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Isa Soares Tonight

U.S. Justice Department Working Overtime on Redactions on Yet More Epstein Files; Ukrainian President Zelenskyy Signals New Willingness to Make Concessions for Peace; Pope Leo Prepares for His First Christmas Mass As the Head of the Roman Catholic Church. Aired 14-14:30p ET

Aired December 24, 2025 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Salma Abdelaziz in for ISA SOARES TONIGHT. More Epstein

files could soon be on the way. The U.S. Justice Department working overtime on redactions on yet more documents.

We're live from Washington this hour. Plus, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signals new willingness to make concessions for peace. Now, all

eyes are on the Kremlin. We'll bring you the latest. And Pope Leo prepares for his first Christmas mass as the head of the Roman Catholic Church.

The pontiff is issuing a plea for peace in Ukraine. It may be Christmas, even in the U.S., but those working to release more of the Epstein files

are not taking a holiday. CNN has learned the U.S. Justice Department has just asked career prosecutors in Florida if they'd be willing to volunteer

over the next several days to help redact more files.

That means that we could see a new batch of photos and documents over the coming days with few exceptions the department was legally required to

release all of the Epstein files five days ago. The latest batch released included a series of FBI e-mails from 2019 that cite ten co-conspirators,

the names of those alleged co-conspirators remain a mystery.

Now, CNN crime and justice correspondent Katelyn Polantz is tracking developments for us. Thank you for joining us, of course, on this Christmas

eve. Just give me an update first, when do we expect to see these files? We know that the Department of Justice is working over time to get them out

there. Already five days delayed. What happens next here? What's going on?

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME & JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: It's going to take weeks. The Justice Department is now saying that publicly in a statement. A

statement just now that says that they have found a million more documents potentially related to Jeffrey Epstein from the federal prosecutors office

in Manhattan, the Southern District of New York as well as the FBI.

Here's a quote from that statement. It was just posted on social media about an hour ago -- "in compliance with the Epstein files Transparency

Act, existing statutes and judicial orders, we have lawyers working around the clock to review and make the legally required redactions to protect

victims.

We will release the documents as soon as possible due to the mass volume of material, this process may take a few more weeks". And that comes after we

were able to nail down last night that the Department of Justice, specifically the leadership in Washington was trying to enlist additional

attorneys in south Florida to work on these documents.

That it was an emergency, and that they needed volunteers. In an e-mail that went out in the Southern District of Florida's U.S. Attorney's Office,

by the leadership there, they said that the deputy attorney general's office was asking with an emergency request for more people to do document

review and redactions related to the Epstein files.

That e-mail also said they were aware that the timing could not be worse for some around the holidays, some -- for some, the holidays are about to

begin, but they were aware that the holidays are coming to an end for others. So, the rest of these files, they still need to work through them

and it could take quite a bit. A million files is a lot of documents for even a large group of people to go through.

ABDELAZIZ: Thank you so much for that update, Katelyn. Now, the Kremlin has not responded yet to what appears to be a new willingness by Ukraine to

make a major concession in order to end the war. In a meeting with reporters on Tuesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the

territorial disputes in Donetsk and signaled a compromise on an issue that has derailed peace talks.

But he still had strong words about his Russian enemies when he delivered this message of hope to the Ukrainian people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT, UKRAINE (through translator): On Christmas eve, the Russians once again showed us who they really are. Massive

shelling, hundreds of Shahed drones, ballistic missiles, Kinzhal missiles. Everything was used. This is how godless people strike.

[14:05:00]

This is what those who have absolutely nothing in common with Christianity or with anything human do. But we are holding on. We support one another,

and today, we pray for everyone on the frontline to return alive, for everyone in captivity to return home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: The offer Mr. Zelenskyy is suggesting, would, in effect, create a demilitarized zone rather. And as CNN's Nada Bashir reports, it comes

with a condition.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER (on camera): Well, in a new sign of potential progress in mediation efforts between Ukraine and Russia, Ukrainian

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signaled his willingness to make concessions on several key negotiation points, including, crucially, on

withdrawing troops from parts of the Donetsk region still under Ukrainian control.

In a meeting with reporters, Zelenskyy outlined the possibility of a Ukrainian withdrawal from parts of Donetsk, including fortified cities such

as Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, cities which currently stand in the way of any potential Russian advance deeper into the heart of Ukraine.

In return, Russia would be expected to also withdraw its forces from parts of Ukraine, effectively ceding control of an equivalent amount of territory

and effectively establishing a demilitarized zone. The proposed withdrawal comes as part of a broader 20-point peace plan, hammered out by the U.S.

and European allies.

In addition to concessions on territory, Ukraine is also asking for guarantees when it comes to its security and economic recovery through

concrete commitments from the U.S., as well as European and NATO states. The diplomatic development comes after a fresh round of talks to end the

war wrapped up in Miami over the weekend, where Ukrainian and Russian officials met separately with a U.S. delegation.

Well, Ukrainian officials and the lead U.S. negotiator described the talks as, quote, "productive and constructive". Kremlin's spokesperson Dmitry

Peskov would not give any specific details. However, he did tell reporters that Moscow would formulate its next steps and continue to maintain contact

in the near future through existing channels. Nada Bashir, CNN, in London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: An investigation is underway in Turkey after a plane crash near Ankara killed Libya's army chief and four other Libyan officials. Now,

Libya's Prime Minister confirms they were on their way home following an official visit to Turkey, and authorities say they lost contact with Falcon

50 business plane shortly after takeoff.

Now, CNN Turk reports, the plane had a crew of three, the jet had an electrical emergency and requested a return to the airport before

communication was lost. Forecasters say a dangerous scenario is now unfolding across southern California as a powerful storm slams the region.

Around 140,000 homes and businesses are without power across the state, and conditions are expected to worsen in the coming hours in areas near Los

Angeles. Another round of rain is also moving in, triggering flash flood warnings and mudslide risks.

And overnight in Ventura County, heavy rain caused rocks to slide onto a highway, officials warn this could be one of the wettest Christmas eves on

record. Los Angeles could see anywhere from two months worth of rain to nearly half a year's worth of rain in a single week. Our meteorologists

Allison Chinchar is here covering it all.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We have that high risk issued for today. That is a level four out of four, the highest it can possibly be

across portions of southern California. You can see indicated by that pink color on the map.

Now, to emphasize a high risk is incredibly rare. They only account for about 4 percent of the days throughout the year, but 80 percent of damages.

Now, as we transition into Christmas day, you'll note we still have a higher risk. It's just a level three out of four for some of the same

areas.

Now, one of the biggest concerns within these stronger risk areas are the potential for what they could do to some of the areas where we had recent

wildfires. All three of these little white specks you see here are burn scar locations. When you get heavy amounts of rain on them, most of the

water just rushes right off.

It's not absorbed into the ground like it normally would be. So, the concern is these next couple of waves of moisture that are going to be

arriving, the first one through the overnight hours tonight, say about 1:02 a.m., and also even as we head into the afternoon, another round starts to

slide back into portions of southern California.

So, we still have a lot of moisture left to go, not just for the remainder of the day today, but also Christmas day and even into Friday. So, when we

still look at some of the forecast numbers, you can see a lot of these areas still expected to get about 3 to 5 inches of rain, but some isolated

pockets of 6 to 10 inches is not out of the question.

Remember this 6 to 10 is on top of what these areas have already had, which is a substantial amount in some of these communities. Also, snow, we're

still looking at an extra 1 to 3 feet across portions of the Sierras. This means if you have travel plans, say from Reno or Tahoe, back over to say,

San Francisco and Sacramento, you're likely going to encounter some delays there on the roads as that snow continues to pile back up over the next 48

hours.

[14:10:00]

We also have the potential for some strong to severe thunderstorms as well. So, in addition to the flooding threat, we also have potential for some

damaging winds, some small hail, and yes, we can't rule out the potential for an isolated tornado in some of these green-shaded areas that you see

through here through the overnight timeline.

One of the key things this area needs is dry weather. Unfortunately, at least, for the next three days, we still have rain in the forecast for LA.

Some of the surrounding areas like San Diego, Sacramento, San Francisco, also going to be looking at several more days of rain.

The one bit of good news is though, once we get to the weekend, we should finally start to see things dry back out and those temperatures will also

start to go back up as well

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: A fire and explosion tore through a nursing home on the outskirts of Philadelphia today, killing two people, 22 people -- 20 people

rather, were hospitalized with injuries, one is in critical conditioner -- condition. The governor of Pennsylvania says bystanders, local responders

and nursing staff rushed to get the residents to safety.

A fire chief says the cause is under investigation, but officials believe it was a gas leak. Now, crews from the local utility company responded to

reports of a gas odor and were on the site when the explosion happened. Still to come tonight, Pope Leo prepares to celebrate his first Christmas

as leader of the Catholic Church.

We're live in Rome with his message of peace. And Christmas celebrations return to the biblical birthplace of Jesus. We'll have a report from

Bethlehem.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ABDELAZIZ: Welcome back. Recapping our breaking news here. The U.S. Justice Department says it has just discovered one million more documents

related to the Jeffrey Epstein case. A short time ago, the department issued a statement saying lawyers are working around the clock and the

processing of releasing all of these files may take a few more weeks.

Now, of course, the DOJ failed to meet the Friday deadline to release all of those files. And we'll be bringing you more updates as they become

available. Pope Leo is celebrating his first Christmas eve as the leader of the Catholic Church.

This year, the Vatican is featuring more than 100 nativity scenes from countries around the world. And in just a few hours, the pope will lead a

mass inside St. Peter's basilica. He'll celebrate another mass on Christmas day. Now, the pope is expected to continue his call for peace around the

world, especially in Ukraine and Gaza.

Joining us now is our Vatican correspondent, Chris Lamb. I just want to start by asking you what you expect from Pope Leo's message, because of

course, this is his first Christmas and an opportunity for him to present who he is as a relatively new pope. What are we going to be looking for

here?

[14:15:00]

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Salma, you're right. It is an opportunity for him. At Christmas, people have been looking to the

first American pope newly elected, as you say, about what he's going to say at Christmas. And we are expecting him to emphasize the importance of

countries coming together to dialogue, to try, particularly in conflict- ridden parts of the world, to find -- try and find peace.

And he has already spoken yesterday about the need for a ceasefire in Ukraine. He said he's very distressed about Russia failing to observe even

a Christmas ceasefire, and this is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT PREVOST, POPE, ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): Truly, one of the things that causes me great sadness is the fact that apparently

Russia has rejected the request for a truce. Once again, I make this request to all people of goodwill to observe, at least, on the feast of the

birth of the savior, a day of peace.

Perhaps, they will listen to us, and may there be 24 hours of peace throughout the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAMB: Well, Salma, I think what Pope Leo is going to try and do is apply the Christmas message to conflict-ridden parts of the world and to people's

lives, not just seeing Christmas as something from the past, but something as relevant to the here and now.

I've been out also in St. Peter's Square to see the nativity scene behind me, which its creator says he wants people to feel a sense of harmony and

beauty when they look at it. And there's also a big exhibition of different nativity scenes from different parts of the world, including the Chicago

nativity from Pope Leo's hometown. There's also a celebratory atmosphere here in Rome for Pope Leo's first Christmas. Salma.

ABDELAZIZ: It absolutely looks so beautiful behind you, Chris, and so interesting to hear how the pope is bringing in his own culture, his own

tradition by having that Chicago nativity scene. I want to ask you just another question. You're talking so much about how he's going to be

celebrating Christmas publicly, of course, by holding mass today and tomorrow.

How does he celebrate it privately? Is there a quiet moment for the pope where he sits with family and friends like all of us?

LAMB: Well, the pope has been visited by his brothers. He's got two older brothers. He's visited by them a couple of months ago. We don't think his

family is with him for this Christmas. We expect him to market and his home in the Vatican with his closest aides, and he'll probably go back to Castel

Gandolfo, which is the papal retreat just outside of Rome, and have some time, I imagine, to rest and recuperate.

Of course, he's got a busy few months ahead as he continues to get himself acclimatized to the role as pope and set out his agenda more clearly, which

we're expecting to see in early 2026.

ABDELAZIZ: Thank you so much, Chris, for those details. That's very interesting to hear what happens behind the scenes after he has that very

public mass that he'll be holding, of course. Thank you, Chris, in the Vatican. Now, Bethlehem is celebrating Christmas again for the first time

in three years.

Pictures from the historic city in the West Bank, where a concert is underway in Manger Square. In a few hours, midnight mass will be celebrated

at the Church of Nativity. Earlier, Jerusalem's Latin patriarch arrived in Bethlehem. He delivered a message of hope for the people of Gaza. Our

Matthew Chance has more in this report.

(BEGIIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, Christmas here in the Palestinian city of Bethlehem, the birthplace of

Jesus, has always been especially significant. But this is the first time in three years the festivities have been staged right here in Manger

Square.

After being canceled out of solidarity with the people of war-ravaged Gaza. That fueled enormous economic pain in a place which is so heavily dependent

on tourism and pilgrims. Bethlehem's mayor told me earlier that he's now relieved that Christmas here is finally back.

MAYOR MAHER NICOLA CANAWATI, MAYOR OF BETHLEHEM, PALESTINE: It was very important for the resilience of the people of Isfahan, and because many

people almost lost hope. And, you know, when you lose hope, it's the end. And we've thought it was really crucial to reignite the spirit of

Christmas, to reignite hope for the hopeless and to send the messages that everybody needs to hear from the Palestinian people.

CHANCE: But these festivities are also controversial. There's still immense hardship in Gaza, despite the ceasefire agreed there in October,

and security concerns across the occupied West Bank mean it remains a tense and volatile region, even as Christmas is being celebrated here finally,

once again. Matthew Chance, CNN, in Bethlehem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[14:20:00]

ABDELAZIZ: Still to come tonight, the Cotswolds, a quaint region in southwest England, is where more Americans want to make their home with all

sorts of celebrities and athletes moving there. We'll show you why?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ABDELAZIZ: Welcome back, I'm Salma Abdelaziz filling in for Isa Soares. Now, if you're dreading that moment when all the bills for all those

Christmas gifts are due, here's a solution. Try the lottery. The fourth biggest Powerball Jackpot of all time will be up for grabs tonight,

Christmas eve.

The grand prize is a staggering $1.7 billion. Now, as exciting as that may sound, I must tell you that the odds of winning are just one in 292

million. So, maybe you should depend on another way to pay those Christmas bills. Now, the English countryside is paradise for those who have lived

there for generations.

And now, some new residents are discovering its very special charm. Our Anna Cooban has more on the growing number of Americans who are choosing to

call the Cotswolds in England, home.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA COOBAN, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): I'm here in the Cotswolds. It's a region in the west of England, and it is a quintessential slice of English

country life. And despite the really gray, drizzly weather here today, this part of the world has become a big draw for Americans buying properties and

starting new lives here. So, I've turned up to find out why?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think the Americans have quite a romantic notion about the Cotswolds because of the honey-colored stone and the cottages. I

think -- they think everyone in England lives in a stone cottage, I think - -

(LAUGHTER)

COOBAN: It's all like this --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, and it's always sunny.

COOBAN: And tell me, there's this trend of more and more Americans moving to the Cotswolds recently. Is this something you've noticed?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my gosh, yes, it's in the press here every day. I think the -- I think the Brits are quite interested in the fleeing

Americans.

COOBAN: Oh --

(LAUGHTER)

COOBAN: The Cotswolds is a protected area of natural beauty. It's about a 100 miles west of London. Hop on a train and you're there in a couple of

hours. That proximity combined, of course, with those famous rolling hills, makes it a magnet for lots of famous people.

For centuries, the region was at the center of Britain's wool trade. Today, it is sprinkled with many well-known names. Kate Moss has had a place there

since the early 2000s, here's David Beckham digging up vegetables on his Cotswolds estate.

[14:25:00]

But in 2024, U.S. Comedian Ellen DeGeneres really helped put the region on the map for Americans when she moved there with wife Portia de Rossi.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over the last 12, 18 months, we've seen about 30 percent increase in the number of Americans registering with us, wanting

help with their purchases. But it's not a cheap part of the world to buy in. There is a premium because it's an incredibly popular location. Really,

you could look at anything from a smaller cottage for around a million pounds through to sky is the limit.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi there --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello, how are you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm well. How are you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Great --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You sure can tell --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, please -- thanks so much --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's been a 15-year dream in the making, and my husband and I fell in love with the U.K. way of life. We loved the weather,

we loved the architecture, the history, even the food, and It looks quite a bit like home. I'm from Pennsylvania, so it's not that different as far as

rolling, gentle hills, fertile land.

COOBAN: The Cotswolds has quite a reputation in the U.K. for being very well to do. Is that been what you've experienced? How does the reality

compare with the impression?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think the impression is correct. These homes are much bigger than they look from the lanes, and they're very private. That

being said, well-to-do means the people have wonderful etiquette. They're very inclusive, they have wonderful manners.

Yes, everyone has just been so friendly and so gracious. Everyone is very down to earth. They have a dog, they take walks, they come to the local

pub. They're just people. Painswick feels like I went to bed and woke up in the middle of a Christmas hallmark movie, the stone walls and the

architecture.

It just feels like comfort in a time when the world needs more of that. So, we moved here in May and it's been a dream.

COOBAN: You know, I think I understand what all the fuss is about now. Anna Cooban, CNN, the Cotswolds.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: One of the world's most active volcanoes is putting on quite a show for Christmas eve. Just look at these fountains of lava shooting from

Hawaii's Kilauea volcano. They reached more than 400 meters into the air earlier today. That's higher than the Eiffel tower.

Now, Kilauea has been erupting on and off like this for the past year, but the Christmas eve event has been especially spectacular. Now, a Christmas

message that's out of this world.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Greetings to planet earth. All of our friends and family from Expedition 74 aboard the International Space Station, flying

high above, thinking of you during this holiday season.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: Astronauts aboard the International Space Station, as you saw there, are wishing everyone on earth Merry Christmas and a happy holiday

season. They are in the middle of a long duration stay to test new technologies for both human and robotic exploration missions in space.

Now, before I leave you, let's chick in -- let's check in with where Santa is right now. He's about to pass over Finland, the North American Aerospace

Defense Command website, or NORAD, features updates on Santa's travels around the world, so you can see when he'll be at your place. Thank you so

much for watching tonight, stay with CNN, "POV QATAR" is coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END