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CNN This Morning

Special Counsel Jack Smith Pushes Back On Trump's Immunity Claim; Smith: Trump's Immunity Claims "Threaten To Undermine Democracy"; Maine Secretary Of State Targeted In Swatting Call After Taking Trump Off Primary Ballot; 16-Year-Old Flying Solo On Frontier Airlines Ends Up In Puerto Rico Instead Of Ohio; Interest Rates Drop For The 9th Straight Week; Interview With Realtor.Com Former Senior Economist And Manager Of Economic Research George Ratiu; Mushroom Hunting Brings Spike In Poison Control Calls; College Football Semifinals Kick Off Tomorrow; College Football Playoffs; Interview With Bleacher Report College Football Reporter Morgan Moriarty; Top 10 Of 2023: Crime And Justice. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired December 31, 2023 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: The Seminoles really never had a chance against the Georgia Bulldogs team out to prove that they should have been in the field of four 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 belong there? And for Florida State, they just never, ever had a chance.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: Yes. We will certainly talk more about college football, but Detroit, they got, you know, one win finally in basketball then that big football. You know, some day of the train, some days of the tracks.

MANNO: Exactly right.

BLACKWELL: Carolyn Manno, thanks so much.

MANNO: Happy New Year.

BLACKWELL: To you too.

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

All right, next hour of CNN This Morning starts right now.

Good morning to you. 7:00 here on the East Coast. We've got what? 17 more hours until we hit 2024. So happy New Year's Eve to you. We start this morning with a new court filing from Special Counsel Jack Smith. He's urging an appeals court to reject former President Donald Trump's claims of presidential immunity in the 2020 election subversion case.

Jack Smith pressed the Trump claims. He, quote, "Threatens to license presidents to commit crimes to remain in office." Now, Trump's lawyers argue the Constitution protects a former president from criminal prosecution for official acts unless he is impeached and convicted by the Senate.

Let's go now to CNN's Zachary Cohen. He's got more for us.

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY & JUSTICE 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, quote, "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, quote, "Threatens the democratic and constitutional foundation of our Republic."

This filing is coming ahead of oral arguments. Those are set to be begin 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: Zachary, thank you.

Joining me now is CNN Legal Analyst Michael Moore. Michael good morning to you. Let's start with Tim Parlatore, former Trump attorney and his thoughts on the Trump claim of immunity. Let's play that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIM PARLATORE, FORMER TRUMP ATTORNEY: You know, I, I think that on this point, Jack Smith does have the better argument. You know, I never really bought into the idea of immunity being a winning argument here. It is something, however, that I think is going to be helpful in his plans to try and delay the trial because by using the appellate process, that could end up pushing this out past the election. But ultimately, I don't think it's going to be successful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: All right, that's his take. What's yours?

MICHAEL MOORE, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: I think that's probably right. I mean, I think by and large, it's not the strongest argument he's got going forward. Part of his tactic here is really to slow things down, to move this March 4th trial date by getting into these novel questions and questions that only the Supreme Court can really answer at the end of the day, I think he's accomplishing that goal.

The problem is, when you take the immunity argument, you can push it to either extreme, right? Trump says I'm -- I have that immunity for everything that I've ever done --

BLACKWELL: As long as I'm talking to an official somewhere.

MOORE: That's right.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

MOORE: At the same time, Jack Smith's argument and some of his recent filings are extreme to talking about a president can order during his State of the Union that, you know, his opponents be killed so that he can survive an impeachment. That's an extreme too.

And I think the court is going to have to balance that somewhere. So it's a novel argument, but probably not the winning argument for Trump going forward.

BLACKWELL: All right, speaking of the court, there's the question of, will they take up the question of the 14th Amendment, and whether Trump will be allowed on the ballot. He's been banned from Colorado and Maine, thus far. Oregon, we're waiting for their decision. You expect when they will take it up.

MOORE: I think that's --

BLACKWELL: Yes.

MOORE: Absolutely they'll take it up.

BLACKWELL: OK. I think they're going to have to do that. I mean, the court -- if anything, the Supreme Court is about process, it is about making sure that there is some uniformity in jurisdictions so that states -- everybody in different states can understand what law applies and how the law applies. And so that's something that I think we'll see with that question.

[07:05:13]

BLACKWELL: We're expecting the Trump team to file their appeals for the -- in the decisions in Colorado and in Maine to ban him from the primary ballot. What are you looking for in those filings?

MOORE: You know, I think the problem is really about the process here. The main secretary of state came in and sort of held a hearing without a real finding that Trump is an insurrectionist. The same thing we saw in Colorado. We saw the court adopt the congressional report, the January 6th committee report, and that was clearly, even though you had a couple of Republican members siding on it or sitting on the committee, it was really a one-sided type report. There wasn't cross-examination of witnesses, and there wasn't really this adversarial process that we see oftentimes in a courtroom, for instance. And so --

BLACKWELL: But isn't that the process in Maine, that it's just up to that office?

MOORE: That is.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

MOORE: But now it moves to the courts in Maine?

BLACKWELL: Yes. And so this is a different -- they're a little bit, maybe out of whack and what we see around the country. So the secretary of state would decide and then it would move to the court. So I think it's really going to be about, there's no process. I've not been declared an insurrectionist. Nobody gave me a right to come in and challenge it. Your federal prosecutor, your special counsel has not charged me with insurrection.

And, by the way, remember, when people did say I was an insurrectionist, the Senate said I was not. So what is the process? Who gets to decide? Is it just a made up label or is there actually some way to decide whether or not I'm guilty of insurrection to keep me off the ballot? He's not had that process. Like him or not, that process has not occurred and I think that's what the court will be looking at.

BLACKWELL: January will be a very busy month. In addition to the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primaries, talking on the legal side only, we've got some of the major dates up here. Let's focus first on January 11th here. The closing arguments in this New York civil fraud trial.

The Trump team has already appealed the summary judgment that there was fraud involved in the business practices and the appraisal of these properties. What are you expecting as it relates to the fines that could come? The judge says he wants to make it a ruling by the end of the month and in these closing arguments that are coming.

MOORE: I think really for Trump's team in New York, this is about making a record for an appeal. They essentially lost the case before they ever got in the case, when that is -- with the judge's ruling that there had been fraud based on -- in his summary judgment finding. And so we've been talking simply about money and what the valuations of the property would be and how big the fines should be.

They've been loading the record up in this case to try to give ammunition to an appellate lawyer to write a brief to convince an appeals court to set aside that finding. So I really think at this point, this is just about creating as much of a record as you can to give an appeals court a reason to set it aside.

And I think they'll talk some about the judge being unfair. I think they'll say, look, he didn't even let all our experts get everything in that we were talking about. He cut off some witnesses. We've had this ongoing battle about what's relevant. And, by the way, we think that his initial finding hobbled us to be able to put on a true defense in a case like this. And so, it'll be fortifying that record to get it to the court of appeals.

BLACKWELL: Second, E. Jean Carroll lawsuit, that's on January 16th, the defamation trial there. Is that going to be any different than the first one?

MOORE: I think it's probably the same thing. I mean, but you know, Trump has figured out how to campaign from a courtroom. And so he's buying or getting free press for what he could not otherwise probably afford. I mean, every time he walks out the doors, he talks about I'm being victimized, the system is rigged against me, I'm just here fighting for you.

He's getting in these campaign lines, even as he comes out of what, I think, a reasonable person would say would be defeat in some of these cases, like the Carroll lawsuit. He's using that as a way to campaign. So for him, I think that's how he's taken, you know, lemons and made lemonade out of it.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

MOORE: But that's -- we'll see more of that. And I think that's, you know, to him again, it's another day of free press and he'll look forward to stepping outside and talking about how he's still fighting for the regular folks.

BLACKWELL: Well, he's got a lot of courtrooms to step out of over the next several months. Yes.

MOORE: There's no question. I mean, it's unprecedented. Yes.

BLACKWELL: Michael Moore, Happy New Year.

MOORE: Happy New Year and good to be with you.

BLACKWELL: All right. Thank you.

Police officers in Maine respond to a swatting call Friday night at the home of Maine Secretary of State, Shenna Bellows. We were just talking about her. Of course, this comes after Bellows removed former President Trump from the state's 2024 primary ballot.

Police say no one was at home when they arrived around 8:00 in the evening. They conducted a sweep of the property, but not locate anything suspicious. Now, swatting. This is a prank call that's made to authorities in order to get them to respond to a location where they believe or they're led to believe, rather, that the crime is being committed or in progress.

It normally results in a forceful response from local police and SWAT teams who have no idea that this call is a hoax. Bellows told CNN on Friday that their office has received threats since her decision and expressed concern for her and the safety of her loved ones. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[07:10:14]

SHENNA BELLOWS (D), MAINE SECRETARY OF STATE: Those threatening communications are truly unacceptable. And I certainly worry about the safety of people that I love, people around me and people who are charged with protecting me and working alongside me.

That being said, we're a nation of laws and that's what's really important. And so I've been laser focused on that obligation to uphold the constitution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: All right, just ahead, the holiday season is coming to a close and a lot of people. We're talking tens of millions are preparing to fly or drive home. So we'll get into the best way and the safest way to do that.

Plus, 2023 has not been a good year when it comes to buying a home for a lot of people. A recent drop in interest rates though, has some potential buyers encouraged. We'll take a look at the state of the housing market.

And to eat or not to eat? A growing interest in foraging. And some mushroom hunters have found themselves calling poison control.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:15:31]

BLACKWELL: Law enforcement agencies across the country are working to make sure that New Year's celebrations are safe. Let's take a look at New York. Officials emphasize their focus on potential lone wolf attacks, attributing the heightened concern to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. It's important to note that officials say there are no specific threats to the Times Square event.

All right, we're wrapping up the holiday season. A lot of people have plans to travel today or tomorrow. Joining me now is the managing editor at The Points Guy, Clint Henderson. Clint, good morning to you. Is it me? Maybe I'm wrong here, but this has actually been a successful, smooth holiday season. Or maybe my travel has been smooth, and that's why I think that. What do you think?

CLINT HENDERSON, MANAGING EDITOR, THE POINTS GUY: Oh my gosh, amazing. What a difference a year makes. It's been remarkable. We've seen so few cancelations and delays. Today alone, only 17 cancelations. This time last year, we were still seeing the repercussions from weeks of cancelations and delays from Southwest and all the airlines.

We've had a couple of factors contributing good weather across the country for most of the holidays, including Thanksgiving and Christmas, and staffing levels are back up at a lot of airports. So, the airlines are better able to handle the crowds, but we are seeing crowds. I mean, it's remarkable.

We're breaking records for the number of people screened at TSA checkpoint. So it's been a remarkable travel season. I think, the Biden administration will have a lot to crow about if we get through New Year's as successfully as we have through Christmas.

BLACKWELL: And that's good that you point out what the airlines have done and what the TSA has done because we certainly highlight when they get it wrong, as we did last holiday --

HENDERSON: Yes.

BLACKWELL: -- travel season. So they are doing some things right. What can we do as passengers, as drivers, travelers, do over the next 24, 48 hours to keep it as smooth as it's been?

HENDERSON: Well, you really do have to be your own best advocate these days. So you need to be prepared. So I still would get to the airport early. You are seeing exceptional crowds. Even if you have TSA pre- check or clear, you're having to wait a while. It takes a long time to check bags just because the volume of people.

So get to the airport even earlier than you normally would. Look, airports are fun to be at these days. There's so much to do. It's not a bad place to spend a couple hours. So get there early, have the airline app installed on your phone. You want to be tracking your flight with Google or even on the airline app.

And if things go wrong, you could potentially rebook yourself on that airline app. The other thing I tell people is follow the airline on social media. You want to be able to communicate with them if things go sideways for your airline in particular. And finally, have a backup plan. Have a plan B. Know what other airlines fly the route that you're going to fly so you could potentially get rebooked.

If you're driving, check road conditions, check airport conditions. Maybe try to time your drive home to make sure you're not going at peak travel times. You know, all the basic stuff that we tell people, but you just really have to be an educated consumer these days when it comes to travel.

BLACKWELL: And account for time that it takes to return the rental car. That's what I always forget, is that I've got time to like, get back to the airport, I forget. I got to put gas in the car, then drive back and take the shuttle.

HENDERSON: And fill the gas tank.

BLACKWELL: Yes, you got to do all that. But before I let you go, let me ask you about -- this has happened again now. This time it's a 16- year-old flying -- this is a frontier flight from Tampa, was supposed to be going to Cleveland, ended up in Puerto Rico, instead, traveling alone, the boarding pass was not scanned at the gate.

Of course, we remember about a week and a half ago, there's a six year olds who was on the wrong spirit flight. How does this happen? How do parents prevent it?

HENDERSON: So I think what's going on here is you've got harried gate agents that are not scanning the boarding pass for whatever reason. But frankly, this is really unusual, like really unusual, because usually underage passengers are escorted, the flight attendants are made aware of them, they have their boarding passes scanned, they have escort, like, it's crazy the amount of things that go into, to carrying an unaccompanied minor.

And I think in this situation, it was just a lot of things went wrong. I -- if I was a parent sending a kid off on a plane, I wouldn't worry too much about it. These are usually the most protected passengers on the plane.

BLACKWELL: All right, good. Exceedingly rare. Although we've seen it twice now in about 10 days. Hopefully we won't see it for a while.

Clint Henderson, The Points Guy, thank you so much.

Up next, interest rates finally dropping. But is 2024 a good time to get back into the housing market? We'll talk about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:24:04]

BLACKWELL: Last week, interest rates dropped for the ninth consecutive week. 30-year fixed rate mortgage fell to an average of 6.61 percent down from 6.67 the previous week. And that trend, along with the Federal Reserve's indication it will begin cutting interest rates next year, might mean that 2024 could be the year to buy a home.

Things have been tough for a lot of hopeful homeowners who have been facing the least affordable housing market since the 1980s. Joining me now to talk about it is George Ratiu. He is the former senior economist and managing -- manager of economic research at Realtor.com.

George, good morning to you. So I said, maybe 2024 is the time to buy. There is a colleague of yours that said, don't read too much into these dropping interest rates considering the time of the year. What can we deduce from the change of the interest rate then?

[07:25:01]

GEORGE RATIU, FORMER SENIOR ECONOMIST & MANAGER OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH, REALTOR.COM: Victor, good morning. The truth is that the interest rate is an indicator of how financial markets and investors are feeling about the economic outlook going into next year. And specifically, as you mentioned, the Federal Reserve's monetary actions this year was challenging because the Fed has been almost two years into a really aggressive monetary campaign to stem inflation.

And the Fed took squarely aim at the housing market. And the rampant prices we saw during the 2020, '22 period, home prices went up over 40 percent. So going into the near what interest rates are telling us, what financial markets are telling us, they expect the Fed's pause right now and the announced or hinted at cuts to actually have an impact.

And when you look at the relationship between the bond market, particularly the 10-year treasury and mortgage rates, you see that investors have seen really high risk. The spread, the difference between the 10-year and the 30-year mortgage rate has been about 300 basis points for the better part of the year.

When you go back decades, that spread was closer to 170 percent. So, if we were closer to historic rates, mortgage rates right now would be much closer to the upper 5 percent. So, I'm actually quite bullish on housing going into next year. And I think for buyers and sellers alike, many of whom are actually buying, will be a better year.

Now, I wouldn't shout it from the rooftops, we still have many challenges.

BLACKWELL: Not shouting it from the rooftops, but you are speaking above a whisper. I'll take that as the indication. All right. So there's more to consider than the interest rate. Let's talk about affordability and availability. And let's start with the latter. The availability trends of existing homes on the market.

RATIU: Absolutely, Victor. So what we're seeing is the inventory of existing homes has been fairly limited through most of the year. We're still roughly at about three, three and a half months supply, which when you compare with the normal market of about six months or still a ways off.

However, there are some silver linings. Number one, we've seen active listings. And when you look at portals like Realtor.com, you see the number of homes available for sale, take up and stay there longer. In addition, and that's really encouraging to me.

Home builders who have struggled themselves with acquisition costs, higher labor costs, materials costs have -- and you saw that in the builder -- optimism declining -- have actually seen the light at the end of the tunnel. We've seen more new construction, both single family and multifamily going into 2024.

That, to me, is a real hopeful sign because for a lot of trade up buyers, those who normally make first time home buyers homes available, those trade up buyers are more likely to find a new home on the market at a better price.

BLACKWELL: All right, now let's turn to price. Because I've been told, and this is by Realtors, of course, that, you know, by now, because it's -- as the interest rate continues to drop, there will be a flood of buyers and then the prices will soar and they'll stay up there for a while. Is that what you expect will happen?

RATIU: Well, Victor, I think here the picture is more nuanced. Meaning, it really matters for buyers in the market, their stage of life and importantly, their outlook. Meaning, if you plan to be in your community, at least three, maybe up to five years. So in other words, you're not looking to move for a job or other reasons. Yes, this might be a good year to look at buying. At the same time, if you're young, if you expect to move for a job or other reasons, it might pay off to weight. I do know that for a lot of people, the idea that home prices will continue rising somehow makes them feel a sense of urgency.

But at the end of the day, what matters is everybody's personal circumstances. And the good news to me there is affordability with lower rates is expected to improve a little bit in next year.

BLACKWELL: George, anything that a potential home buyer can do to put themselves in the best position as the market change is coming to 2024?

RATIU: Absolutely, Victor. Here for a potential homebuyer, it's important to remember, number one, have your financial house in order. Make sure your credit score is in good shape. Make sure you understand how much you can afford.

So, have your down payment ready. Have all those financial ducks in a row. Number two, be very cognizant of your local market where you're looking. Talk to real estate professionals, talk to family members. Look at portals and get as much information so you understand what options you have.

Because even in 2024's slightly better environment, you're likely to have to make compromises, location, property, age, condition, and so on. But with as much homework done up front, buyers will be in a much better position to take action when the time is right for them.

[17:30:01]

BLACKWELL: George Ratiu, all good advice and information. Thank you very much. Happy New Year.

RATIU: Happy New Year, Victor.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: This year, poison control centers say they are getting a spike in calls because of people eating dangerous wild mushrooms. This coincides with a growing interest in foraging as a way to connect with nature and live a more sustainable life. CNN's Meg Tirrell went out along with one of those foragers.

[07:35:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL HICKMAN, ATE POISONOUS MUSHROOM: I saw the mushrooms over here.

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Last September, Bill Hickman found what he thought were edible mushrooms growing near his house in Windham, Ohio.

HICKMAN: I looked down and I put my phone on it, and it says, boom, it's a giant puffball. I'm like, oh, cool. So, I put my stuff down over there and gathered a few up.

TIRRELL (voice-over): But the app on his phone was wrong. Eight hours after eating the mushrooms, Bill got violently sick.

HICKMAN: You know, I just didn't think I was going to live.

TIRRELL (voice-over): It turns out, Bill had eaten four of what are known as destroying angel mushrooms, a highly toxic species.

HICKMAN: The first doctor, pretty much, told us, he -- we can't help him. You know, that he's not going to survive.

TIRRELL (voice-over): Warmer fall weather due to climate change is extending mushroom season. Nationally, reports of potentially toxic mushroom exposures are up more than 11 percent so far this year compared to last. To see just how diverse and potentially dangerous mushrooms can be, we went foraging with mycology instructor Rick Van de Poll in New Hampshire.

RICK VAN DE POLL, MYCOLOGY INSTRUCTOR: This one has what they call a classic farinaceous odor. So, it's an odor of meal or farina.

TIRRELL (voice-over): He uses smells, colors, and structural features to help determine which mushrooms are safe to eat.

VAN DE POLL: So, these are puffballs. Open it up and show you that -- what the middle looks like.

TIRRELL: Wow.

VAN DE POLL: Right.

TIRRELL: It's like a marshmallow.

VAN DE POLL: Yes, exactly. They often call these the marshmallow mushrooms. And interestingly, they, in a soup, will soak up the fluid and the taste, so you can actually use these as little miniature, sort of, mushroom sponges.

TIRRELL (voice-over): And which ones are not.

TIRRELL: Where would you look for the -- some of the ones that are poisonous?

VAN DE POLL: Let's go take a look.

TIRRELL: OK.

Oh wow.

VAN DE POLL: Let's see what you got.

TIRRELL: That was orange.

VAN DE POLL: You can touch it. Smell it. So, that has the farinaceous odor. TIRRELL: Hmm.

VAN DE POLL: So, if you got that --

TIRRELL: It's subtle.

So, what will that do if you eat it?

VAN DE POLL: That will make you sick. Yes, gastric upset. Won't kill you.

TIRRELL (voice-over): But some can be deadly.

TIRRELL: So, that's it?

VAN DE POLL: So, this is it. It doesn't look like much. It's this little brown mushroom.

TIRRELL: Hmm.

VAN DE POLL: And, you know, you pick it off the log. So, this is our deadly Galerina, Galerina marginata.

TIRRELL: What would happen if you ate one of those?

VAN DE POLL: So, this has amatoxins in it.

TIRRELL (voice-over): That's a poison that destroys liver cells and can cause liver failure. Amatoxin was also in the mushrooms Bill Hickman ate. With his liver and kidneys at risk of failing, Bill was transferred to University Hospital in Cleveland, where doctors raced to get him an experimental antidote, an extract from the milk thistle plant called silibinin. The antidote worked. Bill slowly regained his strength, but says it took months to fully recover both physically and mentally.

HICKMAN: There are a lot of people involved to make it happen to save me.

TIRRELL (voice-over): Meg Tirrell, CNN, Windham, Ohio.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Still ahead. We're down to the final four in college football. Michigan, Alabama, Texas, Washington, one of them will be the champion. We'll preview tomorrow's national semifinal games, that's next.

And as we go to break, look at this. This is in Tokyo. Hundreds of people there released lanterns to say goodbye to 2023 and hello to 2024. And Tokyo will officially enter the new year just over two hours from now.

Live look at Sydney, Australia, which is 20 minutes -- a little more than 20 minutes away from 2024 there. And of course, we will bring you the big show there when it happens live. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:43:07]

BLACKWELL: Big week of college football. The playoff semifinals kickoff tomorrow with number four Alabama facing top seeded Michigan after the matchup of Texas and Washington. So, the two teams, they finished just outside the playoffs. They met in the Orange Bowl on Saturday. Georgia crushed and depleted the Florida State team that was without, what, dozens of their top players. Final score there, 63 to three.

So, what can we expect from the two semifinal matchups? Here to preview, Morgan Moriarty from the "Bleacher Report." Morgan, hello to you. So, let's start with the Rose Bowl. Bama versus undefeated Michigan. What do we expect there?

MORGAN MORIARTY, COLLEGE FOOTBALL REPORTER, BLEACHER REPORT: Yes, the biggest thing when I look at this matchup is how is this Michigan offense going to do against this Alabama defense? Michigan's been able to rely on their run game really consistently throughout the year. It's been great with Blake Corum, Donovan Edwards, a really good running back duo there. But Alabama's defense only allows 125 rush yards on the ground per game. So, I don't really think Michigan's going to be able to run the ball like they have all season.

I really think this is going to go into quarterback J.J. McCarthy's hands, something that he really hasn't had to do all season. But I think a big thing for him is going to be keeping that passing game alive while on the run, looking downfield for open opportunities, that's going to be tough with Alabama's pass rush. They get after it. So, that's going to be a big thing to keep in mind. But it's going to be tough for him. Alabama's cornerbacks in "Kool Aid" McKinstry, Terry and Arnold, two of the best lockdown corners in college football.

So, it's going to be a big challenge. Both teams are going to be up and ready for it, but it's going to be tough for Michigan. I think.

BLACKWELL: All right. Let's look at the Sugar Bowl now. We've got Texas and Washington, also undefeated. What are you looking for there?

[07:45:00]

MORIARTY: Yes. So, if you like defensive, low scoring games, I do not think this is the matchup for you. Both of these teams like to score early and often. I think this is going to be a lot of fun. If you haven't seen Washington play all season, this is a great chance to do so on a national stage.

Their offense is led by quarterback Michael Penix Jr., obviously a Heisman finalist, but it's really the skill players around him that make this unit so great. Dillon Johnson, the 1,000 yard rusher. The receivers -- I mean, where do you even start? Rome Odunze, over 1,000 yards receiving. Jalen McMillan and Ja'Lynn Polk, and their offensive line has done really well, too. Texas pass rush, they do get after it, 32 sacks on the season, but Washington's offensive line, they have only given up 11 sacks this entire year.

I do think if this game, kind of, gets into a shootout style game where both offenses are going back and forth, that's going to favor Washington because they have had to play more games like that throughout the season. Think about that Oregon game earlier in this -- earlier in the year against Oregon State, Washington State later in the year. But it's going to be a really fun matchup. And I like Washington in this one.

BLACKWELL: All right. So, you like Washington in this one. Who's your pick for national championship?

MORIARTY: Man, so, if it is Washington, Alabama, which I think would be the matchup, that's going to be a tough one. I mean, obviously Nick Saban, the coaching job that he's done this year, I think is the best out of his tenure, and he's had some really great teams. Coming into the season, he lost both of his offensive and defensive coordinator. They really had a ton of turnover, personnel-wise, and he's been able to get this team to this stage.

Also, credit to Jalen Milroe, Alabama's quarterback, who's really gotten better throughout the season has gone on. If you remember, he was benched in week three of this season, and he's now been playing lights out. I think this will be probably the best defense that Washington will have faced if it is Alabama. I like Nick Saban in these big games. So, if it's Alabama and Washington, I got to go Alabama, but I love what Washington has done. Credits to Kalen DeBoer. He's only in his second season in Seattle coaching Washington and he's led Washington to this big stage. But if it's Alabama Washington, I'm going Bama and Nick Saban.

BLACKWELL: All right. So, what do we learn from the Orange Bowl? FSU, they didn't make it into the semifinals, so dozens of their players didn't play. The question is, you know, should Georgia have been included, but when you got 63-3 and such a lopsided lineup of players. What do -- what can we really take away from that game, anything?

MORIARTY: I mean, it's obviously an easy talking point, right? Because Florida State was really upset, you know, they -- to make the playoff. I thought they should have gotten a spot instead of Alabama, but I really think that, you know, Florida State was missing so many guys. I mean, basically half of their starters were out between transfers and opt out.

So, I just -- it's hard to really take something away from that. I mean, Georgia obviously wanted to make a statement as well. I wouldn't put too much stock into the final score, really.

BLACKWELL: All right.

MORIARTY: Although it's easy to -- as well.

BLACKWELL: Morgan Moriarty, thanks for being with us. Happy New Year.

MORIARTY: Thank you. Happy New Year to you all as well. BLACKWELL: Still to come from stunning courtroom moments and massive manhunts, to the resolution of decades old cold cases, we'll look at the biggest crime and justice stories of the year.

And what happens if America cannot get immigration right? Fareed Zakaria examines the current crisis in a special hour, "Immigration Breakdown," a Fareed Zakaria special. That's today at 10:00 a.m., right here on CNN.

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[07:53:24]

BLACKWELL: Horrific violence, resolved cold cases, and dramatic courtroom moments captured national attention in 2023. CNN's Jean Cazares has a look at the biggest crime and justice stories of the year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hundreds dead in mass shootings, cold case arrests, and murderers on the run. All part of the top 10 crime and justice stories from communities around the country in 2023.

Number 10, A young girl kidnapped and found alive.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: They have found her and we're told she's in good health.

CASAREZ (voice-over): The upstate New York elementary school student on a camping trip with her family, taken while riding her bicycle at the campground.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are leaving no stone, no branch, no table, no cabin, unturned.

CASAREZ (voice-over): Fingerprints on a ransom note left in her family's mailbox led to her, and the arrest of 46-year-old Craig Nelson Ross Jr. He has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and other charges.

CASAREZ: Number nine, a daring escape leads to a weeks-long manhunt.

CASAREZ (voice-over): 34-year-old convicted murderer Danilo Cavalcante got out of his Pennsylvania prison by climbing sideways up the walls in the exercise yard.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to reiterate, this man is very dangerous.

CASAREZ (voice-over): Hundreds of law enforcement searched by land and by air, while local communities lived in fear.

[07:55:00]

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Danilo Cavalcante, now armed, but still on the loose. CASAREZ (voice-over): Cavalcante on the run, spotted on trail cameras and allegedly breaking into homes before being captured and returned to prison.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our nightmare is finally over and the good guys won.

CASAREZ (voice-over): He now faces 20 new charges.

CASAREZ: Number 8. A 17-year-old Las Vegas high school student beaten to death by his classmates.

CASAREZ (voice-over): Authorities call it senseless. 10 students against one, this video is very graphic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What you see in the video though is approximately 10 subjects kicking, stomping and punching.

CASAREZ (voice-over): Police think it started as an after-school fight over stolen headphones.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's on the ground. Not defending himself, into the point where he becomes unconscious.

CASAREZ (voice-over): Eight students arrested, ranging in age from 13 to 17, facing murder charges.

CASAREZ: Number seven, an arrest.

CASAREZ (voice-over): After more than a decade, unsolved killings on Long Island, New York. Nearly a dozen sets of remains found, including four on Gilgo Beach. Authorities long suspected a serial killer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rex Heuermann is a demon that walks among us.

CASAREZ (voice-over): Heuermann is facing multiple murder counts involving three women. He has pleaded not guilty.

CASAREZ: Number six, a confession in the death of Natalee Holloway.

CASAREZ (voice-over): 18 years after she disappeared on a high school graduation trip to Aruba, the prime suspect in her death, Joran Van Der Sloot, admits to killing her. Van Der Sloot flown by FBI agents to Holloway's home state of Alabama to face federal extortion and wire fraud charges.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Despite their grief, the Holloway family kept fighting for justice for Natalee.

CASAREZ (voice-over): Van Der Sloot pleaded guilty, sentenced to 20 years for his financial crimes. He will serve his sentence while back in Peru where he is already serving a murder sentence for killing a Peruvian woman.

BETH HOLLOWAY, NATALEE HOLLOWAY'S MOTHER: It's been a very long and painful journey, but we finally got the answers we've been searching for for all these years.

CASAREZ: Number five, an arrest in the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur.

TUPAC SHAKUR, SINGER: Got me lost in hell to live and die in L.A.

CASAREZ (voice-over): The prominent rapper was shot while leaving a boxing match at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and died six days later.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For 27 years, the family of Tupac Shakur has been waiting for justice.

CASAREZ (voice-over): Duane Keith Davis, a.k.a. Keefe D, arrested. He is not accused of pulling the trigger, but handing the gun to someone else.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Duane Davis was the shot caller for this group of individuals.

CASAREZ (voice-over): Police say Shakur had been in a feud with Davis and a gang he was affiliated with. Police say no other suspects in the shooting are still alive. Davis pleaded not guilty.

CASAREZ: Number four, from billionaire cryptocurrency whiz kid to convicted felon.

CASAREZ (voice-over): 31-year-old Sam Bankman-Fried found guilty in November of stealing billions of dollars from customers of his crypto exchange company FTX.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This kind of fraud, this kind of corruption is as old as time.

CASAREZ (voice-over): Before the company imploded, Bankman-Fried lived the high life. He could go to prison for life when sentenced. His lawyer says, he maintains his innocence.

CASAREZ: Number three, a disgraced attorney, descendant of Southern prestige, found guilty of murdering his wife and son.

CASAREZ (voice-over): Alex Murdaugh, practicing law in the low country of South Carolina, wealthy, a beautiful family, but secretly stealing client settlements and plotting the murder and cover up of those he should have loved the most.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can't bring him back, but we can bring him justice.

CASAREZ (voice-over): He has filed a motion for a new trial.

CASAREZ: Number two, Tyre Nichols, violently beaten by police.

CASAREZ (voice-over): Caught on camera, the 29-year-old repeatedly kicked by five Memphis police officers after a traffic stop and short foot chase. He died three days later. His death ruled a homicide.

ROWVAUGHN WELLS, TYRE NICHOLS' MOTHER: I know I'll never see him again, but we have to start this process of justice right now.

CASAREZ (voice-over): The five officers were charged in state and federal court. All initially pleaded not guilty. However, one later agreed to a plea deal.

CASAREZ: Number one, mass shootings kill hundreds of Americans.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN NEWS CENTRAL CO-ANCHOR: So much loss in this community.

CASAREZ (voice-over): From the Lewiston, Maine, mass shooting where 18 were killed in a bowling alley and a restaurant.

AMARA WALKER, CNN HOST: There is such a deep sadness here.