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First Move with Julia Chatterley

New Caretaker PM Named In Syria; Suspect Mangione Speaking Out; Luigi Mangione Appears In Court; Franklin Fire Grows At Rapid Rate Of Spread; Malibu Residents Flee Their Homes And Businesses; Port Of Los Angeles Sees Booming Business; CNN Kicks Off Call To Earth Day Coverage; British Pubs Face Guinness Beer Shortage; How "The Elf On The Shelf" Became A Seasonal Phenomenon. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired December 10, 2024 - 18:00   ET

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


[18:00:00]

JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: It's 7:00 a.m. in Beijing, 2:00 p.m. in Los Angeles, and 6:00 p.m. here in New York. I'm Julia Chatterley.

And wherever you are in the world, this is your "First Move."

Welcome to "First Move." And here's today's need to know. Rebel rebuild. A new caretaker prime minister is named in Syria. Mangione's message. The

suspect accused of shooting United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson speaking out as he fights extradition to New York. Franklin Fire fears. Residents of

Malibu flee their homes and businesses. And a very Elfie way to start the show, at least if you've been good and not bad. The founders of Elf on the

Shelf join us to discuss how it all began. That conversation and plenty more coming up.

But first, we begin in Syria, where new leadership is taking shape. The rebels that overthrew President Bashar al-Assad have begun appointing a new

interim government. Mohammed al-Bashir has been named caretaker prime minister at least for the next three months.

Meanwhile, Israel is stepping up attacks on targets in Syria. Prime Minister Netanyahu saying Israel will fiercely respond if the new

government threatens its security. And out of the ruins, horrific stories are emerging of those who were jailed by the Assad regime. Jomana Karadsheh

has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What's left of Daraya tells of the horrors that unfolded here. Every corner scarred by a ruthless

regime's fight for survival. This Damascus suburb rose up peacefully, demanding freedom. More than a decade on, a shattered Daraya and its people

are finally free.

This was for our children, Firas (ph) tells me. It's so they don't have to live under the tyrant's rule. Her story of loss and pain so unfathomable

for us, yet so common in this place, that for years endured some of the most brutal tactics of the Assad regime, besieged, starved, and bombed into

surrender.

KARADSHEH: Firas (ph) says they came out asking for freedom and they were met with bullets and tanks. She says, we're not terrorists and they did

this and imagine, she says, there were women and children living in these homes.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): So, many men like her husband Mazen (ph), detained and disappeared. Two years later, a released prisoner told her he saw him

in jail.

They beat him so much, his wounded leg was infected. He was in so much pain, she says. There was no medical care in prison, and because of all he

was going through, he lost his mind. The prisoner last saw him taken away crying and screaming hysterically.

[18:05:00]

She went from one detention center to the next searching for him until they broke the news to her in the most cruel of ways. They handed her his

belongings and told her to register his death.

There are no words to describe how I was feeling when I left, she says. I was holding onto the hope he would be released and her family would be

reunited. They didn't even give me his body.

This is the last photo she has of Mazen (ph) and his youngest boy, Rhaith (ph), doesn't remember his dad. Noor (ph) was six and so attached to his

father. Every day, he would wait by the door for him to come back.

When I would hear someone calling baba, dad, it was torment for me, Firas (ph) says. What did these children do to be deprived of their father? She

has to be strong for her boys, she says. She is all they have.

Her father also disappeared into the black holes of Assad's jails. Like her husband, their only crime, she says, was being from Daraya.

KARADSHEH: She says, I'm just one of thousands and thousands of stories, and that's just in Daraya. And just imagine how many more there are across

Syria.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): With the end of this dark chapter in their history, a new life, a new Syria emerges from the rubble of their broken lives.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KARADSHEH (on camera): And, Julia, as you heard there from Firas (ph), she says that her story is one of thousands and thousands just in that one

suburb of Damascus. And, you know, you look back at the past 13 years of this war, and we're not talking about the atrocities committed by the Assad

dynasty, Assad's father, the regime, and Bashar al-Assad, we're talking just the past 13 years, 300,000 Syrians have been killed. 130,000 are

missing, forcibly disappeared. Their families don't know what has happened to them.

And we're seeing the anguish, the pain that they are going through right now. You know, you're seeing the end of this dark chapter, but you're also

seeing what it's doing in this country, the scale of these atrocities that is coming to light right now. And you're seeing that joy of so many seeing

the end of the Assad regime. And then, you are also seeing that mixed with the pain and agony that so many, like Firas (ph) are going through right

now.

And she told us that for her, the sacrifice, everything that she has lost, it's worth it because she believes that she will be able to pass on a Syria

that is free Syria where her children will be living without that fear that she described as suffocating that she had to live through for 37 years

under the Assad regime.

And you hear this from so many people, saying this was worth it, the sacrifice and everything that they have lost, but they say that it is now

on these new rulers, these new rebel groups who have taken over, the opposition groups, to make sure that all the sacrifices are not squandered

and that they will be able to deliver on that promise of a new Syria. Julia.

CHATTERLEY: Yes. Jomana, as much as we all want to talk about the future and what might come next, to your point and that reporting for the millions

of Syrians at home and those who are in exile abroad, they're still dealing with years of what's past. Thank you for your reporting. Jomana Karadsheh

there.

All right. Now, to our continuing coverage of the man accused of killing of health insurance CEO.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THOMAS DICKEY, ATTORNEY FOR SUSPECT: The fundamental concept of American justice is the presumption of innocent. And until you're proven guilty

beyond reasonable doubt. And I've seen zero evidence at this point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHATTERLEY: And that's the lawyer for suspect Luigi Mangione who was speaking around 30 minutes ago. The 26-year-old is currently fighting

extradition from Pennsylvania to New York where he's charged with murder. Mangione speaking out too as he was brought into the courthouse earlier.

Just take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LUIGI MANGIONE, SUSPECT: It's completely out of touch and an insult to the intelligence of the American people. It's lived experience.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHATTERLEY: And Mangione also seen a wave of support online as many Americans express their own anger about experiences with health insurance.

Shell casings used in the shooting appeared to reference a book critical of the insurance industry, "Delay, Deny, Defend," now rising to the second

spot on Amazon's nonfiction bestsellers list.

Danny Freeman joins us now from Philadelphia. Danny, nothing justifies the acts of murder and obviously the suspect in this case, but I think a lot of

people today just trying to understand what takes a 26-year-old, and we've heard a bit now about his background. It was privileged. He had an elite

education and turns him into a suspect for murder in such a public manner, as we saw.

[18:10:00]

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's true, Julia. And listen, you know, there are still so many questions that are outstanding, even though this

suspect is at the moment in custody. As you noted, he's fighting extradition back to New York. He had that outburst earlier this afternoon.

A very different tone than the court appearance that I witnessed yesterday evening. But those questions are still numerous. And to your point, we have

the question of what makes this man, again, this suspect in this murder investigation, what could possibly have led him to this point?

And to try and get some of those answers, we came here to the University of Pennsylvania, where he attended college just a few years ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREEMAN (voice-over): Years before he'd be escorted into a Pennsylvania courthouse, Luigi Mangione spent time more than 200 miles east, here at the

University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

The prestigious Ivy League University confirming Mangione graduated on May 18, 2020, with a bachelor's and master's degree in engineering.

FREEMAN: That means he likely spent much of his time here at the School of Engineering and Applied Science. Now, while there weren't a lot of people

who knew him or were willing to speak to us about him on camera, at least one student said that he was a TA of Computer and Information Sciences.

FREEMAN (voice-over): Also, in a since taken down post for the university's Penn Today, Mangione was featured for leading a 60-student club that made

video games. Quote, "I wanted to make my own game, and so I learned how to code," Mangione told a university writer.

JARED MITOVICH, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN: He was a member of the Honor Society Engineering School, which is only for the top students

in the class. He was involved in a fraternity on campus.

FREEMAN (voice-over): UPenn student newspaper editor in chief Jared Mitovich said his team has been working to see if there were any signs then

of what was to come.

MITOVICH: What was the type of education he received at Penn? Is Penn the type of place where he would have learned how to 3D print? Is it the type

of place where he, you know, was exposed to, you know, certain beliefs just in like the groups that he ran into or like the things that he was involved

in?

FREEMAN (voice-over): Mangione grew up in a wealthy family from Baltimore. According to the Baltimore Sun, his grandfather, Nicholas Mangione, built a

local real estate empire that included nursing home facilities around Maryland and two suburban country clubs.

In a statement released by Mangione's cousin, Maryland State Delegate Nino Mangione, his family said they were shocked and devastated by Luigi's

arrest. At his arraignment Monday night, Mangione told the judge he had been in contact with his family, quote, "until recently."

LUIGI MANGIONE, SUSPECT: It's been an incredible journey.

FREEMAN (voice-over): Mangione graduated valedictorian in 2016 from Baltimore's prestigious all-boys, the Gilman School, former classmates

couldn't believe he was now this suspect.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can tell you that this is one of the last people you think would do something like this.

FREEMAN (voice-over): In recent years, according to a friend and online postings, though, Mangione suffered from back pain and underwent surgery to

treat it. A Reddit user matching his biographical details writing in July 2023, my back and hips locked up after the accident. Intermittent numbness

has become constant. I'm terrified of the implications.

But after maintaining a social media presence for years, Mangione went quiet this past summer and appeared to stop communicating with his family.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREEMAN (on camera): And notably, Julia, after Mangione stopped posting very much online, frankly, people noticed, at least one X user tweeted at

him saying, I haven't heard from you in months. Another user in late November before the shooting posted at him, thinking of you and prayers

every day in your name. Know you are missed and loved. Julia, I'll also note that the University of Pennsylvania declined to comment further for

this story. Julia.

CHATTERLEY: Danny Freeman, thank you for that report. Danger in paradise as an intense wildfire burns along the south and Southern Californian coast.

My apologies. Residents of Malibu, California have been forced to flee their homes while students at a local university had to shelter inside the

library.

The Franklin Fire quickly grew Tuesday to more than 2,700 acres. No deaths or injuries have been reported, but it's a dramatic change for the wealthy

enclave known for its beautiful beaches and celebrity homes.

Veronica Miracle joins us now from Malibu. Veronica, it's the speed at which this fire is growing that's really frightening. What are the

authorities doing to try and get people out?

VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it has been an incredible fight since the beginning. It started just before midnight. People were -- many

of them were asleep. Many deputies had to go door to make sure that people were getting out safely. And many people stayed behind to try and protect

their own homes, which we often see in the case of wildfires.

Right now, this fire is zero percent contained officially. They have no containment around it. And although the winds have died down right now,

they are expecting them to pick back up in the evening, which is why they are racing to try and get a handle on this blaze.

[18:15:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIRACLE (voice-over): Malibu Scenic Hills a blaze after a fast-moving wildfire exploded overnight.

LYNDA MICHEL, FLED HOUSE SURROUNDED BY FIRE: From a one to 10, it was like a 15, like scary.

MIRACLE (voice-over): The Franklin Fire tripling in size in just one hour, at one point, scorching the equivalent of five football fields every minute

since it ignited late Monday evening, prompting evacuation orders.

MICHEL: Everything. All these mountains were covered in flames, just covered. Like you took a crayon and just colored everything.

MIRACLE (voice-over): Lynda Michel is a caretaker who lives on a property with horses in the evacuation zone. She says she awoke to a wall of flames

surrounding the area and had to scramble to save the animals.

MICHEL: Woke everybody up, got everybody in the car. It was all a toy. Nobody had time to get dressed. Everybody jumped in the car and was like,

get out of here. And then after that, I must have like 30 minutes to run around and try to get the horses and we didn't know what we were going to

do. Like, we could not leave them in the barn. Thank God we didn't leave them in the barn because the barn break down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can see the wind down there.

MIRACLE (voice-over): The inferno fueled by dry conditions and Southern California's infamous Santa Ana winds creating what fire officials call a,

quote, "particularly dangerous situation." Some wind gusts reaching 40 to 60 miles per hour. The flames destroying some homes and threatening

businesses, even the iconic Malibu Pier.

GABRIELLE SALGADO, STUDENT, PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY: It has definitely been a stressful and very tiring night.

MIRACLE (voice-over): Hundreds at nearby Pepperdine University had to shelter in place for hours in the campus library. Classes were canceled on

Tuesday.

SALGADO: I called my friends, found whatever friends I had in the same residential hall as me, and I just packed a bag. We look out the window and

you know the sky is red.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MIRACLE (on camera): And, Julia, we've seen this fire move around and, in fact, push back deeper into the canyons. But if you just look over my

shoulder right here toward Pepperdine University, we're seeing a big plume of smoke just resurge again. So, this fire, it's very unpredictable. Embers

can travel up to a mile away, which is why the windy conditions make it so difficult for firefighters to fight these blazes. And we're hoping that

they have gotten a handle on this and that when the winds do pick back up tonight, it's going to be OK and not create more -- a larger more acreage

and other spot fires in the area. Send it back to you.

CHATTERLEY: Yes, I read a few hours ago it was burning through an area larger than five football fields every minute, just to give our viewers a

sense of what they're dealing with here. Veronica, thank you for that report. Veronica Miracle, stay safe, please, in Malibu there.

For more on what's next, let's bring in Chad Myers. Chad, good to have you with us. I read earlier as well that the fire is so hot that it's modifying

local winds and it is sort of bending them towards the fire. Can you explain exactly what's going on for us?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. When you take heat like that and think about your -- even just your fireplace, where does the smoke go? It

goes up. Well, then now multiply your fireplace by a million and that's what we have on the ground, that many fires there. All that air wants to go

up. And then all of a sudden, air has to fill in where that air left from, and it came over the mountains and through Nevada, down through the

canyons. Malibu Canyon is really where this started. And then, it just spread out here. Somewhere around 11 square kilometers right now.

Take a look at some live pictures we have here out of Los Angeles. Here is the latest that we're seeing. And all day long we were seeing this is

almost ballet of plane after plane, helicopter after helicopter, picking up water and one right after the other, putting down the water, putting down

the red stuff. The red stuff is called Foscheck. Foscheck is water. Nitrogen. basically, it's just -- essentially just your total fertilizer

and then red dye. And the red dye is there so that the plane behind the first plane knows where the Foscheck went in the first place and they don't

lay down more on top of that. They can spread it out. But those are the pictures here. This fire is far, far from over.

Now, we have winds earlier today at 153 kilometers per hour. Now, the winds have dined down such, but for the most part now we are still seeing these

fires erupt during the afternoon and the evening and the winds will pick up again by the morning hours. They always do.

Now, they're not going to be the 93 miles per hour that we saw. But here, there you go. That's 11 square kilometers of land that has burned here in

not an unpopulated area, there's an awful lot of houses in there, mansions in there for that matter. And this thing burned all the way down to the

Pacific Ocean. Five soccer pitches, basically a minute.

We still have the winds. We'll still have them tonight. Now, it's not just one fire. Now, there are hundreds of spot fires all over the area that

these firefighters are going to have to mop up one at a time at a time at a time. Julia.

[18:20:00]

CHATTERLEY: Yes. This very brave guys. Fingers crossed they can in some way get this contained over the coming hours. And great to have you with us for

the explanation. Chad as always. Thank you. Chad Myers there.

All right. Straight ahead, business at the Port of Los Angeles is booming amid tariff tensions. We'll speak to the port's executive director next.

Plus, the elf is off the shelf and on the loose at CNN. Take a look at that. We'll speak to the co-creators of this endearing Christmas tradition.

Look, it's in my seat. Wowzers, that could be a problem.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to "First Move." And a tepid Tuesday on Wall Street topping today's Money Move. U.S. stocks pulling back further from

record highs. A little caution perhaps before Wednesday's big U.S. consumer inflation report. Tech also under pressure after an earnings miss from

Oracle. Shares of the software giant falling more than 6.5 percent. It was also out with a disappointing profit forecast too.

And U.S. Steel falling almost 10 percent on reports that the Biden administration will formally block its proposed merger with Nippon Steel.

You can see the reaction there. In Asia, the Nikkei higher and the South Korean KOSPI bouncing back too. Seoul announcing plans to support its stock

market amid the country's political turmoil. And Chinese stocks rising amid Beijing's pledge to offer fresh fiscal stimulus next year.

And Chinese leaders hope new stimulus will also help blunt the impact of higher U.S. tariffs if President-Elect Donald Trump carries them through

with them. Economists fear higher tariffs will weigh on global trade overall. But as of right now, business is booming at the port of Los

Angeles.

The busiest U.S. container port handled a record amount of cargo in October, a 25 percent increase, in fact, from last year. Now, in addition

to tariff tensions, business is booming because of an early Lunar New Year and concerns, perhaps, too, about labor issues at other U.S. ports.

Gene Seroka is the chief executive at the Port of Los Angeles, and he joins us now. Gene, you are always busy. We can always guarantee that. I read

you're on track actually for your second-best year in your 116-year history. How much of that is to do with interest rates coming down,

resilience in retail sales and how much of that is brought forward buying ahead of potential tariffs?

GENE SEROKA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PORT OF LOS ANGELES: Good evening, Julia. Great to see you. And there's so much to consider in the supply chain and

our year here in 2024. But it all starts with a very strong and elongated U.S. economy.

[18:25:00]

American consumers continue to buy. Manufacturers are doing well. And that cargo is a leading indicator here in the U.S. continues to flow. Now, we've

had several geo political issues. Most recently, this pulling forward of the inventory and new shipments as a hedge against what potential tariffs

may come down the road when the new administration takes office on January 20th.

We've also got, as you mentioned in the opening, the considerable work that needs to be done on the U.S. East and Gulf Coast dock workers negotiation.

That tentative agreement ends on January 15th with only five days in between the lapsing of that contract and inauguration day.

Panama Canal drought issues and the ongoing safety and security concerns in the Red Sea are all pushing cargo our way this year.

CHATTERLEY: Yes. I mean, you are one busy man, and I think it's only expected to get more busy based on what you're saying. Can we hone in on

the potential for further tariffs? Are you expecting them, particularly, I think, on China? Because you and I have spoken many times now in the past,

and I think we're down, what, around 15 percent in terms of the volumes that you're seeing as a result of the tariffs that we already have on

China.

If you add another 10 percentage point tariffs, what kind of decline are you expecting from them? Have you done any modeling?

SEROKA: Yes, we have, Julia, and you are correct. But what we have learned is that there's a long way from the campaign trail to the implementation of

public policy, yet we're not dismissing anything.

We've heard 10 percent tariffs on all $3 trillion worth of U.S. imports, maybe targeting China with 60 percent tariffs, now Mexico and Canada have

been in the discussions. But realistically speaking, as we've said, tariffs will lead to higher prices at the retail and manufacturing input levels,

and that's from -- directly from associations representing those memberships across the country.

Now, what we saw at the end of 2022 was that 57 percent of our business portfolio was trade with China. That's now down to 43 percent. If

additional tariffs go in, I continue to see that share of China's business dropping. But at the same time, we've seen growth at the Port of Los

Angeles. We've been out there chasing the cargo, working with our shipping lines to put nonstop services in, because that's speed component has been

our hallmark at the Port of Los Angeles for decades. We need to continue down that path.

CHATTERLEY: You see, that's fascinating. So, actually a decline in volumes with China, you seem to have seen an offset with trade with other nations,

which I guess you would expect. And it's what the president-elect has perhaps pushed for and talked about.

Just to be clear, what is your message to the president-elect and the next administration about the potential impact? And can we put it in terms of

sort of jobs tied to each container that you move and perhaps indirectly tied to the port in terms of jobs as well?

SEROKA: That's right, Julia. For every four containers we move through the Port of Los Angeles, it creates one job. And in Southern California's

region, one in nine jobs, more than a million people go to work every day relying on what we do at the Port of Los Angeles.

My message to the transition teams and the new folks as they step into office is that we believe in rules-based trade. We want to protect American

interests and jobs, but with 90 percent of world trade moving on water, this is an important part of the U.S. economy and our livelihood has to

take into consideration how we're going to manage these trading partners and the flow of the products that all of us buy here in America.

CHATTERLEY: Yes, Gene, is an important message, and it's always great to have you on, sir. Thank you so much for your time. Gene Seroka there,

executive director of the Port of Los Angeles.

Now, speaking of logistics, China expanding its high-speed rail network with a new service bringing the nation's capital closer to Hong Kong. The

sleeper train allows travelers to doze off and wake up in southern China. Plus, it cuts journey times in half. Max Burnell has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAX BURNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is one of two new high- speed sleeper trains linking Hong Kong and mainland China. It takes just 12 and a half hours to complete the 1,200-mile trip from Beijing, cutting

journey times by around half compared to previous sleeper train services. And while it's not quite as fast as flying or daytime bullet trains, what

it does offer is a night's rest.

[18:30:00]

The journey from China's capital begins at Beijing West Railway Station. Running Friday to Monday, the sleeper is perfect for a weekend break. The

train, which can travel at over 155 miles per hour is made up of 16 carriages.

Sleeper cars have cabins that accommodate up to four passengers, while those who can do without a bed can opt for regular seating. And there's a

dining car offering a range of food and drink, perfect for late night snacking.

The service runs on a section of high-speed track in Hong Kong, which, when it opened in 2018, marked the first time Mainland Chinese laws were given

jurisdiction in the territory. And while that caused some controversy, arriving well rested by train is likely a welcome alternative for many to

navigating China's notorious flight delays.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHATTERLEY: OK. Coming up next for us, Sullivan sensational. Mo Salah helping Liverpool continue their perfect streak in the Champions League,

one of my favorite subjects. That's next, stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to "First Move" with a look at more of the international headlines this hour. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin

Netanyahu has taken the stand in his corruption trial, defending himself in court for the first time. Prime Minister Netanyahu said he was, quote,

"astonished" by the injustice of being put on trial, and calls the allegations against him a witch hunt. He's facing bribery, fraud, and

breach of trust charges in three separate cases.

And this just in, Donald Trump has announced that he's chosen Kimberley Guilfoyle to be the U.S. ambassador to Greece. The U.S. president-elect

describes her as a close friend and ally. She's a former Fox News host and had been engaged to his son, Donald Trump Jr.

And in our Sports Move, the perfect reds, and that's just not just a personal opinion about Liverpool FC. It's also describing their unblemished

record in the Champions League so far this season.

[18:35:00]

A 1-nil victory over Girona keeps Liverpool well and truly in pole position as they push for a place in the final eight. Don Riddell was following all

the action for us. Don, there will be viewers yelling bias, bias. Yes.

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: You are factually correct, Julia. They are brilliant. Six wins out of six in the Champions League this season. They're

the only team with a 100 percent record. They rode their luck at times away against Girona, but 1-nil win thanks to another goal, a penalty from

Mohamed Salah. His 50th Champions League goal, by the way, was good enough for Liverpool. And it is just going absolutely swimming for them, both in

the Premier League and in the Champions League.

This result means they will almost certainly now qualify for the round of 16, the knockout stage. They might not even have to win another point to do

it. If the results on Wednesday go their way, that might be good enough. And that, of course, means they can relax for the last two group games. And

it would also mean they would avoid the playoff, the sort of intermediate playoff stage, which would mean they get to the last 16, having played two

games fewer than half of the teams that make it to the knockout round. So, things going absolutely brilliantly for Liverpool.

A lot of interesting games tonight. A lot of big and important away wins. Real Madrid actually got one of them. Now, the reigning European champions

have really been struggling so far this season. They've lost three of the five Champions League games before this one, which was in Italy away

against Atalanta. This was not an easy game. Atalanta currently the top team in Serie A.

That's Kylian Mbappe getting his 50th Champions League goal. Huge news for him because he's really been struggling this season. Unfortunately, he was

taken off the field injured shortly afterwards, but what he did during his time on the field really was very encouraging.

Madrid level at halftime, two quick goals here through Vinicius Junior., and then Jude Bellingham made it 3-1, Bellingham, by the way, on a real hot

streak. He hadn't scored until recently this season. He's now got six goals in seven games. And this was a huge win for Madrid. But it almost wasn't

that because Atalanta pulled a goal back. And then, with the very, very last kick of the game with the goal at their mercy, they put it just over

the bar. And Madrid, I think, will be very grateful to have escaped this game with all three points.

They are still not exactly in a great position in the group stage. They're currently 18th. So, they've got a lot of work still to do, but they

certainly will be returning home. Very grateful that they got a valuable three points and a morale boosting win there tonight. Julia.

CHATTERLEY: Yes, not that I want to distract from Liverpool, but every single goal there looked pretty incredible. I want to go back and watch the

highlights. What a game if you're watching that.

RIDDELL: Yes, it was.

CHATTERLEY: Yes, fantastic. We love that. Don, great to have you. Thank you.

RIDDELL: All right.

CHATTERLEY: Don Riddell there. All right. Coming up, we kick off our Call to Earth Day coverage with students around the globe taking action to

protect the planet they'll inherit. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:40:00]

CHATTERLEY: Welcome back. Right now, we're kicking off CNN's "Call to Earth Day" coverage. Over the next 24 hours we'll be showing you how thousands of

schoolchildren joined us for a day of action to save the planet. We have correspondents filing reports from all around the world including Nagano,

Japan, Nairobi, Kenya, and Miami, Florida.

Our theme this year is Connected Generations, and we'll be looking to the wisdom of our ancestors for sustainable living practices and how we can use

them in our daily lives. We start in Beijing, where our Steven Jiang is talking to students who are learning about ways to cut carbon emissions

using wind power.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: We are at the British School of Beijing Sanlitun, and these are all year six students, 10, 11 years old

from many different countries but living here and studying here has taught them that most things these days you use your daily life are actually made

in China before being shipped to different parts of the world. That's why China's home to seven of the world's 10 busiest container ports.

And I think they've even made a map to show that right. Gaoshing (ph), these are very busy shipping lanes. It's originating from China, but that's

not necessarily a good thing for the climate, Siasha (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, it isn't. International shipping is 3.3 percent of carbon emissions.

JIANG: Wow. That's very alarming. But you guys were telling me how you learned in Ancient China, it was also a maritime power, but their boats

back then were not powered by fossil fuels.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've been trying to use technology from the past to save our future.

JIANG: Wow.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, by retrofitting sails to container ships, we can use renewable energy to power them.

JIANG: That's really exciting, and I think some of your classmates have made some of these sailboats, right, Dana?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, we have created different types of sails to test out in the water tank. We have lateen sails, square sails, and lug sails.

JIANG: OK. Let's give it a go to see which one is the best, the most effective. And, Oscar?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three, two, one.

JIANG: That is just such an exciting moment. I think they have more to test. But they're also putting everything in writing to try to explain to a

child of the future what they are thinking and doing in these letters to the future, right, Analivia (ph)?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Dear child of the future, I sincerely wish that you're living in a better society, a society that doesn't burn fossil

fuels.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's stand together and use the technologies of our ancestors. Let's use sails to power our ships.

JIANG: Andrea (ph)?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The oceans and the skies will be as blue as sapphire. This is the world we will pour our hearts into for you.

JIANG: That is just so eloquently put, and it's so reassuring and heartening to hear from these young but very environmentally conscious

minds. And the good thing is, they're not alone in trying to draw from ancient wisdoms to save the planet's future, because the global shipping

industry has indeed been pioneering with installing foldable sails on cargo ships with the ultimate goal of achieving this very ambitious target of

zero shipping emissions by the year 2050.

Stephen Jiang, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHATTERLEY: OK. Now, we're going to South Korea where students at Dulwich College Seoul are getting their hands dirty learning about composting,

gardening, and sustainability. Our Mike Valerio takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Surrounded by Seoul's towering cityscape, tiny orange gloves are on and ready to go.

The students are all smiles, waiting for the big reveal.

Yes, crowding around compost.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cool.

VALERIO (voice-over): Fuel for sustainability studies at the international school, Dulwich College Seoul.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Give it a sniff? Does it? Does it stink, really?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kind of. Not really for me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How do you feel?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Warm.

VALERIO (voice-over): Scraps from lunch and dried up plants all go in here. Come spring, compost will help the gardens grow. They're getting the garden

plots ready now, weeding so grass doesn't soak up the soil's nutrients.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's dancing.

VALERIO (voice-over): There are discoveries in the dirt --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Got some daisy thingies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sure, come in.

VALERIO (voice-over): -- gatherings in the greenhouse, young hands nurturing plants and seeds, sowing a future rooted in sustainability.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[18:45:00]

CHATTERLEY: That was Mike Valerio reporting from Dulwich College, Seoul there. Stay with CNN for more "Call to Earth Day" coverage and our special

program, "Restoring the Andes." That's airing at 9:30 a.m. in Berlin, 4:30 p.m. in Hong Kong. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHATTERLEY: And welcome back to "First Move." And some distressing news from the British Isles. There is a shortage of Guinness. Yes, you heard me

right. Bartenders there simply can't pull enough pints to meet demand. The spike in popularity is being fueled by Gen Z's thanks to a popular drinking

game. Our Anna Stewart had the tough job of working out what's happening.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA STEWART, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: One pint of Guinness, please.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No problem.

STEWART: And here we're going to have the perfect two-part pool. Part of the tradition of Guinness. But not everyone's going to be as lucky as I am

to get their hands on this Irish stout. British pubs are worried about a shortage. Are you going to run out?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've already run out. Last week we ordered 30 kegs and we received 15.

STEWART: Guinness is made by Diageo and they say they are at full capacity. They just can't make enough of the stuff. So, why is it so popular? This is

the drink of old men and rugby stadiums. Well, Gen Z is driving up demand.

Celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Olivia Rodrigo have become unlikely poster children. And then, there's the split the G contest.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Basically, I have to take one to two gulps or so, and land this line, black and white line, in the gap in the letter G.

STEWART: So, close, just at the top of the G. Well, that was a failure. Well, actually, there isn't a shortage of Guinness Zero. So, I could give

that another go.

Anna Stewart, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHATTERLEY: Our thanks to Anna there. Now, getting into the Christmas spirit in a clearly very sober way is this little guy. If you're

unfamiliar, this is my very own elf on the shelf and his name is Buddy. What started out as one family's Christmas story in 2005 has now turned

into an enormous business.

28 million elves have been sold around the world and add to that a range of related clothing, games, and even experiences. In a tradition both my

siblings and my planning producer Tanya have been involved with for many years. We're giving you some examples here.

According to the story, the elves keep a watchful eye on children around Christmas time and report back to Santa daily in the North Pole to let him

know if they've been naughty or nice.

And joining us now is Christa Pitts and her twin sister, Chanda Bell. They are co-founders of Elf on the Shelf, which is part of the Lumistella

Company. Ladies, welcome to the show. Thank you so much for your time and for joining us.

[18:50:00]

I love the Elf on the Shelf. It was really inspired by your mother and the stories that she used to tell and how she made Christmas so magical for you

with your elf, Fizby (ph), I believe that would obviously fly to the North Pole each night. It's sort of in honor of her in many ways. Chanda, just

begin.

CHANDA BELL, CO-FOUNDER, THE LUMISTELLA COMPANY AND CO-FOUNDER, ELF ON THE SHELF: Oh, absolutely. This tradition began in our own family growing up as

children. And my mom used to tell us that it was watching during the day and reporting to Santa at night. And in the morning. before we woke up, you

know, that elf would fly back from the North Pole and land in a different spot in the house. And so, as kids, we would race around trying to find the

elf. So, it was truly a beloved family tradition.

And so, when I grew up, I wanted to do this tradition with my own children. And so, we had -- we wrote the story together, of course, with Santa's

permission. He sends all the elves and we couldn't get anyone to publish it. So, we ended up having to publish it, start our own company, and that's

where the Lumistella Company was born, and that's why everyone has the Elf on the Shelf today.

CHATTERLEY: I mean, just chime in here as well, Christa, because, as you said, this is an incredible concept. It's, you know, loved and adored by

children and adults, and we can talk about how much fun the adults have with these evening games as well, but the fact that you couldn't find

anybody to back you, you had to publish this yourselves, and that cost you, whether it was maxed out credit cards, your parent's retirement money, a

sold house, I believe. I mean, you put everything into this. You put everything on the line.

CHRISTA PITTS, CO-FOUNDER, THE LUMISTELLA COMPANY AND CO-FOUNDER, ELF ON THE SHELF: We did. You know, sometimes when you believe in something so

much you have to make the sacrifices necessary to ensure its success. And that's what we did. You know, we were told that it was destined for the

damaged goods bin at one point.

And Chanda and I had grown up with this tradition and we knew from a child's perspective how magical and incredible this really was and that we

had our own liaison to Santa Claus directly. So, I could tell my elf, Fizby (ph), how bad Chanda had been and how good I was. And therefore, we were

able to create this magical moment for our family.

CHATTERLEY: And I trust me, at least in my family, with my siblings and their children, it continues and they have great fun and games. Chanda, you

still own 100 percent of the firm. I mean, I want to talk about the magic, but I also want to talk about the business because I do think you're an

example of two incredible entrepreneurs and a family that sort of put everything into this. And now, it's huge. I mean, Kellogg cereals, pop

tarts. There's a live experience. Just how big is this business now from your family's beginnings?

BELL: Yes, it's really hard to believe where this journey has taken us. You know, it's been leaps and steps of faith along the way. It's a ton of

sacrifice. You know, from a business perspective, you know, as much as we bring Christmas magic to life for families, you know, it's hard work.

You know, we spend 365 days a year preparing to be the voice of Santa Claus. And so, we just launched this year, the Santaverse. It's the entire

enchanted world of Santa Claus, all of the storytelling universe, because we've really become the voice of Santa Claus for an entire generation of

families. So, they write us, they call us, the social presence, just managing all of that as a business. And all the things that you have to do

in order to, you know, protect the brand, for example.

You know, it is a lot of work and we have an army of about 120 people who have to manage really a global intellectual property.

CHATTERLEY: Yes. And, Christa, do you think children behave better around Christmas as a result of what you've done with the elf? Because, again, I

talk about the adults in this case. I know they at night rack their brains and go on social media to try and find examples of sort of how to keep this

fun each night. It's sort of worked for them too.

PITTS: It is, it is. But you know, it's the best kind. This is the time of year where you really want to spend time making memories and building

family traditions. And this year, we did launch an elf ideas superset. So, if your elf needs a little inspiration, perhaps it's a touch boring, this

is going to be something that will really help you every night influence your elf to be a little bit more creative, if that's what you're looking

for.

You know, we say the elves take on the personality of the family that adopted them. My elf happens to be just a touch more on the boring side.

So, it really is about bringing the magic into your family in a way that makes good sense.

CHATTERLEY: And, Chanda, very quickly, your advice to people who have an amazing idea? I know in the beginning this was also about cheering up your

mom who was having some health issues. Your advice to people who have an amazing idea, who perhaps aren't believed in or backed or people don't give

them faith in what they want to do? What's your advice to other entrepreneurs out there?

[18:55:00]

BELL: Well, thank you for giving me a chance to answer that question. You know, I tell people all the time. No one is going to believe in it more

than you do. And thankfully, I had a twin sister and a mom that believed alongside of me, but it is going to take steps of faith. It's going to take

hard work, but I'm a huge believer that as you put your hand to that, it will prosper.

And so, we've had an amazing, Opportunity to share our family tradition with the world. And now, all of these other stories, through elf pets and

elf mates and bring, really, Christmas magic to an entire generation of families. But, you know, it's hard work and it's effort. And -- but I think

that hard work is blessed when you're willing to take the risk, but you do have to just do it.

Christa, I hear all the time, you know, I've got an idea, you know, and it's like, well, you've got to do something with that. And then, other

people can help you along the way.

CHATTERLEY: And be brave and there's definitely a twin power here because you're both glowing for all the --

BELL: There it is.

CHATTERLEY: It was a dream team. Ladies, thank you so much. Congratulations on your success. And thank you for your inspiration, because it definitely

brings a lot of joy around the people around me. And I know many of us too. Christa Pitts and Chanda Bell, they're the co-founders of Elf on the Shelf.

Happy Christmas, guys. Thank you.

And that just about wraps up the show. Thank you for joining us. I'll see you tomorrow.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:00:00]

END