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Isa Soares Tonight
U.S. Green-Lights New Ukraine Weapons; Trump Announces More Cabinet Picks; A Venezuelan Migrant Found Guilty In The Murder Of Laken Riley. Jose Ibarra Gets Life Without Parole; Ukraine Launch Storm Shadow Missiles Into Russia; Russia's Nordic Neighbors Updates Guidance For Their Citizens; Putin Updates Its Nuclear Policy; P.A. Condemns U.S. Veto; Israeli PM Offers $5 Million To Anyone Returning A Hostage; Bomb Cyclone Slams U.S. West Coast And Canada; New Solar Surface Pictures; Liam Payne Laid to Rest; Cambridge Dictionary Word Of The Year Revealed. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired November 20, 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: A warm welcome to the show, I'm Erica Hill in for Isa Soares. Tonight, the U.S. green-lights Ukraine to use anti-
personnel landmines in the war against Russia. We'll speak to a top Finnish official as tensions between Russia and the West hit a boiling point.
President-elect Donald Trump announcing more cabinet picks.
The details on the roles. A TV doctor and former pro wrestling exec could play in the new Trump White House. Plus, a Venezuelan migrant found guilty
in the murder of U.S. nursing student, the latest on that case and how it became a political lightning rod in the United States.
And we begin tonight in Ukraine where Kyiv is accusing Moscow of staging a quote, "information and psychological attack by spreading lies about a
potential large-scale airstrike on Ukraine's capital. The U.S. State Department just announced the American Embassy there will reopen tomorrow
after it was shut down on Wednesday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATTHEW MILLER, SPOKESPERSON, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT: The embassy put that alert out based on a possible threat of a significant attack on Kyiv,
something that we take very seriously and led to the temporary change in posture at the embassy. We expect the embassy to be -- to return to normal
operations tomorrow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: It is the first time the embassy has fully closed in over a thousand days of war, and it's a clear sign of the increasingly strained
relationship between Washington and Moscow. A handful of European nations including Greece, Spain and Italy also shut their embassies to visitors. On
Wednesday, the developments coming as the Biden administration announced it will send anti-personnel mines to Ukraine.
Yet, another major policy shift from President Biden. And it comes, of course, just days after he gave Kyiv the green-light to launch longer-range
American missiles at targets inside Russia. Ukraine's forces are expected to deploy the controversial mines in the east of the country where Russian
troops have been breaking through Kyiv's defensive lines.
Chief international security correspondent Nick Paton Walsh is in Kyiv and following all these developments for us at this hour. Nick, bring us up-to-
speed if you would.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, look, it's important to stress that the warning the U.S. Embassy gave out
today clearly would seem to be based on some fairly serious threats. Now, when the Ukrainian officials have essentially come forward today and asked
their western allies to sort of stay strong to not submit to the anxieties that they say has been fueled by Russian misinformation that may be part of
the picture here.
But we don't know as you heard from the U.S. State Department there exactly what the information was that caused them to make that closure. That has
been circulating around Telegram fairly obvious fake Ukrainian officials say someone tried to pass off as one of their warnings a detailed
description of a mass attack that Russia would launch here.
We all saw it, then it was derided by the Ukrainians declared as fake. And it isn't as I say, clear, if that has been the reason behind the anxieties
seen around western embassies today, or whether that's based on better information. I should point out that the Americans have had a pretty good
track record here of Intelligence about Russia's intentions.
So, I would personally be surprised if they made the stride and high profile step of shutting their embassy for a day, the first time since they
relocated at the start of the war, based on a poorly-worded Telegram message. But the important thing to remember here is Kyiv is pretty much
constantly under attack anyway.
And so, the notion that this misinformation suddenly amplified a threat that doesn't exist is a fallacy in itself. And so, we're dealing with a day
here where Kyiv is clearly on edge. Clearly, there is some concern amongst multiple western embassies that they are potentially more of a target than
they were 24 hours ago, although the Americans are reopening again tomorrow.
And it brings us to the question of exactly what Russian President Vladimir Putin's next steps indeed are. We've seen the use of U.S. supplied ATACMS
by Ukraine to hit targets inside Russia, more targets hit again overnight, Ukraine Defense Intelligence said they struck a battalion HQ of a severe
group inside of Russia and then suggestions too from Russian military bloggers.
Today, that indeed potentially British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles may have hit targets inside Kursk region as well.
[14:05:00]
There's obviously a clear escalation of what Ukraine is capable of doing to Russia, but that has not changed the ultimate momentum on the battlefield
on the eastern front here where Russia is moving forward slowly indeed. Those anti-personnel mines supplied by the United States, well, that may
potentially assist Ukraine in some of its defenses, but frontlines are littered in landmines.
Part of the reason why the Ukrainian counter-offensive didn't really go anywhere last year. And so, we're in a point now where the western
involvement in this war has edged up. It doesn't appear at this stage to have so far massively altered a battlefield where Russia is in the
ascendant, and certainly I'm in a capital city here which I think remains still pretty anxious about quite where this U.S. embassy closure, what the
warning behind that was based upon, and quite what's ahead in the days ahead.
HILL: Yes, understandably, Nick Paton Walsh live for us in Kyiv at this hour. Thank you. Well, in yet another sign of just how tense the
relationship has become between the U.S. and Russia, the Kremlin says a special hotline with the White House is no longer in use. That secured line
was set up back in the '60s to defuse tensions between Moscow and Washington.
According to the Kremlin, it's now been nearly three years since U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have spoken to
each other on the phone. CNN senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen is following the developments for us from Moscow. And it is an
interesting development as we hear that right, that there has been no communication on that line for so long, Fred.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think a really interesting development, and it really shows how angry the Kremlin
is and also the Russian authorities are. This decision by the Biden administration to allow the Ukrainians to use those ATACMS missiles, and
of course, some of those strikes already taking place.
It was quite interesting because there was a call earlier today, Erica, with the spokesman for the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov, where he was asked
specifically about the U.S. information about these massive strikes allegedly set to take place there in Kyiv, and the dangers that, that
poses. And he said he was not going to comment on all of that because that pertains to what the Russians still call their special military operation,
and that only the Defense Ministry would comment on all of that.
The Russians, however slinging accusations at the White House, accusing the outgoing Biden administration of essentially extending the war in Ukraine,
escalating the war in Ukraine. And it was also interesting to hear the Russians were asked whether or not Vladimir Putin would be inclined for
negotiations around Ukraine especially with the incoming Trump administration.
And one of the things that Dmitry Peskov said in regard to that is, he said, Vladimir Putin has always said that he's willing to conduct
negotiations. However, the Russians are saying that they want definitely to achieve the things that they said they need to achieve in Ukraine, which is
obviously the territorial gains that they already have.
But they also want to make sure that Ukraine will not be part of NATO either. So, really those maximalist things that the Russians have said from
the very beginning, at least as far as their starting point for any sort of negotiation, that still does seem to be the case. And at the same time, of
course, what you also have here in Russia is them saying with the U.S. giving those ATACMS missiles to the Ukrainians, allowing the Ukrainians to
use those to strike deep into Russian territory.
That for the Russians, that has changed the very nature of the conflict that they now believe that they are in a direct conflict with NATO, with
the West, and specifically, of course, with the United States. And that, of course, was also one of the reasons they say why they changed the country's
nuclear doctrine to now include scenarios where, for instance, strikes by countries like Ukraine aided by countries like the United States could then
lead to a nuclear response for -- from the Russians.
Of course, the U.S. has said that they're not surprised by this change in the nuclear doctrine, something that they had expected. Nevertheless, from
the viewpoint here from Moscow, I think that the Kremlin was definitely looking forward to a change of administration in the United States, and
they do believe that the Ukrainians now being able to use those ATACMS missiles, certainly throws at least somewhat of a wrench in the process
that they were hoping to start. Erica.
HILL: Absolutely, Fred Pleitgen live in Moscow this hour, Fred, thank you. Well, the U.S. a short time ago announcing an extra $275 million support
package for Ukraine. Joining us now, Tymofiy Mylovanov, who is the President of the Kyiv School of Economics. It's good to have you with us
tonight. And I do want to talk a little bit, a little bit about the money.
But before we get to that, I was struck by some of the images that you posted earlier, posting pictures of your classes that had moved
underground, all of the students underground. You're pointing out the artwork on the walls. Here we are, 1,001 days into this war. Can you just
set the scene for us? We've been talking so much about the shifting battlefield, but what is it like on a daily basis for you right now in
Kyiv?
TYMOFIY MYLOVANOV, PRESIDENT, KYIV SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: It's a bit surreal frankly. So, yesterday, for example, at night between the sirens, I was
talking to "BBC" and watching "Yellowstone" and being concerned about nuclear reaction from Russia.
[14:10:00]
So, you know, that's the mood a little bit all over the place. But I think most of us have found a way to laser-focus on the most important things
like daily lives or you know, maintaining operations of your businesses. And to -- we are thriving in an extent, you can say that, you know, like we
are thriving in a war because I think what I see around us is students, faculty, just people, staff, the leadership, the resilience is
unbelievable.
HILL: So, when you say you're finding your way to get through, you talk about that resilience, which is so important, which we have certainly seen
over the last 1,001 days, of course. You also noted that there is this sense that things are moving very quickly right now, that there is an
expectation that the war is going to end quickly. But I know you're more skeptical. Why?
MYLOVANOV: Yes, I'm a little bit skeptical. That's true that the information environment in which we live right now in Ukraine has changed
quite a bit with the election results, with the Trump administration appointing or nominating people and all kinds of speculations about what
the Trump administration will do once they are in power.
And then the Biden administration decides to move on and actually provide better weapons capabilities in the recent days. So, things are moving here.
But I am skeptical because I think, there is a different mindset that President Putin has. He's going to -- you know, I don't see why he is going
to negotiate or agree to any kind of ceasefire immediately, that simply limits his options.
I think he will try to drag on and derail the conversation, any negotiations as long as possible, trying to test the new administration.
They have always done that. They could be saying whatever they want, but they will be testing Trump. And we will see how Trump will respond to that.
HILL: You talk about the test as we move into this new phase of war. When Defense Secretary Austin announced this $275 million in additional support
today, he also noted that support to both Ukraine and Israel had really put a strain on the U.S. stockpiles. When you look at that, we look at the
budget that Ukraine just passed yesterday, nearly $54 billion, more than a quarter of its GDP is specifically earmarked for defense spending.
Yes, there is still international support, but how much concern is there about how long Ukraine can continue to fund this war?
MYLOVANOV: Well, Ukraine can at least for another five, seven years, I think that's the Intelligence or leaked Intelligence estimates from Russia
itself. Now, that doesn't mean that it's not going to be brutal and people will not die. So, I think that you are trading off or we all are trading
off financial support for people's lives.
And there is this conversation by Sullivan recently to 'PBS". He said, oh, you know, our delays of weapons, they don't matter that much. It's more
like Ukraine doesn't have men. But I think that's exactly the point. Because if there are delays in weapons, we lose people. That's a real
tragedy. So, I think we can go on, but the lifestyle is going to be enormous.
HILL: There is -- there is so much being made of what could happen in these next 60 or so days before there is, of course, the inauguration here in the
United States before Donald Trump moves into his second term. He has said he believes, as you know, that he could end this war in one day. President
Zelenskyy just a few days ago, says he thinks the war will end sooner under Donald Trump. Do you agree, and if so, why?
MYLOVANOV: I actually agree. I think President Trump will have -- I don't know, six, eight months in the office in the first six, eight months to
achieve as much as possible in foreign policy, including on Ukraine and Russia. Now, it's not going to be 24 hours because, you know, there is an
active fighting going with millions of people on each sides armies.
So, that's impossible to stop over a day, plus Russia will pose the demands which will not be acceptable not even to Ukraine, but also to Europe or to
NATO. So, all of that has to be worked out. But it's definitely that a change is coming and an opportunity window will be there.
HILL: Tymofiy Mylovanov, it's great to have you here, really appreciate your perspective. Thank you. Still ahead here tonight, like the President-
elect, Donald Trump's latest cabinet picks are no strangers to television. Who he's tapping now to join him as he returns to the White House. Plus,
critical meetings behind closed doors.
Meetings that could play a major role in deciding whether Matt Gaetz gets confirmed as the next U.S. Attorney General. And at the same time, Senate
Democrats now pushing the FBI for more information. What they're asking for, we're live on Capitol Hill next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:15:00]
HILL: Senate Democrats on the Judiciary Committee are asking the FBI to release the information from the Justice Department's investigation into
Matt Gaetz and allegations of sex trafficking of a minor. Gaetz who is, of course, Donald Trump's choice for U.S. Attorney General was not charged in
that investigation, and has denied a string of allegations including sexual misconduct and illicit drug use.
Gaetz and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance are on Capitol Hill today lobbying key Republican senators. Separately, the House Ethics Committee
is also meeting today to discuss its own investigation into the former Florida congressman. It is still unclear whether that committee will
release its report on the matter.
Meantime, more picks from the President-elect nominating former pro- wrestling executive Linda McMahon, a long-time Trump loyalist for Education Secretary, and heart surgeon and former talk show host Mehmet Oz to lead
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. CNN's Daniel Strauss is tracking all things Trump transition for us, and our chief congressional correspondent
Manu Raju is on Capitol Hill following all the latest there. A lot of the latest, Manu, tends to focus on Matt Gaetz.
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, no question about it. And that's what's been happening behind the scenes, both on the Senate
side with the Vice President-elect, J.D. Vance along with Gaetz, trying to urge Republican senators to sit on the Senate Judiciary Committee to keep
an open mind, to consider him amid concerns about whether he could -- is the right person for the job.
And concerns about this House Ethics Committee report investigation that has been going on for multiple years, looking into allegations of sexual
misconduct, illicit drug use. Gaetz denies all that. But the committee that is meeting right now, the House Ethics Committee in the room behind me, ten
members evenly divided between the two parties, are debating what to do with this report because Gaetz abruptly resigned from Congress last week.
Now, the debate is, should they put out a report for a former member? There is precedent for doing that. But the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson is
telling this committee not to do that. He believes it would open up a quote, "Pandora's box". That is part of the negotiation that is happening
among the members.
Now, ahead of this meeting, I caught up with the Republican chairman of this committee, Michael Guest. I asked him -- or in that Trump has urged
him to not put this report out, and whether or not he would support its release.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: Have you heard from Trump or his team at all about this?
REP. MICHAEL GUEST (R-MS): I have not from President Trump or any member of his team.
RAJU: There are two options, he said.
GUEST: Well, what I'll say is, it's argued, a public release versus a conversation about transmitting to the Senate, those are separate
conversations that the committee needs to discuss.
RAJU: Is the report actually done at this point?
GUEST: The report is not complete.
RAJU: It's not.
GUEST: That's correct.
RAJU: And so, how could you possibly release it if it's not done?
[14:20:00]
GUEST: That is something that we will be talking about today. And that's another reason I have some reservations about releasing any unfinished work
product.
RAJU: How far would you say it is from its completion?
GUEST: It has not gone through the review process.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: Right, Democrats say it is ready for release, and this is part of the debate and negotiations that happening. Now, the reason why this waited
until this date is because the committee has ruled in order to determine when it can release its report. It can't do it too close to an election,
why is why it didn't release it before the primary that they -- Gaetz had for his House seat or before the November election.
Ultimately leaving until after the election. Now that he abruptly resigned, there are questions about what to do about all of this. But if you heard
from the chairman right there, two things they're considering. One is public release, two, to provide it to the Senate Judiciary Committee which
will review this information as it considers its nomination.
All major questions that Republican senators are telling me, they do want to see this report, including the chairman, incoming chairman of the Senate
Judiciary Committee Chuck Grassley who said that providing this will allow this nomination to proceed faster, if not, it could slow it down. Erica?
HILL: All right, so we'll be watching for all of that as we wait to hear on some of those. Manu, appreciate it as always. Daniel Strauss is also with
us, following all developments. Trump transitions, we've had a few new announcements. Walk us through some of these nominations.
DANIEL STRAUSS, CNN REPORTER: Yes, in the last day or so, we've heard that Trump has picked an Education Secretary, a Commerce Secretary, and this
already stacks on his picks for high profile positions like Matt Gaetz at DOJ, Tulsi Gabbard at ODNI; the Office of the Director of National
Intelligence.
And what we're seeing right now is a mixture of people who have been very loyal and very active in the Trump community in the MAGA movement, and also
more establishment figures like Marco Rubio as Secretary of State or RFK Jr. as -- a more MAGA figure in a key role as Health and Human Services
Secretary. So, ultimately, overall, this is to be expected, a cabinet very much in Trump's image.
HILL: All right, Daniel, thank you so much. We do want to get you to some breaking news now out of the U.S. state of Georgia where Jose Ibarra has
just been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Laken Riley. Riley was a 22-year-old nursing student in
Georgia and was reported missing in February after she didn't return from a ran at the University of Georgia in Athens.
Authorities say Ibarra; an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela struck her in the head with a rock and choked her. Ibarra had requested a bench trial,
meaning that his verdict would be decided by the judge, not by jury. Riley's father had requested her death not be politicized. But Ibarra's
migrant status made the case an almost immediate flashpoint here in the United States which of course carried through into this most recent
election.
And it came to light as well that Ibarra had been arrested in 2022 after entering the U.S. illegally. Here's the moment the judge announced the
verdict a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PATRICK HAGGARD, ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE: I will now announce the verdict -- in the state of Georgia versus Jose Antonio(ph)
Ibarra, case issued 24CR0323, count one, malice murder, I find the defendant guilty. County two, felony murder, I find the defendant guilty.
County three, felony murder, I find the defendant guilty.
County four, felony murder, I find the defendant guilty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: And CNN's Ryan Young joins me now from Atlanta with more on -- you've been following this case very closely. And as we noted, Laken Riley's
father requested this not be politicized. It had so much attention in this country and we heard some really heart-wrenching victim impact statements
just before the sentencing.
RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, very tough to watch. As someone who has gone through this case really since the very beginning, we were
there as the evidence was being collected and we heard more about those evidence. The fact that Laken Riley tried to fight for her life. That she
really tried to stop the sexual assault from happening to her.
And that a rock was used to pound her in the head several different times. And you talked about the fact this was taken away from a jury trial, this
one became a bench trial. And all we knew was that evidence was pouring on, Sheila Ross(ph) was a prosecutor in this case, spent an hour during her
closing arguments.
The defense really didn't put up that much of a fight. In fact, at one point, they even pointed to Jose Ibarra's brother as being a possibility of
one of the people involved in this case. But let's go back to February, she was just running, there was no clear motive in this case, besides the fact
that she was out doing what she normally did.
[14:25:00]
She loved running apparently in those trails around the University of Georgia are beautiful. She was then attacked, tried to call 9-1-1, but he
stopped her from doing that. And then we saw video evidence of him trying to dispose of some of the things that he was -- had on during that day. But
DNA evidence was on that material, on a hat, on clothing, on gloves, and that's what the prosecutors really hammered home in terms of the fact they
even had video of him trying to peep inside someone else's home just days before this crime as well.
The defense attorneys really didn't put up much of a fight in this case, but what you saw, though, was the emotion involved in this with friends and
family stepping forward. One of the young lady's -- her former roommate was wearing her blouse in court, and she talked about not wanting to lose the
scent of her friend.
Talking to people who were in the courtroom, they said several different points. There were people who were shaking, they were crying. But take a
listen to family members talk about how much they love this young woman who was just full of life.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This monster took away our chance to see Laken graduate from nursing school. He took away our ability to meet our future
son-in-law. He took -- destroyed our chances of meeting our grandchildren, and he took my best friend.
JOHN PHILLIPS, LAKEN RILEY'S STEPFATHER: Well, I'm here today to let your honor and the entire world know that Laken's life was not apparently full
of promise, but instead was abundantly and exceptionally full of promise, and was a shining beacon in the life of everyone that knew her, that ever
came in contact with her. I'm so proud of Laken and the beautiful person she was.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YOUNG: And there was even a part where they talked about going through her journal and the fact that she wrote sort of a letter to her future self and
who she hoped to become. This was a young lady who dedicated her herself and her identity to being a nurse, to help others. So, you can understand
the pain that this family is dealing with, because there was no motive for this attack.
Like you said before, the judge decided to do the maximum here. Life without parole. There have been so many questions about why the death
penalty wasn't on the table. That was -- decision was made by DA who's been voted out of office at this point. But as of right now, Jose Ibarra faces
as much time as he possibly can face, life without parole.
There were more charges on top of that, but there are so many in this community who still have questions about why this happened. Laken Riley's
sister, by the way, is now attending the same school at the university, she says that was her dream, but she still feels uncomfortable walking around
as you can imagine, because her peace has been shattered as this family has been ripped apart.
HILL: Yes --
YOUNG: Erica --
HILL: Really appreciate it. Thank you.
YOUNG: Absolutely.
HILL: Well, as we mentioned, it is a brutal case. It has also become a political flashpoint in this country, deeply divisive on the political
front. Here's CNN's Brian Todd to explain.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You might proceed.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a Georgia courtroom, prosecutors have ticked through several pieces of evidence that they say
incriminates the man accused of killing 22-year-old Laken Riley. Riley, a student at the Augusta University College of Nursing brutally murdered
while she was jogging on the University of Georgia campus in February.
Prosecutors have shown images of a man wearing clothes consistent with the defendant's, throwing out a jacket with both his and Riley's DNA on it, and
they've described Laken Riley as fighting for her life in her final moments, collecting DNA under her fingernails, which they say implicates
Jose Ibarra as her killer.
JOEY JACKSON, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: It's damning and it's very compelling. We know that his DNA is under the fingernails of Laken Riley.
Well, how did it get there? And now you see that there are scratches on him.
TODD: Ibarra is charged with murder and other crimes connected to Riley's death. He's pleaded not guilty. But this case has become about more than
one murder, especially for President-elect Donald Trump.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: Laken Riley would be alive today if Joe Biden had not willfully and maliciously eviscerated the
borders of the United States and set loose thousands and thousands of dangerous criminals into our country.
ASTEAD HERNDON, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, THE NEW YORK TIMES: Trump has really used this case to highlight his policy position about mass
deportations and about deporting violent criminals specifically. He mentions this case at nearly every rally, and for a lot of his supporters,
it's become a rallying cry.
TRUMP: When I'm re-elected, we will begin removing these criminals, these horrible people from our midst and will end up doing it immediately.
TODD: Jose Ibarra is an undocumented migrant from Venezuela. Before Riley's murder, Ibarra had been arrested and released twice in the U.S., once when
he was accused of crossing the border illegally in 2022, and then in New York City last year when he was charged with acting in a manner to injure a
child under 17.
By February of this year, Ibarra was living in Athens, Georgia, where Laken Riley was killed. Trump spoke about the case again at the Republican
National Convention.
TRUMP: I've also met with the wonderful family of Laken Riley, yet another American life was stolen by a criminal alien set free by this
administration.
TODD (voice-over): President Biden acknowledged Riley's case at the State of the Union address this year but misstated her first name.
JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: Lincoln Riley, an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal.
TODD (voice-over): The Democrats have blamed Trump for scuttling a bipartisan border security bill earlier this year. Vice President Kamala
Harris speaking about that to Fox about three weeks before the election.
KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: If a border security had actually been passed nine months ago, it would be nine months that we would have had more
border agents at the border, more support for the folks who are working around the clock, trying to hold it all together --
BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Madam Vice President --
HARRIS: -- to ensure that no future harm would occur.
TODD: Analyst Astead Herndon says Donald Trump and his allies could actually get bipartisan support for deportations if they focus those
deportations mostly on violent criminals, but if they start targeting all undocumented migrants for deportation, he says, the political brushback
would likely be much more severe.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Still to come tonight, Russia's Nordic neighbors updating guidance for their citizens as the war in Ukraine enters a new phase. I'll speak
with an official from the Finnish Interior Ministry.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: Some news just in. Ukraine launching British and French made Storm Shadow missiles into Russia for the first time. This is according to
Reuters and also Russian military blog. Earlier the U.S., Greek, Spanish, and Italian embassies were temporarily closed in Kyiv. The U.S. State
Department says though it is expected to reopen its embassy on Thursday. That closure was over fears of an air attack.
Ever since the Biden administration decided to allow Ukraine to use its missiles to strike inside Russia, the war has, of course, threatened to
drag in the U.S. and NATO in full. Russian President Vladimir Putin sending an ominous message to the west, updating his country's nuclear policy. And
while there are questions about whether that is more than just bluster, there is legitimate concern, including some from the newest members of
NATO, Finland and Sweden. They gave up their neutrality to join NATO after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
[14:35:00]
And the two Nordic countries have, just this week, updated their instructions and guidance on how to prepare for different situations,
including war or other crises. The Swedish guide advises people on what to do in the event of a nuclear, chemical, or biological attack.
Joining me now, the director general for Rescue Services at the Finnish Ministry of the Interior, Kimmo Kohvakka. It's good to have you with us.
So, thank you for taking the time tonight. As we look at this updated guidance, I do want to note for our viewers, since the '50s, I believe,
Finland has prioritize preparedness and has advised people to keep 72 hours' worth of food and medication and water on hand and cash.
But the fact that this was just updated, and that Sweden did the same, basically, on the same day, what should we read into that? What are the
added concerns right now?
KIMMO KOHVAKKA, DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR RESCUE SERVICES, FINNISH MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR: Thank you very much. The actual date was more or less
coincidence that we had in the same time. We have shared awareness of our threat scenarios in Nordic countries. So, I think that that's the reason
why we emphasize self-awareness, the citizen's capability of dealing different kind of hazards, everyday accidents, even the military conflict.
So, that's a long tradition in Finland. We've done this for decades, more or less the date was here, more or less, a little bit of accident or the,
let's say coincident, but we have been doing that for quite a long time.
HILL: That being said multiple incidents, of course, in just the last couple of days are leading to a heightened sense of alert. There is not
just, of course, these ATACMS -- these U.S. ATACMS missiles being used inside Russia by Ukraine and also what we just reported as well, but also
the Baltic cables, which were cut earlier this week. That must be leading to some different discussions at this point.
KOHVAKKA: Absolutely. You could say that we have a heightened sense of awareness of this, let's say, it's a security situation. And of course,
given in that perspective, it's very good to have, let's say, good, solid advice also to the citizens. But as I already mentioned, we feel no
immediate threat of, let's say, military sort of conflict in Finland, but still we are, let's say, looking very much closely the situation in Europe.
And of course, that's has affected also our willingness to give good advice to the citizen.
HILL: How is it being received by your citizens?
KOHVAKKA: Well, in Finland, if you think about just recent research, that's for instance, the European Union has recently done, the Finnish citizens
are very trusting against the authority's advice. They take the quite seriously themselves. They are prepared in a -- if you think about an
average on European level, and they are trusting very much the information that authorities are giving. So, their situation is quite well.
But as in every case, there's -- we see that it's a very good thing to be prepared. And that is, let's say, a very good thing that we also try to
enhance the preparedness amongst citizens.
HILL: In terms of enhancing that preparedness, obviously, the scenarios which you touched on earlier, have changed since this first started back in
the '50s in terms of preparedness. The fact that specifically hybrid warfare is mentioned and information influence activities. That really
stands out given where we're at, those Baltic cables are a perfect example, but also, these claims by Ukraine just today that concerns about air
attacks in Kyiv, they're chalking up to Russian misinformation essentially.
KOHVAKKA: Yes. Well, as I said, we've been trying to build our preparedness and also the citizen's self-preparedness for all hazard approach, even
though the -- let's say, the threats scenarios have changed, they're basically the same kind of information is rather valid also today. Hybrid
threats can cause power -- let's say, power breakdowns. Very much same kind of effects to the society as, let's say, storms and such.
So, even though the hybrid threats have been there, and even though we are now learning what is happening in Ukraine, we think that basically our
advice has been rather but -- there was not very much that we had to revise on advice, but we now concentrated on one website. And that's, let's say,
the new thing in our case.
[14:40:00]
HILL: Before I let you go, is there one thing that to you is the biggest threat Finland is facing at this point?
KOHVAKKA: Well, at this moment, I think we are prepared and we try to be prepared, as I said, in all hazards, let's say, point of view. And
therefore, we try to be prepared whatever we are facing.
HILL: Kimmo Kohvakka, I appreciate your time tonight. Thank you.
KOHVAKKA: Thank you.
HILL: The Palestinian Authority is condemning a U.S. veto at the United Nations Security Council today, saying it emboldens Israel to continue its
crimes. The U.S. alone voted against a resolution that demands an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The measure also
calls for the immediate release of all hostages. The U.S., though, had wanted the ceasefire conditioned on the hostages' freedom. Israel thanked
the U.S. for its veto, saying the resolution amounted to what it called an appeasement of Hamas.
Ismail's prime minister, meantime, is offering a $5 million reward for anyone who returns a hostage. Benjamin Netanyahu making that announcement
while touring the ruins of Gaza on Tuesday. Netanyahu had vowed Hamas would not rule Gaza after the war, saying that Israel is destroying its military
and administrative capabilities.
Hong Kong media tycoon and prominent pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai testifying earlier today in his own national security trial. The 77-year-
old was arrested back in 2020 after mass demonstrations against the city's Beijing-backed national security law, and is now standing trial on multiple
charges linked to his support through his media outlets for Hong Kong's democracy protest movement. If convicted, he could be sentenced to life in
prison. He, of course, pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Still to come here tonight, a bomb cyclone slamming parts of the U.S. and Canada and leaving quite a mess in its wake. That damage just ahead.
Plus, scientists are hoping these new pictures of the sun may help to unlock its secrets as never before. More on that just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: This week is part of our Going Green series. We're highlighting efforts to revive degraded ecosystems around the world. Just off the coast
of North Carolina, a robot is helping repopulate seagrass meadows. Julia Chatterley explains.
[14:45:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN ANCHOR, FIRST MOVE (voice-over): Found on the seabeds from Alaska to Australia, seagrass meadows are one of the most pervasive
coastal habitats on Earth. While they cover less than 1 percent of the ocean floor, these marine plants play an important role in aquatic
ecosystems.
CHRIS OAKES, CEO, REEFGEN: Seagrasses are amazing. They keep the water clean, and they also serve as a nursery grounds for the fishes. Seagrass
meadows are essential for healthy coral reefs. They represent about 20 percent of the carbon sequestration that is taking place in the ocean. The
seagrasses actually attenuate wave action and reduce coastal erosion.
CHATTERLEY (voice-over): Five years ago, Reefgen first began its venture into ocean restoration with a coral planting robot which served as a
foundation for Grasshopper, its seagrass equivalent.
OAKES: Operating in the ocean is really hard. It's often a slow process and a manual process. So, one diver could go out and do the work, but what
we're building for is scale. We can have multiple units that are planting at least as fast, if not faster than humans can.
CHATTERLEY (voice-over): Reefgen recently partnered with the University of North Carolina to plant eelgrass seeds in the Atlantic Ocean.
OAKES: We'll be looking at how our Grasshopper works compared to other ways to distribute the seeds.
JOEL FODRIE, DIRECTOR, UNC INSTITUTE OF MARINE SCIENCES: Here in North Carolina, we're a seagrass rich state, but we're seeing sort of slow annual
declines. And we would like to stop that and even reverse that trend.
We're at the southern end of what's called the Outer Banks. And we're in an area where we have multiple grass species.
OAKES: The form factor here is quite small. It's compact. It's about 50 pounds.
CHATTERLEY (voice-over): Grasshopper can currently plant up to 60 seeds per minute.
OAKES: Right now. We're focused on the planting and the biology and the mechanical aspects. Once we're confident that that's all designed the right
way, we'll overlay more semi-autonomous features like navigation.
It's important to think about restoration as an ongoing process. It's not a one and done. We're partnering with sensor companies. We can bring their
technology out into the field and then we can start to look at the change over time. We're creating more habitat for the baby fishes and for the
clams and the oysters. It's cleaner water. It's more jobs. We want to make it affordable and available.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Well, the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is coming to a close, and it was really one for the record books. Nine of the season's 11 hurricanes
rapidly intensified due to record-breaking ocean temperatures. In fact, scientists say every hurricane this year was stronger than it would have
been 100 years ago because of that human driven climate change.
At least one person has died. Hundreds of thousands of people are without power right now in the Northwestern U.S. and parts of Canada after a once
in a decade bomb cyclone swept through the West Coast on Tuesday. Take a look at some of these pictures.
So, this is out of Washington State where hurricane force winds and snow wreaked havoc. We have a picture coming up a tree landing. There you go.
Look at that massive tree on a home south of Seattle. The resident there telling CNN it sounded like a jet was landing on his home when that tree
fell. Bomb cyclones unload heavy snow and strong winds during the winter.
The European Space Agency releasing new images of the sun like we've never seen before. Take a look at some of these photos. They were captured by the
solar orbiter and they showcase the highest resolution views of our star's visible surface to date, showcasing different dynamic aspects of the sun,
including the movements of its magnetic field and the glow of the ultra-hot solar Corona. The dynamic images were captured from 74 million kilometers
or 46 million miles away.
Still to come here tonight, if you are a believer in manifesting, we may want to stick around. The news of the word of the year, after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:50:00]
HILL: Funeral services held just a short time ago for the late One Direction singer Liam Payne. Payne's former bandmates were seen arriving at
St. Mary's Church near London. The 31-year-old singer died last month while staying at a hotel in Argentina. Here's Salma Abdelaziz.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Liam Payne's casket arrives at this 13th century church in the English countryside for a
private funeral. His heartbroken parents brought to tears as they bid farewell far too soon.
His former bandmates, friends, and loved ones arriving one by one to Sleepy Amersham. Where fans, some still in shock, had gathered to pay their
respects.
VICTORIA, ONE DIRECTION FAN: I was very upset. It sort of shook me. I've grown up with them since I was about 12.
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): The details of the ceremony were a tightly held secret, but the media was allowed access to a cordoned area across from the
venue.
ABDELAZIZ: Liam Payne's small, closed funeral stands in stark contrast to his very public life as a global pop star with mega fame.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): At just 16 years old, Payne took the music world by storm, becoming a founding member of One Direction, a band formed on the
reality TV show "The X Factor." The group turned global phenomenon sold more than 70 million records. Their songs streamed billions of times
online.
They toured the world building a massive fan base, with hits like "That's What Makes You Beautiful." But childhood fame had a cost, and Payne spoke
out about the consequences on his mental health.
LIAM PAYNE, MEMBER, ONE DIRECTION: that level of loneliness and people getting into you every day, getting into every day, like I say, it just --
I'd be so often, you're like, when will they send, you know, and then so -- that's almost nearly killed me a couple of times.
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): His death, at age 31, after a tragic accident. A fall from a hotel balcony. Investigators found his body riddled with
alcohol and drugs shocked millions.
As the funeral drew to a close, a touching moment. Music mogul Simon Cowell, the man who brought Payne into the limelight, comforting his
parents. Mourning the indelible mark left on the hearts of so many.
Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, Amersham.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Well, on a much lighter note, New York's Fifth Avenue, it turns out, has lost its status as the world's most expensive shopping street. The new
winner can be found in Milan, via Monte Napoleone. Italy's second city topping the leaderboard in new rankings from the real estate group Cushman
& Wakefield. And it's actually the first time a European city has topped those rankings, which largely come down to rent. So, rent on that street in
Milan is now more than $21,000 per square meter. It's about 10 square feet. And it edges out Upper 5th Avenue by about $50.
[14:55:00]
A police in Colorado dubbing three burglar suspects the Panda Bandits. The reason for that is fairly black and white, as you'll see. Yes, there we go.
Stealing cigarettes from behind the cash register of a gas station. These images were released by the Boulder County Sheriff's Office. The suspects
are believed to be three teens or young adults. And police are asking the public to come forward with information.
And for those of you out there trying to think a little bit more positively these days, you may not be alone. It turns out the Cambridge Dictionary is
doing its part too. Its word of the year, manifest.
So, before the pandemic, of course, there was a lot of talk about it being about to show something clearly, but it's taken on a different sense for a
number of other folks, using, quote, "visualizations" and "affirmations" to help imagine achieving something that you want. Basically, making it happen
in the hopes, of course, that it would be more likely to happen.
The term, manifest, has now been popularized by a number of celebrities, including pop singer Dua Lipa, Olympic athlete Simone Biles, who say
they've used it to achieve their dreams. So, now it's your chance to manifest a little something for yourself.
Thanks so much for joining me tonight. I'm Erica Hill. Be sure to stay with CNN. Newsroom with Jim Sciutto is up next. I'll see you tomorrow.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
