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One World with Zain Asher
Historic Flooding Leaves Tens Of Thousands At Risk; FDA Intends To Put "Black Box" warning On COVID-19 Vaccine; U.S. Piles Pressure On Maduro With Tanker Seizure And Sanctions; Fired Michigan Coach Expected In Court Today; M23 Rebels Enter Uvira, As U.S.-Brokered Peace Deal Falters; Disney Gives OpenAI Access To Characters With Some Limits; Former "Home Alone" House Owner Marks 35 Years Since Film Debut; Aired 12-1p ET
Aired December 12, 2025 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:00:34]
ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: The rain in Washington State is over, but meer just say the flooding will keep coming.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: The second hour of "One World" starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Even though it's not raining, our rivers are still rising and -- and it still could potentially get worse before it gets
better.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Record breaking flooding, 100,000 are rushing to safety as river waters continue to surge.
ASHER: Brand-new photos from Jeffrey Epstein's estate, just been released showing Donald Trump, Bill Gates, Woody Allen as well, just to name a few.
And later.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kevin.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Home Alone."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: What is your son saying now?
ASHER: He quotes this movie all the time. Keep the change of you filthy animal. My four-year-old says that to me.
GOLODRYGA: He's truly a lover of this iconic movie then. We celebrate 35 years of "Home Alone" with the original owner of that iconic house.
ASHER: All right. Coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. You're watching the second hour of "One World."
A potentially catastrophic situation is unfolding in Washington State right now. Tens of thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate as river
levels in the western part of the state have reached record highs. Rivers across the region there bursting their banks and inundating homes and towns
with floodwater.
In some areas right now, the National Guard is going door to door to warn people of the danger and help them get out.
ASHER: Yes. Dozens of rescues are happening across the states like the one you actually see here. The flood waters forcing people to flee to higher
ground, the U.S. Coast Guard, rescuing people trapped inside their attics as well.
Skagit River, near Mount Vernon, crested at levels never seen before, topping out in nearly 11.5 meters or 37.62 feet. Washington's governor
emphasizes the gravity of this situation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. BOB FERGUSON (D-WA): The situation is potentially catastrophic, that's their term. And also has the potential for significant loss of life.
And that is still the threat that we're under really across Washington State and many counties right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Meteorologist Allison Chinchar has the latest on this forecast. And, Allison, I remember hearing earlier in the week that flooding and
heavy rains were expected for this part of the country, but I would imagine it's safe to say no one expected at this level and at this rate.
What should local residents be heeding right now? What are they anticipating and expecting in the next hours to come?
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right. I mean, it's always very hard. No one ever thinks that something like this would happen to you, even if
you do have watches and warnings in place, but this is what communities look like in some of these areas.
Now, this particular portion of Washington is very far north in the state. We're almost right near the Canadian border. and you can see what used to
be a roadway. This is where cars would normally be traveling through. We've got businesses in the background. All of it is just underwater at this
point in time. Not just from the rain that came down, but from a lot of the rivers, creeks and streams that were nearby, that the water has now come
out of its banks and kind of inundating the surrounding areas.
And it's one of many rivers, creeks and streams that have been dealing with flooding concerns. And we still have some that are expected to stay at or
above that flood stage level, at least for the next 24 hours.
Here's a look at some of those numbers. OK. So you can see all of these tiny little squares on the map indicate a river gauge that is either at
minor, moderate, or major flood stage.
And as I mentioned, it takes time for these rivers to come back down. So for a lot of these, they are likely going to stay at those levels at least
through the remainder of the day today.
One of the biggest concerns has been one of the rivers that is in the northern part of the state here. And you can see it crested at 37.7 feet,
beating the previous record of 37.4 feet.
Now we're going to start to see it gradually come back down, but again, these things take time. It's -- it's not like regular runoff in the streets
that goes down through the drainage and can go away relatively quickly. This kind of volume of water takes time and we're talking days in some of
these cases.
The one bit of good news is that the rain has finally let up in the vast majority of places. You still have a few light showers here or there, but
this is now when our break is going to take place. We're going to get a little bit of a lull in the showers that will allow those rivers to slowly
come back down.
[12:05:07]
The concern is there is yet another system that is headed for the latter portion of the weekend and then an even more potent atmospheric river
system that is expected to this area Monday and Tuesday of next week.
So here's a look at the remainder of the day Friday, again, not really much going on. But as you'll see, we'll get that first wave that comes in late
Saturday, really kind of that Saturday overnight into very early Sunday time frame.
And then this is the next system. This is the one that is set to arrive into the Pacific Northwest Monday and really into Tuesday. This is where we
are looking at very heavy rainfall again on top of some of these areas that already experienced record rainfall over the last few days, but it's also
going to come with very gusty winds.
The concern here is now that the ground is already saturated. It really doesn't take much of a wind. Thirty, 40-mile per hour winds is all it will
take to bring trees and power lines down. So we could be looking at even further damage once this next system comes back in, again, especially as we
head Monday into Tuesday.
So here's a look. This only goes out through Monday morning. So some of these numbers are even going to be higher when we take into account what
could come on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.
But the point is, is that you're expecting additional inches of rainfall to come in while these next two systems arrive.
Here's a look at Monday. This is the excessive rainfall risk where you see that yellow shaded area, that's the level two out of four. Basically what
this is saying is, these areas have already had a saturated ground. They already have a ton of water, but now that we're going to add even more on
Monday, this is where the biggest concern is going to lie for any future flooding that may take place.
And really, the concern is also the rivers, creeks and streams. We want them to go down, not back up, but we could see a few of them going in the
opposite direction as we head into early next week.
GOLODRYGA: So a few more days, potentially dangerous weather. Thank you so much, Allison Chinchar.
ASHER: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: We appreciate it.
Well, turning now to a CNN exclusive. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is intending to put a black box warning on COVID-19 vaccines, according to
two people familiar with the plans.
ASHER: Yes. Box warning is the FDA's most serious tool used to warn users about life-threatening risks linked to a product for reference opioids, for
example, carry a black box warning due to the risk of abuse, addiction and overdose.
Health Secretary RFK Jr. has not held back at all in the skepticism about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. CNN's Meg Tirrell has more.
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MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we've learned that the FDA is finalizing plans to put its most serious warning on COVID-19 vaccines. It's
called the black box warning. And it shows up really at the top of prescribing information outlined in a black box. So that prescribers and
patients are aware of really serious risks that can be associated with products.
Typically, this is reserved for situations where a medical product might be associated with the risk of death or life-threatening or disabling
reactions. And really, it's there so that prescribers and patients can weigh those potential risks against the benefits of any intervention that
they're considering.
Now, we've learned that this is in the process. It's not finalized and could still change, but it comes after a memo was issued in late November
by the FDA's vaccines Chief, Dr. Vinay Prasad, which claimed that the COVID-19 vaccine has been linked to the deaths of at least 10 children.
Now, this is a claim that outside experts say they haven't seen data to support and question if that is part of the impetus for adding this label
to the vaccines, whether that is an appropriate course of action.
Typically, also the procedure for something like this involves a really public process. The FDA, typically, experts tell us would let the public
know that it's weighing the safety risk. Sometimes call an outside panel of advisors to meet, to discuss the safety data and whether to add this to the
labels of a medical product.
And so far, of course, we haven't seen any of that take place. Now, we have reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services, which tells us
in a statement, quote, unless the FDA announces it, any claim about what it will do is pure speculation. The FDA takes very seriously any death that is
attributed to a regulated medical product.
We should also point out, this is just the latest in a series of efforts under the Trump administration's health officials during this
administration to weaken confidence in COVID-19 vaccines.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been a longtime critic of the COVID vaccine's safety and efficacy. But we should also note that these
vaccines were developed, tested, and greenlit under the first Trump administration, really in a scientific feat that was so monumental that
many Republicans now are calling for the president to win the Nobel Peace Prize for it.
COVID-19 vaccines are still recommended, especially for more vulnerable groups, including the elderly people with weakened immune systems and also
for children and babies under the age of two, all who are at a potentially higher risk of being hospitalized for COVID-19.
[12:10:02]
So there is a lot of concern that a warning like this placed on these vaccines could weaken confidence in them when vaccination rates are already
low, potentially making those trends even worse.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Meg Tirrell reporting there.
All right. Amid a flurry of peace talks this week, Ukraine's president says questions over territories still remain unresolved at this point. Ukraine's
military says, its forces are in control of the frontline city of Siversk. This contradicts a statement by Russian commanders claiming its troops had
seized it.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. This weekend, Ukrainian and European officials set to meet in Paris for new peace talks. The White House, meanwhile, appears to be
growing impatient. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says U.S. President Trump is, in her words, sick of meetings just for the sake of meeting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president is extremely frustrated with both sides of this war. And he is sick of meetings just for
the sake of meeting. He doesn't want any more talk. He wants action. He wants this war to come to an end.
And the administration has spent more than 30 hours this -- just in the past couple of weeks meeting with the Russians and the Ukrainians and the
Europeans and speaking with them as well. So we'll see about the meetings this weekend and stay tuned.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: The White House is ramping up pressure on the Venezuela's president. Nicolas Maduro is sharply condemning the U.S. after the military seized an
oil tanker carrying nearly two million barrels of Venezuelan crude.
In a televised address, Maduro accused the U.S. of conducting what he calls a military assault like pirates of the Caribbean.
GOLODRYGA: A senior U.S. official tells CNN additional tanker seizures are possible and the U.S. president is hinting at possible strikes inside
Venezuela.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you look at the drug traffic, drug traffic by sea is down 92 percent. And nobody can figure out
who the eight percent is, because I have no idea.
Anybody getting involved in that right now is not doing well. And we'll start that on land, too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: We're joined now by CNN national security analyst Beth Sanner, who is also a fellow at Harvard's Belfer Center and a former deputy
director of national intelligence. Beth, it's good to see you. It's been a while.
I know earlier this week on CNN, you described the seizure of this tanker as absolutely normal, as we know that this had been a tanker that had been
followed and sanctioned by the Biden administration as well.
And before this seizure, a judge had actually offered and agreed to a warrant for it. But with the president now saying that there may be more
tankers that will be seized by the United States, as well as the threats to land strikes, do you think this weakens, and in addition, we should note
sanctions against the Maduro's family as well just overnight?
Do you think that this weakens Maduro's hold enough to where, if regime change is the ultimate goal, the U.S. is going about this effectively? Or
do you think, in fact, there could be some sort of rally around the flag or at least his military in terms of supporting him domestically?
BETH SANNER, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Yes, there's a lot there. I think first, when President Trump was asked yesterday in the Oval Office,
if this now meant that the whole purpose of this was regime change, he went back to immigration and the idea that Venezuela is pushing these criminals
into the United States and drugs.
And I think that, you know, the lack of clarity about the goals is an issue. And I think the reason for that lack of clarity is that, you know,
the Republican base, Trump's base -- political base, doesn't want to have the United States involved in regime change. And they are much more
concerned as the national security strategy is on these very domestic issues.
But, you know, I think the -- the question of, is this going to be effective? One tanker doesn't do it. So that means that is this now a
concerted effort to, you know, essentially blockade Venezuela from exporting oil?
They have about one percent of oil supply in the world. And most of this goes to China. And most of it goes on these shadow fleet tankers that not
just carry Venezuelan oil, but also carry Iranian sanctioned oil and Russian sanctioned oil and are dangerous and, you know, generally not
flagged and properly maintained.
So there are some big questions there. And I'll stop there for me because we could go on here and I'll let you ask a question.
ASHER: But -- but to your point, if that becomes the U.S.'s strategy in addition to, you know, the drug boats, addition to, you know, talking about
land attacks, if it focuses on Venezuela's economy, if it -- if this isn't just a one and done and it ends up seizing more oil tankers, you mentioned
that China imports the bulk of Venezuela and oil. I think it's like 80 percent. The U.S. also does import some via Chevron, but it's such a small
amount.
[12:15:18]
What are the consequences for Venezuela's economy? Because Venezuela obviously relies almost entirely on -- on oil, oil exports, and it needs
that money to import food and medicine.
What happens to the economy? What happens to the people of Venezuela if that is the U.S.'s strategy?
SANNER: Yes. I mean, this is always the question about sanctions is, you know, is this -- are these kinds of blockades or sanctions, you know, as
we've done in Cuba for many years, does this hurt the people more than the regime?
And this is a very big and legitimate question to ask. I think when you have the opposition leader, Carina Machado, in Norway accepting the Peace
Prize and saying, look, this is the primary source of this corrupt and illegitimately not elected regime, stole the election.
If this is their major source of funding it is, we should support global efforts to siphon that off and prevent the regime from using that for the
police state that is used not to pay teachers or to buy food, as she said, but to oppress the people.
So, I mean, I think that, you know, here's one voice that would say, yes, it's worth it. Maybe it is something that would push Maduro out. It hasn't
really been tried.
But in the past, other leaders have not crumbled. But the difference here is that there is a multifaceted kind of multi-pronged effort, because we
have the military really showing that it's, you know, it's right there, and Trump is talking about even military force.
And we're just, over the last week, seeing yet additionally more military assets from the United States move into the region that are exactly the
kind of forces that would be used to take a military strike.
And so that is where people are concerned is this -- is this a prelude to escalation. And it could very well be.
GOLODRYGA: Right. And we have the largest naval presence in the region that we've had there in decades. You mentioned the national security strategy
that was released by the administration earlier this week and last week and raised a lot of eyebrows because the focus of it did seem to be the Western
Hemisphere for the United States.
That seems to be where the U.S. would like to invest more of its resource and sort of, you know, it's the Monroe Doctrine, but under President Trump
now.
And as it relates to Europe, there is concern about what this means in terms of supporting the alliance that has been the core of U.S. relations
with its allies since the end of the Second World War. Of course, that is NATO. And what the U.S. is really willing to do in terms of offering
security guarantees to Ukraine.
The president, as we had noted, is very impatient at this point, reportedly wants a peace deal by Christmas. And all the pressure is -- is focused on
one country, and that is Ukraine.
What does that tell you? What does that tell Europeans about what the president may be forcing at some point Ukraine to accept?
SANNER: Exactly. I -- I really loved how you framed that, Bianna, because what we -- we tend to kind of look at what's being negotiated and we're
looking at this term and that term, but the context of this is so important.
So the context of these negotiations are two things I think very important. Number one, as you said, is the national security strategy, which clearly
lays out a United States withdrawal of military assets, of -- of you know, focus on Europe, and saying, hey, you're -- you've got to defend yourself
much more.
Some of that quite fair, but other parts of it is about the United States withdrawal. So, how do you look at these Article Five guarantees with
Ukraine, which is what the president has, I think, absolutely rightly said?
I understand that these are crucial to getting this deal done. I understand the United States will have to provide these security guarantees.
But the whole idea of a security guarantee is -- is in the minds of the adversary. Do we believe you that you are actually going to follow through
and defend Ukraine? That's very important for Russia to believe, and it's also important for U.S. allies to believe.
And then the second thing that I think is important in context is that from the very beginning of the Trump administration, they've been negotiating
two things in my mind. One is the end the war. But the other thing is the normalization and the re-institution of Russia as being a legitimate power
in the world and having it economically reconnected to the world and to Europe.
[12:20:22]
And that creates all sorts of vulnerabilities for Europe, within fact Trump had pointed out in his first term.
GOLODRYGA: Right. I mean, the whiplash there, the president had been chastising Europe for depending too much on Russian energy and gas. And now
that they've weaned themselves off of it, he's suggesting, hey, let's go back to the old status quo. That's the best way to end this war.
We'll continue to follow all of these developments, both in Europe and in the Western Hemisphere here in Venezuela, specifically.
Beth Sanner --
ASHER: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: -- you explained it perfectly for us. Please come back.
SANNER: Thank you.
ASHER: All right. Still to come, new images shed light on the powerful figures in Jeffrey Epstein's orbit. Details ahead on what lawmakers has
released the short time ago.
GOLODRYGA: Plus, a shocking shakeup at one of America's biggest college football programs. What led to a history making head coaches' sudden
downfall.
ASHER: And if you're looking for some World Cup tickets next year, you better care for some sticker shock after the break. What livid football
fans are doing about the sky rocketing prices. We're being told that the finals could cost upwards of $4,000. We'll have more on that after the
break.
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ASHER: All right. We are tracking the latest developments in the Jeffrey Epstein case. This morning, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee,
released new photos in the late sex trafficking estates -- sex trafficker's estates, excuse me.
GOLODRYGA: The 19 images show some of the many powerful figures in Epstein's orbit. This includes two U.S. presidents, Donald Trump and Bill
Clinton. There you see President Trump. There you see Steve Bannon, the former Trump advisor and billionaire businessman Bill Gates. Richard
Branson also in photos.
None of the released images depict any sexual misconduct or are believed to depict underage girls. All of this as the Justice Department has exactly
one week to release the Epstein-related files in its possession.
ASHER: A stunning fall from grace that one of America's biggest college football programs. Sherrone Moore, the first black head coach hired at the
University of Michigan is expected to be arraigned later today after being accused of assault.
[12:25:04]
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Police spoke to Moore into the county jail just hours after he was fired over what the university called an inappropriate relationship.
It's still unclear why he was arrested.
Michigan football is one of the most storied programs in all of college sports. Here's how some Michigan students reacted to the news.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was initially pretty shocked and I kind of doubted it at first. I was like, is this really true?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My brother texted me. He was like, OMG, Sherrone Moore got fired. All right. And I was like, what the hell?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Within minutes, like, everyone I knew was talking about it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The reason why he was fired was what I was pretty surprised by.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Whitney Wild joins us live now from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Whitney, what more do we know about his arrest and why he was fired and his
arraignment too?
WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, as far as we know, he is still in this building behind me. This is the Washtenaw County Jail
here. We expect that he is going to go before a judge in about an hour.
We are still working to find out exactly what he is going to be charged with, but our understanding is that, yes, he will be charged this
afternoon. He has been in custody since Wednesday night.
Let me just kind of explain how we got here. Wednesday afternoon was a day that rocked Ann Arbor. It rocked the University of Michigan alumni network,
which is huge, which is global. This is one of the most storied football teams in the NCAA, now embroiled in yet another scandal.
Wednesday afternoon, we learned that the University of Michigan fired Sherrone Moore for an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. Hours
later, law enforcement says they arrested Moore. The allegation at the time that they were investigating was an assault. We know hours after they
responded to that incident. He was then taken into custody that evening where he has been ever since.
There are many questions about what the University knew leading up to his firing and then how the university actually handled the firing and then
what happens now?
We have sent a detailed list of questions to the University of Michigan to try to find out when this investigation began.
What changed this week that pushed the University to decide that they were forced to part ways with Sherrone Moore? The university is saying very
little, only saying, as I mentioned before, that he did have an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. The university has a zero
tolerance for such conduct. And -- and that is basically all they are saying at this moment.
Again, we are still waiting for the details of any pending criminal case. But the outstanding questions are, what happens to the coaching staff?
There is an interim head coach here, Biff Poggi. He is going to lead the team as they take on Texas at the Citrus Bowl on New Year's Eve.
You know, I think it is worth pointing out that this is, again, a university that has been embroiled in scandal. This football team has been
embroiled in scandal for years. There was a sign stealing scandal. There was a recruiting scandal.
And actually when their former head coach, Jim Harbaugh was benched in those incidents, it was Sherrone Moore who swooped in to lead the team. He
was the one who came to the team's rescue in their darkest hour. And now we know that Sherrone Moore, according to the University, is now presenting
another set of problems for the school.
And so when you look at how this team moves forward, what they have done over and over is look among -- look for leadership among themselves, look
for leadership among the players, and that is what they will be forced to do yet again as they run up to another bowl game here in New Year's Eve.
Back to you.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. And you laid out -- laid that out so well. Scandal plagued as this school, as this football team is. The fact that this scandal has
surprised so many people and shocked so many does speak volumes.
Whitney Wild, we're just starting to learn the details about all of this. You will be covering it for us in the days to come. Thank you so much.
ASHER: All right. Coming up, last week, the U.S. President announced that one of Africa's longest and deadliest wars is over. But on the ground in
Eastern Congo, that is certainly not the case. We've got details on the story up ahead.
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GOLODRYGA: All right. Welcome back to "One World." I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher.
President Donald Trump says he has solved eight wars around the world, including one of Africa's most intractable conflicts.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. But just days after a U.S. mediated peace agreement was signed between the Congolese and Rwandan presidents in Washington last
week, new fighting erupted in the eastern DRC.
And Rwandan backed M23 rebels who were not part of the accord have since consolidated control of the strategic town of Uvira and continue gaining
ground. It's their biggest advancement in months and could pave the way for the rebels to expand into other regions.
ASHER: Yes. They're now on the doorstep of Burundi, igniting new fears of a regional spillover in the fighting that's forcing hundreds of Congolese
refugees to flee to the neighboring countries. Here's how some of them are describing the situation there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUMWANA NZULUNI, REFUGEE (through translator): There is no access to drinking water or sanitation facilities. The situation is dire. A large
influx of Congolese men, women, and children have overwhelmed the area. Yet, there are no toilets.
MAPDENDO MARAHAMA MANGONG, REFUGEE (through translator): I haven't eaten since the day before yesterday. Yesterday, a kind stranger gave me some
porridge. Then I felt an overwhelming urge to find my children. I don't even know if they're still alive. I pray someone will help me reunite with
them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Time now for "The Exchange" in our conversation with Yinka Adegoke, he's the African editor of Semafor, joins us live now from New York.
So, Yinka, it was literally, I think, just last week that you and I were having a conversation after you had the leaders of Rwanda and the DRC in
Washington, and you had Donald Trump touting a peace deal between the two countries.
And we were all very skeptical because the M23 rebels who have played a central role in this conflict were not part of that deal. Donald Trump,
during the signing, actually said, they spent a lot of time killing each other and now they're going to spend a lot of time hugging.
I mean, obviously, that didn't work out. And a lot of people expected that it wouldn't. Explain to us why not.
YINKA ADEGOKE, EDITOR, SEMAFOR AFRICA: Well, you know, it was literally days ago, right? And we were skeptical at the time because even if you
watch the body language of the two presidents, they were doing anything but hugging each other, right? There -- there -- there was kind of, you know,
cool lights, but there was no real sense that they were really at peace with each other, much less, you know, the deeper conflict.
[12:35:16]
But what's going on here is, as you say, the M23 rebels who are not part of the -- who are being negotiated separately in terms of the peace of deal,
are not part of this, of the Trump arrangement.
And it's -- it's kind of not a surprise in the sense that, you know, you don't expect a rebel group to turn up in Washington for negotiation, but
you would have hoped that would have been settled before the talks in D.C. happened.
And what's happened now is, you know, things are getting out of control. They are -- the real affairs, the United Nations have real concerns that
this will become -- will, you know, put in other countries, in particular, as you just said there.
And -- and this goes back 30 years to the Rwandan genocide. That's why it - - it -- it's going to take such a long time to resolve this and to really dig into the, you know, the main sorts of issues, the -- the underlying
issues with -- with this conflict.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. And you actually noted that the devil is in the details, that doesn't just apply to this conflict, it typically applies to most
conflicts that have been so ongoing as long as these two -- these have.
And yet, the president, despite his skills in negotiating as he likes to tout, he, I think, would also acknowledge that he is not a details kind of
man. And by avoiding the details, especially as it relates to the economy mining the alleged Rwandan support for M23, none of that has been resolved.
So what, if anything, can the U.S. do now to hold these parties accountable and focus on these specific issues?
ADEGOKE: I mean, they've -- they've already made strong statements at the Security Council, the United Nations, and, you know -- you know, a lot of
it was calling out Rwanda, but they also sort of threw Rwanda a bone and say, you know, call it for, you know, neither side to, you know, make anti-
ethnic statements. This is a reference to the anti-Tutsi statements that happened even going back, you know, 30 years.
But ultimately, the -- the -- the problem here, the biggest challenge for the U.S. here is that, as you say, it's about the details. They -- they --
they rushed into sort of thinking that if we could just get these guys to see that there are economic opportunities here, they -- they will come to
table and everything will be fine. But it's never that simple.
I mean, even though it is the right idea, right? At the end, all of these conflicts, almost anywhere in the world, almost always have some sort of
economic challenge to where people are competing for resources.
But they -- they've done these deals with the sense that, oh, yes, we -- we place an opportunity for U.S. businesses come in. They're thinking a lot
about how it pays off for the U.S. But they haven't really, in my opinion, just have really gone into details and thoughts about how it helps the
people of those countries, besides, you know, the sort of their leads at the top.
And then ultimately, what happens is, they at least themselves have all kinds of other personal issues, you know, regarding whether they want to
work with people from another country or they feel the other side is going to have more than they would. So you end up in this situation where the
real big underlying issues that never really get resolved.
ASHER: Yes. And it's also so hard to resolve a conflict that goes back so far. I mean, you talked about this idea that it goes back 30 years, it goes
back to the Rwanda genocide when Houthi rebels left and fled to the DRC.
But also you've got this idea that Rwanda is saying that they have no control over the M23 rebels. You've got 100 different militias operating
the DRC at this time. And you've got each side blaming the other of backing rebels against them.
So it's really difficult, even if the U.S. does try to intervene. And obviously, the U.S. does have economic incentives here. It's a very, very
difficult conflict to solve overnight.
Yinka Adegoke, we have to leave it there. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.
ADEGOKE: Thank you for all again.
GOLODRYGA: Thank you.
Well, the name Disney is synonymous with animation, but soon it may be on the cutting edge of A.I. as well. We have details of a new deal to put
Mickey, Elsa, and Cinderella in a whole new world.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:40:24]
GOLODRYGA: All right. Let's go check on how the U.S. markets are doing. We have red arrows today. The Dow is down about almost four-tenths of a
percent. The S&P 500 down nearly one percent. The NASDAQ down one and a half percent. This is your "Business Breakout."
ASHER: Shares of cannabis companies jumped by more than 30 percent after "The Washington Post" reported the Trump administration is expected to
loosen federal restrictions on marijuana.
The report says it would have the same classification as common prescription painkillers. It would also reduce oversight over the plant and
its derivatives and ease criminal penalties.
GOLODRYGA: A judge has sentenced crypto mogul Do Kwon to 15 years in prison. The judge adds a 34-year-old committed fraud on an epic
generational scale that caused everyday investors to lose 40 billion dollars.
The man known as the cryptocurrency king depleted charities and left one victim with no retirement money.
ASHER: And Disney has inked a deal with OpenAI. It includes a $1 billion investment and licensing its characters. The agreement lets users OpenAI
generate videos and images using more than 200 Disney animated characters, including Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse as well.
GOLODRYGA: CNN's Brian Stelter has more on what this could mean for the industry.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: We know that these A.I. systems have been trained on copyrighted content. There are lots of lawsuits now
unfolding about that. And even this week, Disney sent a cease and desist letter to Google over its use -- over the use of copyrighted material to
train A.I. systems.
But Disney, like other media companies, also looking around, trying to figure out how to be a part of this revolution, how to involve its content,
knowing that that's what users want to do.
So for example, under this new deal, you'll be able to create a video of you having a lightsaber battle from "Star Wars." A video of you right
inside the movie "Toy Story."
People will be able to create short little mini movies with more than 200 Disney characters and also using different Disney props and things like
that.
Notably though, you won't have access to the voices. So, you know, that's one guardrail that will still be in place. And Disney has lots of other
guardrails in place about a lack of violence, not interacting with characters from other media companies et cetera.
So Disney is saying this is in interest -- in its interest as well as in OpenAI's. And as you mentioned, Disney taking a $1 billion investment in
OpenAI. But we don't really know how this is going to end.
I'm -- I'm so curious about this because other Hollywood studios will probably follow. There will probably be other deals like this. Disney
wanting to get in on the ground floor, so to speak. But we're just at the very beginning of this generative A.I. revolution where you'll be able to
insert yourself, I guess, with Mickey Mouse now.
[12:45:13]
GOLODRYGA: It is indeed a whole new world.
ASHER: Brian Stelter reporting there.
All right. Football fans, beware. Ticket prices for next year's World Cup tournament are eye-popping. The fan group called Football Supporters Europe
is calling the prices a, quote, monumental betrayal of fans describing them as extortionate.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Tickets to the games are as much as seven times more expensive than those for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. And more than a few
fans are shocked over it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they're pretty insane, honestly. You know, I've been a longtime soccer fan, been watching since I was a kid. I remember
watching the World Cup back in 2010, 2014. And I was pretty excited to watch this year and go to some of these games.
But, you know, even though I have adult money, I can't really afford some of these tickets, which is just insane for the everyday fans.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These ticket prices, I just -- so ridiculous. It's just -- it's too hard.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's disappointing, especially for fans who might be really, you know, interested in the game itself but, you know, maybe not in
a financial position to, you know, swing that kind of price.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A couple hundred, maybe. A couple thousand, absolutely not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: The cheapest tickets for the final in 2026 will cost more than $4,000. I guess I'm not going.
GOLODRYGA: I'm going to watch on television.
ASHER: I know. We'll be right back after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did they come back?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Paris.
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: "Home Alone" is one of the most popular Christmas movies of all time. This holiday classic debuted 35 years ago and is often quoted in my
house with my four-year-old son saying, keep the change, you filthy animal. And he sees me handling money. He literally says to me, keep the change,
you filthy animal.
And then he says, when I disappear, he's like, when I go upstairs, like, I made my family disappear.
GOLODRYGA: And he will be saying that if he's anything like our family and millions of families across the country every year for the next 15 year,
because you cannot get enough of that movie or that house.
And the iconic house featured in the film is once again in the spotlight. It has undergone a number of interior design changes over the years. And
now we're learning that it will be transformed back to the way it looked in 1990 when film audiences got to peek inside it for the first time.
[12:50:13]
For more on this, let's bring in John Abendshien, he is the former owner of that so-called "Home Alone" house outside of Chicago. And he also has
written a memoir called "Home But Alone No More: The Untold Story of the Home Alone House."
Wow, OK. John, like you exist. This house was real. It is so iconic. How did this come? Can you just walk us back to the day when you got a phone
call or a knock on the door some 35 years ago when you were asked, hey, we would like to film a movie with a little up-and-coming actor for the
holidays at your home. Are you available?
JOHN ABENDSHIEN, AUTHOR, "HOME ALONE BUT ALONE NO MORE": Yes. Hello, and thank you for inviting me. It's a delight to be here.
And, yes, 35 years, it's hard to believe all that time is -- is zipped by, but it was the -- we -- we purchased the home in the early days of 1989.
And in November of that year, we had signed a contract. Initially, it was with Warner Brothers, but that's part of the story. Warner Brothers backed
out in the filming early on, but then ultimately with 20th Century Fox, and filming began in early 1990.
And, you know, the background to this lecture at home has a lot to do with John Hughes. John Hughes was not a Hollywood guy. He -- he didn't like
sets, OK? And he loved the North Shore of Chicago because it had that kind of look that he wanted, kind of a traditional family community, kind of a
Norman Rockwellian look to the homes and the neighborhoods.
And he had previously considered a home that we had owned before "Home Alone" for "Uncle Buck." And then that led to the connection ultimately to
the "Home Alone" commitment.
But, yes, I'll -- I'll never forget the day that location manager, Jacolyn Bucksbaum and film director Chris Columbus showed up on our doorstep. And -
- and the rest, as they say, is -- is history.
ASHER: I mean, it's -- it's incredible. What a great story. I have so many questions and I'm going to just ask you them in a rapid succession because
I know we're going to run out of time soon.
But, you know, obviously they did pay you to use your home. I would love -- I would love to know a little bit about that. But also just in terms of
whether or not you got to meet some of the actors, namely Macaulay Culkin, how long did they film for? Did you know or did they tell you that it was
going to be such a huge hit?
ABENDSHIEN: Oh, my goodness, good questions. And -- and, yes, we -- we got to know cast and crew very well. We lived in the home, five and a half
months of filming. And we created kind of our own little movie cave, if you will, on the second floor.
Our -- our master bedroom was quite large and had several rooms. And we were able to make kind of what -- what you could consider an apartment
within our own home. And no kitchen, but no worry. They had food trucks out there all the time, not with just not dogs, but gourmet fare. I mean, we
ate well during that filming.
But it was five and a half months. And, actually, we were given free range. As long as we stayed out of the camera, I mean, basically we could watch
the scenes as they were being shot.
And the interesting part is that after the shoots, the cast and crew just kind of hung around because they were away from home themselves and the
home became kind of a second home to them.
So they became, you know, what I -- what I described as our -- our movie family. We got to know them at a very personal level. And let me tell you,
it was a delight to get to know them, it really was.
GOLODRYGA: I love that. Was the attic really as scary as it was depicted in the film? I wonder if you were a little insulted by that, seeing the film
in the way. Kevin was sent way.
ABENDSHIEN: The house, in general, wasn't as scary as what you see in the movie. We did not have, for example, I -- spoiler alert, we did not have a
man-eating furnace in the basement, OK? It was kind of boring boiler.
And the third floor attic had been totally, you know, redesigned on a set, on a sound stage. And because the actual third story of that -- of that
home was former maid's quarters and boring folks. I mean, it wouldn't have given you the same vibe that the attic does in the movie.
ASHER: And -- and give me your favorite line from "Home Alone." Is it, I'm going to feed you to my tarantula? Is it, give me some more? There's so
many.
[12:55:07]
ABENDSHIEN: Oh, my. My favorite -- my favorite --
My kid quote me, we overslept -- we overslept. Kevin, on the plane, in first class.
ABENDSHIEN: My favorite line is not movie, it's the final cut, OK? Done and over with.
But -- but I'll tell you my -- my -- my favorite -- my favorite part of the script was totally ad hoc. It was John Candy. He made this all up on the
spot. And that's when he's trying to comfort Kate McCallister because she was feeling so guilty that she had left her -- her -- her kid behind.
And he was describing how he left his son overnight in a funeral parlor.
GOLODRYGA: I remember.
ABENDSHIEN: He totally came up with that. That was not in the script. And, yes, and -- and then I would go back to --
GOLODRYGA: I remember the exchanges. Yes, I remember the exchanges between the two. As we said, John, unfortunately, we wish you could talk to you
forever. We're tied on time.
Catherine O'Hara, one of my favorite actresses. Just it's, you know, kudos to you for having an eye for real estate. I have to say.
ABENDSHIEN: This is my home. I have to defend it.
GOLODRYGA: Yes.
ASHER: There's a line for you. That's a good one for you.
ABENDSHIEN: And the book is a fun read. It's upbeat "Home But Alone No More. So --
ASHER: There it is. We have it on the screen, John.
ABENDSHIEN: -- thank you for allowing me to do that. OK.
GOLODRYGA: And that -- that home really is beautiful. John Abendshien --
ASHER: Beautiful.
GOLODRYGA: Thank you for sharing your story. Really appreciate it.
ABENDSHIEN: OK. Thank you very much. OK.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Well, that does it for "One World." I'm Bianna Golodryga. I know what I'll be doing this weekend watching "Home Alone One
and Two" now.
ASHER: Of course. Zain Asher. Thank you for watching. "Amanpour" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
