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CNN Obtains Final Draft Of House Ethics Report On Matt Gaetz; President Biden Commutes 37 Federal Death Sentences; "Signs Of Life" Received By Several Israeli Hostage Families; New York Police Arrest Suspect In Fiery Subway Death. Blake Lively Accuses Actor Justin Baldoni Of Harassment; Apparent Friendly Fire Downs U.S. Navy Jet Over Red Sea; Vatican City Prepares St. Peter's Basilica For Jubilee; CNN Tours Warner Bros. Making Of Harry Potter Exhibit.Aired 10-11a ET
Aired December 23, 2024 - 10:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:15]
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to our second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Eleni Giokos in New York.
Straight ahead, the House Ethics Committee finds evidence that former congressman Matt Gaetz paid tens of thousands of dollars to women for sex
or drugs on several occasions.
Then, the health ministry in Gaza accuses Israel of placing explosive robots at the gate of a hospital. This, while several families of hostages
say they have received "signs of life" from their loved ones, still held in captivity in Gaza. What we know, that's coming up next.
Plus, Hollywood star, Blake Lively has filed a civil rights complaint against costar Justin Baldoni. We'll be live in Los Angeles with the
details.
Well, CNN has obtained a final draft of a bombshell U.S. health ethics report on former Representative Matt Gaetz. It caps a years-long
investigation. The Ethics Committee finding evidence that gates paid tens of thousands of dollars to women for sex or drugs on at least 20 occasions,
and that he paid a 17-year-old girl for sex back in 2017.
The panel says Gaetz broke Florida state laws, including statutory rape law. The former congressman has denied all allegations.
CNN's senior crime and justice correspondent Katelyn Polantz joined me last hour with more details.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, the House Ethics Committee did interviews with quite a few of these people,
including with the girl or the woman who was underage at the time that she said that she was having sex with Matt Gaetz, and they're finding the top
line here is that they found what they say is "substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House rules and other standards of conduct,
prohibiting prostitution. Statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress."
They also detail in this report the situation with this 17-year-old girl, someone who says she had sex with Matt Gaetz, the former congressman while
he was a member of Congress, twice at a party in July 2017 at the time, she was 17 years old.
In one of those encounters, other people were able to see, or at least they were in the presence of this happening, and that she also remembers
receiving $400 in cash from representative Gaetz that evening, which she understood to be payment for the sex, at the time she was a junior in high
school.
So, that's all in the committee report. One of the things, though, is that the Justice Department looked at this and they did not charge with Matt
Gaetz with any crime that allowed the House Ethics Committee then to pick up its investigation.
The 17-year-old did not tell Gaetz that she was underage at the time. He didn't ask her age, and he has also said on X, he has responded to this and
said, in my single days, I often sent funds to women I dated, even some I never dated, but who asked.
I dated some of these women for years. I never had sexual contact with someone under 18. Any claim that I have would have been destroyed in Court,
which is why no such claim was ever made in Court.
However, Matt Gaetz, on his own, is taking this to Court. Just this morning, just a few minutes ago, he filed a lawsuit against the House
Committee, the House Ethics Committee, to try and block the release of this report on paper. He is also claiming defamation and an invasion of privacy
claim there in Court.
GIOKOS: Yes.
POLANTZ: No judge has looked at it yet, but it is a situation that is expanding our understanding of Matt Gaetz from the time he was a
representative by the minute, and there is very likely more to come on this today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well, North Arizona, where U.S. President-elect Donald Trump previewed his second term in office in a rally-style speech to conservative
supporters. His remarks on Sunday covered a wide range of issues, including threats to retake control of the Panama Canal.
He is accusing Panama of charging fees that he calls ridiculous and highly unfair.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: It was given to Panama and to the people of Panama, but it has provisions. You got to treat us
fairly, and they haven't treated us fairly. If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then, we
will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America in full, quickly, and without question, I'm not going to stand for
it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[10:05:06]
GIOKOS: Trump's comments sparked swift reaction from Panama's president. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSE RAUL MULINO: PANAMANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I want to express that every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent areas
belong to Panama and will continue to belong to Panama. The sovereignty and independence of our country are not negotiable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well, in his wide-ranging speech, Trump also vowed to keep the promises he made on the campaign trail, such as border crackdown that will
begin on his first day in office. And he also pushed back on criticism of Elon Musk's influence and suggested he could soon meet with Russian
President Vladimir Putin.
Well, U.S. President Joe Biden, announcing that he is commuting the sentences of 37 inmates on federal death row to life without the
possibility of parole. It's a decision that leaves only three federal prisoners whose crimes include mass shootings or acts of terrorism awaiting
execution.
Opponents of the death penalty have been urging Mr. Biden to use his final weeks in office to issue the commutations before Donald Trump reclaims the
White House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): These are people who should never be out of prison, but Pope Francis has called on President Biden, as have many other
criminal justice for foreign leaders, faith leaders, to step aside from federal death penalties.
Because, frankly, former President Trump executed quite a few -- directed the execution of quite a few individuals on federal death row. There are
some real questions about the fairness and the process of the death penalty in the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well, 13 federal executions were carried out during Trump's first administration. M.J. Lee reports.
M.J. LEE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: In one of his last major acts as president, President Biden is using his presidential clemency power to
commute the death sentences of 37 inmates that are currently on federal death row to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Now, remember back in 2020, President Biden campaigned on getting rid of the federal death penalty, and in recent weeks, there had been a swirl of
speculation about whether he might take this kind of action before he leaves office, particularly as he was under a good amount of pressure from
human rights activists and a number of advocacy groups, some of whom have argued that the death penalty tends to disproportionately affect black
people and other people of color.
Now, President Biden, in his statement announcing these commutations, said this, "Make no mistake, I condemn these murderers, but guided by my
conscience and my experience, I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level. In good conscience,
I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted."
That last reference there to "new administration resuming executions I halted," that, obviously is a reference to incoming president, Donald
Trump.
Keep in mind that during his first term in office, there were 13 federal death row inmates who were put to death. And in his most recent
presidential campaign, Trump has made very clear that he is set on moving forward with additional federal executions once he returns to office.
This is a little bit of what Donald Trump has said over the last year on this issue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I'm hereby calling for the death penalty for any migrant that kills an American citizen or a law enforcement officer.
We are an institute in a powerful death penalty. We will put this on. We have to bring in the death penalty if we want to stop the infestation of
drugs coming into our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEE: Now, after today's announcement of clemency from President Biden, there are still three people who will remain on federal death row. Some of
these people really responsible for really atrocious mass killings and acts of terrorism. They are the murderer who killed nine black worshippers at a
church in Charleston, South Carolina, one of the brothers of the Boston Marathon bombing, and then, also Robert Bowers, the man who killed 11
people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018.
I should finally note that President Biden, who is a devout Catholic, says he will be traveling back to Italy to meet with Pope Francis. Of course,
the pontiff is one of -- one of those people who has publicly said that he would like to see the commutations of those on federal death row here in
the United States.
Back to you.
GIOKOS: Well, we have talked to Gaza a way. The health ministry is accusing the Israeli military of placing explosive robots at the gates of a hospital
in northern Gaza. The ministry's director general says that would be a violation of international humanitarian law.
[10:10:05]
CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment.
In central Gaza, local officials say Israeli troops used drones, aircraft, and bulldozers in a military operation that killed or injured at least 50
people, more than half of those, women and children.
Elliott Gotkine is in Jerusalem for us covering now all angles. Good to see you, Elliott.
What do we know about these claims of explosive robots outside Kamal Adwan Hospital?
ELLIOTT GOTKINE, CNN JOURNALIST: Eleni, look, the director of the hospital, Dr Hussam Abu Safya, says that this hospital in northern Gaza has been
under siege for the best part of three months, struggling to get the food and medicine that its staff and its patients need, and now says that the
Israelis, the IDF, have been placing, as you say, explosive robots inside the courtyard of the hospital and also around the hospital.
Now, we -- if you look at the video, they look like kind of wooden boxes, which are, I guess, the director is alleging have the explosives inside.
As you noted, we have reached out to the IDF for any information about this, and we haven't received any official comment from them regarding
these allegations. But I suppose it also just goes to show that whether it's what's happening in northern Gaza or those other -- that other
incident in Nuseirat, we've seen quite horrifying footage, which we can't show. It's so horrifying of cats feeding on bodies following alleged
Israeli operations there.
That -- you know, so many dramatic occurrences in this corner the world, be it with the war and cease fire with Hezbollah in Lebanon, or the fall of
the Assad regime. It's easy to forget that this war in Gaza, more than a year after it was sparked by the Hamas-led terrorist attacks of October the
7th continues to rumble on and continue to exact a heavy price on Palestinians. Eleni?
GIOKOS: You know, in the meantime, there is so much hope that we're getting closer to some kind of ceasefire hostage release deal that is the
anticipation. Now, Hostages and Missing Families Forum saying that several families of Israeli hostages have received signs of life. Can you tell us
more about this?
GOTKINE: Yes. That's what we've been hearing, that some of the families who have loved ones that were kidnapped more than a year ago and have been held
captive in Gaza, they have received signs of life.
Now, we don't know any specifics about how those signs of life were shared. What we understand, or certainly, what the Israelis believe, is that out of
the 100 hostages being held in Gaza, 96 of them kidnapped on October the 7th, 2023, around a third of those Israel believes are already dead.
And the negotiations that are currently taking place in Doha, the Qatari capital, are designed to try to secure some kind of ceasefire in Gaza, even
if it's a temporary one to begin with, in exchange for the release of as many of those hostages as possible.
But I would urge a little bit of caution, Eleni, because, you know, ever since the end of the one and only ceasefire that we had and a release of
hostages that we had over a year ago, they have been on and off negotiations, been a lot of optimism that we were almost there.
President Biden, at one stage in February, saying, we get a deal by the weekend. That didn't happen hasn't got across the line yet. The devil will
be in the detail. There is hope, but I think we need to be cautious about a deal getting done this time around too.
GIOKOS: Exactly. I mean, we've been hearing that we're close to some kind of deal for quite some time, and just things fall apart. So, hoping for the
best. Elliott Gotkine, good to see you. Thank you.
Well, staying with the Middle East. Jordan's foreign minister is now in Damascus for meetings with Syrian officials, including the country's de
facto leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, previously known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, led the group of rebels that ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad earlier
this month.
The Jordanian official's visit comes amid a flurry of diplomatic meetings between Syria's new leaders and regional powers.
On Sunday, al-Sharaa met with Turkey's foreign minister in Damascus and said all weapons in Syria will now be controlled by the state. Short time
ago, former members of Assad's security forces gathered in Damascus to hand over their weapons to the transitional government.
And ahead on CONNECT THE WORLD, Germany's far-right, AfD Party plans to hold a public memorial after Friday's deadly car ramming at a Christmas
market. A look at the political fallout from the horrific attack. That's coming up next.
And the suspect in the murder of the United Healthcare CEO enters a plea to the state charges he faces in a New York court. We'll have a live report
for you right after this.
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[10:16:50]
GIOKOS: The suspect in the killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson has pleaded not guilty to state murder and terror charges in New York.
Luigi Mangione faces 11 state charges, including first-degree murder.
This is video of Mangione, being escorted into the courtroom last hour.
He also faces federal charges in the shooting that could be punishable by death. Today's hearing was the first time, Mangione, could formally address
the state charges.
Kara Scannell is outside the courthouse in New York with an update. What is the latest Kara?
KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, Eleni, this hearing lasted just about 20 minutes, and Luigi Mangione walked into that courtroom, as you could see
him there with the shackles around his waist. His hands, his wrists, and his ankles also shackled with heavy security presence around him.
And he entered that plea of not guilty to the state charges, those are 11 felony counts almost immediately off the top of the hearing.
And then, there were time for the -- his attorneys to raise some issues, and she brought up a couple of things, both those federal charges and the
state charges that he was pleading not guilty to today.
She had accused the federal government and the state government of treating him, as she said, like a human ping pong ball by two warring jurisdictions.
She also took issue with that very dramatic perp walk when Mangione arrived by helicopter on the pier in New York City, and then took that long walk
down the pier with a heavy NYPD presence and security presence around him, followed also by New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
His lawyer, making an issue about that. Saying, it could impact his ability to have a free and fair trial here, given the plebiscite around it and the
statements that the mayor made. You know, she did bring up the fact that the mayor is facing his own federal indictment on bribery charges, and
saying that he should know something about the presumption of innocence.
And the judge saying that he will ensure that Mangione gets a fair trial inside the courtroom.
And I don't know if you can see, but behind me, there are a number of people standing up with signs, some of them saying, free Luigi. So, there
were a number of supporters here for this brief hearing.
And inside the courtroom, there was space for about 30 or so members of the public, about two dozen of them young women. No one said anything inside
the courtroom. The court officers keep it pretty under wraps inside there, keeping the decorum in place.
But certainly, there is seemingly some support for Mangione that we have seen play out on social media since the CEO of United Healthcare was gunned
down on the streets in midtown Manhattan.
Now, there will be back in court now, set for February. That's the next time he'll have an appearance here. But there still remains this question,
because of the federal charges and the state charges of where he will be held in custody.
He is currently being held at a federal jail in Brooklyn. Today, there was questions about who would maintain custody if and whether it would be the
state or the federal government. The Judge advising both sides that they needed to work that out going forward. Eleni?
GIOKOS: Kara Scannell, good to have you on the scene there. Thank you.
A wave of anti-immigration anger is erupting in a shock and grieving Germany. The far-right party, AfD, says it will hold a march in the next
hour to remember the five people killed and more than 200 injured when a car rammed a busy Christmas market in Magdeburg on Friday.
[10:20:05]
Hundreds of supporters of Germany's far-right movement held an anti- immigration rally over the weekend in the eastern German city.
The alleged attacker is a Saudi citizen, who settled in Germany in 2006. Investigators say he has had a history of making troubling social media
posts, something German authorities were apparently alerted to.
CNN's Matthew Chance reports from the scene of the attack.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the German authorities have now acknowledged, they did indeed receive a warning from
Saudi Arabia, about this individual that is now being held as the suspect in this Christmas market car ramming.
That individual has been named as Taleb Al Abdulmohsen. A 50-year-old man, a doctor psychiatrist, who was originally from Saudi Arabia. He is anti-
Islam, he describes himself as an Islamophobe, and has often posted on social media, you know, very aggressive messages against Islam. He called
himself the most aggressive critic of Islam in history. He was been warning repeatedly on social media that Germany is trying to Islamize Europe,
posting conspiracy theories and things like that.
You can see, the marketplace behind me has still been sealed off to these police cordons everywhere as forensic teams scour through the debris of
that attack, picking up any evidence they can, of course, while cleaning the streets, to be frank, of the blood that has been left on the pavement
as a result of so many casualties.
Meanwhile, that suspect has made his first appearance in a German court, with the judge there placing him in pre-trial detention as this intensive
investigation continues.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Magdeburg in Eastern Germany.
GIOKOS: Vladimir Putin is vowing revenge against those responsible for a drone attack deep inside Russian territory.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translator): I am sure that you will restore everything that was damaged by our enemies and adversaries
just now in Kazan. I would like to say in this regard that whoever and however much tries to destroy something in our country, he will face
manifold more destruction for it in his own country, and will regret what he is trying to do in our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Multiple drones struck the city of Kazan earlier Saturday, though no casualties were reported.
Meantime, Ukraine's military says North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia were given fake military documents with Russian names and birthplaces. Kyiv
says Russia is trying to conceal the presence of foreign fighters on the battlefield.
Estimates by the U.S., Ukraine, and South Korea put the number of North Korean soldiers in Russia at between 11,000 and 12,000.
Police in New York are expected to release new details about a horrific attack in a subway car. A suspect described as a Guatemalan immigrant is in
custody, and police say charges are pending.
CNN's Gloria Pazmino has the details for us.
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NEWSOURCE NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right.
A really disturbing set of details that we have learned from the New York Police Department on what is truly a horrific crime taking place early on
Sunday morning. This happened on the F Train, and that's in Coney Island in Brooklyn, and it happened at the Stillwell Avenue train station. That's the
end of the line.
Now, according to police, there was a woman who was apparently sleeping in one of these trains. The train was not moving at the time. And then, there
was a man who approached her and used a lighter to light a blanket that she was using on fire. She was quickly engulfed by the flames. The man, then,
just simply walked away.
Now, we are told by police that these two people appear to have no prior interaction. They are not known to one another, and that this was just a
crime that came out of nowhere. This woman appeared to have been asleep at the time that she was set on fire.
Now, there were police that were patrolling the subway station at that point who smelled the smoke and saw it, and quickly rushed to the scene,
tried to put her out, but unfortunately, they were not able to save her.
EMS also responded to the scene. They pronounced her dead there in the subway.
Now, shortly after this incident, the NYPD was not able to make an arrest right away. In fact, for several hours throughout the day, on Sunday, there
was a manhunt for a man that was captured on camera, and on police video when they initially entered the subway station.
Now, it is an interesting sort of development, in the sense that technology has played an incredible role here for the police, who used surveillance
video captured by the cameras inside the train in order to put out photos of the suspect that they were looking for.
[10:25:04]
Then, it was several hours later that three high school aged teenagers called in a tip line into the police line, and police were able to
apprehend this man. He was captured and -- at another train station in Midtown, very far from where the incident took place. So, a combination of
technology and good police work.
I want you to take a listen to the police commissioner, just talking about the incident.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JESSICA TISCH, POLICE COMMISSIONER, NEW YORK CITY: Someone who we believe carried out one of the most depraved crimes one person could possibly
commit against another human being, and it took the life of an innocent New Yorker.
But at this hour, I am pleased to announce that a short time ago, alert NYPD transit officers took a person of interest into custody.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAZMINO: Now, we are still waiting to learn more about the identity of the victim, but also the identity of the suspect and what charges they will be
facing.
This is all happening as there is been a lot of focus and conversation on the issue of public safety here in New York City, but specifically public
safety in the transit system.
Last week, Governor Kathy Hochul said that she was deploying additional members of the National Guard into the subway system to help with
patrolling and with public safety at a time when both the city and the state are working to keep crime down.
Gloria Pazmino, CNN, New York.
GIOKOS: Well, let's get you up to speed on some other stories that are on our radar right now.
A problem on a Colorado ski lift, left 174 people stranded in the air on Saturday. The ski lift stopped automatically when it detected a crack.
The ski patrol spent five hours using ropes to get everyone down safely. State regulators and the lift manufacturer are investigating what caused
the crack.
Thousands of Amazon workers remain on strike in the U.S. a day before Christmas Eve. They walked off the job on Thursday over what they say are
unfair labor practices.
Amazon says customers can expect their packages to arrive on time. But logistics experts warn some shipments could face delays.
A mega merger is in the works to shake up the auto industry. Japanese car companies Honda and Nissan announced talks to unite. A move that would
create the world's third largest automaker.
CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich breaks down the details of the merger on CNN Newsroom with Kate Bolduan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: These two companies, Nissan and Honda, have announced plans that they are going to be
talking for the next six months to decide whether or not they are going to go through with this merger.
Essentially, they need to remain competitive, and this merger would help them in their fight against other rivals, like Toyota and Volkswagen, which
have the number one and two spots.
And if this merger went through, they would jump to number three ahead of U.S. automakers Stellantis and General Motors.
Also, involved in this is Mitsubishi, which has an alliance with Nissan.
But why are they doing this? Well, of course, they want to remain competitive. They said in their press release that they need to increase
and boost sales. Also, Nissan is on very shaky financial footing right now.
A lot of people expect that they could file for bankruptcy soon. So, partnership merging with Honda would be very good for them.
Also, Nissan does have better E.V. capabilities right now compared to Honda, so that would -- that merger would create a better sort of business
model for the two companies to, as you said, Kate, compete in the electric vehicle market.
And what does this mean for consumers? Well, it's good to know what's going on in the car market.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Yes.
YURKEVICH: But it's also interesting to note that if they do merge, the idea is that maybe some prices can -- could come down on those vehicles,
because they would have sort of a bigger global powerhouse.
And you can see Honda, Nissan, trending behind Toyota there.
Lower prices, does that mean more sales? Of course, that's what they are hoping for if Honda and Nissan end up merging. This would really go into
effect in 2026 and there would be a whole new -- there would whole -- be a whole new company trading on the stock market because of this merger.
So, a lot of changes, but a lot of people in the car world say that this is not only going to happen, but it has to happen for these two companies to
remain viable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: All right. And still to come on CNN, we are following dramatic and damning details about former U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz from the final
draft of a House Ethics report.
And Hollywood actress, Blake Lively levels explosive allegations against her It Ends With Us co-star. Details on the drama and its implications,
that's coming up after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:32:06]
GIOKOS: Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Eleni Giokos in New York.
Now, more on our top story, CNN has obtained a copy of a final draft of the bombshell U.S. House Ethics report on former Representative Matt Gaetz
following a year's long probe, the Ethics Committee found evidence that Gaetz paid tens of thousands of dollars to women for sex or drugs on at
least 20 occasions, and that he paid a 17-year-old girl for sex back in 2017.
The panel says Gaetz broke Florida state laws, including statutory rape law. The former congressman has denied all allegations and is trying to
block the release of the report.
I want to bring in Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. Sir, good to have you with us.
We're getting details of what is in the report. It is pretty damning. We started to get a little bit more detail. What do you make of the lines that
we hearing about at this stage?
LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Well, to call the report very critical is clearly an understatement.
There's so much in there that people may want to take a look at. Yes, he's no longer the nominee for attorney general. But that begs the question, how
could President Trump nominate this individual when surely he knew at least part of this and could easily have uncovered the rest of it with a couple
of telephone calls?
We're not talking about some minor board or commission or obscure cabinet post. Attorney General is one of the four original cabinet positions. The
Attorney General has enormous power, and it really brings into question president-elect Trump's judgment, as though this were the first time. Of
course, it isn't.
GIOKOS: Yes. I mean, look, he's no longer the nominee, as you say, for attorney general. And I think the House Ethics Committee was questioning
whether they should release the report. That decision was then reversed and decided to actually put the information out there.
Why do you think it is important for the American public to see the details around Matt Gaetz's behavior?
SABATO: Matt Gaetz is young. He clearly is still ambitious. He's still talking about running for positions like the U.S. Senate in Florida. I
think people have a right to know these things for their public officials. This isn't a private individual, though he is now in private life. He's a
very public individual.
So, just on basic transparency reasons, you would think that this would have been released some time ago, but at least it's come out now.
GIOKOS: Yes. I mean, interesting. CNN has obtained the final draft of this report. Matt Gaetz is trying to block the official release of the report.
He's also going to be filing for defamation as well.
We know he still has political aspirations. Do you think the details contained in this report will dampen any kind of political future that he
might have had?
[10:35:03]
SABATO: It won't hurt him in the Republican Party, probably. Look at what they've overlooked with Trump and with a number of other people.
You know, in the old days, just one piece of this multi-pronged scandal would be enough to kill a political career. Today, almost nothing will kill
a political career, at least in the Republican Party.
So, no, I don't think it will end his career and many districts, many states are so deeply Republican, deeply read, that they will elect
virtually any Republican nominee.
However, it's important that people put this into context and know the background of the individual who may be running for office. And I could
easily see Gaetz running or being appointed to something else significant.
GIOKOS: I wonder in terms of legal consequences for Gaetz, the panel saying that he broke Florida state laws, including statutory rape law. What do you
think the consequences will actually be from a legal perspective?
SABATO: Well, I'm not sure, but somehow I doubt that Florida now almost totally in the control of the Republicans, from Governor Ron DeSantis and
others, the Attorney General of Florida, most of the key officials there are very conservative Republicans. They're Trump supporters.
You know, if I had to guess today, and I am just guessing, I would say he probably doesn't have that much to fear.
GIOKOS: All right. Larry Sabato, great to have you with us. Thank you sir for your time.
All right, actor and film director Justin Baldoni has been dropped from his talent agency after actress Blake Lively filed a civil rights complaint
against him. Lively accuses her "It Ends With Us" co-star of sexual harassment and retaliation, alleging Baldoni and his team launched a smear
campaign to destroy her reputation after she accused the actor of misconduct. Baldoni denies the accusations.
Joining us now with more is CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister. Elizabeth, take us through the details here.
ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so fans of this book, which then was adapted into a movie, they were watching every single
move throughout this press tour. Fans had noticed that Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni didn't pose together for a single picture throughout the
press tour, they didn't do any interviews together.
So, that is what had people talking wondering, what is going on behind the scenes here. Well, now, Blake Lively has taken legal action, escalating
this from rumors of an onset feud to what she says are very serious allegations of sexual harassment.
She alleges that she was working under unsafe working conditions, some of her allegations against Baldoni, who was her costar. You see him right
there, and he also directed this film. She said that he wanted to add in gratuitous sex scenes that he, along with a male producer, walked into her
trailer while she was breastfeeding her newborn.
So, there was actually a meeting on the set of this film, which was revealed in her complaint, and during this meeting, they brought up new
safety guards that everybody agreed to because of Blake Lively's complaints.
Well, as you said, Justin Baldoni is denying all of these allegations. I want to read you part of what his attorney said to us. He said, "It is
shameful that Miss Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations as yet another desperate attempt to fix
her negative reputation."
Now, part of this complaint, aside from the sexual harassment allegations, is that Blake Lively and her team, they are alleging that it's not just
that she was working in unsafe working conditions on set, but that after she had brought up these issues, that then she was retaliated again.
She is alleging that Justin and his team coordinated a sophisticated campaign behind the scenes to essentially take down her reputation online.
And this 80 page complaint includes a series of text messages between Justin and his team behind the scenes.
Now again, Justin's team denies this. They actually have alleged that Blake's team was also smearing him and planting negative stories. But
here's what Blake, lively told us in the statement.
She says, "I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on the sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct
and helps protect others who may be targeted."
GIOKOS: Elizabeth Wagmeister, thank you so much.
All right, two U.S. Navy pilots are lucky to be alive after their fighter jet was shot down over the Red Sea on Saturday. In a statement issued by
U.S. Central Command, the downing was labeled a friendly fire incident. CNN's Julia Benbrook has more on what we know so far.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[10:40:01]
JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There are still a lot of questions and a full investigation is underway, but U.S. Central Command is calling this an
apparent friendly fire incident. They've said that the two U.S. Navy pilots were safely ejected after their fighter jet was shot down over the Red Sea
on Saturday. Initial assessments show that one crew member sustained minor injuries.
Here's what else we know right now. According to CENTCOM, the aircraft, an FA-18, was operating from the USS Harry S. Truman when it was mistakenly
fired upon by the USS Gettysburg. The USS Gettysburg, a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser, is a part of the Truman Carrier Strike Group, which
entered the waters of the Middle East one week ago.
Now, as I mentioned, this investigation is ongoing, but CNN military analyst and retired Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton detailed the types of
questions that could be asked in an investigation like this, including what the sailors on the USS Gettysburg saw, what they thought was coming toward
them, and why they fired.
COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: When you are in a zone like this, where there is combat happening at one end of the Red Sea, and
then there are other flight patterns that the folks on the USS Gettysburg, the sailors on the USS Gettysburg, have to deal with, it can be pretty easy
to mistake targets from one to the other. In other words, is one a friendly target or is one an adversarial or a potential adversarial target.
BENBROOK: The apparent friendly fire incident happened the same day that the U.S. carried out airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, hitting a
command and control facility, as well as a missile storage facility.
According to CENTCOM, the U.S. also shot down one-way attack drones and an anti-ship cruise missile. Now, those strikes did involve the use of the
same type of fighter jet, an FA-18, but two U.S. officials have told our team that the downjet we've been discussing was not involved.
In a statement on Sunday, Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed they shot down the FA-18 aircraft over the Red Sea. The Houthis said their strikes were in
response to American and British forces attacking their drones and missiles.
This group has repeatedly made false claims of striking U.S. warships in the area. And again, the U.S. is calling this an apparent friendly fire
incident.
At the White House, Julia Benbrook, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Tens of thousands of people in Serbia are protesting against a government after the deadly collapse of a railway station roof last month.
A large crowd gathered in central Belgrade Sunday to protest against President Aleksandar Vucic and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party.
Demonstrators allege government corruption and nepotism resulted in shoddy construction that led to the concrete awning caving in. 15 people died and
two were injured.
Students at state universities have demanded the release of all documents relevant to the station's renovation, as well as prosecution of officials
responsible for the disaster.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): At this moment, supporting these young people is the most important thing, so that we older people can learn
from their example and do all we can to make them feel that someone is with them and to bring back normality and a sense of shame to this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: And still to come, one of the Catholic Church's holiest sites is preparing for millions of visitors in 2025. We take you inside St. Peter's
Basilica, including some rare access, that's coming up next.
And a little later, CNN takes you inside the most enchanted landscape in the wizarding world. It's Christmas at Hogwarts, and that is all coming up.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:45:56]
GIOKOS: Welcome back. Now, every 25 years, the Catholic Church celebrates a Jubilee, and the next one begins on Tuesday, Christmas Eve.
As part of the event, the Vatican is taking special steps to greet pilgrims. CNN's Christopher Lamb takes you inside St. Peter's Basilica for
an exclusive look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: I'm here at St Peter's Basilica, the home of the Pope, the site of the tomb of St Peter, and one
of the Catholic Church's holiest sites. A huge amount of work has been going on to prepare for an influx of millions of visitors expected to be in
Rome during the Jubilee year.
Now, we've been granted special access to go inside the Basilica and show you what's been going on.
Hello.
FR. ENZO FORTUNATO, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, ST. PETER'S BASILICA: Hello, Christopher. Welcome to Rome.
LAMB: Oh, thank you very much.
FORTUNATO: To the Vatican, in this case.
LAMB: Wow.
FORTUNATO: Yes, it's wonderful. The biggest church in the world.
Now we are near the Holy Door.
LAMB (voice-over): The opening of this Holy Door by the Pope on Christmas Eve will mark the beginning of the Jubilee, a time of celebration and
pilgrimage that usually occurs every 25 years.
With its cement seal removed and keys retrieved, the door is now ready to be opened for 2025, which will allow pilgrims to pass through and receive
forgiveness for their sins, known as an indulgence.
FORTUNATO: After this moment, the pilgrim encounter the Mother of God, the masterpiece of Michelangelo.
LAMB (voice-over): The Pieta, which was attacked in 1972, has had its protective glass upgraded for the Jubilee.
FORTUNATO: And this is the walk of the pilgrim, no?
LAMB: Okay, the pilgrim's path.
FORTUNATO: Yes.
LAMB: Wow.
FORTUNATO: In front of us, the Bar of the King of Bernini. This altar is the center of the Eucharistic celebration, but also it's very important
because there is the tomb of St. Peter.
LAMB: Can we see that now?
FORTUNATO: Yes.
LAMB (voice-over): Access to the tomb of St. Peter, the church's first Pope, is usually only possible with special permission.
But as part of Jubilee plans to boost engagement, it and the Holy Door will be viewable via webcam live streams.
FORTUNATO: This is the devotion of every pilgrim.
LAMB (voice-over): St. Peter's has also launched a new magazine and even partnered with Microsoft to create an A.I.-generated digital twin of the
basilica that allows pilgrims who can't be there in person and others to explore every detail, which could be useful as the work to maintain St.
Peter's is ongoing.
A special structure has been set up to restore its ceiling using techniques from the Renaissance period.
FORTUNATO: Now we are in front of the monument of Bernini. Inside there is the oldest chair of St. Peter.
The devil symbolizes the Holy Spirit in the church. So the Holy Spirit leads the church.
LAMB: Yes, it's not just a museum church, it's a living church.
FORTUNATO: Yes, yes.
LAMB (voice-over): A living church that's now ready to welcome pilgrims from around the world, in person and remotely, for the Jubilee.
Christopher Lamb, CNN, Rome.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Right, everyone, get your coins ready. Rome's Trevi Fountain has reopened after deep cleaning that took more than two months to complete.
The iconic attraction had been drained to remove dirt and residue ahead of the Vatican's Jubilee Year in 2025 which is expected to draw up to 32
million people to the city. Visitors can now throw their coins into the real fountain again, instead of into a temporary pool which was set up
during the maintenance.
Visitors will be limited to 400 at a time, but the tradition is still the same. It's said that anyone who tosses a coin into the fountain is
guaranteed to return to Rome. It sounds like a good deal to me.
[10:50:01]
Well, up next, the magic of Christmas meets the magic of Hogwarts. CNN is taking you behind some of the most famous doors in the wizarding world, and
you won't need a thunderbolt to get there. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: Whether you're waving a wand in the wizarding world or stringing lights around the tree in a more traditional manner, the holidays are all
about the comforts of tradition. CNN's Anna Stewart takes us behind the scenes of an annual Christmas classic as she tours the grounds of Hogwarts
at the Warner Brothers Studios outside London now decked with enchanting holiday decor.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
Clip from Max/Warner Bros. Pictures "Harry Potter."
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): It is that time of year when we all rewatch family-favorite movies, but this time I'm taking it a step
further.
STEWART: Could there be a more magical place to spend the Christmas holidays than Hogwarts?
STEWART (voiceover): This is the great hall all decked out for a festive feast.
STEWART: Laura, nice to meet you.
LAURA SINCLAIR-LAZELL, HEAD OF SHOW EXPERIENCE, WARNER BROS. STUDIO TOUR LONDON: Hello. Nice to meet you.
STEWART: You're going to give me the grand tour.
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: I am, indeed. Welcome to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London -- The Making of Harry Potter.
STEWART: Thank you.
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: I'm Laura Sinclair-Lazell and I'm head of show experience.
STEWART: You are the person who's going to tell me everything about this place. And I should tell you I'm probably CNN's biggest Harry Potter fan or
nerd, depending on how you view these things.
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: Amazing. Well, you've come to the right place.
STEWART (voiceover): It feels like we have walked into a Harry Potter movie minus one enchanted ceiling and two tables, which allows more room for
visitors.
In the movies, Professor Flitwick made light work of baubles. It's a lot more work for the muggles working here.
STEWART: Those aren't real peas?
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: No, sadly not, no.
STEWART: None of the food is real?
SINCLAR-LAZELL: Not real. Not this time, no.
STEWART (voiceover): With stomachs rumbling time to move on. Now, you may remember this scene. Hagrid lugging a Christmas tree across the Hogwarts
courtyard.
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: So this is very reminiscent of that moment, and this would have been the original costume as worn by Martin Bayfield. So it's --
STEWART: So this is what was worn by the body double?
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: Absolutely, yeah. Any of the longshots that you --
STEWART: Wow.
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: -- see were usually worn by him.
STEWART (voiceover): Time for a little retail therapy, and it's been snowing.
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: We use shredded paper and --
STEWART: Is this shredded paper?
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: Or shredded plastic, yes. And then --
STEWART: Wow.
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: And then on top we sprinkle some glitter to give it that kind of real-life snow effect.
STEWART (voiceover): From Ollivanders to Flourish and Blotts, Diagon Alley has everything the witch or wizard needs.
STEWART: OK. If you could go into any of these shops for real which one would you go into?
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: I'm torn. Probably I'd want to hang out with the twins, so I'd want to go to --
STEWART: You'd want to go to Wizard Wheezes --
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: Yeah.
STEWART: -- OK, joke shop.
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: I'd pick up a few jokes.
STEWART: I mean, maybe the Quidditch shop for me --
SINCLAIR-LAZELL: Yeah.
STEWART: -- once I've got my wand.
STEWART (voiceover): And clearly, it would be a firebolt.
STEWART: The firebolt, the fastest broomstick in the world.
STEWART (voiceover): Although sadly, no holiday sales here.
And to end the tour a breathtaking view of Hogwarts in the snow.
[10:55:04]
Anna Stewart, CNN, Watford.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: And before we go, a Christmas tradition continues in Germany. Every year, Joseph Glauger (ph) strings about 45,000 lights around his home to
create an illuminated nativity scene which has drawn crowds for more than two decades. The display takes about six weeks to set up. It now has 30
figures, and new ones are added each year, which Glauger builds himself in his garage.
The light show was encouraged by Glauger's wife, who died of leukemia last year, and the proceeds go to leukemia and stem cell research.
Well, that is it for CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Eleni Giokos in New York, stay with CNN, NEWSROOM is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
