Return to Transcripts main page

CNN This Morning

Severe Storms Hitting East Coast As Millions Head Home; NY Leaders Condemn Inmate's Brutal Beating, Death; At Least 38 Killed, 29 Survive Commercial Jet Crash; TSA Probes 2nd Stowaway That Evaded Security To Board Plane Over Holidays; 66 Human Cases Of Bird Flu, Mutations In Patient With Severe Case; Year In Review: President Joe Biden's Final Days In Office; Only Man To Lead Both CIA, FBI Warns Senators About Trump Intelligence Picks; Man Accused In Fatal New York Subway Burning Indicted. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired December 28, 2024 - 07:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:00:36]

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour here on CNN THIS MORNING. I'm Isabel Rosales in for Victor Blackwell.

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome, Isabel.

ROSALES: Thank you.

WALKER: Good to be with you, and I'm Amara Walker. Thank you so much for being with us this morning, and here is what we are working on for you. A severe weather threat is building across parts of the South as millions of people head home from their Christmas break. The area is at risk for large hail and tornadoes and where the system is headed next.

ROSALES: There are new details in that deadly plane crash in Kazakhstan. Could a mistaken identification have contributed to that crash? What investigators found in the wreckage.

WALKER: And a second person managed to sneak onto a Delta flight without a ticket and went undetected until moments before takeoff. The serious questions that's raising about security at America's airports.

ROSALES: President-elect Donald Trump is weighing in on a major case that could see TikTok banned in the U.S. What he's asking the Supreme Court to do just before he takes office.

Severe weather may cause more delays for travelers returning home this weekend. The Storm Prediction Center says a tornado outbreak is likely today from eastern Texas to Alabama.

WALKER: Meanwhile, on the West Coast, atmospheric river-fueled storms are expected to hit the coast of California, which would cause massive waves up to 30 feet. It is one of the busiest travel weekends of the year and nearly 18,000 flights have been delayed or canceled. That was on Thursday and Friday. More than 400 flights have been delayed so far today. Severe storms hit parts of Texas and Louisiana on Friday, bringing heavy rain, large hail, and damaging winds.

The National Weather Service confirmed five tornadoes touched down around Houston on Thursday, damaging several homes. A video you see here from a Texas resident's home captured the moment heavy rains and strong winds pushed over a mail truck, knocking it on its side. CNN's Elisa Raffa joining us now with all that's going on, and it's not even peak tornado season. I thought that passed.

ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Typically, we get outbreaks like this in April and May. So, to see an outbreak to this caliber in December is rare. We can get tornadoes in spring and in winter, but really need to stay on guard for some violent weather, likely later on this afternoon and evening. These are the reports already that we've had over the last 48 hours, 14 tornado reports, and as we go through the day you can see the area at risk is pretty similar. Some of the same areas could get beat up again. Here's a look though.

This is a moderate level four out of five severe risk. We're not just talking about a couple of tornadoes, we're talking about a couple of strong tornadoes, violent tornadoes possible from Alexandria, Louisiana over towards Jackson, Mississippi even stretching into parts of Alabama. Even in the orange area, that stretches towards Birmingham. We could be looking at some strong tornadoes. These types of tornadoes you need to really seek shelter in basements or storm shelters It could really be pretty damaging.

So, that risk again continues today into the night tonight. Then, it starts to shift to the East Coast tomorrow, Charlotte and Atlanta, with that severe risk.

Now, it's not as intense, but we'll still drag damaging winds across the East Coast. We're already starting with a severe thunderstorm watch this morning for Dallas. As we go through the afternoon, these storms blow up in intensity.

We're talking about supercells capable of tornadoes. And you have a line of these damaging winds that blow through parts of Mississippi and Alabama overnight. Make sure your phones are set on loud. Then, we'll continue with that line pushing across the East Coast as we go into tomorrow. Again, these tornadoes this time of year are on the more rare side of things.

ROSALES: Yes, from Louisiana to Mississippi, especially keeping a close watch. Elisa Raffa, thank you.

The governor of New York has ordered an investigation into the fatal beating of an inmate, calling it a "senseless killing." On Friday, the state's attorney general released body camera footage showing the brutal beating of Robert Brooks, a prisoner in upstate New York. He was serving a 12-year sentence for first-degree assault, according to prison documents.

Now, before we show you the video, a warning, some viewers may find it disturbing. In that video, you can see Brooks is handcuffed and being carried right here into the facility by officers. They put him in a medical exam room, where multiple officers can later be seen right here punching and kicking him as he is handcuffed on that table. The Attorney General is promising to thoroughly investigate Brooks' death.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[07:05:06]

LETITIA JAMES, NEW YORK STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL: I want to reiterate that we are investigating this case thoroughly and using every tool at our disposal to ensure that there is transparency and accountability for the events that preceded Mr. Brooks's death.

I also want to make clear that this video and the conduct of these officers should not reflect poorly on the work and professionalism of the countless correction officers and correctional facility nurses throughout the state who go to work every day to protect and serve those in their care.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: Governor Kathy Hochul ordered the State Corrections Department to fire the 14 workers involved. There is no audio of that incident. Four of the officers did not activate their body cameras.

Overseas now, a U.S. official tells CNN that Russian air defenses may have mistaken the commercial jet that crashed on Christmas day with a Ukrainian drone.

WALKER: Yes, video shows the jet plunging to the ground in Kazakhstan, killing 38 people on board. Russian officials are trying to shift the blame to the pilot, alleging that he failed to land the plane twice at another airport before it crashed. Azerbaijan Airlines early investigation has found the crash was caused by physical and technical interference.

Joining me now with CNN Correspondent Hanako Montgomery. Hanako, it's incredible that there were survivors in this crash and we're hearing from some of them. What are they saying?

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Amara, it's good to see you. I mean, as you just described, it's remarkable that there were even survivors. I mean, we all seen that video of the plane crashing down, skidding several hundred meters as it turns into a ball of fire. Then, somehow these survivors managed to crawl out, walk out of that wreckage. And now, we're hearing from those very same survivors that despite being in such a terrifying and frankly traumatic experience, they were trying to help each other. Here's one man's account.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUTHONKUI RAKHIMOV, PLANE CRASH SURVIVOR: I thought I'll go and see what's there. If there's an exit, if it's accessible. I went in that direction and there was a woman in front of me. She regained consciousness and was moaning. I tried to lift her, lift her up and I saw that from the side there was another woman that was trapped. I tried to pull her out, but it didn't work. She was trapped and her legs were trapped. And this woman, she was not trapped. I'm lifting her up, but she can't get up. (END VIDEO CLIP)

MONTGOMERY: I mean, just extraordinary. Now, we can't confirm the exact cause of the crash just yet, but there is growing speculation about Russia's potential involvement. Now, of course, in response to that, the Kremlin has been very tight-lipped about this, declining to speculate about the incident before the investigation has formally concluded.

In fact, earlier today, the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a call with journalists that he was going to decline to comment, yet again, and refer to another statement that was made just yesterday. Peskov said, "Russia will provide comprehensive support to both Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan in investigating the circumstances and causes of the plane crash.

This readiness of Russia has been declared, and we are waiting for the results of the investigation." Of course, it is inappropriate for the presidential administration to say anything about this.

Now, in terms of what's next for this investigation, Amara, a second black box was recovered from the wreckage site on Friday. And investigators are hoping that this will really be a key to solving the puzzle. They're hoping that recordings, voice recordings from the cockpit and instrument readings will really give some insight as to what exactly caused this plane to crash on Christmas Day, killing dozens of people. Amara.

WALKER: All right, Hanako Montgomery, thank you for your reporting. The TSA is looking into how another stowaway managed to slip past security and board a Delta Airlines flight to Hawaii on Christmas Eve. Yes, you're hearing about this again. It is the second time a stowaway was caught on board a Delta flight in just the past few weeks, which of course is raising red flags about airport security.

This stowaway got past TSA security the night before and then boarded the flight to Hawaii all without a boarding pass. The unticketed passenger was discovered while the plane was still taxiing for takeoffs. At the very least, this passenger, unticketed passenger, did not make it to the final destination. Joining me now is CNN Aviation Analyst Miles O'Brien. Miles, it's good to see you.

Listen, I mean, we've all been talking about this in our newsroom, and the question we're asking is how does this happen, especially if this passenger, unticketed passenger had to go through several layers of security. Let's talk about the first, the TSA security screening. I mean, could he have, he or she could have just snuck past the security agent, or could this have been a case where you give your ID and you could still get through without a boarding pass?

[07:10:12]

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: Yes, I think it's stunning to those of us who've spent some time in airports and gone through those ID checkpoints with the TSA, how could you possibly get by? But if you think about this time of year and the amount of travel that's at play here, the number of people, and the amount of pressure that those TSA employees are under, and frankly, the tedium of their work, you can see how the weak point in all of this is the human being.

Now, you mentioned layers. The fact that somebody could get by that ID check is troubling because that matches that individual to no-fly list and people who might cause harm to an aircraft potentially. But in all the cases we've been talking about, the individuals were screened for prohibited items like weapons before they got on the aircraft. So, there's a little piece of good news about how the layering system works. The next piece of it though, of course, is what happens at the gate.

WALKER: Yes, let's talk about that. So, you get to the gate, obviously it's a little less security there. But again, how does it happen that you can actually get on the flight without a ticket? I mean, does this say something about Delta and its procedures?

O'BRIEN: Well, I think it says a little something about human beings trying to get on airplanes, right? There is this, you know, Delta and the other airlines attempt to board people in an orderly fashion by zone. People pay no attention to this, of course, and there's all this pressure to get, you know, past the gate agent, down the jetway, get your carry-on baggage in a bin, and so forth. People are under all kinds of tension trying to, you know, get on these planes. And you have, in most cases, a single individual who is scanning the boarding cards, either physical or on people's phones.

So, should there be another step there? Probably. Right. Delta is moving toward facial recognition on many flights. I've had this experience and in some cases, actual physical barriers, which probably would be a good idea, because I think one individual who's there with this scrum of passengers trying to push forward, paying no attention to the zones and is trying to make announcements simultaneously.

There's plenty of opportunities for people to get by if they're determined, unfortunately. So, again, the layers of this ultimately caught the individual before this aircraft took off for Hawaii. Of course, a few weeks ago, an individual made it all the way to Paris on an aircraft before she was caught.

WALKER: Well, clearly, Miles, something needs to change, right? I mean, what else can be done to make sure that unticketed passengers do not get on flights?

O'BRIEN: A little more vigilance, maybe a little more personnel at those gates. The airlines are, you know, obviously a profit-driven business, and they like to keep it as lean as possible, but maybe more individuals there to watch, or maybe technology can help with either facial recognition and actual physical barriers to the jetway door so that people have to be, you know, checked in and screened before even a door opens.

So, things like that can help, but these are clearly weak spots in the system. And the system is, you know, blinking red here saying, hey, there are problems here. It's a good thing that nobody has gotten on, God-forbid, with a weapon. That has not happened, but the system does need some cinching up, to say the least.

WALKER: And how frustrating that the passengers all had to get off the plane to be re-screened once again because of this one person.

O'BRIEN: I'm sure they were not happy.

WALKER: I'm sure. Miles O'Brien, it's great to see you this morning. Thank you so much.

ROSALES: One lucky Mega Millions player just became a millionaire this morning. The winning ticket for Friday night's estimated $1.2 billion, with a B, dollars, Mega Millions jackpot was sold in California. The identity of that player is not yet known. Now, if they take the cash payout, they will take home an estimated $549.7 million. I could use a bit of that.

WALKER: I have a family in California, they're not picking up the phone.

ROSALES: Hey, talk to them. Suspicious.

WALKER: I was being hopeful.

ROSALES: All right. Well, bird flu fears are rising across the country this morning. Federal health officials reported the bird flu virus likely mutated in the person with the first severe case of it in the U.S. We'll talk to a doctor about those concerns straight ahead.

[07:14:42]

And 2024 will go down as one of the most pivotal years for politics in U.S. history. A little later, a look back at some of the key moments in the historic presidential election.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:19:21]

WALKER: The CDC says the number of human cases of bird flu has increased to 66 now, and there are growing concerns about the spread of bird flu.

ROSALES: The CDC said mutations were discovered in the patient with a severe case of the bird flu. We're joined now by Dr. Andrew Pavia, he is a Pediatric Infectious Disease Doctor at the University of Utah and Director of the Children's Hospital's Epidemiology Program.

Doctor, thank you so much for being here with us, for offering your perspective. Can you break down what this newly discovered mutation means? And also, the CDC said that the risk to the general public has not changed and remains low. Do you agree with that?

DR. ANDREW PAVIA, PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE DOCTOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH: I think the question is whether or not the risk today has changed, because I don't think it has. I think the question is whether or not the risk today has changed, because I don't think it has. But we're getting yet another really serious reminder about just how much we can't underestimate this virus. So, these changes probably occurred in the patient as it continued to replicate. As the patient was sick, these changes allowed the virus to attach more effectively to human cells, and that's probably why this patient became so ill.

It's one of the factors that the virus hasn't yet developed but that it's a real possibility that we keep watching for. So, I think everyone is too busy trying to tell us that the average person isn't at risk for getting bird flu today, which is absolutely true. And yet, we're not taking the threat seriously enough as a government, as a scientific community.

WALKER: Then, I have to ask you this if you don't think that the government is taking it seriously enough. Dr. Deborah Birx, she served as the former White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator under Trump's first administration and she basically said on CNN yesterday that we are not testing enough.

The CDC pushed back, had this response to that interview saying the comments about avian flu, H5N1 testing are out of date, misleading, and inaccurate despite data indicating that asymptomatic infections are rare. CDC changed its recommendations back in November to widen the testing net to include testing asymptomatic people with high-risk exposure to avian flu.

The statement goes on to say more than 70,000 specimens have been tested looking for novel flu viruses more than 10,000 people exposed to avian flu have been monitored for symptoms and 540 people have been tested specifically for H5N1. Do you believe that there needs to be more widespread testing? Is the government doing enough for that?

PAVIA: Well, we do need more widespread testing. The studies that were done to look for asymptomatic infection were relatively small. 540 people have had an H5N1 test specifically, and yet we know that farm workers are being exposed. We've got more than 900 farms throughout the U.S., dairy farms alone, that have had H5N1.

And of course, there's infection in other animals that may be just as important. You've seen the outbreak in cats, recently at a shelter for wild felids, we've seen the contamination of pet food. What we really need is to be testing very broadly among animals to understand the extent, which we're just beginning to do. And we need much more testing of people who are at risk, which would include farm workers.

Now, what CDC doesn't say, and I have great respect for CDC, I used to work there, is that it's very difficult to do this. Farm workers don't always have great access to medical care. They often don't want to complain that they're sick because they have no benefits. Testing depends on local states and local health departments to be able to do it. So, there are a lot of barriers, but I think overall we're not doing enough surveillance among animals and we're not doing enough surveillance among people.

ROSALES: Yes, and doctor, the CDC has said that there's currently no human to human spread of H5N1. We saw the mutation in those two individuals, at least, that we know of, not seeing that in the live birds yet. Are we looking here with this mutation progression, that is it just a matter of time until this becomes a pandemic? How do you view it?

PAVIA: Well, with flu, the more you study it, the less you know. So, it's unpredictable, but the risk is very real. And it may happen in the next couple of days. It may never happen, but if we're not prepared for it, we're going to get caught flat-footed with what could be a really catastrophic pandemic.

So, you have to prepare as if it's going to happen, knowing that it might not, and then you're going to get accused of raising the alarm falsely, spending a lot of resources, but you have to prepare.

WALKER: Yes, this is why you're calling for more testing. We're out of time, Dr. Pavia, but we appreciate you this morning. Thank you very much.

ROSALES: Thank you.

[07:24:26]

WALKER: Well, the only person who has led both the FBI and CIA sounds the alarm about two of President-elect Trump's picks, why he is urging the Senate to nix Kash Patel and Tulsi Gabbard's nominations for, quote, the safety of the American people.

ROSALES: And minimum wage is set to rise for millions of workers across 21 states on New Year's Day. Why one expert says the boost in hourly pay still isn't enough to help America's struggling families make ends meet.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALKER: A whirlwind year at the White House is coming to a close. President Joe Biden is leaving politics while handing over the reins to his successor, Donald Trump. CNN's Julia Benbrook takes a look back at the campaign trail in 2024.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This year, President Joe Biden is preparing to say goodbye to a decades-long career in politics.

This time last year, he was preparing for the election, one that ended up taking a lot of twists and turns.

It was supposed to be a rematch. Joe Biden, the incumbent leading Democrats, and Donald Trump, a former president, breaking records with huge primary wins against his Republican challengers.

Trump split time between the trail and the courtroom amid a flurry of legal troubles, both civil and criminal.

A New York jury found him guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records, making him the first former president convicted of a felony.

[07:30:00]

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: The real verdict is going to be November 5th, by the people.

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN NEWSOURCE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Later in the year, Biden's son, Hunter, became the first child of a sitting president convicted of felony crimes.

Meanwhile, the president, the oldest in American history, faced questions about his ability to serve another term. When the two candidates went head-to-head on the debate stage, Biden's alarming performance led to increased calls for him to drop out of the race.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Dealing with everything we have to do with -- look --

BENBROOK (voice over): Two assassination attempts against Trump shook the campaign trail. The first, at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

AMERICAN CROWD: USA! USA!

BENBROOK (voice over): He appeared at the Republican National Convention just a few days later with his running mate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, and made a short-lived promise to tone down the rhetoric on the trail.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: We rise together or we fall apart.

BENBROOK (voice over): With just about 100 days left, Biden dropped out of the race, and despite calls from some for an abbreviated primary, the party ultimately rallied behind Vice President Kamala Harris. She became the first black woman and first Asian American to lead a major party ticket.

KAMALA HARRIS (D), VICE PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I accept your nomination to be president of the United States of America.

BENBROOK (voice over): She, then, selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. Democrats saw a huge surge in fundraising, numbers and endorsements. Polls predicted a tight race, but Trump landed a decisive electoral victory, carrying all seven battleground states and the popular vote.

Harris conceded --

HARRIS: We must accept the results of this election.

BENBROOK (voice over): And Biden hosted his predecessor and now successor at the White House.

BIDEN: Welcome, welcome back.

TRUMP: Thank you.

BENBROOK (voice over): In a stunning reversal, Biden issued a full and unconditional pardon for his son after the election.

Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on January 20th.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BENBROOK (on camera): In this final stretch, the Biden team has been focused on protecting some of his key accomplishments from a second Trump term and cementing his legacy.

He'll spend the next few days here with family, and is expected to travel to Delaware on New Year's Eve.

Traveling with the president in St Croix, Julia, Benbrook, CNN.

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: One of the most decorated security and intelligence officials in U.S. history is raising concerns about two of President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet picks.

William Webster is warning senators about Trump's choice to lead the FBI and his pick for Director of National Intelligence. CNN's Katelyn Polantz has more.

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Isabel and Amara, the only person that has ever led both the CIA and the FBI is issuing a warning now to people on Capitol Hill that are looking at the potential nominees for Donald Trump, specifically, Donald Trump's pick to lead the FBI, Kash Patel, and his pick to be the Director of National Intelligence, former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.

Now, this man, William Webster, he was in charge of the FBI and the CIA for a 13-year stretch in total, under several different presidents: President Carter, President Reagan, President George H.W. Bush. And he is one of the most esteemed people to ever be in charge of intelligence in this country.

And what he did this week is that he sent a letter to senators, saying that he was deeply concerned about these two choices to be nominees of Donald Trump for the next administration.

He writes about Kash Patel chosen to lead the FBI for Trump that he has a concern over Patel's ability to remain distant from what Donald Trump wants politically.

What he writes in his letter to the senators, "While Mr. Patel's intelligence and patriotism are commendable, his close political alignment with President Trump raises serious concerns about impartiality and integrity. Statements such as, 'He is my Intel guy', and his record of executing the president's directives suggest a loyalty to individuals rather than the rule of law -- a dangerous precedent for an agency tasked with impartial enforcement of justice."

Webster also notes in his letter to Capitol Hill that when he was the director of the FBI, there were two presidents that called him and asked him for help, and he made sure that, that agency remained separate independent, and that there wasn't interference from the White House.

And then about Tulsi Gabbard, he has concerns about the experience she has in intelligence. She is someone who is notable for being an Army National Guard veteran, and whenever she was a congresswoman, meeting with the then-president of Syria, who is now deposed and hiding in Russia.

But what Webster writes about Gabbard as Trump's pick, "Congresswoman Gabbard's profound lack of intelligence experience and the daunting task of overseeing 18 disparate intelligence agencies further highlight the need for seasoned leadership. This is no time in world history for a novice in the field to learn this role."

[07:35:10]

Now, we still will await to see what senators ultimately want to do with these choices of Donald Trump, and if they will support them enough to get them across the finish line and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

ROSALES: Katelyn Polantz, thank you.

TikTok is taking closer to a controversial ban in the U.S. this morning.

Straight ahead, President-elect Donald Trump's urgent new request for the Supreme Court to pause next month's critical hearing on that case.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:40:02]

WALKER: President-elect Donald Trump is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to pause a controversial TikTok ban set to take effect just one day before his inauguration.

In a legal filing, Trump told justices that a delay would allow for his administration to pursue a negotiation. The move comes less than a month after Trump met with TikTok CEO Shou Chew. It also puts Trump at odds with the Biden administration, which is warning of grave national security concerns about TikTok's operation in the U.S.

The suspect in the burning death of a woman on the New York subway has been indicted on charges of murder and arson, and faces a court date early next month.

ROSALES: Law enforcement sources tell CNN, the victim is believed to have been homeless, which makes identifying her difficult.

CNN's Gloria Pazmino has more.

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NEWSOURCE NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Isabel, Amara. You know, this story, this incident, has gotten so much attention here in New York City and also across the rest of the country, because of all of the issues that it highlights. Right? Something that New York City has been grappling with for so long: mental illness, public safety, homelessness.

And public safety, specifically in the public transit system, after a series of high-profile incidents.

Now, the suspect in this case, Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, has been indicted in charges of murder in the first and second degrees, as well as arson. That's after a grand jury voted to indict him on Friday. And we are expecting him to appear in court for the unsealing of that indictment early in January.

Now, the district attorney for Brooklyn, which is prosecuting this case, said that his office is prepared to prosecute the case, and he talked just about the horrific nature of the crime. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC GONZALEZ, DISTRICT ATTORNEY, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK: I want to assure the people of this city that this office will do everything in our power to hold him accountable. This was a malicious deed, a sleeping, vulnerable woman on our subway system. This act surprised many New Yorkers as they were getting ready to celebrate the holidays.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: Police officials say that the suspect walked over to the victim, who appeared to be asleep inside of that subway car, and that he used a lighter to set her on fire.

Now, the victim has not been identified. In part, as a result of the horrific nature of her injuries, they have not been able to identify her. We have also learned from the district attorney's office that they are using advanced DNA and fingerprinting technology as well as surveillance video from the subway station to try and retrace her steps in an effort to identify her.

Isabel, Amara?

WALKER: Gloria Pazmino, thank you.

Well, despite the cost of just about everything going through the roof now, the federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 an hour for more than 15 years. Well, after the break, the 21 states rolling out new minimum wages for millions of workers at the start of the new year.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:47:22]

ROSALES: Millions of workers across the U.S. will be getting a raise in the New Year. The Economic Policy Institute says 21 states are raising their minimum wage. That will mean bigger paychecks for more than 9.2 million workers.

But millions more live in states that are not increasing minimum wages, and even with the increases, many workers still won't make enough to reach a living wage. That means that they are not paid enough to afford a family's basic needs, including housing, food, health care, child support and transportation, and there is no indication that Congress will raise the federal minimum wage anytime soon. It's been $7.25 an hour since 2009.

Joining me now to talk about all of this is Yannet Lathrop, a senior researcher and policy analyst with the National Employment Law Project.

Yannet, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate your time.

Let me ask you this. We have seen these raises happening for several years across other cities and states. What have you learned from those areas that raised the minimum wage? What were the immediate impacts to workers?

YANNET LATHROP, SENIOR RESEARCHER AND POLICY ANALYST, NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT LAW PROJECT: Obviously, paychecks are going up in those places, and workers are better able to afford basics.

ROSALES: OK. And are you seeing a closing of the gap when it comes to like gender or racial disparities? And those that are impacted.

LATHROP: The minimum wage does affect women in black and Latino workers more than other workers. So, yes, there is that gap -- narrowing that gap because of minimum wage increases, and there is research to back that up.

ROSALES: Yes. So, when you take into account that it's 21 states that are going to see that boost, is this a big win, or is that not enough?

LATHROP: Well, minimum wages are minimum wages. They are not quite at the level of living wages, so, there is a lot more to be done to make sure that these are minimum wage laws to meet, at least, the -- what's needed to pay for the basics, to allow people to thrive. Not just to live, but also to thrive.

ROSALES: Now, critics argue that higher labor costs could lead to job cuts, automation, and costs that eventually get passed on to the consumer via higher prices of goods in services. What do you say to that to critics of raising the minimum wage?

LATHROP: Yes. So, research on the minimum wages has been ongoing for decades. And what the research finds overwhelmingly is that minimum wages do raise first, but they do not affect employment.

[07:50:02]

And as far as inflation, inflation is a product mainly of other things, of energy prices, recently, of shelter, of grocery -- high grocery prices that are keep going up. That in -- and shelter is also one of the things that have been driving inflation.

So, the cost of labor, low wage labor is not really a factor in in overall inflation. It just doesn't affect the production and the distribution of goods and services.

ROSALES: Are you at all concerned that we could see employers reacting to these wage increases by reducing hours?

LATHROP: Minimum wage increases typically are faced-in over time. They are not fixed in at once, over a period of just one year. So, there is time for employers to be able to adjust the minimum wage without really shedding jobs or cutting hours.

And if you're running a business, you need your employers. You can't just decide that you're going to lay off or cut hours. That will impact the quality of the services that you provide and the businesses that will suffer. So, I think it's something that employers would have to really think about before they make that move.

ROSALES: Right. And Yannet, once upon a time, the fight for $15 per hour. I mean, that seems like a pipe dream back in 2012-2014 when we first started hearing that. Now, we are looking at 16 states with pay floors of $15 or even higher within the next three years. How did we get here?

LATHROP: Well, it is a fight for 15. it is workers advocating -- advocates pushing for higher wages, and it is the product of those fights over the past decade. It is a product of workers making sure that they are telling legislators and voters, because in some occasions, these -- some of these wages are because voters voted to approve a minimum wage increase.

These workers are telling everyone who should be listening that they need more. And that is -- that is a product of that -- of that agency, of that fight.

ROSALES: Yannet Lathrop, thank you so much for joining us.

WALKER: All right. Still ahead, USC hits the jackpot. Not the $1.2 billion, one we've been talking about all morning, a different kind.

How the Trojans pulled off a huge comeback to win the Las Vegas Bowl.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:56:58]

WALKER: A new CNN film examines the storied career of one of the most influential artists of all time, Luther Vandross, using a wealth of archives. Luther tells his own story, along with the voices of his closest musical collaborators and friends.

The all-new CNN film, "LUTHER: NEVER TOO MUCH", premieres New Year's Day at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on CNN.

Well, Christmas may have come and gone, but there is plenty of football to keep fans occupied this weekend. USC ended their season on a high after a stunning comeback win in the Las Vegas Bowl.

ROSALES: I'm still not over my Beyonce-high, by the way.

Carolyn Manno joins us now with how they pulled it off. Hi, Carolyn.

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Whether you love the football, Beyonce, there is something for you at this time of year.

The quarter final games guys are still a couple days away, but teams that didn't make the playoffs get a chance to end their seasons on a winning note. 13 bowl games taking place on Friday and Saturday alone, and Friday's night cap took place under the late-night lights of Las Vegas.

USC taken on Texas A&M, and the Las Vegas Bowl Marcel Reed, throwing his third touchdown pass of the game, giving the Aggies a 24/7 lead. And then, late in the third quarter, it looked like they had run away with this thing, but Jayden Maiava would lead a massive Trojans come back.

Three touchdown passes in the final 19 minutes for the sophomore. The last one going to Kyle Ford with eight seconds remaining. So, USC wins at 35-31, capturing the Las Vegas Bowl crown.

Oklahoma and Navy facing off in the Armed Forces Bowl. The Midshipmen coming off a win over their rivals, Army, and they picked up where they left off in this one. The quarterback, Blake Horvath had a great game, burst into the sooner defense goes all the way, 95 yards here for the touchdown. That is the longest touchdown run in Navy's history.

Very impressive for a team that's been playing football there since 1879.

Oklahoma cut Navy's lead to one in the closing seconds after Michael Hawkins Jr. threw a touchdown pass to Jake Roberts, but the Sooners decide to go for two, and the win, and Hawkins Junior can't find a receiver, get sacked as Navy holds on to win 21-20, It's their first 10-win season dating back to 2019.

Eight more bowl games on the slate today, beginning at 11:00 am with the Fenway Bowl in Boston. Bill Belichick won't be in the stands to see his new team North Carolina to battle UConn.

Deion Sanders in Colorado, face off with BYU in the Alamo Bowl. And you've got the popular Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando between Miami and Ohio State.

Three games on the NFL slate on Saturday too, including the Chargers and Broncos, both looking to secure the final two wild card playoff spots in the AFC.

L.A. and New England have faced the Patriots Denver and Cincinnati to battle the Bengals and the L.A. Rams will try to stay in the driver's seat for the NFC West title as they host the Cardinals, the Rams riding a four-game win streak.

And we close today with some sad news to share with you this morning. Long time sportscaster Greg Gumbel passed away on Friday. He spent more than 50 years as a studio host and play-by-play man for the NFL, the NBA, college basketball. He was a trailblazer in many ways and loved by many.

[08:00:04]

In 2001, he became the first African American man chosen for the role of play-by-play at a Super Bowl. And he also hosted coverage of three Olympic Games in the 90s.