Return to Transcripts main page
One World with Zain Asher
E.U. Considers Using Russia's Frozen Assets To Help Ukraine; U.S. Military Facing Increased Scrutiny Over Boat Strikes; Trump Administration Announces Moves Against Transgender Care For Kids; Trump Repeats False Claims In Prime-Time Address; Brian Walshe Sentenced To Life In Prison Without Parole; Intel Sources: Russia's Shadow Fleet Doubling As Spy Asset; U.S. November Inflation Unexpectedly Slows; The Oscars To Leave ABC To Stream On YouTube In 2029; Aired 12-1p ET
Aired December 18, 2025 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:00:37]
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Unprecedented action of Ukraine. Right now, European leaders are working on a plan that's never been done before. The
second hour of "One World" starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a simple choice, either money today or blood tomorrow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: There's still back and forth on a solution, and for some, the message is clear, it is now or never.
Also ahead, Trump speak speech was filled with lots of information, but what was actually true? Ahead, will fact -- we will separate fact from
fiction.
And later.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the award for most surprising move in Hollywood goes to the Oscars.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: For the first time in its history, the Academy Awards is set to be broadcast on YouTube. Big win or big mistake? We'll discuss with an
industry expert.
Live from Atlanta, I am Lynda Kinkade. You're watching "One World." Good to have you with us.
Well, European leaders are holding high stakes talks in Brussels right now. At the forefront, a question over how it will fund Ukraine in its battle
against Russia.
They've been debating whether to use billions of dollars in frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine. Critics argue using the money to secure loans for
Kyiv could risk potential retaliation from Moscow.
Regardless, the E.U. is committed to funding Ukraine for the next two years. If the proposal does not pass, European governments will need to
find the money elsewhere.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
URSULA VON DER LEYEN, EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT: We have to find a solution today. The president of the council said, and I support him with
that. We will not leave the European Council without a solution for the funding for Ukraine for the next two years. And the two options, one of
them then has to be agreed in the European Council.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy argues those frozen assets are needed for Ukraine to, quote, stand tall economically. He also says
Ukrainian delegations and the U.S. counterparts will meet together on Friday.
Well, CNN has told Russia's top economic envoy will soon travel to Miami, Florida. He's expected to meet with the U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff
for a briefing on the results of this week's peace talks.
Our Clare Sebastian is following developments from Brussels and joins us now live. Good to have you there for us, Clare.
So most of the frozen Russian assets are in Brussels. And, of course, Belgium is insisting on legal guarantees before approving the plan. So,
who's forward and who is against it at this point in time?
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, I think Belgium is the key player here in this, Lynda. They are the ones who have custody of the bulk
of those assets that have been immobilized in Europe, some more than 200 billion or at Euroclear, which is a Belgian bank.
But as of about nine o'clock this morning, Bart De Wever, who is the prime minister of Belgium said he hadn't seen a text yet from the European Union
that meets Belgium's requirements. They -- they want essentially watertight, legally binding guarantees from all member states that would
cover the costs not only of any loan itself, any reparations loan, as it's called that goes to Ukraine, but any resulting legal contingencies, and we
have a threat today, a broader threat from the Russian Central Bank, which has already filed a lawsuit against Euroclear to go after any European
banks who are involved in what they call the illegal confiscation of these assets.
Europe is very clear that this is not confiscation, that this process is a loan and reversible if the war ends, and Russia pays reparations. So that's
what we stand. There's objections from other parties in Europe, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic.
There are some who have expressed some concerns that all the issues haven't been ironed out yet like Italy.
But overall, we are seeing a broader sort of cohesion around this being the working option for funding Ukraine over the next two years. And I think it
was powerful to see President Zelenskyy arrive here today and make the pitch not only that time is running very short for Ukraine financially, he
said that as of next year, Ukraine will struggle to fund its drone program to the same extent. And this could have very broad-reaching implications on
the battlefield, so that is critical.
And also how that feeds into ongoing peace talks. You mentioned that they're restarting between the U.S. and Ukrainian delegations on Friday. He
said he'll feel much more confident going into those talks if he has these assets. Take a listen.
[12:05:13]
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): All these questions are intertwined. Money is needed so that Russia and other
countries in the world does not use these assets as leverage against us.
We are more confident at the negotiating table if we have these assets.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEBASTIAN: So we expect, Lynda, that there are many hours of debate, potentially ahead. This could be a long night in Brussels.
But as I said, these timelines are contracting. It's critical for Ukraine. And it's critical, I think, for Europe. There are many here who present
this as not only a financial decision for Ukraine, but a really important strategic decision for European security.
KINKADE: All right. Clare Sebastian for us in Brussels, Belgium. We will come back to you when there is an update. Thanks so much.
All right. I want to continue this discussion with my next guest, Edward Lucas is a senior fellow and senior advisor at the Center for European
Policy Analysis. He joins us now live from London. Great to have you with us.
EDWARD LUCAS, SENIOR ADVISOR, CENTER FOR EUROPEAN POLICY ANALYSIS: Hello, Christine (ph).
KINKADE: So, Edward, European leaders preparing to take unprecedented steps to support Ukraine at this Brussels summit.
Can you explain why this moment is -- is such a high stakes moment for the E.U.? And how significant is the risk of failure both for Ukraine and, of
course, for E.U. cohesion?
LUCAS: Well, you're right. It's a hugely significant moment, both in practical terms and in symbolic terms, in practical terms, because as Clare
was saying just now, Ukraine really needs that money. People still think, I think, wrongly that Ukraine needs weapons from the West, and, of course, it
does.
But they have a fantastically capable arms industry themselves. It's running not at full blast because they're -- they're short of money.
And then there's the symbolic side. If Europe can't decide this after semi- delays, what can Europe do?
And a second symbolic dimension, the big obstacle here is not just Belgian reluctance. It seems to be interference from the Trump administration who
are saying, we have other plans for these frozen funds. And we don't think that seizing them would help our attempt to push our peace plan.
And so we see a huge transatlantic divide opening as well as the divisions within Europe and the very difficult problems in Ukraine.
KINKADE: And talk to us about potential retaliation, because that is one of the big fears facing Belgium right now. That's one of the reasons they're
hesitant to push ahead with this proposal. How might those sort of divisions shape the outcome?
LUCAS: Well, obviously, Russia always retaliates when it's put under pressure. But that shouldn't mean that you never do anything, because
otherwise, Russia always gets what it wants.
So, yes, there may be some action taking against Western assets inside Russia. My argument would be that people who keep their money in Russia
have -- have had plenty of warning. That was a bad idea and it's -- we shouldn't let that dictate our policy.
But the key thing is, as Donald Tusk was saying, if we don't help Ukraine now and keep Ukraine in the fight, quite soon, we're going to be fighting
Russia without Ukraine. And that would be a great deal more dangerous. So the cost of inaction, I think, is much greater than the cost of action.
KINKADE: Yes. And it just sounds horrific when you hear these warnings that, you know, Russia is gearing up to let this war drag on for at least
another year.
The Commission does have a backup plan to raise money on international markets. Just to explain for us how realistic that option is, given the
need for unanimous support from all 27 member states.
LUCAS: Well, I think the fundamental point is that Europe's actually quite rich. We're talking, if you include the Brits and the other countries.
You've got a 30 trillion GDP and trying to raise, you know, 40 or 50 billion this year and 40 or 50 billion next year. You could do that without
breaking a sweat.
So in a sense, this whole argument is trivial. If we can't get the money from frozen Russian assets, well, we could just, you know, do what the
Danes have done and cut one day -- cut one day -- one day public holiday of their many in order to finance their increased defense spending. So if you
wanted to do it, we would find a way.
It's true the European Union could try borrowing, but collective borrowing causes lots of problems. There's a unanimity question. There's also the
point that the thrifty solvent countries with their AAA ratings like Germany always worry about putting their credit card behind the bar for
money that's going to be spent on -- on other things.
So my view is that it'd be better for governments just to go to their electorates and say, guys, we have a really serious problem with Russia.
We're going to need to cut some spending or raise some taxes because in the end, peace is a great deal cheaper than war. And war is what we'll have if
Ukraine is defeated.
[12:10:09]
But I'm not a European leader. I'm just a humble commentator. But, yes, the easiest option would certainly be to borrow money against the Russian
assets, which is the so-called reparations loan, or just seize them outright.
And the key point here is that Europe's been dodging this question for years. We froze these assets at the start of the full-scale invasion. And
more than three years later, European leaders are still dancing around this question. And that is a terrible signal of weakness and disunity to Putin.
And I'm sure he's taking account of that.
KINKADE: Yes, no doubt. Good to get your perspective and analysis, as always. Edward Lucas, thanks so much for your time.
LUCAS: Bye-bye.
KINKADE: Well, the U.S. military has targeted an alleged drug trafficking boat for the second time this week. The U.S. Southern Command says
Wednesday's strike in the Eastern Pacific Ocean killed four people.
It comes as questions swell about an earlier strike on September 2nd. The initial attack left two survivors who were then killed by a follow-up
strike. Some lawmakers are pressing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to release an unedited video of that incident to the public.
Senior national security reporter Zachary Cohen joins us now from Washington, D.C., with more. Good to see you, Zach. So, what are you
learning about the latest U.S. military strike in the Pacific?
ZACHARY COHEN, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, Lynda, the U.S. military is saying that this boat was targeted, like others that we've
seen, because intelligence confirmed that it was traveling along a known narco-trafficking route and that it was engaged in narco-trafficking.
Now, beyond that, the military not really disclosing any other details other than showing, releasing this video clip that we're seeing right now.
I mean, that's been true for most of these strikes. And it's been a key question for lawmakers and some U.S. officials even about the legality and
the strategy behind this entire campaign.
Now, one of those key questions is whether or not the U.S. has even confirmed that this boat or the ones before it were even headed towards the
U.S., which is a key part of that legal justification the Trump administration has been leaning on as it's been carrying out these strikes.
We know that intelligence has not been able to confirm that in previous instances. In fact, indicating that it was actually headed to Europe or to
other places like Trinidad and Tobago.
So the details disclosed in this announcement, again, like the others before it, really not painting a fulsome picture as far as justifying the
legality goes.
And, of course, it comes as Donald Trump and his administration are making it increasingly clear that this campaign is not just about stopping the
flow of drugs from Latin America into the U.S. It's also about Venezuela. And it seems increasingly likely, based on an interview that the White
House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles did earlier this week that the end game here is to ultimately oust Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
That, of course, Donald Trump announcing that complete and total blockade of sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers earlier this week as well, adding an
economic component to what has been primarily a military campaign.
KINKADE: All right. Zach Cohen for us staying across the door from D.C. Thanks very much.
Well, last hour, the Trump administration announced moves to effectively ban transgender care for children in federal programs. Health Secretary
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other members of the administration made the announcement in Washington.
Some of the proposed measures include blocking payments for doctors and hospitals who provide care such as puberty blockers and surgeries to
patients younger than 18 years old.
Another proposed rule would bar all Medicare and Medicaid funding for hospitals who provide such care.
CNN's Jacqueline Howard is following this story for us. Good to see, Jacqueline.
So, what type of care exactly are they proposing to ban? And what sort of impact could this have?
JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: Lynda, they're really focusing on medications like you mentioned, like puberty blockers and surgery. That
appears to be the main focus of these two proposed rules.
And again, I'm saying proposed rules because these are not going into effect right away. They will be up for public comment. And then the final
rule development process will happen.
But I'll just take you through what exactly is being proposed here. One, we just heard from the administration that one proposed rule will prohibit
doctors and hospitals from receiving federal Medicaid reimbursement for medical care provided to transgender youth younger than age 18.
And then two, the second proposed rule will essentially block Medicaid and Medicare funding for services at hospitals that provide transgender care to
children. So those are the two proposed rules that were seen.
And the care, again, is really focusing on those two different groups. One is pharmaceuticals medication and two surgical interventions, Lynda.
[12:15:04]
KINKADE: Wow. And, of course, Jacqueline, in their announcement, it's also mentioned that the FDA is taking some separate actions. Can you explain
what they are?
HOWARD: That's right. Separately, the FDA said that it's actually issuing warning letters to 12 different manufacturers and retailers for this is
from the administration's press release, quote, illegal marketing of breast binders to children for the purposes of, quote, treating gender dysphoria.
So essentially, the FDA is warning manufacturers that have marketed or sold these breast binder devices as a part of transgender care.
And the FDA is taking this separate action that is happening right now, separate from the two proposed rules, Lynda.
But I will say, overall, when you look at the landscape of transgender care in the United States, so far, 27 states have issued some type of ban on
transgender care specifically for children.
And these two proposed rules and the FDA action is going to override state policy. So we're talking about creating this national landscape around care
right now, Lynda.
KINKADE: All right. Major proposals. Jacqueline Howard for us. Good to have you with us. Thank you.
Well, U.S. President Donald Trump came out swinging in his address to the nation on Wednesday night in an agitated speech. He blamed Democrats and
his predecessor Joe Biden for most of the problems facing America right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: One year ago, our country was dead. We were absolutely dead. Our country was ready to fail. Totally
failed. Now, we're the hottest country anywhere in the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, the reality is many of the president's claim -- claims made yesterday was simply not true.
CNN senior reporter Daniel Dale is here to keep us straight on the facts. Fat checker in house. Good to have you with us.
So certainly, a lot of things, a lot of wild claims made in this speech. Just take us through them.
DANIEL DALE, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, on -- on these key -- excuse me. On these key subjects of inflation and affordability, the president had a
grand finale to the speech in which he said inflation is stopped and prices are down. Neither of those claims is true.
We had new inflation numbers in the U.S. this morning, 2.7 percent inflation in November. That's not particularly high, though it's slightly
elevated, but it continues. It hasn't ceased. And there has been inflation every month of this Trump term. And so prices are not down, they're --
they're clearly up.
He also made claims like every price is rapidly falling. That's also clearly not true. Far more prices have increased than have decreased during
this Trump term. And he even made fantastical quantitative claims. He made claims like prescription drug prices are falling by 400 to 600 percent.
Those numbers do not make any a mathematical sense if you had an increase of more than 100 percent. That would mean Americans were beginning paid to
acquire their medications, which we know is not happening.
And it wasn't just the subject of inflation and affordability, though. He also repeated many claims we've heard before, like claiming he's taken an
$18 trillion investment in the U.S. this year alone. That number is not even close to true. Nearly doubled the number the White House uses on its
own website, and even that number is wildly inflated.
And he also claimed again that he has stopped eight wars. And we've gone through this before. That number is also not even close to true. It
includes things like an Ethiopia, Egypt diplomatic dispute over a dam project that was never a war under Trump to start with.
It includes an ongoing war in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has not ended despite a Trump-broker peace agreement. And it includes the Thailand-
Cambodia armed conflict that has flared back up this month, so also not over. So those are just some of the many, many false claims that President
Trump made in this not very long, about 18-minute address.
KINKADE: If only some of those claims were true, we could all be a bit happier.
Daniel Dale, good to have you with us. Thank you.
DALE: Thank you.
KINKADE: President Donald Trump says Susie Wiles will remain his White House Chief of Staff. That comes after "Vanity Fair" quoted her blunt
assessments about him and several cabinet members. Downplaying the coverage, Trump told reporters on Wednesday she's doing a great job.
Among Wiles' unflattering remarks to "Vanity Fair" was her description of Trump as having, quote, an alcoholic's personality.
"Vanity Fair" writer Chris Whipple found her words astonishing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS WHIPPLE, VANITY FAIR WRITER: You know, Anderson, this was one of those cases as a reporter in your career when -- when lightning strikes.
And it -- it was astonishing to me the extent to which she was unguarded and freewheeling on the record all the time.
Susie Wiles in 11 interviews over 11 months.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: That's how many, there were 11 interviews over 11 months.
WHIPPLE: Eleven in-depth interviews in which she was on the record. Everything in the article is -- was on the record.
[12:20:05]
COOPER: Were you recording every interview?
WHIPPLE: I recorded every interview.
COOPER: Even when it's not that we're on the phone. There she was -- there was one where she was doing the laundry apparently.
WHIPPLE: Yes. Everything is on tape.
COOPER: Are things that are taken out of content? Because some of the quotes are -- they're tight. I mean they're just -- it's like --
WHIPPLE: Everything is -- was scrupulously in context. And -- and I got to tell you, the giveaway, when you're a journalist and you hear you're the
target, the subject saying, talking about things like context and omissions.
You know you're on the right track because there isn't a single fact or a single assertion that they've challenged in the piece.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, members of the cabinet fervently defended Wiles after the two articles were published.
Well, still to come on "One World."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Walshe, you will live with the guilt and burden of Ana Walshe's death for the rest of your life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Convicted killer, Brian Walshe's sentence. The chilling details just ahead.
Plus, why the latest look at consumer inflation in the U.S. is raising some eyebrows.
And later in the show, this Christmas season has a new anthem.
And the Queen of Christmas has been dethroned. Find out who has knocked Mariah Carey from the top spot. We'll have that coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back. A high-profile murder trial comes to an end in Massachusetts. And convicted killer Brian Walshe will spend the rest of his
life behind bars without the possibility of parole for the killing and dismembering of his wife nearly three years ago.
That sentence was delivered by a judge earlier today. Ana Walshe disappeared after New Year's Eve celebration. The body never found.
Her sister made an emotional statement in court.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEXANDRA DIMITRIJEVIC, ANA WALSHE'S SISTER: Ana was not just my sister. She was someone I grew up with, someone who knew me in ways no one else
ever will. I struggle with a grief that comes without warning hoping every morning that this is all just a terrible dream.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Jean Casarez is live for us from New York with more. If only it was a terrible dream. Just take us through the judge's decision and, of
course, that emotional reaction.
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And Ana Walshe's family lives in Serbia. And the family did not come in from Serbia, but they could be
watching this right now, because obviously, they have cared about this case. This was their daughter. Her mother lives in Serbia along with the
rest of the family. This sister lived in Canada.
[12:25:09]
But the conviction was first degree premeditated murder. And under Massachusetts law, that is mandatory life in prison without any possibility
of parole.
But today was all about the victim and the victim impact statements. And we learned that the three children, because they had three very young
children, two, four, and six when Ana was murdered, they actually are wards of the state in Massachusetts and the Department of Children and Families
is in charge of them.
And they had a victim impact statement even at their very young years that was given to the judge. It was not read an open court.
But let's listen to a little bit more of Alexandria who came on behalf of her sister Ana Walshe today in court.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIMITRIJEVIC: The most painful part of this loss is knowing her children must now grow up without their mother's hand to hold. They now face a
lifetime of milestones, big and small, where her absence will be deeply and painfully felt.
Because of the circumstances of my sister's death, we were denied the opportunity to say a final goodbye and to observe her customs adding a
layer of profound unfinished grief to our loss.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CASAREZ: Now, Brian Walshe had also pleaded guilty to misleading law enforcement because on January 4th of 2023, he said my wife is missing. She
left. She had to go to work on a work emergency. I don't know where she is.
So, so many resources were used in that community. And the community cared in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to find her.
But the other was conveying a body because he dismembered his wife after he murdered her. So, that sentence also is included within the murder charge,
the murder conviction.
One more thing I wanted to tell you, a body was never found for Ana Walshe. So, we learned today that there has never been a death certificate issued.
There has never been a funeral. Her family has not been able to give her the dignity of that even.
But the prosecutor said that their office is really working on a death certificate because now, it has been proven, right, by a jury that he
murdered his wife, Ana.
KINKADE: Such a horrific case. Yes, still feel for their family having gone through all of that even after the sentence.
Jean Casarez, thanks so much.
CASAREZ: Thank you.
KINKADE: Well, still to come, intelligence sources tell CNN that Russia's shadow fleet is doubling as a spy asset. CNN exclusive investigative report
ahead.
Plus, a sign of the times. One of the biggest T.V. events of the year moving to streaming. We'll speak to a veteran Hollywood analyst about the
Oscars' new home.
And it's a brand-new season of fan favorite, "Emily in Paris." We get a sneak peek and hear from the show's creator along with one of the show's
leading actors. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:30:49]
KINKADE: Welcome back to "One World." I'm Lynda Kinkade.
More now on our top story. E.U. leaders are meeting in Brussels to decide on a controversial plan for funding Ukraine's war effort. They're debating
whether to give Ukraine access to billions of dollars in frozen Russian assets to bankroll Kyiv's war effort. Moscow has warned that any
appropriation of its assets won't go unpunished.
We're now to a CNN exclusive investigation. Western and Ukrainian intelligence sources tell CNN that Russia is using its shadow fleet of oil
tankers, not only to evade Western sanctions, but as a cover for espionage in European waters.
CNN's Katie Polglase reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATIE POLGLASE, CNN INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER (voice-over): Looking out over the English Channel, this narrow stretch of water between the U.K. and
France, at points just 20 miles wide, is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
POLGLASE: Now CNN can exclusively reveal that there have been ships, ordinary looking cargo ships that have sailed right past here with Russian
personnel on board, who according to Western intelligence sources are conducting espionage on behalf of the Russian state. And that includes
taking photos of European military installations, they say.
POLGLASE (voice-over): The men on board belong to the Moran Security Group, the sources said, a maritime private security company set up over a decade
ago to defend against piracy.
Last year, the U.S. sanctioned them for providing armed security services to Russian state-owned businesses.
These ships Moran Security are on are not usually Russian nor the crew, but they're known as Russia's shadow fleet as Western authorities believe they
secretly serve the Kremlin's interests like carrying Russian oil despite Western sanctions.
We asked Ukrainian foreign intelligence who have been tracking the group why they think these men from Moran Security were on board.
OLEKSANDR STAKHNEVYCH, UKRAINE FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE: For our information on this action, the Moran Security Group is connected to Russian special
service GRU, military intelligence and it's coordinated by them.
POLGLASE (voice-over): He said the men at task with keeping an eye on non- Russian captains, but that is not the only role.
STAKHNEVYCH: They can be involved in like covert information gathering during the -- like, traveling during the route of these vessels.
POLGLASE (voice-over): And a job application form on the Moran Security Group's website makes it clear what skills they're looking for, stating,
preference is given to former officers who have served in Special Forces units, including the GRU, that's Russia's military intelligence agency.
We tracked the shipping data and satellite imagery. One of the ship's Western intelligence sources told us Moran Security were recently on board.
This ship, the Boracay, is a crude oil tanker.
It appears at the port of Primorsk in Russia on September 19th. We obtained the crew list, showing the boat left Primorsk the next day.
And after a long list of non-Russian sailors, at the bottom are two Russians, listed only as technicians, but Western intelligence sources told
us they are Russian contractors, acting in line with the Kremlin's interests and that one is a former member of Wagner, Russia's most
notorious mercenary group.
[12:35:08]
The cargo ship then sailed through the Baltic Sea and around the coast of Denmark, mysterious drones were seen over Danish military air bases and
airports at the same time.
After the ship passed Denmark off the coast of France, it was detained by French authorities for not providing proof of the boat's nationality. Even
President Putin was following the news.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): They were apparently searching for some kind of cargo, maybe military equipment,
drones or something similar. There's nothing there, and there never was.
POLGLASE: But actually, the two Russian men from Moran Security were still on board, according to Western intelligence sources. And the French
authorities questioned them in private.
POLGLASE (voice-over): They were later let go and the ship sailed on to report in India where the ship unloaded Russian oil according to a maritime
analytics firm. CNN was unable to contact the management of the ship.
We caught Moran Security's deputy director, Alexey Badikov, about the findings. He said, I'm not in a position to confirm whether the two men
worked for the group. And said it was crazy to suggest the Boracay launched the drones. Adding, if you would like to use drones, you will use fishing
vessels or something like that, not from the big oil tanker.
When asked about the claim they are spying for the Russian security services or working for the Russian state, he said, no comment.
Whatever Moran and Russia are doing at sea, their presence on board these boats is a sign of how brazen Russia has become in the face of their
European neighbors.
Katie Polglase, CNN, Dover.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, let's check on how the U.S. markets are doing. This is your "Business Breakout."
And right now, you can see markets are all slightly up. The NASDAQ up almost 1.5 percent, with shares of micro-technology jumping after a blowout
profit forecast.
Demand for A.I. memory from smartphones to data centers is outstripping supply. And that prompted Micron to forecast second quarter adjusted profit
at nearly double Wall Street expectations.
It's worth noting that Micron is one of only three major suppliers of high bandwidth memory chips, which are essential to A.I. technology.
Chipotle -- Chipotle Mexican Grill is launching its first high-protein menu. It's aimed at reversing a sales slump following a challenging 2025.
[12:40:02]
The rollout in the U.S. and Canada is set to begin next Tuesday. The restaurant chain recently said customers, especially those aged between 25
and 35, were feeling the pinch.
U.S. inflation called in November. The White House says it's celebrating the new report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Consumer Price
Index measuring 2.7 percent from a year earlier after hitting a three percent in September.
Now this is the lowest rate since July. But some economists say they aren't taking the unexpectedly lower reading at face value.
I want to bring in CNN's Matt Egan, who's in New York. And I do want to ask him, Matt, about that skepticism. I mean, and certainly what concerns
people have about the data.
MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Yes. Well, let's look at face value. This report looked pretty encouraging when you just kind of look at the
headlines and the surface. But unfortunately, economists say that they believe that this report was likely distorted by the government shutdown.
And so we really can't take it at face value. I'll -- I'll get into that more in a moment.
But just to run you through some of the big numbers, as you mentioned, 2.7 percent. That's the new annual inflation rate. That is a four month low.
That's an improvement from three percent in September.
I can't tell you what it was in October because the government shutdown meant that we really don't have an inflation rate for October.
But this beat expectations. And when you look at the trend, you can see why the White House is encouraged, right? Because you do see this down tick in
the rate of inflation.
And just to remind you, you know, inflation was trending down earlier this year. And then we had April. That's when the president rolled out those
Liberation Day tariffs that did help contribute to some price hikes on some items and did help to drive the rate of inflation down.
But the bad news here is the more you dig into this report, the more flawed it looks, right? Because of the shutdown, data collection wasn't done
during the month of October. It was actually done. The surveys were taken later during the month of November than normal. So that may have caused
some distortions.
Economists are especially skeptical about some of the cool down and improvement we've seen in the rate of inflation for housing, for shelter
and for rent, right? Some economists say it really just doesn't pass the smell test.
Well, as far as economists, they may have put it best, when they said you don't just have to just take this with a grain of salt, you have to take it
with the entire salt shaker.
But just to remind you, even though the rate of inflation is down in this report, it doesn't mean that prices are down. It just means that they're
going up at a slower pace.
Now, to break out some of the key items here, I think the good news is gasoline was up by less than one percent. And we know gas prices continue
to move down here in the U.S., and really around the world during the month of December.
Grocery prices are only up by less than two percent, less than the overall rate of inflation. So that's encouraging.
However, some other things are getting a lot more expensive pretty rapidly. Look at electricity up by almost seven percent year over year. That's going
to cause some sticker shock for people when they open up their utility bills. Natural gas. That's the most common way to heat homes in the U.S.,
up by nine percent.
And bad news for coffee lovers. Roasted coffee about 18 percent more expensive. Instant coffee, 24 percent. That's the biggest annual increase
for instant coffee prices since 1995.
And it likely reflects some of those tariffs that the Trump administration put on imports. Some of those tariffs have been rolled back, but the price
is clearly still going up.
One last point for you. Let's look at what this means for the Fed. I think what's telling is that a day ago, the market was pricing in about a one in
four chance of an interest rate cut at the next meeting in January.
But look at this. There's been virtually no change. The market is still bracing in a 24 percent chance. And I do think that that reflects some
skepticism that we've seen even from investors about what this inflation report means.
I think the bottom line here is, yes, it's nice to see that the annual inflation rate unexpectedly slowed. But we really need to see if this is
confirmed in the next inflation report and the one after that before we can really, really put too much weight into it. Back to you.
KINKADE: Yes. You make a good point. Matt Egan, as always, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
EGAN: Thanks, Lynda.
KINKADE: We'll in a move that showcases just how much streaming platforms are eclipsing broadcast television. The Oscar Awards show will shift from
airing on the ABC to streaming on YouTube in 2029.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which had been auctioning off the rights to future telecasts in recent weeks, says YouTube signed a
multi-year deal for the exclusive global rights to the Oscars. Now, this deal will run through 2033.
[12:45:01]
Joining us now, from Los Angeles to discuss the move is veteran Hollywood analyst, Paul Dergarabedian, who is head of Marketplace Trends at Comscore.
I hope I didn't mess up your name too much. Good to have you with us.
PAUL DERGARABEDIAN, HEAD OF MARKETPLACE TRENDS, COMSCORE: Great to be here, Lynda. Thank you.
KINKADE: Now, this is a watershed moment for Hollywood. The Oscars moving from network T.V., the ABC to YouTube starting in 2029. Giving YouTube's
global reach and dominance, did this move seem inevitable to you? Or is the Academy taking a real gamble?
DERGARABEDIAN: I think it is inevitable in a way. And I -- I dressed up, by the way, for this like I'm -- I'm going to the Oscars or something.
So, you know, and if you think about it too, 2029 is 100 years since the first Oscars in 1929. So I think it really is kind of an appropriate time
to do this.
ABC has been the host and the custodian of the Oscars for years. But I think, you know, the ubiquity and the footprint of YouTube is incredible. I
mean, of all the streamers, they're really the biggest overall.
And it kind of makes sense to go there. And think of the possibilities, you know, the time -- you know, people think the Oscars are too long. But by
being on streaming, I mean, you can -- you can honor all the technical folks. Usually, they kind of brush past those awards.
You could have a lot of impromptu moments globally. I think it's going to have an even bigger impact because everyone will be able to watch it on
YouTube.
So I just think it's inevitable. I think the timing is right. ABC has been a great custodian of the show. I think this moves it into the modern era,
into this streaming world where anything is possible.
Time limits don't really apply and that they can honor a lot of the -- the technical folks, you know, those behind the scenes in movies, as well as
the big, you know, the -- the best picture Oscars and the actor categories and all of that.
So I think it's kind of a cool thing. I can't wait to see how this plays out.
KINKADE: Yes. Certainly a lot of interest. But one of the questions I've got is whether this would diminish the prestige of the Oscars being on
network T.V.
I mean, what --
DERGARABEDIAN: Yes.
KINKADE: -- are your thoughts about that? And what are you hearing from those in Hollywood?
DERGARABEDIAN: Yes. I mean, I think that, you know, that you make a great point because I think the whole idea of the red carpet, ABC, the Oscars,
that's kind of baked into the DNA of how we feel about the Oscar telecast and the prestige factor.
I hope that does -- it doesn't diminish it. I mean, if you look at YouTube, there's so much great content on there. There's such a massive audience.
And clearly the academy is more concerned with, you know, getting a bigger audience than it is with prestige. Because despite the prestige, some of
the modern telecasts have had fairly low ratings. You have to go back to like when "Titanic" was in the mix and they had huge ratings because so
many people saw that movie. So they had a vested interest in watching the telecast.
I guess we'll have to wait and see. This is a big deal. I mean, it's a huge change for the Oscars.
KINKADE: Yes. And you mentioned they want to get a bigger audience, but also a younger audience, right? Because the academy has struggled to really
get -- get younger people watching the show.
I mean, is that -- is YouTube their best chance yet to connect with a new generation?
DERGARABEDIAN: I think you make a great point. I think absolutely that is a way to do it because a lot of the younger generation, they love YouTube and
they're constantly watching it how -- and also at the same time, they love going to the movie theater, believe it or not.
Everything's -- younger people have shifted only to their small screens, but the movie theater is a hub of influence. And so they're going to see
those movies in theater that are then going to be nominated for Oscars potentially. And then they're going to watch it on YouTube. So it could
play into grabbing that younger audience 100 percent.
KINKADE: And what does this deal say? Big picture about the balance of power between legacy television and big tech platforms.
DERGARABEDIAN: Yes. Well, that's a big question. I -- I think there is so much going on. This is an evolution that's happening. Maybe a revolution in
a way, but I think there's always going to be that need for legacy media, for traditional outlets, but then thinking outside the box for certain
events, like the Oscars and giving that a try and seeing what happens.
I mean, if you maintain the status quo, that's great, that's safe. But I think with the Oscars, people maybe want to see a little -- something a
little bit different.
I'll be very curious to see how this all plays out when we watch it together, you know, in 2029, when this is supposed to happen or it should
happen.
So I think it's -- for Hollywood, it's a big deal, but it sort of dovetails the streaming component, the big screen, small screens, all these screens
that are related to entertainment, movies and theaters, and then recognizing those movies on YouTube.
KINKADE: Yes.
DERGARABEDIAN: Pretty, pretty dynamic time to be in this business.
[12:50:01]
KINKADE: Yes. Certainly a challenge, no doubt, for broadcast to do -- for YouTube to do a broadcast of that scale.
Paul Dergarabedian, good to have you with us. From Los Angeles, thanks so much.
DERGARABEDIAN: Great to be here. Thank you.
KINKADE: Well, "Emily in Paris" season five drops today on Netflix. Speaking about another streaming platform. This time, it is a tale of two
cities, Paris and Rome, as Emily takes romance to the next level. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SYLVIE GRATEAU: Office in Rome. Let's really show the Italians how it's done.
Keep your attention on (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE). The business, not the man.
EMILY COOPER: We want to make sure it's something that people can connect with.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nothing excited me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: My colleague Sara Sidner spoke with these show's creator Darren Star, as well as one of the leading actresses.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: You play Sylvie, who is this sort of iconic Parisian business owner who dresses like nobody's business or from a famed
PR company.
What's the biggest thing that you love about playing this role?
PHILIPPINE LEROY-BEAULIEU, FRENCH ACTRESS: The reverence. The -- I'm allowed to say whatever I want. And that's such a relief.
SIDNER: It's powerful. You just get to -- you just get to go hard on everybody on the team --
LEROY-BEAULIEU: Exactly.
SIDNER: -- and they have to take it.
LEROY-BEAULIEU: They have to take it.
SIDNER: I want to ask you about something else that there's a lot of speculation online about who Emily is going to choose of the love interest
that she's having.
DARREN STAR, AMERICAN WRITER: Well, Emily doesn't have to make a choice.
SIDNER: Oh, wow. Yes.
STAR: Does she?
SIDNER: She does not.
STAR: No, no.
SIDNER: Oh, my gosh. Do you --
STAR: The story continues.
SIDNER: You keep adding. So now you have Marcello, who is the --
STAR: He's fantastic. (INAUDIBLE).
SIDNER: He's really good.
STAR: Wonderful this season. Excellent.
LEROY-BEAULIEU: Yes, he's great. He's great.
SIDNER: He's great, right? But then you also have the French chef Gabriel.
STAR: He's fantastic too.
LEROY-BEAULIEU: He's great.
SIDNER: I mean --
LEROY-BEAULIEU: We love them both.
SIDNER: It's a hard choice if you had to make one.
STAR: And maybe she doesn't have to make one.
SIDNER: Just keep both around.
STAR: It's -- you know, it's France, Italy.
LEROY-BEAULIEU: Listen to him. He's (INAUDIBLE) such a chaotic life. It's crazy.
STAR: She can have two lives. Two lives. Yes.
SIDNER: She can -- she can juggle.
STAR: She can juggle. Yes.
SIDNER: Just a life in Rome and a life in Paris.
STAR: That's right.
SIDNER: Thank you both for being here. It -- it is such an exquisitely fun show to watch.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: And that show certainly wants me -- it makes me feel like I want to go back to Paris in Rome.
When we come back, turn up those speakers because the holiday season has a new number one here. And it's probably not the tune you're thinking about.
We'll reveal that next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:55:13]
KINKADE: Welcome back. The iconic Queen of Christmas has been dethroned.
(MUSIC)
Mariah Carey's holiday hit, "All I Want for Christmas Is You" has dropped from the top of the Billboard's Global 200 for the first time since 2020.
The new number one.
(MUSIC)
Well, it's not a new song. It is a 1984 classic "Last Christmas" by Wham! It is the new Billboard chart-topper.
The estate of late Wham! Member, George Michael, said in a statement, it's a testament to a brilliant song and timeless record that embodies the very
sound of Christmas.
Well, regardless of which song you prefer, it's clear that the charts, the holiday season is officially upon us.
Merry Christmas for those celebrating. That does it for "One World." I'm Lynda Kinkade. Thanks for watching. "Amanpour" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:00:00]
END
