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Isa Soares Tonight
Some Progress in Israeli-Lebanon Ceasefire; Israeli's Deadly Strikes Inside Beirut; 3,500 Plus Killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon; Toxic Smog in India; Funding for Climate-Friendly Farming; Revolutionizing Wheelchair Mobility; Thieves Break Into British Royal Family Residence. President Biden Approves for Ukraine to Use Long-Range American-Made Weapons Inside Russia; Trump Doubling Down on His Controversial Cabinet Picks As a Number of Candidates Face Uphill Battle for Senate Confirmation; Israel-Hezbollah Deal Edges Closer. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired November 18, 2024 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ERICA HILL, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: And a warm welcome, thanks for joining me tonight, I'm Erica Hill in for Isa Soares. Tonight, the Biden
administration green-lighting Ukraine's use of long-range missiles to attack inside Russia. Moscow says it is pouring oil on the fire of a
conflict.
Plus, Donald Trump doubling down on his controversial cabinet picks as a number of candidates face an uphill battle for Senate confirmation. And
Israel, Hezbollah edging closer to a deal while the U.N. describes the Middle East conflict as a quote, "living in a nightmare". I'll speak with
James Elder of UNICEF for the very latest from the ground.
Ukraine is poised to strike into Russia, possibly very soon after U.S. President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to use powerful long-range American
missiles for that purpose. Russia says if Ukraine does strike with those missiles, it would constitute, quote, "direct participation of the United
States in the war."
It, of course, is a move the White House has resisted for months, fearing that it would escalate the conflict. The weapons are expected to be used
primarily in Russia's Kursk region for now where North Korean troops have joined the Russian counteroffensive. Now, the Biden administration says it
considers the addition of those troops to be an escalation on Russia's part, and the White House's changing policy is a response to that
escalation.
The Army Tactical Missile System, also known as ATACMS is a long-range guided missile. It's produced in the U.S. The missiles can travel up to
300km, about 200 miles, and could be launched from a mobile launcher. They can either carry a single warhead or hundreds of smaller bomblets. This
development comes as Russia unleashed its largest aerial attack on Ukraine in months. Here's more now from CNN's Nick Paton Walsh.
We're going to get to that story from my colleague Nick Paton Walsh in just a minute. While we wait for that, though, I do want to bring in CNN
military analyst, Major General James "Spider" Marks. "Spider", always good to have you with us. As we look at where things stand now in this war, we
heard the response from Russia saying that they see this as direct involvement essentially by the U.S.
First, put it into perspective for us, giving the OK to Ukraine to use these ATACMS to go inside Russia. What does that change for Ukraine?
JAMES SPIDER MARKS, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: It's a tremendous advantage. Look, let's keep in mind that striking the enemy deep behind its own lines,
to strike from Ukraine into Russia, to go after command and control facilities, logistics locations, unit assembly areas, ammunition
stockpiles, maintenance facilities et cetera.
That always is a great capability that needs to be applied because when you engage up close, you want to have your enemy in a much-reduced position.
And that's what long-range fires do. So, from the outset, it could be argued, in fact, it was argued that giving capabilities to the Ukrainians
that allowed them to reach out that much farther beyond the frontlines was exactly what needed to be done. And when you study warfare, that's what
it's all about --
HILL: And that's --
MARKS: Why it was decided now, Erica, is probably more policy than anything else.
HILL: And then that of course, is one of the questions is the why now and all of it, because to your point, in terms of what it could change, we have
been hearing that request for so long from Ukraine. Stay with me because I do want to talk to you on the other side of this, but we have some more
reporting now from my colleague Nick Paton Walsh. Let's look at that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR (voice-over): The search for survivors after a Russian missile attack on Sumy Sunday night,
11 people here were killed, two of them children. When missiles hit a residential neighborhood in this city near Ukraine's border with Russia,
hours later, at least, eight people were killed in a strike on Odesa.
Horrifically, this is now the norm for Ukraine under near-constant bombardment after a thousand days of war. Zelenskyy saying strikes show,
quote, "what Russia is really interested in, only war." And that war is not going Ukraine's way right now with sustained and slow losses along the
eastern front, perhaps a reason for the stark and significant policy change from the White House Sunday.
[14:05:00]
Sources telling CNN that the U.S. President Joe Biden has finally given Ukraine the go-ahead to use long-range American weapons to strike inside
Russia. The weapons are primarily meant to help Ukraine hold on to Kursk, according to one U.S. official.
(ARTILLERY FIRE)
WALSH: That's the region in southern Russia where Ukrainians launched a counteroffensive this Summer, a potential bargaining chip for the
Ukrainians in any future peace talks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come --
WALSH: Biden had refused for months to provide the weapons to Ukraine and then to permit them to strike inside Russia with them. But like previous
decisions over HIMARS missiles, Abrams tanks and F-16 jets, Biden delayed and then finally consented. This change is unlikely to alter the
battlefield overnight, owing to how few ATACMS Ukraine can get.
But it's a critical decision showing this outgoing White House is keen to help Ukraine and entangle the United States yet deeper into this war, just
months ahead of Donald Trump taking office.
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT, UKRAINE (through translator): Hits are not made with words, such things don't need announcements. Missiles will speak
for themselves.
WALSH: "For Ukrainians, this is a little too late", this lady says. "It should have been done at the very beginning when Russia was too weak",
another man adds. In Russia, the news is being reported on state TV, but so far, silence from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has previously said
Ukraine firing U.S.-supplied ATACMS would be the equivalent of NATO entering the war.
Putin's spokesperson Monday said Biden was throwing, quote, "oil on the fire of the conflict", it will burn brighter as both sides seek to maneuver
ahead of the Trump presidency.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: And our thanks again to Nick Paton Walsh for that reporting. So, "Spider", as we look at -- as we look at what Nick laid out for us there,
right? In terms of where this war stands, also the response that we're seeing, a spokesperson for Russia's Foreign Minister saying that in
response to this broadening, frankly, of powers from the U.S., that Russia's response would be, quote, "adequate and tangible in this case."
What do you anticipate that translates to?
MARKS: Well, we have to keep in mind, Erica, that we're in the midst of a transition here in the United States and administrations. I do not think
that Putin will overreact in anticipation of a Trump administration coming in, changing the dynamic in such a significant way. And it's not unusual
also to see the narrative from Moscow inflame or at least make threats that historically have not been followed through.
So, we need to be clear-eyed about this. Look, the ability to do long-range strikes makes perfect tactical and operational sense. It is not going to
strategically, as Nick indicated, it will not strategically alter the outcome of the fighting. What it does potentially, is alter the outcome of
a potential for a negotiated settlement, albeit that's not been said before.
But I would anticipate this new administration is looking forward to having a very serious conversation about a cessation of hostilities and drawing a
line of where the Russians are now in Ukraine that goes back to Russia, Ukraine then gets about its business -- we'll have to see what that looks
like. But I --
HILL: Yes --
MARKS: Think, I mean, in actual terms, they're locking in the rates now.
HILL: Locking the rates now. It's also interesting to your point about, you know, as Russia is watching, it's the whole world, frankly, watching as
we wait for this transition in Washington between a Joe Biden and a second Donald Trump presidency. The fact that just a day after German Chancellor
Olaf Scholz had a call with Putin, we see -- we see President Zelenskyy say in his words that the war will end sooner under Donald Trump. That, too, is
really setting the stage in expectations.
MARKS: Absolutely. And when he says the war will end, let's define what end looks like. It's not a victory. It's going to be a cessation of
hostilities and then the conditions are going to have to be worked out. I think that's what's being discussed now. And it is the first time we've
seen an indication that something other than a full removal of Russian forces from Ukraine, Ukraine pre-2014, I might add, back into Russia. But
we're looking at a nuanced response here.
HILL: There is so much focus on how this plays out, not just, of course, here in the U.S. and in Ukraine, but in Europe, certainly among members of
NATO. What are you watching specifically over this next 60 days or so?
MARKS: Yes, there is a tremendous concern on the continent for what happens if there is some type of a ceasefire and an acknowledgment of what
Putin has achieved as being acceptable.
[14:10:00]
We have to look at the historical analog of Korea. What happened in Korea was again, the fighting stopped, it was an armistice. It was not a peace
agreement, and it was an acknowledgment of the status quo. You have a communist regime in the north. You have a market-based regime, a republic
in the south, and that's what we've got.
There's not a peace treaty to that -- and oh, by the way, it did not strategically alter the balance between those superpowers. We're going to
see the same thing in Ukraine. I think there will be a -- you know, let's stop the fighting, then let's figure out what this looks like. And I think
NATO will probably have some legitimate concerns about that.
But we're also seeing Erica, if I may, the beginning of what the -- what the long-term engagement is going to be. Is NATO in a position to be able
to continue to grip hands and commit with that level of financial and potential firepower or advice that it -- that it will require for Ukraine
to achieve a victory, to push Russia back.
HILL: Major General James "Spider" Marks, always appreciate your insight, great to talk to you. Thank you.
MARKS: Thank you.
HILL: Well, just one day after announcing his policy shift on long-range weapons for Ukraine, President Biden is attending his final G20 Summit in
Brazil. Over the next two days, world leaders are expected to discuss issues such as poverty and climate change and how a second Trump term might
impact those issues.
Mr. Biden urging leaders to continue making progress on the wars in Ukraine and Gaza even after he is no longer in power.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The United States strongly supports Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Everyone around
this table, in my view, should as well. And by the way, Russia and Putin's invasion of Ukraine led to the highest record food prices in all of
history.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: CNN's Kevin Liptak joining me now from Rio with more. So, as things kicking off there, look, the incoming President here in the United States
looms large, Kevin.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Donald Trump is casting a long shadow over this particular G20 as leaders try and suss out
what the next four years will hold for their countries and for the world at large. And certainly, President Biden is here looking to burnish his
foreign policy legacy, announcing a number of funding initiatives on poverty, on climate.
But in the end, I think a lot of leaders are looking at those as sort of symbolic with the recognition that Donald Trump could come into office with
very different views when it comes to foreign assistance and reverse a lot of what President Biden is doing here in Rio. And in fact, Donald Trump's
influence is already creating some behind-the-scenes drama here at the G20, leaders are trying to put together this joint communique, which is standard
for these kinds of summits.
But what we've heard is that one of Trump's top global allies, the President of Argentina is resisting signing on to this statement because of
what its language is on taxing the ultra wealthy. Now, debates over these communiques are to be expected at these summits. But what diplomats view as
something curious is that the Argentines had already agreed on this language over the Summer, and it was only after Trump had been elected that
they started putting up these roadblocks, and they really do view this as an attempt by world leaders to curry favor with Trump before he comes into
office.
And you can already start to see some of these alignments coming into place. These conservative leaders who feel like they have more in common
with Trump feeling emboldened in this group now that Trump is coming into office. And so, it's a dynamic that Biden certainly is having to navigate
while he's here on the world stage.
And you can already kind of see, world leaders, looking past Biden and looking towards Trump as they sort of look to jockey to curry American
influence, and we actually just saw that sort of on full display as the leaders were posing for a family photo. They had just come out from a
session on poverty and hunger, discussing those issues.
They come out to take a photo and they didn't wait for Biden to arrive before taking this photo, he was inside talking to Justin Trudeau from
Canada and Giorgia Meloni from Italy. All three of them ended up missing this photo. I think in an ordinary world, the leaders would have waited for
an American President before posing for their family photo.
In this case, they did not, and it just gives you a sense of how the world is starting to look past Biden and toward Trump as he enters office.
HILL: Yes, it's such a great point. I also want to ask you, there's still a lot happening back at home, although I know that you are well versed in
this. The fact that the Biden administration is now separately from the G20, but requesting roughly $100 billion for disaster relief here in the
U.S.
[14:15:00]
President Biden urging Congress to take quote, "immediate action". What is the sense of whether this can actually happen in these waning days of the
Biden administration?
LIPTAK: Yes, and this is actually quite an eye-popping figure, $100 billion. And you'll remember after those storms in the last month or so in
the U.S., FEMA, the American emergency agency had warned that its resources were dwindling along with a number of other agencies who are providing
relief efforts.
Now, the Biden administration saying it needs that $100 billion to replenish those funds. At the end of the day, disaster relief is usually a
bipartisan initiative in Washington, and certainly, you have heard from a lot of Republicans who say that it will be essential to ensure that this
fund is restocked.
The question now is whether it will be at this eye-popping level, and whether lawmakers will decide to pass a separate package just with this
disaster relief or to insert it into a year-end funding package that they will need to pass before the end of the year, sometimes that makes passing
things of this size a little bit easier because at the end of the day, the government will need to be funded.
So, that's a question for lawmakers as they return to Washington in the coming weeks. But certainly, this is an important initiative that will be
a priority for Biden in the final months of his term in office.
HILL: Yes, absolutely, Kevin, appreciate it. Kevin Liptak joining us there from Rio. Still to come tonight, the latest on Donald Trump's controversial
cabinet picks including one of the authors of Project 2025. Plus, a source telling CNN progress is being made to end the conflict between Israel and
Hezbollah. But a major sticking point remains. We'll dive in, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: Donald Trump leaning into his controversial cabinet picks, adding one of the authors of Project 2025. The President-elect tapping Brendan
Carr to lead the Federal Communications Commission, Carr is currently an FCC Commissioner, has condemned the agency's DEI efforts and also wrote the
Project 2025 chapter on the FCC, which prioritizes, among other things, going after big tech.
Separately, sources tell CNN, the House Ethics Committee is set to meet on Wednesday to discuss the so-far unreleased report on sex crimes allegations
against Matt Gaetz. Trump's Attorney General pick is expected to face an uphill confirmation battle. CNN politics senior reporter Stephen Collinson
is joining me now with a closer look at Donald Trump's cabinet choices.
[14:20:00]
Look, Stephen, I feel like the conversation that I keep having with people is if anybody is shocked or outraged or surprised even at this point, they
shouldn't be. This is exactly what Donald Trump had promised for some time. He likes the chaos. He likes the disruption. He wants to break things up.
But part of this is interesting when we -- when we talk about this unreleased ethics report, Speaker Mike Johnson, House Speaker was asked by
Jake Tapper whether it would be released, and he said he didn't want it released, opening, it would release, in his words, a Pandora's box. The
reality is, it would not be unprecedented. So, this would change things to not release that report?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, it would. There have been occasions in the past where members like Matt Gaetz, the nominee for
Attorney General have left the House and reports into their ethical behavior compiled by the House have been released.
So, it's not quite true to say this would be unprecedented. The thing here is that some Republican senators who get to vote on this nomination want to
hear what's in that report about Matt Gaetz, and his alleged sort of -- the investigation into his alleged relationship with an underage girl, which he
denies.
So, the senators want this. So, if the House doesn't release it, this being Washington, you think that probably it's going to come out one way or the
other.
HILL: It'd be interesting to see if it does. I was struck as we look at some of the people that Donald Trump is picking, right? We know that he has
often prioritized loyalty, and that things are different this time around. His son, Donald Trump Jr. speaking over the weekend on "Fox", said, look,
we know how things work now in Washington, so, they're using that to their advantage.
And they are also picking people very specifically. Take a listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP JR., SON OF DONALD TRUMP: It's about surrounding my father with people who are both competent and loyal. They will deliver on his
promises. They will deliver on his message. They are not people who think they know better as unelected bureaucrats.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: How much of that delivery and that loyalty is also coming to -- come into play, though, in the Senate. You mentioned there are senators who want
to hear about, for example, that ethics report involving Matt Gaetz. But there is also a push by the incoming President to get around Senate
confirmation hearings with recess appointments.
COLLINSON: Yes, and it would take about a handful of Republican senators to defect from the Trump wing of the party and end this nomination of Matt
Gaetz or the nominations of some pretty other controversial potential picks for cabinet posts, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for example, a vaccine
skeptic to run America's health care system.
The senators that do have questions about Gaetz are going to come under enormous pressure from the Make America Great Again movement from the Trump
White House, from conservative media. So, they are thinking about their futures too. There's already been talk about senators being potentially
primaried before the next election if they have to run for re-election.
So, you can see that it's going to be a very lonely spot for one of these senators to come out and oppose the Gaetz or other nominations. Having said
that, this is a question that's wider than the Gaetz nomination. It's about the power of the Senate to fulfill its constitutional responsibility of
advising and consenting to an administration. This is about the constitution.
There are some people in the Senate who take that very seriously. If Trump is able to walk over them with the Gaetz nomination, particularly because
that is the most controversial one, it will suggest that he will have a completely free hand in Washington. He already has Republicans controlling
the House.
There's a conservative Supreme Court. So, this is as much about how Trump will run Washington in the next four years as it is about the singular
nomination of Matt Gaetz.
HILL: Yes, absolutely. Stephen Collinson, always appreciate it, thank you.
COLLINSON: Thanks.
HILL: Well, Donald Trump returning to Madison Square Garden Saturday night to attend a UFC mixed martial arts event where he was met with cheers as he
walked into the arena. It was, of course, the very same New York City venue where he held his now infamous rally last month just ahead of the election
where comedian Tony Hinchcliffe insulted Puerto Rico.
Donald Trump was joined at the event by some of his cabinet picks on Saturday, as well as, as you saw in that last frame, House Speaker Mike
Johnson, Elon Musk there of course, RFK Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, celebrity Trump supporters including Kid Rock, podcaster and fight commentator Joe Rogan
and UFC President Dana White were also in attendance.
Donald Trump's decisive election win not only sent shock waves across the political landscape, but the media as well. "MSNBC" "Morning Joe" hosts Joe
Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, long-time critics of Trump, made a stunning on-air admission, saying that they had actually traveled to Mar-a-
Lago last week to restart communications with the now President-elect.
CNN's chief media analyst Brian Stelter joins me now. Brian, I think a lot of people were left scratching their heads when they saw that, because
there had been such vitriol between these two camps -- Oh, to be a fly on the wall in that meeting. What more do we know?
[14:25:00]
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Yes, this was not on my bingo card. I don't think it was on the bingo cards of any "Morning Joe" viewer
when the television was turned on this morning, and there's been a real backlash from some "MSNBC" viewers to what they view as appeasement on the
part of Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski.
We know this meeting was on Friday morning, Trump is telling "Fox News" that Scarborough asked for the meeting. Trump is saying that Scarborough
was very friendly, very kind, conciliatory in the meeting, and he's describing it as a chance to open up lines of communication.
That's really what Brzezinski and Scarborough told viewers this morning as well. They said, look, it's time to try something different. We've seen how
the voters reacted to Trump. Let's try something different and start talking to him again. A decade ago, Trump and Scarborough were close
friends.
And Scarborough would hang out at Mar-a-Lago as a former Florida congressman, he had a close relationship with Trump, but that all
disintegrated during the 2016 presidential campaign. And in 2017, when Trump took office for the first time, it devolved basically into name-
calling with Scarborough and Brzezinski calling Trump a narcissist and much worse.
And with Trump coming up with conspiracy theories about Scarborough at one point, even implying that the "MSNBC" host was a murderer. That's how ugly
this relationship became. But clearly, Joe and Mika, they believe they need to start over, start over, start anew. So, they're trying to you know, kind
of restart a relationship with the President-elect.
HILL: It's also -- as we look at that in the context of how the media writ-large and how journalists are also prepping for Trump 2.0, especially
in the wake to not just the election, but in the wake of potentially the incoming head of the FCC, who, you know, frankly, is not that perhaps
excited about a lot of the media out there. What are you noticing in terms of changes?
STELTER: Right, that is definitely -- that fits into the larger story here. The FCC pick yesterday and then today, for example, "MSNBC's" parent
company "Comcast" went out of its way to welcome the new -- the new chairman, Brendan Carr. "Comcast" putting out a statement welcoming him.
And Comcast was not the only company to do that today.
Other media companies like "Nexstar", a major owner of TV stations in the United States came out welcoming Brendan Carr. Some of those statements
maybe a little bit more friendly, maybe a little more over the top than I've seen when it comes to other relationships between media companies and
government agency regulators.
You know, there's certainly this effort to figure out what the relationship will be and whether there is common ground. And that's a phrase, by the way
that Scarborough and Brzezinski used today. They said Trump maybe wants to find common ground with Democrats, and reaching out as an anti-Trump TV
show is maybe a way to do that.
Now, I think a lot of "Morning Joe" viewers are highly skeptical of that notion. In fact, if you look on social media today, liberal social media is
full of people saying they'll never watch "Morning Joe" again. So, there is the tension, right? There is the tug of war that exists. If you are a
television host who's been out there basically calling Trump a fascist, all of a sudden, you're asking to meet with him at Mar-a-Lago.
You're going to turn off some of your viewers by doing so. But you may also on the other hand end up avoiding some punishments from Trump.
HILL: Yes --
STELTER: I mean, that is the real concern here if we're being honest. There are other "MSNBC" hosts who have reached out to me today saying, what
are Joe and Mika doing? Are they trying to avoid being prosecuted? Are they that afraid of Donald Trump that they feel they need to mend fences with
him and kiss the proverbial ring? That is the tension that exists right now.
HILL: And that is certainly one of the questions, right? We know that Donald Trump has been very clear, there is a bit of a revenge campaign, and
that is across the board. It is agencies. It is journalists who he feels may have wronged him or he doesn't like the coverage, so, it's something
we're all watching for. Brian, good to talk to you as always. Thank you.
STELTER: Me too, thanks.
HILL: Just ahead tonight, a look at how children are coping with the chaos and destruction in Lebanon. I'm going to speak with UNICEF's global
spokesperson about what he witnessed on his recent visit. Plus, big news from COP29 entering its final week now. The billions of dollars being
pledged to help make farming more climate friendly.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:00]
HILL: Progress is being made in talks to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, that's according to an Israeli source who says there is
still a way to go, but again, some progress. A big sticking point is reportedly a clause that would allow Israel to take direct action in
Lebanon if the terms of the ceasefire deal were to be violated.
Israel meantime is continuing to strike targets inside Lebanon. These scenes show a building in Beirut that was hit on Sunday. At least two
people were killed. Authorities say at least four people were killed in the heart of the city in an Israeli airstrike just hours ago.
CNN International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson joins me now from Jerusalem. So, Nic, as we look at all of this, some progress being made.
How far could that push this towards something actually being achieved?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Look, I think there's a sense of the State Department that they've put the U.S. proposal to both
sides, both to Lebanon and to Israel, and they've heard back from both sides, and they're trying to work out the scope for sort of narrowing the
differences.
Full operational freedom is what we're hearing from Israeli officials that they're demanding in the context of any ceasefire arrangement, and that
would be full operational freedom, meaning that if there was a violation in the ceasefire, then they would have the right to respond. And this is
exactly the same as what Israel has been demanding to have in any ceasefire proposal with Hamas in Gaza, and they want the same in Lebanon.
You know, we've heard from Lebanese officials that things were moving in a positive direction, that Hezbollah, which is the principal party here,
which everyone was waiting for them to respond to, have responded. But they hadn't gone along with everything that was proposed. I think where we're
seeing daylight between the two sides is, again, Israel's understanding of this, you know, ability to strike back if there's a breach of ceasefire.
But what we've heard from Lebanon's prime minister, Najib Mikati, and from the speaker of the Lebanese parliament, Nabih Berri, from the Amal Party,
which is aligned with Hezbollah as sort of one of the principal intermediaries taking the U.S. proposal to them, both of them are
indicating that they don't see a clause in what they've been presented that seems to indicate that there should be this full operational freedom for
Israel to strike back. So, that's where the daylight exists at the moment.
And of course, all those other strikes that you're talking about, and this evening as well, in the last sort of half an hour, 45 minutes or so, rocket
fragments falling in an area just on the sort of outskirts of Tel Aviv, about three and a half miles from the north of the city center, in a
shopping district. And according to medical officials there on the ground, one woman seriously injured, one moderately injured, three less severe
injuries taken to hospital, of course.
[14:35:00]
But it just shows you, I think, you know, the environment that this is happening in, that there are missile fragments from intercepts that are
falling in the heart of one of the most densely populated parts of Israel, areas that a few months ago would just not have witnessed this sort of this
sort of impact. So, as far as the talks go with Hezbollah, it's still very much a work in progress, but a lot of energy in that work, it appears.
That's what U.S. officials are saying at the moment.
HILL: Yes. And understandably then why there would be that focus on that energy. Nic, appreciate it. Thank you.
The U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East is describing the conflicts raging in the region as being like living in a nightmare.
According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, more than 3,000 people have now been killed by Israel's strike into Lebanon since October of last year. A
number of others, of course, have been wounded, including hundreds of children.
James Elder is Global Spokesperson for UNICEF and just returned from Lebanon. So, James, good to have you with us. First of all, can you just
describe what did you see while you were there on the ground?
JAMES ELDER, GLOBAL SPOKESPERSON, UNICEF: I've got a sense, Erica, of it being the most dangerous phase right now for children. So, in hospitals,
meeting children who have lost their entire families, again, this idea of a single child, in this case, it was a little two-year-old boy, Ali (ph), who
spent 14 hours under the rubble, 12 days without speaking. Only then did, with his child psychologist, supported to be told his entire family, mom,
dad, sibling, grandparents have been killed. A little girl with massive head traumas. And I asked her mother, how was she before the shrapnel? She
said she was like a butterfly. Time and again, this is what we're seeing.
I think Erica, it's now something like three girls and boys killed a day for the last two months. So, it's a massive escalation. And that's the
casualties. That's the injuries. We've seen 300,000 or 400,000 girls and boys displaced, and something about displacement, it can sound like a
gentle word, it's not, Erica, of course. It's a violent, traumatic upheaval, and now these children, ironically, find themselves sleeping in
classrooms rather than actually learning classrooms.
HILL: And the struggle for those who do still have their parents, right, or their families around them is how to help the children through these
moments, right? When you can't answer the question of when can I go home, will there be a home to go back to? In terms of that psychological aspect,
what are you seeing in terms of help and what is needed?
ELDER: Yes, it's a great question, Erica. We -- just like Gaza, a number of child psychologists who speak to me about Lebanon saying that we're
getting into uncharted territory, meaning children now on the back of this crisis, which, of course, has escalated gravely in the last two months, but
has been going on for 13 months.
Children are now looking into their parents' eyes and realize after displacement, displacement, not knowing where the frontline is, that their
parents have lost the ability to protect them. And parents have that realization. It's a horrible, horrible thing for a child to learn. So,
look, there's hundreds of shelters around Lebanon. UNICEF, we're getting child psychologists in, play, whatever we possibly can, anything to create
a moment where a child can be a child.
But again, as soon as you do this one place, people are having to move again, because, again, this idea that nowhere is safe. So, it's a
beginning. In shelters, we do a lot of water. We do a lot of hygiene kits, all those things. Families don't leave with clothes, only with mattresses
and blankets. So, all of those things, but again, you know, very few places see the level of upheaval that happened in Lebanon in a space of a very,
very short time.
So, I see this when I visit children, you know, you see children sitting there often very stony silence, you see children not playing, you see a
sense of frustration in children. They simply want to go home, but their families and everyone is realizing we are a long way away from the kind of
deal that will get these children home.
It's -- again, I think, Erica, we're seeing this escalation of children killed and injured and displaced. And yet, we're not seeing any meaningful
response, yet again, from those who do have influence to end this war.
HILL: To that point, you had posted on social media that those with influence must take all possible actions to push for a ceasefire. I'm not
sure if you were able to hear the reporting from my colleague Nic Robertson just before our segment, but he was talking about that there is some
energy, if you will, in terms of this ceasefire proposal that has been put forth.
How much shock do you put in that? Are you hopeful that this could in fact come together?
ELDER: I think more than my own hope, I segue to those on the ground and there is a deep sense of skepticism from people on the ground. There is a
desperation, there is a great eagerness for people to go home, for there to be peace, for people to get back to work.
Now, remembering Lebanon's been through multiple crises. I would sit with families, Erica, with, you know, a man who's 60 years old, whose pension
got reduced by 99 percent in the financial crisis. Families have gone through COVID and now, they're enduring this. And yet, their evidence on
the ground, what they've seen in their own country, certainly what they've seen in Gaza, they are very, very skeptical that peace is coming anytime
soon.
[14:40:00]
And that adds a great weight on people, that and the sense, of course, that winter is here, so there's a physical heaviness, and of course, there's a
great psychological toll being taken on people.
HILL: James Elder, good to have you with us, appreciate it, thank you. Still to come tonight, toxic smog in India once again hitting record
levels. Just how high did it get on that pollution index? It may shock you.
Plus, billions of dollars now being pledged to help make farming more climate-friendly. The very latest out of COP29.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: Welcome back. Toxic smog once again engulfing parts of Northern India. And while it does happen every year in the winter, as cold air traps
dust, emissions, and smoke from illegal farm fires, the air quality has consistently been getting worse, as we've told you over the last several
days. The readings now reaching the highest levels this year in the capital of New Delhi.
Visibility in Delhi dropping down to 100 meters or 109 yards. The country's pollution control authority says the 24-hour air quality index hit 484.
What does that mean? Well, that hits the severe plus classification. It means it's bad.
Cleanup meantime underway in the Philippines after its fourth major storm in less than two weeks. Super Typhoon Man-yi ripping through the islands
this weekend. More than half a million people were forced into emergency shelters. As the storm knocked down homes, the storm surge measured more
than three meters, nearly 10 feet in some areas. And those back-to-back storms have understandably made recovery efforts incredibly difficult.
The COP29 Climate Summit in Azerbaijan is now in its final week, and that means, of course, time is running out to agree on how to get financing from
the developed countries, banks, and the private sector to developing nations. Funding for climate-friendly farming efforts was announced just a
short time ago. That effort is being led by the U.S. and the UAE, with more than $29 billion pledged to reduce the agricultural impact on the climate.
The U.N. says about a third of human made greenhouse gas emissions come from the food system.
Joining me now, CNN Chief Climate Correspondent Bill Weir. Bill, always good to talk to you. So, what kind of a difference could this make?
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: That one actually is small potatoes, no pun intended. Those -- these little side deals that countries
make around methane emissions, around regenerative agriculture, it's great. It's good to get them on the same page. And there's so much that can be
done in terms of how we grow food and moving livestock, it's better for the planet.
[14:45:00]
But this COP29 is really at the risk of breaking down entirely, which would put the entire climate diplomacy movement at risk. For the first time since
2009 in Copenhagen, we're now in the second week where it looks like they may not come to an agreement. The Biodiversity Summit in Columbia just a
few weeks ago failed to do that. This would be a double blow. And a lot of blame going around to the leadership from Azerbaijan, the host country,
letting petty things get out of the way.
But this is really about, about finance, about helping the developing world brace for the built-in pain of the climate crisis. The goal is to -- at the
beginning of this summit, was to go over like a nine-page document to talk about a trillion dollars in payments that would be made and transferred
around the world.
Now, that it's ballooned to 25 pages. And there's so much uncertainty as to what will happen now, who's going to pay, when, will it be binding? Some
island nation states want things different than some African nations. So, things are not going well there in Baku.
HILL: And you highlighted, I think, some of the biggest issues, right? It is the fact that different countries have different priorities. Has the
current political situation globally added to those issues?
WEIR: Absolutely. If you look at the geopolitical trends where most countries are shifting to the right, more populism, you're seeing sort of
that attitude play out when it comes to skepticism towards science. A lot of folks during COVID had their belief systems around scientific warning
shaken and then that transfers over to climate science, right? The skepticism there.
You got libertarians like Milei, Javier Milei in Argentina basically making a big show of pulling out of the COP process, you know, in affinity with
Donald Trump, again, who promises to pull out here as well. And this is on the private side as well. There's so much possibility to help developing
countries skip fossil fuels and use clean energy. But the financing can be out of whack, even though, you know, clean energy is now cheaper, it can
cost much more to get a loan because it's untested compared to the old legacy fuels. That needs to change. That takes political will.
So, yes, these are always sort of a frustrating exercise and allies and enemies coming together to try to find agreement. Hopefully, there's still
time to do that. Sometimes they go over time. We shall see.
HILL: If -- the political side isn't there, right? If there is too much infighting, you know, too big of a chasm, there is still a fair amount
happening in the private sector. How much of that do you expect to continue even as we see these geopolitical forces at play?
WEIR: There's so much momentum, it's a great question, built in. There's hundreds of billions of dollars in private investment that has chased some
of the public investment in the U.S. and other countries around the world. It'll be hard to unwind. There's a certain tipping point. Even the
international energy agencies and says we've reached a tipping point globally. We're not going back to fossil fuels and internal combustion
engines the way humanity did. Now, it's just a matter of how long the transition takes and how many ecosystems go down as a result of that right
now.
But it looks like countries like China, for example, could dominate, you know, the next generation, if countries like the United States seed that
ground. A lot of investors trying to lean on this new administration along those lines, we shall see. Elon Musk's of the room, maybe they'll have some
sway with Donald Trump going in, but he just picked a for an energy secretary, a guy who owns a fracking company, basically, and is a huge
cheerleader for old fossil fuels.
And that just is a complete loggerheads with scientists from NASA to the Pentagon to the Department of Agriculture saying you got to find fuels that
don't burn. Otherwise, the disasters are just going to get worse.
HILL: Sometimes even when the facts aren't pretty, it's important to notice them because the facts are still the facts. Bill Weir, always
appreciated, my friend. Thank you.
WEIR: You bet. Anytime.
HILL: Still to come tonight, a piece of history tied to the Titanic sails for a record-breaking amount. How much did this heirloom fetch? We'll tell
you on the other side after this quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:50:00]
HILL: The Spanish Scrabble World Championship has a new winner, and it's a man who doesn't speak a word of Spanish. How about that? New Zealander
Nigel Richards winning the prize on Saturday by memorizing Spanish words. The 57-year-old pulled off a similar feat two other times when he won the
French language Scrabble World Championship. Didn't speak French either. Reports say he memorized a French Scrabble dictionary in just nine weeks.
It turns out he also holds his own in English as well. He won that world championship five times.
So, just how could life change for someone in a wheelchair if those wheels could take them almost anywhere, even on rocky terrain? A group of
engineers at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials is now making that dream a reality. Here's CNN's Kristie Lu Stout.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This wheelchair can move like no others can. Engineers in South Korea have
developed a shape-shifting morphing wheel, calling it the world's first. The wheel can shift between rigid and soft areas, providing stability on
both flat ground and rocky paths. And it may even allow users to climb stairs. All this without complex machinery or fancy sensors.
SONG SUNG-HYUK, PRINCIPAL RESEARCHER, KOREA INSTITUTE OF MACHINERY AND MATERIALS (through translator): Traditional wheels are designed to retain
a rigid, circular shape for stability on flat surfaces, which limits their ability to overcome obstacles. However, our wheel maintains its round form
on flat ground and softens only when navigating obstacles.
STOUT (voice-over): The wheels can reach speeds of 30 kilometer or 18 miles per hour. The innovation behind these wheels is simple yet
groundbreaking. The wheel's flexibility is inspired by the surface tensions found in liquid droplets, says the researcher.
SONG (through translator): When the force that pulls the outermost molecules of a liquid droplet inward increases, the droplet can maintain a
stable, circular shape. Similarly, our wheel is designed with a smart chain block on the outer edge. The greater the inward pull on this block, the
more stably it maintains a round shape.
STOUT (voice-over): The wheel turns firm for stability when the wire spokes pull the block inward. When it's loosened, it softens, allowing the
wheel to adapt to uneven surfaces. Researchers see big potential for the wheel: from personal mobility to robots.
SONG (through translator): This modularized wheel can be attached to any mobile platform, simply by replacing existing wheels. Once installed, the
wheel provides variable stiffness, adapting to each application.
STOUT (voice-over): Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Police are investigating a break in at the British royal family residence of Windsor Castle. The incident took place on October 13th, but
was only just reported on Sunday by The Sun, a British tabloid. The thieves reportedly scaled a fence to enter the estate, then used a stolen truck to
smash their security gate to escape. King Charles and Queen Camilla were not at Windsor at the time. Prince William, his wife, Catherine, and their
three children, however, who do live nearby, were, we're told likely home that night,
[14:55:00]
Miss Denmark is the new Miss Universe. 21-year-old Victoria Kjaer Theilvig beating out more than 120 other contestants to win that annual contest on
Saturday. She is the first Dane to take home the prize. Another first this year, women over 28 years old were allowed to enter. The age limit removal
came amid calls to modernize the pageant.
The City of Light now illuminating the Jurassic period. A light show at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris is back this year with dinosaurs, primitive
birds, and giant sea creatures. Scientists from France's Natural History Museum helped to design them. The sculptures, some of which as you see
there, are not only illuminated but animated. will be on display through mid-January. I may have to check it out next month when I'm there.
A gold watch gifted to the captain of a ship that rescued hundreds of people from the Titanic has sold for a record-breaking price. Captain
Arthur Rostron's 18 karat Tiffany pocket watch. Sold for nearly $2 million. In 1912, Rostran ordered his ship, the RMS Carpathia, of course, to change
course after hearing distress calls from the sinking ship and managed to rescue some 700 people. Three survivors, whose husbands died on the
Titanic. We're looking at this, that watch, $1.97 million.
I also just want to get you this news just coming into us here at CNN. We do now have live pictures out of central Israel. This coming to us from Tel
Aviv. Emergency personnel responding there after a Hezbollah attack. Attack authorities say several people were injured by falling debris from an
intercepted rocket. This, of course, coming amid efforts to broker a ceasefire between the two sides. They have said progress is being made.
We'll continue to follow those developments right here on CNN.
Thanks so much for joining me tonight. Be sure to stay here. I'll be back with much more after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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