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CNN This Morning

Trump Reiterates Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric at Campaign Rally; Lawmakers Resume Talks on Ukraine, Israel Aid; High Winds And Heavy Rain Sweep Across Florida; Source: Mossad Director Meets with Qatari PM Regarding Hostages. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired December 17, 2023 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:01]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She kicked her feet up at the end to take her shoes off.

JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): But Ramon was too rattled to remember to take off her shoes. She never actually told Lina's mom who only found the mishap on video because she was helping grandpa look for his phone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would have been embarrassed if somebody saw me.

MOOS: Now millions have. Mom posted it on TikTok a year and a half after it was shot. Even a lullaby --

MUSIC: Rock-a-bye baby --

MOOS: -- would have made this a normal nap.

MUSIC: -- and down will come --

MOOS: Grandpa --

MUSIC: -- cradle and all.

MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: I would say the bars are too high for the grandpa, if you know what that means, they don't allow the little kids to escape. So, that was adorable.

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Exactly. We've been ending the show with a lot of singing this morning. So --

WALKER: Well, that sounded on tune.

The next morning of CNN THIS MORNING starts now.

(MUSIC)

JIMENEZ: Good morning, everyone. And welcome to CNN THIS MORNING. It's Sunday, December 17th. I'm Omar Jimenez, in for Victor Blackwell.

WALKER: Hello, Omar, good to be with you. I'm Amara Walker.

Here's what we're watching for you this morning.

Immigration is front and center on the campaign trail and on Capitol Hill. The Biden campaign is condemning former President Trump's newest offensive comments about immigrants, as the White House weighs what would be big concessions on border policy, while trying to secure funding for Ukraine.

Plus, severe weather is set to impact millions, especially along the East Coast. We are tracking who can expect the worst of it and when.

JIMENEZ: And in Israel, the IDF is facing new scrutiny after soldiers accidentally killed Israeli hostages in Gaza. We have the latest on efforts to free the hostages still in captivity.

And a man in Canada is charged with murder over suicide kits sold online. The impact of families here in the U.S. and in more than 40 countries.

WALKER: Former President Donald Trump is under fire once again for alarming comments made on the campaign trail. President Biden's campaign trail is calling out Donald Trump for, quote, parroting Adolf Hitler, in comments that Trump made at a rally in New Hampshire Saturday.

Now, Trump praised Russian President Putin, and two other authoritarian foreign leaders. He also called Biden a threat to democracy and doubled down on anti-immigration rhetoric, saying migrants are, quote, poisoning the blood of our country.

JIMENEZ: And while that's happening on the campaign trail, it's coming as the Senate and the Biden administration continue to negotiate on border policy changes in order to pass a supplemental funding package for aid to Ukraine and Israel. On Saturday, senators wrapped up in person meetings on Capitol Hill saying while there isn't an agreement yet, they are making progress. Senators are expected to resume negotiations this afternoon.

But let's go to CNN White House reporter Camila DeChalus.

Camila, how is the White House playing into these negotiations here?

CAMILA DECHALUS, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, there's a lot of urgency coming from the White House to get an immigration deal passed, in order to secure funding for Ukraine and Israel. Now, just yesterday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandra Mayorkas met with a bipartisan group of senators to try to hamper out a deal but the reality is that even if they secure enough votes in order for it to pass the Senate, he will still have to convince House Democrats to get on board with this deal.

Now, my colleagues and I have talked to several House Democrats, and they have expressed concerns over some of the concessions the White House has appeared to make. Now, there is still no finalized text of the deal, but we are hearing that some of the concessions include opposing more restricted asylum laws and expanding detentions, and increasing deportations from the country -- Omar, Amara.

JIMENEZ: Camila DeChalus, thank you so much. That's from the White House perspective.

And joining me now is CNN anchor and chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju.

Manu, good to see you as always.

So, let's go to the congressional side of things, what is the latest on that front?

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, negotiators are racing to try to get a deal by the end of today. And this is a critical moment in the talks all weekend long, a handful of senators from both parties, along with top administration officials have been trying to see if they can simply get an outline of a deal. And that is so significant because if they are able to get a deal, then they have a chance of getting this bill through the United States Senate, and that means that could unlock aid to Ukraine, and unlock aid to Israel.

Remember, Republicans have made a deal on border security and new border policies central to their demands in order to allow for aid to Ukraine and Israel to move forward, which is why Chuck Schumer, Senate majority leader, decided to bring back senators on Monday in the hopes of trying to advance this package and allow the critical aid package to be approved by the Senate.

[08:05:17]

But there are still so many hurdles, I am told, that there are major differences still between major sites, that even if they reach an agreement in principle tonight, they have to direct the legislative text, get it through the Senate, which is going to be no easy task, let alone the House. So, so many questions about whether they can actually get there, but the handful of senators, James Lankford, Kirsten Sinema, Chris Murphy, along with the leaders and the administration still trying to figure out if they can get a deal, and they plan to meet this afternoon to try to announce something as soon as tonight -- Omar.

JIMENEZ: And, yeah, Manuel, the Senate is obviously working, the House is out. So, I mean, when, if I should say, the Senate is able to get to a deal here, when we get back in January, it's still got not so sure path to the House. You have a sense of how the house GOP would react to any deal reached by the Senate at this point?

RAJU: Yeah, this is -- that's a great question because it's going to be an incredibly difficult road in the House, let alone the Senate, in getting a deal on an issue like immigration. You have people from the left who are already rebelling against what the president is offering in these talks. And then you have folks on the right, including the leader of the

House Freedom Caucus, Bob Good, who had caught up with earlier this week, he made clear that he wants Republicans to stick to their hard- line positions that passed the House earlier this month, a bill called HR2 in order to get any deal going forward and resisting calls for a compromise.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. BOB GOOD (R-VA): We're going to fight vociferously for border security. We've already got a great border security bill HR2, that should be the House position. I'm encouraged that Speaker Johnson is affirming that our position, we don't need more legislation. We don't need more dollars. We need HR2.

We got to go back to doing things the right way. Today was an abysmal failure to pass this NDAA that was essentially Schumer's NDAA that really didn't contain the Republican wins that we fought for and passed out of our own NDAA back in the summer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: And that last comment referred to a major defense bill that passed the House earlier in the week. Bob Good there making clear he was not happy with the speaker deal making on that issue, which truly shows the pressure that the speaker will be under, if in fact a deal is reached in the Senate to free up Ukraine and Israel aid, and a compromise is reached on immigration. How does he get his conference in line and get it through the House which raises all sorts of questions about whether any deal can be passed in this divided Congress, Omar.

JIMENEZ: Yeah, and, look, we may have given a little bit of a precursor to it, but obviously, your -- you've got your show, "INSIDE POLITICS", later this morning. What do you have on top for us?

RAJU: Yeah. More of -- I will talk to Congressman Bob Good about how the House Freedom Caucus, that hard-line faction plans to position itself against the speaker of the House. We dig deep into the politics of abortion and the aftermath of some key decisions, including the Supreme Court to take up a major case involving abortion pill. I talked to a lot of Republicans about all these issues, and particularly about abortion politics.

And then, we get into immigration, the revolt on the left as the president dives deep and try to offer some deals here in addition to the latest on the campaign trail. So, a lot to dig into, I hope you'll tune in.

JIMENEZ: Yeah, a lot to dig into, but it makes me feel better that Manu Raju is the one that's digging into everything.

Manu, thank you so much.

RAJU: Yeah. JIMENEZ: And for everyone at home, be sure to tune into "INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY WITH MANU RAJU". That begins at 11:00 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

All right. AAA predicts a busy holiday season with over 115 million people planning to leave their homes, but a rapidly intensifying storm might just mess up some travel plans.

WALKER: Oh, yes. Right now, Florida is experiencing the storms first effects of heavy rain and powerful winds, and the storm is expected to move up the East Coast, putting more than 60 million people at risk for flooding.

Meteorologist Allison Chinchar is here at the weather center with more on what we need to know -- Allison.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, AMS METEOROLOGIST: That's right, good morning.

Yes. Well, at least the southern half of the state is finally starting to see at least a glimmer of a little bit of relief from the system as the bulk of that rain finally begins to shift a little farther to the north. The focus now for the heavy rain is Georgia, as well as the Carolinas, but that's going to slide up the East Coast in the next 24 to 36 hours. You still got flood watches in effect for northern Florida as well as southern Georgia, but you've also got pretty much up and down the Eastern Seaboard. We're talking over 60 million people under the potential for some flooding to occur in the next day or so.

Here's a look at that system by late this afternoon, the bulk of it really focused over the Carolinas. And then, as we move into the evening, it really becomes really focused over the mid-Atlantic region. By Monday morning, as you are starting off on your commute, maybe you are trying to get a head start on some of that holiday travel, it's going to be a very soggy one in the Northeast, especially for places like Philadelphia, New York, Boston, as well as Hartford, Connecticut, and even some snow coming down across areas of the Midwest, especially along the Great Lakes region.

[08:10:06]

So a city like Pittsburgh, get a start off with rain but then they're going to end up with snow by late Monday night and as we transition into Tuesday, also leading to some very slick roads. Widespread totals, 3 to 5 inches essentially from Georgia all the way up to Maine, that's what's going to be the big trigger here for flooding.

But you're also going to have to deal with coastal erosion and some coastal flooding, basically up and down that coastline of the entire eastern area.

West Palm Beach picking up wind gusts about 58, numerous, 50 to 60- mile-per-hour wind gusts already reported, likely going to continue to see more of those, not just in the south but especially as the system ramps up in the Northeast, you're going to likely see some pretty high wind gusts across Maine, Massachusetts, even stretching down into Connecticut as well as New York. That's where you've got a lot of these wind advisories and even high wind warnings in effect, again, those winds likely to bring perhaps some trees, and yes, even some power lines down in the next day or two.

WALKER: All right. Allison Chinchar, thank you very much. Appreciate those warnings.

Up next, former President Trump's latest attack on migrants. What he said and why the Biden campaign says it is something you would hear from Adolf Hitler.

Plus, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under fire over the accidental killings of three Israeli hostages. But he is not backing down amid international calls for a cease-fire.

Plus, it's one of the country's most famous roads, lined with luxury homes and beaches. Now, some are calling for some major safety improvements to parts of the Pacific Coast Highway also known as PCH following the deaths of dozens in recent years.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:15:54]

JIMENEZ: Former president and GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump was back on the campaign trail last night speaking to crowds in New Hampshire.

WALKER: He started by quoting Russian President Vladimir Putin while attacking President Biden, and doubling down on anti-immigration rhetoric.

Biden's campaign is already fighting back saying Trump, quote, parroted Adolf Hitler in his remarks.

Here's CNN's Steven Contorno.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Former President Donald Trump returns to the Granite State for the first time in a month, continuing around of political activity heading into the final weeks before voters start to cast ballots in the Republican presidential primaries. But during his remarks, President Trump continues the dark and what civil rights groups have said, xenophobic rhetoric about undocumented immigrants.

Take a listen to what he said.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT: They're poisoning the blood of our country, that's what they've done, they poison in mental institutions, and prisons all over the world. Not just in South America, not just in the three or four countries that we think about, but all over the world, they are coming into our country from Africa, from Asia, all over the world, they're pouring into our country.

CONTORNO: For former President Trump, the focus of many in the campaign have been to convince supporters not to be complacent. They know that they are leading in the polls and there's been a lot of coverage about how much they are leading in the polls, and they don't want their voters to think they don't want to show up at the caucuses or at the primaries. He said they need to, quote, weed out the insincere RINOs.

He also spent a lot of time talking about New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu who endorsed his rival Nikki Haley this week, the former South Carolina governor. Listen to what he had to say about Sununu.

TRUMP: So, what he did is his wish was whatever he could do to stop Trump, because he didn't like me and I didn't like him. But the thing is, I didn't like him.

I always felt guilty. I gave New Hampshire everything they asked for and much more. And it's hard to do that when you can't stand the governor, right? But a selfish guy --

CONTORNO: While Trump was in New Hampshire, many of his rivals were in Iowa, the first nominating say their caucuses are going to be on January 15th. DeSantis got there on Saturday, and he's going to be there for the next few days. Haley arrived Sunday and she will be spending the next few weeks there as well.

Trump, meanwhile, will return to the Hawkeye State on Tuesday.

Steve Contorno, CNN, Durham, New Hampshire.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALKER: All right. Steve, thank you very much.

And, right now, let's bring in "Politico" White House reporter Daniel Lippman for some perspective on the White House and beyond.

Good morning, Daniel. Good to see you.

DANIEL LIPPMAN, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, POLITICO: Good morning. Thank you.

WALKER: So, as you know, Biden's campaign condemned Trump's inflammatory comments on immigrants and his praise of autocrats. The statement reads in part: Tonight, Donald Trump channeled his role models as he parroted Adolf Hitler, praised Kim Jong Un, and quoted Vladimir Putin while running for president on a promise to rule as a dictator and threaten American democracy.

It goes on to say: He is betting he can win this election by scaring and dividing this country. He's wrong.

Daniel, is Trump wrong by betting on this hateful rhetoric? I mean, it worked in 2016 and he's currently the faraway Republican front runner.

LIPPMAN: Yeah, you make a good point. And so, the Biden campaign doesn't seem like they are, they're Bidenomics rhetoric is really working. And so, they've -- there is a lot of Democrats I've talked to who would like them to shift to more of that -- those comments that you read, where we are talking about him being a dictator for a day, about shredding the Constitution, about kind of taking the federal government into his own hands and going after his political opponents, and focusing less on the policy accomplishments of the Biden administration.

One other point is that while he talks about, you know, poisoning the blood of Americans, four of his kids have mothers who came to America, who were immigrants. And so, a lot of Americans don't make the distinction between illegal and legal immigrants when they hear that rhetoric.

WALKER: Let's listen to more of what Trump had to say, specifically about some autocrats. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Joe Biden is a threat to democracy. He is a threat. Even Vladimir Putin, has anybody ever heard of Vladimir Putin? Of Russia says that Biden's, and this is a quote, politically motivated persecution of his political rival is very good for Russia because it shows the rottenest of the American political system which cannot pretend to teach others about democracy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[08:20:15]

WALKER: He also referred to Viktor Orban, the president of Hungary, or the prime minister, as being highly respected, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as very nice.

But when you hear Trump there calling Biden a threat to democracy, obviously, he is trying to deflect, you know, from reports that he would seek revenge in a second term. Just remind us, Daniel, because Trump has clearly laid out, you know, his plans, what he would do in a second term. And we should mention, there are outside groups, Trump aligned outside groups who are waiting in the wings, working on crafting executive orders, studying the Constitution in anticipation of legal challenges, so Trump could invoke some of these policies that he has promised.

LIPPMAN: Yeah, there's something called a schedule F which they had to try to put in the last few days of the Trump administration, where they would make the civil service a political operation, basically, where they could fire thousands of civil servants who have a policy making role. And so, that could definitely harm how Americans receive services from their government if they have political hacks, and, you know, former Trump campaign interns making decisions on whether states, farms in blue states get aid from the USDA, for example, or the whole host of issues.

And so, I think there's a lot of swing voters who listen to that rhetoric and say, hey, how is this going to actually help me? I want to return to the good economy of the Trump years, not -- I don't want to have to -- I don't want to live in Viktor Orban's Hungary. WALKER: Uh-huh, yeah. And as Trump is talking about immigration, you

have senators negotiating over border policy. We are hearing that they are making progress. There is no deal yet, you know, which is obviously the hold up to this larger package, aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. What are you hearing about where things are going and how Congress plans to work through this very tight timeline before the holiday break?

LIPPMAN: Yeah, we may not get the house to approve this deal since they are already sent home. I think what Biden and Democrats are facing is a competing priorities. They want to fund Ukraine and Israel, but they also don't want to give too many concessions on the border, especially since a lot of younger, more progressive activists are pretty mad about how supportive they have been of Israel in the conflict. And so, they can't afford to lose to many of those voters and they don't want to violate their own principles of having America be a welcome welcoming country. But they also don't want to leave Ukraine up to Vladimir Putin's whims.

WALKER: Any indication as to what kind of concessions the White House is willing to give on tightening these asylum rules that they are discussing?

LIPPMAN: I think it's like taking the credible fear standard, and so, instituting that where, just, you know, they can't -- where there's just more of a strict version of asylum, where not everyone can claim asylum and also expedited removal of people who are illegally in this country.

WALKER: Lovely to see you. Daniel Lippman, thank you for your time.

LIPPMAN: Thank you.

WALKER: And coming up next on the "STATE OF THE UNION", Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie and Senator Joe Manchin will join Jake Tapper.

JIMENEZ: Still ahead for us, amid mounting calls for a cease-fire, the Israeli Prime Minister says the country is in a fight for its existence. He says military pressure is critical to bring hostages home -- up more, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:27:39]

WALKER: And Israel Defense Forces chief is taking responsibility for the accidental killing of those three Israeli hostages held by Hamas, vowing to prevent a similar incident in the future. And for those who are still being held captive, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is suggesting that talks to secure their release are ongoing.

That as CNN learns that a meeting on the hostages between the head of Israel's spy agency Mossad and the Qatari prime minister has now taken place. JIMENEZ: CNN's Alex Marquardt joins us now from Tel Aviv. Alex.

The IDF has called this mistake a malfunction. We've seen thousands of protesters taking to the streets. I mean, we have known that this dynamic of the Israeli goals of trying to eliminate Hamas, but also bring back the hostages, it's been one that they have been dealing with from the beginning.

But how much pressure is on Netanyahu here in the wake of these accidental killings?

ALEXANDER MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think, Omar and Amara, it was already enormous pressure. And that pressure only grew after that tragedy on Friday when those three Israeli hostages were killed by Israeli soldiers. We've had back-to- back nights of rallies and marches and protests. We were out there speaking with hostages who had been released already, the families of hostages, it is clear that they want Netanyahu and his government to do more, to be more proactive, to put a potential deal on the table with Hamas to get those hostages to come home.

I heard all kinds of fear about the hostages who are still in Gaza, fear for their lives given what we just saw, these three men who approached Israeli soldiers with a white flag, with no shirts on, to show that they were not dangerous. And yet, they were still killed. And so, there is a lot of concern, a lot of fear, and a lot of anger. And at the same time, last night, we heard from Prime Minister Netanyahu who expressed his sympathy and said that the country is in mourning. But he was very adamant that this war must continue until victory, he said, and then it is the military pressure, he believes, that will essentially get Hamas to agree to release more hostages.

Here's a little bit more of what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Without the military pressure, we would not have succeeded in creating an outline that led to the release of 110 hostages, and only continued military pressure will lead to the release of all of our hostages. My directed to the negotiating team is based on this pressure without which we would have nothing.

[08:29:46]

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUARDT: You heard there Netanyahu talking about his directions to the negotiating team. That is an indication that there are talks.

We have confirmed that the director of Mossad this weekend sat down with the Qatari prime minister who has been one of the main mediators. So it does appear, Omar and Amara that there is a bit of movement on those talks to get another group of hostages released.

WALKER: So a little bit of optimism to hold on to. Alex, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is due to be in Israel

tomorrow. And he has a clear message and goal, doesn't he?

MARQUARDT: He does. And he wants to be seen as not putting pressure on Israel. The administration does want to appear to be telling Israel what to do. But it is clear that is exactly what Austin is going to be doing.

The officials traveling with Austin say that he wants a very clear articulation of where Israel believes the fight stands and where it's going. The U.S. would like to see Israel transitioning from this high- intensity phase that is going on right now to a lower-intensity phase.

And the White House has already said they hope that happens in the near future. Omar, Amara.

JIMENEZ: Alex Marquardt, thank you so much.

And as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows the war will continue until victory, Israel is targeting a network of underground tunnels in Gaza like the one you see here that were built by Hamas to store ammunition and house its command centers.

WALKER: The Israeli military is now using sea water on what U.S. officials say they are told is a limited basis. They are flooding the tunnels in an attempt to test whether they can affect the larger tunnel network. It however has its risks.

CNN's Nic Robertson has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: The tunnels themselves are big. Big enough for fighters and their weapons seen here in this Hamas propaganda video, which was also posted by the Israel Defense Force. They are reinforced with concrete, too.

Two years ago, Hamas claimed to have built 500 kilometers, more than 300 miles of them. The tunnels are spread all over Gaza, this map over two years old.

The IDF says that they've discovered 800 tunnel shafts so far and have destroyed 500 of them. The entrances are often well-hidden.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a 20-meter tunnel.

ROBERTSON: As I was shown by the IDF near a Gaza hospital, really well-hidden which means the tunnels can be really hard to find.

The idea of flooding the tunnels using the abundant seawater that's along the many miles of Gaza's Mediterranean shore is apparently a creative idea, not just to destroy Hamas, and quite literally flush them out, but also to reach the parts of tunnels that might never be discovered from above ground.

Now, it's not without its risks. There could be hostages in those tunnels.

There are very few details about how precisely the water is getting into those tunnels, how much water, how fast it's going in, or what you do, if you suddenly discover you're flooding hostages other than the IDF say they have begun carefully testing it and that this method is being trailed (ph) on a limited, limited basis.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a tunnel --

ROBERTSON: Some of the tunnels are thought to be five floors deep. Some of the hostages who were freed have described them. This elderly hostage helped by her daughter.

YOCHEVED LIFSHITZ, FORMER HOSTAGE (through translator): We began walking inside the tunnels with the wet ground. It was moist all the time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are huge, huge networks of tunnels underneath. It looks like a spider web.

ROBERTSON: The IDF says it will proceed cautiously to make sure they are not flooding tunnels where the hostages are being held.

It's significant that more than six weeks into the ground campaign, this full scale of the tunnel problem is only now really becoming apparent, even controlling the streets above.

It's not enough to locate all the tunnels. So flooding seems to be the new best option to really probe the extent of the invisible subterranean network. Both destroying Hamas hiding there, and denying it their use.

[08:34:47]

ROBERTSON: Of course, a key caveat in success here is, if you can't find the tunnel, and it's not connected to a system you're already flooding, how effective can you be about flooding it and knowing that you're hitting, destroying the whole of the tunnel network?

Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALKER: All right. Nic Robertson, thank you for that.

Coming up, a disturbing story out of Canada. A man now faces murder charges after allegedly selling so-called "suicide kits" by mail to vulnerable people around the world. The details behind that investigation next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:39:54]

JIMENEZ: An international investigation is under way linked to so- called "suicide kits" that were sold online. WALKER: Authorities arrested a man in Canada who they say helped over

a dozen young people take their own lives by mailing them a lethal dose of a toxic salt. Police say there could be even more victims.

CNN's Paula Newton is following the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID PARFETT, SON DIED BY SUICIDE: Tom was just such a gifted kid.

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They are fathers an ocean apart --

DAVID RAMIREZ, DAUGHTER DIED BY SUICIDE: Such a light of bravery and freedom.

NEWTON: -- share a bond of anguish and outrage over their children's suicides. Deaths, they say would have never happened if someone had not allegedly marketed and sold them so-called "suicide kits" online.

Tom Parfett died in 2021 in England, Noelle Ramirez in 2022 in Colorado. Both died from using a substance legally found in smaller doses as a meat preservative, but can be fatal if used in larger quantities.

Canadian Kenneth Law is now charged in Ontario with 14 counts each of second-degree murder and counselling and aiding suicide. Police say, all 14 alleged victims are in Canada, but the investigation continues right around the world.

INSPECTOR SIMON JAMES, YORK REGIONAL POLICE: We are collaborating with law enforcement agencies on a daily basis globally from countries all over the world.

NEWTON: Inspector James says, Law may have sold more than 1,200 toxic packages online intended for self-harm to people in more than 40 countries.

JAMES: We ask that the public continue to be cautious and vigilant of their online activities.

NEWTON: In a statement to CNN, Law's lawyer says he will be pleading not guilty to all charges, and that those charges will be, "Vigorously contested in court."

While the investigation continues, so far, without any charges filed outside of Canada, both fathers believe more can and should be done.

PARFETT: Within two to three months, I'd actually ordered poison from Ken Law. At the time, I did not know that it was the exact same path as my son had taken, but it really demonstrated how easy it was.

It's actually cost lives. There was an opportunity there for police, for authorities to close this down and close this down quickly.

RAMIREZ: You can't buy a bomb online and have it delivered. This chemical is deadly.

NEWTON: A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers is trying to pass legislation that would ban the sale of the substance in higher concentrations. But for now, it remains available online in the U.S. and many countries.

The British National Crime Agency tells CNN, it believes at least 89 people have died in the U.K. alone in a recent two-year period after purchasing the toxic packages online.

RAMIREZ: Well, even if just for 14, you know, there in Ontario, I know that it should mean that, hopefully, he'll never be able to hurt anyone else.

But again, there's just so many other families who've been impacted and who are hurting that I hope that they can feel some justice as well.

NEWTON: Tom and Noelle's family share an unrelenting belief that were it not for the poison their children bought online, they'd be alive today.

PARFETT: Without any doubt.

RAMIREZ: I believe with my whole heart that my daughter would be here. She was a good person. We kept her safe. We kept her safe. We couldn't -- I guess, we couldn't keep her safe from everything.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Amara, Omar -- I mean such a difficult story to tell for these parents and yet they felt it was so important that other families heed the warning here.

And again, part of the problem they say was the encouragement their children received online, that it was actually ok for them to commit suicide and then a step-by-step plan as to how to do it.

As for Kenneth Law he said he has pled not guilty. He will appear in court this week in Canada. But obviously, heartbreaking, especially when you consider the scope of the investigation. 40 countries, more than 1,200 kits mailed.

JIMENEZ: A heartbreaking story, especially when you consider, as you said, the network of how widespread this ended up being.

Thank you so much, Paula Newton for that reporting, really important.

For everyone watching, if you or someone you know needs help, you can call or text 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. It's free and confidential.

We'll be right back.

[08:44:52]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALKER: The Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu is known for its luxury homes and beautiful beaches. But the scenic highway also has a fatal history -- 58 deaths there since 2010.

The recent deaths of four students from Pepperdine University in Malibu have sparked calls for safety improvements.

JIMENEZ: And a father of a previous victim is spearheading these efforts.

CNN's Camilla Bernal reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Malibu, California -- the beauty, the beaches, the celebrities.

BRIDGET THOMPSON, FRIEND KILLED IN PCH CRASH: It looks beautiful but it doesn't sound beautiful.

BERNAL: For Bridget Thompson, the beauty of Malibu was taken by this.

Four young women, students were killed in a violent crash on Tuesday night.

Prosecutors say a driver going more than 100 miles an hour on this Malibu highway slammed into parked cars before hitting and killing four Pepperdine University students.

[08:49:55]

THOMPSON: It feels like four huge holes in my heart.

Deslyn was my first friend at Pepperdine. Lit up every room she walked into. Niamh (ph) was my roommate. We grew super, super close. She was kind of like my other half. Asha was so wise. Wise beyond her years. Peyton was the most selfless person I've ever met. So generous.

BERNAL: At least 58 people have died on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu since 2010.

Bridget says she could be dead too. She was supposed to be with her friends that night but had a late cheer practice. She's now among those demanding safety changes to the PCH.

THOMPSON: If change isn't made, personally, I'll feel unheard and I'll feel like they are unseen, undervalued.

MICHEL SHANE, EMILY SHANE'S FATHER: My heart was breaking for those families.

BERNAL: Film producer Michel Shane knows what the Pepperdine families are going through. He lost his own daughter Emily on the PCH in 2010, a claustrophobic tourist mecca of million-dollar homes, beaches and fast cars. SHANE: You are 6, 8 inches away from a two-lane freeway going north or

south. And that is scary.

BERNAL: Emily Shane died at the intersection now named in her honor. Her father was minutes away from picking her up.

SHANE: Probably about ten or 15 minutes later they came out and told me that she had died.

BERNAL: Sobbing, Michel called his wife Ellen.

SHANE: Ellen thought I was Emily because she knew what was going on and figured that I had handed her the phone because I was crying. And I said, no, Ellen, it is me and then I had to tell her what happened.

BERNAL: Shane made a documentary pushing for change to the dangerous 21-mile section of PCH in Malibu.

SHANE: 58 people in 13 years. It is unbelievable. And the fact that we're complacent about it is outrageous.

BERNAL: Synchronized stoplights and added patrols are among officials' latest steps, but some want speed cameras and the highway turned into a slow boulevard.

Caltrans told CNN its top priority is safety and that changes being studied include bike lanes and whether it can legally lower speed limits.

Bridget Thompson just wants to spare someone else the pain she'll live with forever.

THOMPSON: I just really don't want them to die in vain.

BERNAL: Camila Bernal, CNN -- Malibu, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALKER: So many tragic stories. Thank you, Camila Bernal, for your reporting. We'll be right back.

[08:52:42]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALKER: The Detroit Lions are one win away from going to the playoffs for the first time in seven years.

JIMENEZ: Coy wire is here with us. Coy, I know a lot of Detroit fans are sitting and have been waiting a long time for a season like this..

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. This is Lions' first ten-win season, nearly a decade but they are on a mission to win their first league championship in almost 70 years.

Detroit hosting Russell Wilson and the (INAUDIBLE) did 1 - 6 over the last 7. But Darren Goffin, and the boys, man they were rolling. Goff through five touchdowns, three of them to a rookie and Sam LaPorta becoming the first rookie tight-end in 60 years with 700 yards and seven scores.

There is another rookie, too. Jamir Gibbs. Their other stud busting into the end zone and watch them on St. Brown. (INAUDIBLE) do a little touchdown dance.

The Lions fans head over heels, right. So is St. Brown. Texas out soaring and scoring had head over heels and scoring, 42-17 Detroit wins and they get one next week in Minnesota. They're going to be NFC North champions for the first time.

Overtime thriller in Cincinnati. Bengals down 7 with under a minute to go. They need a prayer. Jake Browning throws it up and Tige Higgins answers an incredible grab over (INAUDIBLE) and then somehow he reaches and stretches out like spandex on a sperm whale to get that thing in there. All while (INAUDIBLE) out of bounds.

That forced overtime and watch Browning go to work in OT again. Former top five quarterback prospect in high school. He's undrafted out of college. He was cut by Minnesota and now here Joe Burrow's back up, and he's taking it to the team that he says never should have let him go.

Great pass to Tyler Boyd (ph) to set up this game-winning field goal. Bengals against all odds are 3-0 with Browning as their starter and firmly in control of their playoff destiny.

Phenomenal Finish in the STX (ph) semifinals. In the second overtime, Montana scoring and goes for two with a trick play. Receiver Junior Burgen throws that pass somehow was caught by Kalen White. The eventual game winner over powerhouse North Dakota State who'd won nine of the last 12 titles, the Griz (ph) headed to the championship game to face the defending champs South Dakota State next weekend.

Massive day in sports all across the board, former president Trump was in Vegas for UFC 296 and Howard alum, VP Kamala Harris cheering on her Bison yesterday in Atlanta in an HBCU clash against Florida A&M. The Rattlers hoping to pull off the biggest comeback in celebration bowl history and history is made. The flea-flicker, what, in the fourth, as Fam U rallied for 14 downs, to win 30-26.

Finally turn up your volume and listen to NFL legend Rob Gronkowski belting his heart out, God love him, at the L.A. Bowl. Listen.

[08:59:52]

(MUSIC)

WIRE: Oh my God. Yes, we'll spare you that last note. Gronk -- you have to give him an A for effort. Maybe. He's been working on that.

(CROSSTALK)

WALKER: Luckily we are out of town because Omar had promised to belt some tunes for us.

JIMENEZ: I know. Sorry.

WALKER: We don't have the time for it.

JIMENEZ: I guess the show is over.

WALKER: Bye.

JIMENEZ: We'll have to do it next time.

Thanks for joining us, everyone.

Thanks for having me.

WALKER: Thanks for being with us too, Coy.

"STATE OF THE UNION" is next.

Have a great day, everyone.