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CNN This Morning

Trump Announces Picks For Key Health Economic Roles; Biden Thanks Top Allies And Donors At White House Dinner; Storm Sweep Across West Coast, Parts Of East Coast; At Least 11 Killed After Israeli Strike Hits Central Beirut; Sources: Tulsi Gabbard Briefly On TSA Watch List; Fed. Source Denies Gabbard's Claim She Was Put On TSA Watch List After Criticizing Vice President Harris; Pro Sports Leagues Warn Players After Home Break-Ins; Egg Prices Spike Over Bird Flu Concerns, Holiday Demand; Thousands Of Christmas Trees Lost After Helene Hit North Carolina. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired November 23, 2024 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- that song that they created.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Love it. This is going to be so fly.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're normalizing that girls of color can do computer science and create something together.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Go to CNNHeroes.com to vote for any of your favorite top five heroes as CNN Hero of the Year. You get 10 votes per day every day to help the heroes who inspire you the most.

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, top of the hour on CNN THIS MORNING. You're looking live at St. Louis, of course, that beautiful arch there. Welcome back. It is Saturday, November 23rd, as in just a few days away from Thanksgiving.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

WALKER: And arguing over our favorite sides continues.

BLACKWELL: I feel like I'm losing this one.

WALKER: Well, as you should.

BLACKWELL: I don't think that I should. So, the jellied, thank you, jellied cranberry sauce. They both like whole cranberries.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm out on cranberry all together. Give me the stuffing, give me the corn.

WALKER: I'm with you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Apple pie, no cranberry. No cranberry for me.

WALKER: What is it about it, cranberry -- like, what is it about that you don't like?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The taste, I guess.

WALKER: I don't like the tartness. I just, I can't handle that.

BLACKWELL: All right, here's what we're working for you this morning. President-elect Trump announced a flurry of key cabinet and administration picks last night. What we know about who will fill the roles and why one of them may come as a surprise to conservatives.

WALKER: Six people, including an American tourist, have died from suspected methanol poisonings in Laos. The impact methanol can have on your body and the new message coming from investigators this morning.

BLACKWELL: At least three pro-sports leagues are putting players on notice after a rash of break-ins at athletes' homes. They're warnings to players and who might be behind these break-ins.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And we have two different trouble spots if you're planning on any holiday travel for today across the country, but those spots are going to change as we go through the next few days. We'll break it all down for you coming up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Undefeated but underdogs, big day for college football, especially for Indiana and Army. We'll preview their games coming up in what could be a very important day on who ends up making the playoffs.

WALKER: All right, it was a busy Friday night for President-elect Donald Trump, who announced a list, a long list of new picks for key health and economic roles in his administration. That includes hedge fund billionaire manager, Scott Bessent, as Treasury Secretary. Oregon representative, Lori Chavez de Ramer, to lead the Department of Labor, and Dr. Jeanette Nesheiwat, a family practice doctor as U.S. Surgeon General. Sources tell CNN that Trump wanted to announce his key roles before the Thanksgiving holiday.

BLACKWELL: He's moving on from the debacle surrounding his initial pick for Attorney General. Now, former Representative Matt Gaetz, last night Gaetz announced that he will not return to Congress next year. However, another pick is making news as well. Sources tell CNN that Tulsi Gabbard who Trump selected to lead the intelligence community briefly landed on a TSA watchlist, but she was quickly removed after going public with the claims.

Federal sources say public statements have no influence on who is or is not on the list. CNN's Arit John is here with us now. She has more details on these picks. So, Lori Chavez de Ramer, she came as a surprise somewhat to some on the right, why?

ARIT JOHN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think she's probably also a surprise to Democratic senators too. I mean, this is someone who just recently lost a very close congressional re-election bid in the Portland area. And part of her appeal to the Democrats in that district was that she's a daughter of a union member, that she's one of the few Republican co-sponsors of the PRO Act, the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, which was introduced in the Senate by Senator Bernie Sanders.

This is somebody who has been reaching out to unions for a long time. And she was boosted by Sean O'Brien, who is the president of the Teamsters Union. Which, you know, Sean O'Brien, he spoke at the RNC and declined to endorse in the presidential race, which really angered Democrats at the time.

But now we're seeing that sort of paid dividends in the sense that he was able to help influence Trump to pick somebody who, as you said, Republicans are probably not, maybe not excited about, or are surprised to see Trump nominate somebody who is so pro-union. But for the Teamsters and for other union members, this is probably a welcome surprise that there's somebody who's been nominated who will gel more with their interests.

WALKER: And Arit, sources tell us that RFK Jr. had a key role in selecting some of these health leaders. What does that say about these picks?

JOHN: I think that when you look at this list, especially when you look at his FDA, Trump's FDA pick, John Hopkins surgeon, Dr. Makari, this is somebody who has touted natural immunity during the COVID pandemic and said that, that COVID vaccine mandates shouldn't be recommended for the general public.

So, I think that what we're seeing with RFK Jr.'s influence in these picks is that the Department of Health under President-elect Trump is going to sort of step away from working with drug manufacturers as closely that there's going to be more skepticism about drugs, about vaccine mandates, and there's going to be this, I mean, they've been describing it as a push towards making America healthy again, but sort of a push away, a step away from traditional approaches to health care and trying to take a different approach.

[07:05:47]

WALKER: Right, as opposed to leaning on science. Arit John, thank you so much. Well, as Trump prepares for his second term, he can't forget about being sentenced in this New York criminal case for now, and potentially for good.

BLACKWELL: The judge overseeing the case adjourned his sentencing. CNN's Paula Reid explains when we can learn more about the future of the case.

PAULA REID, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Amara and Victor, Judge Juan Merchan made it official this week that President-elect Trump's criminal sentencing is indefinitely suspended. They are waiting to resolve some other issues in the case. Earlier this week the District Attorney's Office made it clear they're fine to delay that sentencing until after Trump leaves the White House for a second time. But one thing they're not going to allow is for this case to be dismissed. Prosecutors say they will continue to fight that if the Trump's lawyers are trying multiple different paths to try to get the entire case tossed out.

Judge Juan Merchan gave Trump attorneys until December 2nd to lay out their arguments why they think that because Trump is now president- elect, that his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records should be tossed out. Prosecutors have a week to respond. So, it's possible that Juan Merchan could potentially give us an answer on the fate of this historic case before the new year. Amara, Victor.

BLACKWELL: All right, Paula, thanks. Now, as President-elect Trump is building up his administration, President Biden is winding down his.

WALKER: On Friday, the Bidens hosted a gratitude dinner at the White House to thank and honor some of the administration's closest allies and donors. CNN Senior White House Producer Betsy Kline is live outside the White House this morning. Tell us more about this dinner and what was said.

BETSY KLINE, CNN WHITE HOUSE PRODUCER: Well, Victor and Amara, it is the start of a long goodbye for President Biden after a career in American politics spanning more than half a century. Now, make no mistake, Biden still has 58 days left to govern and he is racing that clock to shore up some of his key accomplishments. But really this moment described to us by sources as a gratitude dinner for donors, supporters, longtime friends, a moment for Biden to reflect and give thanks. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: Began this journey to redeem the soul of the nation and to find the light in the darkness. One thing I've always believed about public service, especially the presidency, is the importance of asking ourselves, have we left the country in better shape than we found it. Tonight, I can say with all my heart, the answer to that question is a resounding yes because of you, because of you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KLINE: Now, President Biden has promised there will be a peaceful transfer of power on January 20th and has charged his team to do the same. But the Trump team for their part has yet to sign a pair of key agreements to unlock transition briefings with the Biden administration and the holdup remains, sources tell us, concerns about that mandatory ethics pledge.

Now, what this means is they still are not getting those key briefings across the federal government from their outgoing counterparts on the Trump team. And we have heard from watchdogs and Democrats alike sounding the alarms about threats to national security, including Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who wrote some of those ethics in transition laws in a new letter to the Biden administration saying that Trump is quote, undermining his own ability to effectively manage national security emergencies, urgent public health and safety threats and corruption risk as he prepares to take office.

Now, the Trump team insists they are not concerned and that they will be ready on day one to hit the ground running, but President-elect Trump has also started to receive his initial intelligence briefings since being elected. But Trump is going to inherit a number of key crises at home and abroad, that is escalating war in Ukraine and of course, that conflict in the Middle East, and U.S. allies are watching very closely to see how he plans to handle those key issues. Victor and Amara.

BLACKWELL: Betsy Kline outside the White House, thank you. Northern California and parts of the Pacific Northwest are threatened with torrential rainfall from an atmospheric river. And you remember just days ago, a powerful bomb cyclone tore through Washington state.

[07:10:12]

Just fewer than 100,000 customers without power in Washington state this morning. That's according to Poweroutage.us. But the area is bracing for more possible damage with a new storm. Some parts of Northern California got pummeled with nearly a foot and a half of rain.

WALKER: CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar joining us now. I mean, heavy rain and snow are clearly a threat this morning.

CHINCHAR: Yes, the last thing those areas really need. And they weren't the only one getting rain and snow. The Northeast also got some rain and snow as well. This video coming in from, appropriately named, Mount Storm, West Virginia. And again, we also had some pretty significant totals in other states. Take a look at this. High Point, New Jersey, topping out just under two feet of snow. Pennsylvania, New York, several of these areas getting at least a foot of snow in just the last 24 to 36 hours.

And that system is not yet done. It's starting to wind down. You don't have quite the significant amount of snow left, but you've got some rain and snow across portions of western Pennsylvania and into West Virginia, also into portions of New England. You're still seeing it raining in Boston, for example, and also some snow up in the White and Green Mountains. But a lot of that snow, if not most of it is really going to melt in the next couple of days because temperatures will be on the rise.

Now, you'll start to see those temperatures begin to upswing as early as Sunday across the Midwest, even down to Memphis going from 58 today up into the low 70s by Monday. Now, for the northeast, as well at Mid- Atlantic, it's going to take a little longer. You'll start to see those temperatures really jumping Monday into Tuesday of the upcoming week. Outside of that, if you have some travel plans today, the best spots are really going to be the southeast and pretty much entire central U.S. No issues there whatsoever.

The only other spot where we could have some issues is going to be out west. We're still wrapping up that system. Again, the bomb cyclone is gone, the atmospheric river, however, is still going to funnel a little bit more moisture in for the day today, especially the Pacific Northwest and Northern and Central California. But by the end of the day today, that atmospheric river begins to shift. Until it does, though, you've still got several more inches of not only rain and snow to get through. WALKER: All right, Allison Chinchar, thank you. And happening now, rescue crews searching for survivors after Israeli airstrikes in Beirut. What we're learning about this latest strike.

BLACKWELL: Plus, a warning issued for some of the biggest names in American sports, who may be behind, may be behind rather, a rash of burglaries at the homes of professional athletes.

WALKER: And vacation in a tropical paradise turns deadly. Six tourists have died while on vacation in Laos. What may be behind the mysterious deaths?

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[07:17:28]

WALKER: Rescuers in Beirut are searching for survivors under the rubble of a residential building following an Israeli airstrike at the center of the Lebanese capital.

BLACKWELL: Lebanon's civil defense says at least 11 people were killed in the strike, 63 were injured. Israel's military did not issue an evacuation order ahead of the strikes and it's declining to comment on the target.

CNN's Paula Hancocks is live in Abu Dhabi. Paula, these strikes continuing as details for a ceasefire are being ironed out. Does this derail that process?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Victor, it's interesting because since we have heard talk of this ceasefire proposal being a viable option, we've really seen an escalation in the violence and certainly we've seen an increase in the ground operation on the Israeli side.

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about that just yesterday and said they were expanding it because in southern Lebanon along the border, he says, that they have discovered what he called an underground strip, speaking of the underground tunnel network that we know Hezbollah has in that area, saying that they are every single day discovering more of it, it is massive and that at the very least they have to destroy that before they can start to move tens of thousands of Israeli residents back to northern Israel.

So, what we're hearing from the Israeli side is not really a suggestion that this ceasefire is imminent, but what we did hear from the U.S. envoy, Amos Hochstein, this week is that they were close, that it was within our grasp, but ultimately the decision of the parties. So, at the same time as we are hearing these positive sounds of a ceasefire proposal, potentially being agreed upon by both sides, we are hearing that there is an escalation in airstrikes and also we are hearing of many rockets hitting into Israel as well.

The IDF says some 16,000 have been launched by Hezbollah since October 8th of last year. Now, when you mentioned this central Beirut airstrike, there are more or at least 11 killed, dozens injured. It's significant that it is in central Beirut, that is an escalation in itself.

Before it was really restricted to the Hezbollah stronghold of the southern suburbs, but in recent weeks we are seeing this become more commonplace. So, we are seeing this juxtaposition of an increase in attacks at the same time as there are suggestions that the ceasefire proposal could be going ahead and could be fairly imminent. We're not hearing anything publicly about that since really mid-week, but it doesn't mean that these talks are not ongoing behind the scenes. Victor, Amara.

BLACKWELL: Paula Hancocks in Abu Dhabi for us covering it. Thank you so much. An Australian teenager is now the sixth foreign tourist to die from a suspected mass poisoning in South Asian country of Laos.

WALKER: And the deaths, which included American tourists, are being traced to a popular backpacker destination and it is raising huge concerns about alcoholic drinks being tainted. CNN's Melissa Bell has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Six people are now believed to have died as a result of tainted alcohol poisoning in Laos. The latest victim, a 19-year-old woman from Melbourne, Australia, who'd been backpacking through Asia with her best friend. The two women are believed, according to the Associated Press, to have been given free shots in the hostel they were staying at before heading out for a night of drinking in Vang Vieng, a popular a hotspot for backpackers in Laos.

The other victims include a British woman, an American citizen, two Danish citizens as well, with several Western consulates saying they're working with some of their citizens who are believed also to have been impacted by the tainted alcohol. Those countries believe that methanol poisoning is to blame, although no cause of death has been announced.

We spoke to one doctor who told us about exactly just how poisonous methanol was.

BRUNO MEGARBANE, LARIBOISIERE HOSPITAL: Even a drop of methanol is toxic. It has been estimated that an amount of 10 milliliters of methanol could result in the death of an adult of 70 kilograms. So, it is really very toxic and the fatal amount is very low.

[07:22:07]

BELL: According to the Associated Press, several people have been taken in for questioning including the manager of the hostel where the two young Australian backpackers were staying although no charges have yet been brought. What the deaths have triggered are warnings about the dangers of tainted alcohol and the need to take care. Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Hurricane Helene destroyed a lot of businesses in Western North Carolina, including a 200-year-old Christmas tree farm.

Coming up, how they're salvaging what's left after the flooding.

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[07:27:07]

BLACKWELL: A late-night string of cabinet announcements is giving us a better picture of what the next Trump administration will look like in January. Common thread seen for a lot of Trump's picks is loyalty and their performance on television. So, we've got now two Fox News hosts and others who make frequent appearances on cable network there.

Joining me now to talk about Trump's transition is Heath Brown, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and author of "Roadblocks: Joe Biden's Rocky Transition to the Presidency." Heath, good morning to you. So, the headline of your latest piece is a crazy transition even for Trump. In 2016, after he won, he fired the head of the transition and threw out the whole plan in the last few weeks before he went to the presidency, before he took the oath. How is this compared to that even crazier?

HEATH BROWN, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE: One of the ways that it's different is in 2016, the incoming Trump transition team signed an agreement with the GSA to begin the process. That same agreement hasn't been signed this time, which means a large portion of what we expect to go on during the transition period apparently hasn't started. That's an area of great concern and one of the reasons why this transition is so different than the previous one, 2020, as well as in 2016.

BLACKWELL: So, this agreement with the General Services Administration allows them to get some office space, get some money, but also there are the documents related to ethics agreements and anti-conflict of interest commitments. Is this abnormal, disruptive, or is it more than that?

BROWN: I think it's very worrisome for two primary reasons. If the agreements aren't signed, that means the key information that the incoming administration needs about the major threats, challenges facing our country are not going to be shared in the same way as if the agreements were signed.

That's a problem for all of these cabinet positions and all of the sub-cabinet roles to be ready for day one, they need information and that's contingent to partner with federal agencies and the agreements have to be signed to do that.

The second concern is that if the agreements aren't signed, we'll never know who's funding this transition. Those agreements establish caps on the amount of money that can be donated to the transition team, as well as requiring public disclosure of who those donors are. If we don't see those agreements signed, we'll never know that information and I think many people would worry about that.

[07:29:59] BLACKWELL: Let's talk about former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who is the president-elect's pick to head up the intelligence community.

The reporting overnight that we had this morning, sources say that she was briefly on a TSA watch list because of her foreign connections and her overseas travel. The Trump team is not using the FBI to vet and do background checks on their choices. They are using some private agencies.

How much -- how do I phrase this? How much will we get from the confirmation hearings anyway, and how much likely will be off the table because of the way that they are vetting their picks and potential nominees?

BROWN: You know, we really don't know. Part of moving this into a new realm where many of the typical traditions and rules about how this procedure works, including, importantly, the FBI's role in doing background checks, making sure that full information is available, and also to provide the security clearances necessary to get the new administration.

All those rules, breaking all those traditions, means we really don't know what we're going to be facing as we move into the Senate confirmation period. A lot of this information is private and confidential, and so, we may never know that. But it's the things that the Trump transition team seems to be foregoing that raise some of the most critical questions.

These are important positions. These are positions we need to make sure. Everyone isn't conflicted, the conflict of interest are minimize to the greatest extent possible. Procedures are in place to do that. It's not clear today that all of those procedures are being followed.

BLACKWELL: All right. We just got a spate of announcements, and we'll stand by for more. Heath Brown, thanks so much.

BROWN: Thank you.

WALKER: That professional basketball, football, and hockey leagues have issued a warning to players to take steps to secure their homes. Coming up, who the leagues believe may be targeting the players homes?

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[07:36:54]

BLACKWELL: We are expecting to hear closing arguments in the trial of 26-year-old Daniel Penny, after the Thanksgiving holiday. Penny is charged with killing 30-year-old Jordan Neely on a New York City subway last year.

Defense attorneys rested yesterday after four days of witness testimony. The medical examiner called Neely's death a homicide after authorities say Penny held nearly in a choke hold for about six minutes. But a forensic pathologist testified for the defense disagreed. That pathologist testified that Neely died from a mix of factors, including synthetic marijuana, schizophrenia, and from being restrained.

WALKER: This morning, a new warning from several pro-sports leagues about skilled groups of burglars that are targeting high net worth players. This comes after several well-known athlete's homes were broken into in recent weeks.

The NFL says thieves appear to exploit team schedules to target athletes' homes on game days, and security officials with the NBA say the FBI believes the burglaries are tied to transnational South American theft groups.

With me now is CNN senior law enforcement analyst and former FBI director Andrew McCabe.

Andrew, good morning to you. Thank you so much for joining us this morning.

Tell us more about the South American transnational theft groups. I was quite taken by just how sophisticated and coordinated they are with their thefts.

ANDREW MCCABE, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Yes. It's really fascinating, Amara.

And we know about this because the FBI has apparently provided briefings to both the NFL and the NBA. The NFL has been fairly quiet about what information they passed on to their folks, but the NBA has been fairly detailed about what the FBI told them.

They said that the FBI indicated these words you mentioned, transnational, likely from South America theft groups, organized, deployed, essentially, teams of people committed to conducting the surveillance and the operations necessary to pull off these robberies.

They believe they are identifying some of their victims by analyzing the sport schedules to know when athletes are out of town, or at least, playing during a game, therefore not at home. They have utilized surveillance techniques, incorporating things such as drones, posing as delivery men, jogging through neighborhoods to establish what we in law enforcement call a pattern of life, and understanding of how life and people and vehicles and things like that move in and out and around the target location.

And then, when they have decided the time is right, they are choosing residences to go into where alarms are not being used, dogs are not present, and they can typically gain access from a first or second floor window or door that's been left open.

WALKER: I mean, their pre-surveillance techniques are pretty disturbing, right? I'm sure many of these players who were targeted feel violated in so many ways, just knowing that they had been watched for so many days. When it comes to the precautions that these players are being told to, you know, take like, make sure you set your alarm, or, you know, a lot of these homes did not have dogs. You know, a lot of these homes are unoccupied. Try to get a sitter in the house, or someone that you trust.

[07:40:08]

Are these precautions going far enough? Do you think, especially, for such a sophisticated group?

MCCABE: Well, you know, it's -- frequently, it's the most basic things that you can do that provide you the most protection, right? So, in this case, I think, it's important to note that they've communicated to the athletes to say, hey, stop posting things on social media that indicate that you are not at home, or that showcase expensive, easily portable items that you're currently storing in your home.

Like that sort of behavior attracts activity, and it gives these sorts of groups, you know, the idea that you may or may not be a good target.

So, if you want to put those sorts of things on social media, do them after you've returned to your residence, things like that. And, of course, the guidance about using security systems and having people stay in your house when you're not there. It's just --it's very simple, very obvious, but really could be enough to thwart someone from breaking in.

Burglars are typically looking for the easiest access they can. So, even just one step like that that's going to put an obstacle in their way, might be enough to send them down the street to the next target.

WALKER: Andrew, do you believe all these cases are connected to perhaps one group?

MCCABE: That's really hard to say at this point, Amara. It does seem, or at least the FBI has indicated, in other circumstances, that they think some of this burglary tourism might be involved, and that's simply people who come to the country for limited periods of time, on immigration visitor status, specifically for the purpose of conducting this sort of activity.

That doesn't mean that all of these targets are connected and have been -- and have been victimized by the same organization. But it is likely there are -- there is at least one or several organizations outside the country that are pulling this activity together and sending people to do the work.

WALKER: And lastly, what's then being done, if anything, at the federal level to combat these burglary tourists, right? Because they are called burglary tourists, because they are coming from countries that qualify for these, you know, visa waivers.

I understand that there are more than 40 countries that qualify for the country -- for this program, but it's just one South American country, Chile, that qualifies for this DHS waiver. Is enough being done on that level?

MCCABE: Well, it's, you know, the availability for Visa Waiver Program is certainly much broader than this issue, right? That goes to the relationships we maintain with those nations, and how we want to encourage business or tourism from those nations.

There is some work, I think, that law enforcement, and particularly, our really smart analysts can do once they have started identifying individuals who are involved, even one two people who are -- they are able to identify involved in this activity. You can then do some pretty sophisticated analysis, putting those people together with their contacts, their social media contacts, their telephonic contacts, and then looking at travel patterns.

So, there is -- there are some opportunities, I think, in the future, to better flesh out who is actually participating in this activity. But it sounds like we have a lot to -- a lot of work to do right now.

WALKER: All right. Andrew McCabe, appreciate your expertise. Thanks so much.

BLACKWELL: If your holiday recipes call for eggs, they may cost you a little more. Still ahead, what's behind rising egg prices across the country?

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[07:48:04]

BLACKWELL: And if you need eggs for your Thanksgiving meal, you may be a little surprised when you get to the grocery store.

WALKER: Prices are going up across the country. CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich, explains why.

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Victor and Amara, it's the perfect storm with eggs right now. Prices have been on the rise for two years, demand has remained steady, and the avion flu is spiking right now.

And there is an increased demand for eggs around the holiday season. One grocer said egg prices have been out of control. The average price for a dozen eggs in October was $3.37, and of course, it depends on where you live.

In Connecticut, one grocer told me he was selling a dozen eggs for $5. In New York City, one grocer said, north of $6. But prices across the border up 30 percent from last year.

An egg production is down 2.6 percent. The avian flu has been plaguing farmers and has killed 75 egg laying birds over the past two years. And last month, there was a spike which killed 2.8 million egg laying birds in three states, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, most of where our eggs are produced and come from.

So, that's created an even lower supply ahead of the holidays. And of course, we use a lot of eggs around this time, so, demand is putting even more pressure on low supply, raising prices.

But what's interesting is commodity eggs, basic white eggs, are now just as expensive as organic eggs in some markets. So, many people are now choosing to buy organic, which in turn, could put an unexpected strain on that market.

And just to show how important eggs are, think about all the items we make, we eat that have egg in them, mayo, pasta, those prices are higher now because of the last spike in avian flu cases.

Victor, Amara?

WALKER: Mayo and ice cream as well.

We are seeing even more fallout from the wrath of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. Just as the holiday season kicks into high gear.

[07:50:03]

BLACKWELL: Some Christmas tree farms were devastated by the storm, with thousands of trees destroyed. CNN meteorologist Elisa Raffa, explains why the impact may be far reaching.

ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The first snow of the season is bringing some Christmas cheer to these farmers here in western North Carolina. We spoke to one farmer that lost 60,000 trees on his family- owned farm. That farm has been in the family more than 200 years, dating back to the English monarchy.

With 60,000 trees gone, they are trying to make ends meet with wreaths and smaller trees for the season. That farmer also unfortunately lost his home.

This farm here lost 270,000 seedlings. These are baby trees that would have eventually gotten planted to become those bigger trees that often get cut and sold for Christmas time. But when the flawed waters came in, it contaminated all of these trees with that pollution and root rot, and these are just not viable anymore.

A lot of these were also supposed to go to other farmers in the industry, and that's just a loss for them this season.

Christmas trees take seven to 10 years to grow, so it is possible that we really won't understand the impact of healing on the Christmas tree industry for another decade.

Elisa Raffa, CNN, western North Carolina.

WALKER: Jason Kelce has a big announcement for his future. The former football star is getting a new teammate.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:55:59]

BLACKWELL: It's been a rough start to the season for the 76ers, but fans in Philly finally got a chance to cheer Friday night.

WALKER: Andy Scholes is here, and it was their rookie leading their way?

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: It was. It was.

You know, guys, coming into last night, the 76ers had the worst record in the entire NBA, which is -- which is pretty shocking. It was just a horrible start to what they thought was going to be a season where they would be competing for a title.

They, you know, still might end up doing that, but they got to get healthy and turn things around first. And the one bright spot so far for the team has been rookie Jared McCain, the 16th overall pick, getting hot in the fourth quarter last night, scored 14 of his 30 points in the period.

Sixers rally to beat the Nets, 113 to 98. Lots of teams right now kicking themselves for passing on McCain. He scored 20 points in seven straight games. And right now, a clear front runner to win the Rookie of the Year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JARED MCCAIN, GUARD, PHILADELPHIA 76ERS: of course. I mean, I set goals every single time, every single new season I have. Every day, I set a goal for myself. So, this season, I just wanted to be consistent with my work and trusted throughout the whole way. So, Rookie of the Year is definitely one of my goals.

SCHOLES (voice over): All right. Rockets' rookie, Reed Sheppard, also having himself a nice night. Look at this pass, saves the ball, throws it perfectly behind his back, up the court to Tari Eason for the slam.

Rockets blew out the Blazes, 116 to 88. Houston is now on seven of eight. They are 12th and five on the season.

All right, we saw the 16th pick in the draft in McCain and the third pick in Sheppard. How about next year's number one overall pick, Cooper Flagg, the 17-year-old Duke freshman, just dominating once again. He had a game I, 24 points in the Blue Devils' game -- win over 17th ranked, Arizona on the road.

Flagg doesn't even turn 18 till December 21st. They say no one's going to be passing on Flagg in the draft.

A couple huge games today in college football. You got a top five matchup between second-ranked Ohio State and fifth ranked Indiana. Hoosiers need to win that game in order to get in the playoffs.

Then, you've got undefeated 19th-ranked army. They are going to take on sixth-ranked Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium. Army still has a shot at the playoffs, but they need a win today.

JEFF MONKEN, COACH, ARMY FOOTBALL: We know it's going to take just an incredible effort for us to be able to be competitive with Notre Dame tomorrow, and that's we're focused on, trying to play our best.

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SCHOLES (on camera): Yes, Army a two-touchdown underdog. We'll see if they can pull off the upset in New York.

Meanwhile, brutal news for the 49ers ahead of their matchup against the Packers on Sunday. Quarterback Brock Purdy been ruled out with a right shoulder injury.

Star defensive lineman Nick Bosa also going to miss the game with injuries. Niners just five and five on the season, desperately needing a win in a bad way on Sunday.

All right. Finally, Jason Kelce and his wife Kylie, announcing they are expecting their fourth daughter. Kylie, breaking the news on Instagram with this hilarious picture. Saying, "At least Ellie, mom, and dad are on the same page." You see the youngster, Bennett there with tears. Wyatt, the oldest, pretty shocked. All of them wearing their matching big sister sweaters there, Amara.

Congrats the Kelces on the addition.

WALKER: Yes.

SCHOLES: But there are four daughters. I wonder if he was going for the boy and ended up with the four daughters.

WALKER: Maybe. Three to four, though, is a lot. I guess two to three is a lot too. Good to see you, Andy. Thank you.

SCHOLES: All right.

WALKER: "FIRST OF ALL WITH VICTOR BLACKWELL" is up next.

Hi, Victor. What you have coming up?

BLACKWELL: We've got a lot packed show. The expected leader of the Congressional Black Caucus is with us. What's your plan to take on the Trump administration? We'll ask that and a lot more.

Plus, there will be a rally in Las Vegas today for Brandon Durham, 43 years old. He was a father shot and killed by police after he called 911, for help. His sister is here to tell us what the family wants to see happen to that officer.

And you know, I'm from Shark Tank and FUBU. Daymon John is here. He has just hosted an annual star-studded black entrepreneur's day. We'll ask how he thinks people should navigate these uncertain economic times that a lot of business owners are facing. It's all coming up. So, let's start the show right now.

[08:00:08]

Well, FIRST OF ALL, I am starting with a three-letter word.

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