendment issues that come up, and I think you'll see those raised.

But this is simply a sort of a one-sided investigation. None of the witnesses have been subjected to cross examination. The evidence has not been tested by cross examination. There's not been two sides to the story told in the committee, but it's supposed to be better inquiry, pointing the fingers at people involved in the January 6 incident.

And so now, this will be the start if the department decides to accept that and to charge the individuals who are referred, then you'll see the start of this process. And that evidence will be tested, and those witnesses will be tested through cross examination. So it's been a long, 17 months. But this really is the end of one piece, but maybe the beginning of the true criminal investigation, or at least a criminal process by the Department of Justice and the special prosecutor.

SANCHEZ: You bring up a lot of important points. I hadn't heard that wrinkle about the First Amendment and how that might play into a counter argument there. Do you think the Department of Justice is now more likely to act on criminal charges because of these referrals?

MOORE: I don't think that the referrals necessarily weigh a lot in favor or against any type of action by the department. The department historically sees yourself as independent, which is it should be. And I think that the special prosecutor will make a decision based on what he and his team believe the evidence shows of what they can actually prove for a conviction.

Again, much of what we heard and what we've seen in some of the hearings have been witnesses who have been sort of led through their testimony. And they've given statements that have been vetted and filtered by the committee staff and that type of thing, but they've not been subjected to cross examination by lawyers on the other side. And so I think the special prosecutor will be considering that and whether or not that evidence would, you know, stand up in a court of law.

SANCHEZ: Well, given the evidence that we've seen in in public hearings, do you think the Department of Justice would have enough evidence to pursue the other two charges against Trump and his allies outside of the inciting insurrection which you cited might have some First Amendment Defense there?

MOORE: Well, and even the incitement charge, even though there might be defenses, there's some case law from the Supreme Court that may override those defenses --

SANCHEZ: Right.

MOORE: -- for the First Amendment. But yes, I think it's -- I think, at some point, you're likely to see a charge. I don't know who all they'll catch in the net, whether that'll be just Trump, or whether that may be Trump and some of the lawyers, whether it may be just high-level staff, advisers, you know, we'll see who they pick up. But I do think you're likely to see some charges come out, especially when you're talking about obstruction, and things like that. You're likely to see some charges come out of all of these.

SANCHEZ: Yes. And Michael, turning now to Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in your home state of Georgia, CNN is reporting with the special grand jury they're investigating the matter is now winding down its work. It's already started writing its final report, from what we know about the case. Could we see indictments there?

MOORE: I think it's likely that you will. I mean, I think again, we're well into a special grand jury process. The only sort of -- and I don't mean to keep pumping the brakes on the news as it goes out, but this has been a special grand jury. This has not been a criminal grand jury. So this grand jury, again, it's just making a recommendation and then it'll be up to the DA and a new grand jury on whether or not they move forward on criminal charges.

So it begins the process. It begins the time of challenging indictments in court. It begins the process of filing motions and those kinds of things that the defense would have. But I do think that they have produced evidence and I've said all along that I think they had enough evidence just with the tape, that they could have initiated an actual criminal process without going through this.

[07:10:00]

So my belief is that she has probably widen the nets on, that she has looked for other people who may have been involved. We might be talking about some of the fake electors and the organizers of that effort. But I think it's likely that you'll see a recommendation come out from the special grand jury to pursue or at least to recommend criminal charges against people involved.

And I think you'll likely see Trump in that because he's, you know, he's essentially given a confession on tape of his efforts to try to influence Brad Raffensperger during the vote camp.

SANCHEZ: Yes, perhaps no stronger piece of evidence than hearing the former president say, I need you to find 11,000 plus votes.

Michael Moore --

MOORE: Right.

SANCHEZ: -- appreciate the free legal advice, sir. Thanks as always and happy holidays. MOORE: Happy holidays to you all. Thanks so much.

SANCHEZ: Thank you.

And a reminder, you will not want to miss history in the making. Special live coverage of tomorrow's January 6 committee hearing, it begins at noon Eastern right here on CNN.

WALKER: All right, lawmakers in Washington are on the clock this week as Congress has until Friday to pass a spending bill and avert a government shutdown. It sounds like, you know, this is a repeat, right? We're repeating ourselves, but we're back at square one. But leaders from both the House and Senate say they're confident they can get a deal done before the deadline and hopefully not kick the bucket down the street again.

Let's go now to CNN's Daniela Diaz live on Capitol Hill this morning. Hi, Daniela. So I guess we're hearing Senate negotiators have reached a consensus on a framework deal. What more do you know?

DANIELA DIAZ, CNN CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: That's right, Amara. Senate and House negotiators reached this deal announced it last week, but it's a framework. We haven't seen the text yet. The top line number is $1.7 trillion to fund the government next year.

And, you know, you mentioned Amara, that this seems to be a repeat every year. That is the case, they passed a continuing resolution last week, which they have done in the past couple of years to fund the government for another week. So funding right now is set to expire Friday at midnight, but we don't expect a shutdown, Amara.

Really want to make that clear. They have reached this deal. The text is going to come out in the next 24 hours. We don't know the details of what this funding bill is going to look like. You know, there were some disagreements of between Democrats and Republicans on domestic spending. We don't know quite yet what they agree to. But we'll know in the next day, what those numbers look like.

And after that, the Senate is going to take it up. However, as you know, Amara, as you noted -- mentioned, this is not something that can pass in just a day. It's not something that happens quickly here on Capitol Hill. So the Senate is probably going to work on trying to pass this bill for a few days at the beginning of the week.

Then once the Senate passes the bill, which is expected to pass it's -- expected to get at least 60 votes to advance this bill, it'll go to the House. Also, House will pass with a simple majority and then President Joe Biden's desk on Friday, where he is expected to sign this bill into signature to prevent a government shutdown.

So even though they did have to pass a one-week funding bill, it does seem that there's going to be some good news here on Capitol Hill ahead of the holidays, they'll prevent a shutdown here. Amara?

WALKER: Just in time for Christmas Eve, right? And the other story brewing, Daniela, on Capitol Hill is obviously the fight, the internal fight, especially for House speaker, Congressman Kevin McCarthy. We know he wants the job. He has been fighting for it. He's been negotiating with the right-wing conservatives in his party, but you know, he's still facing opposition. And he does not yet have enough votes, right? Where is this going?

DIAZ: He doesn't have enough votes. He has currently five members of his party that are not going to support him and say there's nothing that will change their minds, Amara. But there was in the last day, someone who came out to support for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and that is former President Donald Trump.

He actually told Breitbart radio in the last day that he believes these five Republicans should come out and change their minds and support Kevin McCarthy because he said Kevin deserves the shot, he deserves this opportunity. So we will see, Amara, whether in the next week when lawmakers come back to Capitol Hill, whether Trump's endorsement will change any of these five lawmakers minds because remember, McCarthy needs 2018 votes to clinch the gavel, the speaker's gavel and right now he does not have that. Amara?

WALKER: Will the slim majority in the House for the Republicans be derailed by this? We will see. Daniela Diaz, always great to see you this morning. Thank you.

Well, more than 70,000 Americans are without power in Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire this morning after a nor'easter dropped more than 1 foot of snow across the Northeast this weekend.

SANCHEZ: And guess what, more cold weather is in the forecast for the Eastern United States in the coming days. Meteorologist Allison Chinchar is in the CNN Weather Center for us. Allison, these temperatures, they're intense.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: They are, and they're going to get to dangerous levels. And I think that's the biggest caution here is the cold really begins today across the northern tier but then it's going to not only spread south and east but it also intensifies.

[07:15:09]

You're going to be looking at wind chill values of minus 45 to minus 60 at some point, let that really sink in. That's why you have these wind chill advisories and watches in effect across several states. Now, we talked about that the cold starts today but it really begins to bottom out on Tuesday of this week.

Take for example, Fargo, the morning feels like temperature of minus 27. Bismarck, not much better at minus 28. But here's the thing, again, we talked about it, that cold air is not going to be limited to just the northern plains. It's really going to spread to about 80 percent of the population with temperatures at or below freezing at some point this week.

Here's a look at the high temperature. Yes, the high temperature on Wednesday in Fargo is minus 13. Chicago is also going to be cold but then they get even colder as we go into the weekend with a high of only 10 on Saturday, even Washington, D.C., Boris, dropping down only into the mid-20s on Saturday.

SANCHEZ: The mid-20 sounds lovely of the highest minus 13, or was the high minus 13 or 13?

CHINCHAR: No, that was minus 13 for the high temperature.

WALKER: There's no -- at that point, there's no difference. I lived in Chicago, you know. If it's minus 20 or 20, it feels the same to me, to be honest. And by the way, Allison, you look adorable. I love your festive hair. The snowflake earrings are so cute. I feel like a Grinch because here I am wearing neutral. At least you're wearing color, Boris.

CHINCHAR: Thanks.

WALKER: Sorry about that, viewers.

SANCHEZ: Thanks, Allison.

WALKER: Thanks, Allison.

All right, new this morning, South Korean officials say the launch of two mid-range ballistic missiles by North Korea is a serious provocation. Military officials in Seoul say the missiles flew around 300 miles before falling into the water between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. It has been a record year of launches by Kim Jong-un's reclusive regime which has now carried out 35 missile tests this year.

The city of El Paso declares a state of emergency in response to a surge of migrants as towns along the border await the end of Title 42. More on what that will mean and how the White House plans to manage.

SANCHEZ: Plus, it was supposed to be a trip to see one of the world's wonders, but then protests against the government and political unrest broke out. We're joined by one of the Americans still trying to make it home from Peru. His story, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:21:36]

SANCHEZ: This morning the surge of migrants arriving at the U.S.- Mexican border is reaching a breaking point. The mayor of El Paso Texas has declared a state of emergency as his city reels from a surge of migrants streaming in from Mexico. And he says these numbers could double this week after the Trump era policy Title 42 is lifted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR OSCAR LEESER, EL PASO, TEXAS: We know that the influx on Wednesday will be incredible. It will be huge. Talking to some of our federal partners, they really believe that on Wednesday, our numbers go will go from 2,500 before 5,000 or maybe 6,000. And when I asked them, I said do you believe that you guys can handle it today? The answer was no.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: The state of emergency will help bolster resources for arriving migrants as homeless shelters in El Paso are already above capacity. CNN's Gustavo Valdes is near the southern border in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico with the latest.

GUSTAVO VALDES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Since Friday, we've been seeing this situation unfold every few minutes. A group of migrants get to this part of the Rio Grande. Families with children trying to cross into the U.S. You see. They get somebody to help them, trying to keep their feet dry as much as they can.

It's a shallow part of the Rio Grande and this part, they get across. We tried to do it carefully, still dangerous. We've seen people tumble and fall, thankfully without any severe injuries. And the goal, once they cross over, is continue the short track up that hill where the U.S. government has built that temporary fence at the end of the existing border wall.

And those people are waiting to be processed. The processing to be faster than in days past when there was a long line of people waiting, people who had to wait more than a day to be processed. In the past couple of days, what we've seen is Border Patrol agents taking them in a little faster. They wait for a van or a big bus, and that's how they take them somewhere else to be processed.

That doesn't mean that they are being accepted for asylum. They just means that they are being processed somewhere else. We're seeing the other part of this group trying to keep their documents, their documents dry. This is the end of a long road for many of them.

Where are you guys from?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Venezuela.

VALDES: They're from Venezuela. Most of these people are from Venezuela. They said they're tired because it's been very cold. They need to cross. They think that they're going to have a chance.

Now, the U.S. authorities insist that the end of Title 42 doesn't mean open borders. These people are still subject to deportation. For these people, that doesn't matter. The only thing they are worried about is that they are sent back to the countries. They want that if they're not going to be allowed into the U.S., that they at least let them stay in Mexico. That's something that is still to be seen.

And like these people over the weekend, the local authorities in Ciudad Juarez are telling us they suspect there are thousands waiting for the opportunity on Wednesday to cross into the United States. Gustavo Valdes, CNN, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

[07:25:07]

SANCHEZ: Our thanks to Gustavo for that report from the southern border. Meantime, White House officials have told CNN that the Biden administration has a robust effort underway to manage the border when Title 42 ends on Wednesday.

WALKER: Yes, CNN White House Reporter Jasmine Wright is with the President in Wilmington, Delaware this morning. Hi, Jasmine. So where does the White House stand on this and what are their plans?

JASMIN WRIGHT, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, well, the President is facing a growing threat as Title 42 is expected to be lifted this week. And the White House is really bracing for that already. Homeland Security officials have warned that we're likely to see an almost immediate increase of migration over the southern border.

Now to be clear here, this is not something that the White House was not expecting. They expected sometime over the administration that the Trump era policy put in place during the pandemic would be lifted. But, of course, after Friday, when the federal appeals court blocked the last-ditch Republican effort to keep that policy in place, it seems more real.

So you're right. The White House now says in responding to that appeals court decision that there was a robust effort underway to prepare for the lifting of Title 42. And I want to read you the statement from the White House Spokesperson Abdullah Hasan on Friday, where he said, "To be clear, the lifting of Title 42 public health order does not mean the border is open. Anyone who suggests otherwise is doing the work of smugglers spreading information to make a quick buck off of vulnerable migrants. We will continue to fully enforce our migration laws and work to expand legal pathways for migration while discouraging disorderly and unsafe migration."

Now in the -- lead up to Title 42, as expected to be lifted, they released a six-point plan outlining some ways that they are trying to prepare for it. And that includes surge and resources and personnel to the border, establishing temporary facilities for processing, ramping up air transportation, among other things, trying to get more people out of the area.

But when you talk to White House officials, they point out two things. First of all, they point out the $3 billion that they have requested from Congress to try to get more resources really in the immediate after effect, after Title 42 is expected to be lifted. And then secondly, talk about congressional reform for the future, trying to say that they can't do much without Congress stepping in and reforming the system.

But of course, as we know, Boris and Amara, that is unlikely to happen both in this lame duck session and also next session when the House is taken over by Republicans. So it kind of leaves the White House and the Biden administration alone dealing with this threat, or excuse me, this challenge at the border come Wednesday, as Title 42 is expected to be lifted. Boris and Amara?

WALKER: Jasmine Wright, appreciate your reporting. Thank you very much. And coming up, could you imagine being stranded in a foreign country in the midst of civil unrest? Well, that is the case for hundreds of tourists in Peru right now. We'll talk to one of them next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:30:00]

WALKER: It could be a Christmas miracle for a Baltimore man stranded abroad with his girlfriend. Jon Royer and Amy Thacker are among hundreds of tourists who have been caught in the middle of a political crisis in Peru. Demonstrations started earlier this month when the former president was thrown out of office.

The South American country then plunged into a state of emergency after at least 20 people died in violent protests. Major tourist destinations like Machu Picchu were cut off and flights were canceled as demonstrators tried to storm the international airport. But now, it looks like John and Amy could be on a flight out of Peru later today.

Jon Royer joining us now. Jon, thank you so much for your time. We're sorry for what you've been through. What is your status? You're at your hotel now. Those protests have been happening nearby. How are you and Amy doing and do you think you'll get home in time for Christmas?

JON ROYER, STRANDED IN PERU: We're doing good right now. We're just waiting to hopefully get out of here this evening. We're going to be flying from Cuzco to Lima and then tomorrow morning, we'll be going from Lima to Atlanta, hopefully. But, yes, it's been very stressful.

WALKER: Yes, tell me more about the stress. I mean, you obviously, went to Peru to see Machu Picchu. This was supposed to be a vacation for you. What have the -- how long have you been there and, you know, how stressful has it gotten? And I assume you didn't get a chance to see Machu Picchu?

ROYER: No, we didn't get a chance to get to Machu Picchu. They closed all the sites the days that we were planning on going. We've been not able to really go anywhere until yesterday. We got to go to one of the local museums with -- yes, it's been pretty stressful not knowing what's going on. When we're going to be able to get out. You know, if anything is going to happen.

A few of the days that we've been here, we've been in the airline office when the protesters came marching down the street and they, you know, locked -- got people off the street and locked the doors so that everybody that was inside was safe.

One day I was at a restaurant earlier on, you know, the -- pretty much the first day of stuff here, and I was outside talking to my bank and the whistles started and all the doors started slamming and people running up the street.

[07:35:00]

And I got separated from my girlfriend, she was still in the restaurant, and they locked down so that nobody could get in. And so, I just ended up having to run up the street with the rest of the people.

WALKER: Oh, gosh. What was going through your mind when you got separated from your girlfriend, Amy, and her?

ROYER: Well, I figured that she would be fine because she was inside the restaurant that, you know, where they were, you know, taking care of everybody in there, and mine was just to get off of the street. That was the -- the biggest thing going through my mind. The hardest part was the fact that I'm not very good at speaking Spanish and, you know, being in a place that, you know, that's the primary language, it's a little unnerving.

WALKER: You told our producers the locals have been very kind and making sure that you don't get caught up in the middle of these protests. Can you tell us more about your encounters?

ROYER: Oh, yes. Some of the locals that live here, they've been great. The stores, the restaurants they've, you know, when there's any kind of danger near or what they perceive as something that's not right, they get you inside and lock the doors and make sure that you're safe. Some of my girlfriend's friends -- she's been here a few times and she's made friends here. They've escorted us around and translated for us at the airline office. They've just been awesome to help us.

WALKER: So, it sounds, like, despite the circumstances, you know, you've had a good experience with the people. Last, we only have a few seconds left, but do you plan on coming back to Peru to see Machu Picchu at some point?

ROYER: Yes, at some point, I would like to, you know, get to do all the things that I didn't get to do on this trip. But I got to save up money to try to do it again.

WALKER: Yes, exactly. Well, Jon Royer, we're glad that you are safe along with Amy. And you will be heading home tonight. So, safe travels and happy holidays. Thank you so much.

ROYER: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: So, some say America has a drinking problem and it's hitting women especially hard. In an all new "This Is Life", Lisa Ling is exploring how for some people, the pandemic pushed them from casual drinking into the disease of addiction. "This is Life with Lisa Ling" airs tonight at 9:00 on CNN.

Stay with us. We're back in just moments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:40:00]

WALKER: A famous mountain lion in California who had his own social media following has been euthanized. The animal known as P-22 has been recorded prowling in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles since 2012.

SANCHEZ: Yes, he had become more aggressive recently though. And California authorities said he likely was also hit by a car. CNN's Camila Bernal takes a closer look at what happened to P-22.

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This was a mountain lion that had been tracked for about 10 years. And he was essentially a celebrity, a beloved mountain lion here in Los Angeles, with a Facebook page, an Instagram page. But unfortunately, about a month ago, the experts that track him started noticing changes in his behavior. They say he was getting closer and attacking dogs, even dogs on leashes, that were close to people. They also say he was getting a lot closer to urban areas and deeper in to these urban areas. They believed that he was in distress, which is why they decided to capture him.

Once they captured him, he went through a medical evacuation. They already thought he'd been hit by a car, but the medical evaluation revealed that he had trauma to his eye, to his head, and some internal organs. They also discovered preexisting illnesses, including kidney disease, some infection in his skin, weight loss. And so, when they took all of that into consideration, they essentially decided that putting him down was the best scenario for P-22. This week, after he was captured, some of the experts that have been tracking him for years, spoke out saying that his legacy, his data, will live on. Here's one of those experts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SETH RILEY, CDFW WILDLIFE BRANCH CHIEF: He's been an incredibly interesting animal. It's -- we've really gotten a lot of really great information from him. He's persisted in the smallest home range that has ever been recorded for an adult male mountain lion. And just been, like I said, a really interesting animal, and truth is he'll be a part of our studies -- forever be a part of -- an important part of our mountain lion studies. I'm sure we'll be looking at his data for years to come.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERNAL: And they also say that his data was extremely helpful in the building of the world's largest overpass for wildlife. It is currently being built here in Los Angeles and it is essentially a bridge that will be over 10 lanes of highway 101 here. So, bottom line, it's not just about a celebrity mountain lion. It is ability conservation efforts for these animals. Carmila Bernal, CNN, Los Angeles.

SANCHEZ: Camilla, thank you so much for that.

Stay with "CNN This Morning." We're back in just moments.

[07:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALKER: Fans of dancer and actor Stephen "tWitch" Boss are sharing tribute to tributes to him and trying to understand why he ended his life. Boss, who was also an executive producer of "The Ellen Show" died this week in Los Angeles at 40 years old. He's the most recent celebrity to die by suicide.

In January this year lawyer and 2019 Miss USA Cheslie Kryst died at 30. Her mother said she privately struggled with depression. Earlier this year, legendary singer Naomi Judd died. Her daughter said they lost her to mental illness. And of course, suicide is not just a problem for people in the public eye.

[08:50:00]

SANCHEZ: Yes, according to the CDC in 2020, 12.2 million adults seriously thought about suicide, 3.2 million made a plan, and 1.2 million adults tried to take their own lives. That year, nearly 46 thousand people died by suicide.

Joining us to talk about how we can help friends and loved ones who maybe struggling is Dr. Justin Baker. He's a clinical psychologist and an assistant professor at Ohio State University and the clinical director of Strive, the Suicide and Trauma Reduction Initiative for Veterans.

Dr. Baker, we're grateful to have you this morning. Thanks for sharing part of your weekend with us. Perhaps the most painful part about finding out that a loved one or someone you admire has died by suicide, is being unable to recognize that there were signs that something was off.

In the case of "tWitch", for example, he posted a video dancing with his wife just days before he died. And Naomi Judd, another name that we mentioned, she was set to enter the Hall of Fame and announced a tour with her daughter. What signs could we look for in loved ones that they may be struggling?

DR. JUSTIN BAKER, CLINICAL DIRECTOR, SUICIDE AND TRAUMA REDUCTION INITIATIVE FOR VETERANS AND ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MEDICINE: Yes, I think that's a great question. And you got -- thanks for having me here this morning. I think, we all want to be able to point to what are the warning signs, what are the risks so that we can hopefully get in front of someone who's struggling with suicide and prevent death -- their death.

The difficulty is, is -- you know, while some people may have some signs like increasing depression or fearfulness or increased, like, sleep, there's a lot of people that don't show any signs. And so, it's not that, oh, did I miss something? It's that, well, maybe there weren't any even actually signs to see.

WALKER: And Naomi Judd who we -- who Boris just mentioned, her husband, Larry Strickland, recently spoke with "People" magazine about Judd's final days and it was just so heartbreaking to read what he had to say. He said, could I just feel like I might have overdone it? I was trying to get her to eat. I was trying to get her to exercise. I handled her medications and had to make sure she had what she needed. I was trying every way I could. If I had known where she was, I would have been much softer on her. What would you say to that?

DR. BAKER: Yes. I mean, it's hard. I think, you know, we think back on, what could I have done differently. What didn't I do? What did I do? And at the end of the day, it -- you know, we can do all the right things and still people die by suicide. And that's just a heartbreaking reality.

SANCHEZ: And, Doctor, there is a stigma that's attached to admitting that you deal with mental health issues. There is almost a reticence by some people to come forward and say that they're challenged with these issues. What is your message to those folks out there that are privately going through an ordeal but aren't sure if those around them can help?

DR. BAKER: Yes, I work a lot with the military. I was formerly, actually, active duty and we treat a lot of active-duty soldiers and marines. And so, stigma is a pervasive problem whether it's military or in our culture abroad. And so, what I would say is the sooner you can identify and get help, the sooner we can get you better, right.

And so, the impact on a career, if you're in the military or even how this might impact, like, what people think of you, like, the sooner, the better is typically the message I like to say.

WALKER: A very important words from you. Dr. Justin Baker, appreciate you joining us. And we know it's also a very tough time this -- during the holiday season for a lot of people. So, I'm sure a lot of people are hearing your words. Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Thank you.

DR. BAKER: Yes. Thank you.

WALKER: If you or if someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm. There is help out there. You can reach the suicide and crisis lifeline by texting 9-8-8.

SANCHEZ: We have two quick things we want to get to before we go. First, a programming reminder, The January 6th Committee is holding its final public hearing tomorrow. We're expecting them to lay out their findings following months of investigation including potential criminal referrals. We're going to have special live coverage of a historic January 6th Committee tomorrow at noon eastern right here on CNN.

WALKER: OK. And finally, we have -- we're saving the best for last, because we have very special news to share. A new addition to our CNN family. Let's take a look. There's Bethany and husband John. Bethany is our senior producer here on the program and they welcome their precious little nugget. He's a baby boy, Easton is his name, and he came into the world on Monday. He arrived just a couple of days ahead of schedule. But he looks so bright and alert. Weighing in at eight pounds and eight ounces. Easton's middle name is Francis in honor of his grandfather who was a double amputee World War II veteran.

[07:55:00] SANCHEZ: Aw. Easton Francis has a lot to live up to being the grandson of a hero. We are told though that big sister Natalie is embracing her role as the elder sibling. So, he's got a great tag-team partner with him. She enjoys reading him bedtime stories, helping with feedings, and of course, the all-important snuggles.

And Amara, given the fact that Easton is already waking up at all times of the night, he's going to fit in around here just fine as we all know Bethany, even when she started maternity leave, we're still calling in to our show meetings without needing to.

WALKER: Yes.

SANCHEZ: So, special thanks to her.

WALKER: Exactly. And I was just being real with her because now she -- this is her second child. So, I said, Bethany, it's going to be beautiful, but boy is it going to be chaotic. So, buckle your seat belt, but also fun. Congratulations, Bethany. And thank you everyone for starting your day with us. Boris, great to be with you as always.

SANCHEZ: Great to be with you Amara. "Inside Politics Sunday with Abby Phillip" starts in just a few minutes.

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