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One World with Zain Asher
Luigi Mangione Pleads Not Guilty To NY State Charges; Bombshell House Ethics Report On Matt Gaetz Released; President Biden Commutes 37 Federal Death Sentences; Trump Again Suggests U.S. Should Buy Greenland; Trump Bristles At Elon Musk's Rocketing Profile; Series Of Storms Could Impact U.S. Holiday Travel; Officials; Israeli Strikes Kill Dozens In Central Gaza; Trump: Could Be Worth Keeping TikTok In U.S. For A While; Blake Lively Files Complaint Against Actor Justin Baldoni; First Black Radio City Rockette; Aired 12:00-1:00p ET
Aired December 23, 2024 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:29]
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: It's one of the most followed murder cases in the world. And today, the defendant says, he's not guilty. ONE WORLD starts
right now.
Luigi Mangione pleads not guilty. We'll have details on his second appearance in court in a matter of days.
Also ahead, the Gaetz report has dropped, and it seems many of the rumors are true. He's accused of using cocaine, taking excessive gifts, and having
sex with a 17-year-old girl.
Also this hour, deja vu. Donald Trump sets his sights on Greenland once again. The Danish territory says it's not for sale.
And later, some holiday cheer with a dose of cultural history. I'll speak with the first ever black Rockette.
Hello, everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga. Zain is off today. You are watching ONE WORLD.
The suspect in the murder of the UnitedHealthcare CEO has pleaded not guilty to state murder and terror charges.
A short time ago, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione made an appearance in a New York courtroom. He faces 11 state counts in New York, in addition to four
federal charges. He could potentially get the death penalty if convicted on a federal murder charge.
During today's hearing, Mangione's lawyer expressed concern about whether he could get a fair trial. Here's what she had to say in court.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAREN FRIEDMAN AGNIFILO, LUIGI MANGIONE'S LAWYER: I'm very concerned about my client's right to a fair trial in this case. He's being prejudiced by
some statements that are being made by government officials.
Like every other defendant, he's entitled to a presumption of innocence. But unfortunately, the way this has been handled so far, he -- his rights
are being violated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: John Miller, CNN's chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst. John, good to see you.
So, first of all, did we expect to see video from that arraignment hearing earlier today? Well, the judge ruled that he would allow cameras in and
then put it to the parties, the prosecution and the defense. Both said they took no position on the matter. So he allowed that for broadcast, which I
think is a big step forward because while the lawyers are complaining about statements being made outside of court, then why not let us access the
statements being made in court?
GOLODRYGA: Yes. And there you see Luigi Mangione surrounded by police officers while in court. What did you make of his attorney, Karen
Agnifilo's argument that he was treated like a human Ping-Pong ball between both sides, both the federal and state courts' sides, basically suggesting
that he can't get a fair trial?
MILLER: Well, I think her statements were less than legal arguments and more complaints from her own perspective of being brought on as his defense
lawyer, being an expert in the New York state court system, and then being thrown federal charges literally at the last minute on Friday, and having
no notice of that, and then having to go back and forth between the federal court hearing and the state court hearing, and the federal lockup where her
client is. And, you know, the arraignment today.
So I think what she's really saying to the judge is, can you and the Feds kind of get the criminal justice systems act together so we know which of
these cases is going first? Where is my client going to be held? And then, of course, her other complaint about statements being made by public
officials about her client on the outside.
GOLODRYGA: She made quite a veiled, I think, swipe against the NYPD and against the New York City mayor, Eric Adams, in what she described as a
perfectly and highly choreographed and unnecessary perp walk. And this was last week, late last week, when he finally arrived and was extradited to
New York. And we saw him arrive in Lower Manhattan on that -- on that helicopter, then being escorted by a number of officials and the mayor
standing right behind him. She said they were carrying weapons she didn't even know the NYPD had in their arsenal.
What did you make of her specifically raising that perp walk, which we should note did get some mixed reviews and criticism from those in law
enforcement in the days following?
MILLER: Well, it was highly unusual and that there were so many people there. The actual move itself was he was flown by an NYPD plane to an
airport, and then from an NYPD helicopter to a helipad closest to the federal courthouse. That was simple logistics.
[12:05:09]
The NYPD policy is not to prevent the photographing of defendants in public areas, so they're going by the book. The question was what was built around
it, the presence of the mayor, a press conference afterwards on the tarmac there.
The heavy weapons team had a purpose which is, this is a very unusual defendant. People have been -- there's been a groundswell of support for
him.
Frankly, their concern was because this arrival is so highly publicized and the schedule around it, was somebody going to try and break him out of
custody. So they wanted that show of force and a quick way to move him from there to the courthouse.
So it'll be debated. Part of it was showmanship because they were making a statement that you will be captured if you do an assassination in the
streets of Manhattan. And part of it was they had to get them from one place to another, and the press was really interested in it.
GOLODRYGA: The first thing that Karen Agnifilo asked for was the immediate expedited discovery of all documentation. And it was interesting to have
the New York prosecutor then respond to that request by also noting that it will be difficult for them to expedite. They will do their best to expedite
because, to quote him, he has never seen a case with such volume of evidence.
Does that suggest that the prosecutors feel pretty strong about their case here?
MILLER: It is a suggestion that they feel strong about their case, that they have a lot of evidence, but I think what he was really talking about
is the logistics, Bianna. They have thousands of hours of videotape, hundreds, thousands of pages of reports, every tip that came into the tip
line, every everything.
In New York State, they have to turn all of that over in a case within 15 days. In a voluminous case like this, within 30 days. I think their real
problem is, how do we even go through all of this to get it organized to turn over in time, what he said, the prosecutor was, to Karen Friedman
Agnifilo was, it would be better than try to put this in the portal that you can access, which could crash the whole thing, if you got us a two
terabyte hard drive where we could load this all onto and get it to you?
GOLODRYGA: We'll be following developments in this case for sure in the days and weeks to come.
John Miller, always good to see you. Thank you so much.
MILLER: You too, Bianna. Thanks.
GOLODRYGA: Well, sex and drugs and law and order. That may sound like a movie plot, but they're all part of the U.S. House report on former
representative, Matt Gaetz. The report found Gaetz paid tens of thousands of dollars for sex or drugs on numerous occasions, including paying a 17-
year-old for sex in 2017.
Now, Matt Gaetz quit Congress when Donald Trump chose him for his attorney general. He then eventually withdrew from consideration amid opposition
from Republican senators. Gaetz has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Katelyn Polantz has been following this story all morning and joins us now from Washington. And, Katelyn, the report concludes that Gaetz violated
Florida state law, including its statutory rape law, as well as violating House rules. How is Gaetz now responding?
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN JUSTICE AND CRIME REPORTER: This is primarily about the violation of House rules. And Matt Gaetz is unhappy that the committee
is releasing this report. He tried to block the report by going to the court this morning. That was unsuccessful, essentially dead on arrival. It
wasn't going to happen because the committee released their reports so soon after.
But Gaetz has denied a lot of the allegations the committee has made. That's his response. But what the committee's findings here are, are things
that they say are backed up, not just by text messages they have, other documentary evidence, but also testimony from witnesses and that victim,
that alleged victim, the woman who was underage at the time, Matt Gaetz, had sex with her at a party twice in July of 2017 when she was headed into
her senior year of high school, 17 years old.
The big findings here in the House report are that Matt Gaetz engaged in commercial sex. So, was providing payment to women for sex and/or drugs, at
least 20 times, that he was engaging in statutory rape, that is the relationship with the underage girl in 2017. And then also that he was
using illicit drugs.
All of this put together is the House saying, we investigated this. This is what we found. We're putting this out in the public, even though he's no
longer a congressman, even though the Justice Department looked at the possibility Gaetz had broken federal laws here and declined to charge him
with any crime.
But the House did pick up that investigation, pursue it, and now we have the documentary evidence here publicly.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Katelyn Polantz, thanks so much.
[12:10:03]
Well, during his first term in office, Donald Trump oversaw more executions than any president in the past 120 years.
And now he's threatening to expand the federal death penalty when he reclaims the White House.
With that in mind, in the final weeks of his presidency, Joe Biden announced that he is commuting the sentences of 37 inmates on federal death
row to life without the possibility of parole.
CNN's MJ Lee reports from Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: In one of his last major acts as President, President Biden is using his presidential clemency power to
commute the death sentences of 37 inmates that are currently on federal death row to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Now remember back in 2020, President Biden campaigned on getting rid of the federal death penalty.
And in recent weeks, there had been a swirl of speculation about whether he might take this kind of action before he leaves office, particularly as he
was under a good amount of pressure from human rights activists and a number of advocacy groups, some of whom have argued that the death penalty
tends to disproportionately affect black people and other people of color.
Now President Biden, in his statement, announcing these commutations, said this, make no mistake, I condemn these murders, but guided by my conscience
and my experience, I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level. In good conscience, I cannot
stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted.
That last reference there to a new administration resuming executions I halted, that obviously, is a reference to incoming President, Donald Trump.
Keep in mind that during his first term in office, there were 13 federal death row inmates who were put to death. And in his most recent
presidential campaign, Trump has made very clear that he is set on moving forward with additional federal executions once he returns to office. This
is a little bit of what Donald Trump has said over the last year on this issue.
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm hereby calling for the death penalty for any migrant that kills an American citizen or a law
enforcement officer.
We are an institute and a powerful death penalty, we will put this on. We have to bring in the death penalty if we want to stop the infestation of
drugs coming into our country.
LEE: Now, after today's announcement of clemency from President Biden, there are still three people who will remain on federal death row, some of
these people really responsible for really atrocious mass killings and acts of terrorism. They are the murderer who killed nine black worshipers at a
church in Charleston, South Carolina, one of the brothers of the Boston marathon bombing.
And then also Robert Bowers, the man who killed 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018.
I should finally note that President Biden, who is a devout Catholic, says he will be traveling back to Italy to meet with Pope Francis. Of course,
the Pontiff is one of those people who has publicly said that he would like to see the commutations of those on federal death row here in the United
States.
Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: Thanks to MJ Lee for that report.
Donald Trump, over the weekend, held his first big rally since his re- election. And some of his comments are sparking backlash from foreign allies. First, the president-elect says if Panama doesn't reduce its fees
to use the canal there, the U.S. might retake it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF UNITED STATES: Has anyone ever heard of the Panama Canal? Huh? Because we're being ripped off at the Panama Canal
like we're being ripped off everywhere else.
A secure? He just said take it back. That's a good idea.
It was given to Panama and to the people of Panama, but it has provisions. You got to treat us fairly, and they haven't treated us fairly. If the
principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the
United States of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: The only issue is that there's a treaty signed by both Panama and the United States, making that not an option right now.
Also, Donald Trump again floated the idea of buying Greenland, this despite it being an autonomous Danish territory. This may sound familiar because
the last time Trump broached the idea, Denmark's government firmly said that it's not for sale.
Steve Contorno is following all the developments for us from West Palm Beach, Florida.
Listen, one would think that Donald Trump is inheriting a lot on his plate just within the parameters and the borders of the United States. All of the
sudden, why this interest once again in Greenland, but then the Panama Canal?
[12:15:09]
STEVE CONTORNO, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Bianna, one thing I have heard in the last 24 hours from some people within Trump's orbit and some of his close
advisors and allies is this is all sort of part and parcel with his push on trade and making trade more fair for the United States.
We saw it with him throwing out this idea and threats to institute tariffs on Canada and Mexico. We've seen it with his provocations with China. And
certainly, in that sense, this idea to seize back control of the Panama Canal is sort of fitting in that theme.
Although I have to say even some people close to Trump did not see this specific idea coming and were sort of thrown off by this idea, you know,
Trump often dines with people right across the water from me at Mar-a-Lago where he's meeting with business leaders and advisors and close friends who
throw out ideas and Trump goes on to echo them. And I'm not saying and that is what transpired here, but that is sometimes the origin of these ideas.
Greenland, as you mentioned, is something that he has been somewhat infatuated with going all the way back to his first term. And yesterday, he
sort of revived this idea that the U.S. could somehow acquire Greenland, even though, as you said, the prime minister of Denmark had previously
called that idea absurd.
But Trump hosting last night that he intended to name a new ambassador to Denmark. And in that post he wrote, for purposes of national security and
freedom throughout the world, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.
So it is somewhat jarring to hear Donald Trump continue to float these ideas of expanding American sovereignty when he has also campaigned
aggressively on the idea that U.S. needs to pull back from the world stage and is too involved in world affairs. And yet, here he is suggesting the
U.S. needs to take control of the Panama Canal, buying Greenland.
And I should also point out he has floated, although I think mostly in jest, the idea of absorbing Canada as the 51st state.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. He calls President Trudeau their governor. Trudeau, I believe.
Steve Contorno, thank you so much.
Well, Donald Trump is pushing back on criticism that the richest man in the world is the one who is really the incoming U.S. president. It comes after
Elon Musk, the president-elect's billionaire backer, recently put his efforts into sinking a bipartisan bill to fund the U.S. government.
Democrats are raising concerns about Musk's outsized influence, and they're even taunting Trump by saying it's Musk who has all the power.
But over the weekend, Trump set the record straight and said he's the one calling the shots.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: No, he's not taking the presidency. I like having smart people. You know, they're on a new kick. Russia, Russia, Russia, Ukraine, Ukraine,
Ukraine, all the different hoaxes. And the new one is, President Trump has ceded the presidency to Elon Musk. No, no. That's not happening.
But no, he's not going to be president, that I can tell you. And I'm safe, you know why? He can't be. He wasn't born in this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: So let's get more now from Stephen Collinson, who joins me now live in Washington.
I wasn't expecting that line, using the Constitution of all things to confirm that Elon Musk cannot be president.
What do you make of this finally coming to a point where Donald Trump, whether in jest or maybe he just felt the pressure of being outshined at
times by Elon Musk? What do you make of the fact that he brought this up over the weekend? And what does that tell you about the future of their
relationship?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: I think the Democrats are trying to get under his skin and it looks like it's working. Musk was
hugely influential in sinking that massive government stopgap spending bill last week, getting out ahead of the president-elect and forcing him to
catch up.
I think this is interesting politically because usually in Donald Trump's orbit, there's only room for one star of the show and that is Trump. And
Musk has been basically with the president-elect at Mar-a-Lago in Florida ever since he won the election.
There's a serious point, as you say, below the politics of all this and that is that the world's richest man, a multi-billionaire who has billions
of dollars of contracts with the U.S. government is when Trump is sworn in going to be in a position as the head of this new Department of Government
efficiency to slash regulations and change policy that could end up helping him and his companies and boosting his wealth.
[12:20:14]
So it seems like a real danger of conflicts of interests and potential corruption. And that I think is what's most significant about this rather
than just Donald Trump's vanity.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Though Elon Musk has been effective in the sense of publicly stating and paying for those who stand in Donald Trump's ways to
be threatened with primaries. So we'll see what becomes of that relationship.
Stephen Collinson, good to see you. Thank you so much.
COLLINSON: Thanks.
GOLODRYGA: Well, coming up for us, a series of storms around the U.S. could directly impact your holiday travel, where you can expect snow and freezing
rain in the coming days.
Plus, New York police say a man accused of killing a woman in a subway car by setting her on fire is now in custody.
And they started a movie about domestic violence this year. Now actress Blake Lively has filed a harassment complaint against her "It Ends With Us"
co-star, Justin Baldoni. Live details on the accusation, just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: Weather officials in parts of Japan are warning people to be vigilant as snowfall intensifies around much of the country.
In this video shot by a tourism company, you can see huge blocks of snow crashing down from a rooftop. Some areas in northern Japan have already
received hundreds of centimeters of snow, with forecasts warning of even more on its way.
Well, if U.S. travel is in your holiday plan, know that nature is whipping up a wintry mix around the country. From snow in parts of the Northeast, to
rains in parts of the west and south, there's a lot to plan ahead for.
CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam has more of the forecast.
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, that's right, Bianna. With nearly 120 Americans expected to travel this week, we are keeping a close eye in
the skies and on the roadways.
First, let's talk about the airports, what type of weather conditions could impact that, of course, being snow and rain.
Today would be the ideal day to travel if you're along the East Coast. We're not expecting or anticipating any weather related delays along the
major East Coast airports. There could be some delays with the wheat clipper system that's moving through Chicago, Grand Rapids, perhaps into
Detroit.
But all in all, this is a weak system. However, it does have the potential for some interruptions for the day tomorrow being Christmas Eve. You can
see some minor delays possible with weather impacting the Pacific Northwest.
[12:25:10]
Let's take you through this week so you can see how the weather patterns will evolve. This is the clipper system moving through the Great Lakes now.
This will bring a rain snow mix to the nation's capital. More on that in just one moment.
A lot of wet weather lining up across the Deep South. This area could see some stronger storms across eastern sections of Texas and into Arkansas.
That's why we have minor to moderate weather delays of the airport on Tuesday.
But notice what's happening here. Washington D.C. to New York. This is an area that actually has a winter weather alert in store for Tuesday morning.
And we're highlighting that because if you're heading out the door to visit family or friends, Tuesday morning could be a rough go, especially along
that I-95 corridor. You can see that mixture of rain and snow, perhaps some light freezing rain that could accumulate, get this, up to a quarter of an
inch where you see the shading of pink. That's right along that I-95 corridor. Not what we want to see from Philadelphia to Baltimore to
Washington. So take care, especially in some of those vulnerable overpass areas that freeze quicker than the surrounding roadways.
Now this is just a look at the weather through the next 48 hours or so. You can see all the rainfall for the Deep South. And again, the Pacific
Northwest getting a barrage of moisture with mountain snow and lower elevation rainfall that will pick up in intensity here as the days progress
through the course of this holiday week. Back to you.
GOLODRYGA: Thanks to Derek Van Dam for that.
Well, New York police say they have arrested a suspect accused of killing a woman on a subway train after setting her clothes on fire with a lighter.
The suspect was detained Sunday at another subway station in Manhattan about eight hours after the attack. Police say he approached the woman
without saying a word. They're calling the attack a brutal murder.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JESSICA TISCH, NEW YORK CITY POLICE COMMISSIONER: Unbeknownst to the officers who responded, the suspect had stayed on the scene and was seated
on a bench on the platform just outside the train car. And the body worn cameras on the responding officers produced a very clear detailed look at
the killer.
After the NYPD disseminated those images, three high school age New Yorkers called 911 to say that they recognize the suspect.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Police say charges are pending against a suspect who was described as an immigrant from Guatemala. They do not believe the victim
and the suspect knew each other.
And still to come for us, just weeks before the Supreme Court justices consider its fate, President-elect Donald Trump signals that he wants to
keep TikTok in the U.S.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:30:48]
GOLODRYGA: Welcome back to ONE WORLD. I'm Bianna Golodryga.
Turning now to Gaza, where the health ministry there is accusing the Israeli military of placing explosive robots at the gates of one of the
last functioning hospitals in the north that's been under siege for weeks.
Further south, local officials say more than 50 people were killed or injured in an Israeli military operation on a refugee camp located in a so-
called humanitarian zone.
Now, it comes amid hopes for progress in ceasefire and hostage negotiations. Elliott Gotkine with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELLIOTT GOTKINE, CNN FREELANCE CORRESPONDENT: From Israel's war and ceasefire with Hezbollah or in Lebanon to the fall of the Assad regime in
Syria, this corner of the world has been chock full of dramatic developments of late, so much so that it's easy to forget that more than a
year after the Hamas-led terrorist attacks of October 7th, Israel's war in Gaza continues to rumble on and continues to exact a heavy toll on
Palestinians.
In one of the latest incidents, Hamas officials say an Israeli operation in Nuseirat in Central Gaza killed or injured at least 50 civil aims.
When ambulance crews were finally able to retrieve bodies, they found cats feeding on them. The video is too graphic to show. The IDF didn't respond
to requests for comment.
In the north of Gaza, the director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital says it's been under siege for almost three months. He now says Israel has placed
what he describes as explosive robots at the gates of the hospital.
On Sunday, the IDF told CNN there had been no strikes in the area in the preceding 24 hours.
Again, this backdrop as renewed optimism about ceasefire talks aimed at securing the release of the 100 or so hostages still being held captive at
Gaza. Israel believes around a third of the hostages are dead, but according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, several Israeli
families say that they recently received what they describe as signs of life from their loved ones.
Any deal, though, would need to be signed off by Hamas and, of course, the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
On Monday, he was in court for his fifth day of testimony in his corruption trial, facing denies of fraud, breach of trust and bribery.
Elliott Gotkine, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: We should note in just the last few minutes, the IDF did respond to the reports out of Northern Gaza about exploding robots, and they have
refuted those claims.
Well, turning back to the U.S., Donald Trump says that it could be worth keeping TikTok in the U.S. at least for a little while.
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments January 10th on a controversial ban of the social media platform that was passed earlier this
year. The ban was signed into law by President Biden in April, though Congress has said TikTok could still operate in the U.S. if it divests from
Chinese ownership.
The U.S. president-elect signaling his support for keeping the app says he received billions of views on the TikTok during his campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We will take a look at TikTok. You know, I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok because I won youth by 34 points. And there are those that
say that TikTok has something to do with that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Time now for The Exchange. Joining me is Shelly Palmer. He's a professor of advanced media in residence at Syracuse University's Newhouse
School of Public Communications. He's also CEO of the Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media
and marketing. Shelly, welcome to the program.
First, let's just talk about what's expected to happen in the weeks to come before this deadline of January 19th. And that is a Supreme Court hearing
arguments on January 10th in a last minute emergency injunction filed by ByteDance. And their argument squarely focuses on the First Amendment.
What do you make of the fact that the Supreme Court has decided to hear this case and their argument that this is an infringement on a
constitutional right?
SHELLY PALMER, PROFESSOR, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY: I think we've got a couple of different things going on here at the same time. There's a legal
argument about the First Amendment. And I think the Supreme Court is right to take up that particular case because this does feel like the first time
in a long time that America has gone and banned an entire industry using this particular technique. I think prohibition was the last time we put
this many cottage industries out of business.
[12:35:05]
But in practice, there are a lot of different things going on here. And I'm not sure everybody is on the same page. There's this idea that there's a
national security threat. And nobody can confirm or deny this, because the Chinese are not going to say they're getting the data. And Americans who
want to say that the Chinese are getting the data are going to say that. And the question is, what data are they getting, if any? And if so, how
dangerous is it? So that's one conversation.
There's another conversation about First Amendment, which is what they're taking to the Supreme Court, which is a completely different argument. And
basically it says we have the right to free speech and there's a whole First Amendment side of this.
Then there's the other part of this that nobody's talking about, which is that, ultimately, data privacy is what needs to be talked about because the
data elite in America, as well as outside of America, are playing a game that most government officials are completely unaware of and they're not
discussing it.
They're simply looking at this as, well, TikTok must be a national security threat. And then there's a fourth level of this, which is that TikTok is
highly addictive and probably the most addictive app ever created. And what it does to our youth and what it does to people who become addicted to it
is almost unimaginable and not being discussed.
GOLODRYGA: So then, what do you make then of the government's primary argument, which focuses specifically on the national security threat? Do
you think that they've missed an opportunity to expand their case here?
PALMER: I think this is a, how often do you beat your wife question. Now everybody has to evaluate it. Now you must investigate it. We don't -- we
don't know. Nobody knows whether the Chinese government is getting this data.
And by the way, how valuable is the data of you scrolling if you're doom scrolling on TikTok and they have your quote information, what do they
really know about you? They know how to put the right ad in front of you at the right time, right person, right time, right place, right message, but
that's what all of the data elite are capable of. Meta can do that, Google can do that. Every -- Amazon can do that with their recommendation engine.
All of the big hyperscalers, all of the biggest tech companies have a wealth of data about all of us. And they use it specifically to put the
right content in front of us that's going to basically get us to click on ads or buy stuff.
And so I'm trying to understand what the danger is that we're afraid of. If we're afraid that the Chinese government is going to know your name,
address, and phone number, do you think they don't know your name, address, and phone number now? I mean, come on.
So I'm not sure. No one's really articulated what the threat is. But again, it needs to be investigated because whatever that threat is, now the three-
letter agencies need to investigate it. But it's missing a much larger point, a much larger point.
GOLODRYGA: Well, this specific Supreme Court has heard arguments, other arguments, regarding private companies that moderate social media platforms
and free speech. So what does that tell you about any sort of leniencies that they may have and where they may ultimately decide this case?
Do you think --
PALMER: It's hard.
GOLODRYGA: -- there's a chance that they could side with ByteDance?
PALMER: So look, my guess is, and this is just a guess, and I really probably shouldn't speculate, but you've asked the question. If I was going
to place a bet, I would say that the Supreme Court has agreed to hear it. They're going to stay this while they make a decision, which will allow the
new administration to come to power. Because this is only like a few days in advance.
When the new administration comes to power, some decisions will be made. That's my guess, if I had to guess. Of course, it's impossible to tell.
This is not something that any of us are going to have any power over.
I know for a fact that everybody is scrambling to figure out what to do with the aftermath. One of the things that's not being talked about enough
is that there are not only there are 170 million TikTok users actively every month, there are tens of millions, and I mean tens of millions of
cottage industries. The creator economy is what it's generally known as people who make their living substantial amount of their living on TikTok.
And I have to say very -- YouTube is going to be the beneficiary as well Meta and Instagram. Their Instagram property. But realistically --
GOLODRYGA: Why, because they're U.S. owned? Because they're U.S. owned companies?
PALMER: Well, because if you cancel TikTok, if you ban it, the creators have nowhere to go. They all have YouTube channels. They all have Instagram
channels. They all have Facebook profiles. And so they're able to put their videos there.
But I don't know that the revenue will be made up. And if it is, the recipients, the beneficiaries will be Meta and Google, mostly Google,
because YouTube is the bigger video platform.
But I think you're going to -- I don't know where -- even the biggest of the -- of the creators, they'll have a couple of million followers on
TikTok. They'll only have a few hundred thousand Instagram followers, like, it's usually a fraction of the number of followers.
And so the -- literally the government is putting these people out of business. And you may think that that's an OK thing to do. But I got to
tell you, there's an awful lot of people, millions of people who are making their living off of TikTok right now. It's kind of a big deal.
So what will the government do for them? We're shutting down. TikTok, OK, do these people get benefits? Do they get any recourse? Do they have any
way to make up the income? And the answer is no. They're all going to go scramble on Google platforms. They're going to scramble on Meta platforms.
And they're going to scramble wherever else they can to try and pick up the audiences that they had on TikTok. So the aftermath is going to be pretty
financially devastating to a pretty large group of people.
[12:40:15]
GOLODRYGA: Yes. And it's interesting that you've got an incoming administration who wants, at one point, in the last term, Donald Trump
issued an executive order, right, to ban TikTok. And now here he is appearing to embrace it once again, if for no other reason than he likes
the way he's portrayed and how many viewers he has on the platform.
We'll continue to watch the stories that develop. Shelley Palmer, thank you so much.
PALMER: My pleasure. Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: Just ahead for us, Hollywood actress Blake Lively files explosive legal claims. Her former co-star's lawyer calling them
intentionally salacious. Details on the drama and its implications, just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lily, you want to do the honors?
BLAKE LIVELY, AMERICAN ACTRESS: No, you go ahead. I need to take it in from here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, let's hope you say that. OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Actress Blake Lively has filed a civil rights complaint against her "It Ends With Us" co-star Justin Baldoni. It accuses the actor of
sexual harassment during production and of orchestrating a smear campaign against her. Baldoni's talent agency has since cut ties with the actor.
Baldoni denies the accusations.
CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister joins us now from Los Angeles with more.
And, Elizabeth. It was clear even as this film premiered that there was some bad blood and tension between these two camps. Now we're getting
specific details of the allegations against Justin, and they're quite damning.
ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: That's right. So when this film premiered during the press tour, fans were quick to notice
that Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni didn't do a single interview together and they were never photographed together. That's obviously very unusual to
walk the red carpet at a film in which you're co-starring and to not walk the red carpet together.
And now Blake Lively filing the civil rights complaint over the weekend that gives some clarity to what actually happened on this set, at least
from her perspective.
And as you said, Bianna, these allegations are incredibly damning. Blake Lively alleging that she was working under unsafe working conditions and
that she was repeatedly subjected to sexual harassment. Some examples that have come up in her claims are that there was unwanted prolonged kissing in
some of the scenes. By the way, this film is about a couple and domestic violence. So obviously now hard to watch knowing these allegations.
[12:45:12]
She also alleges that there were repeated sexual comments, that Justin Baldoni spoke about his sex life, and that he along with another male
producer who is named in this complaint walked into her trailer uninvited numerous times when she was undressed or when she was breastfeeding.
Now, Justin Baldoni is denying these claims intensely. I want to read you part of what his attorney, Brian Freedman, told me over the weekend. He
says, quote, it is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations as yet another
desperate attempt to fix her negative reputation.
Now, part of this lawsuit, Bianna, beyond the allegations of sexual harassment, Blake Lively is saying that Justin Baldoni and his team
coordinated a sophisticated and pre-planned effort behind the scenes to take down her reputation.
And during this film's promotion, if you looked online, there were many, many negative comments said about Blake Lively.
Now in a statement, Blake Lively says quote, I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on the sinister retaliatory tactics to harm
people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted.
Now, as you said, Bianna, the fallout has been swept. Justin Baldoni's talent agency WME, one of the biggest in Hollywood. I have a source that
confirmed with me that they have cut ties with him over the weekend.
And by the way, Blake Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds are also represented by that same agency.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Elizabeth Wagmeister, this caught a lot of people's attentions when these developments started to quickly happen over the
weekend. Thank you so much.
Well, on this eve of Christmas Eve, we'll introduce you to Radio City Music Hall's first African-American Rockette. And we'll hear about her courageous
battle against cancer. That's head.
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GOLODRYGA: Jennifer Jones is a trailblazer. She broke the color barrier at Radio City Music Hall in 1987 when she became the first black Rockette
dancer.
Since then, she was pushed -- she has pushed for more diversity in the arts. Jones has released a children's book, and she's now working on her
own memoir. She's also created the nonprofit, I'm a Dancer Against Cancer, after she was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer five years ago.
[12:50:12]
It is a pleasure to welcome Jennifer Jones to the program. She joins me live. Jennifer, you know, I have to say, the Radio City Rockettes and
seeing them this time of year is just a tradition. And knowing the history made in 1987 when you joined them at the age of 20.
I'm just wondering in the moment, did you understand the magnitude of what you being on that stage meant for not only yourself, but obviously
generations to come?
JENNIFER JONES, FIRST BLACK RADIO CITY ROCKETTE: Good day, Bianna. Thank you for having me on your show.
I did not know the magnitude of what was happening at 20 years old. I did not know the history of the Rockettes. And it wasn't until my journey of
being a Rockette for 15 years that I learned what I had done and breaking a barrier and having so many women who have joined the line and have careers
as Rockettes today.
GOLODRYGA: And I love your story because all of us, you know, when we set out and if we're lucky enough to be able to achieve our dreams and doing
what we're passionate about, what we love to do, and in your case have the talent to do it, it starts at a very young age and with supportive parents.
And I know your parents were huge fans of Broadway. And it was when they took you to see The Wiz that a light bulb --
JONES: Yes.
GOLODRYGA: -- went off in your head and you knew what you wanted to do. Talk about the impact that had.
JONES: I'm very fortunate that my parents saw the love of dance that I had at such a young age. And I'm very fortunate that they were big Broadway
goers. And they took my sister and I to see The Wiz five times on Broadway with Stephanie Mills, Andre De Shields, Hinton Battle, Mabel King.
And then waiting for those autographs after the show backstage, I knew that was my life and I needed to walk out of a backstage door.
However, when the Rockettes audition came around, I did not know who the Rockettes were. And a peer said to me, Jennifer, you should go to the
audition. You would make a great Rockette.
And being very green in the business and very nervous at auditions, that morning, I decided to go to the audition. And when I got to Radio City
Music Hall at ten o'clock, the time of the audition, there was a line of women wrapped around the music hall, beautiful, long legs, they knew how to
do their hair, makeup.
And I got at the end of the line. And I thought about leaving numerous times. I thought I could make my favorite jazz class at eleven o'clock
because I figured they were not going to pick me.
And I thought about leaving numerous times and then a voice inside me said, stay. And if I did not have the voice or the intuition to listen to my
inner voice, my life would not have changed the way it did on such a worldwide magnitude. And I conquered my fear and I made the audition.
GOLODRYGA: We are so glad you listened to that inner voice. And in addition to needing that inner voice to move forward, especially taking on
challenges, like the one you did auditioning for something as large and prominent as the Rockettes on Radio City Music Hall, so at such a young
age. In addition to that, you being a first, and that really launched in you the desire to see more diversity in the arts.
I'm wondering along your path, I'm sure that you were facing some bumps along the road and people who said, now is not the time and were pushing
back, but I'm sure you also had allies. Just talk about balancing them both.
Well, with great change comes great resistance. And with that, I did tend to lean in towards my allies, the women on the line who were finally ready
for a change. They taught me how to guide, they taught me how to kick, they taught me how to toe the line, heal the line. They really made sure that I
was up to the job and to do what the Rockette technique was.
Of course, when there is backlash, that does come in and no one was allowed to take away what I wanted to do most in the world as a young child and
that was to dance and to be on Radio City musical stage, that landmark stage in front of 6,000 people every night. No one was allowed to take that
joy away from me.
[12:55:04]
So that was the inner strength that I had, but also the women who were surrounding me and comforting me and making sure I was the best Rockette
possible pushed me forward.
GOLODRYGA: And you continue to inspire and hope to inspire future generations. Your children's book, "On the Line: My Story of Becoming the
First African-American Rockette." And also your battle with cancer, stage three colon cancer. You were told you had a few months to live. That was
five years ago. Now you're five years cancer-free. And you are now involved in the nonprofit organization Dancers Against Cancer.
I highly suggest our viewers really focus in on all of the important work that you have been doing. Congratulations on everything, Jennifer Jones.
JONES: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: Happy holidays to you.
JONES: Happy holidays. Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: And that does it for this hour of ONE WORLD. I'm Bianna Golodryga. Thanks so much for watching. "AMANPOUR" is next.
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