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CNN This Morning

Blizzard Warnings In Place For Eastern Kansas, Western Missouri As Storm Intensifies; America Bids Farewell To President Carter; VP Harris To Certify Trump's Presidential Win; Source: Johnson Tells GOP That Trump Wants A Package Deal For Agenda; Carter's Humanitarian Impact Around The World; Biden & First Lady To Visit Nola Monday After Deadly Truck Attack. D.C. Ramping Up Security; New Evidence in Cybertruck Explosion; Golden Globes Preview. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired January 05, 2025 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- out there in the same boat as you are. We try to make sure that everybody that steps into this space feel welcome.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not because I'm Filipino and we're like, you know, we're naturally hospitable, but because they feel a sense of security, a sense of familiarity.

ALL: Cheers!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Connection is kind of like easy.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

AMARA WALKER, HOST: You know, I have to say I'm starting to really warm to the idea of going booze-free the majority of the time.

DANNY FREEMAN, HOST: Well, and then the mocktails are good.

WALKER: Yes.

FREEMAN: They're actually tasty.

WALKER: Yes.

FREEMAN: So I'm about it too.

WALKER: As long as, you know, they keep the sugar a little lower, I think I -- yes --

FREEMAN: Yes.

WALKER: -- I can convert (ph). FREEMAN: You can be convinced.

WALKER: I am being convinced, very slowly but surely.

Another hour of CNN This Morning weekend starts now.

All right, breaking news as we come to air this morning, millions of people across the Midwest are facing treacherous travel as the strongest storm of the season is coating roads with ice and snow. You can see already pileups and spinouts in Salina, Kansas. So the storm is far from over.

FREEMAN: And just how bad is it out there? Take a look right here. This is the number of calls about crashes and stranded drivers the Missouri State Highway Patrol received in just a matter of minutes.

Good morning. I'm Danny Freeman in for Victor Blackwell.

WALKER: And I'm Amara Walker.

Right now, a major winter storm is sweeping across 1,500 miles, affecting 70 million people, including nearly 4 million who are under blizzard warnings.

FREEMAN: We're checking in right now live in Kansas City where a blizzard warning is in effect. Officials stressing the need for caution, especially with the risk of black ice, as this storm moves through the Midwest.

WALKER: We know how dangerous black ice can be.

CNN's Allison Chinchar is tracking this weather from our weather center. What do we need to know? What are the areas of most concern?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right. So right now, it's really kind of focused over the Central Plains. But this is going to make its way across the country. It's going to go into the Midwest, the Ohio Valley, and eventually into the Mid-Atlantic over the next 24 to 48 hours.

So here is a live look at St. Louis. Again, kind of the gloomy skies. But notice here this little walkway. You've got that thin coating of ice and wintry weather on the ground there. Do not worry, this is a statue, not a live person. No one is standing out there.

The temperature right now, 25 degrees there. It is very cold. A lot of these areas already have that coating of ice on the ground. Look at all of these locations. At least a quarter of an inch of ice.

Keep in mind, that's not only enough to coat the roads, obviously, but also your power lines, your trees to cause power outages. And Colby, Kansas, getting dangerously close to half an inch of ice accumulation.

Now, we talked about this yesterday. It's going to be that coating of ice first. Then the snow is going to come down on top of it for some of these places, which makes it even more dangerous because you simply cannot see it.

Here's a look at what we've got. And we've got a plethora out there. We've got snow. We've got ice. We've got rain, thunderstorms, and even thundersleet in a few spots here. You can see places like Wichita, Kansas City, St. Louis, depending on which part of the city or suburb you live in, there's a little bit of everything mixed in all three of those cities.

The winter weather alerts stretch essentially from Colorado all the way over to New Jersey. You're talking 1,500 miles of winter weather alerts from various components here that we're talking about. Now, there are two main major impacts that we are expecting with this.

The very dangerous, if not impossible, travel conditions in some of these locations. And also the potential for those widespread power outages, especially in the red areas. And also this spot right here where you see the purple, that is a level 4 of 4. It does not get any higher than this.

The extreme category right there near the Indiana-Kentucky state line. This is where we're looking at the potential for substantial disruptions to daily life. Again, not just the power outages, but also on the roadways.

The system itself will gradually spread into portions of the Midwest and the Ohio Valley as we go through the day today. Starting off tomorrow morning, the main concern is really going to be the Mid- Atlantic. That includes Washington, D.C., places like Baltimore.

Then by tomorrow night, finally, the low pressure system goes back out over the water. But you still have some of that residual moisture kind of on the back flank of the system. So it's not necessarily meaning that the precipitation itself is done.

When we talk about snowfall totals, this wide swath of pink that you can see in here, you're talking 10 to 12 inches of snow. On the southern side, it may not look like the snow totals are as high, but that's because a lot of that is actually going to be ice first and then the snow on top of it.

So you're going to have at least a quarter of an inch of ice in many of these places, with up to three quarters of an inch possible on the high end of that. We also have the severe component on the south side of this, where, yes, we could also have some damaging winds and even some tornadoes.

WALKER: Oh, wow. A lot to look out for.

Allison Chinchar, thank you.

Today is the second day of the state funeral procession for former President Jimmy Carter. The late president is lying in repose this hour at the Carter Center in Atlanta. You are looking at live pictures, where members of the public are expected to pay their respects around the clock until 6:00 a.m. Tuesday morning.

[07:05:13]

Several dignitaries will also pay tribute, including the Carter Center Board of Trustees, the Consuls General of Atlanta, and representatives from Emory University.

FREEMAN: Now, Carter will remain in repose at the Carter Center before heading to Washington, D.C. for a state funeral on Tuesday. And this morning, the former president's home church, the Maranatha Baptist Church, will hold its first Sunday service since Carter's passing.

CNN's Jeff Zeleny has more on the somber and emotional tributes.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: In scripture and song on Saturday, Georgians paid their solemn tributes to Jimmy Carter, one of their own, who rose from being a peanut farmer to the presidency. A daylong series of tributes started in Plains, Georgia, and literally tracked the remarkable journey that he had from his home outside of the tiny town of Plains to a more than a two-and-a-half hour journey to Atlanta, the motorcade passing the Atlanta Capitol, of course, where he served as a state senator and one term as governor before making the run for president back in the 1976 campaign.

That was an improbable journey, one of many throughout his life. But certainly, once the motorcade reached the Carter Center on Saturday evening for a private family service, Chip Carter spoke about how both of his parents, Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter, and the work that they did for the world.

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JAMES EARL "CHIP" CARTER III, SON OF FMR. PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER: He was an amazing man. And he was held up and propped up and soothed by an amazing woman. And the two of them together changed the world. And it was an amazing thing to watch from so close.

(SINGING)

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ZELENY: The words of that hymn echoed throughout the Carter Center here, Morehouse chosen, of course, the historical black college here in Atlanta as a nod to how important civil rights were to the Carters, of course, through the course of his governorship and indeed the presidency.

Now, the late president is lying in repose here in Atlanta through Tuesday morning at 6 a.m. when he's taken to Washington.

Amara and Danny?

FREEMAN: Turning to D.C. now, we have a live look over Capitol Hill this morning. It'll be a busy week there starting tomorrow. House Speaker Mike Johnson getting ready for his first full week with the 119th Congress. And he's got that razor thin majority. And across the city, heavy security is in place, as Vice President Kamala Harris gets ready to certify the election she lost to Donald Trump. Joining me now is CNN Political Analyst and Anchor with Spectrum News, Errol Louis. Good morning, Errol. Listen, Vice President Harris has known this moment was coming ever since election night. It's part of the job, but it's still likely going to be hard. And yet that peaceful transfer of power will happen. Can you just reflect on how different this January 6th will be compared to four years ago?

ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, sure. Four years ago, you know, we all watched in horror as a mob stormed into the Capitol, erected a noose outside, you know, defecation smeared on the walls of the Capitol, the Speaker's office ransacked, legislators running for their lives, guns pulled, a person lost their life. It was absolute chaos and confusion.

And so, we now know, which a lot of us didn't know, that January 6th is specified in the Constitution as kind of what had been a ceremonial transfer of power to a very serious one, where we now have to wonder on Monday, is this all going to work as it's supposed to?

And so, you've got, you know, people with long guns and all kinds of security around the Capitol. But, you know, four years ago, we watched in absolute horror. I remember being on the air, and we just couldn't believe what we were watching.

And I think this should be a moment of reflection for all of us that, you know, we can't take this for granted. If somebody decides, as was determined four years ago, that they want to engage in a seditious conspiracy, that they want to rile up a mob, that they want to storm the Capitol and try and stop the transfer of power, there are people who can and will do something like that.

I -- you know, I think we should all hold our breath a little bit, frankly, until all of the ceremonies are completed on January 6th.

FREEMAN: And again, just amazing, because that was a day that we -- the public really did not know or pay much attention to prior to four years ago.

Errol, CNN reporting that President-elect Trump wants one big policy bill early in his term, which would include things like border changes, energy and tax policies. This is ambitious, though. From your perspective, can this slim majority of Republicans achieve sweeping legislation like that?

[07:10:05]

LOUIS: Well, there's a reason that you do these so-called Christmas tree bills, these omnibus legislation. And frankly, President-elect Trump may have learned from his predecessor, because the Inflation Reduction Act, which is very poorly named, put in a whole lot of, you know, energy credits and other kinds of legislation into one big bill.

It's the easiest way, or I should say the most straightforward legislative way, to make sure that you've got everybody on board. Everybody will be a little bit unhappy, but a lot of people will have their pet projects included. And so I think, strategically, Donald Trump is absolutely right that -- to want something that's big enough to include every last member of that Republican Congress that he's going to need to get anything passed.

FREEMAN: But again, to that point, do you think that this Republican Congress has shown that they will be able to do something like this?

LOUIS: You know, it's unclear. I was reading the letter the other day that was put forward. It was kind of a word of warning by some members of the Freedom Caucus. And it included some things that they're probably not going to get around reconciliation and how the budget process goes. But it included some interesting proposals like, you know, banning members of Congress from trading stock.

I'm not sure. You know, I wouldn't rule out the possibility that, you know, compromise, which is what they're all there for, it is the job, can't be achieved at some point. You give everybody a little bit of what they want, and I think the idea is you should be able to get almost to yes. They may have to rely on Democrats, but then a bipartisan solution is not the worst thing in the world either.

FREEMAN: You're optimistic, as I feel like compromise has become a dirty word in D.C. over the past couple of years. But nevertheless, one of the unexpected things, Errol, that I think came out of the tragedy in New Orleans, which was very interesting this week, was someone on the right saying that that is a reason to actually speed up some of Trump's national security Cabinet nominations.

I just wanted your perspective on that. Do you think that talking point will work?

LOUIS: I don't think so. There's no indication that there was a lapse in leadership in Washington that led to this act. I mean, we -- it's -- frankly, it matches or is a copycat of tragedies we've seen elsewhere, including in New York City, where almost -- we had an almost copycat sort of situation just a few years ago, where a person who was radicalized online and had no other prior indication of potential for violence drove into New York City in a wretched truck and mowed down a bunch of pedestrians before he was killed by law enforcement.

I mean, we've seen it happen all over the world. So I don't know that this is one where you could say, well, gee, if we only had had, you know, I don't know, a different kind of national security adviser, this might not have happened. We'll wait and see if the investigation yields that. But it doesn't sound like a rational response to, again, something that we've seen before in this age of terrorism.

FREEMAN: Well, especially as -- it seems more scrutiny is growing towards, frankly, some of the local officials in New Orleans and that area.

One last thing, Errol, I wanted to pick your brain on, just because I've been obsessing over it since Friday. Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, on Friday night, after the entire speaker vote with Mike Johnson, McCarthy posted this picture on his social media. I think we have it right here. It's a picture of him and Trump standing together saying, it was good to catch up with Donald Trump today. 2025 is going to be a great year for our country.

Just thinking about President-elect Trump initially trying to get famous McCarthy rival Matt Gaetz into the attorney general's office and then seeing the speaker vote, do you think we're going to hear more from the ousted speaker this year?

LOUIS: Well, look, as far as I know, the ousted speaker is somebody who makes quite a lot of money now by his proximity to power and his ability to make phone calls and get them returned on Capitol Hill and from the White House. So I think we'll probably see a lot of that going on for those who want to chase that sort of thing down, which is important.

But no, look, it was almost all personalities rather than policies that led to that longstanding fight between Matt Gaetz and Kevin Johnson. I mean, you know, I just didn't -- I never saw that as some kind of a powerful faction fight. It was really more like people who just couldn't get along, didn't like each other, and tried to undercut each other in some really unfortunate ways that ground Congress to a halt.

I think that that is behind us. I hope that that is behind us, because whatever else goes on, you know, there should be some clear leadership and a chance for the public to see people vote up and down on actual policies rather than personalities.

FREEMAN: Yes, well said. A busy start of the year to come. Errol Louis, thank you so much for breaking it all down for us.

LOUIS: Good to see you.

WALKER: All right. And still to come, President Biden and the First Lady head to New Orleans this week. What to expect as Biden plays consoler-in-chief.

[07:15:07]

Also, Hollywood rolls out the red carpet for the awards season. We get a sneak peek of the Golden Globes coming up.

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WALKER: One of former President Carter's enduring legacies is his efforts to give back to those less fortunate. Carter, along with his wife, Rosalynn, were champions and volunteers for Habitat for Humanity for three decades.

Joining me now is former Kentucky Governor Paul Patton, who worked alongside former President Carter to build homes for Habitat for Humanity in Appalachia in 1997. Governor, thank you so much for joining us on the phone here.

You were the governor of Kentucky in '97 when former President Carter, he made a trip there for a project called Hammering in the Hills. It was a really ambitious project to build over 50 homes in eastern Kentucky and a part of Tennessee in just one week. Can you tell me about some memories you have or what you remember the most about the president that week?

PAUL PATTON, FORMER KENTUCKY GOVERNOR (D): Well, I remember that he was -- I had met the president several times before and it was a normal political atmosphere, but he was all business there. He was not preening for cameras or anything like that. He was just working and he, you know, had a lot of other people working and that precipitated, that increased our participation in Habitat for Humanity dramatically in Kentucky.

We were -- I think we're the ninth leading state as far as building homes still. That's, you know, until about 20 years ago or so. So --

WALKER: Yes --

PATTON: Yes, go ahead.

[07:20:08]

WALKER: Yes. I wonder, excuse me for jumping in there. I wonder what it was like for the community to see a former president and first lady show up, you know, with a hammer in hand rolling up their sleeves to actually, you know, work to frame these homes, to paint them. I mean, how was the community impacted by this?

PATTON: Very, very -- even today, people still talk about when Carter was here and like I said, he wasn't like a next president or anything. He was just like an ordinary worker that was anxious to get the job done and get it done in a week. And so, every evening he would evaluate all the (INAUDIBLE).

We were building 13 or 14 houses in this particular site and he would evaluate it. And we had a foreman that Mark White (ph) would do what it took to get that project caught up during the night so that it would be ready to go in the next morning. Keep it on track to get through on Friday.

WALKER: Yes. And as I understand it, I mean, on that point, Governor, where you say he was just an ordinary person. During that time, I understand people offered in Pike County for President Carter and Rosalynn to stay at their homes, but instead he -- they opted to stay at the dorms at the University of Pikeville with other volunteers. I mean, that's incredible.

PATTON: That's just the way he was. It was very obvious during this event that he was -- didn't put himself at a higher plane than anybody else, but he was willing to work as far as anybody else I would say.

WALKER: Paul Patton, the former governor of Kentucky, really appreciate your time this morning. Thank you so much.

PATTON: Thank you. Good day, though.

FREEMAN: And still to come, President-elect Trump is getting ready to take office and he's meeting with foreign leaders. We'll tell you what was discussed when Italy's prime minister visited Mar-a-Lago. Plus, the clock is ticking down as TikTok fights to stay legal in the U.S. We'll tell you what we know about this week's hearing at the Supreme Court.

And we have Coy. Hey, Coy.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes, we have sports coming up, Danny, and I'm bringing in my teammate here, Allison Chinchar, to show you the two of us combined are about the size of the big man who made a big play for the Ravens. Michael Pierce, all 355 pounds of them, helped the Ravens seal their division. That and more coming up.

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[07:26:49]

FREEMAN: President Biden, along with the first lady, will visit New Orleans tomorrow in the wake of that deadly terror attack that killed 14 people and injured dozens others. Now the two are expected to attend a vigil honoring the victims while they're there.

CNN's Betsy Klein is live for us outside the White House. Betsy, I understand you have new reporting on Biden's visit. Tell us, what are you learning?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE PRODUCER: Well, Danny, President Biden is expected to step into that role of consular in chief on Monday when he and the first lady travel to New Orleans, of course, in the aftermath of that deadly attack that left 14 dead and dozens more injured.

Now, we are waiting for more details from the White House on what exactly to expect on Monday. But for now, a source familiar with the planning tells me that Biden will attend a vigil honoring those lost, where he will deliver remarks. Now, the same source tells me that clergy, local law enforcement, community members, and perhaps some family members of the victims will be in attendance.

What we don't know right now, Danny, is whether the president will visit the site of that deadly attack on Bourbon Street. But the investigation remains ongoing, with the president pledging the full support of the federal government in assisting that investigation. Still so many unanswered questions.

But we have seen the president travel the country in the aftermath of so many natural disasters, wildfires, storms, and really seek to help those who are grieving and processing unfathomable losses. The president himself all too familiar with that. Danny and Amara?

FREEMAN: Well, meanwhile, it seems like the president and the White House really not letting any grass grow under their feet in these final days. What's on the agenda for President Biden today?

KLEIN: Well, it's been a busy weekend for the president, as you mentioned. I mean, usually we don't see a bill signing on a Sunday, but later today we will see him sign the Social Security Fairness Act into law. This is a bill that passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, and it will shore up Social Security protections for Americans who were previously ineligible due to pensions.

So this includes about 3 million Americans, firefighters, teachers, police officers, and more who are now going to have bolstered Social Security benefits. And then later today, we will see him host new Democratic members of Congress here at the White House for a reception.

FREEMAN: Betsy, always great to see you. Thank you so much.

Amara?

WALKER: So it goes without saying a lot will be going on over the next few weeks in our nation's capital. Joining me now is CNN National Security Analyst Juliette Kayyem. Juliette, good morning. Look, we were saying a lot going on. Congress meets tomorrow to certify the election results. President Jimmy Carter's National Funeral Service is going to take place on Thursday at the Washington National Cathedral. And that's where all living presidents will be expected to attend.

And then, of course, on January 20th, President-elect Trump will be inaugurated. So the security posture will be quite high over the next couple of weeks. What are you going to be watching for?

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: So even before former President Carter's death, the sort of January 6th to January 20th period was already essentially a sort of lockdown period for D.C., President Biden had already designated January 6th as what we call an NSSC, National Special Security Event. January 20th, inauguration, also is.

So essentially, because of the insurrection four years ago, because of Trump's involvement in that insurrection and lack of clarity about what we could have -- what we might've anticipated in January, essentially January already was lockdown month for D.C. That means that the Secret Service is in charge, that the federal agencies are going to take leadership role to minimize the harm.

From the threat environment, it's very different now. Trump won. There's no questions about the fact that he did won decisively. And for someone like me, what I'm looking at now is less the dates, we know January 6th and January 20th. And some of this talk by President- Elect Donald Trump about having a rally on January 19th, it seems unnecessary. But nonetheless, if he decides to have it, will be an additional security concern.

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, you said that you're concerned about that. And for those of you don't know, you know, on his inauguration site, apparently there -- you know, he is saying that he's planning to hold the victory rally at the Capitol One Arena the day before his inauguration. What are your concerns then?

KAYYEM: Yes. I mean, January 20th is the Victory Arena. I mean, in some ways, the January 19th just seems sort of, an additional burden that the president-elect might consider is unnecessary for a safety and security apparatus that needs to be focused on the constitutional moment, which is January 20th. The fact it's in a stadium is, it makes it a little bit better in the sense that it can't be secure. But it will be tremendous pressure on the law enforcement and first responders essentially that entire week.

I will say there isn't -- in the threat environment, there isn't a lot going on in terms of people who oppose the president, at least in terms of organizers. There's no women's march. There's nothing major like that. But of course, the president-elect has been -- you know, has had two assassination attempts on his life. Those people's ideology is unknown -- or not unknown, but it's just it's hard to say decisively what where they're coming from.

We saw also another event on January 1st, Las Vegas blow up of the Tesla truck. You know, it's clearly targeted or about Donald Trump, even though -- even that motivation seems to come from someone who supports Donald Trump. So, a long way of saying you can't -- you know, in this day and age, we can't sort of say these -- a certain ideology is leading to violence. It's just that the threat environment is higher, and the more we can do to lower it, the more beneficial that will be for the constitutional moment that Donald Trump, you know, earned, which is January 20th.

WALKER: So, and when you say the threat environment is higher, then what will we see? I mean -- well, in terms of the security posture, then, I mean, do you think that we'll see a change in the way things are done, at least in the nation's capital?

KAYYEM: Yes, I think -- only and mostly in the nation's capital. You're not really seeing other things going on. I mean, we saw Georgia yesterday in the -- and -- for Former President Jimmy Carter. But that was, you know, sort of a formal affair. People generally don't protest that.

Most of the focus will be on D.C. not the other state capitals. So, compare that, say, to Election Day, where there was a lot of concern about what might happen in swing state capitals. All the focus will be on D.C. That is why President Biden is -- I mean, essentially by declaring tomorrow an SSE and January 20th, the Special Security Event, you're essentially just saying D.C. is going to be in a lockdown posture. Your people there are seeing it already. The fences, the gates, the deployment of more resources adding a January 19th rally. It's not going to overburden the system, it just see -- it will be a distraction from the primary event, which is January 20th.

WALKER: A busy start to 2025. Juliette Kayyem, we're going to leave it there. Good to see you this morning. Thank you.

KAYYEM: Thank you.

WALKER: Well, new evidence emerges in the Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion. What investigators are learning about the political grievances of the bomber as they search for a motive.

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[07:35:00]

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN ANCHOR: And here's a look at some of the other headlines we're following this morning. President-Elect Donald Trump met with Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, a member of the right-wing Brothers of Italy party at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach yesterday. Trump's campaign shared a photo of their meeting on X. And this visit follows her dinner with Trump and Elon Musk during the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris last month. Meloni is scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden during his visit to Rome this week.

Plus, oral arguments start Friday in the Supreme Court in a case that could decide the future of TikTok in the United States. They'll begin just days before the legal deadline, which says the app must be sold off or banned in the U.S. The wildly popular social media app is owned by a Chinese company, ByteDance. And right now, TikTok is refusing to separate from that company. Now, President-Elect Donald Trump first considered banning TikTok during his first term in office, but now he says he opposes the ban.

And Amit Yoran, CEO and chairman of cybersecurity firm Tenable Holdings has passed away after a battle with cancer. Before joining Tenable, Yoran founded NetWitness, a threat detection platform. And in 2003, he was named director of the National Cybersecurity Division at the Department of Homeland Security. Known for his insights on cybersecurity, Yoran frequently appeared on cable news, including an interview just last year on CNN about the U.S. government's potential ban on TikTok. He was 54 years old. Amara.

[07:40:00]

WALKER: And our condolences to Amit Yoran's family. A series of letters written by the man who exploded a Cybertruck outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas could give a clearer motive behind the attack. Matthew Livelsberger killed himself and injured several others in the attack. CNN's Natasha Chen explains what was in those letters?

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Amara, Danny, one of the letters that investigators believe was written by Livelsberger called for action to remove Democrats from the federal government and the military, including the possibility of occupying roads and federal buildings and did not rule out the use of force.

Another letter talked about his political grievances, things that he felt were wrong with American society, American culture, also talked about conflicts overseas and praised President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

The authorities read some of the excerpts from those letters in a press briefing in hopes that it would give some context to Livelsberger's state of mind in why he did this on New Year's Day. One of those excerpts said, time to wake up. We are being led by weak and feckless leadership only -- who only serve to enrich themselves.

The day before this explosion, he sent an e-mail to some online media outlets saying that he was armed and that he had a vehicle borne improvised explosive device. U.S. officials had also told CNN that he had visited the Army Military Behavioral Health Program in recent months and was diagnosed with depression last year, but was not assessed to be a risk for violence toward others or toward himself.

Investigators are still combing through a lot of data here, a lot of evidence on his devices. They said there's just scratching the surface of that, and they will provide more information once they have it. Amara and Danny, back to you.

WALKER: All right. Natasha Chen, thank you. Hollywood rolls out the red carpet as it prepares for awards season. Coming up, we get a preview of the Golden Globes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:45:00]

WALKER: Award season is about to get started. The first even of the year is the Golden Globes tonight.

FREEMAN: Comedian Nikki Glaser will be hosting the ceremony this year. CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister looks ahead to what we could expect from the ceremony and from the host.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's get this party started.

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): That party is one of Hollywood's biggest of the year. And this year, the Golden Globes may just have the most A-list audience ever. From presenters like Dwayne Johnson, Elton John, and Sharon Stone, to film and TV nominees like Nicole Kidman, Selena Gomez, Demi Moore, Timothy Chalamet, and all things "Wicked." The stars will pack the ballroom at the Beverly Hilton.

MATT BELLONI, FOUNDING PARTNER, PUCK: The audience for "Wicked" is very similar to the audience for award shows. It's heavily female. It's a little bit older. So, I think having "Wicked" as a nominee is going to help lure an audience.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): The top nominated films this year include lower profile movies like "The Brutalist" and "Conclave." But the Globes have something else up their sleeve to please the audience.

BELLONI: They added a specific category for movies that are popular, cinematic achievement in box office movies. That's designed to get popular movies in the room, just like they did last year where they gave the award to "Barbie" because they wanted all those people there, the audience likes them.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): And there's something else the audience loves about the Globes.

RICKY GERVAIS, COMEDIAN AND ACTOR: It's the last time, who cares?

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): A reputation, thanks to Ricky Gervais, for skewering the stars that take themselves a little too seriously.

GERVAIS: "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," nearly three hours long, Leonardo DiCaprio attended the premiere, and by the end, his date was too old for him.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): This year, Nikki Glaser hosts.

NIKKI GLASER, COMEDIAN AND GOLDEN GLOBES HOST: You have seven rings. Well, eight now that Giselle gave hers back, but --

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Fresh off her scathing Netflix roast of Tom Brady.

WAGMEISTER: Is this going to be a roast?

GLASER: I was hired because of the Tom Brady roast. I can't like not deliver on that a little bit, but I just would -- if any celebrities are seeing this, I promise you I am not out to ruin your night. You know, Tom Brady signed up for a roast. He knew what he was getting into. These people are just going -- they're nominated. You know, they're not even -- they're not signing up to be roasted at all.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): While Glaser promises to keep it mostly classy, the show's producers admit they wouldn't mind a little edge.

RICKY KIRSHNER, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS: Well, we hope she's right on the line and maybe goes a little over being appropriate for broadcast. But also, I've never seen a host work this hard, and we've done a lot of award shows.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): And if her CNN interview was any indication --

GLASER: I'm going to be a little bit -- in some of the jokes. But there's no harm in that.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Glaser just might not be able to help herself.

WAGMEISTER: Now, Nikki told me that she's actually already had the opportunity to test out her Golden Globes monologue in front of some live audiences. Over the past few weeks, she's been performing some of her Golden Globes jokes around comedy venues in Los Angeles. So, she's ready for Sunday night and she is very excited.

[07:50:00]

Now, remember, the Golden Globes honors the best in both movies and television, which essentially means that that room on Sunday night is going to be jam packed with A-list stars. And I'll be in the room. So, I'll make sure to report back on Monday with the best moments from inside the show back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALKER: Tough assignment, Elizabeth. Thank you. FREEMAN: Yes, exactly. Can't wait. All right. The first full week of the new year, bringing major winter weather to much of the U.S., we have a final check of the forecast coming up after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FREEMAN: Right now, we're tracking a massive winter storm stretching over 1,500 miles and showing no signs of slowing down.

WALKER: 70 million people are under winter alerts, including 4 million under blizzard warnings. CNN's Allison Chinchar is tracking the storm from our weather center. Allison.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, that's right. So, take a look. This is a live look at Kansas City, or what you can look at through heavy snow showers and very poor visibility. It is 20 degrees there right now, and it's all part of this main system that's taking shape.

[07:55:00]

Right now, the focus is really over the Central U.S., but this is going to spread into the Ohio Valley, the Midwest and eventually into the mid-Atlantic as we go through the next 24 to 48 hours.

And we have a little bit of everything on this map. You've got snow, you've got ice, rain, thunderstorms, and even thunder sleet mixing in a few spots. You've got a lot of heavy snow really starting to wrap back around in Wichita, Kansas City, St. Louis, Paducah, all getting a little bit of everything, depending on where in the city you live now.

Now, we have all those winter weather alerts, as you mentioned, 1,500 miles, because this is going to impact a tremendous amount of people and in the short period of time. On the southern end where it's much warmer, much too warm for snow, the big concern is going to be severe weather. We're talking damaging winds, the potential for hail and yes, even some tornadoes, especially portions of Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana, that timeline is really going to be focused later this afternoon and as we head into the evening.

So, just an overall wrap to show you where the biggest concerns are going to be. The snow is on the northern flank where that colder air is already in place, a little bit of a wintry mix and ice. We already have some spots with a quarter of an inch to up to a half an inch of ice on the ground. You're going to put snow on top of that, which is going to make it very difficult on the roads because you won't see that ice underneath the snow.

So, please, please, please, some of these areas we're talking dangerous, if not even impossible driving conditions in some spots than the southern edge where it's warmer, but that warm air is helping to fuel a lot of those severe thunderstorms that are going to be there.

Also, too to note, very cold air is about to set in. So, for the areas that get the ice and snow, it's not going anywhere anytime soon. More than 70 percent of the lower 48 are going to see temperatures at or below freezing, including some southern cities over the next week.

WALKER: All right. Allison Chinchar, thank you. Very important information. Well, the final Sunday of the NFL's regular season is today and it's going to have a huge playoff implications for several teams.

FREEMAN: Joining us now, the great Coy Wire. Coy, Joe Burrow, he did it again. Keeping the playoff hopes alive.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes. It's been a long bumpy road, but the Bengals are still alive. If the Broncos and the Dolphins lose today, Cincinnati is in the playoffs. Let's take a look at how they got it done.

All right. Lots of Joe Burrow, lots of Ja'Marr Chase. Burrow's having an MVP season, statistically. League leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns. And with continued plays like that, he's still a legitimate contender.

How about this throw and catch? Chase again. Fourth quarter Bengals up nine. I mean, this is like poetry emotion. First player in NFL history with 1,700 yards receiving and 17 touchdowns in a season. Bengals win 19-17. Get that popcorn ready and see if things fall their way.

Lamar Jackson and the Ravens hosting the Browns with a chance to clinch their division on the line. And Lamar continues his sorcery. Touchdown to Mark Andrews. Jackson finishes his. This season with just four interceptions and 41 passing touchdowns.

But this next one, Rashod Bateman, absurd. Jackson pulls the Steph Curry. He turns and celebrates before the ball's even in the bucket. First player with 4,000 pass yards and 800 rushing.

But here's our play of the day. Big man interception. Michael Pierce, all 355 pounds of him, taking a slide to seal the win. That look like he has to slide too often. Look at his teammates. Baltimore AFC North champs after a 35 to 10 beatdown of the Browns. Here's Mr. Pierce.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL PIERCE, BALTIMORE RAVENS DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: There's a long history of tying in big guy interceptions and fumbles and all that stuff in the means. So, at the risk of ruining a career play like that for myself, it's time to go home. So, bustles out of gas. We good.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: Bustles out of gas. Here's a look at the AFC playoff standings. Who gets that seven-seed? Broncos get it if they beat the Chiefs. And they'll be resting several of their starters including quarterback Patrick Mahomes. In the NFC, only the Eagles are locked into their spot at the two seed. And it's all in the line for the Atlanta Falcons. If they win today and the Bucs lose, they're in the postseason. But if those Bucs win, they are in.

The NFL saving its biggest game of the week 18 for last. Tonight, it's Vikings at Detroit. Both teams are 14 and 2. That 28 combined wins is the most ever for a regular season matchup. And the winner gets the one-seed, a first round by. And the loser becomes the five-seed and has to play on the road in a wild card game. This one is huge.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN CAMPBELL, DETROIT LIONS HEAD COACH: I don't see it another way. It's about this next game and it's about finding a way to win. No different than what we just did. It's the next one in front of us, and we got to find a way to win this game, period. And really, don't care what it looks like. We just got to win.

KEVIN O'CONNELL, MINNESOTA VIKINGS HEAD COACH: We know the challenge it's going to be both environment and playing a premier team in our league that presents so many challenges across the board in all three phases. So, going into a hostile environment with just us is we're all right with that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: All right. Listen to this. The Vikings reportedly spent 2 million bucks to buy about 1,900 seats behind their own team's bench --

[08:00:00]