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The Countdown to 2024 is On; Special Counsel Smith Pushes Back on Trump's Immunity Claim; Interview with Chicago Sun-Times Washington Bureau Chief Lynn Sweet; Biden Facing Border Crisis; Authorities Prepare for New Year's Eve in Times Square; Netanyahu: War Against Hamas "Will Continue for Months"; Interview with Journalist Elliott Gotkine; Russia Intensifies Attacks on Ukraine; Ukraine Attacks Russia; Biden Calls for Congress to Pass Additional Military Aid to Ukraine. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired December 31, 2023 - 06:00   ET

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

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[06:00:00]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Good morning. I'm Victor Blackwell. You'll see Amara Walker later this afternoon.

It is the last day of 2023 in the U.S., but look at this, it's 2024 already in New Zealand. Fireworks there at the Sky Tower lighting up Auckland. Let's just take a break and listen to what's happening there.

Hear all the oohs, aahs. Apparently, they love their fireworks there in Auckland. So, it's 2024 there. Fiji is up next. And then, we've got Australia coming. So, we'll see the fireworks in Sydney at 8:00 Eastern. Of course, we're about 18 hours away on the East Coast from 2024. We will be together for the next three.

All right. Let's go to the news now. A new court filing. Special Counsel Jack Smith is laying out one of his first goals of the new year, and that's to get Donald Trump's immunity claims thrown out for good. This is a new 80-page motion. Smith is asking an appeals court to move quickly. He writes that the arguments the former president has been making threaten to undermine democracy. CNN's Zachary Cohen picks it up from here.

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Special Counsel Jack Smith is arguing that the former President Donald Trump is wrong in claiming he should have absolute immunity from criminal prosecution in the federal election subversion case, and he's asking a federal appeals court to move quickly in hopes of preventing the March 4th trial date from being delayed.

Now, this is in a new court filing by Smith in which he says Trump's claim of absolute immunity "threatens to license presidents to commit crimes to remain in office." Smith also emphasizing the historical importance of the court's decision, warning that granting Trump such broad immunity "threatens the democratic and constitutional foundation of our republic." This filing is coming ahead of oral arguments. Those are set to be beginning in Washington on January 9th. The trial was initially scheduled to begin on March 4th, but Trump has been trying to delay that and his fight over the immunity claim really underscoring those efforts. But if the appeals court moves quickly, it could keep the original trial date from sliding.

And with the looming presidential campaign only months away, it's clear that timing is critical for both sides in this case.

Zachary Cohen, CNN, Washington.

BLACKWELL: Thank you, Zach. With me now to discuss this and a lot more, Lynn Sweet, Washington Bureau Chief for the Chicago Sun-Times. Lynn good morning to you.

Let me start with a portion of this filing. I'll read it for you. Smith writes, it is the defendant's claim that he cannot be held to answer for the charges that he engaged in an unprecedented effort to retain power through criminal means, despite having lost the election. That threatens the democratic and constitutional foundation of our republic.

This previews the oral arguments that are coming. It seems straightforward here, the approach that Smith is going to be taking.

LYNN SWEET, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Well, it does and it doesn't, because the argument that the president is not immune -- is immune from prosecution is a novel one, Victor. This has never been ever brought up in the history of the United States. So, what might seem straightforward may not be on some technical grounds that the justices may find, And that's the difference.

And then one other thing, the president. is also arguing that he can't be charged with any crime under the double immunity jeopardy clause of the constitution. And here's what Jack Smith says to address that -- oh, and Jack Smith says that Trump cannot argue that because he had a second impeachment, he's immune from criminal charges because he says in the filing yesterday that being terminated from or prevented from obtaining a job is qualitatively different than facing a prison term or execution.

So, it seems straightforward to us as Jack Smith says in the filing, well, it's just common-sense intuition may not be that way with the justices when surely it will get there.

BLACKWELL: Of course, we'll have to watch those oral arguments. That's the legal side of this. Let's talk political. Because I guess say Governor Chris Christie, what's been interesting to watch is that the Republican primary opponents have sided with Donald Trump in almost all these legal fights.

[06:05:00]

Do you expect anything to change on this question of absolute immunity as this case moves forward? SWEET: I think anything can change right now because Christie, Nikki Haley, Governor DeSantis, they have got to do something to put a dent in the momentum that Donald Trump has, as you have covered and everyone has seen, every time that there's another charge or allegation filed against the president or made politically, all it does is make him stronger.

So, yes, I do think that these candidates may adjust, especially after the -- especially as it gets closer to a court ruling, then they may just decide to wait.

BLACKWELL: Speaking of having to do something, Ambassador Nikki Haley seems that she has to continue to talk about or at least clarify her answer about the cause of the Civil War and omitting slavery from the answer on Wednesday night. This is what she said most recently about that. Here she is on Fox.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIKKI HALEY, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yes, of course. The first thing I should have said was slavery. I completely agree with that. When you grow up in the south, slavery is a given. Like, when you think of the Civil War, you know it was about slavery. That's not -- you know, that's never been in question.

And, you know, you look, in fact, I'm a Southern governor who actually asked and got the confederate flag to come down in front of the state house.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Do you think that this is going to cause challenges for her, be problematic for her in Iowa, especially in New Hampshire where she seems to have the best chance of getting close to Trump in the final count?

SWEET: Victor, split decision. I don't think this will matter as much in Iowa as it will in New Hampshire where she made these controversial remarks. She has an interesting mea culpa, though. She's trying to shift the conversation from what she said to what she did when she did order the confederate flag removed from the South Carolina State House.

This is a tactic that may work. This controversy came in the holiday season. People are busy. But the place where it could do her the most damage is where the people, the voters probably heard it the most, and that's in New Hampshire where it's the second vote after Iowa which right now every prediction has that Donald Trump will win in a round.

BLACKWELL: Governor Christie is trying to frame this, not so much that, you know she intentionally omitted slavery because of some issue of race that she is -- in his words, a slip -- slick, slippery politician. Is that narrative solidifying cementing anywhere?

SWEET: Well, I think it has a potential because it was an answer that will not work in a general election if she ever became a nominee. Because, you know, what she's trying to say is, well, of course, who doesn't know what I was talking about is wishful thinking. It's an attempt. That's why I'm saying she needs to flip it from what she said to what she did.

So, I just think it's damaging, but will this help Chris Christie? Chris Christie has to do things to gain for himself besides try and take down Nikki Haley. So, I don't know if this is going to be a determinative tactic that will have the result that Christie wants.

BLACKWELL: Let's look at the Democrats here, and specifically the issue of immigration. We'll get back into -- at least they will, the conversations about changes to the immigration law in exchange for a foreign aid is this big package that Republicans in the White House are trying to negotiate.

We now have the mayors of these democratically led cities who are petitioning the White House for some change, for some support, as Greg Abbott continues to bus in tens of thousands of migrants into these cities. If you look at the start of this in the summer of 2022, Mayor Eric Adams of New York was meeting the migrants at the bus terminal, welcoming them into the city, and now, he's signed an executive order to put restrictions on the buses and threatening arrests related to the bus drivers in these companies if they don't follow these rules.

How vulnerable is this administration, this president on the issue of immigration?

SWEET: Extremely vulnerable, and I follow closely what Mayor Brandon Johnson is doing in Chicago where that city council has given the power to the legal authorities to impound buses. All that meant, by the way, is that Governor Abbott chartered planes to bring people in.

So, here's why this is a divisive and potently damaging issue, is that it divides Democrats. It divides the Biden base. Because the reality is the cities, Chicago, New York, are overloaded at capacity. These are welcoming cities, sanctioning cities, but the political reality, the governing reality is it's an enormous job to deal with housing and health and safety and education for migrants who are coming in at this heavy pace, Victor. It's not enough to have well intentions.

[06:10:00]

Now, these mayors are finding that they have to find millions of dollars to take care of these migrants. In Chicago alone, the mayor took $95 million out of what had been an operating budget in recent days and said, I'm going to have to put this to dealing with the migrant crisis.

BLACKWELL: providing housing in those cold, cold Chicago winters.

SWEET: Yes.

BLACKWELL: Lynn Sweet, starting us off on a Sunday morning. Happy New Year to you.

SWEET: Happy New Year, Victor. BLACKWELL: Still ahead this morning, we're just under 18 hours away from the famous ball drop at Times Square. The lead up to the celebration, authorities in New York City are working to make sure that everyone is safe. So, we'll get into what that looks like.

Plus, the war between Israel and Hamas will not end anytime soon. Israel's president and the prime minister that vow that the fighting will go on for months,

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[06:15:00]

BLACKWELL: Law enforcement agencies across the country are working to keep all the New Year's celebrations safe. In New York, officials there, they're emphasizing their focus on potential lone wolf attacks, attributing heightened concern to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

It's important to note that officials say there are no specific threats to Times Square event. Nothing that's clear at this point. CNN's Polo Sandoval picks it up.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Victor, as you know, security is always extra tight here in Times Square every New Year's Eve. However, this year, authorities will certainly be operating with a heightened sense of alert. That's according to assessment -- security assessment that's been obtained by CNN that now shows that a collection of law enforcement agencies, that includes the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and certainly the NYPD.

Now, saying that the conflict right now between Israel and Hamas has created what they describe as a heightened threat environment. Specifically, the Intelligence Community growing increasingly worried about the possibility of those difficult to predict lone wolf attacks, these unsophisticated attacks that we've seen in years past.

Just take last year for example in which an individual that law enforcement later described as a homegrown violent extremist attacked law enforcement officers at a security checkpoint. It's one of the reasons why authorities will certainly be operating with that heightened sense of alert according to the NYPD Super Patrol. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN M. CHELL, CHIEF OF PATROL, NEW YORK POLICE: So, lone wolf attacks are very tough. But like you saw last year, unfortunately we had a lone wolf attack about 10:00 at night. But our cops were aware of their surroundings. They reacted quickly.

It's imperative that our cops be aware of their surroundings, stand tall, and react quickly to training. And that's what they did last year.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SANDOVAL: And similar to years past, the NYPD has rolled out a long list of items that are prohibited for anybody who plans to spend New Year's Eve here in Times Square later tonight. They include large bags, umbrellas.

Also, interesting this year, New York City Mayor Eric Adams saying that that security zone will basically be expanded to create a sort of buffer zone between the folks that are gathering here and the rest of New York City. This in light of these demonstrations that we've seen play out here in New York City since the war broke out in the Middle East. Victor, back to you.

BLACKWELL: Polo. Meteorologist Allison Chinchar is in the CNN Weather Center. Allison, confetti only. The only thing we want falling from the skies on New Year's Eve. What's the weather we should expect?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I can agree with that. And yes, and I will say, honestly, in most cases, that's all that is going to fall, and that's good news.

Here is a live look again. Sun has yet to really come up. Temperature is not too bad, hovering right around that 40-degree mark. It's going to be pretty similar for tonight across New York. The one thing we're watching, though, is this low-pressure system right here across the Midwest, because that's going to dive south and east as we head into tonight, potentially taking with it some of the snow showers and even a little bit that wintry mix that we're seeing now. That's why you have these winter weather advisories out. That includes Green Bay, Milwaukee, Madison, Wisconsin, even around Cedar Rapids, down through Chicago.

The good news here is these advisories are expected to drop off the back half of the day. So, any plans tonight look a little bit better than conditions are currently.

Out to the west, our next system. Look at how close this gets to midnight time frame tonight. But I think a lot of folks in Southern California are really going to get lucky, and the bulk of this rain is going to remain offshore at least until we get into the day Monday. So, if you have some outdoor plans, say San Diego around Santa Monica, Los Angeles, weather conditions should be good to go for tonight.

The biggest concern is this low-pressure system here in the Midwest, as it dives down to the south and east as we get later on tonight. So, this is a time stamp look at midnight tonight. So yes, you can see places like Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Scranton, even Syracuse, all looking at the potential for some of those snow showers tonight, right around that midnight time frame.

Now, one bit of good news is we're not talking a tremendous amount of snow. Most of these areas, it's kind of going to be a rain snow mix, mostly even drizzle and maybe some light flurries. But in the few areas that do get accumulation, you're talking maybe one, two inches at absolute most. So, nothing tremendous, but still, something to keep in mind if you have some outdoor plans there. As for New York City itself, for the ball drop, temperatures leading up kind of hovering into those low 40s. There is a chance you may have a straight piece of drizzle sprinkle here and there. But overall, it's just expected to be mostly cloudy skies as we head into the festivities. 40 degrees also may not sound all that warm, but it's certainly much warmer than previous years.

[06:20:00]

Back in 2018, it was only nine degrees at the ball drop. But last year, however, it was a little bit warmer. It's hopped out at about 54 degrees. So, again, somewhere right in the middle, maybe slightly warmer than it should be this time of year.

Otherwise, everywhere else across the country, not too bad. Here in Atlanta, you're looking at ball drop temperatures right around 44 degrees. Midnight in Dallas, topping at around 43. Pretty chilly in Denver, 27, but most of those snow showers should exit the area. So, you are looking at relatively dry conditions. San Francisco looking at that temperature around 52.

As for New Year's Day itself, the unlikely places to have nice weather, it's certainly going to be portions of Southern California as well as areas of Arizona and then, wrapping up this low-pressure system here in the Mid Atlantic. Victor, back to you.

BLACKWELL: All right. You ever done Times Square at New Year's, Allison?

CHINCHAR: I have not. I can honestly say, Victor, that is just not my thing. That's too many people for me. Way too many people.

BLACKWELL: I wanted to do it, but then I always think about the bathroom thing. It's like --

CHINCHAR: Yes.

BLACKWELL: -- now, I'm just standing here in the pen and, you know.

CHINCHAR: Yes. No, thanks.

BLACKWELL: Yes. So, all right.

CHINCHAR: Yes.

BLACKWELL: Allison Chinchar, watch the weather for us. Thanks so much.

Still to come, Russia intensifying its attacks on Ukraine and now Ukrainian attacks in Russia. President Biden pleading with Congress to get more aid for Ukraine.

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[06:25:00]

BLACKWELL: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims that the war against Hamas will continue for months.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): The war is at its height. We are fighting on all of the fronts. We have huge success, but we also have painful cases. Achieving victory will require time. As the Chief of Staff has said, the war will continue for many more months.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Netanyahu also claimed that Israel's military has killed more than 8,000 terrorists so far. The Hamas-run Ministry of Health says that at least 22 -- or I should say almost 22,000 people in Gaza and 56,000 people there wounded -- 22,000 killed 56,000 wounded. CNN cannot independently verify either of those numbers.

Joining me now is journalist Elliott Gotkine from Tel Aviv. So, what has the reaction been so far to these statements from Netanyahu?

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: Victor, I think we just have to remind ourselves who Netanyahu is addressing with those words, and he's trying to please many different constituents. So, he's speaking to the Israeli people, of course, to assure them that Israel will continue with its objectives of destroying Hamas militarily so that it can never repeat the massacre 7th it carried out.

At the same time, he's addressing those demonstrators, thousands of them, opposite where Netanyahu was speaking last night in the renamed hostages square, which is opposite the defense ministry headquarters, keeping up the pressure on the government to do everything that it can to make it the number one priority to get the more than 100 hostages who are still being held in captivity, who were kidnapped on October the 7th to the Gaza Strip to get them back home.

He's also, of course, addressing the United States, expressing his gratitude to the United States for its support of the U.N. Security Council and also for the provisions of weapons. And I suppose he's also addressing Hamas to tell them that this war will continue, that Israel will not relent in this war until it's achieved its objectives.

But of course, at the same time, pressure is growing regarding the hostage situation. This was one of the few newish things that Netanyahu said, which he seemed to be implying that some kind of deal could be in the offing for another truce that would see at least some of those hostages returned to Israel. But he doesn't want to get everyone's hopes up.

And indeed, this would be -- this would also reflect what we saw Axios reporting in recent days, talking about Qatari mediators telling Israelis that Hamas has agreed in principle to a truce of pause in fighting for up to a month in exchange for returning 40 of those hostages. So, talks at least seem to be moving in the direction of another truce. Victor.

BLACKWELL: Elliott, thank you very much. Joining me now is CNN Political and National Security Analyst, David Sanger, White House and national security correspondent for "The New York Times.:" David. Good morning to you.

So, Netanyahu says that this war will continue for months. How long will he continue to enjoy the full-throated support of this administration, considering over the first nearly three months, the shift, at least rhetorically, that we've seen from the Biden administration?

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: You know, it's a fascinating question, Victor, on which we have conflicting evidence. So, the administration has been pushing Prime Minister Netanyahu to move to what they call a different phase, meaning much more targeted special operations against the Hamas leadership, but an end to what the president briefly last weekend referred to as indiscriminate bombing. And of course, you've seen more of that and the death toll rise in the past week.

At the same time on Friday night, Secretary of State Antony Blinken approved or told Congress that he had approved an emergency shipment of 155-millimeter artillery shells to Israel. This is not what they've been using in Gaza, but it was the second time that they picked a Friday night to announce an emergency shipment that sort of gets around the usual process with Congress, and they're getting pushback even from close allies like Senator Tim Kaine who wrote a letter yesterday that really struck me for the way it chastised the administration for going around Congress in this method.

[06:30:00]

SANGER: So, I think you're seeing pressure now from Congress, even the way it chastised the administration for going around Congress in this -- in this method. So, I think you're seeing pressure now from Congress, even from Democrats, to begin to reign this in.

BLACKWELL: Let's turn now to Ukraine and Russia's war after its invasion. After we saw the days of those drone attacks from Russia on Ukraine and the major cities there, Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv as well, we've now seen an attack from Ukraine in the Russian city of Belgorod. And Russia says that the death toll from that is now up to 24, more than 100 wounded. That's likely retaliation for the Russian attacks in the Ukrainian cities. What does this portend for this next phase of that war?

SANGER: Well, nothing good, Victor, because what we see now happens is that on the main battlefield in the south and the east, both sides are dug in, very little progress. What little progress or has been has really been on the Russian side. And I think that both sides are now viewing that as a static part of the war. And the only way they could make differences -- make a difference is with these attacks on the cities.

And so, you saw the Russians try to overwhelm the Ukrainian air defenses, which the United States and Britain in particular have built up in recent times with this massive missile and drone attack two nights ago. And then the Ukrainians come back with this attack over the Russian border to make it clear to Putin that he too would suffer civilian losses.

And what worries me about this is that while it's completely understandable that both sides are reaching out in this way, this is how wars escalate rapidly. And I could easily imagine us back in a situation where the Russians are making the kinds of threats to reach for nuclear or other unusual weapons if there was a significant increase in casualties on the Russian side. We haven't heard that in many a month, but I could imagine it happened.

BLACKWELL: David, any indication that the conditions and the escalations in either of these wars is I guess influencing the negotiations between the White House and Republicans in Congress and the urgency of passing any aid for Israel or for Ukraine?

SANGER: You know, I haven't seen it. Now, partly that's because Congress is out. And, you know, so I'm sure that will ramp back up and maybe it's taking place quietly. But also, every time the administration turns around and does one of these emergency provisions of arms, it sort of takes the pressure off of those in Congress who are opposing this saying, you know, let Biden own this some more.

So, the big crunch will come in a week or so when Congress is back. And of course, a lot of that is going to focus on the section of this bill that goes for money for the border.

BLACKWELL: David Sanger, thank you. Happy New Year.

2024 officially kicked off on the other side of the world. Right now, the party is going on in New Zealand. People there ringing in the new year. Of course, we'll continue to follow all the celebrations throughout the day. So, stay with CNN.

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[06:38:23]

BLACKWELL: Homeland Security says authorities have encountered more than 225,000 migrants along the U.S.-Mexican border in December. That's the highest monthly total since 2000. The federal government has more than 11,700 migrant children in its custody. And mayors of these so-called sanctuary cities, New York, Chicago, Denver, they're taking measures into their own hands and they're attempting to slow the flow of migrants that Texas Governor Greg Abbott is sending. They're requiring now bus operators to coordinate arrivals under the threat of impound, fines, even jail time. Here, CNN's Camila Bernal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): A breaking point at the U.S.-Mexico border as preliminary Homeland Security statistics show authorities encountered more than 225,000 migrants so far in December, the highest monthly total recorded in more than 20 years. And from the border to cities all over the U.S. struggling to keep up because this welcome comes at a cost.

MIKE JOHNSTON (D), MAYOR, DENVER: When you're talking about 10 percent of the budget to allocate for cities on this, that's unsustainable. When we have every single hotel room in the city full of migrants that have arrived, that's unsustainable.

BERNAL (voiceover): For months, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has bussed thousands of migrants to these cities led by Democrats, resulting in turmoil and straining resources.

BRANDON JOHNSTON (D), MAYOR, CHICAGO: You know, at one point in the summer, we had 25, 30 buses showing up every single day without any coordination or any notification. He is now sending buses outside of the city of Chicago. In some instances, 100 miles away where people are being dropped off, they're being told they are in the city of Chicago, literally dropped off in the middle of nowhere. I find that to be inhumane and unconscionable.

BERNAL (voiceover): Some smaller municipalities have passed ordinances to try to stop the drop-offs, while the mayors of Chicago, Denver, and New York City are asking the federal government for help.

ERIC ADAMS (D), MAYOR, NEW YORK CITY: I think much more could be done, and with all of our national leaders from a decompression strategy to making sure the cost of this is not falling on the lapse of everyday taxpayers in our cities.

BERNAL (voiceover): They are also demanding for coordinated drop-offs with exact times and locations to dedicate the appropriate resources.

JOHNSTON: What we need is every one that gets paroled into this country should have the ability to work as soon as they enter. They should have federal dollars to help support them in the cities that they arrive in. And we should have a coordinated national plan for where those folks arrive.

BERNAL (voiceover): In a statement, a spokesperson for Abbott accused the Democrat mayors of hypocrisy, saying they're now going to extreme lengths to avoid fulfilling their self-declared sanctuary city promises. The statement also said the mayors should call on their party leader to finally do his job and secure the border, something he continues refusing to do.

But some activists believe the crisis at the border takes Republicans, Democrats, and all levels of government to solve.

PEDRO RIOS, AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE: And if the governments are not doing that, then most likely what we'll see is people will be further traumatized and harmed. And likely we will see more people die as a result of the inability of governments to really address the humanitarian needs that asylum seekers have.

BERNAL (voiceover): Camila Bernal, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Thank you, Camila.

A bombshell celebrity tell-all, Barbies Box Office domination and strikes that brought Hollywood to a halt. A look at the biggest entertainment stories of 2023 next.

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[06:46:17]

BLACKWELL: Hollywood was on strike for a lot of this year, but there are still plenty of entertainment stories to talk about. Here's CNN Stephanie Elam with the top 10 entertainment stories of 2023.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Barbie takes over the box office. Britney and Prince Harry spilled their own tea. And Hollywood goes on strike.

ELAM: Behind the scenes and in front of the camera, it was a wild year from start to finish. Here's a look at the top entertainment stories of the year.

LISA VANDERPUMP, TV PERSONALITY: I didn't see it coming. Nobody saw it coming.

ELAM (voiceover): Reacting to news that cast members Tom Sandoval and Rachel Leviss had carried on an affair unbeknownst to fan favorite Ariana Madix.

TOM SANDOVAL, TV PERSONALITY: Do you want anything?

ARIANA MADIX, TV PERSONALITY: For you to die.

ELAM (voiceover): The betrayal sent viewers spiraling as Madix received an apology from the pair. Ratings for the show reportedly doubled as the drama played out.

Coming in at number nine, the end of a TV dynasty.

LOGAN ROY, CHARACTER, SUCCESSION: I love you, but you are not serious people.

ELAM (voiceover): After four-storied seasons, HBO's hit series Succession bowed out with thunderous praise as Logan Roy's adult children engaged in business battles and betrayals to take over the family empire.

SIOBHAN ROY, CHARACTER, SUCCESSION: Exited to get into this knife fight?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's blow it up.

ELAM (voiceover): Critics and fans largely agreed the series finale was a knockout finish to their Succession obsession.

Number eight belongs to the Avengers actor Jeremy Renner, who made a remarkable recovery after he was crushed by his runaway snowplow outside his home in Nevada. He broke more than 30 bones and suffered internal injuries. But just over three months later, Renner was back on the red carpet for his Disney Plus show, Rennervations.

Number seven, Ed Sheeran's courtroom battle. Did the pop star copy Marvin Gaye? The family of the co-writer of Let's Get It On filed a lawsuit against Sheeran, saying his thinking out loud wrongfully used melodies from the 1973 classic. A jury found the Grammy winner independently created his song and did not infringe on any copyrights.

Number six, a serious health scare for Jamie Foxx. The Oscar-winning actor was hospitalized in April, but hasn't publicly disclosed why. Rumors ran rampant about his condition for months, until July when he resurfaced on social media.

JAMIE FOXX, ACTOR: I went to hell and back, and my road to recovery had some potholes as well.

ELAM (voiceover): Foxx found himself in some legal troubles as well. He faces a sexual assault and battery lawsuit dating back to an alleged incident from 2015. He denies the claims.

Number five on our list, the stars tell all. Prince Harry did it, so did Britney. They led the long line of celebrities who published a memoir in 2023.

PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: Writing this book has been a cathartic experience.

ELAM (voiceover): Prince Harry's explosive memoirs details his highly publicized split from the senior Royals. And in The Woman in Me, Britney Spears writes about public scrutiny, rocky relationships, her court-ordered conservatorship, and the Free Brittany Movement, saying, finally, I'm roaring back to life.

Number four, Barbie kicked off a summer of pink fever. She revived a cultural phenomenon, broke Box Office records, and unlocked a women- powered boost to the economy.

[06:50:12]

Taylor Swift's Eras Tour became the highest-grossing concert tour of all time, according to Polestar. Beyonce sold out concert arenas with her highly anticipated Renaissance Tour. And Pink got the party started with her summer carnival tour.

Coming in at number three, Hollywood goes on strike. Two of the entertainment industry's biggest labor unions, the Writers' Guild and SAG-AFTRA, went on strike seeking better contracts with the studios.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have to wake up and smell the coffee!

ELAM (voiceover): Negotiations dragged on for months before deals were reached and ratified.

Number two, the loss of a beloved friend.

ELAM: Breaking news just in to CNN, actor Matthew Perry has died.

BLACKWELL: The police found him. They believe he'd drowned at his home in Los Angeles. He was just 54 years old.

MATTHEW PERRY, ACTOR: And when I dance, I look like this.

ELAM (voiceover): Matthew Perry's humor often hit his personal pain of addiction. In the pages of his 2022 memoir, he revealed his darkest days began as his career skyrocketed on screen. His co-stars mourned his loss, saying they "were more than just castmates, we are a family."

TAYLOR SWIFT, SINGER: Welcome to the Eras Tour!

ELAM (voiceover): And number one on our list belongs to who else? Taylor Swift.

SWIFT: Welcome to the acoustic setting.

ELAM (voiceover): She put on a buzzy head-turning concert tour for the ages, had albums skyrocketed to the top of the charts, debuted a new relationship with NFL player Travis Kelce, and was named Time Magazine's Person of the Year. 2023 was Taylor Swift's biggest year yet.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ELAM (on camera): Two of our top 10 newsmakers, Barbie and HBO Succession shared the same parent company as CNN. And there's big things to come from other favorites on our list. The drama returns to Vanderpump Rules in January, and Britney Spears has hinted volume two of her memoir will be out next year.

In Los Angeles, I'm Stephanie Elam.

BLACKWELL: And remember, Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen are back to ring in the new year from Times Square. "NEW YEAR'S EVE LIVE" with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen starts tonight at 8:00 right here on CNN. We'll be back.

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BLACKWELL: The Detroit Lions are livid after losing to the Dallas Cowboys by one point because of a controversial penalty call in the final seconds. Carolyn Manno is with me now. So, Carolyn, this one stings especially because of what it means for the playoffs.

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Exactly right, Victor. I mean, this loss means that the Lions are officially out of the running for the number one seed in the NFC, and the first round by. While the Cowboys, the win means that they still have a shot at winning their division and getting a home playoff game. So, there's a lot of stake this time of year.

I want to walk you through how this happened. Detroit was down by seven with under 30 seconds to go, and Jared Goff finds Amon-Ra St. Brown, who dives into the end zone for the touchdown. Now, rather than kick and tie it up, the Lions decide to go for two and the win. They pull out a trick play. Goff to offensive lineman Taylor Decker who comes down with it.

But hold on a second. There's a flag on Decker for ineligible man-down field. So, the rule here is an offensive lineman must go to the referee before the play if they want to report as an eligible receiver. Now, referee Brad Allen said after the game that Decker, whose number 68, did not report. Instead, it was Dan Skipper, number 70, even though on the replay there, it looks like it was Decker going up to Allen.

So, they replay the down, and Detroit goes for it again. No good. Now, Dallas is called for a penalty, so we do it again. Detroit going for two, and Goff here just missing a wide-open James Mitchell, so the Cowboys win 20 to 19. Campbell is still really upset after the game.

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DAN CAMPBELL, HEAD COACH, DETROIT LIONS: I don't want to talk about it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can see the frustration in your face. Can you just explain where it comes from right now?

CAMPBELL: What would you be -- would you be frustrated right now?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, is it on the call, is it on the execution? Is it -- you know -- what --

CAMPBELL: I don't like losing, Dave, and that's what happened. We lost. And that bothers me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANNO: Terrible outcome. But there was some good news for Detroit last night. After more than two months and an NBA record 28 straight losses, the streak is finally over. The Pistons squeaking out a two- point win over the Raptors last night in front of some devoted home fans. Cade Cunningham has been so good. He was great again. He scored 30 points as Detroit wins for the first time since before Halloween. So, now, this team can finally breathe a little bit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MONTY WILLIAMS, HEAD COACH, DETROIT PISTONS: It wasn't relief, it was just like, thank God, you know, finally. And the guys were screaming. I was almost in tears, and I'm just so happy for our guys.

CADE CUNNINGHAM, GUARD, DETROIT PISTONS: Man, I feel amazing. Yes, this is my first time trying not to just be, you know, cheesing right now in this interview. And so, to finally get over that hump, like I said, I'm just -- we're not trying to go back. Now is -- now it really begins where we see who we're going to be.

(END VIDEO CLIP) MANNO: And finally, this morning, Victor, a tough end to a spectacular season for Florida State after being the first undefeated power conference champion left out of the college football playoff, followed by a slew of player transfers and opt-out, the Seminoles really never had a chance against the Georgia Bulldogs team out to prove that they should have been in the field before and allowed to try to defend their back-to-back national championships. Georgia winning the Orange Bowl 63 to 3, the biggest blowout in any bowl game ever.

I know we talked a lot about this. Should they be in? Should they not be in? Trying to emphatically prove that they've been long there. And for Florida State, they just never, ever had a chance.

BLACKWELL: Yes, we will certainly talk more about college football. But Detroit, they got one win finally in basketball than that big footballer. You know, some day you have the train, some days you have the tracks.

MANNO: Exactly right.

BLACKWELL: Carolyn Manno, thanks so much.

MANNO: Happy New Year.

BLACKWELL: You too.

Coming up later this morning, we speak with Bleacher Report of Morgan Moriarty with a look ahead to the massive college football semifinal match-ups in New Year's Day between Alabama-Michigan, Texas and Washington. So, stick with us for that.

All right, the next hour of CNN THIS MORNING starts right now.

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