Return to Transcripts main page

Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Palestinians Find New Options For Shelter In Winter; Broadway Shows Face Rising Costs And Falling Profits; Renaming Of Kennedy Center Prompts Criticism, Legal Questions. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired December 22, 2025 - 05:30   ET

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

[05:30:00]

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR: Explain to me what Palestinians are dealing with in Gaza right now.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Eleni. I mean, the choice that they're facing is absolutely grim. The basic fact is there is not enough shelter, if any shelter, in Gaza at this point.

The U.N. says that more than 80 percent of all buildings were either destroyed or badly damaged during those two years of war. And now what we see is the U.N. saying some 1.3 million people need urgent shelter for the winter.

We have already seen a number of significant storms passing through the Gaza Strip. Just last week torrential rains and wind killed at least 17 people, according to Gaza's civil defense.

So what were seeing is this choice between living with your family in a tent, if you can find a tent. They're still scarce in the Gaza Strip. And this is a potential problem because with these winds and rain certainly a tent is not adequate for those kind of winter events. So we have seen tents being flooded, belongings -- little food that people have being flooded. Even tents being washed away.

And, of course, with the lack of water infrastructure -- of wastewater infrastructure, we're looking at sewage and solid waste being mixed in with that rainwater and flooding through displacement camps, which obviously raises concerns about waterborne diseases.

But the other alternative is that there are a number of buildings that have been significantly damaged and would not be habitable in most places around the world, but families are forced to try and find some kind of shelter within the wreckage itself.

Now, we are seeing a number of these buildings collapse. Many of them have been damaged by airstrikes or nearby strikes during the war. And when you add torrential rains and wind to that equation then these already unstable buildings are, in some cases, collapsing. We have seen and heard from officials that there has been loss of life because of this.

We did hear from the civil defense that when the rains come, they do recommend to people that they move out of these wrecked buildings, but the fact is they have nowhere else to go, so it is not really a choice that they can entertain.

Now we did speak to a number of people in Khan Yunis in the south of the Gaza Strip talking about when the rains come through, when the winter storms start that they have leakages. They have parts of damaged roofs that come down on top of them. And what we heard across the board -- a common theme from everybody who spoke to CNN was that this is not living. This is not a life. And they are calling on the international community to do more -- Eleni.

GIOKOS: Yeah, Paula Hancocks. Thanks so much for being on this story. Important reporting there.

All right. So in the meantime, Nigeria says 130 kidnapped children have been released and they were taken by gunmen from a Catholic school in north central Nigeria in November. A spokesman says that all of the children abducted from the school have now been released. The kidnapping was the latest in a wave of attacks by armed groups. They've targeted vulnerable civilian populations, particularly schools, and carried out mass kidnappings for ransom.

An iconic part of New York City is facing an uncertain future. Still ahead we explore how the affordability crisis is having an impact on Broadway musicals. We'll bring you that story right after this.

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:38:25]

GIOKOS: Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Eleni Giokos. This is your business breakout.

Now it's a short week for U.S. markets with the (INAUDIBLE) closed on Thursday for Christmas Day. And here's where the futures stand right now. We're looking at a positive opening as we kick off the week. And importantly, last week was a bit of a mixed session that we saw purely because we had a bit of economic news out. Remember, unemployment now sitting at 4.6 percent and for the month of November you've got inflation sitting at 2.7 percent.

The big question is going into this week are we going to see the coveted Santa Claus of rally? And importantly, we always see very much a big buying spree in the last five days of the year. So we'll be checking that out.

In the meantime, I want to bring some business news headlines that we're following today.

Jim Beam says it will pause production at its main distillery as supplies of bourbon rise. The famous maker of Kentucky bourbon is feeling the pinch from the affordability crisis and retaliation to President Trump's tariffs. That's causing supplies of bourbon to hit an all-time high in Kentucky.

The latest "Avatar 4" made an estimated $88 million in its opening weekend at the U.S. box office. "Avatar: Fire and Ash" is the latest installment in James Cameron's smash hit sci-fi franchise. The previous two films are among the most successful movies ever at the global box office.

And also there's a bit of hope because there's still time to become a billionaire by Christmas. The Powerball jackpot is up to an estimated $1.6 billion after there were no big winners in Saturday's night draw. The jackpot for tonight's drawing is the fourth-largest in Powerball history. It's also the fifth-largest among U.S. lottery jackpots, according to a news release.

[05:40:15]

All right. This holiday season beloved classics like "The Nutcracker" are drawing crowds to New York City theaters. But Broadway musicals, an iconic part of the city's culture, are struggling to turn a profit. As CNN's Leigh Waldman reports, despite star power like George Clooney and Denzel Washington, Broadway is facing major economic challenges.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON LAKS, PRESIDENT, THE BROADWAY LEAGUE: There's some really special about seeing live theater that is different than everything else.

LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): For over a century, Broadway has been at the heart of New York City culture. Glittering marquis welcoming audiences to step inside, defy gravity, and given them the old razzle-dazzle.

LAKS: As New York City goes, so goes Broadway in many respects, and vice versa.

WALDMAN (voiceover): However, the rising cost of musical production is leaving the great white way in the red. According to The New York Times, of the 18 musicals that opened last season, none made a profit as of late September.

Jason Laks, president of The Broadway League, says he expects only one in 10 shows will make their money back.

LAKS: It's only gotten harder since the pandemic. We are not, you know, immune from the same cost pressures that affect lots of industries.

WALDMAN (voiceover): He credits much of that to skyrocketing production costs, while ticket prices have only risen slightly over the past 10 years. League data shows Broadway, as a whole, had its highest-grossing season in a decade.

James L. Walker Jr. says he invested $50,000 in the recent revival of "Cabaret," which closed early at what producers are calling a total loss.

JAMES L. WALKER JR., BROADWAY INVESTOR: When you look at a play that's grossing upwards of nearly $100 million, it's hard to explain how we didn't make our money back.

WALDMAN (voiceover): In August, Walker filed a lawsuit against the show's producers with the New York State Supreme Court alleging breach of contract in what the suit calls a deliberate scheme to strip him and other investors of their money.

WALKER: And obviously we want our money back. But yes, a major consideration is how do we change the overall infrastructure.

WALDMAN (voiceover): ATG Entertainment, the defendant in the lawsuit, would not comment on active litigation but has previously denied any wrongdoing and filed a motion to dismiss the suit.

WALDMAN: While traditional Broadway musicals are struggling to find a solution to their money problems, off-Broadway fan favorites like "Phantom of the Opera" are being reimagined, drawing in crowds for an interactive experience.

RANDY WEINER, PRODUCER, MASQUERADE: This is a part of the show that's not in the Broadway performance of it.

WALDMAN (voiceover): Broadway legend Andrew Lloyd Webber helped produce this $25 million experience, which takes place in an old six- story art shop where the audience don masks for six nearly simultaneous nightly shows, thrusting them into the phantom's world.

WEINER: We are doing everything Broadway does except we're even doing it more.

WALDMAN: Producer Randy Weiner doesn't plan to bring his show to Broadway and he's not sure if this concept is a solution to Broadway's financial woes. But as a lifelong New Yorker he is sure of one thing.

WEINER: I am not worried that Broadway won't figure out its model because it's an incredible New York experience. That's something that's not going anywhere.

WALDMAN (voiceover): Leigh Waldman, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GIOKOS: All right. So it was created as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy but now it's got a new name that is prompting a lot of outrage. Does the Trump-Kennedy Center have staying power? That is coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:48:10]

GIOKOS: Welcome back. I'm Eleni Giokos. Here are some stories we are watching today.

The U.S. Justice Department says a photo that includes images of President Trump has been restored to the Epstein files online database. It was one of more than a dozen photos that disappeared from the website on Saturday. The deputy attorney general claims the photo was removed out of concerns for victims in the image.

The United States is pursuing an oil tanker in international waters that it tried to intercept off the coast of Venezuela. Officials say the U.S. Coast Guard tried to board the ship, but the tanker refused to stop. It's on a list of vessels sanctioned for ties to Iran. This month the U.S. seized two other oil tankers connected to Venezuela.

Lawmakers in the Australian state of New South Wales are attending an emergency session of Parliament, and they are debating new laws to tighten gun control in the state and to crack down on hate speech and terror symbols. This comes about a week after two gunmen opened fire on a Hannukah celebration at Bondi Beach, killing 15 people.

Backlash is growing over the renaming of The Kennedy Center. The institution's board of trustees voted Thursday to add President Trump's name to the facility. New signage went up on the building on Friday. The change is prompting sharp criticism from many people, including the family of late President John K. Kennedy. It's also driving protests in Washington and raising several legal questions.

Our Brian Stelter has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: What's in a name? Well, when the name is the Trump-Kennedy Center, a whole lot. Trump's allies say it's a bipartisan symbol. His detractors say it's blasphemy. And it's interesting that this argument is going on at all.

You know, back on Thursday, that's when Trump's handpicked appointees to The Kennedy Center board voted to rename the famed performing arts center. And now there's roiling debate about whether the name change was legal, whether it's appropriate, and whether it's going to remain in place.

[05:50:10]

Now here's a headline from The Washington Post this weekend asking one of the key questions going forward. "Trump's renaming spree hits the Kennedy Center, but will it stick?"

This is a little bit like the Gulf of Mexico versus Gulf of America controversy that Trump instigated back in January. In that case, big mapping platforms did follow suit, at least now showing American users the name "Gulf of America." But many big news outlets did not fall in line -- did not follow suit. In fact, the president is now embroiled in a lawsuit filed by the Associated Press as a result of that battle.

And when it comes to the Trump-Kennedy Center name, of course, it has been emblazoned on the wall of the institution making a lot of liberals quite upset in Washington over the weekend. But if you look at StubHub, Ticketmaster -- if you ask ChatGPT for the name of the venue if you're trying to go to the National Symphony, you'll see that the venue name is still being listed as just The Kennedy Center.

And some media outlets are also taking a stand about this. Here's what Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of The Atlantic, said in a

statement. "At The Atlantic, the Department of Defense is the Department of Defense, the Kennedy Center is the Kennedy Center, and the Gulf of Mexico is the Gulf of Mexico." He added, in the way that Trump talks on Truth Social, "Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

Now, Trump's ally Rick Grenell who was named the president of The Kennedy Center -- he says this move was entirely legal because the actual memorial to John F. Kennedy has not been affected.

And he's also blasting liberal critics who he says have ignored The Kennedy Center as it has fallen into disrepair. "There are lots of powerful people who ignored the Kennedy Center for decades and stayed silent as it fell apart suddenly pretending like they are the protectors of the new Trump Kennedy Center. The place needed money and attention, and Donald Trump saved it."

And, of course, in some ways this is a small part of a larger battle underway -- something we've been covering all year long. Trump's many different powerplays, trying to flex his muscles in every possible way.

But it also sort of reminds of the renaming of the airport in Washington, D.C. Back in 1998, then-President Bill Clinton renamed the airport. He signed a bill into law renaming the airport for the late President Ronald Reagan. And now, officially, that airport is called Reagan National Airport. But I know when I fly in, I think of it as National. And I think I would say many people still just think of it as National Airport.

So that's the thing about a renaming, whether this was codified by Congress or not. You can announce a new name, you can put it on the wall, but it may ultimately not stick. So in this case, with the Trump-Kennedy Center, let's check in in a few years and see what people are calling it.

Brian Stelter, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GIOKOS: The Smithsoninian museum complex in Washington is facing a critical deadline from the Trump administration that could imperil their funding. The White House is threatening to withhold federal money unless the institution complies with the review and did wiping out what the administration considers anti-American propaganda. Donald Trump ordered aides back in March to root out divisive narratives, saying the Smithsonian had gone out of control talking about how bad slavery was and how horrible the country is.

American actor James Ransone has died at the age of 46. And he's best known for his role as Ziggy Sobotka in the HBO series "THE WIRE" and has since starred in other TV shows. He also acted in many horror films, including "It Chapter Two." The Los Angeles County medical examiner's office says Ransone died by suicide on Friday. All right. Back-to-back wet weather systems are lining up on the United States West Coast this week. They're expected to bring in heavy rain, a heightened risk of flooding, and possible travel delays. California is the man concern with some areas picking up several inches of rain already saturated on the ground. At least one death due to flooding has been reported.

Meanwhile, much of the rest of the country is heading for an unusually warm Christmas. If you were hoping for a white Christmas you're probably out of luck. More than 100 record highs are possible nationwide in the days ahead. Temperatures are expected to be 10 to 30 degrees above average.

Power has been restored to most of San Francisco after a massive outage caused major disruptions and traffic jams across the city. A fire at a power substation was blamed for some of the blackouts, according to Pacific Gas and Electric. At its peak, the outage affected a third of the company's customers in San Francisco.

That blackout also affected self-driving cars. Waymo suspended its self-driving services during the outage. At least one video posted to social media appeared to show a Waymo vehicle stopped in the middle of an intersection.

All right. We're going to a very short break. I'll be back right after this.

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:59:20]

GIOKOS: All right. Time for a bit of sports news.

And the New England Patriots will be in the playoffs this year after beating the Baltimore Ravens 28-24. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye led his team's comeback from 11 points down in the fourth quarter. Now, it started with a 37-yard scoring pass to Kyle Williams and a two-point conversion. Still trailing by three but with just two minutes left, the winning touchdown came from a 21-yard run by Rhamondre Stevenson. And for the first time since Brady and Belichick, the Patriots are back in the NFL postseason mix.

[06:00:00]

De'Aaron Fox led the San Antonio Spurs to a 124-113 victory over the Washington Wizards on Sunday. The talented point guard had 27 points, including five 3-pointers, just like this, early in the first quarter.

Victor Wembanyama had 14 points and 12 rebounds. Wemby continued to come off the bench and only played 22 minutes.

Next up for the Spurs, Oklahoma City comes to town on Tuesday.

All right. That's it for EARLY START. I'm Eleni Giokos in Dubai. "CNN THIS MORNING" starts right now.